1894 HANDWRITTEN TRAVEL DIARY - Voyage - England Pilgrimage - Cathedrals - Churches - RARE
Item History & Price
UNIQUE ORIGINAL, HANDWRITTEN TRAVEL DIARY, AS TWO PREACHERS SAIL TO ENGLAND ON THE SHIP RMS UMBRIA, AND COMMENCE AN INCREDIBLE AND CAPTIVATING PILGRIMAGE, INVESTIGATING AND STUDYING NUMEROUS CATHEDRALS AND SHARING THAT INFORMATION IN THIS JOURNAL. THEY SAILED JULY 7, 1894. This incredible travel log is so beautifully written and with such enthusiastic details that one can imagine themselves being on this excursion with our diarist Dr. John Skilton of Cleveland, Ohio, along with h...is old college roommate whom he calls "Digs, the Bard of Ogontz, or Dutchy." Skilton was the assistant pastor at St. Paul's Church in Cleveland, OH, and one Sunday morning in June of 1894 he found himself completely exhausted and in need of getting away for a visit to England. Skilton's first stop was to visit cousins in Brooklyn for a few days while he waited for Digs to catch up to him. There was some concern about Digs arriving on time in Brooklyn, due to the railroad strike, however all worked out well. Digs caught up and they sailed on July 7, 1894 on the ship the RMS Umbria as she made her voyage back to her home base in England. They sailed from Pier 40, North River, foot of Clarkson Street, New York and on to Queenstown and finally Liverpool, England. Skilton launches on "An Ideal Vacation" which is his title for this unprecedented and incredible experience. Rare 19th century work has 100 pages covered with the experiencing all that these Cathedrals of England represent with their important and illustrious history and architecture. Skilton describes this ship voyage to England as heavenly.
Skilton's handwritten entries reveal that they visited the cathedrals in Chester; Worcester; Lichfield; Wells; Salisbury; Durham; Ely; Winchester; London; Greenwich; Peterborough; Lincoln; York and Durham, and he often has several pages devoted to each cathedral. His handwritten entries include: "We find a charming diversity in the sites of English Cathedrals. Sometimes we see a little town clustered around the base of the mighty church as if it had grown there simply because of the Cathedral. We go to little unimportant Wells and find there the beauty of peace, and rest, and quiet. Yet there is another page of history's great scrap book in the wall and its moat, with the drawbridge and tower whence, as we approach, we almost expect to see some gaily caparisoned Knight and charger issue forth to combat. Or we go to Salisbury and passing into the precincts of the ancient close, suggesting sterner days, we see the glorious expanse of lawn - the greenest of the green - with its great sentinels of elms standing to keep watch over the stately pile of stone, which seems like its hoary guardians to have sprung from the ground, so perfect in its symmetry. Seen for the first time in an English twilight, surely such a picture must subdue the soul of the beholder."
"There is so much to tell when one has been wandering about for weeks in the shadow of the grand old Cathedrals in England that there is difficulty in knowing what to say and what to leave unsaid. We might take the standpoint of size and say that: Winchester is the longest; 556 ft. inside; York is the highest; Salisbury has the tallest spire at 406 ft.; Gloucester has the largest window in the world; 72 x 38 ft. Or one might attempt to apply to each of these churches the adjective which seems most appropriate, and say that; Lichfield is Queenly; York is Kingly; Wells is charming; Salisbury is enchanting; Winchester is peaceful; Lincoln is poetic; Durham is majestic, however the reader would be puzzled indeed to know the stories contained in these edifices. It is true that no community in England, no matter how large, is a city unless it is the seat of a Cathedral."
"At Worcester we took a voluntary walk around the streets in company of a policeman. We went into the worst quarter of the town, as well as the best, and felt that Mark Twain's remark about the street at Damascus which was called straight was in every way applicable to the thoroughfares of Worcester, for almost without exception they were "straighter than a corkscrew but not as straight as a rainbow." (he quotes here from "The Innocents Abroad." Chapter 44). In the course of our stroll our guide pointed out to us the house in which King Charles II took refuge after his defeat by Cromwell at the Battle of Worcester, Sept. 3, 1651. He also showed us a house from the balcony of which Queen Bess once made an address to the people. These good English people seem to regard as hallowed ground that upon which royalty has ever set foot. A visit to the Royal Worcester China Works was full of interest with most beautiful specimens of work"
"Winchester is a name which epitomizes much that is of the most intense interest for "Winchester politically, like Canterbury spiritually, is the Mother City of the English speaking race." Here for a long period centered the political power in England. Here in the old cathedral Canute was crowned King and here he placed his golden crown on the head of the crucified X, refusing again to wear it after the well known incident upon the edge of Southampton waters. Here the hated curfew first rang out and here it still continues to ring every night as it did of yore. And in the church there now lies the body of William Rufus, who was crowned at Winchester, which had been his father's capital.
