Marion Sambourne's Diary, 1907

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MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

Notes in front of diary Mrs Cooper, Palace Villas, Buxton Nurse Davis left & Vince came (15 June). 3 months wages 13th Sep, Vince. 13 weeks washing Day go to Edgar. (6 Sept) alas postponed. (some illeg numbers on next page) £25 a year, 6 months £ 7. 15. 0 7.15. 0 15.10. 0 Write the figures 9999 in such a way to make 100 = 99. 9 9 Why is the Prince of Wales like 15/-? Because it only takes a crown to make him a sovereign. Name 3 fruits in the Garden of Eden “The apple, the pear, & the beastly medler.” A lunatic was observed to be wheeling a wheelbarrow upside down. On being asked why he said “Yesterday I wheeled it the other way & they put bricks in it.” A gentleman visiting a lunatic asylum observed that the clock was wrong. An inmate replied “It would not be right if it was here, or if it was right it would not be here.” Words selected by the 4 boys at Midge’s for Charades, “ Potatoes” & Propagate” & they brought in whole word of the word Badminton as “Bad mint on peas”. The Right Honourable William Ewart Gladstone (using each of these letters & no more) makes “I am the Whig who’ll be a Traitor to England’s Rule.” Mr Mond M.P. speaking to his constituents said his work had been greatly lightened by the aid of his better half, when someone amongst the crowd shouted “Three cheers for the Demi Mond!” A gentleman American told a lady the walls of his hotel were so thin he could hear the man in the next room to his changing his mind! A lady who always bowed reverently in church whenever the Devil or Satan’s name was mentioned, when asked why she said “Politeness costs nothing & you never know.”

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Midge said she would soon have to engage a secretary to say what she wished to say but could not remember! “Who ate the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden?” “The pair.” What were the fruits in the garden of Eden? “The apple, the pear & the beastly medlar.” Investments recommended by Sir Walter Foster: The Edinburgh & Glasgow Insurance Coy. Shares to be got from Cross & Co, Stock Brokers, Cardiff. Mervyn, Southern Manchurian 5% Railway debs. 98. Hamilton. Argentine Southern Land shares. Good stories continued. American gentleman told a lady he had taken in to dinner that the walls of his Hotel were so thin he could hear the man changing his mind! Small boy accused by his father of taking some peaches said “Father I cannot tell a lie. I did not touch one. How can you say such a thing when 3 peach stones were found in your room & only one in the dish? “That father is the one I did not touch.” Vince £7.0.3 a quarter including 1/3 a week washing from June to September. Addresses: Spencer. Castle End, Leas, Ross, Herefordshire. White, dress maker. 39 Minford Gardens, West Kensington Park, W. Geoff Conrad. “Assaye” S. Ship, due (illeg) 23rd Sep. Ferozipore, Punjab, India. Mrs Monteith Young (dressmaker) rev fr. South Audley St to Mesdames Muller & Mariet, 21 Somerset Street, Portman Square. Toy shop Gamage & Co, Holborn Hamleys Ld, Regent Street. Phyllis Hickman, Lambwell House Nr. Reading. Mrs Young, dressmaker. Fr. South Audley St moved to Mesdames Muller & Mariet, 21 Somerset St, Portman Square. Oct 1st. Ethel Mervyn had been trying problems fr. her book in striking croquet balls, 4 fr. one corner of lawn, & one ball got lost. She asked little Linley to help her find it. After hunting in vain he said “Auntie, why not strike the 3 balls again fr. the corner of the court & see where they go to” & they found the lost ball a yard off where the furthest ball went. Very clever of him & only just 8 years old. Ethel Mervyn’s help. Mrs Leighman (Margaret) 35 Bolingbroke Rd, West Kensington. Mrs Morton Latham, Hollow Denes, Frensham, Farnham. Mrs Lathem, Knowle, Crebfield, Sussex. 2


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Mrs Church’s french maid, Mad’lle Berthe Prevost, chez Madame Bochent 14 Rue d’Alsace, Bologne-sur-mer. American man told a lady at dinner that the wall at his Hotel was so thin that he could hear the man in the next room changing his mind! Small child seeing 2 tall policemen walking with a little girl between them whose hands they were holding said to her mother “How nice to see those policemen walking with their little child.” Boys writing a story, one commenced his “Hell exclaimed the Duchess who until now had not entered into the conversation.” Another boy wrote “A hermit had dwelt on a lonely mountain for many years but still remained childless.” ! Phyllis Hickman, Trunkwell House, Black Hill, Reading Mervyn. 4 Studio, 14a Cheyne Row. Lin’s. There was an old woman & she was as deaf as a post. Make this into a rhyme without changing position of words. There was an old woman & she was as deaf as a P.O.S.T. Fr. Punch dinner Advertisement seen. “Please send post office order or I shall have to pawn my trowsers” received reply “Thanks for P.O. shall not have to P. my trowsers.” Vulgar. Spontaneous rhyme on quarreling birds “Birds in their little nests agree And tis a shameful sight That on the Westhouse balcony They do nothing else but fight.” Little Anne aged 5. After seeing Lennie’s Volunteers parade to Church Nov 3rd. 1907 “And we saw a Drummer drumming with a drum as big as he.” Anne, 5. “Ganna isn’t it strange we have had so many calves this year & no Babies & I would so love to have a Baby sister.” Vince wages from 15th June three months to 15th September at £25 a year. £ 6. 5. 0 13 weeks washing for same time at 1/3 weekly 15. 3 Total £ 7. 0. 3 th Paid 16 Sep. Monday.

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Owe darling Maud 4 Dividends of £ 1.17.11 Making £ 7.11. 3 3 Emma’s contributions Xmas 8/6 each £ 1. 5. 6 Dentist 10. 6 Paid 6 November £ 9. 7. 3 th th Paid Vince 18 Dec, due 15 three months wages £ 7. 0. 0 Trust received Jan 49. 8. 0 Feb 52. 0. 0 March 19. 0. 0 April 40.17.5 May - - June 45.11.4 July 49. 8. 0 August 52. 0. 3 September 19. 0. 0 October 40.17. 8 November - - December 45. 9. 2 £ 413.11.10

Private acc Equals for each month 25. 3. 1 £ 74.11. 1 42. 9. 1 94. 9. 1 30. 4. 3 49. 4. 3 47.18.11 88.16. 4 6.11. 6 6.11. 6 14. 0. 7 59.12.11 29.18. 2 79. 6. 2 21.14. 9 73.15. 0 31.14. 9 50.14. 9 53.18. 2 94.15.10 11.13. 7 11.13. 7 12. 0 46. 1. 2 £ 315.18.10 £ 729.10. 8

Birds in their little nests agree And tis a shocking sight To see them on our Balcony Do nothing else but fight. There was a young lady called Gilliam Who at lunch would sit next to Sir William He said “We’re not mummies We’ve all of us tummies And now is the moment to fill ‘em.” This is Sir W.S.Gilbert’s. Lin’s story of short man married to v. tall woman. Climbed up to embrace her & not see to business below”. Horrid story. W.Whitman said “Have you read my book on the “Seen & the Unseen?” “What about the Obscene?” someone remarked. A Father said to his little boy “George it is very wicked to take what does not belong to you. You were stealing when you took those peaches from 4


MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

the cupboard”. Father, said the boy, I did not touch one. I will not tell a lie. But said the father three peach stones were found in your room & only one peach was left in the cupboard. As I will not tell a lie said the the boy, that is the one peach I did not touch. Lin’s. Dr Beauchamp, 8 William Street, Lowndes Sqre, Knightsbridge. Salvation Army, 101 Queen Victoria St, London E.C. Things one would rather put differently. A wine merchant recommending some particular brand of his own especial claret “I assure you sir you cannot touch it.”

