Book One

Description

Small autograph manuscript book (H155mm x W105mm x D24mm) with duodecimo pages and no title page. It is bound in contemporary calf skin with some gilt decoration on the cover.  It extends to 309 pages (although the manuscript is mispaginated and so ends at number 303), with two blank pages at the end, and around 98,000-words. The book is arranged under headings. It also includes a seven page ‘index’ between pages 299-305. Before the index, there is a section titled ‘A Recollection of Memorable Accidents and Passages Forgotten to be Entered into My Book’ (page 285). Unlike the Book of Remembrances, some of these episodes are included in the main index (page 305).

Provenance

Owned by Thornton’s great grandson, Thomas Comber (1789); her great, great grandson, Thomas Comber of Creech St Michael, Somerset (1800); the Rev. Henry George Wandesford Comber, MA, Rector of Oswaldkirk (1875). Sold by Sotheby's, 29 June 1982, lot 17, to Quaritch. Then owned by Paula Peyraud, New York State. Sold by Bloomsbury Auctions, New York, 6 May 2009, lot 464, to the British Library.

Dating

Evidence from Book 3 suggests that she had enough of her ‘Book of My Life’ to circulate in late 1668 (page 196); Thornton also notes that she was writing in that Book, about her widowhood, in March 1669 (page 178). If the ‘scandal’ was a key prompt for the writing of Book 1, then a dating of c.1668-9 works for the majority of the Book. Some of the back matter was clearly added later, though, as Thornton notes the death of her brother, Christopher, in 1687 (page 292).

Contents (using Thornton's Index)

Bishop Hall's Observations

A Prayer

The Dedication

The Birth of Alice Wandesford, February 13th, 1626

Proverbs

Preface

A Preservation in the Measles, 1630

My having the Smallpox in Kent, 1631

Meditations on Psalm 147:4 (Year 1631)

A Preservation from a Fire in London (Year 1632)

My First Passage into Ireland, 1632

Meditations on St Mathew, at 12 Years Old, 1638

A Deliverance from Shipwreck, 1639

A Thanksgiving thereupon

Observations upon Accidents in Ireland, 1640

A Relation of the Lord Deputy Wandesford's Death

Meditations, and Prayer thereupon, December 3rd, 1640

A Prayer made by My Father for the Communion

My Mother's Preservation and My Own from the Rebellion in Ireland, October 23 1641

A Thanksgiving for the Same

Upon Our Coming to Weschester from Ireland; Upon My Having the Smallpox the Second Time at Chester

A Thanksgiving upon My Recovery

Of My Mother's Removal to Snape and Kirklington

My Preservation from Death in a Sickness

The Death of My Sister Danby, September 30th, 1645

The Death of Sir Edward Osborne, My Dear Uncle

The Death of My Cousin Edward Norton, 1648

Upon the Beheading of King Charles the Martyr

Upon the Death of My Dear Brother George Wandesford

A Prayer and Lamentation on that Sad Blow, 1651

An Elegy upon His Death by Sir Christopher Wyvill

Observation of God's Goodness in My Dear Mother's Preservation and Her Child in the Time of the Wars and Distractions

The Marriage of My Cousin, Mary Norton

The Marriage of My Brother, Christopher Wandesford

The Marriage of Alice Wandesford, December 15, 1651. A Prayer on that Occasion and upon My Sickness

Several Remarkable Passages Since 1651

Meditations upon the Deliverance of My First Child and that Grand Sickness following

A Prayer and Thanksgiving

On the Birth of Alice Thornton, My Second Child, Born January 3rd 1653

A Prayer and Thanksgiving for that Mercy

On the Birth of My Third Child, Elizabeth Thornton

A Prayer and Thanksgiving for It

The Death of My Husband's Mother

The Death of My Husband's Father-in-Law

The Death of My Husband's Brother, Richard Thornton

A Prayer of My Dear Mother's before My Delivery of My Fourth Child, Katherine Thornton

My Deliverance

A Thanksgiving of My Mother's

The Death of My Third Child, Elizabeth Thornton

A Prayer upon Her Death

Meditations after My Great Fall of My Fifth Child

Upon My Deliverance of My First Son

A Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Same

My Cure of Bleeding, August 1659

A Thanksgiving thereon

Considerations on the Public Troubles

A Prayer for the Church and Restoration of King Charles II, November 1659

A Relation concerning My Dear and Honoured Mother, the Lady Wandesford, and of Her Death December 10th, 1659

