A couple of weeks before I moved from Keene New Hampshire to Bemidji in July 2012, I made a trip over to the Franklin County Courthouse in Greenfield Massachusetts, to see if they had any documents in their Probate Office on the families I had been researching. I should have done this a long time ago, but I had never managed to get around to it. Now that I was leaving the area, I had to get over there or lose the chance.
A very impressive bibliography. Having a well-stocked library like that was a major sign of wealth at that time.
I recognized a fair number of the titles and authors in the "entertainment" section, though they are now mostly known chiefly to English scholars. I doubt anyone outside of that community has any idea who Tobias Smollett was, let alone how popular he was at his peak.
Thanks, David. I don't think of Knowlton as having been particularly wealthy, but I DO think he was very committed to learning and valued books to a very high degree.
This is fascinating! It fleshes out Knowlton's personality and interests in a indirect way that makes me even more curious about his life & thought.
That's obvious.
Sometimes motivation is the key ingredient!
A very impressive bibliography. Having a well-stocked library like that was a major sign of wealth at that time.
I recognized a fair number of the titles and authors in the "entertainment" section, though they are now mostly known chiefly to English scholars. I doubt anyone outside of that community has any idea who Tobias Smollett was, let alone how popular he was at his peak.
Thanks, David. I don't think of Knowlton as having been particularly wealthy, but I DO think he was very committed to learning and valued books to a very high degree.