Diary: Only a few dates filled in for January Sunday 6 January 3rd week of Nurse Davis Sunday 20 January 5th week of Nurse Davis Sunday 27 January 6th week Nurse D. Thursday 7 February Fairly good night. Woke at 4.30 hearing Lin coughing. Sent Nurse with cough medicine to him. He slept well after. Babies came morg. Friday 8 February V. fine. Darling Anne’s birthday 5 years old today. She came at 11 with Oliver & Nurse F. Edie came also morg. Nurse Davis out morg. V. good night & Lin did not cough. Up afternoon in dressing gown on sofa. Saturday 9 February Lin went at 3.30 to Bournemouth to stay until Monday with Lennie & Maud. Dull but fine later. Mrs Spofforth came 5 o’c, stayed some time. Up at 4 o’c arm chair in dressing gown. Sunday 10 February 8th week Nurse D. Lovely day. Up at 4 on sofa. Mrs Sington, Mervyn & Roy came morg. Evie Fisher-Rowe came 4.30 & stayed all afternon. Roy came in again for a few seconds at 7 o’c. 5


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Monday 11 February Lovely day. Mr Hayward came, says I may go down tomorrow to drawing room. He comes again for last time Wed week. To go if possible to Sidmouth, Devon, Saturday week. Dickie returned & Lennie & Maud fr. Bournemouth. Lin & Maud came 5 o’c. Tabbie here had come up fr. Pyt. Maudie had to put off her dinner of 8, house upset with reinstatement of electric light. Tuesday 12 February Lady Lawrence came morg. Did not sleep after luncheon. Midge did not come. Down to drawing room 5 o’c. Maudie & F.W. came, darling looks better & Dickie’s cough better. Feel vy groggy on legs & feet. Wednesday 13 February Up at 4 o’c. Midge & Tabbie & my darling came to tea, all looking well. Put on green silk mantle to please darling Maud. Thursday 14 February Up at 4 o’c. Darling Maud came late. Florence fetched her for some shop’g. Maudie brought me lovely little note book as Valentine. Friday 15 February Florrie Blair came morg. Brought me photo frame fr. Cashmire. Got up 4 o’c as usual. F.Walford came to tea with lovely warm pink & white knee wrap from darling Maud who could not leave Lennie on account of his cold. Mad’lle J. came afternoon. Feel stronger on my legs. Saturday 16 February Lovely morg. Lin goes to Pantomime alone matinée. Darling Maud came late. Lennie vy seedy with neuralgia. Fanny Nembhard, Mrs Adlam & my darling came to tea. Sat in drawing room until 8 o’c. Had bath! evg. Sunday 17 Feb 9th Nurse D. Blowing hard. Lin made to cross Channel. Up at 4. Midge & Fanny Evans, Laurence & Evie came to tea. Mrs Evans vy friendly & smart. Lennie & Maud & Roy came to dine. Saw Lennie for 1st time since illness, he looks seedy. Came & sat in my bedroom after dinner. Monday 18 February Up at 4 o’c. Nurse out morg. Mrs Mackenzie & Mrs A. Gill came to tea, the latter leaving for the country. She has let her house. Expects a Baby in June! Darling came about 5, bringing lamp shades. Always laden with

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presents! Lennie in bed with neuralgia. Dickie dined with Midge, Hamilton & Paul at Coburg. Dora was dining out. Tuesday 19 February Lennie’s birthday. The Babies came over morg, both so well & bright. Nurse to dentist morg. Lin dines at Maud’s. Lovely day. Dr Pollock’s account, vy stiff £15.15.0, evidently £5.5.0 a visit. Sent Emma & Ellen to Pantomime. Vy gusty night. Wednesday 20 February Lovely morg. Bad night. So rough, windows rattling all night. Mr Hayward paid me his last visit! Darling Maud came after tea, does not look very well. Lennie still seedy. Lin left early for Punch dinner. Mrs Pointer & Marie’s Wed. Mr Hayward says I am to go for drive if fine. Friday 22 February Pay Marie £5 three months wages. Lovely morg, bitterly cold. Windows open night, felt rheumatism in arm. My darling fetched me 1.30 in Victoria, hot bottles, rugs & fur coat felt as warm as possible. Had an hour’s drive. She lunched after at Nembhards. Nurse eye vy bad flint in it. Evie Fisher Rowe came to luncheon. Florence W. to tea. Lin doing Hare chased by Greyhounds. Saturday 23 February Lovely morg. Up at 10 & at 11.30 for drive with darling Maud in Victoria. V. cold but so warmly wrapped up did not feel it. Very cold in drawing room. Had luncheon in dining room & had good sleep after in bed. Nurse went to see about water bed cheque, quite all right. Marie unsettled & leaving. No callers. Lin dined at Maud’s. Books from Bumpus. Sunday 24 February 10th Nurse D. Lovely morg. Rested in bed till 4 o’c, tired from 2 early mornings. Roy came in morning, looks much better. Mervyn came about 6 o’c. Would not remain to dinner. Lennie, Maudie, Roy & Mr Lucas dined here. I remained in drawing room to see them. To bed directly after. The Mervyns moving into their new house. Monday 25 February Dull but warmer. Up at 10.30 & for drive of one hour with darling Maud in Victoria & lunched in dining room! Rested in bed after. Down at 4.30. Dickie had tea with me. Sent cheque to Bumpus with books, chose 2 for

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Lennie 15/-. Pointer wishes to leave on account of E. Vy sorry like her so much. Tuesday 26 February Had bad night, woke so often. Uric acid! & pain in side. With darling for drive at 11.30, dull day but enjoyed it so much. To my room for luncheon. Maudie remained to luncheon & put all my papers etc in order, the darling. Read afternoon. No one came but Mrs Turner. Dickie dined at Maud’s, enjoyed his evening vy much. Ellen gave notice! Epidemicof notices! Contageous. Wednesday 27 February X. Sent allotment receipt of 2 new B.A.Pacific Rly shares of £10 each to Bank. Pd £2 also Coupé Divs of £2.8.6 & £2.11.3. Remained in bed room in dressing gown & tidied drawers with darling Maud. Marie washed out wardrobe drawers. Maudie remained to luncheon & till 4.30. Mrs Bergheim, G. Fraser, Mrs Tate & Tabbie came to tea. Dickie off to Punch dinner 6 o’c. Thursday 28 February Darling Maud came at 11 o’c. White fog. Lennie better but Florence ill in bed. Maudie stayed until 6 o’c, finished doing drawers in my wardrobe. Nurse out at 4 o’c. Slept better but discomfort from taking too small a pill last night. Edie came to tea. Friday 1 March Maudie came & took me for drive & remained to luncheon & tea. Worked & read. Pointer spoke to me vy nicely about remaining until I am suited. Emma came up morg. Only saw Dickie for 5 seconds. Vy glad Maudie lunched here to be with him, too long a day all alone for him. Saturday 2 March With Maudie for drive. Maudie lunched here remained till 5.30. Lennie vy seedy in bed till 11 but going to City. Dickie to Matinée, Cleopatra. Dickie dined at Maud’s. X. Sent dividends to Bank. Thought darling looking vy tired & blue round eyes. Sunday 3 March 11th Nurse D. Maud, Lennie & Roy dine here. Marie packed morg & my darling came & packed also until luncheon when she had to return to Lennie who is vy seedy. Lennie unable even to dine here, but Maudie, Roy & Florence came. Maudie & Roy sat in my room after dinner.

