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WOMENS LANGUAGE AND EXPERIENCE, 1500-1940

Womens Diaries and Related Sources
Part 1: Sources from the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire County Record Offices

Part 2: Sources from Birmingham Central Library and Birmingham University Library

Detailed Listing - Part 1

Sources from the Bedfordshire County Record Office

REEL 1

OR 2156 1776 Mary Orlebar
A small diary, consisting of c80 openings, written in The Ladies Annual Journal or Complete Pocket Book for the Year 1776. It provides details of appointments, social life, and the weather. For instance (8 Jan 1776):


“My Brothers Wedding Day kept with the usual Festivity above Thirty Poor People dined most plentifully in the Laundry & Wash House.”.

OR 2170 1751 Mary Orlebar


OR 2171 1752 Mary Orlebar
Two commonplace books full of poetry, mostly written by Mary on family occasions. 68ff and 86ff respectively. The first contains a manuscript index at the front. Poems include “A reflection on life”, “On the Distress’d Mother” and “On the Death of a Labourer”. The second volume is also indexed and includes “Rural Happiness” and “On Beauty”.

OR 2192 1794 Charlotte Orlebar

A brief diary contained in The Ladies New & Polite Pocket Memorandum Book for 1794. 84ff.

OR 2211/1 1785 Mary Orlebar
“Some Account of our Expedition to France - Mary O - 1785.” 18ff, the rest of the volume is blank.


REEL 2

OR 2214 1785 Harriet Orlebar
This is Harriet’s version of the trip to France (see OR 2211/1 above). It includes accounts of attending Balls in pre-Revolutionary France.
Paginated 1-58.


OR 2215 1786 Harriet Orlebar
A commonplacebook with much relating to the French expedition. 32ff.


OR 2216 1787 Harriet Orlebar
OR 2220/2
1827 Ann Orlebar
OR 2220/3
1828 Ann Orlebar


OR 2220/4 1829 Ann Orlebar
These three small pocket books were kept by Ann Orlebar. The first two are written in The Ladies Complete Pocket Book for 1827 and 1828 respectively. The third uses Hinckesman’s Pocket Book for 1829. c80ff each. The second volume includes some poetry and a list of books read. A number of loose inserts are tucked into the front of third volume. These have been filmed before the volume.


OR 2222/1 1830 Ann Orlebar
This is a straightforward commonplace book kept by Anne Orlebar and entitled “Extracts by Miss Ann Orlebar who died 1830.” Paginated, 1-54.
Items include: “Ode to my beloved daughter”, “From Lady Sophia Woodville, to Ld Edmund FitzEdwin”, “A Remark on Evelina”, and “Ode to Despair” by Charlotte Frith, which features the couplet:


“Life is a variegated, tedious span,
A sad and toilsome road, the weary trav’ler Man.”

REEL 3

OR 2244/5 1860 Frederica Rouse-Boughton
OR 2244/6
1861 Frederica Rouse-Boughton
OR 2244/7
1861 Frederica Rouse-Boughton


OR 2244/8 1859-75 Frederica Rouse-Boughton
These are the diaries of Frederica St John Orlebar (née Rouse-Boughton) (1838-1928). There are 4 volumes in all, together with a few letters and enclosures. They include descriptions of bathing and music festivals; scandals and problems with servants; reactions to the baby; and notes on reading Schiller and Wilkie Collins. OR 2244/5 runs to c185 openings and is entitled “Our fortnight in Wales” (1860). The visit was obviously much anticipated:

“We had been talking of “our going to Wales” all the Summer, and at last it was settled for us to start on a certain Friday - 24th of August.”

It is beautifully illustrated throughout with small watercolours (see below) and the events of the trip are very well described. Here is a description of their visit to the Pystyll y Mawr Vach Falls:

“ere we struck down amongst the brushwood, on emerging from which, the Fall burst suddenly upon us, & it was beautiful. This sketch I made, Sophy & Lechmere up on the rock before the Fall, Gertrude down on her knees, drinking, Katey, Mary & I in the foreground. The water runs through quantities of small rocks, with shingly sort of shores. It comes dashing gloriously down from the height all in foam, looking so clear & bright, & in the shadows, just varying in tint according to the colour of the rocks it flows over. When we had taken a good look at the Fall, we rose to go; and was packing up my sketching things, I heard a shout of “Oh! such a pretty little cave!” & there it was, not far from where we had been sitting, the entrance to a little cave in the side of the hill, almost buried in the luxuriant fern & heather that grew round the entrance. Right before the mouth, the water dripped constantly like a sparkling veil, so plentifully that we could only just see inside. We all looked in, but could see nothing. Here is my sketch, with me in the foreground, & Katey looking over my shoulder.”

