Paul F.

Dear Diary,                                                                                               September 17, 1679

Good day! There is so much to talk about! Well, thee should know a little bit about my background. I am Eli Obadiah Jones of the Virginia colony. I am writing this diary to show thee what the times are like in the colony of Virginia. Read on to learn more about our life in the colony!

We live in the countryside in the town of Williamsburg. Father’s name is Phineas Jones. He works on the farm all day, especially in the fall when the soil is rich and good for farming. He plants crops like corn, flax, and oats (1, www.history.org). Mother’s name is Charity Jones. She stays home and tends to us children. She takes care of the cleaning around our house and all of the other necessities. I have two other siblings, Amos and Phoebe. Amos is nine while Phoebe is thirteen. Phoebe is always playing with her little poppet that she has had since she was a little girl. Amos is trying to get into college when he is eleven (2, If You Lived in Colonial Times). I am in the middle of the two at age eleven.

Oh, marry! I almost forgot to tell thee a little more about myself. I have pale white skin like the moon when it is lit up and eyes like bright, shining green emeralds. My hair is light brown with tiny strokes of dusty gold. My overgarments resemble the ones that my parents wear (3, 18th Century Clothing). My mother made the leather for my shoes using animal hides, but now they are starting to get worn down (4, The Virginia Colony).

My family was born in England, but we eventually took a ship over to Virginia in 1673. My parents decided to move to the colony because of my grandfather, Archibald Jones. He was one of the first men to arrive in the colony on King James’s ship in 1607 (5, History Alive). They arrived in Jamestown, but he decided to live in what is now known as Williamsburg. Sadly, after a month, he died of a disease called malaria (6, History Alive). Father wanted to honor him in some way, so he decided to move to the town of Williamsburg. Father works the farm that grandfather started when he came over. Father grows foods and the flax that Mother needs to spin for our overgarments (7, The Virginia Colony).

I need to quickly tell thee about my house. It is built out of bricks made from clay (8, The Virginia Colony). It has only two rooms. One room is where we cook, eat, read, and spin thread. There is also a fireplace in that room. The other room is where we sleep. We do not have any furniture in the rooms because it is too expensive for us to buy. Phoebe is the only one that gets her own bedding. Lucky! I have to share my bedding with Amos, and he is not a heavy sleeper. If he wakes up to find me writing this, he will tell Mother for sure! That means that I will get the rod. I also need to get up early in order to get all of my tasks done!

Please read the next few entries to learn what times were like in the Virginia colony!

Fare thee well,


Eli O. Jones