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Monday 4 March Left for Sidmouth 11.10. arriving 3.20. Had fair night. Lovely morg. Dickie, Nurse Davis left in omnibus & darling Maud took me in Victoria to Waterloo. Had most comfortable journey, only 2 stops. Jolty omnibus. Clean Hotel but rooms vy small & I find 2nd floor v. tiring. Had tea in bed room. Nurse & self had dinner in bed room. Fire in room. Dickie dined alone. Tuesday 5 March Horrid day, very cold. Fair night. Fire early & Nurse & I breakfasted in my room. Out with Dickie in Bath chair for 1½ hrs. Dull & vy cold. Met Ray Lancaster & niece. Sidmouth not atractive in cold wet weather. X. Lunched with Dickie 1st meal together for 14 weeks! Rested after on bed & dined with Dickie. Awfully tired after. Nurse dined with us but lunched upstairs. Wednesday 6 March Heavenly morg. Had good night but felt awfully depressed as Dickie leaving. He left by 11.30. I went for an hour after in B. chair & again for 1½ hours after luncheon. 4/- in all. Second pot of cream 10d. P.O. stamps 1/-, ink 1d. Lay down on return fr. drive. Tea in my room for Nurse, milk for me. Rested until dinner. Thursday 7 March Dull rainy morg. In bed all morg. Chair 2 hours after lunch. Miss Lancaster with us. Got cream at Potters, new place, not so good. Sat in drawing room after dinner. Lady Trendel’s friend spoke to us, had been to our at home. Flowers fr. Balcombe & Bedstone. Met Riviere’s dau. & her husband. Friday 8 March Lovely early. Fire early. Out in chair 11.30 for 1 hour, 1½ hrs afternoon, 4/-. Miss Lancaster gave me primroses. Started book on Spain. Walked round garden & felt easier. Still rheumatic pains in arms, legs & feet. Talked with T. Lady & Miss Lancaster. Young Cornish gentleman sat next us at dinner & talked, explained flower growing. Saturday 9 March Dull. Dear Dickie coming at 5.23 till Monday. Fred Lancasters leave at 10 AM. Horrid day again. Great exodus fr. Hotel. Remarkably plain women in great numbers here. Dickie arrived at 6 o’c. Out morg & afternoon , 1½ morg, 1 afternoon. Bought fruit, flowers & cream.

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Sunday 10 March 12th Nurse D. Went morg altho’ horrid cold dull rainy morg. with Dickie for 2 hours on Parade. Again an hour from 5 - 6. Dickie livelier. Dickie having drains at Staf.Ter. done tomorrow, tested by Army & Navy Stores. Dickie sat in my room after dinner where we had fruit. Horrid cream shall buy no more except fr. Hotel. Monday 11 March Dear Lin went up by 11.50 train, looks better but his cough still tiresome. X. Lin having drainage at Staf.Terrace examined today, anxiously await result!!! Went morg for one hour, afternoon one hour. Talkative gentleman told me of china clay in Cornwall greatest source of (illeg) there. Cold out, only up & down Parade. X. Sent Japanese paper on conversion of 6% into 5% to Mr Richardson, Bank. X. Tuesday 12 March Vy cold frost. Some sun. Awake during night. X. Had Hotel cream for breakfast, far nicer than what we buy. Only down in time to walk round garden, v. cold & rain. Had white pony Bath chair at 3.30 for hour & went round Convent & back by Knowle Hotel. Violets from Tabbie. Cornwall gent. gave me red stone fr. shore like a Spa. Exodus & many new people today. Bill £10!!! Wednesday 13 March No fire morg. as it smokes. X. Fortunately sunny early. Slept better, & warmer. X. Started taking Telegraph. Had white pony chair & had drive inland. Vy cold wind. Out 1¼ hrs. Out again 1¼ hrs at 2.15. Lovely drive over hills & down steep hill by Station home. Tea & rest. Cornwall most talkative. To bed after dinner. Letters fr. Dickie, Maudie & Roy. Thursday 14 March Fresh cream again & bacon instead of egg. Lovely morg. White pony at 12 o’c & over Golf Links 1½ hour. Awfully jolly drive. V. pretty drive. Afternoon hand chair along Parade. Maud & Lennie left for Paris. Friday 15 March X. Sent by evg. post 2 allotment letters to Bank, £100 Japanese 5% exchange fr 6%. B.A.Pacific 2 £10 shrs ord. Out 2½ hrs bath chair. Pain in side & back from yesterday’s jolting. Saturday 16 March Jap. conversion of 6% to 5% allot. letter sent to Bank with B.A.Pacific allot letter, 2 £10 ord. shs. Lovely 2 hrs morg 3/6 round new drive. 10


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Walked after luncheon around Hotel!!! Cold but some sun. Boat race, Cambridge won. Roy unable to go with Lin. Letter fr. a lady about Pointer, odd. Slept badly. Sunday 17 March 13th Nurse D. Slept badly. Lovely morg. Lin goes to Paris to join Lennie & Maud at Hotel Continantal. Had 2 hrs drive morg 3/-. Walked after lunch thro’ cricket field & by Royal Glen back!!! Letter fr. Pointer about leaving think it most odd. Monday 18 March Sent off £150 to Bank on deposit received fr. dear Lennie for Doctor’s fees!!! Out morg 2 ½ hrs 3/6 near Sudbury thro’ Sidford & close to Core Hill, lovely, but v. tired after. Wrote, had letters fr. Midge (Cordoba) Dickie, Roy, Geoff Con, Tabs wanting me to go there at once. Not strong enough yet. Walked but felt tired. Wrote to Pointer & Miss Gordon Dill for her. Rested an hour, Nurse read, & to bed. Apple & cream & champ Nurse got. Tuesday 19 March Lovely morg early. 11.30 chair. X. Emma goes to Balcombe for 2 weeks! Inconsiderately long considering. X. Drains tested yesterday Staf.Ter. & condemmed! Out morg 1½ hours & afternoon on parade 1 hr. 4/-. No cream. V. livery & v. uncomfortable all day, side & back painful. Slept badly. Worried about drainage etc. Dear Lin, Maudie & Lennie leave Paris for Biarritz. Pd Hotel bill £9.5.11. Wednesday 20 March Sunny morg. Slept v. badly & feel headachy. Still livery from outward signs! Letter fr. darling written in train on way fr Paris to Biarritz. Letter fr Mervyn. X. Sent B.A.Gt Southern Rly 2d call to bank £30 on 12 allotted £10 fr. debs. X. Out morg 1½ hrs & 1 hr afternoon. Bright warm sun cold in wind. Nurse to tea Knowle Hotel. Feel rather tired & seedy after bad night. Thursday 21 March Out morg 1½ hr & afternoon 1 hour. Walked. Took Nurse’s pill last night, good result, less livery. Nurse moved my things with housemaid. V. helpless & slow, more fuss than necessary. Bride & Bridegroom here, he fr. H.M.S Excellent.

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Friday 22 March Heavenly day. Went at 11.30 for 1st drive, an hour. To Sid-Vale Dairy. Sent off ¾ lb tin cream to Nurse F. for chicks & to Mrs Sington. Letters fr. Biarritz fr. Lin & Maud. V. happy there, & fr. Midge fr. Seville. Out 2.30 chair for an hour. Nurse to Doctor for rheumatism. Sat out. First night in new room. V. cold morg, lovely afternoon. Lavatory report fr. Stores. Very bad. Saturday 23 March Lovely day. Cold wind. Carriage for 2 hrs, 6/-. Drove to Newton Poppleford, Harpford, passing the little river valley & Tipton, lovely drive. Stamps 2/6/ parcel & paper 6d, spent fr. hols money 9/-. Walked afternoon. Talkative left, shall miss him. Nurse went to see Doctor, says its neuritis. She is more slow than ever, & most depressing to be with. Went over Clifton House, beautifully clean & well kept. Talked to Jewish lady after dinner, out earlier without Mr Coade. Letters fr. dear Lin, Maudie & Tabbie. Sunday 24 March 14th week Nurse D. Lin left 1 week Spain. Lovely day. Walked morg. long distance 1 hour. Paid chair only 1/6. Monday 25 March Lovely. Drove for 2 hrs carriage dreadfully jolty drive to Sidbury 6/-. Fely v. seedy after. Had chair for hour afternoon 1/6. Went over house Mrs Frick. V. sunny. Tuesday 26 March Lovely morg. Chair ¼ to ½. Nurse most depressing had to tell her so. X. Afternoon chair 1 hour. Fearful fire at 6 o’c saw the pretty thatched house op. drive gates here in flames & watched the destruction for ½ an hour. Wonderful sight. Surprised to see Mrs Rawlinson alone at table at dinner & sat with her after till 9 o’c. Wednesday 27 March Heavenly day. Had chair for 1½ hrs morg 2/6. Saw charred remains of burnt out house, walls standing. To station. Decided to leave Saty for Pyt. Too tired to go out afternoon at all. Came up to room & wrote & lay down. Mr Heely came in & saw me in fine dégagé. Sat with Mrs & Miss Moss in their sitting room for ten minutes after dinner. Bath, but vy tired. Long drive Monday thrown me back 2 days. Many fresh arrivals.

