Diary of Joshua Hempstead of New London, Connecticut: Covering a Period of Forty-seven Years, from September 1711, to November, 1758; Containing Valuable Genealogical Data Relating to Many New London Families, References to the Colonial Wars, to the Shipping and Other Matters of Interest Pertaining to the Town and the Times, with an Account of a Journey Made by the Writer from New London to Maryland |
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This is a fantastic journal of early life in Connecticut and helped to answer questions regarding my Beebe ancestors. The fact that Joshua Hempstead could write and that he kept a daily journal is amazing and even more so that he kept a daily journal! Even if you don't have ancestors that are mentioned in the book, it's an interesting read, but for those who had ancestors living in New London during Joshua's lifetime, it's a gem of a journal.
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Popular passages
Page viii - For we are the same our fathers have been; We see the same sights our fathers have seen, — We drink the same stream, and view the same sun, And run the same course our fathers have run.
Page ix - Its author was a remarkable man — one that might serve to represent, or at least illustrate, the age, country and society in which he lived. The diversity of his occupations marks a custom of the day : he was at once farmer, surveyor, house and ship carpenter, attorney, stone-cutter, sailor and trader. He generally held three or four town offices ; was justice of the peace, judge of probate, executor of various wills, overseer to widows, guardian to orphans, member of all committees, every body's...
Page vii - Upon the petition of Henry White and others, showing that they, with sundry other persons, have formed a Society called The New Haven Colony Historical Society, for the collection, preservation, and publication of historical and genealogical matter relating to the early settlement and subsequent history, especially of New Haven and its vicinity...
Page 400 - ... 128). One of the things the young women were doing in trance was exhorting and praying for those at the gathering. Joshua Hempstead left a report of another such meeting in his diary. According to Hempstead: Mr. Allin of New London [a Congregationalist minister sympathetic to the revival] was to come & failed them & after Long waiting the young men 2 of them Newlight Exhorters begun their meeting & 2 or 3 Women followed both at once & there was Such medley that no one could understand Either...
Page 409 - Nathll Richards of Norwich was convicted of Adultry with Samll Leffingwell's wife Last feb. . . . Nathll Richard of Norwich aged 50 was Whiped 25 Stripes & Branded on ye forehead with A on a hot Iron & a Halter put about his Neck and Sarah Leffingwell Aged 50 had the same punishment &c Excepting but 23 Stripes.
Page 521 - Bay. 11 a Coave comes up here about 2 or 3 mile NE of the mouth of the River, there is 30 piggs now Cast yt Ly hot in the Sand as they Run out of a hole in the bottom or Lower End of the furnace in this form | — — | — | — | — | — | the Large Bellows 2 pr go by water & the fire goes not out after it is once blown up untill the Season of ye year comes about, the furnace I suppose is 20 foot high or more & is fed with oar [ore] & coal &c at the Top as if it were the Top of a Chimney all...
Page 524 - ... broad and six inches thick. The lower end of each stone is much less than the upper end and laid in lyme (as all the bridge is) and it looks in the shape of an ovens mouth. The bridge is about 20 rod in length and gradually rounding, the stones covered over on the top with earth and wide enough for 2 or 3 carts to pass a breast. On each side is a stone wall built up about 3 foot and an half, a flat hewn stone on the top about 4 foot in length and 12 or 14 inches wide and about 4 inches thick...
Page 378 - Number of hearers but he was So Severe in Judging & Condemning Mr Eells that many of the People in the Assembly withdrew into the meetinghouse where Mr Eells preacht to them as he was wont to do...
Page 522 - ... fatham at highwater. quite a Cross a mile or 2 over & up to ye head here is one Long wharff well builded & a good Storehouse for goods & Weights & Scales for Tobacco & Press for it also, & Some few Pretty good buildings of Brick but most of wood & mean. I went to the house of Mr Bellamie & d[elivere]da Letter to his wife which I brought from Horse Neck in Connecticut from her father Justice Lockwood.™...
Page 403 - Tent) and thare Related his Christian Experiences in order to have their approbation but behold the Quite Contrary, for they upon Examination find him yet in an unconverted Estate & Judged him So & he Confesses the Justice of their Judgement '& Says that he hath Judged others Divers times and altho he is unwilling to believe it yet like others is forced to bear it.
Bibliographic information
| Title | Diary of Joshua Hempstead of New London, Connecticut: Covering a Period of Forty-seven Years, from September 1711, to November, 1758; Containing Valuable Genealogical Data Relating to Many New London Families, References to the Colonial Wars, to the Shipping and Other Matters of Interest ... Volume 1 of Collections of the New London County Historical Society Volume 1 of New London County Historical Society. Collections |
| Author | Joshua Hempstead |
| Publisher | New London County Historical Society, 1901 |
| Original from | the University of Virginia |
| Digitized | Aug 22, 2007 |
| ISBN | 0259727547, 9780259727545 |
| Length | 750 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |