Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Abigail Chipman Ryerson
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- Textual record
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Fonds
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Date(s)
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Physical description
1 cm of textual records
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Name of creator
Biographical history
Abigail Chipman (Shaw) Ryerson was born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, around 1824 and was the wife of Captain John K. Ryerson, also of Yarmouth, N.S. He was a sea captain and co-owner of the "Nova Scotian", a barque built at Yarmouth in 1845. In 1854, the "Nova Scotian" was shipwrecked off Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick.
Abigail Chipman Ryerson accompanied her husband on a voyage from Saint John, New Brunswick, to Greenock, Scotland, and back in 1847 and possibly on other occasions.
Custodial history
Information about the custody of this record prior to acquisition is incomplete
Scope and content
The fonds consist of a typescript copy of the diary kept by Abigail Chipman Ryerson, wife of Captain John K. Ryerson, during a voyage by sailing ship from Saint John, New Brunswick, to Greenock, Scotland, and back. The voyage began on 27 August and the last entry in the diary was made on 19 December 1847 at Brier Island where the vessel was stayed by a snowstorm.
The diary includes descriptions of everyday life on a ship from a female point of view, including such activities as quilting, sewing, knitting, and cooking. She also mentions Partridge Island, noting the recent arrivals of Irish immigrants there. There is a description of an encounter 24 November 1847 with the abandoned and waterlogged remains of the "Cumbria of Gloucester", located at latitude 50, longitude 40.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Transferred from History Department files 1994. Copy supplied by Ivor L. Jefferies.
Arrangement
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Location of originals
The originals of this diary are located in the Yarmouth County Museum in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
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No restrictions