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Thursday 28 March Lovely day. Delightful letters from Dickie & Maudie fr. Madrid. Feel v. tired & pain in side & back came again. Slept badly so worried about drainage & how to manage Stafford Ter. Rested all morg on Terrace with feet up. V. warm. Spoke to Sir Charles & Lady Owens, he most kind & arranged for my comfort on journey Saty. Mrs Rawlinson & Mrs Moss most kind. Boy hand chair 1½ hrs parade only 2/6. To bed directly after dinner. Read book on Spain. Friday 29 March Heavenly day. In all morg got up late & had splendid night & feel better. Sat out before luncheon ½ an hour with the Moss’s. After luncheon at 2.30 in hand chair for 2 hours on Parade, lovely but so many uninteresting people. Talked after tea with Mrs Rawlinson. Packed morg. Sir Charles Owens v. amusing at dinner & asked me to sit with them after but am too tired, came to bed. Saturday 30 March Decided to leave, go to Pyt with Nurse. Lovely morg. On arriving Sidmouth Station find out our train fr. Junc. stop’d!!! Had to go to Salisbury & to pay return journey! Adding insult to injury but all officials & porters most attentive & had reserved carriage, no crowd. Found Gwen & Miss Stopford at Tisbury & no motor. Had a closed fly for Nurse & self. Went to my room & had dinner there. All most kind. Had west room. Roy looks better colour tho’ pale. Sunday 31 March 2 weeks. Lovely morg. Slept well, down & sat on terrace till luncheon. Mr, Mrs & Maurice Berkeley Portman, young Gordon & Miss Stopford staying here. Tabs off to fetch Gareth in motor with young Portman. Returned late. Had my dinner in Library & to bed at 9 o’c. Monday 1 April Lovely day. Sat out on Terrace all morg. Slept fairly well, feel better in self. All party except Tabs, Gareth, Mrs P & self off in 2 motors to Races. Sat out after luncheon again & in to have milk in my room & lie down at 5 o’c. Mr & Miss Maudesley called. They all had a lovely day at Races. V. many smart & pretty women. One misses little Eve here. Had dinner in Library & to bed 9.30. Roy looks better every day. Tuesday 2 April Emma returns after 2 weeks at Balcombe. Marie comes by 11.10 to Tisbury. Wires fr. Maud wishing me to keep Nurse so wrote to Marie not 13


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to come Saturday. Hope all will go well at home. Lovely morg. Had walk with Nurse round garden. Letters fr. Lin & Maud, not had my letters. Also letter fr. Midge. Rained after luncheon. Dined in Library. Wednesday 3 April Dull morg, wet. Ham & Roy to Leweston for day. Miss Browning & Mrs Bennett here morg. Former played beautifully on violin. Mr & Mrs & young Portman left after luncheon. Had walk with Nurse round garden, rested after. Nurse to Semley. Stamps 2/6. Letters fr. Mrs Artindale. Thursday 4 April Cold. Rain morg, sunny after. Tabs & G. to Heykesbury wedding. H, R & Gareth golf. Went in to dinner. Walked to Hatch & back. Reading Grant’s translation Torpedo Boat off Port Arthur. Back achey. In to dinner. Friday 5 April Lovely. Walked to Hatch. Horid back ache. K, G & Roy to races & golf. Tabbie & G. to races. Nurse off postal order! Letters fr. Lin & Midge. Nurse only away 1¼ hrs & we went for walk along drive together, fine but v. cold. Tabs & Gwen back at 4, did not see them till 8. Saturday 6 April Inventory furniture being taken. Tabs & Gareth to Leweston. I slept badly. 2 letters fr. dear Lin & one fr. my darling fr. Seville. Letter fr. Emma, Ellen has bad finger. Estimate of Staf.Ter. drainage Stores £218 odd!!! Sunday 7 April 3 weeks. Snow on ground & trees, white. V. cold. Walked a little with Nurse morg. Young Rivers Pollock to luncheon & remaining for night. V. nice clever young man & studying for the Bar. Roy left at 4.30 for Lancaster Gate. Miss Price came to tea. Ham took Roy to Station. Tabs & Gareth return this evening. Sorry Roy alone in London. Monday 8 April Pointer leaves this week. No. X. Paid £9 to B.A. Rosario for 3 allotted shares. Pd 16/6 Marshall & Snelgrove. Tabbie & Gareth to London for night. Walked morg. Wrote Maud only, thought Lin wd. have left Spain. Long letter fr. Maudie, short one fr. Lin. Gwen, H. & self alone to dinner. Tuesday 9 April Letter fr. Dickie, not leaving Spain till 15th. Letters fr, Emma, Pointer, Midge. Wrote Pointer, Mrs Gordon Dill, Emma. Sat out morg. Kitchen 14


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garden, lovely out of wind. Miss Price to luncheon. Nice girl school at Dresden. Miss Brownrig & Mrs Bennet here morg. Heavy rain after lunch fine later. Ham to (blank) J.P. Tabbie & Gareth return tonight. Wednesday 10 April Fine & dull alternately. Shaftesbury pageant. Gwen, Mervyn & Miss Murray went & maids. Walked morg & afternoon. Reading Russian book on Baltic fleet to Soushina(?). Spoke to Tabs about my time here. Was most kind & said both H. & herself wished me to remain as long as possible. Tabbie v. seedy evening, ate nothing. Mervyn returned home. Thursday 11 April X. Sent Bankers receipt of £9 B.A.Rosario 2 allotted shrs to Bank. H. off early to Leweston. Cod & fog. Out morg with Nurse, walked along Hatch drive & round by stable, longest walk yet taken! Gwen out to luncheon. Mrs Shaw Stewart & holiday Mad’lle come. Letters fr. Lin & Maudie fr. Malaga, seem greatly enjoying themselves. Nurse to Semley. Walked in garden with Tabs after lunch, too cold & rained, fine after. Boys playing cricket. Tabbie better but looks v. pale. Mr & Mrs Shaw Stewart dined here. She is staying here. Boys play cricket. Friday 12 April V. wet morg. Gwen went after luncheon to Anchorage lent by H. to Ld. Stalbridge. 3 changes en route. Mrs S. Stewart to Fonthill for day. Walked afternoon & had tea in Tabbie’s bedroom. She remained in her room all day. Mad’lle & the boys dine with us, they are no trouble whatever. Have felt rather painy for 2 days, no doubt damp. Neuralgia. Saturday 13 April Letter fr. darling M. fr. Granada, they love it more almost than any other place in Spain. Walked morg round garden. V. damp early but sun v. warm when out. Walked again after luncheon. Tabs & Mrs S. Stewart out. Mr Gordon called. Boys playing cricket. Sunday 14 April Dear Conrad died from heart failure at 8.30 A.M. No one with him. Walked morg, felt better & again after luncheon. Mr S. Stewart to tea. Dear Mother’s wedding day. Monday 15 April Pointer leaves. Had the sad news in letter fr. Midge to Tabbie of dear Conrad’s sudden death yesterday morning. Tabs told me, feel very unhappy unable to go to them. Wire to Tabbie, the funeral on 15


