The Sophia L. Boardman diary (164 pages) chronicles Boardman's travels throughout Europe between May 29, 1865, and January 4, 1866. Sophia and an unnamed companion visited England, Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Italy.
Boardman began the diary after arriving in London, England, onboard the steamer Cornelius Grinnell, and commented extensively upon her experiences in the city. She visited the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, parks, gardens, and museums. She remained in London until late June, when she set off for a journey through northern England and the British Isles, including stops at Dublin and Belfast, Ireland, where she mused briefly about the history of Scots-Irish Presbyterianism. After traveling in Scotland, she returned to England and soon embarked for the Continent, arriving in Antwerp in late July. As she continued through western and central Europe, she frequently toured cathedrals and castles, attended church services on Sundays, and recorded her impressions of cities and towns seen along the route.
Upon her arrival in Rome on November 11, she continued sightseeing and attended the Pope's Christmas service at the Vatican (December 25, 1865). She ended her journal while in the region around Rome on January 4, 1866. Three printed illustrations are pasted onto the inside of the journal's covers, as well as a caption for a single missing picture: "Schweizenhof - Lucerne," "Bex Suine," "Hôtel Baur au Lac à Zürich," and "Stresa - Lake Maggiore."
Sophia L. Boardman traveled to England, Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Italy between May 29, 1865, and January 4, 1866, with an unnamed companion.
This Sophia L. Boardman may be Sophia L. Boardman (née Childs), the daughter of Perry G. Childs and Catharine Ledyard. Boardman was born in New York in August 1820. She and her husband, Presbyterian minister George S. Boardman (1796-1877), had no children. Boardman led a congregation at Cazenovia, New York, for many years, but was forced to resign his pastorate in 1865 because of ill health. Following his resignation, he and Sophia traveled to Europe, where they remained until mid-1866.
