1865 - 1866 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY OF A YOUNG ANGLO WOMAN LIVING IN THE FRENCH HEART OF LOWER CANADA

On offer is a fascinating, original 1865 - 1866 manuscript diary handwritten by a young, early 20s we estimate, unidentified woman living in what was the heart of Lower Canada in or very near Quebec City. While the writer is unidentified there are many clues which local historians and researchers should find handy to identify this young, pious and Church going but still cheeky enough to admit her flirtations, very socially active Anglo woman living undoubtedly in or around Beaumont on the lower shore and Quebec City. She writes of going to the Island, likely Ile d'Orleans, Levis and many times to Lorette for as long as a week, undoubtedly L'Ancienne-Lorette, just west of Quebec City. Obviously of some means and at leisure filling her days with short trips, visits, social activities and of course the ever present Church is always either in the foreground or background. The woman uses a very plain beige paper cover notebook dating entries as written, oft times short notes many times when something of particular interest has occurred a couple of lines. The book is dated as 'Journal Continued August 1st 1865' but any other volumes are absent, lost to history, making this volume all the more unique as a personal expression of a clearly Anglo woman's life pre-Confederation in a decidedly 'New France' locale. The 6 x 7¾ inch soft cover has 32 or so pages and is overall G.