EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY OF HANNAH CALLENDER.

BY GEORGE VAUX.

[Hannah Callender, afterwards the wife of Samuel Sansom,' was the only child of William and Katharine Callender who lived beyond infancy. She was born in 1737, probably in the city of Philadelphia. Her father, William Callender, Jr., was a native of the island of Barbadoes, where he was born in 1703. His parents, William and Hannah Callender (who were of Scotch extraction), were members of old Quaker families of that island, where the Society of Friends was a large and influential body in early times.

Hannah Callender's mother was Katharine Smith, daughter of Daniel and Mary (Murfin) Smith, emigrants who came to America in the ship "Shield," and settled at or near Burlington, New Jersey.

Hannah Callender was married to Samuel Sansom, a merchant of Philadelphia, in 1762, and died in 1801. They had five children, of whom Katharine, Joseph, and Samuel died without descendants, the former in childhood. William was ancestor of one branch of the Vaux family, and from Sarah are descended branches of the Perot and Morris families.

From 1758 to about the time of her marriage Hannah Callender kept a regular diary. It is mostly personal in its character, and the parts of general interest are not numerous, and are scattered at wide intervals from each other. The months and numerical days of the week are given in the diary, but she omitted the days of the month except in a few instances. This must be kept in mind in reading the following extracts.]

1 Samuel Sansom was the son of Samuel Sansom, the elder (who emigrated from England in 1732), and grandson of John Sansom, of London. From 1773 to 1807 he occupied the position of treasurer of the Philadelphia Contributionship, and was chiefly instrumental in placing that ancient institution upon a substantial basis. Upon his retirement, the company presented him with a silver waiter and pitcher, both of which have the device of "Hand-in-Hand" engraved upon them. The pitcher (which is about sixteen inches high, and has a hinged cover in the form of a fireman's hat) also has upon it an inscription testifying to the disinterested services of the recipient during a period of thirty-four years. These interesting relics are in possession of the writer.

1758, 8th mo., 2d day.-Anthony Benezet drank tea with us. Talked of some persons who had been searching for a place to dwell in where the Devil had not been, but alas! he is as heretofore, walking to and fro in the earth.

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5th day. Went to see the vault [provided for the] interment of Tench Francis.1

2d day.-News of Cape Breton's surrender the 26th of this month.

4th day. Evening a grand illumination for Cape Breton, for which the Quakers paid. Broke twenty panes of glass for us. John Reynolds' house the windows in general. Some window shutters shattered to pieces.

9th mo., 7th day.-Concluded upon a party to Bush Hill in the afternoon. A fine house and gardens with statues and fine paintings, particularly a picture of St. Ignatius at his devotions, exceedingly well done.

2d day.-James Logan here,-says the people at Burlington have been preparing this month past for the carnival.

11th mo., 2d day.-The universal topic of the town now is a French Frigate, that lies off the Capes and annoys the shipping much. Has taken from New York and this place twenty one vessels.

7th day. Read the journal of Frederick Post [Moravian missionary] to the Ohio among the Indians, in July 1758, who went with his life in his hands and was in jeopardy every moment."

12th mo., 2d day.-News of Fort Duquesne being forsaken by the French, who blew up most part of it with the poor sick and wounded English prisoners that they had in their possession. Oh war! horrid war! how does it make human nature act derogatory to the first principles instilled by the Divine dictator! They found odds of the poor highlanders lying above ground with pockets not so much as picked, but [in them] some of their English money which they changed our paper for, not thinking it money till they had it in

1

1 In Christ Church burial-ground, Arch and Fifth Streets.

* The original manuscript of this journal is in the collection of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

VOL. XII.-28

coin: which proved no safeguard to them against the wild beasts of the field who mangled their carcasses. [Our] army passed by the dreadful field of slaughter and the remaining bones of Braddock's army, and decently interred them. No doubt there were those who wept there for near relations and friends.

Forbes has called the Indians in to have a treaty, and has leave of them to repair the fort and call it by the name of Pittsburg.

12th mo., 5th day.-Rebecca Coleman's mother, now 80 years of age, remembers when a child riding on boughs of trees cut down in the clearing of Front Street, and but two or three houses in the now famous City of Philadelphia. 1759, 1st mo., 2d day.-Able James and Doctor Evans drank tea here. Some passages of Ben: Franklin's droll humor related. In a letter to his sister in New England, a strong Presbyter, [he said]: "I am glad to hear of the reduction of Cape Breton. When it was taken before it was taken by prayer, now by fight, and I desire you will pray that it may never be given up again, which was omitted before." Another: "Your religion leads you three stories high: faith, hope, and charity, but before I go any further, I wish I could turn the house bottom upward and put charity at the bottom."

