A TRAPPE
ENTERPRISE SAMPLER 1883-1885 edited and
with glossary by James Dawson; Unicorn
Bookshop 2004; 37 pp with an appendix and
notes and glossary; 8 1/2 x 11; illustrated
with rare photographs; Excerpts from the
locals column of the Trappe Enterprise a
newspaper established by two teenagers 17
year old Charles Kemp and 16 year old Percy
Mullikin from Trappe, MD. Its take on local
news is refreshing and sometimes hilarious;
wraps; new; $9.75
DESPOT'S HEEL IN
TALBOT by William Paul; Privately
Printed; (1966); illustrated by John Moll;
52 pps.; 6 x 8 3/4; wraps; the Civil War in
Talbot Co., MD. VG; $5.00
THE DIURNAL
JOURNAL KEPT BY DR. JOHN BARNETT OF ST.
MICHAELS, MD.1805-1806 edited,
annotated and with index by James Dawson;
Unicorn Bookshop 2005; 8 1/2 x 11; 119 pp;
with appendix, notes, glossary and an
extensive index; well illustrated with
original sketches by Robert Horvath and
also with rare maps and documents; an
intimate look at life in St. Michaels, MD.
through the eyes of a young doctor.
Although his
Journal lasted less than two years, Dr.
Barnett filled it with everything that
interested him, from daily accounts of the
weather, medical house calls to see
patients, visits with friends and all
sprinkled with news and gossip. A social
man, he names over 750 people, including
slaves (although he never uses that word),
free blacks, and all classes of whites from
poor, through the middle class to the rich:
their adventures and misadventures.
Some of the
events mentioned are rumors of two slave
insurrections, an inquest on the suspicious
death of a newborn, the whipping of the
slave Jess (15 lashes) for stealing a
pocket handkerchief, an account of a
mentally disturbed man, a fight on a
schooner, tea parties, birthday parties,
dinner parties, quilting parties, the
building and launchings of ships and much
more.
The Journal
documents the beginning of what would be
Dr. Barnett's 50 year practice of
medicine in the St. Michaels area. Dr.
Barnett treated everyone from slaves to
free blacks, and all classes of whites,
from day laborers at the local shipyards to
the gentry. Dr. Barnett was one of the
first doctors in the county to inoculate
for smallpox in 1803.
His Journal
also provides a very detailed look in to
the state of medicine practiced here two
centuries ago especially in the account of
the death of Dr. James Bordley, who was
probably killed by the caustic medicines of
that day, not to mention the excessive
bleedings.
An appendix
section follows the Journal along with
detailed notes and glossary and a very
complete index, all of which can be used to
tease out the information contained in the
Journal. The index also includes all of the
births, marriages, deaths and funerals
mentioned by Dr. Barnett and just about
everything else that he wrote about.;
wraps; new; $14.95
FREDERICK DOUGLASS:
Readin , Writin and Freedom , by James
Dawson. "If you've ever doubted
the importance of literacy, then take a
look at the life of Frederick Augustus
Washington Bailey, who the world knows as
Frederick Douglass. Born a slave in my
native Talbot County, Md. he literally set
himself free with words he wrote on a scrap
of paper". This article originally
appeared in the Feb. 2004 issue of The
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles.
[
download free
.pdf]
JACOB GIBSON'S
PRANK , by James Dawson. "This
stunt so enraged most of St. Michaels that
Gibson was nearly lynched when he landed
and came very close to being shot. It
really wasn't a good time to play a
joke". This article was first printed
in the July 2005 issue of the Tidewater
Times, Easton, MD. [
download free
.pdf]
See also Maryland
History and
Trappe
History
The Unicorn
Bookshop Talbot County history
publications
