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MRS. DOCTOR ANSON HOOKER [ANNA WRIGHT HOOKER] : 1869 ORIGINAL HEARTFELT HANDWRITTEN MANUSCRIPT DIARY DETAILING THE TRIALS, TRIBULATIONS AND TRAGEDIES OF A WELL CONNECTED, WELL RESPECTED BOSTON FAMILY

16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. On offer is a fascinating, original post Civil War 1869 manuscript diary handwritten by Anna Wright Hooker filled with entries revealing a keystone year in this Boston woman's life. The year finds Anna and her family headed by her important doctor-husband [Anson Hooker] at the top of the Boston social scene: she and her husband socialized very frequently, going into Boston almost daily. They attended the famous Peace Jubilee in Boston that summer, for instance. Dr Hooker was always out tending to people it seemed, sometimes in the middle of the night. He stayed with a suicide victim for two days and Anna recorded the sadness of the event (a "broken heart" made him shoot himself in the head. The man had botched the attempt.) Anna also visited friends often, and were friends with the Hales and Bulfinches, upper crust Boston families of great regard. There were upper middle class to wealthy people, though Anna lived a rather humble life, choosing to take on the majority of the chores herself, primarily because of her young son. (Neddie, or Edward, also became a famous Boston doctor). In April though, the situation changed. Her daughter Martha was taken ill with some kind of rheumatism, which left her bedridden and in great pain for weeks. Only opiates eased her pain. About that time also, her husband's health began to fail. He first complained of a "lame arm", and began to also have pains and fatigue. He had always been quite strong, going out on as many as 4 calls a day (everything was a house call then for doctors). But around May, he began to show marked signs of failing health, Anna's horror and dismay is clearly recorded as she watched helpless as her husband's condition progressed from bad to worse. By autumn, Dr Hooker could barely get out of bed. He died in early November, and his funeral was attended by hundreds of people. He was, after all, one of the best known and well regarded Bostonians. All of this is recorded faithfully, no matter what Anna's mood. BIO NOTES: Anna Wright (1813-1891) was descended from a Massachusetts Bay Colony Pilgrim family as was her husband, Dr Anson Hooker (1799-1869). They married in 1834 and settled in Charlestown Massachusetts, where Anson became a very prominent doctor and an alderman for the town, among other things. He practiced medicine in Charlestown for 45 years and they had three children, one of whom, at the writing of this, was only 8 years old (Edward Dwight Hooker; 1858-1911)). This would make Anna quite old at the time to bear a child, as she was in her late 40s. She calls him Neddie, and he is mentioned every day, as Anna stays at home to care for him while her husband is out on calls. She had three siblings, Luther, Martha and William. Martha married Edmund Boynton. These people figure prominently in the diary, being all very close in proximity and visiting their mother Anna's large townhouse in Charlestown extremely often. Hers was a busy life, with the day's chores generally being mending (she received a Singer Sewing machine in February and raves about it throughout), cooking, and cleaning, as well as tending to Neddie. Overall VG.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Very Good

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