She shares her views of her companions, the Welsh people, the beautiful scenery and subjects ranging from doctors to small children. On doctors:


“I always feel upset when a doctor looks at me ... they seem to be taking you in gradually with an abstracted, immoveable look that goes through yr eyes, & out at the back of yr head, & of which you feel the effects throughout yr whole frame, yr pulse immediately starting at a rate of 150; & yr colour coming and going as if a fit of apoplexy must shortly ensue.... This old man was not intrinsically disagreable - only so professionally.”


On ragged children: “Outside our own door we had an amusing encounter with a troop of small boys, in all varieties of costumes and patches. They were all more or less ragged, but with such happy mischevious faces, and looking so roguish as they all pressed round us, teazing & bothering for halfpennies, that they were quite irresistable, & we held up a penny before them all (much as one would a bit of meat to a dog when one wants to make it beg) & after keeping them some time in suspense, tossed it in amongst the group, & let them scramble for it. It was such an amusing sight, that we went on throwing pennies until all our store was exhausted, & throwing silver being too expensive a form of amusement, we left the children to fight out the possession of the last penny, & went into the house. Nothing more happened that night, and Gertrude and I spent the evening sketching the group of children, both which sketches I enter here, as they are quite different views on the same subject.” (The first of these appears opposite the general introduction).

OR 2244/6 & 7 (c185ff and 96ff) deal with “Our wedding tour”, starting in Chester on 31 July 1861. There are fewer illustrations. One of the accompanying loose manuscripts describes “inevitable” expenses.

In complete contrast OR 2244/8 (65ff) is a quite revealing devotional volume, recording her innermost thoughts from 1859 to 1875. The religious musings and records of worries provide scholars with an opportunity to produce a psychological profile, and to compare the content of her secret journal with her ‘public’ travel journals. It is clear that she experienced a crisis in faith in later years. A late entry (7 March 1875) reads:

“I feel quite strange opening this old journal again - can it be that I shall change as much in the next 11 years as I have done since 1864? I wish I were as sure of being on the right path now as then. Then there seemed such things as “right & wrong”, “good & bad people”, “heaven & hell”, “God & the devil” - Now everything has got muddled;....”


REEL 4

OR 2318/3 & 3a 1794-1873 Frances Stackhouse Acton
This autobiographical account by Frances Stackhouse Acton (1794-1881) of Acton Scott was compiled in 1873 at the request of her nieces. It covers her early schooling and includes descriptions of local cottages and of the clothes of the people who lived in them. It describes visits to her family’s house by Humphry Davy, Madame Le Brun, Joseph Banks and Sidney Smith. There is also an account of the birth of her daughter. Please note that the text reads from both the front and the back of this volume (9ff forward and 10ff back).

OR 2344/1 1883 Faith Harriet Bourne
OR 2344/2 1891 Faith Harriet Bourne
OR 2344/3 1894 Faith Harriet Bourne

These are the diaries of Faith Harriet Bourne (later Orlebar) (1869-1951 covering 1883, 1891 and 1894 (112ff, 21ff and 37ff respectively). The first is very detailed and taken together they provide an interesting picture of family life, local events, the establishment of a household and life in Bournemouth.

L 31/106 1745 Catherine Talbot

This small jounal (34ff) with a 10ff typewritten transcript, provide a very full record of Catharine Talbot’s activities and reading in 1745. There is much literary comment, especially concerning Cowley and La Belle Assemblée, a contemporary literary journal for women. Catherine Talbot (1721-70) was effectively raised and educated by Thomas Secker (Bishop of Oxford from 1737; Archbishop of Canterbury, 1758-68) and later achieved fame through her contributions to Johnson’s Rambler, her friendship with Samuel Richardson, and her Reflections on the Seven Days of the Week (1770). Her extensive correspondence with Jemima, Marchioness Grey (1722-97) is featured in Part 1 of our related publication entitled: Aristocratic Women: The Social, Political and Cultural History of Rich and Powerful Women.


L 31/111 1803 Lady Cole
A very brief diary (7ff) written on yellow bordered letter paper, starting:
“I left Ireland June the 30th, 1803.”

