1840-1842 Journal of Lavinia Murray of Middletown, Monmouth county, New Jersey

This journal was kept by Lavinia Murray (1818-1896), the daughter of William W. Murray (1784-1865) and Mary Crawford (1800-1853) of Middletown, Monmouth county, New Jersey. Lavinia commenced her journal on 24 May 1834 when she was 15 years old. Her last entry, on the last page of the journal, was dated in 1842 when she 23. She married James M. Hoagland (1818-1857), a New York Merchant, on 26 August 1847 and resided in New Jersey or New York City the remainder of her life, leaving no children. She died in 1896.

Lavinia was the oldest of three children. Her siblings were Eleanor Crawford Murray (1821-1858) and George Crawford Murray (1827-1884). George graduated from Yale in 1845, studied law in New York City and was admitted to the bar in 1849 but gave up law to manage two family farms. [Source: The Scott Family of Shrewsbury, page 20]

I could find no images of Lavinia; the woodcut depiction of a young woman standing on the outskirts of Middleton, New Jersey, in the 1830s is purely conjectural.

Index to Journal Entries

1834-1835 Entries
1836-1837-1838-1839 Entries
1840-1841-1842 Entries are published below

Middletown, New Jersey, Tuesday, March 31, 1840. In the afternoon had the pleasure of a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Stout.

Tuesday, April 8th. Rev. Mr. Howell, a graduate of Princeton College, and Mr. Thair dined with us. I feel more deeply impressed than ever of the importance of learning.

Sabbath 26th. Attended the Dutch Reformed Church. The Rev. Mr. Crawford delivered a sermon, Text: “Blessed the man that trusted in the Lord….”

Monday 27th. Attended the funeral of Mr. W. H. Hendrickson’s infant. Rev. Mr. Crawford made some remarks founded upon, “So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.”

Thursday 30th. The appointed day for a concert of Sacred Music. The weather auspicious approaching in mildness and serenity toward May. Five schools composed the concert; viz—Chanceville, Freehold, Dutch Neighborhood, Shrewsbury, and Long Branch. Twenty-two hymns were sung—enough to completely gratify curiosity. The concern was held at the Baptist Church. The auditors were quite numerous. A short address upon importance of Sacred Music and the facility with which it may be improved. The reason that persons cannot sing is neglect. There is no physical reason whatever. The ear and the voice must be trained as the hand and eye are in learning to write. There are no natural writers.

Sabbath, May 24th. Rainy in the morning. Attended meeting accompanied by Aunt Goletta Murray. The Rev. William Parkerson preached. Text, Ephesians 5th Chapter, 1st verse. “Be ye thereore followers of God as dear children.” Adoption is as old as election. Christ did not purchase the spirit. It is called a free spirit, and is shed on us abundantly through Him. Peters 3rd Chapter, 4,5, 6. Our acceptance is through Christ. Christ died for his people. If he had died for all, how can any be lost. I once heard it asserted we went to hell through the blood of Christ, and was shocked at the idea. Go to hell through that which prevents our going there? All fullness is laid up in Christ. We have a little spending money here on Earth but the treasure is laid up in Him, in heaven. God shows we are his dear children by his sending his Son to redeem us, and by effectual calling. We cannot tell when we were regenerated, but we can tell when we first began to feel the effects of it. Why we never felt our sins before the work of the Spirit upon the heart is because we were dead Heap a mountain upon a corpse and it will not feel it, but when it begins to have signs of life, it is a burden….To do good as we have opportunity, is to be considered. We have not always an opportunity. Bible Societies that Heaven born thought, and Missionary Societies. Gill Henry &c. talked of the spread of the gosple, but then there was no opportunity. I hope brother Stout is no so disordered in his mind as to think he can regenerate sinners but I hope he and me have been instruments in the hand of the Spirit. God sends afflictions upon his children to preserve them from evil, that they may not be condemned with the world. They are as much God’s children when they are in the dark as when they are in the light. They are not lost if they are God’s children., if they have been excluded. That is no kind of religion which does not produce [ ] at holiness.

The first hymn was, Distressed I turn my thoughts within, &c. The second, Why should the children of the king, &c. An exceedingly small number assembled.

Tuesday 26th. The air refreshing. The sun poured his rays upon the earth in splendor. At twelve o’clock, the Elder and Delegate who compose the New York Baptist Association, which is to be held in this place, began to arrive. At two o’clock, meeting commenced. Elder Parkinson of the First Baptist Church in New York City delivered the introductory sermons; text Leviticus 25th Chapter, part of the 11th verse. “A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you.” After the sermon, the business of the Association commenced. A number of letters from the various churches composing this Association were read. In the one from the first church in New York City was the remark that the persons who would live to witness a second jubilee of this Association might look back to this and see whether the Spirit of the Lord directed our efforts. It was the only one of those which I heard read that contained such a remark. Adjourned at 5 o’clock.

In the evening, Elder Grenell delivered a sermon from Colossians 1st Chapter, 27th verse, “Which is Christ in you the hope of glory.” Mr. Drake, Mr. Parkinson, Mr. Decker, and Mr. Gillett, stayed all night with us. Mr. Drake read and prayed at family workship.

