Best Diary

Nov. r 99 Sometime the beginning of this month brother Thomas returned from that expedition from Holland to London

Nov. r 28, 1799 Mr. Jn o [John] Mullett [?] was married to wife Sarah Hollway at Spicoland Meeting house in [illeg.] County of Devon.

Nov. r 9 99 Gave my first order to Butler Brothers, Birmingham for coffin plates, etc., hinges, etc. etc.

Aug t 28 Died Mr. William Bryant, Att r. aged 33 this our fair he was born on a fair day and in the same room he died. His brother Jn o [John] died in June.

My father, mother, Samuel, Thomas, Robert, Ann Dover, James Dover, Sally

and Henry Best, Joseph Jackson, Fanny Porter, Robert Hunt and William

Chapman, left Ilminster to journey on to Bristol in Jacob Larcombes wagon to embark in the Roebuck – Capt n . Raser, Bound to Philadelphia. The above with Thomas’s wife and Sister Dover’s child, myself excepted set sail on Monday morning from King Road 17 th August 1801. They arrived at Philadelphia on Friday evening the 25 th of September.

On account of a suspicion of my being a Mechanic and an objection arising at

the Custom House to my taking out some tools and utensils contrary to law I

was prevented from accompanying my friends – but through Mr. William

Bower’s interests—I was assisted in