L 31/112 1806 Anne Robinson

A book of prayers and admonitins written in the early 1820’s by Henrietta, wife of Earl de Grey, for her daughter, Ann Florence Robinson (b 1806). 51pp.

L 31/114/15 1852 Henrietta Cowper

Diary from 26 August 1852. 31ff.

X 67/847 1778 Elizabeth Wheeler, Quaker

Quaker diaries offer rich sources for the historian on account of their full and frank nature. This one is no exception, with lengthy records of conversations. For instance, on 27 Dec 1778:

“... the conversation turn’d in part on American affairs. There seems not much possibility of reconcilement at present & news brought of the English Fleet being dispersed the second time in a storm & one if not more ships wreck’d wherein fourscore perished & upwards of four hundred taken prisoners by the Americans....”

Z 778/1-2 1922 Anonymous travel journal

A charming travel account of a tour of the Lake District comprising a journal (124ff) and an exercise book (14ff). It is illustrated with contemporary photographs.

Sources from Hertfordshire County Record Office

REELS 5-7

D/EP F29 1700-01 [First volume] 172ff

D/EP F30 1702-03 Volume the Second 175ff
D/EP F31 1704-05 Volume the Third 157ff
D/EP F32 1706-08 Volume the Fourth 187ff
D/EP F33 1709-10 Volume the Fifth 207ff
D/EP F34 1711-12 Volume the Sixth 185ff


D/EP F35 1713-15 Volume the Seventh 195ff
This magnificent 7 volume diary sequence by Sarah Cowper provides a wealth of material for scholars in many disciplines. It is very extensive, the writing is generally clear in script and style, goes into great detail, and each volume has its original manuscript index at the front or the back of the volume. It is particularly worthwhile following up the “Observe”, “Note” and “Resolution” entries. Other indexed entries range from “Cool Wine” and “King’s evil”, to “Toads” and “Women”. The diaries mix together descriptions of contemporary events with philosophical digressions and religious musings. Marriage and the position of women provide a rich vein. For instance:


“Sunday, going early to Church, I chancd to be present at a wedding, the most melancholy sight one can see, and affects me strangely. For the loss of my eie I never shed tear, but this melts me into weeping, when I think how little that solemn covenant is either perform’d or understood, by most (that) engage in it. To hear a simple woman promise to love without cause, and obey without Reason, is amazing, and what nothing past sixteen can excuse such as come to years of discretion should be well advised of what they undertake and look before they leap. For vows tho’ rashly made (if not unlawful) must be kept so farr as possibly they can.”
(Volume 1, p268)

“To be yoak’d for life to a disagreeable Temper; to be contradicted in every thing, and bore down not by Reason but Authority of a Master whose will and commands a woman cannot but destrise at ye same time she Obeys them, is a Misery none can have a just idea of but those who have felt it.... ...neither prudence nor Duty will allow a wife to fly out: her Business and Entertainment are at home....” (Volume 2, p190)

Other topics covered include Age, Anger, Education, Melancholy, Quakers, Servants, and Whigs. The last three volumes also have memoranda sections at the end, and Volume 7 includes copies of a number of her favourite poems, as well as this on history:


“By Reading of History we do as it were Antedate life and make our selves contemporary with the Ages past. In conversing with books we may choose our Company....”


REELS 7-9


D/EP F36 1670-onwards c200ff
D/EP F37 1673 c190ff
D/EP F38 1675-84 c120ff
D/EP F39 1680 c550ff
D/EP F43 nd c336ff


D/EP F44 nd c180ff
These 6 volumes of commonplace books complement the diary sequence and commence in 1670. Their contents are as follows:


D/EP F36 has text running from both the front and back of the book. From the front are “Collections of several things out of History begun about the year 1670”. There is a list of these at the front. For instance:


f1 Dr Hammond on the New Testament
f21 Montayne’s Essays in three parts
f22 Memoirs of China
f90 Taylor on ye Sacrament
f121 Grotius on Religion
f133 Erasmus Christian Soldier
Running from the back of the volume is a separate section entitled “Poems Collected at severall times from the year 1670.” This includes:


Abraham Cowley The Civill Warre
Andrew Marvell On the Sad day
Anon To Celia
Robert West A Poem at Tunbridg
J Dryden A Satyr
There is also a book-list covering 133 volumes.



