KNIGHT, Sarah Kemble, & John Buckingham.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

The Journals of Madam Knight and Rev. Mr. Buckingham. From the original manuscripts, written in 1704 & 1710. First edition of Knight's diary, which recounts the unaccompanied journey she made from Boston to New York in the winter of 1704. This diary is one of the few pieces of women's writing from the American colonial period, standing out for its authentic depiction of the era and for its literary merits, "which are regarded as extraordinary" (ANB). This is the copy of one Eliza Hazard, likely of the Rhode Island family, with her ownership inscription dated 1827 on the front free endpaper. She has also signed the title page in pen and pencil. Sarah Knight (1666-1727) was a Boston shopkeeper and school mistress, who reputedly taught Benjamin Franklin. Knight's journey was prompted by the active role she played in her husband's trade business, and she describes the commercial opportunities she encountered and the interesting customs of the colonial inhabitants and Indigenous peoples. She also recounts the perils of her journey, including a near-fatal incident in which her horse almost plunged into a ravine. Knight's diary is printed together with that of Reverend John Buckingham, chaplain to the Connecticut division of Queen Anne's troops during two campaigns against Canada. His narrative begins with the capture of Port Royal in 1710, and goes on to describe the skirmishes at Crown Point the following year, which were fought both with and against the indigenous people north-ea

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.