Thomas Moody journal

This collection contains the journal of Thomas Moody (1772-1811), a farmer and cobbler in York, Maine. The diary is generally set up by month and year (for example, "Journal November Anno Domino 1796"), with line entries for the days below. The journal entries date from January 1, 1796, to August 1810. Not all months or dates are recorded.

His journal entries touch on political matters of the day. For example, he notes George Washington's death, “December 31, 1799, Great Washington is Dead! He died suddenly of an inflammation in his throat ... great (monumental) day on account of General Washington's death.” He also noted Thomas Jefferson's election to President: "March 14, 1801, the great Jefferson takes the chief magistrate of the Union which is very agreeable to all true Republicans, though the federalists hide themselves, have been opposed to a republican government. Good News!” Moody also noted Jefferson's re-election on March 3, 1805. He also records entries about Aaron Burr and Benjamin Franklin.

He also noted other national events like illnesses, criminal cases, and the day's events. For example, he describes a yellow fever outbreak in Boston, Philadelphia, and Portsmouth on April 25, 1798, and reports the death tolls in Philadelphia on September 18, 1798, “460 deaths in Philadelphia in eight days” and on September 28, 1798, “1300 persons died in Philadelphia after 40 days.” He also notes some world political events, including the start of the Napoleonic wars between France and England, which he recorded on July 18, 1803.

In regards to local news, Moody noted a variety of events, including the day-to-day activities like the weather, notes about planting and harvesting, attending funerals and weddings, town meetings, the election of selectmen, and significant events he experienced like finding a body in a barn that had "been dead for five or six weeks" or the birth of his son (July 30, 1796). He also noted some significant local cases like a Kittery man killed from the "bite of a mad dog" on April 2, 1799, the execution of Joseph Drew at Portland for murder on July 21, 1808, and noting on December 1802, a great fire at Portsmouth that burned a hundred or more buildings in the center of the town among others. Also included is some Moody family genealogy recorded in the entry for May 1800.