Journal of Nicholas Cresswell, 1774 - 1777

by Nicholas Cresswell

Nicholas Cresswell was twenty-four years old when he left his birthplace of Edale, England to sail for Virginia, believing that "a person with a small fortune may live much better and make greater improvements in America than he can possibly do in England." From the time he left, sailing from Liverpool in 1774, until the time he returned, he kept a diary detailing his experiences in pre-Revolutionary America. As a loyal subject to King George, Cresswell found himself often unhappy in America, detailing the turmoil and abuses often suffered by Loyalists in the colonies. Confining his travel mainly to the mid-Atlantic region, Cresswell not only had occasion to attend a slave gathering and observe what went on there, but also traded amongst many of the native tribes, including the Lenape, Tuscarora, Ottawa and Shawnee. Despite his ambivalence about returning to England, (toward the end of the book he moans, "I wish to be at home and yet dread the thought of returning to my native Country a Beggar " (P. 251)), life in the colonies becomes too much for this loyal subject and Cresswell's journal ends in 1777 with his return to England.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Autobiography, Research

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

Reviews

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read that gave a wonderful taste of what like was like during the revolution. I especially loved that it was from the perspective of a young English man attempting to navigate his way back to England after a failed attempt to discover if farming in the American colony was really all it was cracked up to be. Spoiler alert: It wasn’t thanks to the pesky war.

I love journals in general, but Cresswell’s was particularly enjoyable to read because he did a very good job at commentating on contemporary American life and revealed himself to be a very liberal, genuinely forward thinking man, which surprised me given the prejudices we often see now.

It was also a pleasure to read about the minutiae of early colonial life: how they farmed, ate, prepared for journeys into the the Back country, how expensive it all was, and how much people relied upon the goodness and generosity of everyone else in order to survive. It was also pretty impressive that is wee farmer lad was able to meet both Jefferson and General Howe.

[Melanie Elysia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lol, I read this entire journal as a PDF on my computer as I was stressed/moving into my new apartment. It was really wonderful in transporting me away from the chaos. Albeit into a new chaos!
This journal really brings history alive. Nicholas is young (24), funny, and smart, and sometimes you forget that he lived ~250 years ago, his writing is so relatable! He is forward-thinking when it comes to slavery, and respect for the native americans, but unfortunately had Tory-ish tendencies towards the "idiotic" independence-hungry colonists!

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicholas Cresswell was a young British man who came to Colonial America in 1774 looking for land to farm. He left in 1777 not having found his farm. Along the way he gives us a glimpse into that time period when rebellion was brewing.

[Leothefox · Rating 5 out of 5]

The journal of an 18th century English guy who went to the colonies, witnessed the revolution, didn't like it, and had to go back home.

Being that this is not organized prose or done with any one intent, this is a strange read. We get the day to day of Cresswell's travels and random opinions. There's a lot of weird mystery, especially to a person reading 240 years later.

Cresswell swells with sympathy at the plights of slaves and the Native Americans, but writes off the colonists as “ingrates”. He questions the motives of everyone around him, including friends and family at home before his journey. He attends many religious services, and is routinely disappointed by them. He finds fault with almost all architecture, until he sees Newgate Prison.

I can't help but feel some parallels with the present, as Cresswell is sternly against the revolution from the first. When he reads news of the patriots making headway, he writes it off as lies. His sympathies never shift in this regard, although he comes to regard news one way or another on the subject as lies, as he learns that the numbers in the battles are inflated.

The journal actually has its share of entertainment value, since Cresswell gets into forms of adventure and misadventure, going among the natives, hijacking a boat, rescuing people from ditches, helping a woman in labor, etc. He's under suspicion as a spy by the colonists, and must submit to forms of house arrest during much of his time in Virginia. Cresswell's efforts to return home occupy much of the last half.

It's hard to judge somebody's journal, since it isn't designed to be anything but their day to day existence. His opinions are interesting, and it is odd to see his bias and the exceptions to it. It's hard for a person today to imagine a person who believes monarchy to be just also showing signs of humanism. He tried to put down things as he saw them, I guess that's all you can say.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Along with Joseph Plumb Martin's book, this is another great look into day-to-day life in the 18th century!

Nicholas Cresswell writes about his journey to America in the years just before and during the American Revolution, and he does so in a very detailed and immersive way. Most of the time. He writes of his preparations for the journey, the journey over the ocean itself, and his daily trials and tribulations once he's actually landed in America, and oftentimes he uses such great detail that you feel like you're there alongside him.

It's truly amazing to think about how much this young man accomplished in so short a time - traveling to America, then to Barbados, back to America, into "Indian country", and then back into the "settled" part of the country, all in the span of a few years. The latter part of his trip to America coincides with the start of the American Revolution, and as a loyal British citizen, Cresswell is always trying to stay one step ahead of the various Committees that are trying to imprison him or worse. It's really fascinating to see how much this man experienced in just a few years.

However, being a true daily diary, this book does drag at a few points. Cresswell often finds himself sick or in hiding, but still makes daily entries even when he isn't doing much. But I think that's a welcome price to pay to get such a great first-person account of life in early America. I definitely enjoyed this a lot!

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found out about this book after watching the Townsends Youtube channel in which they referred to a type of dried fish. I had a surprisingly difficult time trying to find a free ebook of this.

This is a journal, plain and simple. It chronicles Nicholas Cresswell's time in colonies just as their American Revolution kicks off. The most interesting aspects of the book really are his characterization of the people in America during this time. There is distinct notes about George Washington near the end of the book that appear to reinforce the almost romanticized version American's have for the man.

Other notable things that stuck out to me are his comments regarding race relations and his observations on slavery. The passages are generally brief, but notable. In all truth though, there isn't much too this book. It is simply a unique window into the most iconic period in America's history and having that look from the side of a British citizen during the war is very interesting.

[D.A. Godwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a journal, this read more like an adventure novel and provided a fascinating look at the difficulties and differing priorities of everyday life. I enjoyed getting a perspective on the time period from someone who actually lived through it rather than a retelling filtered through modern sensibilities and biases.

[Nate]

This guy was kind of an a--!

[Leonard Timm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating diary of a young Englishman visiting America and it's frontier at the start of the revolution.