FROM REV. DR. WILLIAM BENTLEY'S DIARY.

May 15, 1785, Sunday. Changed with Revd: Wadsworth. June 14. Association meeting at my house. Present: Revd. Diman, Barnard, Prince, Holt, Wadsworth, Swain & Parsons.

Decr. 19. Set out with Miss Allen for Tewkesbury, dined at Widow Upton in Danvers, drank Tea at Esqr. Ford's in Wilmington, and arrived at Madam Boardman's in Tewkesbury at 6 in the evening. The day was of clear sunshine, but the roads very bad as far as Reading.

Nov. 10, 1789. Association at Wadsworth's, Danvers.

Feb. 18, 1790. On Tuesday last the Officers from Danvers, Beverly, & Middleton chose the field Officers of their Militia, & hereby compleat the Brigade-Chosen in this Town.

Feb. 20. The Officers chosen in the Militia last Tuesday were Col. Foster of Danvers, Lieu. Col. Francis of Beverly, Major Peabody of Middleton.

Feb. 25. Last Evening before 7 o'clock a fire broke out in the Barn belonging to the Estate of Richard Derby Esq' deceased in the North Parish of Beverley. The Estate is known by the name of Brown's folly from the House formerly standing on the top of the Hill, & now moved near the road. It was afterwards the property of one Willard & Fairweather, who disposed of it in divisions on the South Side of the Road to R. Derby including the Mansion House, & on the North side to Col. Thorndike of Beverley. All the Cattle, Hay & contents of the Barn were consumed, damage exceeding £300. About 21⁄2 miles geog: north of Salem, 4 measured miles.

May 23. Was buried at Marblehead, Robert Hooper, Esq, æt. 80. He had long been the most eminent Merchant in the place, but by the events of war, became a bankrupt. He was entrusted by his creditors with the improvement of his real estate, during his natural life, & was called King Hooper by the people. The highest affection was shewn to him at his death & his memory honored by his numerous former dependants. The Vessels were all dressed in mourning, the Procession exceeded anything before known in honor of a merchant, in that place.

June 22. I went to ride with Capt. S. Chever into Danvers.

Saw the Garden of Mr. E. H. Derby. The Dutch Gardener was very attentive. The Principal Garden is in three parts divided by an open slat fence painted white, & the fence white washed. It includes 7/8 of an Acre. We ascend from the house two steps in each division. The passages have no gates, only a naked arch with a key stone frame, of wood painted white above 10 feet high. Going into the Garden they look better than in returning, in the latter view they appear from the unequal surface to incline towards the Hill. The Strawberry beds are in the upper garden, & the whole division are not according to the plants they contain. The unnatural opening of the Branches of the trees is attempted with very bad effect. Beyond the Garden is a Spot as large as the Garden which would form an admirable orchard now improved as a Kitchen garden, & has not an ill effect in its present state. The Gardener has only come this year, & is not accountable for the arrangement. It was extremely neat, & in comparison had by no means an ill effect. The House is with a superb fence, but is itself a mere country House, one story higher than common with a rich owner.

July 27. A very large party at a Turtle at Putnam's.

Aug. 18. I attended the funeral of Mary Whittemore from Deacon Seccombe's in Danvers, as it was her last request to lay in the old ground with her relations.

Aug. 20. Set out for Tewksbury, returned as far as Upton's & lodged on account of the indisposition of one of the company.

Aug. 21. Expense at Upton's 2/10.

Sept. 16. The Review at Danvers near Putnam's, I was not present. This was part of the Regiment conjointly with Beverley and they have now a petition at Court for a Separation.

Oct. 11. In the agitation of my mind, I went to Danvers and spent an hour with Mr Holt.

Oct. 25. Mr. Read, formerly a Tutor of the College has married a young woman* of fortune in this place, & this day offered a public collation.

Nov. 9. Census of Danvers: 372 houses, 460 families, 626 free white males over 16 years of age, including heads of families, 486 free white males under 16 years, 1279 free white females, including heads of families, 34 other free persons, total, 2425.†

*Nathan Read married Elizabeth, daughter of William Jeffry. †At this time Danvers, which then included Peabody, had a population greater than Lynn.

Nov. 17. This afternoon came on the case of Moriarty, an Irishman, before the Supreme Court. This man has lived sometime in Salem, & Danvers, & after suffering imprisonment was taken in by his daughter in law, cloathed & fed for three years. Since the death of her husband she has boarded him, without any returns. Upon some present proposals of marriage Moriarty objected, & took some steps at Law to recover some property out of her hands upon which she brings an action of debt [314] for boarding, lodging, washing & loans of money since July, 1787, amounting to 106£. Moriarty against her brought an account of 209£ charging 69£ for the use of a Cow, beside the keeping, 32£ pr annum for doing the business of a woman keeping shop of a stock of 50 dollars, & other things in like proportion. Being admitted to his oath of original entries in his petite debt book, the Court gave it as their opinion that the whole was drawn out but three months before, from the dates of the charges, uniformity of ink, same elegant leisurely writing, the agreement of the paper with paper given at this time by Esq' Osgood, by testimony of Auctioneer & Wharfinger that he came & took from their Books accounts for the time specified. There were other circumstances in the book such as the insertion of only a few trifling accounts in the whole time, with different ink in void spaces left in writing, to be judged from the want of agreement of the inserted dates with the subsequent ones. Judge Paine delivered the Case to the Jury with a just degree of spirit, & pertinent observations. This Moriarty has imposed upon the vulgar, being a good accountant, with a pretended knowledge of law, is an intemperate man, & litigious, & a just object of the highest public punishment.

[315] 18. The jury's verdict ag: Moriarty was 75£ to the daughter, & he is to pay cost of suit.