William Morris -- 24 maart 1887

• William Morris (1834–1896) was een Engelse stofontwerper, schrijver en socialist. Zijn Socialist Diary is hier te lezen.

Thursday 24th - fifty-three years old today - no use grumbling at that. The frost broke on Monday-Tuesday and we have now got reasonable weather. Monday afternoon Mahon called from Newcastle where he has been carrying on a campaign chiefly amongst the miners on strike: he reports well of it: only as he had to work with J. Williams and Hunter Watts (of the SDF) he will hardly be able to form a branch of the League, and thinks that he had better invite them to form a separate body independent of League and SDF: this is awkward but perhaps can't be helped.

Council-meeting short and confused: the two parties rather bitter but not inclined to do much since the Conference comes off so soon: settled now for Whitsunday. Lane gave notice of resolution for next Monday pledging the Council to leave the whole matter of tactics alone at present: I shall support that. I am certainly feeling discouraged about the League: between them they will break it up I fear, and then the SDF will be the only practical body here; which I don't like the idea of as its advertising tactics make it somewhat ridiculous. I shall move at the conference that the question of parliament or non-parliament be deferred for a year. The Fabians by the way have issued their parliamentary League manifesto: I don't mind this if they like to try it. But the S[ocialist] L[eague] going parliamentary would be a misfortune.

Tuesday 22nd. I gave my 'Feudal England' at Hammersmith Radical Club: nine people for audience! The fact is this is a slack time for lectures.

William Morris -- 26 januari 1887

• William Morris (1834–1896) was een Engelse stofontwerper, schrijver en socialist. Zijn Socialist Diary is hier te lezen.

26 Jan(uary): Went to S[outh] K[ensington] M[useum] yesterday with Jenny to look at the Troy tapestry again since they have bought it for £1250: I chuckled to think that properly speaking it was bought for me, since scarcely anybody will care a damn for it. A. Cole showed us a lot of scraps of woven stuff from the tombs of Upper Egypt; very curious as showing in an unusual material the transition to the pure Byzantine style from the Classical: some pieces being nothing but debased Classical style, others purely Byzantine, yet I think not much different in date: the contrast between the bald ugliness of the Classical pieces and the great beauty of the Byzantine was a pleasing thing to me, who loathe so all Classical art and literature. I spoke in the evening at the Hammersmith radical club at a meeting to condemn the Glenbeigh evictions. The room crowded, and of course our Socialist friends there, my speech was well received, but I thought the applause rather hollow as the really radical part of the audience had clearly no ideas beyond the ordinary party shibboleths, and were quite untouched by Socialism: they seemed to me a very discouraging set of men; but perhaps can be got at somehow. The frightful ignorance and want of impressibility of the average English workman floors me at times.

Meta Morris Grimball -- 25 april 1864

April 25th
Mr Grimball went down after his business and took a severe cold, returned & was ill, Dr Kenedy attending, he recovered very slowly. Berkley came up on sick furlough, boils on his leg, was with us 15 days, the Dr ordered generous diet, we did our best & he returned & is now better. Mr Grimball went at the same time to pay a visit to Mr Finley at Aiken, who wished him to stay with him a month, they met William coming up on sick furlough 30 days, an attack of Jaundice, while he was with us Lewis arrived from Dalton, a furlough of 20 days, we enjoyed their visits very much. There was a severe snow storm in March which destroyed the Peach Crop & injured the gardens. Mr Aiken wrote to Mr Grimball in answer to a letter from him proposing to stay with him a few days while in Charleston, saying he would always be glad to see him, that his furniture had been removed from Jehossee & placed at the Grove for safe Keeping. - Mr G. went to Aiken, hoping to locate himself there, but provisions are so high, property too, that he gave it up. - The winters here are so long & cold, but at this place we have had wood free of charge. The Council is to meet here on the 10 May, & John Elliott is invited to stay with us, we shall find it difficult to make him comfortable. In the matter of food things are so dear & so scarce. The tidings from New York conveyed in a letter from Nannie Morris to Charlotte of Mrs Zobrisky's death is a distress to all of us, she was so amiable & nice a person. Mrs Barnwell died of consumption in Sumter brought on by anxiety at being in Charleston during the impending attack, a dreadful loss to her children, Ann who had married Mr Nowel, died soon after her marriage. Mr Barnwell has been so taken up with running after the negroes that he has quite lost sight of the health of his family. -

