Reading Mary Williams

FriMay6
- Mary Tefft White Room, Roger Williams University Library

Only five written words from Mary Williams have survived, so how do historians reconstruct her world? Join Julie Fisher (National Archives) and John McNiff (Roger Williams National Memorial) for an interactive workshop on the written world of Mary Williams.

  • View original manuscript letters from Roger Williams declaring his love for Mary. Kindly loaned by Rhode Island Historical Society.
  • Try writing with a quill and ink and recreating Mary Williams’ handwriting. You can try addressing a letter that Mary Williams wrote to her husband and then seal your letter with wax, 17th-century style!
  • Examine the original compass belonging to Roger Williams (this is a rare opportunity, not to be missed.) Kindly loaned by Rhode Island Historical Society.
  • Study research posters by RWU students on “Mary Williams and Her World.”
  • Feel free to stop by for 20 minutes or stay the whole time
  • Visitor Parking available through the main campus gates
  • Contact Dr. Carrington-Farmer for more details: ccarrington-farmer@rwu.edu.

 Kindly supported by Rhode Island Historical Society; Mary Tefft White Fund, RWU Library;  RWU Provost’s Office; and RWU Department of History and Cultural Studies.