D/EP F37 completes Reel 7 and is an alphabetic commonplace book arranged by headings. For instance:
“Love - Love is like a Hecticke feavor, att first hard to know, and easy to cure, afterwards easie to be known, and impossible to be cured.” (c15pp in this section)

“Woman - Woman was made to punish man, and the Devil to punish women.”

“Kisses - Kisses are but like sands of gold and silver, found upon the ground which are not worth much themselves but as they promise a mine near to be dig’d.”


D/EP F 38 and 39 make up Reel 8. Both are religious commonplace books. The first is marked: “A collection of texts of scripture wc may be usefull to review at any times 1 Dec 1684.” Text runs both ways. The second volume is huge and includes the note: “Sarah Cowper 1680 I recommend particularly the paraphrase upon the Book of Ecclesiastes.”

D/EP F43 appears at the beginning of Reel 9. It is well-organized with tables by subject (eg Art, Charity, Errour, Heaven and Hell, Humility, Marriage, Prayer, Zeal) and by author (eg Bacon, Hooker, T Kempis, Taylor). It includes paraphrases, excerpts and complete poems such as a previously unrecorded version of a poem by Katherine Philips (“the matchless Orinda”).

D/EP F44 contains further “Collections out of the Holy Bible.”

D/EP F45 nd Dame Sarah Cowper

This volume is an illustrated scrapbook and has numerous blank pages which have not been filmed. It contains 22 pictures and a manuscript enclosure entitled “The Character of Sir Hen Vane” by Algernon Sidney.

REEL 10

D/EP F205 1714-20 Mary, Countess Cowper
Mounted in a modern guard-book, D/EP F205 comprises 6 original manuscript books providing a marvellous (and often scandalous) account of life at court. They were written by “une Dame du Palais”, Mary, Countess Cowper, a Lady of the Bedchamber during the reign of King George I. The dates of the volumes are as follows:


Book 1 Oct 1714 - Mar 1714/15 ff 1-15
Book 2 Oct 1715 - Jan 1715/16 ff 16-23
Book 3 Feb 1715/16 - Apr 1716 ff 24-50
Book 4 Apr - Jul 1716 ff 51-60
Book 5 Jul 1716 - Nov 1716 ff 61-70
Book 6 Apr - Jul 1720 ff 71-113


There are a number of coded entries for individuals such as:

2 The Prince

3 The Princess
11 The Duke of Newcastle

24 The Duchess of Roxburgh
54 The Earl of Nottingham

59 Hanover
115 Mrs Kilmarnock

193 Mistress


A complete list of codes appears at the end of the volume at ff 114 - 126.


The following excerpt provides a flavour of the original:


“I din’d undress’d at Mrs Claytons with the D-s of Marl: Co-s of Pique borg [?] & Lady E.R. The D-s gave me a pattern for imbroidery for the next birthday. Mad. Piq. told us a story from Han: of one of Schullenbergs nieces that is marryd to a man of quality whose name I have forgot. She had formerly led a very ill life wch had occasioned a parting between her & her husband, by whom she had only one daughter, who by the Laws of Germany being incapable of inheriting her Fathers Estate gave great uneasiness to the Relations on both sides, wch put them (upon the joyfull occasion of the Kings coming to the Crown) upon making a reconciliation, wch was not very uneasy to effect; she being one of the handsomest as well as wittiest women in the world. But it seems she lik’d a lewd life too well to be reclaim’d from it & she saw a young man (who had before this an unreproachable Character) that she likd & she never gave over writing to him till she had brought him to her will as appears by some letters of hers that were found in his pockets. She made an excuse one night to her husband that she was not well & wished to lye alone; he who had narrowly watched her, mistrusted something, & so got notice that this young man was in bed with her; upon wch he went up to her apartmt & knock’d at her door, & open’d it with a Candle & a sword in his hand. She call’d to know wt he wanted, he said he wanted to know who was in bed with her, you come & see replied she if there is any body; & upon his drawing the Curtain finding no body, he flung down the cloaths guessing rightly that he was crept underneath & wn he found him he stab’d him in several places, during wch time she put out the Candle & the young man got out of the room, the husband follow’d him but had the precaution to lock up his wives aprtmt & meeting wth this young man in the Passage he kill’d him as he thought & left him. & having raisd the house & sent for the Sheriff he went to his wife wth all these witnesses wth him. As soon as he saw her he began to expostulate wth her & she to deny all that had happen’d & bid him prove him; he did so by producing his night cap in bed, his cloaths in the room, & the blood on the floor. She alledging that he & his Man contriv’d all this to undo her so then the wounded man was search’d for and found, after he had bled almost to death (his wounds being no otherwise dangerous). Wn she saw him she saw it was time to dissemble no longer so putting on an impudt air she turnd about to the Sheriff abusing, well Mr Sheriff don’t you think that you have made a fine nights work out to find out the failings of one woman. This I must tell you is wt all Ladys in the world do, but all are not found out as i have been. She has since made her escape & the Gallant is likely to recover: & thus the Relations of both sides are disappointed in the expectation of a son to heir the Grandeur of this family.”

