A Volume of records relating to the early history of Boston : containing miscellaneous papers

Boston Public Library, Boston (Mass.). Registry Dept

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• Publié par: voum
• Nombre de lectures: 36
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 33 Mo

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A VOLUME EECOEDS RELATING TO THE HISTORY OFEARLY BOSTON, CONTAINING MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. BOSTON: MUNICIPAL PRINTING OFFICE. 1900.No. 100[DOCUMENT 1900.] CITY OF BOSTON. THERECORDS RELATING TO EARLY HISTORY OF BOSTON. CALLED RECORD COMMISSIONERS'(FORMERLY REPORTS.) THIS which is the in the seriesvolume,, twenty-ninth of theissued under the direction Record Commis-formerly contains Miscellaneous to the Greatsioners, papers relating Fire of Lists of TimberFreemen,1700, Book,Building Port and was the last1707-27, Arrivals, etc.,Immigrants, volume under the direction of the late William H.compiled who served the as Record CommissionerfromWhitmore, City his death.1876 to the time of EDWARD W. MCGLENEX, City Registrar.PREFACE. A FEW to some alteration in the office ofyears owingago, a number ofthe Fire worthlessDepartment, presumably were sent down to the furnaces to be destroyed. Bypapers some them were bundles ofoversight, many papersamong in Boston in 1760.to the Great Fire relating these were noticed two or three the em-.ofFortunately by in the Old Court who calledHouse, very kindly myployees attention to the fact. I am to add that I havehappy every I rescued the whole col-reason to believe that substantially which is here set out in an strokelection, print. By equal of luck it that I the kindnessobtained,good happened by ofJohnWard the use of a beautifulDean, Esq., manuscript, the list of losses as the Committeegiving prepared by ap- to disburse the liberal made to aid the suffererspointed gifts the fire. It is from the of these two lists thatby comparison I so as to the of all ofspeak confidently preservation nearly the files of claims. original This of the Committee is in themanuscript Report library rof the Historic in a vol-New ,England Genealogical Societ} ume described as follows : to Boston in New"Papers relating England," containing some and one document,eighteen manuscripts printed nearly all to the excise acts of bound in full1754-5, calf,relating s size 9 markedX Bos13, 2 The of loss now in thethe casespapers giving particular of this have been bound as one vol-charge department up ume of the town in uniform withscrapbookspapers eight others the from 1637 to 1832.covering period These will be valued localpapers undoubtedly highly by as the most authentic and ofantiquaries, interesting picture colonial life. The fire struck both rich and andgreat poor, both classes seemed anxious to theamount impartially display of their losses. As effects were andpersonal destroyed were to be the for we have herein anground compensation, itemized account of the contents of Boston houses in 1760, such as even the of the could not com-daytax-gatherers mand. in theHeretofore we have from inventoriescopiediv CITY DOCUMENT No. 100. but these facts were allprobate offices, and asindependent, a rule lists were of the richer classes only. The reference to the Great Fire of 1760 :following W. H. W. HUTCHINSON'S HISTOKY. Vol. 80.3, p. "A fire in the after the 20th of ex-Boston, March,night ceeded the as it had been infire, 1711.great always styled, It in at a house known the name of theCornhill,began by Brazen south of the town-house. Three or fourHead, houses were and the of it seemed to beburnt, progress when a violent wind at northwest came onstopped, suddenly and it consumed in that between Cornhill and thedirection, one hundred and houses and small. Theharbour, fifty great made the amount to three hundred thou-newspapers damage sand A brief from thepounds sterling. governor supposed that at a moderate it amounted to at least onecomputation hundred thousand Others who had observed the in-pounds. creased value of the land which the houses esti-upon stood, mated the loss at not more than thousand andfifty pounds, if the donations could have been dis-that,judged, equally no loss would have been sustained."tributed great bleTo the Honor the Comons of Great in ParliamentBritain, assembled. The of Sarah Fran . &c. allAyers, Ackley,petition [naming the of Boston in the of Massachusettsprovincesufferers] Bay. Most sheweth,humbly thon the 20 of March last a most terrible ex-That fire, that ever before in the Americanhappenedceeding any d atbroke out in the heart of the s . town ofcolonies, Boston, increased thethe hour of two in the which, bymorning, from- the North and thewind, West,blowing very strong flames of wooden with irresistablemany buildings, raged stil in itsall before it, and,violence, carrying widening with such a course to the water's progress, proceeded rapid moveablesthat the houses & other with theedge, buildings, reduced toof were in a little timeyour petitioners, very from & othersand some of affluent,ashes, your petitioners circumstances to straits &from easy great indigence. to aThat with their families,petitioners amountingyour with thenumber of receivedpersons, being greatestlarge