Edward Winslow journal

1754-1755

Edward Winslow (1722-1780), a native of Boston and the son of Joshua and Elizabeth Winslow, graduated from Harvard College in 1741 and was ordained an Anglican priest in England in 1755, where he was appointed by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts to the mission of Stratford, Conn. Winslow was later appointed to Braintree, Mass., and was a Loyalist during the American Revolution. He died in New York City in 1780. The journal recounts Edward Winslow's voyage from Boston to Dover, England, 1754 December 16-1755 January 21 on the ship Earl of Halifax; his ordination in London and appointment to the mission of Stratford, Conn.; his daily activities, including concerts and plays attended; his touring of London and surrounding areas, including Cambridge, Greenwich and Oxford; his return voyage on H.M.S. Sphinx from Spithead to New York via Madeira, 1755 June 29-September 2; and travel to Boston via Stratford, Conn. and other stops, arriving home 1755 September 30. Entries during the voyage from Boston to London consist mainly of meteorological and navigational observations. Authorship of the diary is assigned from information in the text concerning his ordination and appointment to Stratford.