Guide to the Mary Man literary manuscripts , 1765?-1812?


John Hay Library
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Tel: 401-863-2146
Fax: 401-863-2093
email: hay@brown.edu

Published in 2009

Collection Overview

Title: Mary Man literary manuscripts
Date range: 1765?-1812?
Creator: Man, Mary [of Wrentham], 1754?-1829?
Extent: 20 items item(s)
Abstract: The Mary Man Literary Manuscripts consist of twenty items that fall within the years 1765 and 1812. They contain copy-books, notebooks, and other manuscripts of Mary Man, with original and copied verse on mostly religious themes, as well as biblical and sermon extracts. Also included are manuscripts by Thomas Man, Mary Howe, Olive Fisk, Sukey Fisk, and unidentified authors.
Language of materials: English
Repository: John Hay Library
Collection number: Ms. 84.1

Scope & content

The manuscripts of Mary Man fall into two categories, her own poems and verses she copied. Among these, one finds religious themes and extracts from the Bible and from sermons, occasional poetry written in memory of someone or retelling the story of a disaster, and a few love poems in a pessimistic vein. The verses contain misspellings and ungrammatical expressions. One of the copy-books (folder 2) is written in part by Thomas Man, whose relationship to Mary has not been established.

Of some interest is the first entry in the first copy-book (folder 1), "The Improvement of a Great and Wonderful Deliverance," an account written by a woman who attempted suicide by drowning, and printed by Franklin in 1718 in Boston. James Franklin's first known imprints (Evans 1954 and 1996) date from 1718, but "The Improvement" cannot be identified with either or with any other recorded works. It appears to be an unknown James Franklin imprint.

Among several manuscripts of unidentified authors, two (folders 13 and 14) resemble the work of Mary Man in style and tone. Other manuscripts contain poems written by Olive and Sukey Fisk, about whom nothing is known.

Access Points

Subject Names Subject Names Subject Topics Subject Topics Document Types

Arrangement

The manuscripts of Mary Man are arranged by date. These are followed by a necrology written by Mary Howe, manuscripts of unidentified authors, and verses of Olive and Sukey Fisk.

Biographical note

The identity of Mary Man has not been clearly fixed. It is assumed that she is from Wrentham, Massachusetts and that she was born in 1754 and died in 1829 (see the endorsed signature on "A Happy Man," folder 3, and the necrology written by Mary Howe, folder 12). Evidence also exists in the records of births, deaths, and marriages for Wrentham, Massachusetts and in George Sumner Mann's "Mann Memorial: A Record of the Mann Family in America." In "Genealogy of the Descendents of Richard Man of Scituate, Massachusetts" (Boston 1884), however, one finds references to several "Mary Man's" from the area of Wrentham and Franklin, Massachusetts (e.g. Mary Man, daughter of Ichabod and Sara, born 1750; Mary Man, daughter of Nathan and Esther, born 1752; Mary Man, daughter of Benjamin, born 1737). The Necrology written by Mary Howe (folder 12) describes a Mary Mann [sic] whom we assume to be the author of these manuscripts; her date of death and that of her husband, Elias Mann [sic] is given as 27 June 1829. The circumstances of their deaths, then, raises another interesting question.

Of further interest is the fact that Mary Man signed the earliest manuscript (1765) "Mary Man." Is it possible that the author later married a cousin with the same surname, except for a double "n" spelling? The "Mann Memorial" refers to a Mary Man, daughter of Benjamin, who was born in 1737 and died in 1823, and who married a cousin, Elijah Mann, who was born in 1742 and died in 1815. It also indicates the two spellings. These ambiguities make it difficult to establish a relationship between the Mary Man of Wrentham, Massachusetts, the assumed author of these manuscripts, and the Man family of Rhode Island (of which George Flagg Man, 1806-1885, was part).

Mary Man's interest in missionary work among the Indians raises yet another question. Does she perhaps identify with the missionary referred to in "Poetry from the troy Post: addresssed to A Female who had devoted herself to a Missionary life among the Cherokee Indians" (folder 9)? In the dedication to the poem, "To Mary," composed by Amos Watt and copied by Mary Man (folder 7), Mary is referred to as a "sister" who went to work as a missionary to the Indians. Is Mary Man this missionary? If so, was she related to George Flagg Man, 1807-1885, author of notes on Indian history?

