Priscilla's Diary Excerpts

Priscilla has thrilled at her entrance into society, cried when she left, and traveled to Waterwood. Now, her future beckons.

Dear Diary,

This has been a truly great day. The weather could not be better. The sky was a clear azure blue with just a few wispy white clouds to give the gentle breeze some playthings. The air was sweet with just a hint of the Bay’s salt water. Flowers growing wild in the field meet the eye with a symphony of color. The gardens are ripening...

Dear Diary,

I had the most wonderful time this evening. Abigail invited the family over for dinner. After hiding for weeks in the attic, I was allowed to go downstairs and join them. They were the people who were closest to me and could be trusted to keep the secret that I am living in the attic of Waterwood House.

The ball in Philadelphia with its fancy gowns, exotic foods, and dancing in the candlelit ballroom was a magical experience. But tonight was even...

Dear Diary,
Today, Abigail seemed agitated. She tried to hide it, said it was nothing, and tried to take an interest in some of the patterns for baby things I had brought with me from Philadelphia. As she looked through them, her comments were dull. “This is nice.” “Pretty.” “Too complicated.” Why would she say that? A complicated pattern only requires time and attention, two things I have in abundance.

I pressed her and she finally admitted that she was...

It is 1774. People, especially women, relied on the mail for news that affected them directly. They wrote in their diaries, journals, and ledgers to record events, their reactions to them, and the direct effects on their lives.

After observing the Lord's Day, a letter arrives that causes alarm and could put Priscilla in danger. A local discovery adds to the distress of the day and the disruption of Priscilla’s world.

Dear Diary,
My sister came into my room today...

Priscilla has traveled home to the Eastern Shore at the urging of her husband. At Waterwood, he believes she will be safe there surrounded by friends and family. Only she is to discover she will be a prisoner.

Priscilla's Diary Entry #7

Dear Diary,

My welcome back to the Eastern Shore, hugging my sister, and seeing Waterwood House have filled my heart to almost bursting with joy.

This day of drizzling rain finds me warm and comfortable at my sister Abigail’s home....

They say you can never go home again. After a torturous journey over land and water, Priscilla has Waterwood in sight…and her sister, Abigail is waiting with open arms.

Dear Diary,

This morning, we sailed into Eastern Bay. It felt so good to linger on deck by the rail, listening to the gentle waves lapping against the wooden hull. There is something both soothing and restorative about the sounds of water when it is not whipped up by a torrent of angry winds. After a...

Dear Diary,
After the carriage ride out of the city to the wharf, being jostled around like rag dolls as I think we hit every rut and hole on the roads. I avoided going to my cabin because the air was fresh and spring-like on deck. After we cast off and left the wharf in our wake, I noticed dark clouds forming in the distance and we are sailing directly toward them.

Later…
I am taking a moment here in my small cabin to record the fact that I have left Philadelphia,...

Nathaniel had decreed that Priscilla must leave Philadelphia, travel down the Chesapeake Bay by boat, and stay with her sister at Waterwood. He believes he is protecting her from growing anger and unrest that might threaten his wife. But he could be sending her into the center of a gathering storm.

Dear Diary,
I leave tomorrow for Waterwood. It is still shocking to me that the time has come already. The days since Nathaniel made...

As Priscilla writes in her diary, life is becoming a whirlwind of parties, gorgeous gowns, and fancy foods. But a change in the atmosphere, one of anger and unrest, can change the life of a young woman entering the City’s high society in a moment.

Dear Diary,
What a relief it was that Becky came to me almost at once upon receiving my note. Safe in her private company, I could cry and try to make sense of what was happening. She offered me...

1774 - Life for the Society women of Philadelphia is proceeding elegantly, but unrest is beginning to shake the windowpanes of their fine homes.

Dear Diary,
I woke up this morning fully refreshed though I did not have a full night’s sleep. I must still be flying on the excitement of the ball last night. My maid left my beautiful gown hanging in my dressing room. I smiled at the memory of Mrs. Alden’s comment about its fashionable sleeves....

Priscilla Turner Galloway has left the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay to join her husband in Philadelphia. He expects her to enhance their role in the City's society that follows the rigid customs of London. As a young bride in a new place, she confides her hopes and fears in her diary. This is her first entry in her new book.

Dear Diary,
I am absolutely quivering with the excitement of the evening. Everyone spoke of Mrs. Fairchild’s...

It is 1774.

Priscilla Turner Galloway leaves the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay to join her husband in Philadelphia where

... people are angry about tea and taxes

... the local society, shaped by British customs and expectations, is difficult to navigate

... her husband expects her to make a place for them

... while she feels very alone.

As a comfort, she confides in her diary about her triumphs, her confusion, and her fears.

Follow Priscilla's journey as new diary entries appear every...