3 I 2 HISTORY OF COHASSET. 



his diary* for the year 1781-82, his meager income was 

 brought in the form of the necessary food and stove wood. 



The activity about our Cove in shipbuilding and fish 

 packing cannot be accurately known, because of the loss 

 of so many records or because they were so scantily 

 written. There was a population of nearly eight hundred 

 persons to support, and there were probably more than 

 thirty small schooners engaged in the fishing industry. 



The Custom House in Boston might have furnished 

 more records of vessels built at Cohasset had it not been 

 for the pillaging by our British cousins. 



All the records previous to the year 1776 were confis- 



*SOME ITEMS FROM A SHORT DIARY OF REV. JOHN BROWN. 

 Oct. 1781. Had of Mr Obadiah Lincoln i cord of Wood towards my quota for 



the present year. 

 Jan 1782 514 feet of wood by estimation, perhaps scant. 

 Oct 1781 Had of Jno Willcutt three barrels of Cyder and one hard Dollar. 

 Dec. 1781 Had of Aaron Prat i% bush Rye. 

 Mar. 1781 Had of Samuel Oakes 2 Quarts of Rum 

 Oct 1781 23 lbs. Corn Beef (poor) 12 Lb Butter i bush Ind. Corn, 14 Lb 



Brown Sugar. 

 June 1781. Had of Zenas Bates a side of lamb, (middling). Weight 14% lbs at 



6 pence hard money a pound. 

 June 2 1781. Lent Mrs Stodder a loin of Veal wt 6^4 lbs. July 6. The Veal 



paid. 

 Mar 7th 1781. Henry Bourn begins his schooling with me. 

 Sept 25. 1781 Lizzie Nichols comes to live with us for 40^ old Tenor pr annum 



or £,S-^A Lawful. 

 Nov 1782 Paid Lizzie in full and took her receipt. 

 , June 1781 Tim. Gushing worked half a day weeding corn and potatoes. 

 June 1781. Borrowed i junk Bottle of Rum of Mr Samuel Bates. 

 July. I Ditto. Paid both in good Old spirit. And a bottle for bringing keg 



from Boston, a present from Mr Doane — A mean demand from my gener- 

 ous neighbor Bates. 

 Aug 6 Began upon Mr Doanes Rum. 



Oct. 178 1 Had of Simeon Stodder i Quarter Mutton i Hard dollar. 

 Feb 1782 Galen James brought one cord of wood, paid by certificate to 



Selectmen. 

 Oct 29 1781. Great rejoicing at my house with Col. Doane, son & others at news 



of the Reduction of Cornwallis. 

 Nov II. Sunday. At Home. Preached on Surrender of Cornwallis, a Devil, at 



Virginia. 

 Nov. 29 Went to Hull to marry a couple lodged at Cap. Souter's. 

 Dec 2 No Meeting by reason of a painful Inflamation in eyes. 



