George Lukens’ diary illustrates life in Towamencin 200 years ago. George lived all his life (1768-1849) on the Lukens family farm, today, Dock Academy. He was a Quaker, a farmer, an abolitionist, and a schoolmaster. There are no changes to his diary you can see how common English was written during his time.
First day 18th
The girls & Comly in the waggon. I on horseback to Gwynedd meeting thence home, the city boys there went away afore night Abel & Naomi & Jane were here
Second day 19th
Seth to plough John to mow Eliam & I to rake grass seed in the evening we hauled some stubble hay very good, today Damsel Cvd
[Damsel, one of the Lukens family cows, calved today. Cvd is Lukens’s abbreviation for calved.]
Third day 20th
As yesterday tho’ John threshed afternoon, we raked hay. Seth at the ploughing
Fourth day 21st
As yesterday. Seth at the ploughing
Fifth day 22nd
John & Eliam threshed seed wheat three & a half Bushels
Sixth day 23rd
Seth finished ploughing I took wheat to Jn Reiffs mill, & went to perkioming brot the grist from there agreed with Ja Adamson to take their waggon & my horse to Phila
Seventh day 24th
The girls got ready & we went to Adamsons, John ready & we started went on to the city. I left them & went to the [George did not write where he went], came put up, then went to Atlees, they pd me in full. I bot groceries, & went to Ann Kister she pd me 2$ 50 Cents. I staid at Atlees all night, Jas Yocum & wife were here
Towamencin History/Facebook ABOUT TOWAMENCIN HISTORY:
• Most Towamencin families were farmers. They grew what they needed, and sold the excess locally, or at the Philadelphia market where they bought things they could not make or produce themselves. The Lukens usually went to the Philadelphia Market twice a month by horse and wagon to buy and sell in town.
• Towamencin farm families often practiced skills like carpentry, weaving, blacksmithing, butchering, harness, and shoemaking for additional family income.
• George Lukens, like most Americans during his time, used the pound, US dollars and various foreign coins interchangeably for daily purchases. The currency symbols he often used were: £ = pound. D = pence (when written with the pound or shilling symbols). S = shilling. D, Do or Dols = dollar.
• George never wrote the days of the week or the month of the year in his diary, instead, as Quakers did, he numbered them because their names had pagan origins.
Follow Towamencin History on Facebook. While a historical society does not officially exist in Towamencin Township, Morgan Log House & Historical Research Center is a resource for the history of Towamencin.