The Juno a Government vessel was lost at sea, and it is supposed all on board. Phil Porcher commanded her, the pride & solace of his parents. Lewis writes word he is better, stationed at Resaca more comfortably than at the other Camp. We hear some times from John, he sent a box of things to us from England, got Charles to attend to them for him, who being ordered off to command the Florida left the commission to Mr Trapman who is living there & his wife. The box has arrived in Wilmington among the fortunate few not thrown out of the vessel, the Thistle, which got aground getting into Wilmington. Mr Kops has kindly seen about it for us, the duties are to be paid in Gold. Mr G. wrote to Mr Robertson to get him to advance the money, & he would pay it in July. - I hope we may get the box, for we really want the things, and John sent them, the dear, good child. The prices are very high Corn is $10 per bushel, Peas dito, butter $4 per lb, Beef $2 per lb, Pork dito.

The taxes are so high the old currency is cut off 1 third, so for us the times are very tight, until July there is hardly any money to live on. We fortunately have Corn to last during the summer. Mr Kirkland, the Methodist Preacher kindly helped us to get that $4 per bushel. We paid for 100 bushels of Corn in Barnwell & we got it up here at the depot from the Government supply they taking that quantity below. -

Mr Kirkland died about 4 weeks since of cold, got on his Circuit, a very good man, I feel that we have lost a friend.

Mrs Tompson had her house burned down a few days since in broad day & lost nearly every thing, her store of flour & Bacon & Corn & much furniture & clothing. She lived in this neighborhood, we had often seen her but she did not visit us, I am very sorry for her.

Anna Frost invited the girls to come out to them on Friday to an evening party in honor of their brother's wedding. He married Miss Walker of the Asylum, they are to stay until Sunday morning. - Gabriella & Elizabeth are going, these two are learning German & find it very hard.

This morning received a letter from Arnoldus Vanderhorst informing me he had sent our box to Columbia, we may then soon get it. -


Meta Morris Grimball (1810-1881) was een Amerikaanse plantersvrouw uit South Carolina. Van 1860 tot 1866 hield ze een dagboek bij.

Robert Morris -- 26 februari 1784

• Robert Morris (1734-1806) was een Amerikaanse koopman en politicus en een van de ondertekenaars van de Declaration of Independence. Zijn 'papers' (dagboeken en brieven) zijn online in te zien.

February 26, 1784
The Honble. Mn Griffin for his Warrant, gave it to him.
Several other Persons but on Matters of little Importance.
Wrote a Letter to Stephen Gorham Esqr. Commissioner of Accounts for New Hampshire.
Wrote a Letter to Benjamin Thomson Esqr. Commissioner of Accounts for the State of New Jersey.
Wrote a Letter to George Olney Esqr. Receiver for Rhode Island.
Wrote a Letter to Colo. Carrington Dy. Qr. Master Genl.
Wrote a Letter to William C. Houston Receiver for New Jersey.
Wrote a Letter to His Excy. the Minister of France.
Wrote a Letter to James Lovell Esqr. Receiver for MassachusetLs.
Wrote a Letter to George Webb Receiver for Virginia.
Wrote a Letter to Benjamin Harwood Esqr. Receiver for Maryland.

Meta Morris Grimball -- 15 maart 1861

• Meta Morris Grimball (1810-1881) was een Amerikaanse plantersvrouw uit South Carolina. Van 1860 tot 1866 hield ze een dagboek bij.

