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Mascarene, Margaret Holyoke, 1726-1792. Diary of Margaret Appleton Holyoke Mascarene, 1759. HUM 92, Harvard University Archives.

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The diary is written on interleaved blank pages in a 1759 almanac. The regular, brief diary entries are attributed to Margaret Appleton Holyoke Mascarene. Some entries, beginning in April, appear to be written in a different hand. The second author may have been Mascarene's sister Priscilla Holyoke (1739-1782) given that the entries mention visits by "Pater Mater Epes" and "Bets & Nancy." Priscilla, Margaret, Elizabeth ("Betsy"), and Anna ("Nancy) were the four daughters of Edward and Margaret Holyoke. After Margaret Holyoke's death in 1740, Edward Holyoke married Mary Whipple Epes, the widow of Symond Epes. Entries are typically only a few words and record domestic activities including childrearing, travel, house guests, family illness, and deaths in the community. Mascarene references British victories in the French and Indian War and the measles outbreak of 1759, including the illness of Faro, who may have been Mascarene's slave. Notably, the diary includes entries chronicling the care of Mascarene's newborn son by a nurse. Three interleaved pages at the end of the diary contain a list of expenses and payments and a list of clothing sent to the wet nurse Mrs. Cherry.

Biographical Note

Margaret Appleton Holyoke Mascarene (1726-1792), the eldest child of Harvard's ninth president, Edward Holyoke, and his second wife, Margaret Appleton, was born on September 22, 1726 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. On August 9, 1750, Margaret married Cambridge shipping merchant John Mascarene (1722-1779; Harvard AB 1741). In 1752, Margaret Mascarene returned to her parents' house in Cambridge while John Mascarene traveled to England in an unsuccessful attempt to collect pension money due to his father. The couple lived primarily apart until 1761 when John joined Margaret in Cambridge. In 1764, John received a commission as Comptroller of the Port of Salem. The family lived in Salem until 1779, when they returned to Boston. John worked in a Boston customs house until his death in September 1779. Following her husband's death, Margaret supported the family by selling off her husband's large library and mathematical instrument collection. The items that she could not sell were donated to Harvard. Margaret Mascarene died in Boston on December 21, 1792. Margaret and John Mascarene had at least five children: Elizabeth (1751-1783), Joanna (June 1756-September 1756), Paul (b. 1758; temporary member of the Harvard Class of 1778), Peggy (d. 1760), and John (b. 1766).

Pages

(seq. 16)
Needs Review

(seq. 16)

[left hand side of page]

1 Betty Porter watch'd with Child 2 Molly Minot D.o [ditto?] 3 Molly Bracket D.o [ditto?] 4 watch'd myself Molly Eliot married 5 Judith Coleman d.o [ditto?] bro. [brought?] Child home [Nancy?] here 6 Betty Brackett d.o [ditto?] 7 swept Kitchin Chimney Debby [Dwelly?] watch'd 8 Debby [Forter?] watch'd Aunt Holyoke here 9 Betty Minot D.o [ditto?] 10 Betty Minot D.o [ditto?] Aunt Filch here, [Beth quart...?] 11 Betty Porter D.o [ditto?] Nancy here 12 Hannah Warren D.o [ditto?] 13 Mr. Bulfinch married at Church [Fater Mater?] here gave 1/4 [Fich.?] Mr. M. watch'd 14 Paul without [watcher?] 15 [Parisay?] Nancy here 16 Mr. M went to Cambridge 17 18 Mother here & [Nabby?] Hammond 19 Mr. Perkins & Wife Mrs Hutchinson Doct. [Doctor?] & Betsy Holy. here 20 Father at Spectacle Island at Uncle [Samuel's?] wills [J. & N in evening?] 21 Visited at Mrs. [Wech?] with Mother 22 Good News from Germany Mr. [Barony?] arriv'd 23 24 Paul went back to Factory 25 26 27 went to Cambridge with Mrs. Hancock 28 29 Return'd from Cambridge 30

