1764-1779
Guide to the Collection
Funding from the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati supported the digitization of this collection.
Restrictions on Access
Use of the originals is restricted. This collection is available as color digital facsimiles (see links below). Black and white microfilm is also available for use in the library.
Abstract
This collection consists of 12 diaries kept by Boston merchant John Rowe from 1764-1779. Diaries 2, 12, and 14 are not included in the collection.
Collection Description
This collection consists of 12 diaries kept by prominent Boston merchant John Rowe from 8 September 1764-18 July 1779, with gaps from 18 August 1765-10 April 1766, 1 June-24 December 1775, and 19 November 1776-12 August 1778. The extensive entries note his opinions on the Stamp Act and other tariffs; his involvement in merchant, town, and other committees protesting the treatment of the colonies by the British; his reactions to the Boston Tea Party; the outbreak and progress of the war; and the end of the Siege of Boston and the evacuation of British troops. Also noted is his role in Boston society through his extensive involvement in public and private causes and his social life in the city, particularly before the Revolution. In addition to events and opinions, Rowe's diary also makes note of most of the prominent Boston and Massachusetts personalities of the day.
John Rowe added page numbers to his diaries. His pagination is continuous across volumes. It is also incorrect in several cases, but all pages in his diaries are accounted for in this display.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Anne Rowe Cunningham, August 1916.
Restrictions on Access
Use of the originals is restricted. This collection is available as color digital facsimiles (see links below). Black and white microfilm is also available for use in the library.
Other Formats
This collection is available as color digital facsimiles and on microfilm, P-786, 2 reels.
Extensive portions of this collection have been published in Letters and Diary of John Rowe, Boston Merchant, 1759-1762, 1764-1779, edited by Anne Rowe Cunningham (Boston: W. B. Clarke, 1903).
Detailed Description of the Collection
Diary, 8 September 1764 - 15 August 1765
Diary, 11 April 1766 - 16 December 1766
Diary, 17 December 1766 - 29 September 1767
Diary, 1 October 1767 - 7 July 1768
Diary, 9 July 1768 - 4 August 1769
Diary, 5 August 1769 - 31 August 1770
Diary, 1 September 1770 - 13 August 1771
The sequence of images of diary 8 matches the sequence of physical pages in the volume and includes two pages written out of order. Rowe numbered pages in this volume in the following order: 1162-1317, 1322-1323, 1318-1321, 1323 (repeated page number), 1324-1340.
Diary, 14 August 1771 - 14 November 1772
Diary, 15 November 1772 - 31 August 1774
Diary, 1 September 1774 - 31 May 1775
Diary, 25 December 1775 - 18 November 1776
Diary, 13 August 1778 - 18 July 1779
Preferred Citation
John Rowe diaries, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.