Diaries of Robert McKnight, 1842-1843, 1846-1847.

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Diaries of Robert McKnight, 1842-1843, 1846-1847.

McKnight's personal diaries are in the form of two bound volumes. The first volume of the diary begins on January 1, 1842 and ends on December 31, 1843, while the second volume begins on February 18, 1846, and ends on May 29, 1847. The diaries give detailed glimpses into the daily life of a rising lawyer from a well-to-do family in the nineteenth century. McKnight is diligent about recording his activities and reactions to events that garner local and national attention, also commenting on personal matters, such as births, deaths, parties, social calls, and marriages of family and friends. In both volumes McKnight details the routines of daily life, discussing his work habits, mealtimes, naps, bathing and grooming habits, books he read, hours spent riding his horse, Tip; and other details. Simple tasks are recorded, as are descriptions of illnesses, particularly his father's, whom he writes of caring for; home remedies; and trips to the dentist. McKnight also makes references to prominent families in the Pittsburgh area. Names such as Biddle, Darlington, Denny, Bakewell, Bayard, Herron, Wilkins, Phillips, Knox, Ormsby, McCandless, O'Hara, Scully, Acheson, and so on, make regular appearances in his entries. McKnight regularly speaks of working for Richard Biddle and preparing to take the bar. He describes the transcription of depositions, General O'Hara's will, and watching courtroom proceedings. Descriptions of his studies, with topics such as "Payment of Debt," and of new laws, such as the Bankrupt Law, are included in the diary. He marks important events, noting when he passes the bar, his first appearance in court, and his unanimous election as solicitor for the Bank of Pittsburgh. Observations are made on the state of the country, such as remarking about the distress facing banks at the time, as evidenced by the closure of some banks in Philadelphia. At one point McKnight remarks, "Our legislative assemblies are filled with bullies, blacklegs, & assassins," after reading of numerous arguments between members of the House of Representatives. Comments are also made on the war between the United States and Mexico in 1846. Scandals that shocked society do not go without mention. Many references are made to one of the biggest scandals of the day, Mary Croghan's elopement to Captain Edward Schenley and their subsequent flight from the United States to England. The elopement was so well known and scandalous that Mary, whose social status allowed her to request an audience with the Queen, was denied presentation at court due to her actions. McKnight writes that Mary was a student at the school of Mrs. McLeod, on Staten Island, and the "man who took Mary away" was her nephew. McKnight remarks that Mrs. McLeod must have "countenanced & abetted the whole affair as Miss Croghan was worth in her own right over $1.000.000, and such a sweet morsel was not to be caught everyday." He notes that lawmakers eventually passed legislation, prepared by Biddle, giving Mr. Croghan the ability to pass his daughter's estate directly on to her children, cutting Captain Schenley out of any inheritance. McKnight frequently writes of well-known figures that capture his interest, remarking on the activities of Washington Irving and Charles Dickens. He reports meeting Dickens at the Exchange Hotel in Pittsburgh, includes observations of Dickens and his wife, and his conversations with them. McKnight was a member of the Henry Clay Club and frequently remarks about his admiration for the statesman. In regards to personal matters, McKnight describes his marriage proposal to Elizabeth Denny, and one of the final entries details the day of their May 27th wedding. In this entry McKnight provides a detailed diagram of the wedding party's positions during the ceremony.

2 vol.

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 7320159

University of Pittsburgh

Related Entities

There are 11 Entities related to this resource.

Biddle, Richard, 1796-1847

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w66f6j1h (person)

Richard Biddle came to Pittsburgh from Philadelphia to practice law. He served in Congress from 1834-1840, at which time he resigned. From the description of Richard Biddle papers 1819-1825. (Historical Society of W Pennsylvania). WorldCat record id: 39396026 ...

Clay, Henry, 1777-1852

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6gc2thc (person)

Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777 – June 29, 1852) was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the Senate and House. He was the seventh House speaker and the ninth secretary of state. He received electoral votes for president in the 1824, 1832, and 1844 presidential elections. He also helped found both the National Republican Party and the Whig Party. For his role in defusing sectional crises, he earned the appellation of the "Great Compromiser" and was part of the "Grea...

Exchange Hotel (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6k69tpg (corporateBody)

Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6jn025d (person)

Epithet: novelist British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000429.0x0002c9 English writer. From the description of Autograph letter signed : Office of All the Year Round, 26 Wellington Street, Strand, London, W.C., to Frederick Lehmann, 1863 Nov. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270125432 English novelist and publisher. From the description of ALS : Broadstairs, Kent, to Mr. Cullenford, 18...

McKnight, Robert, 1820-1885

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w62c0bpb (person)

Born on January 27, 1820, the fourth of seven children of William (1775-1848) and Catherine ((McClurg), b. 1791) McKnight, Robert McKnight attended private school in Xenia, Ohio, before attending the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University. Upon his graduation in 1839, McKnight returned to Pittsburgh where he worked in the law offices of Biddle and Bradford. Following his admittance to the bar in 1842, he entered into partnership with Henry S. Magraw and went on to become solicitor for t...

Athenaeum (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6993h4v (corporateBody)

Schenley, Edward.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6nw13bs (person)

Monongahela House (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6645039 (corporateBody)

Irving, Washington, 1783-1859

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w69x14j4 (person)

Washington Irving (b. April 3, 1783, New York City-d. November 28, 1859, Sunnyside, Tarrytown, New York), American author, wrote his first popular work, A History of New York, under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker. He continued to write stories and essays which made him the outstanding figure in American literature of his time and established his reputation abroad. In 1826 Irving went to Spain to work at the American embassy in Madrid, then at the American legation in London, before returni...

Schenley, Mary Croghan, 1826-1903.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6s852sr (person)

Denny, Elizabeth O'Hara, 1824-1896.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6wq1n1t (person)