Like many people in New England, Joseph Barnard (1641-1695) of Deerfield, Massachusetts, kept an account book. In its pages he recorded the goods, labor, and services he exchanged with his trading partners. Joseph served as Deerfield’s first town clerk and was considered a “prudent man.” His account entries ended abruptly in 1695. He died after being wounded in an ambush by Indigenous soldiers. Barnard and four other armed men were attacked on August 21 as they rode with sacks of grain to grind at a mill about three miles away. In his written report of the incident to the Governor, John Pynchon of Massachusetts called Barnard’s death “a Humbling providence, he being a very useful & helpful man in ye place so much under discouragement, & will ye more find & feel ye want of him.”
Barnard, Joseph (1641-1695). Account book of Joseph Barnard. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l00-083/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
Please note: Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.