The Bondwoman's Narrative (50 page)

Jane [her mark] Johnson

(William Still,
The Underground Railroad,
pp. 94–95)

Compiled by Bryan C. Sinche

Wheeler compiled a catalogue of his books at his North Carolina home on June 10, 1850. Wheeler had six cases of books, each
containing more than 180 volumes. The first case he catalogued contained primarily bellestristic and philosophical works;
other cases included law, history, classics, politics, and other assorted volumes. Besides the 1,200 volumes contained within
Wheeler’s library, he kept a selection of books in his parlor. These few titles were most likely for the women in his home;
they cover topics such as needlepoint and homemaking.

The list below contains the legible titles from the belletristic portion of Wheeler’s library. Wheeler does not list authors
in his catalogue, except in a few instances; therefore, most publication data for the works in his library is speculative.
I have used Wheeler’s titles and the cutoff date of 1850 to locate possible authors and publishers for the works.

This list has been assembled using the Library of Congress catalogue, the National Union catalogue, and the OCLC catalogue.
I have focused on editions published in Philadelphia and New York since Wheeler frequented those cities (especially Philadelphia).
For the three works for which I have been unable to locate any possible publication data in any catalogue, I have simply listed
the title as it appears in Wheeler’s own catalogue.

Selection from Case One:

1.
Biography of Eminent Men, Statesmen, Heroes, Authors, Artists and Men of Science, of Europe and America
. Samuel Griswold Goodrich, ed. New York: Nafis and Cornish, 1846. This title is part of Peter Parley’s Select Library.

2. Wheeler records
Literature and Literary Men
as a title. Though there is no exact match for such a title, this volume is likely one of the following:

Gilfillan, George.
Sketches of Modern Literature, and Eminent Literary Men, (Being a Gallery of Literary Portraits)
. 2 vols. New York: D. Appleton & Co.; Philadelphia: Geo. S. Appleton, 1846.

Gilfillan, George.
Modern Literature and Literary Men: Being a Second Gallery of Literary Portraits
. New York: Appleton, 1850.

3. Phillips, Charles,
Curran and His Contemporaries
. Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood and Sons, 1850.

4.
American Female Poets
. Rufus Wilmot Griswold, ed. (Running title:
Gems from American Female Poets
.) Bound with his
Gems from the American Poets
. Philadelphia: Porter and Coates, 1844.

5.
Marshal Book of Oratory.

6. Hedge, Frederic Henry.
Prose Writers of Germany
. Philadelphia: Carey and Hart, 1848.

7. Kennedy, John Pendleton.
Swallow Barn
. Philadelphia: Carey and Lea, 1832.

8. The title
Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
could be one of the following:

Dwight, Nathaniel.
The Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1840.

Goodrich, Charles A.
Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
. New York: W. Reed & Co., 1829. (Also, New York: T. Mather, 1832.)

9. Wheeler records
Wiley Reader
as a title. This volume is most likely Wiley and Putnam.
Wiley & Putnam’s Library of Choice Reading
.

New York: Wiley and Putnam, 1846.

10. Wheeler records
Lives of the Poets
as a title, which suggests Samuel Johnson’s work. However, he makes a notation that the volume is “by Howett.” There is no
work by such an author. One possibility for a
Lives of the Poets
not by Johnson is

Sanford, Ezekiel and Robert Walsh.
Works of the British Poets with Lives of the Authors.
23 vols. Philadelphia: P. A. Mitchell, Ames and White, 1819.

11. Starling, Elizabeth.
Noble Deeds of American Women, or, Examples of Female Courage and Virtue
. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea and Blanchard, 1836.

12. Wheeler records
Poets of America and Europe
as a title. There is no work with this title in the LOC, OCLC, or
National Union
catalogues. A work with this title embedded in its complete title is

Hall, William.
Encyclopedia of English Grammar: Designed for the Use of Schools, Academics, and Private Learners. Embracing Grammar, Elocution,
Rhetoric, Logic and Music, upon a New Plan Not Before Introduced, with Copious Exercises in Prose and Selections from the
Most Distinguished Poets of Europe and America
. Columbus, Ohio: Scott & Bascom, 1850.

