Rev. Zephaniah Willis (1757-1847) was a diligent recordkeeper, and every year he purchased an annual Almanac. Within the almanac he documented the daily weather and would occasionally make note of significant events within his own life, or the lives of his parishioners in the town of Kingston, Massachusetts. He was the Congregational minister of the town from 1780 until his retirement in 1828, and remained connected to the church until his death in 1847.

Almanacs Whose Locations Are Known

To date, three almanacs owned and notated by Rev. Willis have been identified. Two are in the possession of the Kingston Public Library: Russell’s American Almanac of 1781 and the Farmer’s Almanac of 1806. I acquired Rev. Willis’ copy of the Farmer’s Almanac of 1826 from an antique bookseller on eBay in 2018.

Rev. Willis’ 1781 Russell’s American Almanac

Rev. Willis’s almanac for the year 1781, the first year after he began working as Kingston’s minister, is held by the Kingston Public Library. It is located in the Helen Adair Hammond Adams Papers 1883 – 1962 Manuscript Collection, MC-23 in Box 1, Folder 3.

The Kingston library has digitized this almanac, which can be viewed on the ArchivesSpace Public Interface.

Rev. Willis’ 1806 Farmer’s Almanac

Rev. Willis’s almanac for the year 1806 is also held by the Kingston Public Library. It is located in the Helen Adair Hammond Adams Papers 1883 – 1962 Manuscript Collection, MC-23 in Box 1, Folder 3.

The Kingston library has digitized this almanac, which can be viewed on the ArchivesSpace Public Interface.

Rev. Willis’ 1826 Farmer’s Almanac

In 2018, I purchased Rev. Willis’s copy of the 1826 Farmer’s Almanac (Boston, MA: Richardson & Lord) from antiquarian bookseller Eleven Eleven Books of Spencerport, NY.

Rev. Willis’ 1847 Probate

Unfortunately Rev. Willis’s probate (Plymouth County Probate #23121, vol 11B, p. 521) did not include an inventory, which could have provided insight into his book and almanac collection. His 1847 probate only include an administrator’s bond, in which his son Nathaniel T. Willis was appointed administrator, and his children Bethia H. Willis, Sarah T. Willis, and Nathaniel T. Willis signed a bond for $5000 on 8 June 1847. Although Nathaniel T. Willis agreed to make a full inventory of his father’s estate, it does not appear to have been filed with the probate court.

Where Are The Missing Almanacs?

I am currently working on a historical research project which would greatly benefit from Rev. Willis’s insights and commentary on daily life in Kingston during his time spent in there between 1780 until his death in 1847. To add to the challenge of identifying these lost almanacs, it does not appear that Rev. Willis regularly listed his name in them. So if you have an old American almanac and can identify any names/vital records mentioned that appear to be from Kingston, MA, it could be a possible match.

Please Reach Out If You Have One!

It would be greatly appreciated! Any information would be extremely useful.