Annotated almanac, 1742

Almanac containing calendar pages with sporadic annotations of unidentified measurements and interleaved pages with short handwritten entries about Winthrop's daily activities, and astronomical and meteorological observations. The entries include personal notes about travel, the weather, and occasional alcohol consumption. There is an entry listing the population and burials and baptisms in Boston (January).

[Letter regarding the taxing of Harvard College real estate] (incomplete draft), [1798]

Two leaves of a draft of a letter in Eliphalet Pearson's hand addressed to "Gentleman,"detailing the Committee of the town of Cambridge's attempts to tax real estate owned the College.

Members of the General Court, 1798-1799

Notebook with paper cover containing a handwritten list of the members of the Massachusetts General Court arranged by county and town. Pearson identified characteristics of the politicians including whether they were chosen by the people or Legislature, were for or against the College, were for or against the Virginia Resolutions, and whether they were "a good Federalist."

[Steward account for College Farm hay weighing] (fragment), [1798]

Fragment of a leaf with handwritten entries made by Caleb Gannet, the College Steward, for hay weighing hay at the College Farm between 1797 and January 20, 1798.

Committee notebook, ca. 1798

Small paper notebook containing handwritten facts and figures documenting the benefits received by the town of Cambridge from the College. The notebook contains much of the same information in the Committee notebook (HUM 79 Box 1, Folder 55). Most entries list financial benefits such as the College's payments to local tradesman, the schoolmaster, and the first parish minister, as well as income received by local merchants and boarding houses from College students and officers. The cover is inscribed "Committee."

[Notes regarding academic taxation exemptions], ca. 1798

One-leaf folio-sized set of handwritten notes and extracts regarding New England academic institutions that received tax exemptions.

Queries &c about Colleges, ca. 1798

One leaf containing handwritten research questions regarding the holding of real estate and related taxation.

Sundry extracts on the subject of the taxation of College &c., ca. 1798-1801

Notebook with brown paper cover containing handwritten extracts from the charters and related legislation of New England academic, charitable, and commercial institutions regarding their ability to hold real estate and related tax exemptions. Most of the listed documents are dated in the 1780s and 1790s. The notebook also contains extracts from "Argument in the case of Poor's rate, charged on the College of Christ & Emmanuel in the University of Cambridge 1768." The item title is transcribed from a handwritten inscription on the back cover.

Queries, [1798 June]

One octavo-sized leaf containing handwritten questions in the hand of Professor Pearson regarding the taxation of real estate in Cambridge. A note on the document verso: "Allen 2nd June 11th 1798" indicates Pearson used a student's assignment paper and the date suggests the queries may have been created in preparation for the June 20, 1798 meeting with the Committee of the Town of Cambridge.

Interleaved almanac, 1742

The 1742 diary is interleaved in Nathaniel Ames’ An astronomical diary, or, An almanack for the year of our Lord Christ, 1742. The volume holds brief notes about Holyoke’s daily life, written on blank pages bound with the almanac. Each page, representing one month, is divided into three columns with a section for the weather, the direction of the wind, and finally notes on the day and Holyoke’s undeciphered shorthand. The diary begins before Holyoke’s admittance to Harvard and concludes in his freshman year. The earlier months have regular entries, he later stops recording the weather and makes only sporadic entries. Holyoke notes holidays, travel events, interactions with Harvard faculty, and infrequently, community events such as a burial or trial. On the last page, Holyoke provides "An account of our examination the 13 day of July 1742: viz: [Daniel] Foxcroft [Joseph] Green myself and [James] Putnam listing the specific examiners and the texts used for the exam.