About this blog: the diary of Annie Swann Dungan, wife of Capt. George Dungan, written while living aboard a Chesapeake schooner in 1937

My grandmother, Annie Swann Dungan, was, quite simply, an amazing woman.  Born on a farm in Northumberland County, Virginia, in 1900, she married my grandfather, Captain George Dungan, a commercial sailor by trade.  Grandaddy Dungan sailed schooners, and later, diesel-powered vessels, on Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries until his death in 1962.  For a period of time in 1937, Granny, along with their two youngest children, lived aboard a schooner with my grandfather and crew.  One of those children was my father; the other, my Aunt May.  During this time, Granny kept a diary.

Now bear in mind, this was no luxury liner.  It was a working boat, a sailing vessel that hauled freight up and down the Bay.  Grandaddy Dungan captained several schooners during his lifetime, and we don't know exactly which one they lived aboard during the time of Granny's diary.  Perhaps it was the Thomas B. Scholl, the Mattie F. Dean, or the Levi B. Phillips, all schooners that he worked aboard at various times.  We hope to identify this particular vessel by cross-referencing events in Granny's diary with local newspaper accounts.  Regardless, Granny's home at that time consisted of a two-masted sailing vessel, less than one hundred feet in length, loaded almost constantly with cargo both above and below deck, exposed to the elements, and shared with the crew.  Here, she cooked, cleaned, and took care of the children -- both of whom were under the age of two.  This, to me, is simply mind-boggling.

Granny's diary begins January 3, 1937, and ends July 13 of the same year.  While most of the entries are brief, the details of life aboard a working vessel are fascinating and sometimes poignant.  I have transcribed her journal, and will attempt to add context and supporting details where possible in this blog. My hope is that my cousins, many of whom are too you young to remember Granny, may come to know her and appreciate her through her diary.  She was truly a remarkable woman.  I also hope that anyone else interested in Chesapeake Bay / Northern Neck / Virginia / nautical history may find this account useful.