Comments on: Susannah Dalbiac’s Almanack

By: Lynne Perrella

Lynne Perrella — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 13:56:34 +0000

Ah, the incomparable look of personal scribbles across old paper! The topic never gets old.
We love to poke into old diaries and correspondence.

“The Diary: 3 Centuries of Private Lives” was a fascinating exhibit at the Morgan Library in New York. What a banquet! From Bartholomew Sharp (look him up…..), to EB White, to a youthful Charlotte Bronte, and far more — a bonanza of writing, sketching, musings, home-bound damnations, and on-the-spot revelations. White referred to his output as “callow, sententious, moralistic and full of rubbish.”

I’m from a family of diary keepers, and my most treasured possessions are my Dad’s War-Time
diaries. His time in the Pacific is captured in his inimitable “voice” and crazy scrawl. The mundane, the horrific, the banal, and the “with the bark on” frankness. That was Dad. His
pages and legacy abide.

Thank you for always shining a light, GA.

By: Margaret Nairne

Margaret Nairne — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 13:23:12 +0000

Susannah was born around 100 years after her grandfather and great uncle were smuggled to England from France as very small boys hidden in a hamper. Shockingly, the little boys’ father, who smuggled his boys out of the country, had lost his father and mother, his three sisters and four of his five brothers, all of whom were murdered during the persecutions in France. They found sanctuary in London along with thousands of other Huguenots fleeing religious persecution at the time. Even 100 years later, it is clear that Susannah and her family are still close to a good number of other Huguenot families. You can read more about Susannah, her life and her connection to Spitalfields (including reference to the chamber organ possibly being moved to Wanstead) at http://www.huguenotgirl.com.

By: achim

achim — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 10:32:49 +0000

Old books are something very special and wonderful! Just the unique smell of the old paper, the leather and the printing ink. You can NOT “digitalise” something like that.

On this occasion, I looked in my library to find out which is the oldest book I own — it is called “Johann Arndt, Sechs Bücher vom wahren Christentum” and was printed in Königsberg in 1738 …

Love & Peace
ACHIM

By: Nicky Webb

Nicky Webb — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 10:07:07 +0000

What an absolute gem this morning! Thank you Margaret for sharing and as always the GA who never fails to delight. I too wondered about the organ and what kind of music making went on.

By: Ann Cornish

Ann Cornish — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 10:06:42 +0000

Wow, this is an amazing piece of history, thank you for sharing x

By: Lewis Jones

Lewis Jones — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 07:09:14 +0000

The opening reference to ‘taking down’ and ‘packing up’ the organ, over two days, with no subsequent account of the fate of the instrument, is tantalising. Apparently the family had a domestic chamber organ, but without other reference to music making we can’t be certain where it was located in the house or how it had been used. We might conjecture that it was packed up to be removed, but whether it needed to be repaired or was to be disposed of, perhaps being sold, is unclear.

By: Christine Swan

Christine Swan — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 07:07:56 +0000

What an amazing artifact! I kept scouring for any of my Huguenot names ( Gaffee and Doré) Even mundane entries were interesting because it builds a picture of family life in the period. It’s a pity that she didn’t add place names. A very significant historical document I would have thought and amazing when you consider how few people were literate at that time in London. That said, I know that the Huguenots were generally well-educated including having their own mathematical and astronomical societies. Fascinating, thank you Margaret and the GA.

By: Stella van pn der Gucht

Stella van pn der Gucht — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 06:38:53 +0000

Always love my morning emails but this one was incredible. What a wonderful treasure. Felt such a privilege to read it. So beautiful and touching. Thank you.

By: Margaret Ker

Margaret Ker — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 06:28:44 +0000

The Dalbiacs prospered with a descendant becoming 6th Duchess of Roxburghe.Only know this obscure fact because a branch of my own family, who lived in the area (St Georges in the East) claimed to be related to the ducal family and corresponded at length with the 5th Duke. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dalbiac