Samuel H. Brown Diary, 1864/1869

Access and use

Location of collection:
College of William and Mary
Special Collections Research Center
Earl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
400 Landrum Drive
PO 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Fax: (757) 221-5440
Restrictions:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Terms of access:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred citation:

Samuel H. Brown Diary, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Summary

Extent:
0.01 Linear Foot
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Samuel H. Brown Diary, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Background

Scope and content:

Diary of Samuel H. Brown (b. 1819) of Littleton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts for the year 1864. Dates for accounts kept in the back of the book range from 1864-1869.

In brief daily entries Brown mentions his work like planting, working on the hog house and other activities related to farm work. Most days he enters who he worked for and for how many hours. Each Sunday he went to a 'meeting at the Junction' which probably refers to church meetings.

The back of the diary contains various accounts, some of which are listings of subscribers (names and amounts) who support 'preaching.'

For a more detailed description, provided by the seller, see finding aid link below.

Listed day by day his work and the person that hired him. Example: Week days (Monday – Saturday) works at the ice house and purchases one meal. Weekdays worked for doctors and others performing handyman jobs: planting tubs, building and mending fences, grading. Workdays were 10 to 12 hour days. Sundays attends meeting (church). Sunday, January 17th – funeral for George Whitcomb. Lent money for Bibles for soldiers to the Bible Society. Attended Meetings (church) on most Sundays. June 17th did not attend and Doctor Smith examined his knee. At the end of this year's diary he has listed his clients and the amount he was paid. The following description was provided by the seller: "Samuel writes of working in the ice house, going to the Junction with the children, letters he writes, sending money to the Bible Society for Bibles for soldiers, the teacher spending the night with them, going to singing school, having his picture taken, people he works for, visiting marble quarries in Dorset, death of Edward Nutting who was killed at Sandy Pond, Hezethink Bacon killed by falling from a load of hay, Phenea's Nuttings house & barn burnt completely down. Some of the names he mentions in the diary are: J. Sanderson ~ Aunt Barnham ~ Dea White ~ Edward Nutting ~ Mrs. Wood ~ Seth Robbin ~ Dea Smith ~ Henry Robbins ~ Arabelle Childs ~ S. Nutting ~ Dea Tuttle ~ M.B. Tuttle ~ Levi Brigham ~ Jesse Wright ~ Doctor Smith ~ Joseph Fletcher ~ June Humphries ~ Charles Morrison ~ Andrew Fletcher. Some of the places he mentions in the diary are: Woodville ~ Dorset ~ Boxboro ~ Marlboro ~ Upton ~ Northboro."

Biographical / historical:

Information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki: .

Acquisition information:
Purchase.
Processing information:

Accessioned and minimally processed in October 2009 by Ute Schechter, Burger Archivist. Further description by Patricia Overton, SCRC Staff, in October-November 2009.

Physical description:
1 volume.