George Dillwyn was a Quaker minister, and his commonplace book includes poetry, short stories, hymns, extracts from letters and meeting minutes, and quotes from famous authors such as Shakespeare, Milton, and Chaucer. The majority of the volume is composed of lists of extracts organized by topic, including topics such as: anger, affectation, old age, ambition, abstinence, religion, books, revenge, praise, sincerity, death, and temperance.

Esther Fisher Wistar's diary entries focus on family news, social calls, religious reflection, descriptions of Quaker meetings, and discussions of aging and death.