Scope and arrangement
The John Hyslop diary, dated 1793, records his journey from New York City to Springfield, Massachusetts, and his sojourn there, during the months of June and July. Hyslop traveled by sloop from New York City up the Connecticut River to Hartford, Connecticut, stopping at towns along the way. He continued by coach to Springfield and remained there for a month, working for a baker. The volume also contains a brief narrative of his life in Scotland and England, and his arrival in New York, as well as lists of his clothing and books.
In June, 1793, John Hyslop obtained a job with Nathaniel Eaton, a baker in Springfield, Massachusetts. He sailed from New York on June 14, 1793 and arrived in Springfield on June 22. He left one month later. The first few pages of trip details are followed by an account of his life, from his indenture to William Hyslop, a baker in Dumfries, Scotland, up to his employment with Eaton. He describes his attempts to build a career in Liverpool, England; his decision to emigrate and his departure for America in March, 1793; and his employment in New York following a rough voyage. The volume also contains a loose segment recording his impressions of Connecticut River towns visited: Middletown, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Hartford, and Springfield. An incomplete entry for Norwich and Norwich Landing follows. Relatives mentioned in the volume include his brother Herbert and cousin Robert Hyslop.