Call Number:

MC.975.01.036

Repository:

Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections

Extent:

0.04 linear ft. (1 volume)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

William Jackson journal (HC.MC.975.01.036), Quaker & Special Collections, Haverford College, Haverford, PA.

Date:

1802-1803 (inclusive)

Creator:

Jackson, William

Form:

travel literature and Diaries

Abstract:

William Jackson's diary of his religious visit to England and Ireland. Diary entries detail the preparations required to make the journey, as well as details about the voyage itself. Upon his arrival in Ireland, entries describe attendance at Quaker Meetings, visits with Friends, and descriptions of the various Friends who hosted Jackson during his time abroad.

William Jackson (1746-1834) was born in 1746, in London Grove Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, the son of William Jackson and Katherine Miller Jackson. He first appeared in the Quaker ministry in 1775. In 1788, he married Hannah, daughter of Thomas and Hannah Seaman, of Westbury, Long Island, where for two years he resided before returning to Pennsylvania. He arrived in England in 1802, and spent three years visiting many of the Meetings in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

This collection is comprised of the single, handwritten journal of William Jackson's trip to England and Ireland in 1802 and 1803. Early entries detail the preparations required to make the journey, as well as details about the voyage itself, such as descriptions of the weather, illness on board, and the dwindling supplies on the ship. The ship's captain hoists the distress flag at least once before arriving in Ireland, and when the Captain falls ill, the ship nearly turns back. However, the Captain and crew ultimately push on to their destination.

Upon his arrival in Ireland, entries describe attendance at Quaker Meetings, visits with Friends, and descriptions of the various Friends who hosted Jackson during his time abroad. Entries describe similar topics during his time in England, as well as the miles he travels between each town he visits.

Correspondence concerning the materials and their loan to Haverford are also included with the journal, and date from 1926 to 1927. There are also a few pages of typed transcription and analysis of various journal entries, which are undated.