Oops! I apparently made a blunder when I told you the Chamberlain cottage on Old Homestead might be sold. I DID say it was a rumor - and I generally don't repeat rumors, but I did this one and wouldn't you know - apparently it wasn't true. At least, for now the deal is off. I apologize - and next time I will do some fact checking before I report.

I came upon a funny piece of history while scanning some old papers for our historical society. It was a small piece of paper, about 4" x 6" and at the top was "Expense Sickness, 1813." Then listed were payments to Doct. Aldin, $13.50; Doct. Shaw, $9. 93; and Doct. Thompson, $17.00 for a total of $120.43. Directly below the list of doctors consulted were two items: $9.97 for Brandy purchased at Peacham, and another $1.50 "to Edams for wine." The total cost for this sickness was $131.90, a pretty penny in those days.

I suspect the doctors may have been in Peacham, Danville or Ryegate. Dr. Parley Scott was in Cabot at that time, but he apparently wasn't consulted, so my guess would be that since the "medicines" were purchased in Peacham, the doctors may also have been in that area. I'm not positive who the doctoring and medicine were for, but indications are that it was Thomas Osgood, and if correct, he lived another 30 years, so the advice and medicine must have been good.