Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 3
1830-08-07
Morning cloudy, but it cleared up afterwards and became warm. Rode to town. My horse gave me a great strain as he took to running after being so unlucky as to trip. An affair attended with no little 297danger and fatigue. On the whole this horse of my father’s is not troubled with many good qualities. At the Office where I wrote my Journal and read Hutchinson. Went upon Change and heard the news of the King’s death from England.1 A circumstance which may produce important results in Europe.
Being tired of hunting after investments I concluded to purchase some of the Boylston Insurance Stock after consulting Mr. J. H. Foster. I was compelled to give eight and a quarter advance but even at that rate I think it cheaper than nearly all other stock. So I bought fifteen shares for my father and three for myself.2
John came in from Quincy with my father and spent an hour at my Office. At the usual time, he went out with me to Medford. My father and Robert Buchanan went to Medford through Charlestown. Mr. and Mrs. Everett came also, and with the family constituted the Company to dinner. It was tolerably pleasant and in the afternoon we went over the grounds. They left us at six o’clock to return. John and Robert are both going next week. The latter looks quite sick. Evening warm and quiet. I felt extremely fatigued.
The death of George IV occurred on 26 June.
The $1,623.75 from the Agency account used to purchase the fifteen shares for JQA was largely the uninvested balance from the sale of State Bank shares remaining after paying Thomas B. Adams Jr. his legacy.