The Nathan H. Sharples journal (8" x 13", 279 pages) contains daily entries and additional financial accounts concerning the author's agricultural pursuits in West Chester, Pennsylvania, during the early 1800s. He began the diary portion of the volume on January 1, 1821, and composed brief daily entries, usually noting the weather and remarking on the day's labor, until his death in March 1838. He also maintained records about his hired hands, who included several women, and mentioned the progress of his apple orchards and crops of other fruits and grains. Agricultural notes are occasionally interspersed with more personal remarks, often related to deaths, illnesses, and the Sharples' numerous visits to Philadelphia. The final note is a declaration that Sharples made shortly before his death in March 1838, in which he affirmed his faith and anticipated "spiritual promises" in death (p. 209). Several pages near the back of the volume track laborers' attendance, business agreements, and financial accounts related to brickmaking (April 1823-July 1823). The inside back cover also has a pasted-in drawing of an orchard and additional financial records.
Nathan H. Sharples, a Quaker, was born on May 18, 1779, to William Sharples and Ann Hunt. He lived in West Chester, Pennsylvania, throughout his life. Though he attempted printmaking and brickmaking, he spent most of his time working in agriculture, raising crops such as apples, corn, and barley. He served as a member of the Chester County Cabinet of Natural Science and built Price's Boarding School in 1830. He and his wife, Martha Price, married on October 11, 1804, and had several children: Hannah (1805-1882), William (1808-1879), Philip (b. 1810), Henry (b. 1813), Ann (1816-1883), Alfred (b. 1822), and Samuel (b. 1828). Nathan Sharples died on March 22, 1838.
