1810 AMERICAN MANUSCRIPT POETRY WOMAN WRITER LONG ISLAND NEW YORK + EPHEMERA

Description

[027914] (Americana - 19th Century - Manuscript - Moriches Long Island NY).
1810 - 1856 A Group of Manuscript Poetry, Devotion, Genealogy, Printed Scraps & Ephemera By Mary Smith Post 1790 -1869 of Moriches Long Island New York Assembled by Descendants.
Moriches Long Island New York.
Group of materials including:
1810 June 8
th
. 24 lines of poetry. “The Vanity of Fashion – A parody...Teach me the measure of the waist,/Thou maker of the gown,/I would survey the judgement, taste,/And fashion of the town-/…” given to Miss Mary Smith (married Caleb Post in 1820) and signed ‘Walter Miller scripsit.’ Approx. 8” x 10
½” overall. Old fold lines, wear.
1820 Genealogy of names relating to Mary Smith Post, parents and siblings. 6” x 8”; paper hand-sewn at margins to a larger sheet, 8” x 12
½” approx. size.
1828 May 31. Five inspirational quotes. “in the Lord shall all the House of Israel be justified/”; “We that is A Christian inwardly, will Be a Christian/outwardly…(identified as) Aug.”; and two 2-line quotes from Graham and Newton; and one unidentified. 6
½” x 8”; sewn to larger sheet.
1828 July. Inspirational poem, 3 stanzas. “Could
joy his saints to meet/Choose the ways I once abhorred/fine at times the promise sweet/If I did Not Love the Lord-/…” 6” x 8”; sewn to larger sheet.
June 23 (c. 1820s). A prayer and psalm from. “The Lord is good and kind to me/And ever thankfull I must be/” signed Mary Post and “A psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah/o god thou art my god early will I seek thee/…” 5” x 6”; sewn to larger sheet.
1831 July 31. 21 lines. “A Prayer for priority of Heart And Heavenly wisdom/Confirm me god with the grace of thy Holy spirit./That Being strengthened in the inward,…may purify my soul from all vain Anxiety/…” Loose sheet; signed Mary Post. 6
¾” x 8
¼”.
1848 June, signed Mary Post. A 6-line Sabbath prayer and 17-line “Luther’s Daily Exercise I am a professed Divine, who amidst various Dangers have Attained/some moderate experience And skill in the sacred Scriptures But/this Does Not prevent my having Daily recourse to the Catechisms/…” 7
¾” x 10”; sewn to larger sheet.
Also:
A letter from (cousin) M.A. Conklin Feb. 1839 to Mary Post; postal cancel New York, self-cover; one side. “…beg to be excused for not answering your kind letter of the 2 before but have been so engaged in getting my husband ready for the south and since he left here Frances has been very sick…I know you will be happy to hear that there is a great revival in most of curches(sic) and I think sister Nancy feels quite serous at present…” 7
¾” x 9
½” size; old fold lines, soiling.
1837 July 19. “School List” First and last names; line marks following, presumably indicating attendance; on reverse is a list of men and women, most probably parents, and various money sums. Approx. 7
7/8” x 9
¾”; on light blue paper.
(1856) A scrap note, “Began my quilt in November 1856 when I Begun to sew I Had 293 Pieces’
7” x 8
¾”, light blue paper.
(undated) 24-line poem, “If you cannot on the ocean/Sail among the swiftest fleet/Rocking in the highest bellows/Laughing at the storms you meet/…” Reverse with a few notes referring to a meeting in New York. Approx. 4” x 8
¼” size; lined writing paper.
Accompanying the above items are 16-pages with periodical clippings pasted-on; poetry, short articles and Christian inspirational material. With three additional manuscript items:
12-lines of
“verses written on the Death of Philander Son of Mr. Jonathan and Mrs. Mary Horton She died Dec. 19 1800 to be placed in a frame together with a lock of the Infants hair Composed by the Rev. Joseph Hazard Southold...” and (signed) Rachel Smith scr. (base of signature trimmed) 5” x 6
½” approx.;
A 12-line “Memorial of the giver” by Mrs. Mary Post June 24 1841: “Gold will corrode/Beauty is fleeting/Earthly friendships fail/Health precedes sickness/…I therefore present to my friend/This Holy Book/…” 7” x 7
¾”.
An 1851 short list of merchandise.
The pages of these items are all 8” x 12
1/2” sheets, same paper stock as the backers used for the sewn-on letters above. On the top page are penciled Mary Post’s birth, marriage & death dates; the inference is that the descendants of Mrs. Post gathered these relics of their forebear in this group.
(with) Over 15 loose clippings from periodicals of the period: advertisements, poetry, church & news stories of the time.
Generally, all in very good condition.