1st day. Went to meeting. Becky Jones' spoke. [She] is the daughter of a poor widow not of our persuasion [who] had got unhinged by Whitefield, and went nowhere [to worship], by which reason her daughter was left in a manner to do as she pleased. The Bank Meeting being hard by [Front Street, above Arch], she would often step in there,

1 Rebecca Jones became an eminent minister in the Society of Friends. She was a devoted Christian, and possessed a remarkably well-balanced mind. She was prominently known in her day, and universally beloved and respected by her fellow-Christians of all religious denominations. Her conversion to Quakerism is supposed to have been largely due to the influence of Hannah Callender's mother. Her memoirs were published about forty years ago, under the editorial pen of the late William J. Allinson. These memoirs are rich in incidents illustrative of home life among Friends a century ago.

till she began to give Friends a preference. Though her mother took not much care of her religion, she gave her as good an education other ways as her abilities would afford, which joined to a good natural capacity opened her understanding and enlarged her ideas, till by Divine assistance, she became convinced of truth, and if she continues her integrity by the fitness and well adapting of her words, will be a good minister.

4th mo., 6th day.-[In company with several friends] set out the Jersey Road for Burlington . . . and see myself welcomed amidst my relations and friends in the place I am so obligated to the place of my mother's nativity.

Five sons and a daughter of Doctor Richard Smith, of Bramham, in Yorkshire, came over early to America and settled at Burlington. The eldest brother, Daniel Smith, married Mary Murfin. They were my grandparents. Their children were:

Daniel Smith, born the 2d of 2d Month, 1696; married Mary Hool.

Robert Smith, born the 9th of the 8th Month, 1698; married Elizabeth Bacon.

John Smith, born the 20th of the 8th Month, 1700; married Ann Farrel.

Joseph Smith, born 7th Month, 1702; died the 19th of the 1st Month, 1713.

Benjamin Smith, born the 8th of the 10th Month, 1704; married Sarah Burling.

Samuel Smith, born the 23d of the 9th Month, 1706; died the 19th of the 7th Month, 1712.

Mary Smith, born the 3d of the 8th Month, 1709; died the 20th of the 5th Month, 1710.

Catharine Smith, born the 22d of the 12th Month, 1711; married William Callender.

Taken from Daniel Smith's family Bible, 1759, 4th Month, the 20th, by Hannah Callender.

5th mo., 3d day.-[Still at Burlington.] Five hundred regulars passed through the town for Philadelphia. One of the officers lodged here. Saw the comet, but it appeared dim.

6th day. Breakfast with Sarah Murfin, widow of my grandmother Smith's brother John Murfin, now an ancient woman. Then Nancy Murfin, agreeably enlarging the company, we set out for Stoney Brook meeting, about twelve miles. Stopped at James Clark's, a mile and a half from meeting, two young women his daughters going with us from thence to meeting. A most pleasant ride by the side of Stoney Brook, for the most part through fine meadow with the prospect of a fine high country around. [From meeting] we proceeded a mile and a half to Princetown. Dined at Horner's. Walked around the college and the President's house. Good buildings for so young a country, placed on a well chosen spot of ground, with the command of the country around as far as the ken of sight. There are several good buildings in the town, but whether the college will bring forth more good than hurt, time will demonstrate; seeing as I thought some traces of the monster vice have made their appearance even in so short a time as three years. Being First day we found them at prayers, therefore did not go inside the building. It accommodates one hundred and fifty scholars. Thence we rode ten miles through a pleasant country interspersed with all the variety that completed a fine prospect to Trentown, and drank tea at Joseph Decou's [DeCou]. Molly Derry came to see me in testimony of her long acquaintance with my father. Betsy Bacon walked around the town with us to see the barracks and English Church, and remarked the dwellings of several families that I know. Rode five miles to William Murfin's and lodged there.

2d day. Rode a mile to Preserve Brown's where we passed the morning agreeably in seeing his mill and its works, attending to the fall of the water, pleasing discourse, fishing, &c. till two o'clock. Then we set out for Burlington, through Crosswicks, and pleasantly home by six o'clock.

1st day. Richard Smith and Anna Pole came from Philadelphia, and brought me a letter of permission from my parents to go in company with Anna to [New] York, and as my relations here approve of the journey I shall prepare