Odd Accounts : Ship Sketches and More in the Smith Family Papers
By Daniel Tobias Hinchen, Reader Services
As many of my colleagues have pointed out in the past here on the Beehive, one of the joys of working with the manuscript collections at the MHS is finding something unexcpected when going through a box of material.
Recently, I tried to answer a reference question from a remote researcher that deal with a ship captain from the early 19th century. As it turned out, I made a bit of a mistake and provided information on the wrong person. However, it turned out to be a happy accident because of what I ended up finding, and which may have otherwise escaped my notice.
The Smith family papers are a single-box collection of manuscripts that contains several volumes of Capt. William Smith of Boston. Each of these volumes is tucked inside its own folder with a brief title that indicates what the volume contains: "Account book," "Letterbook," "Log of Mary." However, within these volumes there are some surprises. For example, in a letterbook dated 1812, not only are there manuscript copies of several pieces of correspondence, but also several pages of accounts and ship inventories, and even a couple of poems.
Still, it is not so unusual to find something like poetry in a letterbook maintained by a man who would have been at sea for weeks or months at a time.
A standard account book page detailing a ship's inventory.
To me, the real treasure is inside a thin volume simply labeled "Accounts, 1812-17." While there are many pages of ship inventories, accounts, and invoices, as the title so faithfully indicates, much less expected are the myriad hand-drawn images of various ships done with wonderful detail.
"The Spanish Letter of Marque la Catalina, of 10 guns, Lorenze Joze Gonzales. Formerly the Brig Erin of Norfolk Virg. William Smith Master."
Elsewhere in the account book is another picture of the above ship where it is simply identified as the Brig Erin of Norfolk, mastered by William Smith.
Another drawing shows the Brig Mary, the log of which is also housed in the Smith family papers.
"Mary of Boston."
"Independence, 74 Guns [Commodore] William Bainbridge."
In addition to these standalone images there is a series of three drawings that detail the encounter between the United States Frigate Constitution and H. M. S. Guerriere on 19 August 1812.
"The United States Frigate Constitution, Isaac Hull, Esq, Commander, bearing down upon and preparing to engage the British Frigate Le Gurriere, Capt. Dacres, August 19, 1812."
The story of this naval battle early in the War of 1812 is well-known and well-documented with many tributes in text and in image available, so I will not attempt to rehash that here, except to say that this battle is where the U. S. ship received its nickname, "Old Ironsides." [See below for some websites that recount the battle.]
But the drawings themselves are worth a look.
"In 15 minutes the Constitution cuts away the Gurriere's mizen mast."
"In 43 minutes the Gurriere totally dismasted, when she fires her Lee gun and surrenders."
Finally, the account-keeper even included a couple of rebuses in this volume. Longtime visitors to the Beehive may remember a post here a few years ago about rebuses, written by MHS alum Kittle Evenson. ["Cryptic Communique..."] After you re-read Kittle's entry, you can come back here and see if you can figure out one of the word puzzles. As of publication, I have yet to crack it!
As always, if you see something here of interest and want to view it in person, consider Visiting the Library!
Further Reading
- "USS Constitution in the War of 1812." Naval History and Heritage Command. Accessed 22 May 2018 at https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/ships/uss-constitution-americas-ship-of-state/history.html.
- USS Constitution Museum, "Sea Dog: Guerriere the Terrier," USS Constitution Museum website. Accessed 23 May 2018 at https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/2012/08/01/sea-dog-guerriere-terrier/
comments: 0 |
permalink
| Published: Wednesday, 23 May, 2018, 4:36 PM
Barbara Hillard Smith’s Diary, April 1918
By Lindsay Bina, Intern and Anna Clutterbuck-Cook, Reader Services
Today we return to the 1918 diary of Newton teenager Barbara Hillard Smith. You may read our introduction to the diary, and Barbara’s previous entries, here:
January | February | March | April
May | June | July | August
September | October | November | December
As regular readers of the Beehive know, we are following Barbara throughout 1918 with monthly blog posts that present Barbara’s daily life -- going to school, seeing friends, playing basketball, and caring for family members -- in the words she wrote a century ago. Here is Barbara’s May, day by day.
* * *
WED. 1 MAY
School. Took care of sonny.
