Another rush rush day. We set off from the hotel to the University of Pennsylvania to see the only statue in the world of George Whitefield. We had been warned that the traffic would be heavy. In fact, compared to London traffic, it was light and we arrived in plenty of time and could get the car parked nearby. The statue is in a quadrangle at 37th and Spruce. To get access one has to get past security. Four years ago it took three hours to get permission. This time I’d asked in advance. Security is tighter now and we had to have a guide (many thanks to Paul Forchielli) and show photo ID. The statue is still there, with a lot more tree growth partially obstructing the view. I did get many good shots in the half hour we were there.

We then set off for another long journey up to Haverhill, north west of Boston. I had thought of going via Nazareth in Pennsylvania, the location of the Moravian Historical Society and a building which was started by Whitefield. But it would have added at least three hours to the journey, and we had an appointment to keep.

We got back on the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) and followed it all the way up to New York. Last time I took a wrong turning and took two hours to get through the Lincoln Tunnel. I then couldn’t find any direction signs. This time I followed the signs more carefully and crossed the George Washington Bridge into New York. We had an easy journey following I-95 and on into New England where we followed I-395, I-290 and I-495 to Haverhill. Almost running out of fuel we arrived at Haverhill at 7.30pm.

Haverhill is about 15 miles from Newburyport (north of Boston). Marianne decided she’d had enough for the day so I went on alone to meet Ernest Johnston, from Memphis, Tennessee, at his hotel in Amesbury. Ernest has been researching Whitefield for ten years and has nearly finished a new biography of him. It will be over 1,100 pages when finished and is a complement to Dallimore and Tyerman and not a replacement.