The three diaries kept by Phebe Ann Sharpless (now digitized) span 1849 to 1855, a time when Sharpless was in her twenties. Phebe Sharpless was born August 16, 1829, the daughter of Samuel Sharpless (1804-1872), a farmer, and his wife, Abigail Garrett Ashbridge Sharpless (1808-1857). Phebe Sharpless had two younger brothers: Thomas Ashbridge Sharpless (1831-1875) who married Margaretta Tucker Evans; and Theodore Sharpless (1835-January 18, 1870). The family resided in East Goshen township and later in West Chester. They attended Goshen Friends Meeting. Phebe Sharpless died in the home of her nephew, Clarence D. Sharpless, in Germantown, Pennsylvania.
In the diaries, Sharpless records family news, plus thoughts on her Quaker faith and practice as well as issues of the time including temperance, abolitionism, women’s rights, and the death penalty. She wrote about a talk by William Lloyd Garrison and her support of the African colonization movement in August 1851.
As she approached her 25th birthday, Sharpless wrote about her thoughts on marriage for herself and whether other marriages were happy. Domestic activities such as cleaning, sewing (including quilting with her mother and some embroidery work), baking, and other food preparation are discussed. Much of this was Sharpless’s responsibility because her mother was in poor health, and she notes that girls (some immigrant, primarily Irish, and some African American) were employed at times in the household.
Sharpless also planted and tended vegetable and flower gardens. She wrote about her appreciation of nature, opining that cutting down forests seemed to lead to milder winters and that native wildflowers were dying out. She attended lectures on a variety of subjects including a series on physiology which she found informative and useful.
Leisure time was spent reading (Jane Eyre and Uncle Tom’s Cabin are mentioned), drawing (a small pencil sketch of a flower is in volume 3), attending concerts and picnics, visiting art exhibits, and shopping in West Chester and Philadelphia. Visits to family in Philadelphia and Wilmington are noted, along with travel to New York City, Maryland, and Cape May, New Jersey.
The earliest diary is a small paper-bound volume, “Lipman’s Diary” with pre-printed dates. Regular entries ended in 1850, but the following family deaths were noted at the end of the volume: Sharpless’s aunt Hannah G. Ashbridge in 1860, her grandmother Phebe Garrett Ashbridge in 1870 and her brother, Theodore, also in 1870. The second and third diaries were blank volumes. The second volume includes poems written by Sharpless between 1856 and 1876. The third volume includes a partial index in the front of the volume, referencing entries in that diary.
