Saturday, May 17, 2008

Lost: One Cow. Found: One Frenchman.

A Joseph de Valnais was French Consul in Boston, receiving an honorary degree from Harvard in 1779, and in 1781 marrying Eunice Quincy. I think we can reasonably assume that this Monsieur de Valnais is the same gentleman who placed the advertisement listed below. In the name of international relations, I hope he got his cow back, but I'm left wondering exactly where Parker's tavern was.


Independent Chronicle and Universal Advertiser October 3, 1782


Strayed or stolen from

the subscriber, on Monday the sixteenth of September last, a red Cow, of a middle size, five or six years old, head and tail of a dark colour. Whosoever will take up said Cow, and return her to the subscriber, shall be entitled to to a generous reward, and all reasonable charges paid by Joseph De Valnais, living near Parker's tavern,

Jamaica Plain, October 3 1782


Source: Publication of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts

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