1883-1905 · Norwich, CT
by Lila Moran
Norwich, CT, 1883-1905. Lila Moran (Morann) was born in c1872 in Connecticut to Samuel (c1847-?) and Eliza (c1848-?) Moran. She had a brother, William (c1870-?), and a sister Prudence Jane (c1868-?). . A school notebook belonging to Lila Moran, a young school girl from Norwich, CT. The first few pages of the journal see Lila practicing writing the alphabet, as well as her name, location and date, September 3, 1889. The rest of the journal can be broken up into two sections. The first half of journal consists of history essays with the following titles: 'Alfred the Great and the Anglo Saxons', 'England under the Normans and the Effect of the Norman Conquest', 'England under the Plantagenets', and 'State of Society under the Houses of Lancaster and York'. Mixed in-between the history essays, are short notes. One of them even describes a ritual, that if completed will allow a girl to dream the identify of her future husband. Another note describes a different ritual that supposedly causes a girl to be married within a year. These short notes are often written in pencil, while the essays are in pen. The latter half of the journal consist of vocabulary lists (words and descriptions). While the lists are broken down by lessons, there doesn't seem to be a common theme to the words (and definitions) listed. In addition to the school work in the journal, there are two drawings. Each drawing is a side view of a woman in a fancy dress. There are also three receipts for a Samuel Moran, Lila's father. These receipts date from 1883-1905. Two are store receipts and one is from the Norwich Saving Society. Marbleized covers, and interior pages are lined with red edging. Measures 8 1/4" x 6 1/4"
(Inventory #: 29012700)