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Wednesday! Fear Edgar will be terribly grieved to be away in Corsica, impossible to get home in time. Two letters fr. dear Lin fr. Granada, the first one had 2 coffins drawn in it, awful under circumstances. H. & Gareth to Cowes, to Southampton in motor. Tuesday 16 April Feel v. depressed & unhappy about dear Conrad & wish one of us had been with him the last two days. Had received quite a cheery letter fr. him last week & some photos of them all, one of dear Con amongst them but looking so terribly thin. Tabbie goes up tomorrow to see about her mourning, cannot imagine how I shall manag mine. Dear letters fr. Lin & my darling & Roy. Wednesday 17 April Dear Conrad’s funeral. Tabs & H. went up by early train. Poor Con buried at the Boehm’s grave Bentsbrook. H. Langley, Spencer, Mervyn, Roy, Hamilton Fletcher, Geoff & little Fitzroy, Ethel Boehm, Major Rooke & 2 others there. Geoff managed all. Letters fr. dear Lin & Maudie. Sea so rough at Gibralter Lin may come overland by Madrid & Paris, so sorry not fine enough for sea voyage which does him so much good. Dear Edgar arriving fr. Corsica too late, 4 o’c. 2 days 3 nights travelling. Thursday 18 April Lovely day. Walked to Lodge gates, too cold to rest long. Again round garden & drive after lunch. Boys cricket, watched fr. Terrace. Tabbie & Hamilton ret’d fr. London, Tabs in time for dinner. Dear Edgar had wired he w’d be at funeral of dear Conrad but had not arrived yesterday, nor do we know where he is. He left Corsica Monday on receipt of telegram & wired fr. Marseilles. V. anxious. Midge ill in bed with Nurse to attend her at Coburg. Friday 19 April Letters fr. Maudie & Dickie fr Algesiras. Lin decided to come back by Paris, gale blowing Gib. Fine. Sat out on Terrace for short time. Walked round gardens & to Lodge morg. Tabs to tea Mrs Price’s. Hamilton sang & played. Tabs sorting letters. Saturday 20 April V. cold, took Doll to Lodge. Lady Haykesbury & lady to luncheon, Miss Wilmot. Boys out. Tabs v. busy sorting china. Letters fr. darling Maudie, Edgar etc. Dickie leaves Madrid for Paris, leaving Maud & Lennie. Edgar leaves London tomorrow for Corsica to rejoin Sophy. So afraid to wear 16


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out my welcome, all most kind. Gwen returned fom Eve’s Aldershot. Roy not coming. Sunday 21 April Vy wet, vy stormy. H, Tabbie & Gwen v. busy packing books etc china etc. Dear letter fr. Maud & fr. Edgar who leaves today for Corsica, sleeps night at Continental, Paris. Wonder if he will come across Dickie. A week today since dear Con died. Monday 22 April Up at ¼ to 7, lovely morg & the lawn covered with starlings. X. Sent to L.C. Bank receipt £4 for instalment on 2 B.A.Pacific Rly allot’ shrs ord. Also City B.A. Tram paper liquidation £2.2.1. due fr. it to me, asking for certificate of shrs. Two vans here taking away furniture. Lovely day. H. to Leweston. X. Dear Lin arrives fr. Paris after Spanish trip at Staf.Ter. Tuesday 23 April Out morg & afternoon, discomfort side & back great quantity uric acid & mucous may suppose cause! Gareth, H. & Tabs to Links afternoon for tea. H. vy kind about my remaining here. Tabs looking v. tired evg. wish she w’d rest more. Two telegrams fr. Lin. Wednesday 24 April Heavenly day. Gareth, H. & Tabbie to London & Gareth goes to Eton, his first term. H. & Tabbie remain in town. Long letter fr. Lin morg, seems vy cheery. Had horrid pain again in back & side & in front left side making walking unomfortable & painful. Lady Queensberry’s grandson & a boy walked over 2 hours to play cricket with Mervyn 4 o’c. Gwen sent them back in cart at 7. Thursday 25 April Letter fr. Maudie. Slept till 7 o’c. Still feel pain in back & side. Walked to B. Lodge & sat a while. Mervyn seems so quiet without Gareth. Letter fr. Dickie, vy funny letter. Strange haze over country like sea fog. Nurse got me stamps Semley. We walked fr. 4 - 5. Feel v. tired & achey. Tabs’ dressmaker altered my bodice evg. to all black. Friday 26 April Heavy rain all day until 5 o’c when it cleared & we had a little sunshine. Packed coloured dresses in best box to be sent home. Sat with Gwen drawing room & trim’d black hat. The Queensberry boys walked over again in spite of rain 2 hours. arriving at 4 o’c. Had tea with M. who was not pleased to see them being busy carpentering, & Gwen drove them 17


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back, M. on cycle. Letters fr. Dickie & Midge & Roy & Carrie Herapath. Mad’lle read to us. Saturday 27 April Dickie comes by 3.30. Out morg to Stables & Electric Light House with Gwen & Mervyn, sat out terrace. Young Gordon to luncheon & G. & Mervyn rode with him at 2.30. Nurse & self walked to Lodge, rested whilst Nurse read, & changed dress ready for Dickie’s arrival. He looks only fairly well, in good spirits but tired fr. work & hinderances yesterday. Delightful descriptions of his travels. Sat with him after dinner till I went to bed. Lennie sent me pearl chain & old paste ring. Dickie 2 vy pretty old paste & silver ear rings. Sunday 28 April X. Dear Lin slept in my room for first time for 5 months & more! He looks better this morning. Postcard fr. Maudie & long letter fr. Tabs enclosing Gareth’s amusing first letter fr. Eton. X. walked again after tea part of way with Lin & Gwen, Nurse met me me & came back, rested & read. Lin sorted “Times” in my room. Sat with him library after dinner, he seems tired after walk. Again slept in my room. Monday 29 April Dear Dickie returns home by early train. Academy Varnishing day. Horrid day, cold & rainy. Lin at Academy all day. Walked from Semley Lodge to Tisbury Lodge! with Nurse & rested out of cold wind at Semley L. Letter from Midge & fr. Edgar fr. Corsica about E.F. ill in (illeg) near Ravendale(?). Most unfortunate & fear future worry. Gwen & Mervyn golf, cricket & ride. Tuesday 30 April V. cold wind. Dear little Mad’lle left at 11 o’c. We shall miss her, so bright & lively. Walked again round by cricket ground, between rain. Letters fr. Dickie & letter to him fr. Dora asking him to spend Whitsuntide with them. Gwen & Mervyn golf, cricket & ride. Tabbie & Ham returned at 9 o’c. Little M, G. & self cards after dinner. Walked with Nurse along Tisbury road. Feel better & no pain, so thankful. X. Sent Gualia div 5/- to Bank. Wednesday 1 May Letter fr. Mr Johnsom about house No 8 Staf.Ter. would take 5 gns a week. Feel terribly worried as dear Lin is so impractical, he will never be able to manage with builders & am v. anxious about his health in that unhealthy house. Miss Watson, Sir James Pinder’s niece v. nice girl to 18


