Autograph letter, signed, from George Berkeley to Martin Benson providing a brief description of Newport, Rhode Island, 1729 April 11. Berkeley notes the presence of “four sorts of Anabaptists besides Independents, Quakers, and many of no profession at all.” He also writes that he has purchased “a pleasant farm of about one hundred acres” (i.e. “Whitehall,” his plantation at Middletown).
Description:
George Berkeley (1685-1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher. In 1731 September, Berkeley donated his library and his plantation in Newport, Rhode Island, to Yale University. The donation doubled Yale’s library holdings., Martin Benson (1686-1752), English churchman., In English., and Title devised by cataloger.
Subject (Geographic):
Rhode Island., Great Britain., Rhode Island, Newport., Middletown (R.I.), and Newport (R.I.)
Subject (Name):
Benson, Martin, 1689-1752. and Berkeley, George, 1685-1753.
Subject (Topic):
Anabaptists, Philosophers, Plantations, Real property, and Religion
A diorama within an oval, constructed from paper, depicting a West Indian plantation with coconut trees, people and animals in the foreground working around and climbing the tree, a building with a flag (?). In the right background is a large residence with arches, windows and a figure on the roof. In the left background, birds fly in the sky and in distance two more buildings. The interior sides of the box are lined with marbled paper and decorated with gold painted on the outer edge and pine backing
Description:
Title devised by cataloger., From paper label on verso: "Very curious anti-relievo, with landscape and figures, in paper, framed (from Strawberry Hill)"., and Also paper labels on verso: 'Robins' and 'Made in England' as well as fragments of newspapers around the perimeter of the wooden frame.
