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[533] New England, though it may be doubted whether he ever served a regular apprenticeship to that trade. In his agreement, 1638, to emigrate to New England, and to labor in the employment of Rev. Mr. Glover, he is styled ‘locksmith,’ and various circumstances sufficiently indicate that he labored in that occupation, after he was superseded by Green in the management of the printing-office. It may be that Mr. Glover was unable, or judged it imprudent, to engage a regular printer to emigrate; and therefore employed Daye to superintend the press, on account of his skill in working iron, and perhaps a general knowledge of machinery. However this be, it is certain that he was called locksmith in the agreement, and so styled himself in a deed executed 1660; and the inventory of his goods in 1668 indicates the same fact. He received several grants of land, in consideration of his services as a printer; but he seems always to have been poor, and was probably dependant for assistance, in his old age, on Wm. Bordman, a son of his wife by a former marriage. His age, at death, has been erroneously represented as 58. In a deposition, 2 Ap. 1656, he called himself 62 years old, and must have been about 75 in Dec. 1668, if his own estimate was correct. 2. Robert, in 1635, owned a house on the westerly side of Garden Street, but removed early to Hartford. ‘He died in 1648, and left a comfortable estate for his widow and several children. He had been a good citizen in the Colony. He was the first ancestor who came to Connecticut of President and Secretary Day, and of the Day family in this State.’ Hinman. 3. Matthew, s. of Stephen (1), appears from his will1 to have been a printer; he was also Steward of Harvard College, as appears by the following memorandum in the Records of the Corporation, Lib. III. fol. 32: ‘Mr. John Buckley, first Master of Arts in Harvard College, and Matthew Day, Steward of the College, gave a garden, containing about one acre and one rood of land, situate and near adjoining to the College, and ordered the same to be for the use of the Fellows that should from time to time belong to and be resident at the said society; the said garden being commonly called and known by the name of the Fellow's Orchard.’ Gore Hall stands on the northerly end of this tract; the southerly end fronts on Harvard Street. From Buckley's Deed, dated 20 Dec. 1645, it appears that the orchard, or garden, was purchased of Thomas Marrett, by himself, Emanuel Downing, Samuel Winthrop, and John Alcock. Buckley conveyed one quarter part; hence it would seem that Day purchased the other three quarters, which he bestowed, by will, on the College. Mr. Day d. unm. at Cambridge 10 May 1649. 4. Isaac, not ascertained to have been a relative of the foregoing, was in Camb. for a short time previous to 1700, and prob. resided at the N. W. corner of Dunster and Winthrop streets. His w. was Susanna, prob. dau. of Robert Meriam of Concord. They had Robert, b. 24 Oct. 1686, d. 4 Feb. 1688-9; Susanna, b. 28 Nov. 1688. In 1692, ‘Isaac Day, heretofore citizen and embroiderer of London,’ and his wife Susanna, together with Mary, the
1 ‘The last Will and Testament of Matthew Day, May 10, 1649. 1. I doe give with all my heart all that part 1 have in the Garden unto the fellowes of Harvard College, for ever. 2. I doe give to Mrs. Shepard my diaper table cloath and napkins which were not yet made up. 3. I doe give my 3 silver spoones, the one to David Dunster, the other to Doraty Dunster, and the 3d that hath my owne name on it we I brought out of England, to my old acquaintance little Samuell Shepard. 4. I doe give to my mother all the estate I have in both the houses together with all the furniture, beds and all moveables (my debts being first paid) to her for her life, and when she dies to the little child Moyses. 5. I doe give to Sr. Brocke (my ould and deare friend) all the bookes I have which he thinks may be usefull to him, except those which may serve for the training up of the childe to schoole. 6. I doe give unto my mother that eight pound or there about which is due to me for printing, to pay for the house which is due at Michalemas. 7. I would have Daniell and Mary Lemon and my mother's girle have some thing given them, as Mr. Shepard and my mother shall see meet. 8. I doe give my Ivory Inkhorne in my box with a whistle in it unto Jeremy Shepard. 9. I give 20s in mony which once I had and lavd out for the Colledge, and is to be payd by it in money againe unto Mr. Thomas Shepard. 10. I give unto John Glover my lookinge glasse. 11. I give to Elder ffrost foure pound. Those before whom he spake these things were Mr. Tho. Shepard, Mrs. Day. Deposed the 30th 8th mo. 1649. In-Crease Nowell.’—Middlesex Deeds, i. 2.
Boston. Houghton and Mifflin. 1877.
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