Sepia Saturday - 109 - 21 January 2012

Can you guess what this little cutie is thinking?  Hm, hope none of my friends see me in this picture!  Who could ever be mad, at either one of these two? - Courtesy of Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.



This is a Sepia Saturday Post

...and so this week brings a bit of dolling about.....



Or as always, what ever adventure your sepia trails may take through, Sepia Saturday.

           My doll-theme approach takes a sharp turn in this telling..... and my own still well-cared-for dolls will remain mysteriously hidden, at this time.

Sorry, my baby dolls..... you'll just have to remain anonymous a bit longer!


I'm compelled to write about a man who - surely was young at heart. His writing delighted the young as well, as adults, and he often concerned himself with things like gifts made by a duchess and given to a princess!
     He was an English trader, writer and journalist, and wrote about politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology, and the supernatural.

             We begin at Route 273 and Blue Ball Road (State Rt 545)
Blueball, Ceil County, Maryland.

Really it's not that odd that I begin at the Blue Ball Tavern established about 1710 in a stately structure once owned by Elizabeth Maxwell, because she is the niece of Daniel Defoe, (born as Daniel Foe)
Photo courtesy of Library of Congress, with no known restrictions on images by the U.S. Government.

After all, it's Saturday and a cold brew will just hit the spot, right?

outside this building is

A 1936 Historic Road Marker stating:  Blue Ball Tavern Established about 1710 on Lot No. 35 of 'The Nottingham Lots' by Andrew Job who secured it from William Penn. Job's son, Thomas Married Elizabeth Maxwell, niece of Daniel Defoe who wrote 'Robinson Crusoe'.

"Expect nothing and you'll be surprised!" - Daniel Defoe
Who was Daniel Defoe..... and
What was he famous for?

He wrote "Robinson Crusoe, and the above print, very well could have been a famous "wax doll" used for this painting.
it's described as a young boy enjoying Robinson Crusoe.

He also added the De to his name to sound aristocratic- and he had at least 198 pen names in his life time!
Apparently, Daniel Defoe once hid inside Elizabeth Foe's (his sister) attic after writing some controversial items.  During which time he taught, Elizabeth Maxwell (his niece who later married Andrew Job) to read.  Much later, after her mother's death she inherited quite a bit of property, hence the Blue Ball Tavern.

A funny/sad family fact years later, down the long birth road of each son being named Daniel Defoe, his last great-great grandson never could figure out why anyone would want to read Robinson Crusoe.......!
Imagine that!
Elizabeth Maxwell Job, niece of the unforgettable Robinson Crusoe author, died in West Nottingham, Cecil Co, Maryland on 7 September 1782 .


She was known for being generally a mysterious woman, possibly because she minded her own business.


Surely she played many long hours with her own dolls.

Dolls came to us in so many simple and adorable ways.  All hand-made, of wood and rag from civilizations of the distant past.  Some, simply called "piano babies" (babies) was a frequent name for dolls, and often babies were created as special gifts.

Like the great author Daniel Defoe wrote about from Paris one day in 1722.

His exact words,  "Some days ago the Dutchess of Orleans made a Present to the Infant Queen, of a Wax Baby three Feet High, with Diamond Ear-rings, a Necklace of Pearls and a Diamond Cross, with a furniture of Plate for a toilet, and two India Chests, full of Linen and several suits of cloaths for the Baby. The whole for that Princess to play with."
- Taken from Daniel Defoe - His Life and Recently Discovered Writing, - The Second Volume.

One of his famous writings include
Moll Flanders- by Daniel Defoe
one of the earliest novels depicting the life and misadventures of a young girl who becomes a prostitute.
His story reveals just how capable, intelligent and resourceful she was.
Moll was purely fiction, but I'm guessing she was a character from his own life...perhaps several.

Writers, write what they know.

"I saw the Cloud, though I did not foresee the Storm," - Daniel Defoe for, Moll Flanders

I'm hoping there are no storms in your world.....may your weekend be merry and maybe something so outstanding, someone will write about it!

ha ha!