Record Number: 8585

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'But these extraordinary accounts and discourses, together with the controversies between the mother and sons, made me think that they know many matters of which I was totally ignorant. This created in me a desire for knowledge, that I might know who was right and who was wrong. But to my great mortification, I could not read. I knew most of the letters, and a few easy words, and I set about learning with all my might. My mistress would sometimes instruct me; and having three-halfpence per week allowed me by my mother, this money I gave to John (my master's youngest son) and for every three-halfpence he taught me to spell one hour. And this was done in the dark, as we were not allowed a candle, after we were sent upstairs to bed.'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1760 and 31 Dec 1767

Country:

England

Time

n/anight

Place:

city: Taunton

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary reactive unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

James Lackington

Age:

Child (0-17)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

11 Sep 1746

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Journeyman shoemaker (apprentice)

Religion:

Wesleyan

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

Lackington's master's youngest son, John.

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

unknown

Title:

various

Genre:

Bible, Sermon, Other religious

Form of Text:

Unknown

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

borrowed (other)
from master's library, probably

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Source Information:

Record ID:

8585

Source:

Print

Author:

James Lackington

Editor:

n/a

Title:

Memoirs of the first forty-five years of the life of James Lackington

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1791

Vol:

n/a

Page:

46

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Lackington, Memoirs of the first forty-five years of the life of James Lackington, (London, 1791), p. 46, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=8585, accessed: 13 May 2025

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Additional Comments:

None