Sally Wister

Sally Wister
Silhouette of Sally Wister, her only known likeness.
Born	Sarah Wister (1761-07-20)20 July 1761 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	21 April 1804(1804-04-21) (aged 42) Germantown, Pennsylvania
Nationality	American
Known for	Journal
Relatives	John Wister, Caspar Wistar the elder, Caspar Wistar the younger

Sarah ("Sally") Wister (July 20, 1761 – April 21, 1804) was a girl living in Pennsylvania during the American Revolution. She is principally known as the author of Sally Wister's Journal, written when she was sixteen; it is a firsthand account of life in the nearby countryside during the British occupation of Philadelphia in 1777–78.

Sarah (Sally) Wister was born July 20, 1761, in the house of her paternal grandfather in Philadelphia. She was the first child of Daniel Wister and Lowery Jones (d. 1804) of Philadelphia. Her grandfather was John Wister, son of Hans Caspar Wüster (1671–1726) and younger brother of Caspar Wistar the elder, who had emigrated from Baden to join his brother in Philadelphia in 1727. John Wister adopted the Quaker faith and became a successful wine merchant and landowner; he built the house now known as Grumblethorpe in Germantown as a summer home in 1744. His second wife was Anna Catherine Rubenkam, of Wanfried, Germany. Their one son was Daniel (1738/9–1805).

Sally's mother, Lowery Jones, was the daughter of Susanna Evans and Owen Jones (Sr.), of Wynnewood, Lower Merion. Jones was the granddaughter of Gainor Owen and Jonathan Jones and the great-granddaughter of Mary Wynne (daughter of Dr. Thomas Wynne) and Dr. Edward Jones. Sally was their first child.

Not much is known of Sally Wister’s early life. She attended a girls’ school run by the Quaker philanthropist Anthony Benezet. Her writings show some knowledge of French and Latin, and she was clearly familiar with the literature of her time, particularly poetry, and especially Alexander Pope. It was at the Benezet school that young Sally met the future historian and memoirist Deborah Norris, whom she called Debby. She was also friends with Polly Fishbourne, Sally Jones, Anna Rawle, Peggy Rawle, and Sally Burge. The girls formed a “social circle” and exchanged numerous letters during the summers.