author

Jones Wister

1839–1917

A Philadelphian from the long-established Wister family, he left behind a warm, first-hand memoir of 19th-century life. His writing is valued for its personal recollections, including memories of Germantown and the Civil War era.

1 Audiobook

A "Bawl" for American Cricket

A "Bawl" for American Cricket

by Jones Wister

About the author

Born in Germantown, Philadelphia, on February 9, 1839, Jones Wister was an American memoirist whose best-known work is Jones Wister's Reminiscences, published in 1920 after his death. Records available through library and archival sources identify him as the author of that book and place his life between 1839 and 1917.

Wister came from the prominent Wister family of Philadelphia, a family closely connected with Germantown history. Historical and archival references link him to family landmarks and to a circle of relatives remembered for civic, literary, and cultural influence in Pennsylvania.

His reputation today rests mainly on his reminiscences, which preserve everyday detail, family history, and memories of the Civil War period in and around Philadelphia. For listeners interested in local history, family memoir, and the texture of 19th-century American life, his work offers an intimate window into the world he knew.