Martinsburg gazette. (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1886-1887, 1886-12-11


From IN Old newspaper, the Boston
Gazette, OF October 8, '1721, the follow.
ing quaint and curious proclamation was
copied. Boston has never known more
dolefnl Thanksgiving Day than that OF
-1721; for during that year six Thousand
persons, out of population Of about
nineteen thousand, had the smallpox.
and one thousand Of them died The
Indians had seriously threatened the
peace of the colony, and Governor Shute,
gentleman Of high tory principles, was
in continual conflict with the Legisla
ture. The prominence given in the proc
lamation to the King, George, and the
royal family, was probably political
stroke aimed by the Governor at his OBJ.
ponents. It did not soothe them, and
the Governor soon after left the province
By His Encellency
SAMUEL SHUTE, ESQ.
Captain General and Goyernour-in-
Chief, in and over His Majesty $ provinces
Of the Massachusetts Bay in New Eng
land, etc A Proclamation for General
THANKSGIVING.
For as much as amidst the various
awful Rebukes Of Heaven, with which
we are righteously afflicted, III the Con.
tagious and Mortal Sickness among us,
especially in the Town Of Boston; The
long and immoderate Rains, which have
been so hurtful to the Husbandry and
Fishery; And the threa sening Aspect Of
Affairs with Respect to our Frontiers:
we are still under the highest and most
indispensable Obligations Of Gratitude
for the many Instances of the Divine
Goodness in the Favours vouchsafed to
us in the Course of the Year past; Par
ticularly, For the Life of our Gracious
II -. ". -.
HighnesSes the Prince and Princess OF
Wales and their issue, and the increase
of the Royal Family; The Preservation
OF His Ma:esty's kingdoms and Domin-
ions from the terrible and desolating
Pestilence, which hath for 50 long q
time been wasting the Kingdom OF
France: And the happy Success Of His
Majesty's Wise Councils for Restoring
and Confirming the Peace Of Europe;
For the Continuance of our valuable
Privileges, both Civil and Ecclesiastical.
and the Divine Blessing upon this Gov
eminent in Their Administrations; Far
ticularly, III succ seding the Methods
taken to prevent the Insults OF the East
ern Indians; For giving so great Meas
ure of Health wiQhin this provinces. and
Modera ing the Mortality OF the Small
Pox, 50 that great Number Of Persons
are Recovered from that Distemper;
And for granting us SO comfortable q
pect of the latter:
have, therefore, thought fit with tho
Advice of His Majesty's Council to order
and Appoint Thursday, the TWenty-sixth
Instant, to be Observed as q Day Of Pub
lick Thanksgiving throughout this Prov
ince, strictly forbiddiDg all Servile La
bour thereon and exhorting both Minis
tiers and People in their respective As-M
semblies on the said Day, to offer up
humble and sincere Thanks to Almighty
God, for His many Favours as afore-
said, and fer many other Blessings be-
slowed on a sinful People.
Given at Boston, the Eighteenth Day
Of September, 1721. And In the Eighth
Year OF the Reign of our Sovereign
Lord George, BY the Grace OF God Of
Great Britain, France and Ireland.
King. Defender of the Faith, etc:
BY order OF the Governor, with Ad-
vie OF the Council S. SHUTE.
+. WILLARD, Sect.
God SdUe the Kingt