96 COUNT RUMFORD. 



father died when he was two years old. His mothei 

 married again, and had children by her second husband ; 

 but the affection between her and her firstborn remained 

 strong and unbroken. The arrangements made for the 

 maintenance of mother and son throw some light upon 

 their position. She was to have the use of one-half of 

 a garden ; the privilege of land to raise beans for sauce; 

 to receive within a specified time 80 ' weight' of beef, 

 8 bushels of rye, 2 bushels of malt, and 2 barrels of 

 cider. Finally, she had the right of gathering apples 

 to bake, and a further allowance of three bushels of 

 apples every year. 



The fatherless boy had been placed under the care 

 of a guardian, from whom his stepfather, Josiah Pierce, 

 received a weekly allowance of two shillings and five- 

 pence for the child's maintenance. Young Thompson 

 received his first education from Mr. John Fowle, a 

 graduate of Harvard College, described by Dr. Ellis as 

 * an accomplished and faithful man.' He also went to 

 a school at Bj'field, kept by a relation of his own. At 

 the age of eleven he was placed for a time under the 

 tuition of a Mr. Hill, ' an able teacher in Medford,' ad- 

 joining Woburn. The lad's mind was ever active, and 

 his invention incessantly exercised, but for the most 

 part on subjects apart from his daily work. In relation 

 to that work he came to be regarded as ' indolent, 

 flighty, and unpromising.' His guardian at length 

 thinking it advisable to change his vocation, apprenticed 

 him in October 1766 to Mr. John Appleton, of Salem, 

 an importer of British goods. Here, however, instead 

 of wooing customers to his master's counter, he occupied 

 himself with tools and implements hidden beneath it. 

 He is reported to have been a skilful musician, passion- 

 ately fond of music of every kind ; and during his stay 

 with Mr. Appleton, whenever he could do so without 



