March, 1818.

1. Went to Church twice-Dinner-Salmon Trout, Holibut & Smelts.

2. Great Thaw & Freshets-Water in the Brook rose higher than the Arch in the Bridge, and ran over the road on the east side between the gaol, and gaoler's house. Water,

studied medicine with Dr. Edward A. Holyoke, of Salem, and at St. Thomas's Hospital, in London. He was lecturer on clinical medicine at Harvard from 1810 to 1812; and Hersey professor of the theory and practise of Physic from 1812 to 1836, when he was chosen professor emeritus." He practised in Boston from 1800 to 1860.

Dr. Jackson received the degree of M. D. from Harvard in 1811, and that of LL.D. in 1854; and was a member of the Board of Overseers from 1844 to 1846. He was president of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the Massachusetts Medical Society.

rose higher everywhere in this vicinity than has been known before by any person living. Great damage done to Bridges, mill dams, &c., in many places.

4. Settled with Newton & Tufts the concerns respecting purchasing of me the paper Mill in Alsted, N. H. Deed, Bond and Mortgage written to be delivered April 1st.

5. Grand daughter, Mary Rebecca, went to the Assembly this Evening, which closed at about 2 °Clock in the morning.

8. Went to Church twice. M'. Nash preached in the Forenoon.

9. Settled with Williams and agreed to let him have the farm another year to the halves. The freshet on Monday last was greater it is thought than for 50 years preceding, on the Merrimack, the Hudson, and the Connecticut Rivers, and on the streams emptying into them. Springfield new large Bridge, with a great number of other large Bridges, a greater number of small ones, and a still larger number of mill dams destroyed. We have certain information of 6 persons drowned.

12. Bragg, my Coachman, who is about marrying a widow, and going to farming, recommended a young man to me, in his place by the name of Parker, who is now in Princeton I sent Bragg for him-he returned with Parker in the Evening.

13. Engaged Amory Parker, for one year as a Coachman at 170 dols. per annum & board him.

15. Mrs. Thomas began taking the medicine prepared by D'. Jackson of Boston. Mrs. Seaver came on a visit yesterday. Went to Church twice.

16. Miss Lynde, &c., visit.

Worcester, March 19th, 1818.

The undersigned hereby engage to Supply I. Thomas, with three hundred perch of good Junk Stones everyway proper for laying a good Stone Cellar a foundation. Wall for a brick building, and as many more perches as he may want, all to be delivered by the first of May next, at twentyfive cents per perch after they are laid. The word hundred interlined before signing. The perch is considered as 161 feet long and one foot Square.

Joel Putnam.
Danforth Abbott.

20. Mrs. Thomas more unwell than usual.

21. Mrs. Thomas kept her Chamber.

22. Went to Chh. twice. Mrs. T. kept her Chamber to-day also but is more comfortable.

23. Mrs. Thomas came below-is much better.

24. Mrs. Seaver ended her Visit.

25.

Visit Dr. Bancroft & Wife. Mrs. Thomas rode out.

26. Detected my black boy Andrew in stealing and giving away Books to other Boys, also in lying-Sent for parents of the boys and the boys also. Settled the business on a promise of amendment.

27. Amory Parker came to live with me as a Coachman. His wages are to begin the 9th of next month.

28. Bought two small pieces of Land, at the bottom of Thomas Street, belonging to the Estate of the late Daniel Heyward and adjoining to my land. The Lots of Land I have purchased do not both of them contain more than 3 fourths of an Acre, for which I am to pay about 144 dollars.

29. Went to Church twice.

31. Nahum Bragg went to Boston on business of his

own.

Became, this month, a Member of the Society for contributing toward the expence of detecting Thieves.1

Engaged the House and Land on the Common to Simeon Duncan, jun'. and Artemas Ward, 2d, one-half to eachthe whole 100 dols. per annum to be paid Quarterly from 1st of April. Leased the House and Land in Thomas Street to Ira Rand, at 55 dollars per annum to be paid quarterly -beginning April 1st.

12 November, 1795, a number of men met at Heywood's Tavern in Worcester, to form an association for the protection of their property against thieves; and at a meeting a week later Samuel Flagg was chosen secretary and treasurer; and Benjamin Heywood, Ephraim Mower, Captain Joshua Whitney, Colonel Phinehas Jones, Deacon John Chamberlain, John Barnard and Samuel Andrews, a standing committee. A set of rules was adopted, the preamble of which stated that "Whereas the practice of Stealing has become so prevalent of late, that it becomes Necessary for the well disposed to unite in the most effectual Measures of Protecting their property against those Hostile invasions, We the Subscribers do, therefore Associate ourselves together, for the purpose of More effectually recovering any property that may at any time be stolen from the members of this Society, and of Mutually aiding each other in bringing offenders to condign punishment, hereby engaging to comply with the following rules and regulations."

The entrance fee was six shillings, in addition to which each member was required to pay his proportion of any expense incurred in recovering property; and any member who refused to go in pursuit of thieves without a reasonable excuse, was not entitled to farther advantage from the society.

The original members were Isaiah Thomas, Asa Hamilton, Samuel Brooks, Samuel Brazer, Nathaniel Paine, Leonard Worcester, John Green, Jr., John Pierce, Joel How, Daniel Heywood, 2nd., Ebenezer Reed, Abel Heywood, Charles Stearns, Thaddeus Chapin, David Andrews, Daniel Heywood, John Barnard, Daniel Willington Walter Tufts, Benjamin Heywood, Joshua Whitney, Ephraim Mower, Phinehas Jones, Jonathan Chamberlain, Samuel Flagg, Robert Smith, Asa Ward, Oliver Fiske and Daniel Goalding.

The next meeting was not held until 7, January, 1801, when the name of "The Society of Mutual Aid against Thieves" was adopted. 10 January, 1803, the first pursuing committee was chosen, the members of which were "to hold themselves in readiness, at the shortest notice, to pursue any thief or thieves who may have stolen any property from a member of this society."

The society is still in existence under the name of "The Worcester Association for Mutual Aid in Detecting Thieves."

April, 1818.

1. Settled an old Acc. with Bangs & Green and

Green & Bangs1 & with so well as to ride out.

Edw. D. Bangs. Mrs. Thomas

Bragg returned from Boston.

Became a member of the Worcester County Agricultural Society.2

2. Fast day. Went to Church twice. Mrs. T. well enough to go once.

4. Attended annual Parish Meeting.

5. Very stormy--None of the family went to Church.

6. Supreme Court tomorrow. Attended Town meeting, and in the Evening the fire Club. Some evil minded persons, broke M'. Salisbury's windows, and cut and injured two of the trees sat out by Mr. Waldo before his house

1

Edward Bangs and William E. Green, and William E. Green and Edward D.

Bangs.

2 The Worcester Agricultural Society was incorporated 23 February, 1818. At the meeting, 11, March, Levi Lincoln, Sen., was elected president; Daniel Waldo and Thomas W. Ward, vice presidents; Theophilus Wheeler, Treasurer; Levi Lincoln, Jr., corresponding secretary; and Abraham Lincoln, recording secretary.