The 18th century almanacs of Andrew Ellicott

Andrew Ellicott (1754-1820) - surveyor extraordinaire, inventor, astronomer and, though born a Quaker, became a Major in the Revolutionary War - wrote at least thirteen yearly almanacs from 1781-1793, even during the war.  He calculated each monthly chart and composed a prose segment on predictions and biographies as the "Allegheny Philosopher". 

His early editions were published by Mary K. Goddard (1738-1816), the woman newspaper publisher and Baltimore postmaster who bravely printed the Declaration of Independence.


Although not all his editions are known, his almanacs were printed or sold in Baltimore, Frederick MD, Chatham NJ, and Philadelphia PA. He sent the 1793 almanac (probably his last) with a letter to Washington and Jefferson (he knew both) while surveying the new capital, Washington DC. He explained that he calculated it while sick the previous September. The astronomical part is adapted to the latitude, and meridian of the City of Washington, making it the first Almanac to be centered on the new Capital.

He was the son of one of the founding brothers of Ellicott City, Joseph Ellicott (1732-1780), who built "Fountainvale" and mill at Ellicott's Upper Mills, with running water in the house and a TEN foot high water fountain in the fish pond. As a teen, he helped his father build an incredible four faced musical tall clock. Often away for months, even years surveying, his family lived in the sparse but growing mill complex until 1785 when a son died and they moved into Baltimore, then Philadelphia, Lancaster and finally West Point where he taught mathematics.

In 1781, his first almanac, by the woman publisher M. K. Goddard, was so successful it became an annual publication. The 27 yr old Ellicott was mentioned in the preface (but not the title page) as calculating the monthly charts and writing the "Allegheny Philosopher" segment where he credits his alter ego with predictions as well as noting the return of a specific comet.

William Goddard, Mary's brother, took back control of the Maryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser newspaper he had started (then abandoned to his sister) in 1784 and continued the almanac series with Ellicott.  Andrew also did an almanac with Mary Goddard in 1886, but from 1788-1792 John Hayes published his work with Ellicott's name prominently on the cover as Ellicott's Almanack. William, who had treated his sister poorly, did not take the move well.  More on the almanac attacks in a future post.

These were extraordinarily busy years for Major Ellicott from surveying (almost 4 years) the southern border with Spain in Florida, to Erie and western New York lands, not to mention Washington City survey starting in February 1791. And yet he did the meticulous calculations for all the almanacs.

Benjamin Banneker wrote a letter to Ellicott in Philadelphia in May of 1790 stating that he gave Ellicott's publisher Hayes a draft of his almanack and the publisher wanted Ellicott to verify the contents.  Unfortunately, as usual, Ellicott and his men were surveying in an isolated area that year and his reply was delayed. More on the Ellicott family and Bannekers' almanac HERE


The 1782 almanac was described in Andrew Ellicott: his life and letters, by Catharine Van Cortlandt Mathews. NY: 1908 -

The United States Almanack for the Year of our Lord 1782; Being the Second after Leap-Year, and the Sixth Year of American Independence. "By Andrew Ellicott, Esq." is below in type modestly small, [Chatham [N.J.] : Printed and sold by Shepard Kollock, at his Office, where shopkeepers and others may be supplied wholesale and retail] and the little publication contains much information of various sorts, with facts, weather, and verse curiously mingled, after the engaging fashion of the almanacs of the period.

As may be imagined, American Independence being yet so young, many of the Almanack's historic dates and facts deal with British defeats and American victories, and not the least clever and curious of its varied contents is the "Prognosticks, &c. of the Allegany Philosopher."

Month by month the Almanack goes quaintly on; we learn on the same page that they were to “expect hard thunder" on the 13th of June, and that "The tears of compassion are sweeter than dewdrops falling from roses on the bosom of the Spring." And so, with a recipe for pickling hams, a brief sermon on the text of Job v. 7, and a list of the justices of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, the Almanack of Andrew Ellicott Esq. for the year 1782 comes to a close.

1792 cover page

Ellicott's 
Maryland and Virginia
almanac,

 

and

ephemeris,

for the year of Our Lord,

1792;

being bissextile, or leap-year,

and the sixteenth year of American independence,

Among other interesting particulars, are the motions of the

sun and moon, the true places and aspects of the eight

planets, the rising and setting of the sun, and the rising,

setting, southing and age of the moon, &c. - To which

are added, the lunations, conjunctions, eclipses, judgment

of the weather, festivals, and other memorable days, and

days for holding courts in Maryland and Virginia: - like-

wise, a table reducing the currency of Pennsylvania, New-

Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, to the currencies of the

other states, and to English and Irish money - Also, a ta-

ble of dollars and other coins, as they now pass in each of

the United States; with many other useful tables and phy-

sical receipts, a letter from the Alleghany philosopher - and

several compositions in prose and verso; - the whole cal-

culated to instruct and entertain our readers.

Os homini sublime dedit: cablumque tueri

Jussit, et erectos ad sidera tollere vultus. - Ovid.

Baltimore:

Printed and sold, wholesale and retail, by

John Hayes, Market-street.

[1791]

1793   Ellicott’s New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia Almanac, and Ephemeris, for the Year of our Lord 1793 (Baltimore, [1792])
 

To President Washington; Ellicott wrote letter while surveying in DC -

"City of Washington Novr 26th 1792

Sir,

With this you will receive an Almanac for the year 1793, which I calculated, and compiled, during my sickness last September. The astronomical part is adapted to the latitude, and meridian of the City of Washington.

My design in this work, was merely to assist other (laudable) endeavours, in bringing the City of Washington into Public notice: and if it should be so fortunate as to meet your approbation, I shall think myself amply rewarded.
I am Sir your Hbl. Servt

Andw Ellicott

To Thomas Jefferson - 

City of Washington Novm. 26th 1792

Sir

I have taken the liberty of sending you an Almanac for the year 1793, which I calculated, and compiled during my sickness last september.—The Astronomical part is adapted to the meridian, and latitude of the City of Washington. I am Sir your Hbl. Servt

Andw. Ellicott

“Honble. Thos. Jefferson Esqr.”

The Maryland Historical Society, now the Maryland Center for History and Culture, has most of the Ellicott and Banneker almanacs.

©2022 Patricia Bixler Reber
Forgotten history of Ellicott City & Howard County MD