Imagine holding a piece of history in your hands—a daily account of life from over a century ago, penned by your own ancestor. This is the treasure that my husband Ben’s family has safeguarded for generations: the diaries of John Henry Sabine, a farmer and postmaster from Riverdale, Nova Scotia, who documented his life from 1876 to 1920.
Project Background
During a family visit to Riverdale for Christmas in 2015, I discovered that Ben’s great-great-grandfather had filled diary pages almost every day of his life. The diaries were securely stored in a large safe, but their fragile condition made them inaccessible for regular viewing. Recognizing the historical and familial value of these writings, I proposed digitizing them to preserve their content and make them accessible to the extended Sabine family.
With the enthusiastic support of Ben’s father, Keith, we embarked on the painstaking process of photographing each page of the diaries. During that visit, we managed to capture entries from 1876 through 1914. While many more diaries await digitization, the demands of daily life have momentarily paused our efforts. However, the project has already begun to breathe new life into John Sabine’s words, bringing his experiences into the modern era.
About John Sabine
Born on October 19, 1853, in Riverdale, Nova Scotia, John Henry Sabine was the son of Joseph Sabean and Ruth McNeill. Interestingly, he was born with the surname “Sabean” but altered the spelling to “Sabine” during his lifetime. On December 25, 1877, he married Roxanna Ring, daughter of Samuel Ring and Mehitable Saxton, in Barton, Nova Scotia. Roxanna was born on October 23, 1853, in Barton and lived a remarkable life until October 10, 1954, passing away in Riverdale at the age of 100.
Their Children:
- Harold Fullerton Sabine (1878 – 1957)
- Leslie Herbert Sabine (1880 – 1953)
- Joseph Willard Sabine (1882 – 1959)
- Leonard Tilley Sabine (1884 – 1949)
- John Bernard Sabine (1886 – 1985)
- Percy Reginald Sabine (1888 – 1965)
- Stella Mildred Sabine (1891 – 1968)
- Ethel Ring Sabine (1894 – 1990)
John was not only a dedicated farmer but also served as the local postmaster, a position that connected him deeply with the community. His diaries provide a window into the everyday life, challenges, and joys of a bygone era, offering invaluable insights into the social and economic fabric of rural Nova Scotia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Published Diaries
We are thrilled to announce that several volumes of The Sabine Diaries are now available for download and purchase. Each volume corresponds to a specific year, meticulously compiled to preserve the original handwriting and nuances of John Sabine’s entries. Please note that the PDF files are quite large due to the high-resolution images of each diary page.
Volume One – 1876 & 1877
Download PDF (150 MB) | Purchase Book
Volume Two – 1878
Download PDF (106 MB) | Purchase Book
Volume Three – 1879
Download PDF (91 MB) | Purchase Book
Volume Four – 1880
Download PDF (111 MB) | Purchase Book
Volume Five – 1881
Download PDF (108 MB) | Purchase Book
Volume Six – 1882
Download PDF (120 MB) | Purchase Book
Volume Seven – 1883
Download PDF (104 MB) | Purchase Book
Volume Eight – 1884
Download PDF (96 MB) | Purchase Book
Volume Nine – 1885
Download PDF (112 MB) | Purchase Book
Volume Ten – 1886
Download PDF (94 MB) | Purchase Book
Volume Eleven – 1887
Download PDF (85 MB) | Purchase Book
Volume Twelve – 1888
Download PDF (72 MB) | Purchase Book
Sabine Diaries Facebook Group
To learn more about the project, please join the Sabine Diaries Facebook Group. Here you will find hundreds of old photos, documents and discussions about the diaries.