Access & Use

Access to the collection: There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials: Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation: Mary Man literary manuscripts, Ms. 84.1, Brown University Library.
Contact information: John Hay Library
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Tel: 401-863-2146
Fax: 401-863-2093
email: hay@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION  
Acquisition: The Collection was given to the Brown University library in early 1984 by Nino Scotti of Providence, Rhode Island.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID  
Author: Finding aid prepared by John Hay Library staff.
Encoding: Finding aid encoded by Daniel Mejia 2009 March 05
Descriptive rules: Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Inventory

Box 1, Folder 1 Man, Mary, Copy-book
Contents Note: 20 leaves. Contains: original and copied verse.
  • "The Improvement of a Great and Wonderful Deliverance," in three parts; with note: "The following lines were composed and dictated and the Marginal Quotations added by a pious Woman at Freetown Who had been a long while hurried With grievous Temptations which at Length arose to Such Extremity, that she withdrew with a Purpose to destroy herself by Drowning or some other way: But she was unnaccountably [sic] preserved, and was found after Four and Twenty Hours and a very bitter frosty Winter Night Safe and Well without suffering any visible Damage from the Cold which everyone might think Would have killed her; And being happily delivered and recoverred [sic] unto a comforatable frame of mind, she made This The Song of her Deliverance, Boston: printed for the Author and Sold at Franklin Printing House in Quee[n] Street over against Mr. Sheafs School 1718."
  • Psalm 30.1-6
  • "Mary Man her verses. Babylon fallen"
  • Poor Julleyoun's Warnings to Children and Servants to Shun the Ways of Sin...(with concluding note that refers to the publication and printing in Boston, and the signature, "Mary Man 1765...;"
  • "The Blessings of the Spring; or God gives Rain"
  • "Sing all ye Nations to the Lord..."


On recto of the cover is written, in another hand: "In It Not to Play Nathan Hans 1750;" on verso, in the same hand: "A Wise Sun maketh a Glad Father." (For more on the description of the first entry, see paragraph two of Scope and Content.)

 1765?
Box 1, Folder 2 Man, Mary and Thomas Man, Copy-Book
Contents Note: 54 leaves. Contains: original and copied verse
  • "Some Verses made upon the Death of Mr. Frie made by Suzanne Rogers aged 14"
  • "I have a robe above the globe..."
  • "A Mourning Piece"
  • "When Death and everlasting things..."
  • "The Inward witness to Christianity"
  • "The Shining Light"
  • "To Mr. Wiliam Nokes on Friendship"
  • "Few Happy Matches"
  • "The Pilgrime farewel to this World..."
  • "The Nativity of Christ"
  • "A Mourning Piece"
  • "I have a robe above the globe..."
  • "Some Verses made upon the Death of Mr. Frie made by Suzanne Rogers aged 14."


On recto of the cover is written: "Thomas Man 1770 His Verses"; on third leaf is written: "Mary Man Her Book 1774"; elsewhere is written: "Thomas Man his Verses" and "L M of Attleborough." It appears that Mary Man copied over pieces written first by Thomas Man. Also contains: fragment of a leaf with verse, written in another hand.

 1770-1774
Box 1, Folder 3 Man, Mary, "The Happy Man" [Watts, Isaac, in "Horae Lyricae," Book II, "Sacred to Virture, Honor, and Friendship," Philadelphia: Franklin, 1741]
Contents Note: Also contains: "A True Gentleman." AMsS poems, 11 May 1772 (endorsed date), 1 leaf.

 1741 and 1772 May 11
Box 1, Folder 4 Man, Mary, "The london lawyers son."
Contents Note: AMs poem, 12 leaves.

With note at the beginning: "At twenty one years old alas / my sun withdraws his head / now I must die for follies past / and sleep among the dead / and now to judgement I must go / before god's awful bar / there to receive my final doom / for wretched deed i've done."

Also with: marginal note in stanza 20 that says, "John."

 1775
Box 1, Folder 5 Man, Mary, Verses
Contents Note: 24 leaves. Contains:
  • "Earthquakes [,] Tokens of God's Power & Wrath being a solemn warning to the wicked. some Lines ocasion by the terribel Earthquake which happened in New England on Tuesday morning the 18th of November 1755 between four and five a'clock."
  • "A Brief Representation of the day of Judgement."
  • "The Contented Farmer Or The Religious Husbandman Resolutions."


 1774
Box 1, Folder 6 Man, Mary, "Upon the Death of Four Young men that was Drowned in Franklin in June 27th, 1791."
Contents Note: AMs poem.