D/EP F205 Book 1, f11, 24 Nov 1714

D/EP F209 1720 Anonymous

“The Ladies Diary or the Woman’s Almanack for the Year of Our Lord, 1720.” This small (c35ff) diary has cropped pages and occasional notes. It has been included to illustrate another type of printed diary format and because space allowed.

D/ECd (Add) F7 18th C Lady Anne Blount

This is the commonplace book of Lady Anne Blount and bears the inscription “Stella’s Woerks” on the spine. It contains:



1 A Song to the Tune of Colin’s complaint
2 On My Linnet
3 Now the gay Spring....
5 On three ladies falling asleep in Gubbin’s wood and a gentleman sleeping with a book in his hand. A Song, starts:


“From Love, soothing fatal passion
guard my heart yee Powers divine
to no, triffling inclination
lett me liberty resign
ever innocently gay
spitefull refflections I’ll defie
no tyrant man will I obey
but a free Maid will live and dye.”


6 To Lady Blount, A panegyrick on the friendship of a modern Pilades and Orestes of my acquaintance
8 On reading some verses of a heathen satyrist, quoted by the honble Mr Boile in his Seraphick Love
9 A song on my most dear and worthy friend Lady Blount
10 A Song - “how great is that ruin, when pleasure pursuing, we passion obey....”
11 A Song made extempore, in a Coach, going to Tittenhanger, where a Lady was afraid of being drove too fast.
12 To my Dear and Worthy Friend Lady Blount, on her insisting on my writing to her in verse, because I had not answer’d her last letter
15 On the holy Bible
16 A Ballad, to the tune of shepherd Adonis
18 A song - “Sure absence is the greatest woe the Lover’s mind can undergo.”
20 “A L’eternelles ennui je me vou condemnee.”
21 To Sir Harry Blount, on his saying he wou’d not have a fiddle on my lady’s birth day. “Pope” is written at the top.
23 A Song, on the birth day of my Dear and worthy Friend Lady Blount, Tune an Italian Minuet
25 On my Dear and worthy friend Lady Blount when she was at London, myself being in the Country
27 A Song to the Tune of Louis, a gentle generous passion
28 A Song to the Tune, can love be controlld by advice, can reason and madness agree
29 Upon Good Nature
31 Upon her Grace, the Dutchess of Leeds
32 Chloe’s Answer to, sweet were once the joys I tasted
33 Upon the Death of the St Alban’s Assembly....
34 A Song to the tune of Arno’s Vale
35 A Song “Dear Chloe your rigour give over.”

Panshanger Box 37 1857 Lady Adine Cowper
Marked as “Volume II” this chatty diary provides an account of “a quiet studious country-life.” Reading, visits and family life are all covered.


D/ERv F4 - F5 1866-68 Lady Adine Fane, née Cowper
Two small volumes (c75ff each) packed with diary entries in a tiny hand. The first is Pawsey’s Pocket Diary, and Almanack, for 1866. The second is Peacock’s Diamond Diary & Memorandum Book for 1868.

REELS 11-14

16195-16200 1817-23 Mrs Jane Johnston
16201-16207 1824-30 Mrs Jane Johnston
16208-16213 1831-36 Mrs Jane Johnston


16214-16217 1837-40 Mrs Jane Johnston
This lengthy sequence of diaries is filled with brief factual entries. These touch upon society life, the education and upbringing of her children, gambling, charity, letters received, meetings, illness, and her domestic staff. Expenses are analyzed thoroughly (prices are given for shoes, bonnets and all manner of other items, as well as accounts of money paid to labourers, and of charitable giving) making this an excellent source for the study of consumption. There are also some reading notes. In the Record Office these diaries are gathered together in 5 bundles:


Bundle 1 16195 1817
16196 1819
16197 1820
16198 1821


Bundle 2 16199 1822
16200 1823
16201 1824
16202 1825
16203 1826


Bundle 3 16204 1827
16205 1828
16206 1829
16207 1830
16208 1831


Bundle 4 16209 1832
16210 1833
16211 1834
16212 1835
16213 1836

Bundle 5 16214 1837
16215 1838
16216 1839
16217 1840


Jane Johnston used a variety of diaries including Keasley’s Gentleman & Tradesman’s Pocket Ledger, Thomas’s Daily Register, or Complete Remembrancer, The Student’s Journal, and Dunn’s Law & Commercial Remembrancer.

