![JOHN R. WRIGHT: 1830s - 1880 ORIGINAL ARCHIVE OF EIGHT [8] MANUSCRIPT DIARIES HANDWRITTEN BY A WESTERN NEW YORK FARMER WITH ONE EYE TO THE SPIRITUALISM MOVEMENT](../../../images/bookbase.gif)
Buy this book on-line JOHN R. WRIGHT : 1830s - 1880 ORIGINAL ARCHIVE OF EIGHT [8] MANUSCRIPT DIARIES HANDWRITTEN BY A WESTERN NEW YORK FARMER WITH ONE EYE TO THE SPIRITUALISM MOVEMENT
16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. On offer are the original manuscript diaries [8] handwritten by John R. Wright (circa 1830-1880) a farmer and laborer in Westfield, Chatauqua County, New York. Westfield is in the section of western New York State popularly known as the "Burnt Over District," it is also a dozen miles from Lily Dale the birthplace of the modern Spiritualist movement. While the handwriting poses a challenge it appears that the Wrights were one of the many families caught up in the religious fervor sweeping the area. The diary notes attendance on several occasions at Spiritualist meetings. Our diarist, John R. Wright, and his father James, were two of about twenty-five people from Westfield that signed a petition in 1854 for the Spiritualist Newspaper, asking Congress to appoint a "Scientific Commission to investigate certain physical and mental phenomena of questionable origin and mysterious import that have of late occurred in this country and in Europe." While the diaries for the most part deal with the everyday mundanities of rural life, and there is no end to the work, there is the backdrop of the spiritualist movement like a thread through the entries; there are mentions in the late 1860s going to "U.I.L." (this sometimes looks more like "W.O") often. This seems to a meeting place for Spiritualists, mayhaps an experimental circle where séances were held. These mentions seem to peak around 1866 and 1867. "Wednesday, June 14, 1854: Planted potatoes all day. Pa observed for me in the Morn. the ? off & Spiritual meeting"; "Wednesday August 28, 1867: Went over to u.i.e. In the morn & again afternoon. S. M. Livingston said lite & water lives in ?" The main spiritualist appears to be a man named: "J. Dibble" - mentioned often throughout the diaries and also in relation to the U.I.L. (or W.O.) camp.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good Click here for full details of this book, to ask a question or to buy it on-line. Bibliophile Bookbase probably offers multiple copies of JOHN R. WRIGHT : 1830s - 1880 ORIGINAL ARCHIVE OF EIGHT [8] MANUSCRIPT DIARIES HANDWRITTEN BY A WESTERN NEW YORK FARMER WITH ONE EYE TO THE SPIRITUALISM MOVEMENT. Click here to select from a complete list of available copies of this book. Bibliophile Bookbase lists over 5 million books, maps and prints including collectables, livres rares, rare books, livres anciens and used books. Bibliophile Bookbase for antiquarian books, maps and prints. |