 1791
Box 1, Folder 7 Man, Mary, Notebook
Contents Note: Contains: original and copied verses; sermon extracts.
  • "Few Happy Matches." (From Dr. Watts's Lyrick Poems) [Watts, Isaac, in "Horae Lyricae," Book II, "Sacred to Virtue, Honor, and Friendship," Philadelphia: Franklin, 1741]
  • "The Indian Philosopher: by Dr. Watts"; [Watts, Isaac, in "Horae Lyricae," Book II, "Sacred to Virtue, Honor, and Friendship," Philadelphia: Franklin, 1741]
  • "The Lesson: A song Tune-- (Ranelaugh House)"
  • "The discreet Virgin's Choice"
  • "Child of the Summer..." [with initials, "PH"]
  • Extracts from Addison, the Bible, Pope, etc.
  • Poets Corner. The Bliss of Retirement
  • "Poetical Repository"
  • "If there is no confidence in faith... This was taken out of the Preface of Mr. A[ndrew] Croswell Sermon which was preach at Boston from Rom. 5.19"
  • "Taken from a Sermon of the Rev. Mr. Samuel Davies of New Jersey: But before I proceed any farther..."
  • "Why Sink my weak desponding mind..."
  • "The Moniter"
  • "On Life"
  • "Parents mourning the Loss of a Son"
  • "On the death of Mr. Georg Stratton jun" with concluding note, "For a young lady which drew his particular attension. Mrs. Stale Withrill"
  • "On the Death of Mr. George Stratton Jun Youngest Son to Capt George Stratton and his wife"
  • "Weep y[e] daughters of Science..."; with note, "In memory of Miss Cynthia Stratton Who died Jany 29th 1812. In the 16th year of her age"
  • "The Twins"
  • "The Blush"
  • "Verses made by Mrs Molly Sergeant on the death of her Daughter"
  • "The Christian Wish" [from the Christian Herald]
  • "Destin'd while liveng to sustain..." with note, "Verses on Mr. Simon Pettee grave stones."
  • "Vearses on Otis Pette jun"
  • "A thought[t] on the Sea Shore. [The following was written by John Newton, of London after he became sensible of the depravity of the human heart.]"
  • "To Mary [,] Composed by Amos Watt on a little previous to his siters departure as Missionary to the Indians"


 c. 1812
Box 1, Folder 9 Man, Mary, 4 leaves from a notebook
Contents Note: Contains:
  • "The Day of Judgement"
  • "Poetry From the troy Post. addressed to A Female who had devoted herself to a Missionary life among the Cherokee Indians;" with an "M" following the last line of the poem.


 c. 1800
Box 1, Folder 10 Man, Mary, "Upon the Building of Babel."
Contents Note: AMs poem. 1 leaf.

 c. 1800
Box 1, Folder 11 Man, Mary, Notebook
Contents Note: 16 leaves.
  • A True Relation of a Gentleman in Norfolk Who had two Children Inhumanly Murdered"
  • "The Contented Farmer on The Religious Husbandman's Resolutions"
  • "What is on earth can make us be so jolly..." appears to be written in another hand."


 undated
Box 1, Folder 12 Howe, Mary, necrology
Contents Note: AMsS, relating to Elias Mann, Mary Mann, Elias Watts Mann, and Benjamin Seneca Alley; 1 leaf.

 c. 1825
Box 1, Folder 13 A Poetical Sermon Occasioned By A Disappointment in Love. Preached in the Parish Church of W---, by the Clergyman who met with the Disappointment.
Contents Note: AMs, 12 leaves.

 c. 1800
Box 1, Folder 14 Notebook with biblical extracts
Contents Note: 4 leaves

 undated
Box 1, Folder 15 Lines suggested by the death of Miss E. Mann, March 3.
Contents Note: AMs, 1 leaf, Dedicated to Amanda.

 c. 1850
Box 1, Folder 16 Fisk, Olive, "Would you obtain the glorious price..."
Contents Note: AMsS, 1 leaf

 undated
Box 1, Folder 17 Fisk, Sukey, "There was a man of Adams race..."
Contents Note: AMsS poem, 1 leaf. With note at end: "moral J-W-B"; Addressed on verso to Miss Polly Fisk.

 undated
Box 1, Folder 18 Lines from [William?] Cowper
Contents Note: AMs, 1 leaf. "The Following lines are said to be the last that Cowper wrote..."

 undated
Box 1, Folder 19 A lock of Hannah's hair...
Contents Note: AMs poem, 1 leaf

 undated