Historic Canterbury Women’s Committee
The Historic Canterbury Women’s Committee invites you to discover the vibrant heritage of our community through the personal stories that shaped it, such as “One Year in the Life of a Teenager in Canterbury, N.H.” which chronicles the 1916 diaries of Ruth Gilman. By providing a window into Ruth’s daily life on the family farm and her summer working at a seaside resort, these records offer an intimate look at the “modern” slang, social adventures, and simple routines of a young woman in the early 20th century. The Canterbury Historical Society’s mission is to safeguard these individual experiences alongside official town records, genealogies, and colonial history. We encourage you to explore our archives and join us in preserving the unique character and enduring spirit of Canterbury.
One Year in the Life of a Teenager in Canterbury, N.H.
This is a story of just one year in the life of Ruth Mary Gilman born in Canterbury, N.H. on June 13, 1898. She is 17 when she starts her entries. Ruth’s diary gives us a window into life on a farm in Canterbury and a summer away working as a housemaid at an exclusive private resort on the ocean in Chatham Massachusetts.
Freedom’s Legacy: The Journey of Lucy Carey
This is the story of two individuals, Lucy Carey and Sampson Battis, whose lives were brought together by the harsh realities of slavery and the turning tides of the Revolutionary War.