Thomas Bell diary - images of the original
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Thomas Angus Bell 1832-1909, kept a diary in his pocket from about 1900 and up until his death in 1909. Rather than being a day-to-day exercise in documenting his life, the volume was more akin to the notepad app on an iPhone. He used the many pages to detail events like when the family migrated from Canada to California, and later to Washington. He listed family history which included basic facts of his wife, brother, his children, and his parents and grandparents. He also wrote down some practical directions or recipes to accomplish household or farm related tasks. His humor even came out with a newspaper clipping on how to eat carp (the end result is that you throw it over the fence). In his beautiful cursive, wrought by a nib of 19th century ink pen, he detailed the payments by his son, Danny, who was purchasing the family farm from Thomas. There was even a list of friends and family that sent condolence cards when his beloved wife, Mary, died. The final page lists a wonderful poem of unknown origin seemingly dedicated to his depart bride.
Of course, no diary of this type would be complete without phone numbers and addresses of friends and relatives. Alas, even with all of that information and a bit more, most of the pages were empty. He seemed to want to preserve the preciously limited space of the little volume by cramming as much onto each page as possible.
While this little volume did not generally contain his day-to-day life's deeds or thoughts and reflections, it is still a fascinating piece of ephemera that gives a glimpse into the life of a man who lived and died over a century ago. The fact that the book still exists and has been preserved all of these many years, is a remarkable feat and praise goes to his children and grandchildren who thought it important to preserve the little book.
It is an extraordinary and precious gift to be able to hold an item that belonged to your ancestor; to touch the pages and read the words of a man who was someone you wished you could sit down with and share a pleasant chat. It is an rare opportunity to gain insight of an ancestor beyond census and court records and the fading memories of the man handed down over the generations. His words live on and touch his many descendants across the centuries. Truly this is one of the most remarkable artifacts I have ever had the opportunity to review and catalog. Everything I have done to this point was worth it; to be able to learn about this treasure and share the results with other relatives is a joy beyond comparison.
This elegant tri-fold, pocket sized tome is made of well-worn leather that has been well cared for in the almost 110 years since its owner's death. It was recently cleaned and leather treated with leather oil formulated for old leathers made before the age of industrialization. The diary is a part of the Danny Bell Family collection which is in the care of one of his grandchildren. Photo by Jay Lawrence.
Thomas Bell kept this pocket sized diary from about 1900 until around the time of his death. It contains mostly lists of things he wanted to remember rather than a volume documenting his day-to-day life. Still it is fascinating. To hold your Great, Great, Great Grandfather's property in your hand - a man born 185 years ago - is breathtakingly remarkable. Photo by Jay Lawrence.
The opening page of the diary with details of when the family left Canada for California and later Washington. Photo by Jay Lawrence.
Fascinating details about Thomas's parents and Grandparents. This page is an amazing trove. It provides a number of facts not available anywhere else. Photo by Jay Lawrence.