A journal by the Carlile Girls

Carlile Homepage

Below is the first page of a 447 page typed journal from 1813...

It appears to have been written by a number of people and these include:

James Carlile 1752- 1835 father to the four girls:
Margaret Carlile   b.1785
Nancy Carlile        b. 1790
Janet Carlile          b.1791
Mrs Martin
Miss Stephenson
Mr Simpson

Mary Carlile (1795-1875), sister to the three Carlile girls above and who married Rev Joshua Wilson, may have been involved in the Journal. It must have been through her that it was passed on down to the current Rowntree Family.

James Carlile Family Tree Sheet V

The draft Journal

Although this journal exists in typewritten form it seems unlikely that it was originally typed. The first typewriter was invented in about 1808, before this journal was written, however it was only later in the century that they came into general use. An early sentence in the journal refers to a penmaker, and learning to write. The girls were living in Scotland, perhaps Paisley at the time of writing. Who typed up the journal is unknown. Sadly there seem to be a few pages of the typed document missing.
 

Journal, 11th May 1813.

At last we are enabled to begin our Journal, having got one lesson in writing by Mr.Jones. You may observe from this how rapid our progress has been. Indeed we are a most promising class, there are just six or us.

Mrs Martin, Miss M.Stevenson, Father, Mr.Simpson, Sisters Nancy and Janet, sister Maggy assistant teacher, also pen maker, however, she has been threatened to be kicked out or school per Mr.Simpson, but her Father, wishing to indulge her, being the youngest daughter, allowed her to remain, and as all the chairs were pre-engaged he got a little one made for her, but to her consternation when she sat down on it, it gave a squall and whose voice do you think she recognised but the sweet pipe of her own dear Johnny, shut up in a chair cover. She had almost smothered him.

We drank tea at Crossflat last evening. Mr.Locdolff was with us, he just arrived from Glasgow at six o'clock, where he had gone solely for the purpose of getting his hair cut and powdered.