Guide to the Diary of Jotham T. Johnson 1823-1825 MG 240
TABLE OF CONTENTSDescriptive Summary |
 1823-1825 52 Park Place Newark, New Jersey 07102 Contact: NJHS Library (973) 596-8500 x249 library@jerseyhistory.org https://www.jerseyhistory.org © 2004 All rights reserved. The New Jersey Historical Society, Publisher Inventory prepared by Stephen Yautz as part of the “Farm to City” project funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Finding aid encoded by Danielle Kovacs. March 2004. Production of the EAD 2002 version of this finding aid was made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Finding aid written in English. Biographical NoteJotham T. Johnson, the son of Thomas Johnson, was born on February 10, 1806 in Newark, New Jersey. At the age of fifteen, Johnson briefly attended the Bloomfield Academy, which at the time was a seminary that educated those primarily bound for the ministry, and was affiliated with the First Presbyterian Church of Bloomfield, New Jersey. He apprenticed as a carpenter, and had the ambition to eventually become a minister. However, he would never achieve his goal, for he died at the age of twenty on September 4, 1825. Return to the Table of Contents Scope and Content NoteThis collection contains the diary of Jotham T. Johnson, covering the years 1823 to 1825, kept in Bloomfield, New Jersey, and New York City. The single-volume diary is approximately seventy-five pages in length. The contents of the diary mainly focus upon religious matters, such as Johnson’s personal reflections and his prayers. He does provide a brief account of his childhood, in which he remembers, upon leaving the Bloomfield Academy, that he “was led to throw a stone into the school for which I was forced back after I arrived home to ask the teachers pardon.” For many infractions like this, Johnson felt a great deal of regret and guilt, but expressed his thanks to God for being forgiven for his “foolish vileness.” Johnson also focuses on prayerful thoughts, and writes, with admiration, of a sermon that he heard on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 22, verse 42, which he found inspiring, stating that he contemplated the verse and sermon for the rest of the Sabbath. His last entry was on July 17, 1825, which was three months before his death. Return to the Table of Contents RestrictionsAccess RestrictionsThere are no access restrictions on this collection. Photocopying of materials is limited and no materials may be photocopied without permission from library staff. Use RestrictionsResearchers wishing to publish, reproduce, or reprint materials from this collection must obtain permission. The New Jersey Historical Society complies with the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code), which governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions and protects unpublished materials as well as published materials. Return to the Table of Contents Return to the Table of Contents Related MaterialFor related collections, see: Manuscript Group 221, Calvin Green Papers Manuscript Group 943, Bloomfield Bible Society Record Book Return to the Table of Contents Administrative InformationCustodial HistoryThe source of this collection is unknown. Preferred CitationThis collection should be cited as: Manuscript Group 240, Jotham T. Johnson Diary, The New Jersey Historical Society. Return to the Table of Contents BibliographyFolsom, Joseph Fulford, ed. Bloomfield Old and New: An Historical Symposium By Several Authors. Bloomfield, New Jersey: Bloomfield Centennial Historical Committee, 1912. The New Jersey Historical Society Biographical File. Return to the Table of Contents |