REEL 15

57462 1873 Edith, Lady Lytton

A chatty diary written on black edged letter paper entitled “Diary from Paris from 1873, from first arrival” and providing a very detailed account of Lady Lytton’s stay in France. Lady Lytton is very class conscious and there is a memorable passage concerning a channel crossing: “We asked for a deck cabin thinking our only hope was to lie down, but the steward said he was very sorry he feared they were all engaged. However on giving him our name an empty cabin was soon found.... ...it is wonderful what effect a title has upon the vulgar - I got ill.”

REELS 15-16

70150-70159 1792-1826 Mrs Louisa Arrowsmith


70160-70168 1827-36 Mrs Louisa Arrowsmith
Another long diary sequence, this is the diary of Lady Louisa Arrowsmith, wife of Edward A——, an attorney on King’s Bench. It has a heavily religious tone and there is much on charitable work and alms for the poor. There is material on estate affairs, visits to the theatre, current events, radicals, village life, haymaking, work on the garden, a visit to Brighton, staem-boats and many other topics. The original sequence is gathered together in four bundles as follows:


Bundle 1 70150 (1792) 4ff Records a journey
70151 1818 c46ff
70152 1819 c69ff
70153 1820 c70ff
70154 1821 c70ff


Bundle 2 70155 1822/3 c100ff
70156 1823? c16ff
70157 1824 c60ff
70158 1825 c50ff
70159 1826 c50ff


Bundle 3 70160 1827 c50ff
70161 1827 c50ff
70162 1828 c50ff
70163 1829 c50ff


Bundle 4 70164 1830 c60ff
70165 1831 c50ff
70167 1832 c26ff Much in pencil
70168 1836 c35ff


REEL 16


86135 1859 Frances Crespigny
Covering the period from 28 Apr 1859 to 29 Mar 1860, this is the diary of Frances Crespigny, later Lady Russell Reynolds.


86326 1820 Eliza Hope Stevens
Kept by her Governess, this diary describes the trials and tribulations encountered in the education and socialization of a young girl. It lists lessons and evaluates her performance, which improves from “Imperfect” to “Indifferent” and then to “Tolerable” and “Well.” For example:


“Tuesday. Eliza has been so inattentive and ill behaved today she has scarcely done any thing; reading, mental Improvement, Arithmetic & Globe lesson have all been omitted & after spending two hours & a half over less than half a Fable which I gave her to translate she had obliged me to send her back 18 times to look out that number of words in the Dictionary when the whole lesson was only 16 lines; & this the 126th fable she has read.

Tables repeated Indifferently
Dancing Indifferent
Passing Careless.”


D/P78 29/1 1836 Mrs Frances M Polhill
The entries in this diary are very slight, but space allowed it to be included. There are notes on who called and on travels made recorded in The Law & Commercial Daily Remembrancer for 1836.


D/Z32 F1 1841 Lady Adela Capel

This is the diary of a girl of 14 living with two younger brothers and numerous servants at Cassiobury Park, Watford. Her parents live in London. The diary is followed by a journal article (from The Lady, 11 Dec 1941) reflecting on the diary. There is much on pets, including a fawn named Fairy which she takes for walks (it dies in November). There is also much on the garden. Adela Capel was evidently a thoughtful and sensitive girl, as the following extract shows:


“Humanity is a virtue talked of by many but practised by few. It is a virtue which we should try to profess and exercise to the fullest extent of our power not only to our fellow men but to the poor dismle animals for whose pleasure they are kept and for whose food they are maintained. How useful an animal is a horse but how often do we see him who is one of the noblest works of the Creation whipped, spurred for the selfish motive of the Driver to show his skill in the art of horsemanship....” This is followed by a long essay on animal welfare.

Lady Adela Capel was the daughter of the Earl of Essex and her diary is recorded in Richards’s Universal Daily Remembrancer for 1841.

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