I came across the following hand-written journal from the 1840's and 1850's, written by Betsey Priest, and including a poem written for her by Harriet K. Brown. The price is somewhat high, but this item will be priceless to you if this is one of your ancestors! See description below. Item #180087217055 Bidding ends February 25th. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180087217055&ssPageName=MERC_VI_RSCC_Pr4_PcY_BID_Stores_IT&refitem=180086449367&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=active_view_item&usedrule1=StoreCatToStoreCat&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget Description: We are offering here an incredible piece of hand written Americana, a journal and poetry work kept by an American lady named Betsey Priest in the 1850s, before the Civil War. During this period, publishers--in this case, Roby, Kimball & Merrill of Concord, New Hampshire (or Massachusetts, the state is not specified)--produced blank journals for ladies to write in. This one is very special. It is in leather at the spine with gilt titles, fine maroon leather, with cloth covered boards. There is a title page (see scan), and four steel engraved prints, including the title page which carries a hand colored print (see other scan). The rest is hand written by Betsey Priest in a fine hand (see third scan). The writing is mostly poetry, some of it presumably by her, some of it copied from other pens. One of the poems is called To Betsey. We are not sure who Betsey Priest was, perhaps an ebay person can help us identify her. All the copied poems are by women. And the book contains two different locks of hair, a common practice in early America. One of the locks is blonde, the other one is darker (see scan). We also see here a fine example of early needlework applied to one page, a little wreath and bow. The wreath was woven from human hair, as it is affixed next to a poem beginning, "This lock of hair I once did ware, I now entrust it to your care, When this you see this remember me, When this you look upon wrote by my hand, and it will stand when I am dead and gone." Indeed. Some of the poems are dated, dates in the 1850s, though we think the album dates from at least 10 years earlier than that. One of the poems, Seek Wisdom, has a place name, Marlborough, July the 2nd, 1856. We are not sure where that is, precisely, as there is more than one Marlborough in America, and some towns changed their names. Two other handwritten poems carry place names, Fitchburg and Hadley (Massachusetts). One of these poems is called For Betsey Priest, and is signed Harriet K. Brown, Fitchburg, Feb. 5th, 1857. The book is sized 8x6 and a half inches, about 100 pages (not paginated). We have handled many objects of interest to those who wish to study Women's handicrafts and concerns in early America, but this one, hands down, is the most important piece of female Americana we have ever seen. Amazing.