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luncheon, & tennis after. Had 2 long walks perfectly lovely views fr. wood, & sat out morg. Tabbie to Wardour after tea. Mervyn with H. to play golf. Thursday 2 May Ham, Tabs & Mervyn at Leweston all day.Tabs looked vy pale & tired at dinner. Gwen, Nurse & I went to Lake to get Kingcups. Got bad backache after & vy tired. Letters fr. Edgar, Miss Rose Innes etc & dear Lin etc. Long letter fr. Maudie fr. Paris, had met Geoff Blair. Mrs Gibson with them everywhere in Paris. Met also the Percy Hollands. Friday 3 May Rained heavily but managed to get out morg. Gathered primroses for children to put in Maud & Lennie’s room tomorrow. Changed cheque for £5. 5/- to little dressmaker, 4/6 for “Times”, 1/10½ postal order for cream. Gwen & Mervyn rode. Too wet to go out afternoon. Two letters fr. Dickie, Midge. Saturday 4 May Maud & Lennie return fr. Paris, Dickie met them Calais & dined with them evg. at Lancaster Gate. Letter fr. Edgar. Two letters fr. Dickie. Sunday 5 May Out morg. Dickie arrived 3.30 & went off for golf with Ham. Sat out all morg on Terrace, & walked. Dickie looking better, brought me lovely silk shawl embroidered fr. Seville. Monday 6 May Perfect day, as warm as summer but cool wind. H, Dickie & Gwen off at 10.30 to Leweston. Walked round grounds. V. warm. Tabs, Mervyn & self alone at luncheon. Went with Tabbie after writing letters to see poor old woman ill, Bugdon. Son also ill & daughter looks weak, so sad to think of such poverty. Tabs meets Lady Wharncliffe at 5 o’c Tisbury. Tuesday 7 May Dickie wrote morg. & went with H. directly after luncheon to play golf. Lady Wharncliffe & Tabbie to Leweston. Lady W. sent us her books on wild flowers, excellent, shall buy one. Pleasant evening. Dickie looks fairly well but still won’t hear of having drains done at once. Worries me v. much to know he is there at Staf.Ter.

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Wednesday 8 May Mary & Lady Burnand at home Cavendish Sqre 4 - 7. Lady MacLaren’s daughter married to Sir Henry Norman, St Margaret’s Church, Westminster, recep 43 Belgrave Sqre. Dickie went to London by early train. Walked with Nurse to Lindley farm where she bought 20 eggs for 1/4! Mervyn riding. Lady Wharncliffe & Tabs in car to Swanage about scarlet fever at school. Mervyn to return to school Saty. H, Gwen & Mervyn to play golf after lunch. Nurse & self to see old woman Mrs Bugdon. Thursday 9 May Wild night, windy. Fine but cold wind. Feel back fr. uric acid! Ordered 6 more bottles Contresca Ville water fr. Stores. Tabbie & Hamilton went off by early train to London. Walked with Nurse got wild flowers. Lady W, Gwen & Mervyn to Salisbury & back to tea. Nurse & self walked in wood found a new wild flower (water avens) like a wee anemone. Quiet evg, we 4 bed 10 o’c. Friday 10 May Lady Wharncliffe leaves 11 o’c. her Flora with her! Sat out & walked but had much pain on & off from uric acid! Letters fr. Dickie & Maudie. Invitations for luncheon fr. Lady Pirrie, dinners fr Ld Winterstoke & Sir Andros de la Rue. Saturday 11 May Lovely day like summer. Sat out all morg. Lunched at 12.30. Gwen with Mervyn back to school. His gramophone arrived before luncheon & he startled us by sitting in drawing room window whilst we were on Terrace, sounded like a full brass band! We found a large snake the dogs had killed lying near us! Grass snake. Darling & Lennie arrived 6.45 in motor, had trained to Salisbury. Maudie v. thin & pale, so happy to see her again but wish she looked stronger. Gwen played piano after dinner. Sunday 12 May Awake 2 to 4 & could not sleep, feeling anxious about Maud. Walked with my darling & Lennie & sat out after on Terrace. Lennie took photos of Pyt. Very disappointed Lennie carried Maud off at ¼ to 3 in motor for home, hoped she was going to stay on. Heavenly day sat out on Terrace after with Nurse & Gwen read Westminster. Saw a poor wounded rook in laurels. X. Sent B.A.Pacific £6 to be paid by Bank. X.

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Monday 13 May Lovely day. Sat out garden read “Indiscrete letters fr. Japan”. Gwen & Miss Murray doing books library. Gwen & self to luncheon alone. Gwen to Shaftesbury in Car after luncheon. Walked & sat after on Terrace with Nurse. Letters fr. Dickie who lunched yesterday at Ld Pirrie’s, met Denmans, Farquharson, Tates, etc etc. Tabbie & cards fr. Lady Hickman. Roy at Maidenhead with Stern. Lin dined at home alone. Sorry Roy did not dine with him. Tuesday 14 May Very wet day. Wrote letters morg. Out after luncheon. Monté looks seedy. Gwen to Gordons to tea. Wednesday 15 May Fine lovely day. Gwen off early & out to lunch at Gordons. Mabel Batley there. She returned directly after luncheon. Poor Monté ill. Vet came. Distemper. “Barlos” howled fearfully when we were at dinner, might have been killed! Was on verandah. Had 2 walks with Nurse & sat on Terrace. Thursday 16 May Lovely day. Walked morg. X. Dickie arrives D.V. by 3.30 fr. Waterloo. Evie & Lawrence came also. Drove in Motor with Gwen & Nurse to Font Hill woods. Perfectly lovely with bluebells & wild flowers, found 2 white hyacinths. Dear Lin arrived 6 o’c. Friday 17 May Lovely morg. Walked at 11.30 with Dickie round by wood overlooking Font Hill & thro’ Rhododendron walk & moss garden track. Lawrence shooting rooks morg, 7. After luncheon Lawrence & Dickie played golf. Roy came down after dinner. Saturday 18 May Lovely day. Girls, Roy & Lin in Motor to see field day. Walked with Lin fr. lodge to house. Sat on Terrrace with Lin & Roy. Lawrence shot rooks, 7. After luncheon Lawrence & Lin & Roy to play golf. Tabbie & Ham returned from London. Maud & Lennie at Nymans. Girls played tennis at Club. Sunday 19 May V. cold. Walked with Lin & Roy. Sat & read to Lin in H’s room. Lawrence leaves at 4 o’c. His motor broke down & he had to go by train 5 o’c. Mr & Miss Norton (Mrs Shawn’s sister) came to see over house 21


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afternoon, too large. Bridge after dinner. Had walk round with Tabbie before tea. Lin, Roy & Ham to play golf at 3 o’c. Monday 20 May Lovely but very cold, too cold to sit out. Tabs & H. & Gwen v. busy all morg with carpets, papers etc, & motor crammed with things off to Leweston. Had walk round by cricket ground with Lin & Roy. After lunch Roy with H. to play golf. Nurse & self for walk, tea with Tabbie. Sat with Dickie while he dressed for dinner. Roy, H. & 2 girls played Bridge after dinner. Dickie slept. Tabs worked at lamp fringes! Tuesday 21 May Roy leaves by early train & Evie leaves also today as she is going on the Yacht to Holland in June. Walked with Dickie morg. & Tabbie after lunch. Young Hibbert came to dinner & stayed night for dance. Tabs & Gwen & Mr H. to Pitt Rivers ball, given for Enone Groves coming out. Dickie & Ham golfed after lunch. Ham, Lin & self alone evg, to bed 10.15. Wednesday 22 May Walked garden with Lin morg. & Tabs, met Mr Bennett. Dickie left at 12.30. H. & Mr H. to see preview in Mercedes. Gwen riding. Tabs tooth ache. Thursday 23 May Good night. Up at 10 o’c. Tabbie & Gwen off in Mercedes at 12 o’c. Two large cart loads of pictures left early for Leweston. Hamilton & self alone for luncheon he most kind & saw Nurse Davis & self off at 12.30 in Panhard. Came up by 2.51 & no change. Comfortable journey. My darling met us at Waterloo with carriage & we drove off together. Nurse came on with luggage. Found the chicks much grown & vy handsome children all three. Maudie thin. Roy, Lennie, Maud & Lin dining & theatre with Miss R. Innes. Friday 24 May Had v. bad night could not sleep after 1 o’c! & feel headachey & depressed, dear Conrad’s birthday. Rested in bed till 11.30. Every posible wish anticipated by my darling, shall be quite spoilt. She looks tired & v. pale. Mervyn came to luncheon, so glad to see him. Looks well but thin. Went for drive at 3.30 for an hour with Maudie in Park. Had 2 letters fr. dear Lin, cannot bear his being alone. Emma looking very well came round at 6 o’c, says all well at home & managing all right, Dickie looking well. I dined in drawing room, only Lennie Maud & self in. 22


