Rare Book Monthly
Book Catalogue Reviews - March - 2009 Issue
A Wide Mix of Books and Manuscripts from Thomas Cullen
A manuscript of witchcraft spells.
Here is a fascinating diary of a wealthy teenage girl, a descendant of one of America's early statesmen. Laura Prime Jay was the great-great-granddaughter of John Jay, America's first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and diplomat during the Washington administration. She was born in 1874, and kept this diary from 1890-93. We know the family was well off as they had a home in Manhattan, another, "The Locusts," in Rye, New York, and a third in East Harbor Maine, where they undoubtedly went during the heat of summer. In her diary she describes, among much else, the funeral procession through New York for General William T. Sherman, and the family gathering after the death of her grandfather, John Clarkson Jay, whose life overlapped that of their illustrious ancestor by 20 years. We have not been able to find a great deal about Ms. Jay, but she married Frederick De Witt Wells in 1899, 1921 found the Wells living in Manhattan, and in 1938 she published a book about the Jay family genealogy under the name Laura Jay Wells. It also appears that she died in that year. Item 82. $2,200.
Item 117 is the manuscript book on witchcraft. Written around 1890, it includes spells "to cause calamities, to felicitate childbirth, for agreement of married couples, for divorce, against fevers and pains in the belly, to destroy a person, to multiply cattle, to protect virginity..." and so on. Cullen warns us that "Most of these spells do not work," which leaves us with the question, which of them do? $1,200.
Item 59 is an interesting letter relating to the Library of Congress and the destruction of its collection in 1814. When the British set fire to the Capitol in 1814, the library's collection was destroyed. Evidently, New Haven, Connecticut, bookseller Hezekiah Howe offered to purchase new books in Europe on behalf of the library. However, Congress chose to purchase the extensive personal library of Former President Thomas Jefferson in January 1815 instead. This letter, dated February 28, 1815, from Connecticut Congressman Timothy Pitkin to Howe notes, "I would inform you that Mr. Jefferson's library has been purchased, the committee at present do not intend to purchase any more books." $500.
You may reach Thomas Cullen, Rockland Bookman, at 716-662-2082 or tomcatt@roadrunner.com.