"In Winchester Queen Mary met her Spanish bridegroom and you see the house where they met. In the Lady chapel they were wedded and and if you are very good the vicar allows you to sit in the velvet chair which the bloody queen occupied. And not far away lies buried Bishop Gardiner who crowned her at Winchester and who plighted her there to Philip. Near by too was the shrine of Saint Swithuns, Bishop of Winchester who died July 2, 862, and to whom July 15th is dedicated. The bell ringers of more than a century ago are preserved upon tablets on the walls. The bell ropes are carefully covered with soft yarn so as not to hurt the hands of the ringer, while to prevent himself from being carried up to the ceiling by the roll of the bell this individual inserts his feet into leather loops nailed to the floor. Our guide assured us that some of the great walls about us had stood for 750 years. Winchester is the longest medieval church in Europe."
While on this journey they examined, enjoyed and wrote about all the Cathedral secrets; their breathless beauty; the artifacts; architecture; royalty; the Romans; Angle Saxons; Celts Missionaries; etc. in a beautiful manuscript that is a very worthy acquisition indeed. Skilton's writing flows as if from a golden pen with precious descriptions, rich, full, appreciative of all that he sees and experiences.This journey; his focus; is on exploring cathedrals, the dark places, the corridors, hidden places where you needed special permission to go there or the vicar would have to take you, and because these two were preachers, the vicars were more than happy to share their secrets. Descriptions brilliant, enticing, captivating.
Rev. John Davis Skilton was born on March 18, 1867, and was 27 years old when he made this pilgrimage. He married Ida Beistle on June 24, 1904. The couple had three children - Henry, Jane, and John, Jr. Rev. John Skilton received his education from Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio, and Divinity School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He initially worked as assistant rector at St. Paul's Rectory in Cleveland, Ohio, and then spent several years working in Nice, France. Upon his return to the states, Rev. Skilton served as headmaster for several academies: Cheltenham Academy (Ogontz, Pennsylvania); Melrose Academy (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); Chestnut Hill (Philadelphia); Cheshire School (Cheshire, Connecticut); Lackawana School (Scranton, Pennsylvania); and Tower Hill School (Wilmington, Delaware). Dr. Skilton also authored various books on family genealogies and was active in Masonic circles, serving as Grand Chaplain of the Connecticut Lodge, A.F. and A.M. etc.
Condition: Travel diary is in good to very good condition, and is tied with a faded ribbon which I would surmise is the original ribbon Skilton used to keep it all together. The pages measure approx. 9 x 7 1/2 inches, and his handwriting is fluid and easily readable.
Payment and Shipping: Please see our feedback and bid with confidence. Never a reserve and very low opening bid as always bidders with no established feedback must contact us before bidding. Payment must be received within 3 days after close of auction. Thank you.
Skilton's handwritten entries reveal that they visited the cathedrals in Chester; Worcester; Lichfield; Wells; Salisbury; Durham; Ely; Winchester; London; Greenwich; Peterborough; Lincoln; York and Durham, and he often has several pages devoted to each cathedral. His handwritten entries include: "We find a charming diversity in the sites of English Cathedrals. Sometimes we see a little town clustered around the base of the mighty church as if it had grown there simply because of the Cathedral. We go to little unimportant Wells and find there the beauty of peace, and rest, and quiet. Yet there is another page of history's great scrap book in the wall and its moat, with the drawbridge and tower whence, as we approach, we almost expect to see some gaily caparisoned Knight and charger issue forth to combat. Or we go to Salisbury and passing into the precincts of the ancient close, suggesting sterner days, we see the glorious expanse of lawn - the greenest of the green - with its great sentinels of elms standing to keep watch over the stately pile of stone, which seems like its hoary guardians to have sprung from the ground, so perfect in its symmetry. Seen for the first time in an English twilight, surely such a picture must subdue the soul of the beholder."
