Observations of Sun Spots, 1739-1743

Eleven-page notebook containing John Winthrop's handwritten observations and calculations. Titled by Winthrop "Observations of 'Spots' on ye Sun with ye Naked Eye," this is the first known record of his scientific observations and records what he saw while examining the sun "with an 8 foot telescope from 6 a.m. til sun set" on the Boston Commons and concluding with "a considerable aurora borealis" that night (April 20, 1739). It has been speculated that his reference to the aurora borealis in these observations may indicate that he recognized the interrelation of the aurora borealis and sun spots, a concept which was not definitively established until the mid-nineteenth century.

[Admittatur of William Lawrence (Harvard AB 1743)], 1739

Notebook with a handwritten copy of the 1735 College laws in English prepared by Harvard undergraduate William Lawrence and signed by President Edward Holyoke, Fellow Nathan Prince, and Tutor Daniel Rogers on September 9, 1739.

Surveyors' division of Kittery farm between Nicholas Shapleigh and John Shapleigh, Jan. 12, 1739/40, with paper wrapper from 1798

Paper wrapper reads: "Nicholas Shapleigh & John Shapleigh / Division of farm at Kittery / Recorded January 31st, 1798 / 17 cents duty." The legal document establishing the division of the land is signed by each of the three surveyors: Nicholas Morrell(?), William Fry, and Daniel Emery.

Papers of George Godfrey, 1739-1792

The bulk of this collection consists of brief records of civil actions heard by George Godfrey as a justice of the peace for Bristol County, Massachusetts. With only a few interruptions, these records run from February 1754 through the early 1780s. The other documents include several small volumes and loose pages of household accounts, as well as a handful of pages of court records and marriages heard by George Godfrey and his father, John Godfrey.

South America, 1739 (Image 1 of 2) (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Carte du Perou, pour servir à l'histoire des Incas et à celle de l'etat present de cette province, dressée par Philippe Buache, sur les observations astronomiq[es] faites aux environs de l'équateur et communiquées à l'Académie depuis l'an 1736 jusqu'en 1739 par M.M. Godin, Bouguer et de la Condaminede l'Acad. R[le] des Sciences Assujetie por les autres parties aux observations du P. Feuillée et de M. Frezier aux routes et remarques geographiques de divers voyageurs. It is part of a two sheet map set: [Carte du Peru]. It was published sur le Quay de la Megisserie avec privilege du Roy in 1739. Scale [ca. 1:195,000]. Covers the territory of the former Inca Empire, South America. This layer is image 1 of 2 total images of the two sheet source map representing the northern portion of the map. Map in French and Spanish. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to a non-standard 'World Sinusoidal' projection with the central meridian at 75 degrees west. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as drainage, cities and other human settlements, territorial boundaries, shoreline features, and more. Relief shown pictorially. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection and the Harvard University Library as part of the Open Collections Program at Harvard University project: Organizing Our World: Sponsored Exploration and Scientific Discovery in the Modern Age. Maps selected for the project correspond to various expeditions and represent a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

South America, 1739 (Image 2 of 2) (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Carte de la partie meridionale du Perou : pour servir à l'histoire des Incas et à celle de l'etat present de cette province, dressée par Philippe Buache. It is part of a two sheet map set: [Carte du Peru]. It was published sur le Quay de la Megisserie avec privilege du Roy in 1739. Scale [ca. 1:195,000]. Covers the territory of the former Inca Empire, South America. This layer is image 2 of 2 total images of the two sheet source map representing the southern portion of the map. Map in French and Spanish. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to a non-standard 'World Sinusoidal' projection with the central meridian at 75 degrees west. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as drainage, cities and other human settlements, territorial boundaries, shoreline features, and more. Relief shown pictorially. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection and the Harvard University Library as part of the Open Collections Program at Harvard University project: Organizing Our World: Sponsored Exploration and Scientific Discovery in the Modern Age. Maps selected for the project correspond to various expeditions and represent a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.