13. Nunes, Joseph A.
Aristocracy: or, Life among the “Upper Ten.”
Philadelphia: T. B. Peterson, 1848.

14. Wheeler records
Women, or Virgin, Wife and Mother
as a title. Though there is no such title in the LOC, OCLC, or
National Union
catalogues, a similar title is

The True History of Henrietta de Belgrave: a Woman Born to Great Calamities, a Distressed Virgin, Unhappy Wife, and Most Afflicted
Mother, Her Intended Voyage with Her Parents to the East Indies …
London: Printed and sold at Bailey’s Printing Office, 1750.

15. Johnson, Samuel.
The Rambler with a Historical and Biographical Preface by Alex Chalmers
. Philadelphia: J. J. Woodward, 1827. (This is one of seventy-five pre-1850 editions—the other Philadelphia edition published
during Wheeler’s life is
The Rambler, to Which is Prefixed an Essay on the Life and Genius of Dr. Johnson, by Arthur Murphy, Esq.
Philadelphia: H. Cowperthwait, 1828.

16. Moore, Thomas.
Works of Thomas Moore
. 4th ed. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Washington Press, 1827–28.

17. Scott, Sir Walter.
Works of Sir Walter Scott
. Philadelphia: Pomeroy, 1824. 7 vols. (There were ten pre-1850 American editions of Scott’s
Works
—the other Philadelphia editions published during Wheeler’s lifetime were by Carey and Hart, 1845 and 1847. Each edition contained
ten volumes.)

18. Scott, Sir Walter.
Beauties of the Waverly Novels
. Boston: Samuel G. Goodrich, 1829.

19. Byron, Lord (George Gordon).
Works of Lord Byron
. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Moses Thomas, 1816. (Includes a sketch of Byron’s life by J. W. Lake.)

20. Walpole, Horace.
Reminiscences
. Boston: Wells and Lilly, 1820. (This is the only American edition. J. Sharpe of London published
Reminiscences
in 1819.)

21. Burns, Robert.
Letters
. 2 vols. in 1. Boston: Wells and Lilly, 1820. ( J. Sharpe of London published
Letters
in 1819.)

22. Gray, Thomas.
Letters
. Boston: Wells and Lilly, 1820.

23. Goldsmith, Oliver.
Essays by Dr. Goldsmith
. Philadelphia: B. Davies, 1802. (Part of the Select British Classics Series.) Though there are numerous editions of Goldsmith’s
Essays
, this is the only one with the same title Wheeler recorded.

24. Bacon, Francis.
Essays, Moral, Economical and Political
. Philadelphia: R. Deseliver, etc., 1818.

25. Johnson, Samuel.
Sermons by Samuel Johnson LLD, Left for Publication by John Taylor
. Boston: Wells and Lilly, 1821. ( J. Sharpe of London published
Sermons
in 1819.)

26. Reynold, Sir Joshua.
Discourses at the Royal Academy by Sir Joshua Reynolds
. Boston: Wells and Lilley, 1821.

27. Chesterfield, Philip Dormer Stanhope.
Lord Chesterfield’s Letters to His Son
. Baltimore: John Kingston. Printed by A. Miltenberger, 1813. 28. Wheeler records
Poets and Artists of Great Britain
, which is most likely

Hall, S. C.
The Book of Gems. The Poets and Artists of Great Britain
. London; Saunders and Otley, 1836; Philadelphia: T. Wardle, 1838.

29. Wheeler records
Years of Consolation
“by Mrs. Burton.” This may be Butler, Mrs. Fanny Kemble. “Year of Consolation,” in
Littell’s Living Age 15
(1847).

30. Dwight, Theodore.
The Father’s Book, or, Suggestions for the Government and Instruction of Young Children, on Principles Appropriate to a Christian
Country
. Springfield, Mass.: G. and C. Merriam, 1834.

31.
Beauties of British Classics: Containing the Best Selections of Entertaining and Instructive Essays …
Baltimore: T. W. Cleland, 1826. 32. Warne, Joseph A.
Phrenology in the Family. Or, the Utility of Phrenology in Early Domestic Education …
Philadelphia: G. W. Donohue, 1839.