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Saturday 25 May Maudie & self alone to dinner. Woke at 6 o’c. Lovely warm morg. Had good night. Heard the darlings pottering about overhead. Lennie gave me a vy pretty fan last evg. Feel better, was very tired after my journey & my nerves felt shakey yesterday. Dear Maudie drove me in Victoria to Marshall & Snelgroves where I ordered black alpaca dress, 8½ gns! 3 prs gloves & white silk wrap for neck. Dickie came to luncheon & we sat on balcony after, vy noisy there. Dickie left before tea. Lennie at Nymans. Lin & Roy dine Staf. Ter. & to play after. Sunday 26 May Dickie came at 12 o’c & we walked in gardens. Vy heavy dull day. Met Maud & little Linley fr. church & dear Lin returned to Staf. Terrace to luncheon, plays tennis at Sir Alfred’s & then dines here. Mervyn & Ethel to luncheon. V. glad to see them. Ethel won £5 for croquet, stupid game! Dear Dickie to dinner, v. quiet. Feel vy unhappy his being alone. To bed at ¼ to 11. Monday 27 May Had vy bad night thinking of Lin & fear for the future of disturbance in August when drains are done. Went in Vic with darling Maud 11.30. Chose hat at Evans, blouse at Peter Robinsons & walking shoes. Mad’lle J. & Edie to luncheon. Maudie & self for drive for one hour at 3.30. To my room, rested till 7. Mrs Gibson & dear Dickie to dinner, quite a lively little meal. Tuesday 28 May Slept well. Morg with Nurse in Victoria, Park. V. dull & v. cold. Again with Nurse Victoria to be fitted Marshalls & Snelgrove black alpaca. Met Mary Brown & Mrs McQueen, both radiantly well. Vy tired after fitting & talk, tea in my room & rested. Mr & Mrs Messel, Mr & Mrs Geilgud & Mr Val Geilgud & Dickie & Roy dined here, had mine in drawing room, v. cosy, & read. To bed before gentlemen came up. Wednesday 29 May Slept well. Very cold. Maudie off early in motor to choose (illeg) for new Balcombe rooms. Nurse & self out for 1½ hrs Bath chair. Vy cold but delightful being so near Gardens & Park, trees so lovely now. After 1 o’c luncheon Maudie & little Linley to Staf. Ter. to fetch Dickie & to Military Tournament together. Nurse & self to walk in Park. Edie met us, too cold to stay long. Wrote letters, had tea & rested fr. 4.30 to 7, Nurse read. Roy, Maudie & self to dinner & Maud & Roy to Mrs Tate’s at home. M. looking sweet. Lennie at Goldsmith’s dinner. 23


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Thursday 30 May Slept well only woke at 7 o’c. Lin dines at Lord Winterstoke’s. Walked morg with Nurse. Enjoyed it, so delightful to be in Gardens & Park at once. Sat out until 1 o’c. Darling off early shop’g etc in motor. Maudie looking a little better & vy bright, bless her. She took me for an hour’s drive in Park, delightful being together. Back early as people to tea. Mabel B. came to my room, she does not look well. Nurse to Concert. Darling, self & Roy to dinner, Lennie out, Eton dinner. Dickie came for a few minutes. Friday 31 May Three friends of Maudie’s came after dinner. Still dull but warmer, a little sun. Maudie & self at 12 o’c drove in brougham to Mervyn’s at 2 Heath Mansions, Putney Heath Lane. Trees lovely on way there, May & Laburnum. We were charmed with their pretty flat. Had excellent lunch, one little neat maid, & coffee. Was foolish on way home, dare not think of drainage Staf. Ter. it seems so hopeless. Mervyn showed us his studies, seem full of power. Ret’d 3.30. Alice Linley came, talked Buxton! Lennie Darling Roy & self to dinner, to bed after. Saturday 1 June Roy dines with Dickie & going to Haymarket Theatre after. Maudie & Lennie to stay night at Mr Butler’s (Mrs Richard’s brother) in Berkshire. I went with Nurse in Victoria to be fitted Marshalls at 11 o’c, back by 12 o’c, found Lin here. He went with me for drive in Park, meet of Coaching Club. Saw splendidly. Drove Lin to Staf. Ter. Feel seedy & depressed rather, so tiresome being unable to do anything. Had delicious little dinner alone drawing room. Nurse read & I wrote letters. To bed 10 o’c. Letter fr. dear Edgar fr. Venice. Heavy rain afternoon. Sunday 2 June Bad night, worried. Dull & cold. Too cold to sit out. Dickie fetched me at 12 o’c. Horrid bearing down pain & a crack which makes me scream almost! en avant! Went for walk with Dickie who does not look well. Nurse fetched me & Lin returned Staf.Ter to luncheon. Dear little Linley & Anne alone with me at luncheon, vy good. Linley went for a short walk with me & Nurse, & left him with Nurse F. in Park. Lennie & Maudie ret’d fr. Mr Butler’s. Dickie dined here. I lay down from 4 to 6.30. Dickie looks puffy again. Roy in to dinner. Monday 3 June Another dull morg. Had good night. With Nurse to be fitted evg dress Nevill’s. To Stores. 2 big curls & hair net £1.5.0. Victoria. At 3.30 with 24


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Maudie again Victoria for drive, made 3 calls. Mrs Galbraith & Mrs Maxwell to tea, saw them, Toula also & remained to dinner. Dickie & Mrs Hohler here to dinner also, Roy out. No, only Maud, Linley & self to dinner. Out morg driving & walked with Nurse & little Anne. Vy tired & horrid bearing down pain. Tuesday 4 June With Nurse morg in Victoria to Neville, fitted evg dress. To Stores ordered doz hair nets & 2 curls £1.5.0. Advertised for maid. Had great many duplications, 2 I like rather. At 3.30 with Maudie for drive. Mrs Galbraith & Mrs Maxwell to tea & Toula, who remained dinner. Dickie & Mr Hohler here also, Roy out. Emma called to see me, arranged about silver going to Bank. Dickie consented to take house Staf. Ter. during alterations Staf. Ter. Wednesday 5 June To Miss Jacobs morg. Very tired after one hour there. Went with Nurse in Victoria. Still cold & dull. After luncheon with darling to call & Desirée Welby came down to carriage to see me. Tropical downpour of rain & wind on way home, never saw such rain! Dear Lin came to see me on way to Punch dinner, Marie after about various things. Dreadful looking maids called! Dear little Linley fell & hurt his chin. Mr & Mrs Harold Messel to dinner. She looks wonderful & is expecting end of month! Thursday 6 June Dickie mistook evg at Thomsons & dined at Club. Dull morg. Slept badly, awake before 4 till 7 o’c. More things to do & think of than I have strength for. X. Sold 8 allotted £10 shares in B.A.Gt. Southern 5% pref. X. by Roy. At 11.15 in carriage to Nash, Chesterton, Staf. Ter. Dickie at work, c’d not see him. Shoe company 5/11. Eaton Sqre 91 saw Toula. Maudie doing flowers all morg. Went for walk with Nurse lovely in gardens after rain. Maudie to Lady J. Ferguson & Mrs à B at homes. 18 to dinner here. (illeg) Mr Marriott, Dilkes, Burke, Maud P, Carlisle, Montgmorency, etc etc. Saw them before dinner. V. pretty girls. They all went on after to Mrs Messel’s dance. Dickie dined at Athenaeum Club, made mistake about dinner. Friday 7 June Jacob’s fitting. Unable to go. Out morg & afternoon with darling Maud who looks pale & tired after dance! Lennie & Maud dine at Mr W. Stone’s. Roy out. He never came to see me either morg or after return fr. City. I wonder if he cares two straws about me. Dined in drawing room &

