Monday, September 27, 2010

Amanuensis Monday- finding the word Amanuensis

Today I wrote a post for the Amanuensis Monday meme about Reverend William Bentley's diary. I had left Volume 4 out on the coffee table, and was reading it while my husband was watching TV. I accidentally turned to pages 484 and 485 I found this passage with the word "amanuensis". I was startled, but delighted to see this unusual word...and also a mention of Londonderry's own General John Stark in the same passage.

December 15, 1809
"Mr. Stickney of Bow, NH, tells me that he has discovered an inexhaustible abundance of Iron Ore in his vicinity, near to wood, water falls, & navigation, & that he has reason to believe it to be of excellent quality. He informs me this in the cover of a Letter from his father in law, Gen. John Stark, to who he serves in the absence of the Major as Amanuensis. I had addressed a Letter to Gen. Stark on the subject of President Madison."

I suppose the reference was to his serving as a clerk, who took dication for letters, etc?

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Copyright 2010, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

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