THUR. 2
School. Took care of sonny
FRI. 3
School. Took care of sonny.
SAT. 4
Cleaned. Swimming. Pegs
SUN. 5
Church. Sunday School. Studied
MON. 6
School. Took care of sonny
TUES. 7
School. Took care of sonny. Swimming. Waited on table at church
WED. 8
School. Took care of sonny. Cousin Bert here
THUR. 9
School. Went to Arleen Pratt’s
FRI. 10
School. Took care of sony
SAT. 11
Swimming. Pegs.
SUN. 12
School. Sunday School. Studied
MON. 13
School. In Town. Sick?
TUES. 14
School. Baby’s. K.O.K.A. with Spud
WED. 15
School. Baby’s. Search Light Club Play
THUR. 16
School. Took care of Sonny
FRI. 17
School: Bill Wellman cheering practice. Went to get Wigwam and cut trees for float
SAT. 18
Dentist. Red Cross Parade. Mother starts for Portland
SUN. 19
Sunday School. Peg here. Service in evening
MON. 20
School. Mrs. Reeds. Kitten’s Came
TUES. 21
School. Mrs. Reed’s
WED. 22
School. Cheer Practice. Preliminary Baseball Game
THUR. 23
School. Mrs Hurt knee. Bob Hayes Up to the house
FRI. 24
School. Field Day. Red Cross Function at Seminary
SAT. 25
Mrs Reed’s. Dance at Nash’s
SUN. 26
Sunday School. Studied
MON. 27
School. Mrs. Reed’s
TUES. 28
School. Mrs. Reed’s
WED. 29
School. Mrs. Reed’s
THUR. 30 MEMORIAL DAY
Swimming. Tennis
FRI. 31
Baby’s. In Town
* * *
If you are interested in viewing the diary in person in our library or have other questions about the collection, please visit the library or contact a member of the library staff for further assistance.
*Please note that the diary transcription is a rough-and-ready version, not an authoritative transcript. Researchers wishing to use the diary in the course of their own work should verify the version found here with the manuscript original. The catalog record for the Barbara Hillard Smith collection may be found here.
comments: 0 |
permalink
| Published: Wednesday, 9 May, 2018, 12:00 AM
Barbara Hillard Smith’s Diary, April 1918
By Lindsay Bina, Intern and Anna Clutterbuck-Cook, Reader Services
Today we return to the 1918 diary of Newton teenager Barbara Hillard Smith. You may read our introduction to the diary, and Barbara’s January, February, and March entries, here:
January | February | March | April
May | June | July | August
September | October | November | December
As regular readers of the Beehive know, we are following Barbara throughout 1918 with monthly blog posts that present Barbara’s daily life -- going to school, seeing friends, playing basketball, and caring for family members -- in the words she wrote a century ago. Here is Barbara’s April, day by day.
* * *
MON. 1 APRIL
School. Mrs. Reeds. Muriel’s. Mrs. Reeds.
TUES. 2
Mother went to New York. Muriel’s. Mrs. Reed.
WED. 3
Mrs. Reed’s. Dance at Spud’s. Night at Pegs.
THUR. 4
Mrs. Reed’s all day. Red Cross Rally. Muriel Over Night. Hurt Knee
FRI. 5
Liberty Loan parade. In Town. Addressed cards for Dr. Godfrey
SAT. 6
Mother came home
SUN. 7
Sunday School. Studied.
MON. 8
School. Mrs. Reed’s
TUES. 9
School.
WED. 10
School. Rehearsed for Dancing.
THUR. 11
School. Knee hurt so came home at end of third. Mrs. Reeds
FRI. 12
School. Rehearsal for Camp Fire. Snow. Practice Kitchen for dinner
SAT. 13
Mrs. Reeds. Camp Reunion. “Pete” for week-end
SUN. 14
Church. Sunday School. Lasell Vespers
[Editor’s Note: Private college in Newton, est 1851, at this point would have been Lasell Seminary for Young Women]
MON. 15
School. In town. To lawyer. Awful Cold.
TUES. 16
Mrs. Reeds. Mrs. Bigelow here.
