Annotated almanac, 1777

Almanac containing interleaved pages and sporadic annotations on the calendar pages by John Winthrop. The calendar pages are typically annotated with one or two notes at the bottom recording household activities. The interleaved pages contain entries with almost daily notes of social engagements and travel during the year. One interleaved leaf contains short miscellaneous entries about local deaths including the death and funeral of Harvard Tutor John Wadsworth (July 12), Revolutionary war battles, an illness (May 27), a description of changing currency (June 27), Doctor Doddridge's epigram "Dum vivimus vivamus" beginning "'Live while you live,' the Epicure will say...", and a short list of legal activities such as citations and wills performed in Winthrop's capacity as a Judge of Probate.

Annotated almanac, 1777

Almanac with one folded interleaved page and minimal annotations of household activities on the calendar pages in the hands of John and Hannah Winthrop. The interleaved leaf contains notes of burials and baptisms for Cambridge in 1777 in John Winthrop's hand, and some notes of household activities in Hannah Winthrop's hand.

Commonplace book, October 29, 1728-January 15, 1735

The small hardcover volume contains excerpts copied by John Winthrop beginning at the age of thirteen as a freshman at Harvard College. Winthrop’s own description of this book as “a book of Extracts from many Authors” is accurate, as it includes neither personal information about Winthrop nor reflections on what he read. With the exception of occasional notations indicating the date he finished reading particular books, the volume consists of passages he copied from a wide range of sources. It begins with an index of the various sections of the book (History, Poetry, Miscellanies, Geography, Divinity, History, Philosophy, Philosophy, Miscellanies, Poetry, Divinity, Philosophy) and ends with an index of the extracts' authors.

Payment order for Phillips Payson on behalf of his son, 1777 July 1

Handwritten order to John Sale to pay scholarship funds to Phillips Payson for use by his son, signed by Charles Chauncey and Jonathan Williams.

Ledger for the Classes of 1732-1743, 1728-1749

The volume, bound in a modern green leather binding, contains accounts for the Classes of 1732-1743. The Steward's accounts with Harvard College are interspersed throughout the volume.

I. Sermons, 1709-1724

This series contains seventeen handwritten sermons composed by Nicholas Sever and delivered in the Boston area between 1709 and 1722. Following the completion of his Master's degree at Harvard in 1704, Sever preached in towns around New England including Haverhill in 1709, Dover, New Hampshire (where he was ordained in 1711 and remained until 1715), and in Cambridge as part of his duties as a Harvard Tutor between 1716 and 1728. During these years, Sever also filled in for ministers in nearby parishes. Sever's sermons reflect these engagements, and he occasionally noted the dates and locations where the sermons were delivered in the margin of the first page of the sermon.

Meeting minutes maintained by the Secretary, Nov. 12, 1777

These minutes concern General William Heath's request for permission to house the soldiers of John Burgoyne – British prisoners of war – at Harvard. The Overseers voted to recommend that the Corporation allow the soldiers to occupy one or more College buildings, in spite of various hesitations. It has not been decisively determined whether or not the British troops were ultimately housed at Harvard. Some sources assert that no buildings were occupied, while others claim that Burgoyne and his soldiers lived in Apthorp House for a time.

Abstracts of sermons preached at Harvard College, 1728-1729

Small notebook containing notes kept by John Winthrop on sermons he attended between September 1, 1728 and October 19, 1729, while he was an undergraduate at Harvard College. The volume contains one-to-two page entries on specific sermons and provides the biblical text and related doctrines, questions, and conclusions. The inside back cover contains a handwritten index of the minister who gave the sermon, most often Nathaniel Appleton.

Annotated almanac, 1779

Almanac with one folded interleaved page and minimal annotations of household activities on the calendar pages in the hands of John and Hannah Winthrop. The interleaved leaf contains notes of burials and baptisms for Cambridge in 1777 in John Winthrop's hand, and some notes of household activities in Hannah Winthrop's hand. The laid-in page contains notes about hay and some calculation. The folded interleaved leaf contains entries about household activities in Hannah Winthrop's hand, notes of burials and baptisms for Cambridge in 1779 begun in John Winthrop's hand and finished by Hannah Winthrop. Hannah's entries include, "died May the 3 Honorable Dr Winthrop 6h 1/2 Languishment Buried the 8."

The Memorial of Nicholas Sever, and William Welsteed (manuscript copy), 1721 June 21

One folio-sized leaf containing a handwritten draft of the June 21, 1721 memorial from Nicholas Sever and William Welsteed to the Harvard Board of Overseers. The document is labeled "a true copy" and begins, "Sheweth That ye next &..." and contains struck-through words and edits.

Mr. Monis's daggishes, [ca. 1728]

A one-page handwritten estimate of the "number & shape of ye letters wth dauguesh" needed to print the Hebrew Grammar sent by Judah Monis to the Corporation and a list of Hebrew characters with the related number of type needed for the printing. The document is undated but likely written in 1728 following the Harvard Corporation's vote on June 24, 1728 that the Treasurer should collect "so many Hebrew Types & points" needed for a complete set.