Below is a complete list of the diaries held by NEHGS. This collection demonstrates the richness of the NEHGS manuscript collection. All known diaries are listed here, whether they are single items or part of a larger collection.This collection encompasses 272 diarists in 863 volumes covering 104,222 pages. Many topics and regions are represented in the diaries.
Subjects
An impressive variety of subjects are covered in this collection, including family and social life (70), travel descriptions (42), genealogical records and local vital records (40), religious and church matters (39), political events both local and national (32), farming (29), military activities (29), business or financial accounts (21), school activities (21), weather records (12), and shipping activities (6). Other subjects include: Black American affairs, exploration, fishing trips, insurance inspections, Native American affairs, ocean expeditions, poems, songs, the Underground Railroad, and whaling voyages. Some diarists also include correspondence (6), clippings (5), and illustrations (3).
Locations
The principal geographic focus is New England but there is substantial coverage of other areas as well. In particular, the areas covered are general New England (5), Massachusetts (145), New Hampshire (16), Vermont (15), Connecticut (11), Maine (10), and Rhode Island (1). Other areas are New York (39), Pennsylvania (8), New Jersey (1), the Midwest (14), the South (14), and the West (9). Other countries and locations include Canada (8), England (8), Ireland (1), the rest of Europe (12), Azores (1), India (1), and Pacific Ocean (5).
Occupations
A wide range of occupations may be found, including ministers (39), soldiers (29) [ten in the French & Indian and King George's wars, eleven in the Revolutionary War, and eight in the Civil War], farmers (28), students (21), merchants (14), physicians (9), teachers (9), lawyers (6), store clerks (5), gold miners (3), sailors (3), writers (2), carpenters (2), and mechanics (2). Other occupations include antiquarian, architect, artist, bank clerk, beekeeper, blacksmith, court clerk, cowboy, diplomat, engineer, explorer, law office clerk, lumberman, railroad engineer, real estate investor, sheriff, ship owner, social worker, Sunday school superintendent (African Baptist Church), surveyor, and town clerk. Fifty-one of the 272 diarists were women.
This list includes manuscript diaries and typescripts of original diaries even if the original diary is not owned by the Society or that it has been published. Each entry is formatted in the following manner:
Author, dates. Place(s). Contents, date span. Type (ie., Ms. [manuscript] , Ms. tr. [manuscript transcription], typ. [typescript]), number of volumes, dimensions, and pages or leaves. Condition [assume bound unless otherwise stated]. Call number or location.
For example:
Adams, Ellen Fisher, 1848-1934. Diary, 1902 July 2-September 14. Trip to England/Scotland. 19 cm. x 9 cm., 38 p., good condition. (In Faith Adams Griefen Papers, I/D/8) Mss 445
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