Nathaniel T. Allen Papers, 1813-1998 » II. School records, 1842–1941 » C. West Newton English and Classical School (Allen School) records, 1844–1913 » iii. Student works, 1855–1900 » Mary Lambert diaries, 1855–1860  

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Mary Tileston Lambert (1842-1865) was a day student at the Allen School from 1854 to 1860. Her nine diaries, written from the age of 12 to 17, were part of her class assignments at the Allen school and were corrected and commented upon by her teacher on a regular basis. They contain daily entries describing with great detail her lessons, teachers, after school activities like ice skating and evening lectures, and special events like Independence Day fireworks and the visit of a Native American chief to the school (17 Sept. 1855). Later diaries occasionally include references to politics and current events. Since she was a local student and not a boarder, Mary also describes her Newton home and family. In 1862, at the age of 19, she married 32-year-old William F. Allen, a cousin of Nathaniel Allen and teacher at the Allen School. Mary died on 23 Mar. 1865, shortly after giving birth to their daughter, Katharine.