Rev. Anthony Wibird (1729–1800), minister in the North Precinct of Braintree (afterward Quincy) from 1754 until his death.

Presumably the elder Josiah Quincy (1710–1784), more often referred to in this Diary as Colonel Quincy.

A confusing and perhaps confused reference. CFA’s explanation (JA, Works , 2:11, note) is not satisfactory, since “A Letter from Canada,” which he cites and which was printed in the Boston Evening Post, 8 Sept. 1755, was not written by the Bishop of Quebec and did not purport to be from his hand. (It is a transparent fabrication, designed to stir up anti-French and anti-Catholic feeling in New England.) But the discussion at Parson Wibird’s house no doubt related to the activities of such men as Le Loutre, the Bishop of Quebec’s vicar-general in maritime Canada. Le Loutre’s work among the French Neutrals, or Acadians, had led directly to their enforced exile from Nova Scotia in 1755. Shiploads of these unfortunate people were arriving at intervals in Boston Harbor during 1755–1756, and they were naturally the subject of frequent conversation. See Hutchinson, Massachusetts Bay, ed. Mayo, 3:28–31; Francis Parkman, Montcalm and Wolfe, Boston, 1907, vol. 1: 17chs. 4, 8; Lawrence H. Gipson, The British Empire before the American Revolution, Caldwell, Idaho, and N.Y., 1936– , vol. 6: chs. 8–10.

Nathan Simpson, a blacksmith of Boston, who in 1740 had married Mary, sister of Susanna (Boylston) Adams, JA’s mother ( NEHGR , 7 [1853]:146, 150).

Samuel Miller, Harvard 1756, was a son of Ebenezer Miller, D.D., Oxford 1747, for many years minister of Christ Church, the first Episcopal church in Braintree (Sibley-Shipton, Harvard Graduates , 7:93–100).

The Veaseys (also spelled Veazie, Vesey, &c.) were a numerous family in Braintree, some of whom were prominent in the affairs of Christ Church (Pattee, Old Braintree and Quincy , p. 248–249).