Help us transcribe the journal of Henry Smith!
Posted on July 2, 2024 by Jenny ONeill
Volunteer opportunity
Are you looking for a challenging and educational volunteer opportunity? The Westport Historical Society seeks a team of volunteers to transcribe the contents of the Henry Smith journal. Volunteers will transcribe the handwritten pages of this journal and will explore the themes of local history that will be illuminated during this project.
Much is yet to be discovered within the journal’s 360 pages. In preparation for the effort to transcribe the contents, the journal has been digitized, making it far easier to access and share. Henry Smith’s handwriting is neat and reasonably easy to read with a little practice.
You can view a sample page below.
If you think you could transcribe a few pages, then please contact us!
Volunteers must have access to a computer and be comfortable using Microsoft word (or equivalent). Digital images of the journal pages will be shared electronically and transcribing will be done at the volunteer’s home.
Local historians will be available to assist with questions at regularly scheduled in-person meetings.
The project will commence in November 2024.
More information about the journal:
The Westport Historical Society was lucky enough to purchase the manuscript journal of Henry Smith (1815-1873), a Westport whaling ship agent, sailor, and farmer. The handwritten, bound journal chronicles life and death in mid-19th century Westport, offering extraordinary insights into local people, places, and events including detailed accounts of Smith’s attempts to recruit crew members for his whaling vessels. Smith’s entries record Friends meetings attended (Smith was a Quaker) and sermons heard. The journal also documents Smith’s farming activities. Henry Smith lived on a farm owned by his father-in-law, Henry Wilcox, located at 775 Horseneck Road.
This project is coordinated by the Westport Historical Society and the Westport Free Public Library.
To sign up or for further information please contact Westport Historical Society or the Westport Library.
Sample page