"There is so much to tell when one has been wandering about for weeks in the shadow of the grand old Cathedrals in England that there is difficulty in knowing what to say and what to leave unsaid. We might take the standpoint of size and say that: Winchester is the longest; 556 ft. inside; York is the highest; Salisbury has the tallest spire at 406 ft.; Gloucester has the largest window in the world; 72 x 38 ft. Or one might attempt to apply to each of these churches the adjective which seems most appropriate, and say that; Lichfield is Queenly; York is Kingly; Wells is charming; Salisbury is enchanting; Winchester is peaceful; Lincoln is poetic; Durham is majestic, however the reader would be puzzled indeed to know the stories contained in these edifices. It is true that no community in England, no matter how large, is a city unless it is the seat of a Cathedral."
"At Worcester we took a voluntary walk around the streets in company of a policeman. We went into the worst quarter of the town, as well as the best, and felt that Mark Twain's remark about the street at Damascus which was called straight was in every way applicable to the thoroughfares of Worcester, for almost without exception they were "straighter than a corkscrew but not as straight as a rainbow." (he quotes here from "The Innocents Abroad." Chapter 44). In the course of our stroll our guide pointed out to us the house in which King Charles II took refuge after his defeat by Cromwell at the Battle of Worcester, Sept. 3, 1651. He also showed us a house from the balcony of which Queen Bess once made an address to the people. These good English people seem to regard as hallowed ground that upon which royalty has ever set foot. A visit to the Royal Worcester China Works was full of interest with most beautiful specimens of work"
"Winchester is a name which epitomizes much that is of the most intense interest for "Winchester politically, like Canterbury spiritually, is the Mother City of the English speaking race." Here for a long period centered the political power in England. Here in the old cathedral Canute was crowned King and here he placed his golden crown on the head of the crucified X, refusing again to wear it after the well known incident upon the edge of Southampton waters. Here the hated curfew first rang out and here it still continues to ring every night as it did of yore. And in the church there now lies the body of William Rufus, who was crowned at Winchester, which had been his father's capital.
"In Winchester Queen Mary met her Spanish bridegroom and you see the house where they met. In the Lady chapel they were wedded and and if you are very good the vicar allows you to sit in the velvet chair which the bloody queen occupied. And not far away lies buried Bishop Gardiner who crowned her at Winchester and who plighted her there to Philip. Near by too was the shrine of Saint Swithuns, Bishop of Winchester who died July 2, 862, and to whom July 15th is dedicated. The bell ringers of more than a century ago are preserved upon tablets on the walls. The bell ropes are carefully covered with soft yarn so as not to hurt the hands of the ringer, while to prevent himself from being carried up to the ceiling by the roll of the bell this individual inserts his feet into leather loops nailed to the floor. Our guide assured us that some of the great walls about us had stood for 750 years. Winchester is the longest medieval church in Europe."
While on this journey they examined, enjoyed and wrote about all the Cathedral secrets; their breathless beauty; the artifacts; architecture; royalty; the Romans; Angle Saxons; Celts Missionaries; etc. in a beautiful manuscript that is a very worthy acquisition indeed. Skilton's writing flows as if from a golden pen with precious descriptions, rich, full, appreciative of all that he sees and experiences.This journey; his focus; is on exploring cathedrals, the dark places, the corridors, hidden places where you needed special permission to go there or the vicar would have to take you, and because these two were preachers, the vicars were more than happy to share their secrets. Descriptions brilliant, enticing, captivating.
Rev. John Davis Skilton was born on March 18, 1867, and was 27 years old when he made this pilgrimage. He married Ida Beistle on June 24, 1904. The couple had three children - Henry, Jane, and John, Jr. Rev. John Skilton received his education from Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio, and Divinity School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He initially worked as assistant rector at St. Paul's Rectory in Cleveland, Ohio, and then spent several years working in Nice, France. Upon his return to the states, Rev. Skilton served as headmaster for several academies: Cheltenham Academy (Ogontz, Pennsylvania); Melrose Academy (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); Chestnut Hill (Philadelphia); Cheshire School (Cheshire, Connecticut); Lackawana School (Scranton, Pennsylvania); and Tower Hill School (Wilmington, Delaware). Dr. Skilton also authored various books on family genealogies and was active in Masonic circles, serving as Grand Chaplain of the Connecticut Lodge, A.F. and A.M. etc.
Condition: Travel diary is in good to very good condition, and is tied with a faded ribbon which I would surmise is the original ribbon Skilton used to keep it all together. The pages measure approx. 9 x 7 1/2 inches, and his handwriting is fluid and easily readable.
Payment and Shipping: Please see our feedback and bid with confidence. Never a reserve and very low opening bid as always bidders with no established feedback must contact us before bidding. Payment must be received within 3 days after close of auction. Thank you.
