Elizabeth Fuller was fourteen years old in 1790, living with her family in Princeton, Massachusetts. Her almost daily diary entries record her health, visits, unusual happenings – and most important, her work as a member of the farm household. We can see her learning a farm woman’s skills: housework, making cheese, washing, carding and spinning wool, learning the intricacies of weaving , and making clothes.

Excerpts from Elizabeth Fuller’s Diary, 1790-1792

1790
Oct. 4 —Mr. Pope was here, bought a pair of oxen of Pa. Mr. Keys at work here.

7 —Very pleasant to-day. I have to work very hard.

11 —I washed to-day.

12 —Pa got in his corn. Mr. Joseph Eveleth died last night.

13 —Mrs. Perry, Miss Eliza Harris, Miss Sally Puffer, and Miss Hannah Haynes, and Wareham, and Rebekah Hastings were baptised by immersion.—I was fifteen to-day.

18 —Pa and Ma set out for Sandwich. I am quite sick, don’t sit up but very little.

21 —I was so bad that we sent for Dr. Wilson. When he came he told me I had a settled Fever.

1790
Nov. 5 —Nathan Perry here about an hour this eve. I am a good deal better, have been out of my room two or three times. 8 o’clock Pa and Ma came home, we were over joyed to see them, but had done expecting them.

11 —Timmy went to mill.

24 —We baked two ovensfull of pyes.—Mr. Nathan Perry here this eve.

25 —Thanksgiving to-day we baked three ovensfull of Pyes. There was no preaching so we had nothing to do but eat them. The pyes were a great deal better than they were last Thanksgiving for I made them all myself, and part of them were made of flour which we got of Mr. J. Hastings therefore we had plenty of spice.
26 —Mr. Ephriam Mirick here. Pa went to town meeting.

27 —Mr. Gregory killed our hogs to-day

1790
Dec. 4 —I minced the Link meat*.
16 —John Brooks here killing our sheep. A severe snow storm.

17 —Very cold. I made sixteen dozen of candles

22 —David Perry here to get Timmy to go to the singing school with him.

24 —I scoured the pewter. Pa went to Fitchburg.

26 —Sabbath. Stormy weather. We all stayed at home. Pretty warm.

1791
Jan. 1 —A very severe snow storm today.

8 —Cold to-day. Timmy went to Mr. Perrys. Hannah Brooks here.

13 —Hannah Brooks here borrowed half a pound of wool. David Perry here to get Timmy to go to singing school.

14 —I am a Passing Grammar. David Perry here.

15 —Enoch Brooks here, brought home the wool. I am a studying today

16 —Sabbath very warm and pleasant no meeting in town. I wish Mr. Crafts Brains would make haste and grow stronger for I really hate to stay at home such fine Sleighing riding & walking as ‘tis now.

17 —The Severest snow storm there has been this winter. I washed.

18 —Fair but cold. I studied in the afternoon. Mr. Uriah Moore to get Pa to go to Lieut. Mirricks to assist Mr. Ben Clark in a law Suit between him & Amos Clark, said Amos is black Tonys son. it is called a Rule of law.

20 —I am writing Grammar. Nathan Perry had Pa’s Horse to carry Caty and Lucretia Mirick to Col. Whetcombs.

21 —I am a writing Grammar to-day. Pleasant weather. Nathan Perry put our Horse into their sleigh and carried Me to the singing school & back again. I had a fine ride and a fine evening; they sung a great many Tunes, I sang with them.

24 —I washed. Timmy went to Mr. Perrys in the eve.

1971
Feb. 9 —storm weather. I am a picking* blue wool. Nathan Perry here to-day…

17 —Excessive cold, I do not know as there ever was a colder day. I picked wool.

18 —Cold. I finished picking wool.

22 —I began to break* the blue wool for Pa’s coat, broke a pound & three quarters in the P.M. Pa went to Sterling [Massachusetts].

23 —I broke four Pounds of blue Wool to-day.

24 —I finished breaking wool. Mr. Stephen Brigham here.

1791
Mar. 1 —Pa went to Mr. Stephen Brighams to write his will. Ma began to spin the wool for Pa’s coat. I card* for her & do the household work.

2 —Ma is a spinning.

7 —very warm. Anna Perry here visiting.—I made 18 dozen of candles & washed.

10 —Warm and rainy.—Francis Eveleth here to borrow our singing book. Ma spun.

25 —Ma finished spinning her blue Wool to-day.

26 —Ma went to Mrs. Miricks to get a slay Harness*. Mrs. Caty Eveleth came home with her…

29 —Mrs. Garfield came here to show me how to draw in* Piece did not stay but about half an hour.

30 —I tyed in* the Piece & wove two yards.

1791
April 1 —I wove two yards and three quarters & three inches to-day & I think I did pretty well considering it was April Fool day. Mr. Brooks & Mr. Hastings here to get Pa to do some writing for them.

2 —I wove three yards and a quarter.

