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| 1655-Woman Writing a Letter, by Gerard Terborche |
© Christy K. Robinson
The first settlers of New England
were avid readers. On long winter evenings, or rainy summer days, books were
treasured for intellectual stimulation and entertainment value.
William and Mary Dyer were very well-educated for their time
and social class. In an era when only some people could read, and fewer people
could write, their penmanship is strong and clean, without scratch-outs,
indicating that they thought carefully and focused on what they were writing.
They make reference to the Bible and history. William was well-versed on
geography and animal and marine species. Mary was highly-regarded for her
intellect.
While we don’t know precisely which books the Dyers read in their youth or adulthood, I’ve listed books that were very likely on their reading list, published before or during their lifetimes (just a representation of hundreds or thousands of books which would have been available at the time). The hyperlinks take you to the online versions—searchable—many of them free downloads.
Book
of Martyrs—John Foxe
The
Book of Sports—King James
Daemonologie—King
James
The
Advancement of Learning—Francis Bacon
The
English Housewife—Gervase Markham
A
new booke of Cookerie—John Murrell
The
Queen’s Closet Opened—Queen Henrietta Maria
Wonder
working providence of Sions Saviour in New England—Edward
Johnson
Religio
medici—Sir Thomas Browne
Newes
from America—Captain
John Underhill
New
England’s Prospect—William Wood
Good
Newes from New England—Edward Winslow
The First Planters of New England—John
Winthrop
The
Pathway to Health—Peter Levens
A
Healing Question—Henry Vane
The
Compleat Angler—Izaak Walton
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