Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

124 GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES.
there would be a knock at the door of the office. The
doctor would open the door, and with his usual suavity
of manner, would say, '-Good evening, sir." The reply
would sometimes be, "Doctor, I just cklled to inquire
whether or not you have found your boots ? " At other
times the inquiry would be, "Am I in this town or the
next?" These inquiries irritated the doctor, and he
would grasp his whip, which he kept hanging by the
door, and make a dash at the boys, who always took the
precaution to be beyond the reach of the lash.
AN EKROR CORRECTED.
"A few years before his death, Matthew Cobb, Esq.,
succeeded him in the office of Postmaster. This was a great
grief to him, and was regretted by many. However simple
or foolish the doctor may have been, he was a very accommodating
officer, and took much pains to ascertain the^residences
of parties, and forward them their letters or papers.
On the settlement of his accounts, he was found to be a
defaulter for nearly a thousand dollars, which was levied on
his estate, and rendered him poor at the close of his life.
His accounts were not carefully kept, and several who examined
them were of the opinion that he was not a defaulter ;
that he had neglected to take vouchers for several sums
of money he paid over, and he was therefore unable to
prove that he had faithfully accounted for the receipts of his
office."
When writing the above paragraph, I had the impression
in my mind that subsequently it was ascertained that
the errors were committed at the Post Office Department,
and not by the doctor ; but those of whom I inquired had a
different impression. No one of whom I inquired seemed to
know certainly. I am now happy in being able to state that
Doctor Bourne was not a defaulter. Asa Young, Esq., who
was his agent, informs me that Doctor Bourne's property had
been set off by execution, sold, and the proceeds paid over
to the Department, when it was ascertained that the error
occurred at the Post Office Department. The money was refunded,
and the draft for the same was received by Miss
Abigail Bourne, the sole heir, on the very day she was married
to Nathan Stone, Esq.—a most happy coincidence.
According to the doctor's accounts, kept by his daugh-