33. Goldsmith, Oliver.
Goldsmith’s Poems. Consisting of The Traveller, The Deserted Village, Edwin and Angelina, Retaliation, Double Transformation,
and A New Simile
. Philadelphia: Printed by H. Maxwell, for Mathew Carey, 1800. (Though there are numerous editions of Goldsmith’s poems, this
is the only one with this title.)

34.
Calliope, a Collection of English Ballads
. Baltimore: Edward J. Coale; J. Robinson, printer, 1814.

36. Swift, Jonathan.
Gulliver’s Travels
. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Printed for Mathew Carey, 1808–09. (This is the first full, dated, American edition, but it is titled
Travels into Several Remote Regions of the World, by Lemuel Gulliver
. Later editions ignore Swift’s pseudonymic title, and the first American edition titled
Gulliver’s Travels
was New York: Dixon and Silkels, 1827.)

37. Shakespeare, William.
Beauties of Shakespeare Regularly Selected from Each Play
. Boston: T. Bedlington, 1827.

38. Appears to be
Wanderer of Livitzen
. No such title appears in the Library of Congress catalogue. There is an entry for

Waterston, George.
Wanderer in Washington
. Printed at the Washington Press by Jonathan Elliot, 1827.

39. Dickens, Charles.
Old Curiosity Shop
. Philadelphia: Lea and Blanchard, 1841, 1842, 1849.

40.
Wills’ Poems
. Though there are no titles in the OCLC or LOC catalogue by this name, two possibilities are

Willis, Nathaniel Parker.
The Poems, Sacred, Passionate and Humorous of Nathaniel Parker Willis
. New York: Clark and Austin, 1844.

Willis, Nathaniel Parker.
Poems of Early and After Years
. Philadelphia: Carey and Hart, 1848.

41. Scott, Sir Walter.
Waverly Novels
. 5 vols. Philadelphia: Carey and Hart, 1839, 1844–49.

42. Dickens, Charles.
Barnaby Rudge
. Philadelphia: Lea and Blanchard, 1842.

43. Lever, Charles J.
Charles O’Malley
. Philadelphia: Carey and Hart, 1840–49. Five editions published in this span.

44.
Legends and Stories of Ireland; Containing the Dead Boxer and Other Tales
. Philadelphia: J. B. Perry; New York: Nafis and Cornish, 1820.

45. Hazlitt, William.
Characters of Shakespeare’s Plays
. New York: Wiley and Putnam, 1845.

46. Brontë, Charlotte.
Jane Eyre
. New York: Harper, 1847.

47. Brontë, Emily.
Wuthering Heights
. London: Newby, 1847. (There are two American editions published prior to 1850; however, both are wrongly attributed to the
“author of
Jane Eyre
.”)

48. Warren, Samuel.
Now and Then …
Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood and Sons, 1847?.

49. Brontë, Charlotte. New York: Harper, 1850. (Part of a three-volume collection entitled
The Brontê Novels
.)

50. Wheeler records this title as
Temptation
, and there are several possibilities in the OCLC catalogue, though this volume may be one of a series with
Voluptuousness, Pride, and Envy
(51–53).

Other possibilities are Gascoigne, Caroline.
Temptation, or, a Wife’s Perils
. London: H. Colburn, 1839.

Kidder, Daniel Parish.
The Temptation, or, Henry Thornton. Showing the Progress and Fruits of Intemperance
. Boston: King, Saxton and Pierce, 1841.

Sue, Eugène.
The Temptation; or, The Watch Tower of Koat-Vën: A Romantic Tale
. New York: Burgess, Stringer & Co., 1848.

Temptation, or, Henry Morland
. Boston: Bowles and Dearborn, Press of Isaac R. Butts and Co., 1827.

Townsend, William Thompson.
Temptation, or, The Fatal Brand
. London: T. H. Lacy, 1800.

51.
Voluptuousness
.

52. Wheeler records this title as
Envy
. A possibility for this entry is Champion, Joseph.
Envy: A Poem, to General R. Smith
. London: printed for W. Davis, 1776.

53. Wheeler records this title as
Pride
. Though there is no such title in the LOC catalogue, some possibilities are

Arthur, Timothy Shay.
Pride or Principle, Which Makes the Lady?
Philadelphia: R. G. Benford, 1844.