Annotated almanac, 1776

Almanac with one interleaved page and minimal annotations of household activities on the calendar pages in the hands of John and Hannah Winthrop. The interleaved page contains a monthly accounting for January -December 1776 by John Winthrop of payment received in his capacity as a Judge of Probate. Common entries include "Probat at Concord," "citation,"and "will & warrant."

A Chaldee grammar, founded upon the writings of Daniel and Ezra, ca. 1776

This manuscript grammar notebook, written in Chaldean Aramaic and English, appears to have originally belonged to William Bentley (Harvard A.B. 1777); Bentley's name and a date, "December 1776," appear on the volume but have been struck through, and the handwriting appears to be his. The names of Elisha Parmele and Polly Parmele are also on the volume; presumably it was given to Elisha by Bentley, and upon Elisha's death in 1784 it was passed to Polly.

1776, Catalogus eorum qui in Collegio Harvardino, quod est Cantabrigiae Nov-Anglorum, ab anno MDCXLII, ad annum MDCCLXXVI, alicujus gradûs laureâ donati sunt.

Covered in torn 1802 magazine print; title page missing. Handwritten note on top of first page: "Catalogue of the men Educated at Harvard College." Infrequent annotations in an unknown hand, typically noting alumni who became governors, or who held other high public offices. There are some annotations with places of residence.

Quarterly account book, 1722-1751

The quarterly accounts are held in one tall folio volume spanning the years 1722-1751. The volume contains three sections: a journal of quarterly accounts tallying money owed to the Butler by students and tutors, followed by a journal of purchases made by the Butler, and finally, written tête-bêche (from the back cover forward), a ledger with weekly calculations and final quarterly sums owed the Butler by students and tutors.

Tutor Sever's Final Argument, 1722

This marbled hardcover volume contains a forty-one-page handwritten draft of the memorial from Nicholas Sever to the Harvard Board of Overseers providing a historical background on the College charters. The document begins, "May it please ye Excell: of ye Coll: to fav'r me w'th a few words for ye further support of this memorial." The draft includes struck-through words and page 41 contains directions for additional edits.

A journall of our expedition agt. Canada ... : manuscript, 1711 and 1722-1723

1. Diary with entries dated 30 July-13 Oct. 1711; concerning the Quebec expedition (ff. 1r-16r) -- 2. Notes on books of the Bible (18r-92v).

[ Minutes of the proceedings of a general courts-martial], 1776

Varick served as judge advocate during these court-martial proceedings.

Report of the proceedings of the general court martial held at the King's Arms Tavern in Albany, April 4, 1776

Contains summaries of court-martials of a variety of soldiers for desertion, drunk and disorderly conduct, striking an officer, and damning the American congress.

Proceedings in the Court of Chancery of Grenada: during the government of his excellency Lord Macartney, 1776-1778

Contains summaries of cases before the Chancery Court of Grenada arranged chronologically and preceded by an index.

Student notebook of Samuel Dunbar, 1721-1722

This leather-bound volume contains substantial transcriptions copied by Samuel Dunbar from textbooks while he was a student at Harvard in 1721 and 1722. There is a general index to texts at the end of the volume. Dunbar's notebook provides a window into the state of higher education in the eighteenth century and offers a firsthand account of academic life at Harvard College. Notably, he often indicated the number of days spent copying texts into his book.

Diaries of Benjamin Guild, 1776, 1778

These diaries of Benjamin Guild document his travels as a Presbyterian pastor in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The daily entries describe people Guild met and dined with, the food he ate (including strawberries, currants, watermelon, English cherries, and lobster), the funerals he attended, and the sermons he gave. Many entries relate to his health concerns (the ague and eye trouble), sleeping habits, and widespread public health concerns (including smallpox, dysentery, "nervous fevers," consumption, and "putrid fever"). The diaries also contain passing references to the activities of American, British, French, and German soldiers during the American Revolution; the invasion of Canada and battles occurring in New York are noted. In August 1778, after visiting Providence, Rhode Island, Guild comments on the disordered state of the city after American soldiers passed through it. He also recounts a visit by officers of the French fleet to the Harvard College library in September 1778 and describes his dinner on board the French man-of-war, Sagitaire. One entry describes an elaborate ball sponsored by John Hancock, held for French soldiers and "Boston ladies," and another refers to the "incursion" of Indians. Many of Guild's diary entries pertain to his work as a Harvard College Tutor; these entries describe his lectures at the College, meetings with colleagues, personnel decisions, and the examination of students. He also describes books he is reading and his opinions of them, the purchase and sale of books, and his desire to learn Hebrew and French. In addition, multiple entries refer to a man named Prince, who was perhaps Guild's slave. Prince sometimes accompanied Guild on his travels.