On offer is a fascinating, original early 19th Century 38 page manuscript diary handwritten by a 21 year old female member of the Deforest family, we believe, and living in and around Stratford Connecticut. Dated January 1826 through February 1827 we surmise she is a novice or novitiate [she is allowed home] in a not too faraway convent with frequent mentions Sister Maria, Sister Betsey, etc., and that she sits in her 'chamber' window' etc. That said she still has a life and family outside of the convent with travels to Milford, Bridgeport, Putney [north end of Stratford], and of course many, many mentions of the people around her: a friend Maria Hovey, S. Alffords, Rev. Mr. Judah, Joseph Tomlinson, Mary Mills, Mr. Levitt, Mr. Rutledge, Sarah Lewis, O. Beardslee, Mrs. Birdseye, cousins: Eliza and Sarah Deforest, Mary Deforest, Jane Mills, Delia Deforest, Uncle and Aunt Beers, Aunt Pendleton +++. Activities include religious sermons and musings, visits from family and friends, domestic pursuits such as spinning, sewing and quilting, news of sickness, manning a charity booth, deaths and a wedding. She also refers to "Bracebridge Hall, or The Humorists, A Medley was written by Washington Irving in 1821, while he lived in England, and published in 1822. This episodic novel was originally published under his pseudonym Geoffrey Crayon." The 6¼ x 7½ inch book is missing its covers has some minor wear and soiling, but overall G.
Title: 1826 - 1827 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY HANDWRITTEN BY A YOUNG WOMAN WHO SHUTTLES BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN HER CHAMBER AT THE CONVENT AND HER FAMILY HOME
Location Published: STRATFORD CONNECTICUT, 1826
Book Condition: Good
Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall
Type: Manuscript
Categories: 19th Century Diary, Books and Manuscripts General Overview, 19th Century Manuscript
Seller ID: 0002235
Keywords: 19th century, americana, antiquité, archive, atto, authors, autograph, autographed, autographs, biography biographical autobiographical autobiography personal narratives, brides of christ, bridgeport, brief, carta antigüedad, connecticut, contrat, convent life, deforest family, diaries, diary, document, documento, documents, dokument, first hand account, gender studies, hand written, handwritten, hecho, historical, holograph, journal, keepsake, keywords: history of, letter, letters, living history, log, manoscritto, manuscript, manuscripts, manuscrit, manuscrito, manuskript, memoir, memorial, milford, new england, novices, novitiate, nuns, papel, papier antike, papier oggetto d'antiquariato, pendleton family, pergament, personal, personal history, personal stories, primary source, putney, religion, roman catholic, signed, social history, stratford, velina, vitela, vélin, women's studies, writer, writers, young women of the 19th century