Last edit about 4 years ago by Alisonm
(seq. 17)
Needs Review

(seq. 17)

[Right hand side of page]

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mr. M. went to Cambridge [horse?] in [pasture?] 8 Peggy went to Cambridge with [Paisey?} Mrs. [Lucas?] here 9 10 11 12 News came of the surrender of Quebec G. Wolf kill'd 13 14 15 16 Town illuminated Fire Works [etc?] for taking Quebec 17 Went to Cambridge with [Rad fore Eyes bled on blister?] 18 Nabby Hammond went home Dr. publish'd [Ball at Hall?] Father there 19 20 21 Mrs. M went to Cambridge 22 23 Violent Storm 24 Mrs. M went to Cambridge Molly Porter went to Salem 25 Thanksgiving for taking Quebec 26 27 Mrs. Hughes deliver'd of a Son James 28 Mrs. M return'd from Cambridge 29 30 Molly Porter returnd, Nancy from Ipswich 31

Last edit about 4 years ago by Alisonm
(seq. 18)
Needs Review

(seq. 18)

[Right hand side of page] Nov{emb}er rec{eived} a b{u}s{he}l Potatoes & a Cheese from Mr. Stevens

Last edit about 4 years ago by jbp
(seq. 19)
Needs Review

(seq. 19)

1 return’d from Camb with [?] M. Vialt weat Carv with Mr. Hancock [?] 2 Honey & Molly Appleton here 3 4 5 Meano no viable Popes to us 6 {Captain} Partrige Arriv’d from Quebec the After Transports following 7 at Mr Haskey Mr. Perkins im twenty Mr Lock ordained 8 at Uncle Holoykes. Aunt cut for a [wart?] 9 The [?] mov’d into Winter Eastern. 10 11 12 13 {Captain} Patric & President here 14 Mr. Perkins & Wife & Mr. Hutchingston & Wife here 15 [read?] all day 16 John Payne died 17 Doctor here from Salem & div’d 18 19 Betty Porter came to work [mear?] 4 Days this Week 20 John Payne buried 21 Molly Porter & Princy here Mr. Lock 22 Doctor married {Entertaining} For the Officers [...mally?] 23 at Mr. Livingstons Wedding 2 Right Batty Cork bur. 24 [Lieth?] sparkling of know for 1h [?] 25 Doctor & his Wife & Molly & [?] here 26 Main Poirey went to Cambridge 27 Molly Portoor here 28 Went to Cam with Mr. Hanchark Mrs M ditto in Queens at Mr. Samuel 29 Thanksviging Day Doc’t. & Wife M. Appleton & M. Porter Fire at Barracks & Mr. Daniels 30 Doctor & Wife came to Boston, at Mr Danforths

Last edit about 4 years ago by alejandroeduarte
(seq. 20)
Needs Review

(seq. 20)

1 Aunt John died came home from Cambridge 2 went to see the {Doctor} & wife at Mr. Simpsons in Evening 3 {Doctor} & Wife & Mr. Porter here in Evg. {Doctor} Fster died Wash 4 Paul came home from the Factory. [?] Snow 5 Doctor & wife went to Cam. & Aunt John buried 6 Doctor & wife went to Salem. Betsy Hall married Gray 7 8 9 10 11 weigh'd Paul out of his Cloths 17 3/4 Bets 12 May Scott [?] (quarter up 13 14 15 Mrs. Higginson's Child died 16 at Judge Sewall's 17 18 N. Appleton & [?] [?] [here?] in Evening 19 Mr.s Smith buried . Mrs. [?] V. H. here Col. gave me a silk handchief 20 21 [?] Pack brother buried 22 Thermometer at 19 1/4 Bets new shod 23 went to Church all day 24 Mrs. Amory gave me 2 {pair} Shoes 25 Family din'd here warm Day 26 27 Bets went to Cambridge Harry Quincy {married} 28 James Gardner {Doctoer} Son buried 29 Mother Betsy H. Molly Porter & Mr. Locke here 30 31

Last edit about 4 years ago by jkuipers
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