Wednesday 27th. Prayer meeting commenced at eight o’clock. The business of the Association at nine o’clock. At eleven o’clock Mr. Leonard delivered a sermon from Acts 2nd 37th verse. “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” In the conversion of sinners, God operates upon the heart through the medium of the intellect. Peter backs up every assertion with reason and argument. There was intellect displayed in Paul’s conversion. At two o’clock, the Association met again. In the evening Elder Hart preached from John 3rd [Chapter] 7th [verse] “Ye must be born again.” The same persons that remained with us last evening and also Mr. Gillis again remained with us. I have seen the great importance of learning.

Thursday 28th. The business of the Association concluded at eleven o’clock when all our guests left for New York. In the evening Mr. Turbit preached from the text, “The things concerning me have an end….”

Friday 29th. In the afternoon, Mrs. Ely, my sister and myself called upon Aunt B___. Introduced to Ms. Eaton.

Sabbath, [May] 31st. Attended church at Holindel. Rev. Mr. Hiers preached from the text, “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen.” This church has recently been altered in the interior.

Monday, June 1st [1840]. The arrival of the newspapers gratified me exceedingly. Saw in the Advocate an account of the learned blacksmith who resides at Worcester, Massachusetts. He is master of 50 different languages. He speaks modestly of his attainments saying, “all I have accomplished or expect or hope to accomplish must be by that patient persevering process of accretion which builds the ant heap particle by particle, thought by thought, fact by fact. I shall deem it an honor of costlier water than the tiara which encircles the brow of a monarch if my future activity and attainments may be the means of making the workingmen of America jealous of the credentials which God has given them to every eminence and unity [?] in the empire of mind. I have done nothing yet worthy of private mention or public notice. What I may yet do is for Providence to determine. The course is before me, perhaps beyond my reach.

Saturday, 6th. In the afternoon attended meeting at the Dutch Reformed Church. The infant of Mr. Williams was baptized by sprinkling by the Rev. Mr. J. B. Crawford.

Sabbath, 7th. Rainy. Communion. Mr. and Mrs. Seabrook received into the Baptist Church.

Wednesday 10th. In the afternoon left home for New York [City]. Weather excessively warm. A great number of passengers on board. I had the exquisite pleasure of meeting an old friend. The scenery upon Lond and Staten Island was indeed more beautiful I thought than ever. On approaching the city the Battery met my longing gaze and arrested it. The trees are clothed in their verdant foliage and the whole prospect was unspeakably beautiful. Arrived at the city at 6 o’clock in the afternoon.

Thursday 11th. At 4 o’clock in the afternoon, left the city for Hartford (the resolve to go as instantaneous as the anticipation is pleasing). Saw the sun set upon the [Long Island] Sound and felt pleased. Entered the mouth of the Connecticut [River] at 12 o’clock at night. The steamboat stopped at almost all the places on the river—Lime, Haddam, Middletown. The river was exceedingly smooth; the banks in some places low [and] in others quite lofty. Our passage up the Sound the captain said was remarkably smooth.

*Hartford on the Connecticut River in 1840*

Friday [June] 12th. Arrived at Hartford at six in the morning. After some refreshments, prepared to view the city from the cupola of the State House where the farmer’s Hartford Convention was held 1834. It affords an extensive view to the north, south, east and west. The Retreat for the Insane is admirably situated, built of brick cemented. Washington College [later renamed Trinity College] is built of free stone four stories. One building is of three. The yard is surrounded with a hedge of thorn locust. The Deaf and Dumb Asylum is of brick four stories high, thirteen windows across with a large yard. The Episcopal Church is of Gothic architecture. The State House is adorned with a likeness of Washington painted by G[ilbert] Stuart. It is six feet by four. Saw the Charter in the State House which was hid in an oak. It is in a mahogany frame and considered “one of the lions of Hartford.” The Charter Oak is still flourishing as if rejoicing in its patriotism. The aperture in which the charter was placed is closed. The tree is private property. It stands in the yard before a private dwelling.

*The State House at Hartford as it looked in 1834.*

The residence of Mrs. [Lydia Huntley] Sigourney is a suitable one for a poetess, surrounded by objects calculated to inspire the breast with pleasing emotions. Left Hartford at three o’clock in the afternoon. Passed the mouth of the Connecticut [River] sometime after sunset when it was just visible.

Saturday 13th. Passed the Hell Gate just after sunrise. At the Navy Yard, the Arabian ship [al-Sultanah] is being repaired. Arrived at New York at 6 in the morning. Walked through the market which was stored with the fruits and flowers of the season. At six in the afternoon, was again located in my home. The short tour I have taken has been extremely gratifying and surpassed my expectations.

Tuesday 23rd. In the afternoon united with the company that was assembled and assembling to perform the last offices for Miss Susan Taylor. The weather most delightful. All nature conspired to calm and harmonize the mind. The Rev. Mr. Crawford read a Psalm and made the first prayer. Rev. Mr. Hiers read the hymn, “Hear what the church, &c.,” and delivered a few remarks founded on Revelations 14th Chapter, 3th verse. Spoke of the believers being united to the Lord; of the terror of death to a sinner. But in some sense a friend to the believers. We have a great many conflicts in this world and are sometimes ready to say with the poet—

Weary of wandering round and round
We long to quit this unhallowed ground
And dwell with Christ at home.