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ANN P. SHARPLES : 1883 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY HANDWRITTEN BY THE DAUGHTER OF A NOTED QUAKER MINISTER IN CHESTER COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA DETAILING THE LIFE, TIMES AND SADLY THE ONCOMING DEATH OF HER MOTHER

16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. On offer is a super late 19th Century manuscript relic of life and times in the Quaker community in Chester County Pennsylvania being an original 1883 diary handwritten by Ann P. Sharples who was a Quaker and was the daughter-in-law of Ann P. Jackson a noted Quaker minister of Darby and Birmingham Pennsylvania. This diary was kept by Ann P. Sharples while in West Chester at 37 years of age taking care of her dying mother. The diary illuminates the difficulty of an ill person, especially a beloved parent as is the case in this moving diary and all the moreso given Ann's mother is ill until her passing in 1885. From the perspective of medicine and medical care the diary offers intimate insight to the treatments given the ill woman as there are constant notations of her morphine consumption, sometimes 4 times a day. Intriguingly three pages of writing have been torn out [there are three days to a page thusly 18 days: January 7-12, July 30-August 4th and December 15-20 missing] and all of the printed pages have been torn out of the diary. Historians and researchers of the time will find Ann a super diarist full of news for the area and mentioning many names too. Here are some snippets: 1883 "January 1st, Aunt Sarah gave me a silver pen and lead pencil holder and gold pen today. Henry came down to spend the day with mother. Rachie girls. Anna left after a two years stay. Cousin Alice Pearson come up for a few hours. We had a little surprise party for Tom and Jennie, their 15th anniversary. Ed was over. Brought Hattie Carpenter, her first visit." "January 15th, Mother's pain continues. About 3 in the afternoon she had alarming pain in her side, sharp and shooting. Morphia relieved it somewhat. Clear and cold. Father also has a pain in his side. Alf in Phila for the day. Wm better." "January 23rd, Fanny went home this afternoon. She looks very sad. Seems to have lost her spirit. Her visit very depressing to all. Dr. thinks father has misplaced muscle in his side sneezing." "February 18th, Sun come out about noon and stayed. Mother not so well today. Will, Sallie House, Auntie and our Alf in to see her. Alf stayed with mother while I went to see Dr. and to House's. Samuel told father he wanted to leave here in few weeks. Would then have lived here 17 years….got my syringes from Kansas." "February 24th, Alf P. came over and they started for Doylestown. Auntie and I went to second meeting. Mother not well enough for me to go earlier. Uncle E____ here in the evening to bring some medicines he got in Phila for me." "March 10th, Rain in the morning. Sun out in the afternoon. A great storm predicted for yesterday and today. It has not come. Mother a very high fever today. The pain in her side very severe this evening. Not a person in to see mother today, a very unusual thing." "March 31st, Cousin Rachie called. Carrie Vaughn Morrison come up to see mother and bring her some refreshments. Edges moved their things in today. Cousin Rachie's birthday." "April 5th, Mother very weak, not able to sit up. Sallie S. come down. She is better but still suffering with her face. Seril had his leg opened today. The Dr. feels anxious about him. Dr. Dun here to see mother. We like him. Alf here in the eve. A very warm day, 76." "April 10th, Mother taken much worse. I was up with her about three till morning. Dr. come at half past three and worked till near seven. The pain very severe in her stomach. We could not relieve it. Very ill all day. Wrote to Steve. Beckie here all day." "April 28th, Raining most of the day. Mother in grandmother's room for an hour or two while her room was swept. Rachie, Wm. And Henry down a little while. R's cough still clings to her. Jennie brought some flowers for mother in the afternoon. Mother suffering from sickness most of the day." "April 30th, Mother a heavy chill, very suffering all day till I gave her 1/3 of a gram of morphia hypodermic in the afternoon. I have a severe pain in my back under my shoulder blade, right side." "May 3rd, Mother very suffering all day. Beckie here to sew my dress. Ed took me up town to do some errands. Was only gone a little while. Mother quite sick while I was away. I had to give her extra dose in the evening. Bought a navy blue riding dress for Betsy." "May 17th, Dr. operated on mother, found no disease but a deposit which he could take and it has given her some relief. She took Chloroform. Lovor was with us. Dr. Price out to see Amy Baker who is ill." "June 13th, A little boy arrived over at Bradford's today. I was away from mother two hours or more today attending the sale up at Aunt Ruth Darlington's. Our family was well represented. Alf says he went to Phila yesterday and took Lance to the shore. He came from Atlantic City today." "June 16th, Cousin Allie called this afternoon. Mother very suffering