James Journal

Recorded by Lula Mason James,
Transcribed by Martha Dunton James
local pictures

Lula Bell Mason James (Mrs. Hezekiah James), the only child of Thomas J. Mason and Annie Waddey Mason, began her journal on December 26, 1941. Her diary chronicled the World War II years in Northampton County, Virginia, bringing us in touch with the local war effort. The motions of her busy life were all painstakingly recorded. Making butter, growing chickens, tending grand children, planting flowers, attending Guild or DAR or Garden Club meetings, and tracing the her family history filled her days and her diary. Although this volume was not intended for our eyes, Martha James has given us the opportunity to see the people who moved through the fabric of the Shore and those who were woven into that fabric.