March 15
There seems to be every prospect of a peaceful arrangement of the difficulties between the North & the South. The Forts will be given up, and we will go on as usual. I have been reading some old letters for the last week, and they interest me so very much, they are from my Grandmother Manigault to my Mother, and there are also letters from some of her Sisters to her, they commence in 1807, about which time my Mother was married, and end in 1822 in which year, the 22 of September, she died, being crushed in the fall of the house they lived in, on Sulivan's Island, during the storm of that year. It is the history of a whole family, contained in these letters, and the lesson, the shortness of life. These letters give an insight into the domestic life of very accomplished people, and the charm which elegant tastes surround life with, are very perceptible. My Grandmother's style is very fine, so simple, & so clever, & she describes the events daily passing around her, in a fascinating manner. My Grandfather lived in South Carolina and determined to move to Philadelphia where he died soon after the purchase of an estate in the country, of Apaplexy , brought on by anxiety of mind, & worry. In 1815 Emma died of consumption, in 1817 Caroline died, in 1818 Charlotte died, the tome of these letters, the gradual change from full happiness to the sad desolation of being nearly alone, just Ella & I with her, is very painful, the effort to be cheerful, the yearning for Mama's society. She died 2 years after. It was not usual then for people to express themselves on religious subjects as they do now, and therefore it is not proper to judge of my Grandmother's feelings on this subject by what she does not say. -

In the first place, her husband, who was a most devoted one, died when they had been married 22 years. My Mother died when she had been married 16 years. This March we have been married 31 years, is this not a cause for thankfulness. Here is a man cultivated, very much in love with his old wife of 51 years and, although not in robust health, getting on, more amiable than he was, more easy in his means and my children, such as ought to satisfy any woman, - but I wish they, the elder ones, could be settled, married well, it is for the happiness of a woman & for that of a man. I could wish that Elizabeth was well married and Berkley & Lewis; William might wait a little longer but if anyone very desirable should offer I would not object. I cannot alter this, and I think it better so, than married in an unsuitable way. -

Elizabeth went to pay a visit to Mrs Vanderhorst, we expect them back to day . -

The pledge Lewis gave his Father the last Spring in March he faithfully kept, and when it expired, he said he would not take another until he found it necessary. - He seems so unsettled, so restless, I am truly sorry for him, and I pray for him. -

William Maclay -- 5 september 1789

September 5th. — Worse. Confined mostly to bed. Visited by sundry gentlemen. Scott, Heister, Fitzsimons called in the evening. The Susquehanna, Potomac, and Delaware in every mouth. I find Mr. Wynkoop has revived his hopes of the Delaware. He said, "If we lose the Susquehanna, then it will be fixed at the Delaware." I looked hard at him, and asked if he had seen Mr. Morris. He answered "No," hesitatingly. I find by several hints this day that there is some new scheme on foot.

Mr. Wynkoop urged me so incessantly about a doctor that I unfortunately said yes. He asked who I knew. I said Dr. Treat. He was gone in a moment, and soon after Treat and Rodgers called, very well dressed. The sole point I wished them to attend to was my left knee. I could hardly get them to look at it. They said it was immaterial. Aren't you a good hand at taking medicine? No (faintly). You are all over indisposed; you must undergo a course of physic; you must take a course of antimonials to alter your blood. A vomit, said the other, to clean your stomach. I begged leave to observe that I was well circumstanced in my body, both as to urine and blood; had not a high fever. My knee, gentlemen; my knee. And I showed it to them, flayed as it was with blistering. Here is my great pain. "Poultice it with Indian mush, and we will send you some stuff to put on file poultice; and the antimonial wine, etc.; the drops and the laudanum," etc. They seemed to me like storekeepers, with their country customers; won't you take this, and this? You must take this, and this, etc.


William Maclay (1737-1804) was een Amerikaanse politicus. In de tijd dat hij senator was voor Pennsylvania (1789-1991) hield hij een 'journal' bij.