most of the day. Down to see Auntie who does not seem very comfortable. Alf, Rachie and children went to the picnic, Friends First Day School at Wollerton's Woods." "July 9th, Dr. up to see Allie. Told her Auntie was failing very fast and he wanted her to stay with her all she could. She come down to stay all night. Alf P. come over. Mother pretty comfortable, sees her friends. Dr. did not want me to give Auntie Morphia." "July 21st and 22nd, Down to help change Auntie early in the morning. Down again at noon when she knew me, called me by name and "darling." She did not know father at noon or 3 o'clock. Dr. thinks she won't live over night. She seemed to be passing quietly away about eight but revived…..Auntie spoke once or twice in the night. Alf P. and wife, Ed and wife, Allie D., Will and Sallie were there all night. She lived till ten o'clock this morning. Mother as well as could be expected." "August 8th, We got a telegram from Steve Paschall. Robert was arrested yesterday and imprisoned. Our Alf went down to see Fanny. They are to come up." "August 31st, Em Woodward helped with the pears. A warm day. Still putting up pears. Samuel brought up a little table Auntie wanted me to have. Ed sent a little stand with four drawers in it for mother, one she had when a little girl in her room. Lizzie Grini and Fanny F. here to call." "September 25th, Busy all day. Mother had a better day. A cool sunny day. Cousin Allie here to call in the afternoon. Alf S. and Ed came in the evening. Florence Evans here to tea. Let mother go without her noon morphia at noon. She still takes 1/3 twice a day." "October 19th, Alf here this morning. Says Laurie got off for Kansas last night at 9:15. Will get out Seventh Day night fall, goes nights. Cousin Fanny up to see mother. The old Price clock come home today and was put between the two doors in the parlor." "November 14th, A note from Emma. Her father died at 10 o'clock last night to be buried on Seventh Day. Aunt Hannah S. brought down Uncle Wm. wedding kerchief made into apron, a knit skirt, gold chain and ring, breast pin set with pearls, old silk skirt and two night dresses that cousin Rachie left for me. May and Anna called this afternoon. Also Phebe Paxson, Bessie and Martha Price." "December 22nd, Over at Uncle Alf's. They had the tree last night and Herbert Wroth acted as old Chris. As he went around the tree his beard took fire. We were very much frightened but he come off with very little burned. His hand the worst. The others threw him right down and wrapped things round him. I was up at Alf's this morning." "December 31st, The last of our year. So many changes. Up to see Rachie. Wm. had a bad spell of croup last night. A cloudy day. Father and Lizzie Paschall took a sleigh ride to Birmingham. Mattie and Allie here in the afternoon. Allie brought me a little leather alligator satchel for a present. Tom called. Had Henry and May up home for a short visit. Mother very suffering most of the day. Edith Dowlin's is nursing Rachie. Mother able to go to the bathroom. Ed Paschall started back to Doylestown to business this morning without his family." Some names mentioned: Emily Woodward, Addison Haines, Elizabeth Larkin, Coz. Samuel Gibson, Louisa and Tillie Price, Clara Marshall, Dr. Price, Alf Paschall, Carrie Vaughn, Sallie House, Halliday Jackson, Dr. Bunton, Maggie Pratt, Mary Atkins, Thomas Edge, Alice Darlington, Mary Hickman, Phebe Paxson, Eliza Bell, Sarah Hoopes, Martha Dodgson, May Anna Reid, Coz, Alice Pierson, Maggie O'Neil, Sallie Forsythe, Allie Knickerbacker, Amy Baker and more. The diary measures about 3½" x 6" and it's in good shape as far as the cover is concerned. BIO NOTES: from Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College web site: "Ann P. Jackson (1792-1874) was a Quaker minister of Darby and Birmingham Monthly Meetings in Pennsylvania. She was originally from Darby, Pa. and had two children, Mary and Stephen. Her children married another set of siblings, Philip and Ann Sharples Chester County. In 1831, Ann P. Paschall (later Ann P. Jackson) was recorded as a minister of Darby Monthly Meeting (Hicksite). In 1849, she moved to Birmingham Monthly Meeting where her children were members. Her daughter in law, Ann P. (Sharples) Paschall helped to compile many of Ann's original diaries. The diaries concern religious and practical matters. The collection also contains daily memo book kept by her father, Samuel Gibson; a brickyard account of Nathan H. Sharples of West Chester, Pa.; a daily farm diary of Nicholas W. Townsend of Birmingham Monthly Meeting, and legal papers and a science lecture. Ann Price Gibson Paschall Jackson, a Quaker minister, was born in 1792 to Samuel and Mary Price Gibson of Darby, Pa. In 1811 she married Thomas Jacob Paschall. He died in 1819, leaving her with two young children, Mary and Stephen. Her children married another set of siblings, Philip and Ann Sharples, children of Nathan and Martha (Price) Sharples of Chester County. In 1831, Ann P. Paschall was recorded as a minister of Darby Monthly Meeting (Hicksite). In 1833 she married Halliday Jackson, prominent Q

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