10-Year-Old Nova Scotia Girl Learning about Proper Tea Ettiquite at Finishing School in Early America

Anna Green Winslow (1759-1779) was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the daughter of Joshua Winslow & his wife Anna Green. In 1770, at the age of 10, she was sent south to a finishing school in Boston, where she lived with her aunt & uncle, Sarah & John Deming. During her separation from her family, she kept a diary sporadically from November 1771 to May 1773. Her aunt encouraged the diary as a penmanship exercise & as a running letter to her parents. Most entries detail her daily routine. She writes of sermons; weather; entertainments; current fashions; & family matters. And this 10-year-old girl writes of taking tea with friends & family of all ages. Winslow was reunited with her parents in 1773, when Joshua Winslow moved them to Marshfield, Massachusetts. In 1775, he was exiled as a Tory; but his family remained behind. Before the end of the Revolution, Anna Green Winslow died of tuberculosis in Hingham, Massachusetts. Anna was 20, when she died.

Some excerpts from Anna's diary:

Nov'r 18, 1771 ...Mr. Beacon ask'd a question. What is beauty--or, wherein does true beauty consist? He answer'd, in holiness--and said a great deal about it that I can't remember, & as aunt says she hasnt leisure now to help me any further--so I may just tell you a little that I remember without her assistance, and that I repeated to her yesterday at tea



Jan'y 31, 1772 ... I was at Aunt Sukey's with Mrs Barrett dress'd in a white brocade, & cousin Betsey dress'd in a red lutestring, both adorn'd with past, perlsmarquesett &c. They were after tea escorted by Mr. Newton & Mr Barrett to ye assembly at Concert Hall...



Feb. 18, 1772 ...Saterday I din'd at Unkle Storer's, drank tea at Cousin Barrel's, was entertain'd in the afternoon with scating...



March 9, 1772 ...It's now tea time--as soon as that is over, I shall spend the rest of the evening in reading to my aunt. It is near candle lighting...



April 14, 1772 ...I went a visiting yesterday to Col. Gridley's with my aunt. After tea Miss Becky Gridley sung a minuet. Miss Polly Deming & I danced to her musick...



April 16, 1772 ...I dined with Aunt Storer yesterday & spent the afternoon very agreeably at Aunt Suky's. Aunt Storer is not very well, but she drank tea with us...



April 24, 1772 ...I drank tea at Aunt Suky's. Aunt Storer was there, she seemed to be in charming good health & spirits...



May 11, 1772 ...I had the pleasure of drinking tea with aunt Thomas the same day, the family all well, but Mr G who seems to be near the end of the journey of life...



May 16, 1772 ...Thursday I danc'd a minuet & country dances at school, after which I drank tea with aunt Storer...



May 31, 1772 ...I spent the afternoon at unkle Joshua's. yesterday, after tea, I went to see how aunt Storer did...



Source: Diary of Anna Green Winslow, A Boston School Girl of 1771 (edited by A. M. Earle 1894).

Gone Fishing - with the dog

Philip Stretton (British artist, 1865–1919) Left in Charge

Gone Fishing - in 1600s England

Wenceslaus Hollar (European-born English artist, 1607-1677) Angling

Wenceslaus Hollar (European-born English artist, 1607-1677) River Fishing

Wenceslaus Hollar (European-born English artist, 1607-1677) Salmon Fishing

Waterside with Canadian Paul Peel 1860-1892

Paul Peel (Canadian-born artist, 1860-1892) The Young Botanist 1888-90

Paul Peel was a Canadian academic painter. Having won a medal at the 1890 Paris Salon, he became one of the first Canadian artists to receive international recognition in his lifetime.

Paul Peel (Canadian-born artist, 1860-1892) The Beach at Normandy c.1887

Paul Peel (Canadian-born artist, 1860-1892) The Young Gleaner 1888

Waterside with Frenchman Édouard Manet 1832-1883

Édouard Manet (French artist, 1832-1883) The Beach at Boulogne in 1868

Édouard Manet (French artist, 1832-1883) On The Beach 1873

Édouard Manet (French artist, 1832-1883) Boating 1874

Édouard Manet (French artist, 1832-1883) Seascape at Arcachon 1871

Waterside with Frenchman Claude Monet 1840-1926

Claude Monet (French artist, 1840-1926) Camille Monet on the Beach at Trouville 1870

Claude Monet (French artist, 1840-1926) River Scene at Bennecourt 1868

Claude Monet (French artist, 1840-1926) On the Beach at Trouville

Claude Monet (French artist, 1840-1926) Garden at Sainte-Adresse

Claude Monet (French artist, 1840-1926) The Beach at Trouville 1870

Claude Monet (French artist, 1840-1926) The Regatta At Sainte-Adresse 1867

Waterside with Frenchman Pierre Auguste Renoir 1841-1919

Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) Children on the Seashore Guernsey 1883



Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) On the Beach, Figures under a Parasol 1898

Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) By the Seashore 1883

Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) Children on the Seashore Guernsey 1883

Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) Figures on the Beach 1890s

Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) Two Little Girls at the Beach

Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) The Beach at Purnic

Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) Young Girls on the Beach 1898

Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) By the Water

1749 September

1749 September - John June (Print made by) D Voisin (Published by) London

Most iconography of months evolved from Medieval & early Renaissance art depicting in 12 scenes the rural activities that commonly took place in the months of the year. These early illustrations are important to the development of landscape painting. And I like them, because they illustrate much about early gardening and foodways.  This particular image, however, is more about fashion than food.

A typical simple scheme might include:
January - Feasting
February - Sitting by a fire
March - Pruning trees, or digging
April - Planting, enjoying the country or picking flowers
May - Hawking, courtly love
June - Hay harvest
July - Wheat harvest
August - Wheat threshing
September - Grape harvest
October - Ploughing or sowing
November - Gathering acorns for pigs
December - Killing pigs, baking

But there were many variations, especially in major wine-growing areas, where more wine related scenes were included. Illustrations from further south, such as Italian cycles, often advance the agricultural scenes a month earlier than ones from the more northern Low countries or England.

Parasols for Sun & Umbrellas for Rain - A few of unexpected parasol devotees...

Winslow Homer (American artist, 1836–1910) Artists Sketching in the White Mountains

John Singer Sargent (American expatriate artist, 1856-1925) The Sketchers, 1914

Carl Spitzweg (German artist, 1808-1885) The Botanist