Three Prayers concerning the Holy Communion by My Dear Mother

My Deliverance of My Sixth Child (My Son, William) and of His Death, with Prayer and Meditation

Verses upon the Uncertainty of Earthly Comfort

A Thanksgiving for the Restoration of the King

A Prayer, with Thanksgiving for Our Preservation from Destruction in this Church and State

A Discourse upon Mr Thornton's Removal from St Nicholas to Oswaldkirk

Upon My Great Sickness there, and of My Preservation from Spiritual Desertion, with Prayers and Meditations

A Thanksgiving after My Recovery

Upon Our Removal to Newton, June 10th, in the Year 1662

Meditations on the receiving the First Sacrament Delivered in the New House at East Newton by Dr Samways, August 1662

A Return of Thanks for that Inestimable Spiritual Mercy

Mr Covill's Settlement of Mr Thornton's Estate for My Children, 1662

Upon My Deliverance of My Son, Robert, My Seventh Child, September 19th, 1662

A Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Same

Mr Thornton's Preservation from Drowning, 1664

Upon the Birth of My Eighth Child, Joyce Thornton, September 23, 1665

A Relation of My Dear Husband's Dangerous Fits at Stearsby (of the Palsy), November 16, 1665

A Prayer and Thanksgiving after His Recovery, November 28, 1665, With My Own Preservation from Death by the Grief on His Sickness

On My Sweet Joyce, Her Death, January 26, 1665

On My Daughter, Alice, Her Deliverance

Of My Dangerous Sickness, August 16, 1666

Meditations and Prayers thereupon

Considerations upon the Disposal of My Daughter, Alice Thornton, in Marriage, 1666

The Great Fire in London, September 2nd, 1666

The Death of My Dear Brother, John Wandesford, December 2nd, 1666. Meditations thereon

My Son Robert Thornton's Preservation in the Smallpox, January 5th, 1667

My daughter Katherine Thornton's Preservation in the Smallpox, September 29, 1666

My Daughter, Alice, Her Deliverance in the Smallpox, January 25th, 1667

My Nephew John Denton's Smallpox

My Daughter, Alice, had a Pearl in Her Eye

My Daughter, Kate, Preserved from Choking

Her Preservation from Death by a Fall

The Murder of My Dear Nephew, Thomas Danby, August the First, 1667

The Birth of My Ninth Child (November 11, 1667) and of His Death, December 1st, 1667

My Trouble upon Several Accidents (Anne Danby)

Considerations upon Mr Thornton's Several Relapses and of the Signing the Children's Settlements for Portions, et cetera

Upon Mr Thornton's going to Spa

A Relation of Mrs Anne Danby's going to Howley and Several Other Passages concerning Her, April 20, 1667

A Relation of My Sad Condition, and the Sickness that befell Me, upon the Lies and Slanders Raised on Me, July 20th, 1668

Lamentations and Prayers upon My Grievous Abuses and Wrongs, 166

My Son, Robert, Preserved, July 25, 1668

A Relation of My Dear and Honoured Husband's Last Sickness at Malton, September 12th, 1668

A Description of Several Passages very Remarkable about His Comforts and Assurance before His Decease

A Relation of My Dear Husband's Death, the 17th of September, 1668

Of His Burial

Lamentations upon My Sad Loss

Prayers and Meditations upon this Heavy Dispensation, with Others upon Me

The Widow's Prayer for Herself and Children

Our Saviour's Command

Anagram upon Mr Thornton's Motto, and My Own

'Verses upon Christ and the Church'

'Against the Fears of Death'

'A Farewell to the World'

'My Faithful Soul's Wish for God's Love'

'Verses upon Rash Censures'

Upon My Great Deliverance at Three Years Old

On My Deliverance from Drowning in Ireland

A Great Deliverance from Death by a Second Fall, Ireland

A Great Fire in Dublin Castle, before My Lord Deputy

The Preservation of My Dear Father's Will

Deliverances at Hessom Battle and in the Wars

From Drowning in Middleham River and Swale

Upon the Reconciling My Brothers, George and Christopher

'Anagram on George Wandesford'

'Verses upon the Fatal Loss of Dear Brother George Wandesford'

Upon the Reconciling My Two Brothers George Wandesford and Christopher Wandesford before His Death