The volume contains the memoirs of John Smith, a farmer.

The memoirs include details of his work, family history, copies of letters, financial details relating to the farms, and various costs including those for funerals, furniture, and improvements.

The memoirs narrate details of various members of the Smith family (such as details of births, marriages and deaths and the emigration of a brother to Jamaica), as well as the impact of world events on his life (such as the American War of Indepenedence and the exile of Napoleon Bonaparte to Elba).