4 —I wove five yards & a quarter. Mr. Cutting here this eve.

8 —I wove two yards & a quarter.

13 —Mrs. Brooks here a visiting. I wove.

14 —I got out the Piece in the A.M. Pa carried it to Mr. Deadmans. Miss Eliza Harris here.

15 —I began to spin Linnen spun 21 knots*. I went to Mr. Perrys on an errand. Pa went to Mr. Matthews to write his will & some deeds. He has sold Dr. Wilson 20 acres of Land & given Sam a deed of some I believe about 25 acres.

22 —I spun two double skeins* O dear Quadrille* has murdered wit, & work will do as bad, for wit is always merry, but work does make me sad.

27 —I spun five skeins of linnen yarn.

1791
May 4 —I spun two skeins to-day finished the Warp* for this Piece.—Nathan Perry worked here this P.M.

13 —I spun four skeins.—Ma is making Soap. Rainy.

14 —I spun four skeins. Ma finished making soap and it is very good.

20 —Mrs. Garfield came here this Morning to show me how to make a Harness, did not stay but about half an Hour.—Mrs. Perry & Miss Eliza Harris here a visiting.

21 —I went to Mrs. Miricks and warped the Piece.

27 —I wove five Yards to-day.

1791
June 5 —I made myself a Shift*.—Mrs. Perry here a visiting. Nathan Perry here this evening.

7— I made myself a blue worsted Coat.

15 —I cut out a striped linnen Gown.—Sally finished my lutestring.

16 —Rainy weather. Ma cut out a Coattee for me.—Salmon Houghton breakfasted with us.—Elisha Brooks spent the afternoon here.

1792
July 4 —Pleasant weather. I washed.

5 —I am a picking blue Wool for Pa’s Surtout.

11 —Timmy’s birth Day he is thirteen Years Old. Ephraim Fairbank came here to do Pa’s haying…

16 —Ma spun, it is excessive Hot & has been all this Week.

18 —Pleasant. I washed.

29 —I spun some Linnen Yarn to make a Harness*.

1792
Aug. 1 —I washed.

4 —I spun three Skeins & scoured the best Chamber Floor. Lt. Mirricks Lady Capt. Gills Lady & Mrs. Brooks here a visiting. Pa went to Shrewsbury to see Mr. Morse with Mr. Adams. Sally is nineteen years old to-day.

8 —I washed to-day.

9 —I spun four skeins.

12 —I did not do much, spent chief of my time with Sally very much against her inclination, for she sent me out of the Room fifty times in a minute but I did not care any more than our white chicken does when we drive it out of the House.

13 —I made a Cheese. Mr. Adams here to-day.
15 —I washed. Mrs. Garfield here a visiting.

20 —I carded.

22 —I washed.

1792
Sept. 1 —I began to spin the white Wool.

5 —Rainy. Trooping & Training* in this Town to-day.—Sally & I went to see them…

13 —Timmy cut the stalks to-day.—Ma & Sally went to Lieut. Miricks.

18 —Sabbath. Mr. Sanders Preached. Put in the white Piece.

22 —I wove. Put in the white wool.

30 —I got out the woolen Piece. There is 19 Yards & half of it. I drawed the linen piece through the Harness.


*break wool - first process in carding, to comb wool roughly
*card wool - the process of brushing the wool fibers to untangle them and align in the same direction prior to spinning
*draw in - part of the process of threading a loom before weaving can begin
*Harness - a part of the loom which holds and controls the heddles. The heddles keep the warp or length-wise threads in order so that they can raised and lowered to create a space to pass the filling or cross-wise threads through. Elizabeth is probably spinning strong thread to make the heddles.
*knot - measurement of thread or yarn with a number of coils tied by a knot
*lutestring - lustring: a light, crisp, plain silk with a high luster
*minced the link meat - cut up sausage
*picking wool - pulling dirt out of wool before it is carded or combed
*quadrille - 1. a dance for four couples done in a square formation. 2. a card game for four players.
*shift - the basic undergarment for women during the 18th and 19th centuries; similar to a shirt, unfitted and held in place by the corset
*skein - a length of thread or yarn, wound to a certain length on a reel and usually put up in a loose knot, often 560 yards
*slay harness - part of a loom which spaces and holds the threads in order. Elizabeth may be referring to the reed of the loom which looks like a large comb.
*surtout - overcoat
*Trooping & Training - the militia was drilling and practicing. Muster or training days were often treated as holidays as people went to observe the training.
*tyed in - attached the warp threads to the beam which will store the finished cloth
*warp - the threads that run the full length of a piece of woven cloth

“Diary Kept by Elizabeth Fuller, Daughter of Rev. Timothy Fuller of Princeton,” in Francis Everett Blake, History of the Town of Princeton, Vol. I, Narrative, (Princeton, Mass.: Published by the Town, 1915), 303-311, 316-319. Selected entries. Edited by Old Sturbridge Village.