WED. 17
School. Rehearsal for dancing. Mrs. Reed’s
THUR. 18
School. Mrs. Reed’s. Surgical Dressings. Pegs over night
FRI. 19
Worked on Costume. Rehearsal for pageant. Missed Cousin Bert
SAT. 20
Mrs Redmond’s girls here. (Awful) ([fony]) Pageant Feast behind the scenes.
SUN. 21
Sick? Sunday School.
MON. 22
School. Rehearsed dance. Tennis.
TUES. 23
School. Took care of sonny.
WED. 24
School. Rehearsed for meet
THUR. 25
School. Took care of sonny.
FRI. 26
School. Gym. Meet. Tennis
SAT. 27
Washed my hair. Took care of sonny. Swimming
SUN. 28
Sunday School. Everyone Blue. Wendell showed me about the bugle
MON. 29
Headache? In town. Got material for skirt + dress
TUES. 30
School. Took care of the baby. Clark Reed wounded.
* * *
If you are interested in viewing the diary in person in our library or have other questions about the collection, please visit the library or contact a member of the library staff for further assistance.
*Please note that the diary transcription is a rough-and-ready version, not an authoritative transcript. Researchers wishing to use the diary in the course of their own work should verify the version found here with the manuscript original. The catalog record for the Barbara Hillard Smith collection may be found here.
comments: 0 |
permalink
| Published: Monday, 23 April, 2018, 12:00 AM
“Across wide fields of melting snow / The winds of summer softly blow”: The Easter poems of Lucy Larcom
By Anna J. Clutterbuck-Cook, Reader Services
On March 20th we marked the spring equinox here in New England with the arrival of our fourth nor’easter of the month. After a warmer-than-average February we found ourselves bundling up for a colder-than-average March and spring has seemed further around the corner than it ought to be. In this week that marks both the Jewish Passover and Christian Easter holidays, I decided to share a poem for spring from New England poet Lucy Larcom.
Many of you have likely encountered nineteenth-century writer Lucy Larcom through her autobiographical work A New England Girlhood (1889) which tells the story of her childhood in Beverly, Massachusetts and her experience working in the mills of Lowell before she traveled west to Illinois to become a teacher and later returned to Massachusetts to make her living as a writer and editor. In 1891, Larcom published a small collection of Easter poems, Easter Gleams with Riverside Press an imprint of Houghton, Mifflin & Company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Riverside had also published Larcom’s Girlhood three years before. Below are the poems “Ring! Happy Bells!” (5) poem “Sunrise” (13) from Easter Gleams.
Ring! Happy Bells!
Ring, happy bells of Easter time!
The world is glad to hear your chime;
Across wide field of melting snow
The winds of summer softly blow,
And birds and streams repeat the chime
Of Easter time.
Ring, happy bells of Easter time!
The world takes up your chant sublime,
The Lord has risen!” The night of fear
Has passed away, and heaven draws near:
We breathe the air of that blest clime,
At Easter time.
Ring, happy bells of Easter time!
Our happy hearts give back your chime!
The Lord has risen! We die no more:
He opens wide the heavenly door;
He meets us, while to Him we climb,
At Easter time.
Sunrise.
The Sunrise over the houses!
The beautiful rose of dawn
Reddening the eastern windows, --
The curtains of Night withdrawn!
More lovely than boughs in blossom
The spires and the roof-trees glow.
It is day; and, in God awaking,
Shall the spirit unfold and grow.
On the city, in chrismal splendor,
The blessing of morning falls: --
The Bride coming down out of heaven! --
The pearl-gates, the jasper walls!
The white light enters the casement
Like the wings of the Holy Dove;
And every house is a flower,
A blossom of peace and love.
The sunrise is fair on the gardens,
The groves and the forests afar;
But fairer the trees of manhood,
Of heavenly planting are.
And wide are the green savannahs
That under the dawn unroll;
But broader the landscape opens
In the sunrise of a soul!
The footsteps of morning hasten
Across yonder populous space,
And the dwellings of men are illumined
With the glory of God’s own face.
Who can guess the power of His coming?
He will banish doubt and despair;
The life of His Spirit will kindle
And stir the sleepers there.
Behold the Day Star ascending!
See the hour of His triumph begin!
The sunrise over the houses!
The Christ-light shining in!
