Personal Estate of Peter Johnston, Jr. (1832): Books and Journals, Take I

Let's start with a little background about the books and journals held at Panecillo.

Mary Valentine Wood Johnston (May 8, 1769-June 17, 1825 ) played an active part in educating her children through reading and teaching them the civilities expected of the Virginia white social elite. In addition to military books and journals of general interest, the family library contained scores of Classical and Enlightenment period volumes, six volumes of Shakespeare, seventy-two volumes of poetry, atlases, language books, belles lettres, Celtic tales and law books. Mary read books by Sir Walter Scott and other novels to her children as well and seems to have been a loving parent. Her influence no doubt rounded their interests and polished their dispositions. They were all quite literate people. (See: Erik D. France, Joseph E. Johnston And The Family List. Doctoral Dissertation, Temple University, 2001, UMI #9997263, page 73). 

Some examples from Inventory and Appraisement of the Personal Estate of Peter Johnston, Jr. (1763-1831). Peter Carr Johnston (1793-1877), administrator. Washington County, Virginia, Will Book No. 6, page 261, recorded August 27, 1832. Appraisers: George V. Litchfield (ca. 1797-1875), Valentine Baugh (1775-1851) and Robert R. Preston (probably 1793-1866, Abingdon banker. Note that his son attended VMI and that Peter Carr Johnston was on VMI's first Board of Visitors in 1839).

In the original list, authors and titles are listed in shorthand. Here, I'll give fuller identification.

Journals:

Analectic Magazine. A Philadelphia-published review (1813-1820) of mostly American, French and British topics. Washington Irving was for a time one of its editors.

Edinburgh Review. Whiggish, Liberal-oriented and influential (1802-1929).

Museum. Probably Museum of Foreign Literature and Science. Philadelphia (starting 1822).

North American Review. Boston-based (starting 1815). 

Southern Review. South Carolina-based (starting 1828). Edward William Johnston was approached to become editor in the mid-1830s, when plans were afoot to relocate its offices to Washington City. 

A sampling of books:

William Alexander, M.D., The History of Women, From the Earliest Antiquity, to the Present Time; Giving a Particular Account of Almost Every Interesting Particular Concerning That Sex, Among All Nations, Ancient and Modern (originally published in 1779, in Dublin and/or London).

Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne (1769-1834), Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte (Edinburgh, 1830). 

Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-17880, Buffon's Natural History, Containing a Theory of the Earth, a General History of Man, of the Brute Creation, and of Vegetables, Minerals, &c. &c.  (originally published in 1797 in London).

Henry Home, Lord Kames (1696-1782), Introduction to the Art of Thinking (originally published in 1762 -- part of the Scottish Enlightenment). Filled with pithy aphorisms.

Honoria, The Female Mentor: Or, Select Conversations (2 volumes. Philadelphia: Printed by John Hoff, 1802). Social conduct and mentoring with acknowledgement of challenges.

Edward Hyde, First Earl of Clarendon (1609-1674), The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England (originally published in 1702).

R. Johnson, The Blossoms of Morality: Intended for the Amusement and Instruction of Young Ladies and Gentlemen. By the Editor of The Looking-Glass for the Mind (London, multiple printings, 1796+).

Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets; With Critical Observations on Their Works (multi-volume set; originally published 1779-1781 in London) 

Montesquieu (Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, 1689-1755), Persian Letters (originally published in French, Paris, 1721).   

Adam Smith (1723-1790), An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (originally published in London in 1776).

William Russell (1741-1793), History of Modern Europe (originally published 1779-1786).

Again, this is just a sample.