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Tavern Tales: Sarah Kemble Knight Continued


Painting is by Cornelius Bega The Inn, https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.4114.html


This week’s #Tavern Tales post continues with Sarah Kemble Knight’s journey. The excerpt below is from December 6, 1704 at a tavern in Norwalk, Connecticut. In this journal entry Ms. Knight talks about the furnishings in her room and how she has to share it with two men who are also traveling through town.

“But arriving at my apartment found it to be a little Lento Chamber furnisht amongst other Rubbish with a High Bedd and a Low one, a Long Table, a Bench and a Bottomless chair,– being exceeding weary, down I laid my poor carcass (never more tired) and found my Covering as scanty as my Bed was hard. Annon I heard another Russelling noise in the, Room–called to know the matter–Little miss said shee was making a bed for the men; who, when they were in Bed, complained their leggs lay out of it by reason of its shortness–my poor bones complained bitterly not being used to such Lodgings, and so did the man who was with us; and poor I made but one Crone, which was from the time I went to bed to the time I Rise, which was about three in the morning….”


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