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From: "Barbara Gallas" <>
Subject: [NYSUFFOL] Missing Links posting
Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2001 12:25:53 -0400


Today's posting of Somebody's Links Newsletter has the following letter:

1835 JOURNAL OF SARAH ANN B. JACKSON

by Jan Philpot

During a renovation project in Laurel County, Kentucky some
years back, tucked between rafters or walls of an old house, a
man found an 1835 journal written by Sarah Ann B. JACKSON. It is
fragile and the ink is faded and difficult to read. He kept it,
and happened to mention it to me. I convinced him to let me
borrow it long enough to transcribe it. He does not want it to
be known who has it or where it is, and he does not want to give
it up, but he agreed to let me transcribe it and find out what
I could about it, so I did. The transcription is 14 typewritten
pages.

How the journal wound up in southeastern Kentucky is beyond me.
It became more and more obvious as I transcribed that it
certainly was not written there, and there is no clue as to how
it wound up there. The journal is a gold mine of historical and
genealogical information, if we can peg where she was when she
wrote it.

I filtered through the clues written in the words of a well-
educated young woman with flowery speech, and below have listed
the things I think would mean something to a person researching
whatever area it is. If we can find the places she mentions, I
think the journal will be important to people who either are
researching the area or kin to Sarah or the people she mentions.
The clues as I see them are:

Year: 1835, from January 1 through July 17

Author: Sarah Ann B. JACKSON

Place: At first, she is in a boarding house. She is a student
who wants to be a teacher. There is no clue as to location.
Later, she writes in South Hampton and Babylon, which are close
to one another. She mentions a beach and an island.

Places mentioned: Traveling to cedar swamp; traveling to
Chester; going to South Hampton with Aunt Strong after leaving
School; Goshen (unsure if she means a place here); going to
church and teaching school at Babylon; journal seems to
indicate that South Hampton and Babylon are in close proximity

Temperatures spoken of: 20 degrees below zero on January 4; 32
degrees below zero on January 5 while she is at school

Studies include: geometry, Abercrombie's Treatises, geography,
algebra, grammar, a composition is due each Wednesday, Mrs.
SHERWOOD's writings on Geneva, calesthenics, philosophy

Crimes and other news events mentioned: February 16 -- a man
committed to jail the previous Friday for murdering wife;
gathering for American Seaman Society (Mr. JOHNSON minister);
she and M. L. joined Temperance meeting (Mr. T. and Mr. WILSON
also mentioned as speakers); early July -- young man arrested
on suspicion of ? but acquitted for lack of evidence (this was
written while she was teaching at Babylon)

Teachers spoken of: Mr. WEBB, Mr. BALY's problems

Tradesman: Called upon Mr. SMITH to have foot measured for shoes

Amusements: Callers mentioned and calling upon, sleigh riding,
dancing school in the village

Customs spoken of: St. Niklas, New Year's greetings, cannon and
gunfire at July 4

Deaths mentioned: Mrs. HORTON, Mr. MONDREVILLE, young man died
of small pox/panic in village

Relatives mentioned: Brother James (he is at school with her at
Beginning, after leaving school he is in New Jersey); Aunt
STRONG, Camelia (Aunt STRONG's daughter?), mother, father,
Cousin Julia, Cousin E., Uncle Sam (may be Tom)

Ministers mentioned: Mr. I (might be a J), Mr. JOHNSON,
Mr. CLARK, Mr. O., Mr. BEACH

Friends mentioned at school: M. L.; Miss H.; Miss PRICE;
Mary C.; Molly LEWIS, Mary LEWIS (may be same person and may be
same as M. L.); Louis Ann WARD; M.R., Cousin Julia (also
referred to as Julia Anne); Miss HASBROUCKE; Miss W.,
Mary WILKIN; Miss D.; Miss E. W.

Others mentioned at school and/or boarding house: Mrs. W.;
Mr. C. EVANS (not expected to live long); Mr. WELCH; Miss Amy;
Mr. B. (took "our Julia" off); a Frenchman (shows up in class,
teaches language); Miss JOHNSON; E. B.

Other name mentioned: Dr. J. L. H.; Mrs. KELSEY (recovered from
illness unexpected)

Letter from: E. MOFFATT; friend A. W.

Calls from: Mrs. G.; Miss STOLL, Denton, Mr. RAMSY?, Mr. HENDRIE

Calls made: E. B.; Miss Vails; Miss G's; Stella? Burrisy?;
Mrs. E. (Julia and mother call on, son recovered from serious
illness)

South Hampton names mentioned: Miss CARL, Mr. and Mrs. Carl
LAW?, Aunt N (may be Aunt STRONG); Mr. HUNT (has an introduction
to him, he may be from New Jersey); Mr. IRELAND; Mrs. CARLLS;
Mrs. CORNELIUS; Cousin Julia

Babylon names mentioned: Mr. PLATT (minister); Mrs. STAPLES;
Mr. B., Mr. JAR?, stays at Mr. C. KETCHUM's while teaching
School; Miss K. (perhaps Mr. KETCHUM's daughter); M. W.;
Mr. USHER (a Kentuckian from Princeton Theological Seminary in
the area to set up Sabbath schools); denominations mentioned
include Presbyterian, Baptist, and Methodist; Mr. FLOYD,
Mr. STRONG, and Mr. CARL





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