The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE  19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:          Johnston, William.                                

Title:               Diary

Dates:             1785 May 19-1786 Jan. 10

Call No.:         Doc. 739

Acc. No.:         80x18

Quantity:        1 volume (52 pages)

Location:        31 G

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

External evidence suggests that William Johnston was the keeper of the volume.  He was a cabinetmaker and joiner in Mill Creek Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

Entries document the activities of a rural cabinetmaker's life in Delaware in post Revolutionary America.  In addition to furniture, Johnston made coffins, helped with barn raisings, constructed window sashes, frames, and shutters, fashioned architectural ornament, put up fences, shaved shingles, and mended wheels.  Frequent references are made to tables and chairs; other furniture forms represented include desks, cradles, clothes presses, dressers, bureaus, and cupboards.  Johnston was often involved in the entire process of manufacture, from gathering wood and metal ornaments to cutting the parts, dealing with the local mill, joining and gluing parts together, affixing handles and hinges, smoothing the surfaces, and either painting, staining, or otherwise finishing the piece.  Johnston's interest in culture and religion along with his limited participation in local politics is reflected in the volume.

           

 

ORGANIZATION

 

The entries are in chronological order.

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

Collection is open to the public.  Copyright restrictions may apply.

           

 

PROVENANCE

           

Purchased from Gary B. Nash.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

            Furniture making.

            Cabinetwork.

            Joinery.

            Building materials.

            Mills and mill-work.

            Dwellings - Maintenance and repair - Delaware.

            Farm life.

            Agriculture - Delaware - Mill Creek Hundred.

            Delaware - Social life and customs.

            Mill Creek Hundred (Del.) - Politics and government.

            Diaries.

            Cabinetmakers.

           

           

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 31 G

 

Name and object indexes to the diary:

 

 

 

Name index to Doc. 739 (acc. 80x18)

 

Allen, Chas.     16

Armstrong, Ned    3, 4, 8

 

Ball, Jos.    6, 9

Bar, Jas.     3

Barr           4, 24

Bennet, Caleb   15

Black, James     28

Boggs, James    22

Boyd, Robert   15, 17, 30

Brown    16

Bullock, Samuel     6

Burns, Jos.   13

 

Chair House      17, 20, 23, 25

Clay, (Mr.)        2

Court House     25

Cross, Davy      23

Crossan        14

Crossan, Jas.    18

 

Divans, Chas.     22, 23

Drumon, Joe      28

Drummond, Jno.   3, 10

 

Erwin, Billy     4

Evans          29

 

Ferguson, Thos.    10, 11, 16

Fitzsimons    2, 27

Fitzsimons, Herman    23

Fitzsimons, Jno.     14, 18, 22, 26

Foot, [John]       27

 

Giffen, (Mrs.)   [no page number given]

Gleam          2

 

Hamilton, Esther     1

Hamilton, Polly     6

Hersey, Benj.   [no page number given]

Hervey       10

 

Johnson    11, 17, 20-24

Johnson, Billy    10

Johnson's Chair House   23

Jordan       12

Justis, Swen     13

 

Kean          25

 

Lewis, Widow     16-18

 

Machen, Betty     17, 18

Macke, Richd.     14

Magee, Jimmy     11

McCormick, Jno.     8, 16-17

McCrea, Geo.      16

McCreary, Mr.     5

McKee, Billy [William]   28

McKennan       10

McKennan, Capt.   13, 15, 19, 23, 25, 29

McKennon, (Capt.)    4, 6-8, 11

McKim, Robt.         28

McMechen, Dr. [William]     26

Meeting House     23, 28

Melone (?)        2, 22

Melone, Jas.     13, 21, 23

Mendinghall, Aaron    27

Miles, Jerh.    10

Montgomery, Jimmy (Capt.)   7, [19]

Montgomery, Jas.    19, [26-27]

Montgomery, Jimmy     4, 7

Montgomery, (Mr.)     8. 23

Montgomery, Nellie    1

Montgomery,  Thos.   10

Moore, Jacob     22

 

Nichols, Ellis   1

Nivin, Billy      17

Nivins, Wm.    10, 15

 

Reece, Jermy [Jeremiah]    18

Reece, Jno.       16

Reed, Jno.        19

Reese, Polly   1

Reynolds         25

Reynolds, George   21

Robinson, Jacb.    2

Robinson, Jermy   2, 12

Rutheran, Joseph   23

 

Sample, Billy     6

Sample, Geo.     4

Sample, John and Peggy    9

Sample, Nancy     10

Sample, Robt.       6

Schoolhouse   28

Spence, Betty   28

Springer    10

Springer, Chas.  4

Star, Isaac     21

Stewart, Charles   28

Stewart, Dick    16

 

Thompson, Jno.   15

Townsend, Joseph    6

 

Wallace   10, 15, 26, 29

Wallace, Thos.  9, 13

Walker, James  6, 16, 24, [26-28]

Walker, Jno.    2, 3, 13

Wey, Dr. [Nicholas]     10

Wilson, Benjn.   29

Wilson, Billy   1, 2

Wilson, James   24

Wilson, Master    6

Wilson, Samuel   21

Williamson      14

 

[no last names:]

Jno.     1, 18, 29, 30

Eleck   1, 9, 13, 17, 23, 29-30

Davy (brother)   1

Robt.   3

Robert (cousin)  6

Wm. K. (?)    5

Peggy    6, 7

Polly & Betty   11

Caleb     12, 17-18, 20

Caleb's Mill   21, 22

 

 

Objects:

 

bedstead     2

bureau       1

 

chest, dough     28

clothes press    21-22

 

desk     3-4, 6, 18, 21-23

door     22

dough chest   28

dough trough        29-30

drawers   2

dresser     22

 

frame (furniture)    22, 25, 29

 

hinges    9, 15

 

irons     17

 

mill      7, 28

 

plane    7, 17, 27

 

sash   18

saw (cross cut)  5

sawmill    1, 2

shutters (window)   18-20

 

table  2, 4, 6-109, 13-16

table, breakfast   13

table, dining   8, 13

table, tea  3, 4, 8, 10, 29

template   27

 

wagon  11

wheel  28

window sash  27