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and, August 6, 1706, “voted that Mr. Leverett with the Treasurer take care for the building of a pew for the President's family in the meeting-house now a building, and about the students' seats in the said meeting-house; the charge of the pew to be defrayed out of the College Treasury.”
This third house stood on or very near the spot occupied by the second, and seems to have been opened for public worship, Oct. 13, 1706, as Mr. Brattle's record of Baptisms shows that on that day he first baptized a child in that house, having performed a similar service in the College Hall on the previous Sabbath.
As before stated, Mr. Brattle died Feb. 15, 1716-7.
On the next day after his decease, the town “voted, that the charge of wine, scarves, and gloves, &c., for the bearers at the funeral of our late Pastor, the Rev. Mr. William Brattle, deceased, be defrayed by the town, and that the deacons and selectmen, by themselves, or any three of them that they may appoint, order the management thereof.”
An account of money thus disbursed, amounting to £ 23 17 10, was presented and allowed March 11, 1716-7. Mr. Brattle's remains were deposited under the same slab which marks the resting-place of Dr. James Oliver, who deceased April 8, 1703.1
1 On the day of the funeral, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 1716-7, there was an extraordinary snow-storm. The Boston News Letter, dated Feb. 25, says: “Besides several snows, we had a great one on Monday the 18th current, and on Wednesday the 20th, it began to snow about noon and continued snowing till Friday the 22d, so that the snow lies in some parts of the streets about six foot high.” A more vivid description is given in a letter from Rev. John Cotton, of Newton (who was present at the funeral) to his father, Rev. Rowland Cotton, of Sandwich, dated Wednesday, Feb. 27, 1716-7, and preserved in the Library of the Massachusetts Historical Society:
Hond. Father, I left 3 letters at Savel's ys & ye last week, besides l I put into Ezra Bourns hand last Wednesday night at Cambridge, wc night (as he went to Maiden & there I suppose kept prisoner till now) so I went to Boston, & by reason of ye late great & very deep snow I was detained there till yesterday. I got with difficulty to ye ferry on Friday, but cdnt get over: went back to Mr. Belcher's where I lodgd. Try'd again ye next day. Many of us went over ye ferry—Majr Turner, Price, Lynde, Brattle, Somersby, Holyoke, Sewall, &c., & held a council at Charlstown, & having heard of ye gt difficulty of a butcher going tow'd neck of land, who was founder'd, dug out, &c, yt we were quite discorag'd: went back & lodg'd wt abundance of heartiness at Mr. Belchers. Mr. White & I trudg'd throa up to ye South, where I knew Mr. Colman was to preach in ye forenoon, when he design'd to give the separate character of Mr. Pemb., [Rev. Ebenezer Pemberton, who died Feb. 13, 1717] wc yr wasn't time for on ye Lecture, wc he did sweetly & well: telling how emulous he always was to excell; his candle envied, &c., yt when we saw him stand up how our expectations wr always rais'd & yt he always exceeded 'em & never deceiv'd 'em. Mr. Sewal upon—we have ys Treas. in earthin vessels &c. Mr. Sewal spake well, very well, of his ascended Master & father, concerning wm he cdnt be wholly silent, & then gave a breif, full, & good character, together wt his last words wc Mastr. Williams writ down. They'll all be in print. On Monday I assay'd again for Newton; but 'twas now also in vain. Nobody had been from Cambr. & there was lodg'd there Mr. Gerrish, Rogers, Fitch, Blowers, Prescot, Whiting, Chevers, & some others. Mr. Gerrish preach'd 23 Numb. 10, Mr. Rgs beg. with prayer. Mr. Fitch beg. in ye aft'n. Mr. Blow. preach'd 2 Ez. 5 ult. clause. At Boston wr lodg'd as prisoners Mr. Sheph. Loring, Barnard, Holyoke, Porter, &c. I ordered my horse over ye ferry to Bostn yesterday, designing to try Roxbury way—but was so discorag'd by gentlemen in town, especially by ye Govr. wt whom I din'd yt I was going to put up my horse and tarry till Thursd. & as I was going to do it I met Cap. Prentice, Sam. Jacks. [Samuel Jackson] Stowell, &c. come down on purpose to break ye way & conduct me home—wc yy kindly did & thro favor safely, last night; but wt such difficulty yt I design not down tomorrow. Thoa ye Dr's mind, he told me yesterday run much on a thaw—his text tomorrow ∧ 47, 18. They were afraid of a sudden thaw, bec. of a mighty flood. Before Cutler's door, so great was ye bank that yy made a handsome arch in it & sat in chairs, wt yr bottles of wine, &c. Denison came over yest. upon sno shoes & designs back tomorrow. I suppose bec. of Conventions last week, yr County was generally wtout preaching. I believe ye like was never known as to ministers absence from yr parishes, etc.
Boston. Houghton and Mifflin. 1877.
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