The Diary of Nathaniel Bryceson Revisited Again

[Ruskie]

Fabulous! Thank you drykid! Some of those buildings look quite old don't they? Perhaps contemporary with Nat and his book shop? I suppose it is possible to imagine some doorways and shop windows in that narrow space. 

[Ruskie]

Idly browsing and found this which I thought might be of interest, if anyone is still interested  :

https://appreciatingoldbooks.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/an-1844-edition-of-john-bunyans-the-pilgrims-progress-with-an-inscription/

[nestagj]

That's really fascinating  I wonder if she is the same lady as our dear Nat mentioned.

[deb usa]

Hi everyone,

Ruskie ...what a fantastic find ... It has to be our Mrs. "Skiriker"!!! LOL
Did Nat ever mention how old she was and what she looked like?
I quote from the link you found Ruskie; "Later adding a description of Mrs Sanigear ‘She is not easily forgotten; her formal dress, close cap, and snowy neckerchief – pinned down as you see in portraits of some sixty or seventy years ago – and above all, the earnest steadfast expression of her face , telling of firmness of the most immovable kind, softened by a world of affection in her deep brown eyes"

It's so strange that this came up now as I searched for anything new on NB on Saturday. Today I was also searching ebay for English antique diaries ... I found one that I'm thinking of buying as I think you had mentioned that you had read it:
DIARY of a COUNTRY PARSON by JAMES WOODFORDE/18th CENTURY ENGLAND/PICS/1926

Deb

[deb usa]

A few more snippets on Mrs. Sanigear:

from Notes and Queries
Mary Bunyan b 1762 d/o George B and Mary Hayward (married St Nicholas Church, Nottingham in 1754)
Mary B = Mr Sanigear, cashier in the Bank of England. She died Dec 11, 1856
Portrait of John Bunyan formerly in her possession is now the property of Mr. Wilkinson, Clinton St, Nottingham.

From Gentleman's Magazine;
Feb 1857
At Mr Selby's Cromwell St, Nottingham aged 94, Mrs. Mary Sanigear, a lineal descendant of John Bunyan

Deb

[Ruskie]

Hello Deb. 

Long time no see. 

Hi Nesta - Yes, that is our Mrs Skirricker.

I am wondering if that is actually her handwriting? Did she write the dedication inside the book? Is that the handwriting of an 88 year old? Probably not ....

Deb, yes, I think Nat did mention her age, but as he gave some incorrect info about Mrs"Skirricker", then might have got her age wrong too. I had a half hearted look at some of our threads yesterday but did not (re)delve into them enough to notice how old Nat thought she was. Do the dates tally with her being 88 in 1849 as per the dedication in the book?

I wonder if we could dig up the portrait of John Bunyan which went to Mr Wilkinson? Might it still be around?

Deb, yes I do have a modern version of the James Woodforde diary. I bought it ages ago, put it away, forgot about it, dug it out again, read some of it, put it away, forgot about it ...  (I am easily distracted  ) I think it was Daisy (apologies if I have got that wrong) Siamese Girl
who is a mad diary reader and recommended it. I find them fascinating - particularly the boring day to day routines. I really enjoyed the Diary of Thomas Turner - another one you might like to track down.

[deb usa]

Hi Ruskie 

So great to see you too!

I reread some of our threads and found that what I had posted today had already been found.... Just Google Mrs. Sanigear. 

I also saw that we are on another thread although drykid has posted stuff regarding Nat and his bookshop on Percy Passage here. Regardless it's fun to be back on the hunt.

Another thought ... we have missing people and their deaths:
We have never found out what happened to Ann Fox (she still drives me nuts to this day LOL), or Mary Shepard/Bryceson/Ward, her death registration or Matthew Ward, his burial or death reg. I recall that 'granny' Mary Shepard's death reg was found but we didn't buy her cert.

I found this today whilst looking for Matthew Ward.
He was apprenticed in 1803 to a Mrs Blackaller, milliner ...maybe that's were his trade as tailor stems from. Apprenticed 19 Jan 1803 - Strand

Also I wonder if this was him, Matthew Ward, Limehouse, ...in and out of the workhouse. At one time he was in as a result of a 'bad leg'.
Mile End Old Town Workhouse
Tower Hamlets, Stepney
dates:
2 Jul 1849
26 Oct 1848
23 Jun 1849... discharged.
We can't find him in 1851.

Matthew Ward was a tailor and Ann Fox lived in the same flat/room as Sophia olive did in 1841. Sophia was a dress maker as was a Female Powell (can't recall her name) ... I wonder if this was how NB met AF through MW and the dress makers?

Deb

[deb usa]

Ruskie

I only decided to look up the Parson's diary as I had been investigating NB again on Saturday (before you posted) and had seen something you had written about the diary...how weird is that?! Siamese Girl had stated how she had been reading the diary of Thomas Turner and Sarah Hurst. I have no idea why I decided to look NB up again.

I still have blackboard in the garage with this on it: "Ruskie, (your phone number), Nathaniel Bryceson born 1826 Middlesex, DO NOT ERASE" ............ How funny is that?!

Deb 

[Ruskie]

Deb, a while back, feeling nostalgic,  I re read ALL of our threads in a couple of sittings.  I did send you a PM at that time but didn't hear anything from you. Never mind.

Yeah, I wasn't sure which thread to add the book dedication to - and this one was the first that came up.

On my desktop I have "post it notes" with information about Granny Shepard and Mary Ward, which I see every day. I certainly have not forgotten Nat OR all the gaps we have. I don't like gaps.

I have:

Granny Shepard:
20th Nov 1851
Parish of St Pancras
Mary Shepard buried
age 80
abode: Infirmary

10 May 1796
John Shepard = Mary Lea
St Andrew by the Wardrobe

burial - John Shepard
2nd May 1831p
St Pancras Parish Chapel (Borough Camden)
John Sheppard of Stephen St
age 63 yrs

AND

From FindMyPast
Westminter Burials
October 19 1847
Mary Ward
Richmond Bdgs
50yrs
Where buried: '2nd ground' (almost all others seem to be the same
dues: £1 1s 8d

Yes, sadly, Ann Fox is still missing - 

Mary Ward/Bryceson/Shepard's d/c has not been found. 

Matthew Ward we found -:
27th March 1851
Death - Matthew Ward
Registration District: Strand, sub-district of St Anne Westminster
9 Richmond Buildings   
age 66
occupation: Tailor
cause of death: Chronic Bronchitis
Informant: Ann Gullan present at death 9 Richmond Buildings Soho. (Ann is a neighbour).

We can't find Mary Bryceson in 1841 even though when she married Matthew Ward 27 Jun 1841, she said she was living in Dean St. I think we checked all of Dean St but couldn't find her. I am wondering if some census did not survive, because she should be there. We think that our Nat was living with the Vaggs in Richmond Buildings enumerated mistakenly under Vagg.

Interesting finds about Matthew Ward - I don't think they've come up before in any of our threads have they?

Added: Yes, of course, it was Siamese Girl who was diary mad. 
I also read Thomas Turner and Sarah Hurst. I preferred Thomas Turner as he seems like a really nice man (his house still survives and jolly nice it is too). Sarah Hurst's story was interesting but I found her turn of phrase a little tiresome as she kept asking the Lord to give her strength and similar type pleas. I think you learn lots of social history through reading these diaries. It is so sad when they end ...