Diary, 1768, Dec. 8 -- 1773, Apr. 4, (bulk 1768, Dec. 8 -- 1769, Apr. 28 )

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Diary, 1768, Dec. 8 -- 1773, Apr. 4, (bulk 1768, Dec. 8 -- 1769, Apr. 28 )

Diary, 1768, Dec. 8 -- 1773, Apr. 4, (bulk 1768, Dec. 8 -- 1769, Apr. 28 )

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/427394086

Diary and memorandum book of an unidentified Bostonian, probably a relative of John Olds, a London merchant. The largest portion of the diary covers his stay in London from December 1768 to late April 1769 (ff. 2-58). The diariest sailed from Boston to London in October 1768, onboard the Amazon. The diarist, evidently a single young man, also recounts his visits to the relatives (one of whom asked him "whether people in America talk'd English"), sightseeing and social life -- coffeehouses, the Old Bailey, Parliament, St. Paul's cathedral, the Tower, etc (including admission fees), and a detailed record of a session of a "Disputing Club" that held a moderated debate on "whether or not it was to the honour of Britain to tax America." Much of this portion of the diary is devoted to politics, especially the Middlesex election of John Wilkes (the diary opens with an account of the Brentford riots) and the American policies of the cabinet. An intensely religious person, he attended services at various London churches, including George Whitefield's Tabernacle; the diary contains detailed records of sermons and preachers. The diary also frequently mentions John Olds and Thomas Bromfield (1734-1816), a Boston merchant who had settled in London in 1760. This portion ends with a record of his voyage to Boston onboard the Paoli; he arrived to the city on June 19, 1769. The other, smaller, portion of the diary consists of detailed records of sermons, mostly by John Hunt and John Bacon of the Old South Church, that the diarist attended between Jan. 14 and Apr. 1773; the records include the author's own religious reflections. Also included is a certificate of residency issued by the town of Weathersfield, Conn. to Peter Verstille who had moved there from Boston in April 1760.

71 leaves, 17 cm., two quires, stitched in contemporary marbled paper cover.

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