I wanted to know the everyday lives of a Wissahickon Valley citizen during the 19th century, especially being part of a Quaker family. I was fortunate to find information about a young Quaker girl whose family grew up at the former Foulke mansion. Even though there were some information about some family members, she was the only member of the family who wrote in her diary of everything she did in her daily routines.
Coincidentally, the Foulke mansion was also the place where Sally Wister wrote in her diary about the happenings during the American Revolution.
Jesse Spencer
Jesse Spencer (1790-1841) was born on December 22 to John and Lydia Spencer. He was raised at the former Foulke Mansion in Penllyn by his uncle and aunt, Jesse and Priscilla Foulke. He spent his life with his family at the Foulke Mansion for many years until the home was sold to his son George Spencer in 1854.
Fun Fact # 1: Even though Jesse Spencer and his family were in favor of the abolition movement against slavery, he took no part in helping runaway slaves.
The Diary of Anna Spencer
The only member in the family who provided evidence of daily life as a Quaker was Anna Spencer (1832-1905). She began writing her entries in her diaries in 1855, describing her daily routines like attending Friends meetings (Gwynedd, Abington, Horsham, Philadelphia), buying food with her mother, cleaning the house, visiting friends and relatives, etc.
At the Haverford College Special Collections, there are 50 volumes of her collections. In her diaries, she did not mention any major current events that happened during her lifetime. She only mentioned the re-election of President Abraham Lincoln and his assassination. She started her entries with how the weather was like on that day, and whether her day was interesting or "dull" as she described it.
One entry that stood out was written on January 1, 1855 when she played chess with someone named "Will," and beat him three times.
Anna mentioned fruits and vegetables she picked and selected when going to the market like different berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries), peaches, cherries, apples, sweet potatoes, etc. She can even make sausages from the pigs killed.
The measure units she used were quarts and pounds. Almost every entry she wrote the dates like "3rd day of the 3rd" as used by Quakers during that time.
The spellings of long words were shortened by her. For example, the words "meeting" and "monthly" were shortened to "m-----g" and "m-----y." She even spelled the word "stayed" like "staid."
Bibliography
Anna Spencer diaries, HC.MC.963 Spencer family papers, Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections, Haverford College. https://archives.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/resources/hcmc-975-01-075.
Jenkins, Howard M. Genealogical Sketch of the Descendants of Samuel Spencer of Pennsylvania. (Philadelphia: Ferris & Leach, 1904): 121-122, 185-188.
Historical Sketches. A Collection of Papers Prepared for the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Volume 2. (Norristown: Herald Printing and Binding Rooms, 1900): 71.
Morris, William E, and Smith & Wistar. Map of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania: from original surveys. [Philadelphia: Smith & Wistar, 1849] Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2012590207/.
Comments