It has not been customary in Andover to preach a sermon at funerals. After prayer, the corpse, having been viewed by the mourners and others, and a procession having been formed, was carried to the grave by men voluntarily, often at the distance of several miles. The relations and bearers with some of the neighbors returned from the grave, to the house of mourning, and partook of supper. It was customary to give strong drink. Mr. Phillips, 1720, in a sermon, disapproves of the practice as unsuitable to the occasion, and observes that respectable people in Boston had agreed to offer no strong drink at funerals. For mourning, the men put crape around the hat, and sometimes wore black clothes, or black buttons, and buckles, and gloves. The women dressed in black gowns, and wore scarfs, black bonnets, veils and gloves. In the revolutionary war the men wore black crape round the arm; and the women a black ribbon on the bonnet. It was customary to give gloves and rings at funerals. White gloves were given to the bearers; they were laid upon the coffin, and were taken by the bearers, when they took up the coffin. Purple gloves were given instead of white, before the practice was laid aside; which was discontinued in the revolutionary war. Funeral charges of Samuel Blanchard, April, 1707. Table of Births and Deaths from 1652 to 1700, taken DEATHIS. BIRTHS. Year. Male. Fem. No. Male. Fem. No. 1652 5 6 11 1653 3 I 4 1654 8 3 11 1655 5 1 0 1 Year. Male. Fem. No. 1677 17 13 30 Ma. Fem. No. 4 1 1 6 1656 6 2 8 5 6 4 3 2 9 3 1676 6 3 9 1 1 2 Longevity. 1685, May 18, died Andrew Foster, aged 106 years. He Jan. 1708. Thomas Marshall, aged near 100 years. May 1708. Joanna Marshall, aged about 100 years. May 16, 1735. Thomas Carrier, aged 109 years. was from Wales, first settled in Billerica about 1663, married Martha Allen; moved to Andover about 1672, spent the last 20 years of his life in Colchester, Con. His head was not bald, nor his hair gray. Not many days before his death, he walked six miles; and the day before his death he was visiting his neighbors. May 24, 1791, Priscilla Abbot, aged 99 years, 10 months and 6 days; grand-daughter of George Abbot, sen. She was never married, was industrious, contented, and often nursed the sick. Dec. 1, 1805, Hannah Lovejoy, relict of Hezekiah, aged almost 102 years, having had 336 descendants. After the death of her husband, she lived with her relations at Amherst, N. H. Feb. 1823, Reuben Abbot, aged 99 years and 10 months. He moved with his father to Concord, N. H. when about 14 years old. 1824. Wid. Mary Chadwick, in her 100th year. was born in Boston, and brought to Andover when nine years old. Rose, his wife, died in Dec. following, aged 98. Number of persons who died in Andover between the 95th and 99th year of their age; Males, 6; Females, 7; between 90th and 95th, Males, 12; Females, 29; between 85th and 90th, Males, 30; Females, 31; between 80th and 85th, Males, 64; Females, 29. It is probable that a considerable number in the above list is omitted, not being found in the Town Records. Bill of Mortality in the S. Parish for 30 years. Year. under 1, to 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, unkn. No. 1774 2 2 4 1 1 1 1 2 1 4 21 3 2 4 4 2 1 60 4 2 3 36 1 16 5 2 1 10 45 3 1 13 Total 102 82 28 19 28 58 28 38 35 48 52 45 13 35 611 The number of deaths in the S. Parish from 1710 to 1810, 100 years, is 1666, according to the register of Rev. S. Phillips and Rev. J. French. Seasons, Dark Days, Earthquakes. Seasons. 1641-2. A very cold winter; Boston harbor was so deeply frozen over, as to be passable for horses, carts and oxen, for six weeks. 1696-7. The winter colder than had been known since the arrival in N. England. During the greater part of it, sleighs and loaded sleds passed on the ice from Boston to Nantasket. Also great scarcity of food; grain never dearer. [Holmes's Annals.] Feb. 1717, about the 18, 19, 20. The greatest snow storm ever known; snow about 4 feet deep, very close and hard. [Blanchard's MS.] Sept. 16, 1727, in the night; a great rain, and an horrible tempest, whereby much hurt was done. [Rev. S. Phillips's MS.] 1749. A memorable drought; so extreme were the heat and drought, as to crack the ground in many places. In some places where broken pieces of glass lay upon the ground, the surface actually caught fire. June 9, A fast by reason of the drought; Aug. 14, Thanksgiving for rain. [Rev. Mr. French's MS.] June, 1755, was distinguished by excessive heat and drought. Great scarcity of hay and provisions, which bore excessive price. A fast was ordered by the General Court. The fall of the year was productive. [Minot's History.] 1761. This year was distinguished by a severe drought. Feb. 27, 1771. A very great freshet in Shawshin, carried away Capt. Sibson's mill dam; another in March, which carried away the Wid. Ballard's mill dam. These freshets did much damage. [Blanchard's MS.] March, 1772, uncommon season for storms of wind. and snow, even into April. July 14, 1772. A very uncommon thunder cloud gathered and discharged over the S. Parish, attended with great wind, rain and hail. The ground was covered with water, which filled the brooks. |