The history of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, By a committee of the Dorchester antiquarian and historical society ...

316 HISTORY OF DORCHESTER.
truly wonderful, in looking over the old documents
in the Town Clerk's office, as well as many private
papers found in old garrets, and Probate, Church
and State records, to see how much writing and
work this man accomplished. lHe was very correct
in all his plans and in all his statements, and at his
death his loss was severely felt. He was also greatly
esteemed by his contemporaries for his learning and
piety. He had the principal charge of the affairs of
the Proprietors of the Undivided Lands for many
years, and drafted with great ingenuity the tables
for collecting the Province and Town taxes, many
of which are now in existence.
1751. This year Parliament passed the act by
which the old style of computing time was altered
to the new. Eleven days were by this act to be taken from September, 1752. It also provided that
the first day of January should be the first day of
the year, instead of March 25th, as formerly. This
last change accounts for the double dates so often
found between these two periods.
June 17th.-A hail storm, with " hail as large as
swan's eggs."
1752. It was very sickly in town this year and
the latter part of 1751, the sickness being caused
principally by pleurisy and nervous fever. Jan. 23d
was kept as a day of fasting and prayer by the
Church, on that account. "There died 15 persons
(of the above pleurisy and fever) in less than two
months, besides what died of other distempers, ye
most of them well hearty persons, and many of them
of middle age." The mortality in Boston was also