In addition to holding a print copy of Easter Gleams and other published works by Larcom, the Massachusetts Historical Society holds Larcom’s diaries, correspondence, and other manuscript materials, principally in the Daniel Dulany Addison collection. We also hold issues of Our Young Folks (1865-1873) and the Lowell Offering (1840-1845), both of which Larcom was deeply involved in as a writer and editor. Researchers interested in accessing Larcom’s writings may visit the library or contact the reader services staff to learn about options for reproduction.
comments: 0 |
permalink
| Published: Wednesday, 28 March, 2018, 10:24 AM
Barbara Hillard Smith’s Diary, March 1918
By Lindsay Bina, Intern and Anna Clutterbuck-Cook, Reader Services
Today we return to the 1918 diary of Newton teenager Barbara Hillard Smith. You may read our introduction to the diary, and Barbara’s January and February entries, here:
January | February | March | April
May | June | July | August
September | October | November | December
We will be following Barbara throughout 1918 with monthly blog posts that present Barbara’s daily life -- going to school, seeing friends, playing basketball, and caring for family members -- in the words she wrote a century ago. Here is Barbara’s March, day by day.
* * *
FRI. 1 MARCH
School. Dentist Cousin Bert came. Papa glad to see him, Sick
SAT. 2
Showed C. Booklet to K. Heard Galli Curci. She is wonderful. Seminary with Mother
SUN. 3
Helped Mother. Studied
MON. 4
School. Mrs. Reed’s. Papa died. Grandma very brave, Mother is wonderful. C. Burt came.
TUES. 5
Aunt Mabel gave Mother her car. She is very busy. People are very kind. Cousin Bert is the [back…]
WED. 6
Everything peaceful. Deluged with flowers. Funeral services very sweet + pretty. C. Bert went back.
THUR. 7
I must stand up for Mother. Worked. Flowers from […]. Waltham with Mrs. Pyrene. Hard to keep tears back
FRI. 8
Worked. Doctors with Mother. Things [go] a little easier. I feel like crying all the time.
SAT. 9
Helped Mother. Got Camp Fire Cocoa. Mrs Richmond came. Wood called up. At McDonalds
SUN. 10
Church. Sunday S. Cousin Mildred to dinner. Dr. Huntington.
MON. 11
School. Mrs. Reed
TUES. 12
School. Basket Ball
WED. 13
School. Gym dancing. Swimming
THURS. 14
School. Basketball. Got on class team
FRI. 15
School. Took care of the baby. Captain of the team
SAT. 16
Sewed at Mrs. Bucknams. Over to Lanes. Went swimming
SUN. 17
Shot Cat. Church and Sunday School. Moody’s for supper. Mr. Bailey out.
MON. 18
School. Took care of baby. Got [byce] out. Living Pictures.
TUES. 19
School. Played the Freshmen. 16-5 s. Juniors beat 30-0. Saw Dr. Ashland.
WED. 20
School. Rehearsed dancing. Swimming.
THUR. 21
School. Played the Juniors. They beat us. 25-10. Saw Dr. Ashland.
FRI. 22
School. Mrs. Reed’s. Newton-Erasmus game. We licked em up. War is awful
SAT. 23
Mrs. Reed’s all day.
SUN. 24
Church. Sunday School. Saw Dr. Ashland ([nude]). He seems much better. Dr. McClure.
MON. 25
School. In Town. Got suit. It seems funny without paper.
TUES. 26
School. Went to Mrs Reeds. Sick.
WED. 27
School. Dancing. In Town. Peg went with me.
THUR. 28
School. Mrs. Reed’s. Wrote Dr. Gordon
FRI. 29 GOOD FRIDAY
No School. Mrs. Reed’s all day. Surgical dressings
SAT. 30
Mrs. Reeds. In town. Got new hat
SUN. 31 EASTER
Church[,] Sunday School and Concert. [Fraulein] and Miss [Colin] to dinner.
* * *
If you are interested in viewing the diary in person in our library or have other questions about the collection, please visit the library or contact a member of the library staff for further assistance.
*Please note that the diary transcription is a rough-and-ready version, not an authoritative transcript. Researchers wishing to use the diary in the course of their own work should verify the version found here with the manuscript original. The catalog record for the Barbara Hillard Smith collection may be found here.
comments: 0 |
permalink
| Published: Wednesday, 7 March, 2018, 12:00 AM
older posts
subscribe