Book of Remembrances

Description

Small autograph manuscript volume (H133mm x W96mm x D13mm) with the title ‘A Book of Remembrances of All the Remarkable Deliverances of Myself, Husband and Children, with their Births and Other Remarks as Concerning Myself and Family, Beginning from the Year 1625’ (page 1). It has a marbled paper cover, which is sewn into larger boards which were originally also covered in marbled paper; the larger boards have endpapers. There are multiple areas of sewing, some of which may have been added at later dates, perhaps including the final and penultimate entries where the pages are smaller than the rest of the volume (pages 195-200). The volume also includes a five page ‘index’ (pages 177-85) and extends to 200 pages in total.

Provenance

Owned by Thomas Comber, of Newton-le-Willows (1875); Rev. Mr Edward F. Comber, Wrenbury, Cheshire (1936); Philip Comber, Ludlow (2018); and given to DCL (2019). A microfilm copy is held by Yale University Library.

Dating

Anselment notes that this volume cannot ‘be dated with any certainty’.^[1] Although the Book opens by recording Thornton’s date of birth (page 3) and the first entry is dated 1631 (page 11), the length and detail of the entries increase from 1659 and there is a reference to being called on to give testimony by Lord Danby in the backmatter, which occurred c.1673. Other annotations suggest that Thornton revised her entries. On this basis, we conjecture that the majority of this Book was composed between 1659-68.

Contents (using Thornton's Index)

The Age of Alice Wandesford
The Dedication
Observables
Prayer
Preface
Her Weakness in the Measles
Her Having the Smallpox in Kent
Meditations on Psalm 147, 4th
Deliverance from Fire in London, 1632
Her Passage into Ireland, 1632
Deliverance from Fire in Dublin
A Second Meditation, about Twelve Years Old
Deliverance in a Storm at Sea, 1639
The Death of the Lord Deputy Wandesford
The Deliverance from the Irish Rebellion
Her Having the Smallpox at Chester
A Deliverance from a Sickness at Richmond
The Lady Danby Died, 1645
Mr Edmund Norton Died, 1648
King Charles the Blessed, 1648
Sir Edward Osborne Died
George Wandesford, Esquire, Died 1651
Mrs Mary Norton Married, 1651
Sir Christopher Wandesford Married, 1651
Alice Thornton Married, 1651
She Began Her First Sickness
Alice Thornton, the Daughter, Birth, 1653
Elizabeth Thornton's Birth, 1654
Mrs Elizabeth Gates Died, 1655
Mr Geoffrey Gates Died, 1655
Mr Richard Thornton Died, 1656
Katherine Thornton Birth, 1656
Elizabeth Thornton Died, 1656
My Deliverance from a Fall, 1657
The Birth of My First Son, 1657
The Death of the Lady Wandesford, 1659
William Thornton's Birth, 1660
His Death
Meditations
My Dangerous Sickness, 1661, when I was Preserved from the Temptation of Satan to Despair
My Prayers and Meditations thereupon on St Matthew 11: 27, 28, et cetera
The Recovery of My Health
Mr Thornton's Preservation and Mine
Considerations thereupon
Deliverance from Grief on Nettleton's Bailiffs Coming
A Deep Apprehension of My Change, Being with Child of My Seventh
The Satisfaction of My Soul after the Receiving the Holy Sacrament First at Newton by Dr Samways
A Satisfaction by the Settlement of Mr Covill for Leysthorpe
My Son Robert Thornton's Birth, September 19, 1662
A Most Dangerous Flux on Me after His Birth
Prayers and Meditations thereon
My Son Robert's Baptism
A Prayer and Thanksgiving for this Blessing
A Thanksgiving for Mr Thornton's Deliverance from a Flood of Waters in His Return from London
The Birth of Joyce Thornton and Her Baptism
A Prayer and Thanksgiving for this Deliverance
Mr Thornton's Dangerous Sickness at Stearsby and His Preservation from Death
With My Own Desperate, Weak Condition upon Grief for Him
Prayers and Confessions, with a Return of Thanks after Our Recoveries
Meditations upon My Joyce Her Sickness
Joyce Thornton Her Death
A Deliverance of My Daughter Alice Thornton from a Surfeit of Eating Turbot
A Great Deliverance from a Miscarriage
The Great Fire in London
Kate Thornton Fell Ill of the Smallpox
The Death of Mr John Wandesford
The Death of Mr William Norton
The Falling Ill of Robin Thornton into the Smallpox
A Meditation thereon
My Daughter, Alice, Her Falling into the Smallpox
With a Preservation from Choking in Her Sleep
John Denton Fell Ill of the Smallpox
My Daughter Kate was Preserved from Choking with a Pin and from a Desperate Fall
The Murder of My Nephew, Mr Thomas Danby
My Great Deliverance of My Ninth Child, 1668
Meditations thereupon
And Nally's Illness that Night
Christopher Thornton Baptised
His Death
Meditations thereon
My Weakness upon the Death of My Child
Upon Mr Thornton's Illness
My Sad Condition on the Occasion of a Slander
Observations thereon, with Prayers and Meditations
A Deliverance of My Son, Robert Thornton
Prayers for Him
My Second Relapse by Grief when My Aunt Norton was at Newton about the Malice of My Enemies, Unjustly
My Prayers and Meditations for Deliverance from these
A Description of Mr Thornton's Falling Ill at Malton and in how Weak a Condition I was when He Left Me
My Hopes of His Recovery from Dr Wittie's Encouragement
Of the Continuance of My Dear Husband's Weakness notwithstanding All Helps
The Death of My Dear and Honoured Husband
My Exceeding Sorrow and Weak Estate of Body and Spirit upon His Death
My Sad and Bitter Complaints, Meditations
Prayers and Petitions upon this Most Sad Dispensation
A Discourse of Mr Thornton's Comfortable Expressions to Mr Sinclair before His Last Illness
A Description of Mr Thornton's Last Sickness and Several Passages in the Same
Of His Burial
'Upon the Fears of Death', in Verse
'An Inducement to Love Heaven', in Verse
'A Farewell to the Pleasures of the World', in Verse
'My Soul's Wish for God'
A Widow's Prayer and Petitions to God
Remember to Insert Some Remarks Forgotten in this First Book

Notes