Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 1
I have many things to write but being in a very bad State of health & unable to write anything legible &c. As to my health, on last Saturday I was taken with a violent fever, and it continued very hard upon me untill next morning &c when taking a Vomit seem'd something better, yet on monday again was Seiz'd with a very hard fit, from whence they call it the Tertian Fever, & how soon I shall git well, God only knows. This is therefore to desire you to acquaint Mr. Hancock1 my Tutor concerning me if he asketh after me. And farthermore that if my Chamber-mate Dodge is come down (wc. I don't much expect if I Had, I should have sent him an Epistle) & my Chamber is altered to have him send me a Letter where &c—& a List of the Freshmen's Class.
And
Finally let nothing hinder you in the Course of Theological Studies, but persevere, hold on from Day to Day & week to week untill you arrive at the fullness of the Statu
P:S: If Dodge is not down be pleased to Send me a Letter By the man that brings up Pond's3 horse, & you will Exquisitely oblige yrs. &c
Belcher Hancock (1709–1771), a 1727 graduate of Harvard, was appointed tutor in 1742 and held that position until 1767. The Class of 1749 was one which was placed under his instruction. Tutorship, until 1766, involved teaching all subjects to the through its four years (
Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 8:137–140).
Great-grandfather. Rev. Samuel Willard (1639/40–1707), RTP's great-grandfather, was pastor 24of Boston's Old South Church from 1678. His collected sermons were published posthumously as the Compleat Body of Divinity (Boston, 1726) (
DAB
).
Timothy Pond (1729–1804), a classmate, also lived at Wrentham. After graduation he taught school for several years and then bought a farm in his native town (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 12:483).
John Winthrop (1714–1779), a 1732 graduate of Harvard and Hollis Professor of Mathematics and Natural and Experimental Philosophy there, was one of the great colonial scientists (Lawrence Shaw Mayo, The Winthrop Family in America [Boston, 1948], 167–193; Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 9:240–264).