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Nurse read. Unsatisfactory letter fr. lady about German maid. Wrote Vince to come if still disengaged. Saturday 8 June To Jacobs & Neville’s to be fitted. Afternoon sat in Park with Nurse. Maudie to Ranelagh with Hylda Gibbs, so glad for her to sit in the open air. Mrs Sington came to tea with me & little Linley in my room. Saw Vince, afraid she is not young enough but may be wrong. Dickie went to Fête at Alexander’s Campden Hill. Dined here & arrived 7.30, looks fairly well. Cozy little dinner with darling M. & Lin only. Warmer. Sunday 9 June Lovely morg. Dickie fetched me 12 o’c to Gardens where we sat until 5 to 1, when Maudie & little Linley met us & Dickie returned Staf. Ter to lunch. Mr Marriott, Mervyn, Ethel, Miss Cootes fr. New Zealand & Effie Weigal lunched here, & Toula who is going to see to my clothes fr. wardrobe St. Ter. Dickie came to dinner after Sir Alfred’s tennis. Mrs Gibson here also. Felt v. tired & worried. Effie C. was coming 3.30, wire she is not well. Monday 10 June Slept very badly & a head in consequence. So unhappy about Lin being at Staf. Ter. alone & knowing house not sound. Went morg with Maudie to take up character of M. Vince, unsatisfactory, so drove to her last lady Miss Bradley Westminster, c’d get no ans. to bell. Met Miss Thompson at Woollands who knows Miss B well! So have written for character to her as had decided to decline her. Maudie to 2 at homes, the darling will be tired. Ethel English to tea in my room. Roy back fr. Arundel where he went with Lennie, looks v. well. Maud & Roy dined Savoy & on to Caledonian ball. Dickie came on his way to a dinner, looks fairly well only. Tuesday 11 June Better night, fine early. Mrs Messel’s at home 4 - 7. Mrs Mocatta’s evg. at home 10 o’c. Dickie dines here & goes with Maud & Roy. No letter fr. Edgar, feel anxious. Afternoon to Jacobs 3 o’c, fitted. Maud Paxton. Ethel C. & Dora with Maud to Mrs Messel’s. Dora called morg also on way fr. Station with Paul. Saw D. afternoon looks vy well & handsome. Toula came after being to Staf. Ter. & most kindly seeing to my things there. Dear Lin dined here & all three went after to Mocatta’s. Pity not more people like Toula, so helpful & such a friend.

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Wednesday 12 June Decided to engage Vince after Miss Bradley’s letter. Roy dined with Dora & after to theatre. Walked 10 o’c to Neville, fitted. Tiresome person, always wants more than estimate. In Park after with Nurse & read. Vy tired. Rested on bed before luncheon. Maudie to Horse Show with Dickie morg. to Mr Winan’s box. After lunch Maud & self to Wilkinson wed. I remained in carriage & Maud then on to Vivian Behring’s at home, lovely house Queens Gate. Horrid day fearfully windy. Dear Lin came to see me on way to Punch dinner. Emma came, 3 pieces of silver missing. Lady Spielman’s dance. Maudie tired. Thursday 13 June Mrs Palgrave Simpson 4 - 6.30. To be fitted morg. Violent rain whilst at Miss Jacobs, Nurse with me. After to Bank, Barkers & Staf. Ter. Saw dear Dickie for second, looks seedy I think. He dines at Miss Thompson’s tonight. Dora, May Nembhard, Desirée Welby, Miss Rose Innes & Muriel to luncheon. Maud & Muriel after to concert & 3 “at homes”. Mr Hohler to dinner, talked houses. Could not leave Maudie alone. Vy tired. Went in Bath chair 1½ hr Park. Maudie back at 7. Had long letter fr. Edgar fr. Vitel seeming v. well & likes the place. Friday 14 June Maudie’s new cook ill with swollen throat. Lady Monckton’s at home 4 o’c, 33 Bedford Sqre. Lady Sutton 4 - 7. Bad night & pain in side. No letter from Vince, odd. Feel tired from yesterday, rather too much. Maud’s new motor arrived. Went with my darling at 11.30 to Wilsons, saw Mrs Hungerford Pollen, Lady Joseph & Lawrence also had operation. On to Chesterton for order to view No 8 Staf.Ter. Went over it with Maudie, would do for a while, not v. well kept. Quiet luncheon. Maudie to at homes. After Nurse & self to Park, met dear chicks, found wee sparrow! Cap. & Hilda Gibbs to dinner & Roy. They all went on to Lady Allen’s ball. Saturday 15 June M. Vince comes as useful maid & Nurse Davis leaves after nearly 7 months with me! X. Maudie to Balcombe to meet Lennie. Cook’s neck more swollen, Nurse afraid of Mumps, or a Quinsey! Fear my darling will be worried. Slept well but perspired v. much. Maudie off early 10 o’c to Balcombe. Pouring rain. Dickie to luncheon & walked with him after & he returned to Staf. Ter. Roy dined with him & they went to theatre together after. Lennie returned fr. week’s camping out with Maud in new “Trio” motor.

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Sunday 16 June Slept badly. Fine. Went early to Gardens with Vince & met Dickie, walked with him & met Maud & Lennie & little Linley. Dickie Staf. Ter. to luncheon. Maud & Lennie to see Ruth at Weybridge new baby boy 5 days old. Sat in Pk. with Vince, met Mrs Harold & Baby. Spencer & Ada called, & Florrie Blair, saw them. Dickie & Roy to dinner after tennis at Sir Alfred’s. Feel v. worried about Staf. Ter. & arrangements for when drains are being done. Monday 17 June Slept badly, only worry, & do not think Lin looks well which worries me greatly. Maudie & Lennie dined out. Dickie dined alone with me, seemed tired. Went morg to see Lady Meade’s house, rude dau-in-law, & Mrs Spofforth showed me her K. range. House well kept, all so clean & different to Lady M’s. Saw Dickie. Out afternoon with Maudie for drive. Find Vince nice & quiet, but rather forgetful, does not use her head as much as Marie does. Tuesday 18 June Mrs P. Agnew’s at home 9.30, 18 Gloucester Sqre. Lady Blomfield’s at home, Claridges Hotel 4 - 7.30. Lady Grove 3.30. Mrs Agnew ill, postponed. Slept badly awake fr. 2 - 4 & felt depressed. At 12 o’c with dear Toula to Barkers. Paid my bill £2.14.0. Saw Mrs Bright also been ill & slight operation. Felt too seedy to go out afternoon. Toula to Staf. Ter. for me. Marie came & packed a box. Made myself ridiculous by weeping. Darling out to dinner & afternoon. Dickie Roy & self dined alone. News of Staf. Ter. better. Co’s may not have to be altered! Wednesday 19 June Lady Weston 4 - 7. Fine. High wind. Slept better but not well. Out morg. with darling Maud for drive. Packed with Vince, seems helpful but not neat & methodical packing, no doubt better when she knows my ways. Went for drive with Maudie & Geoff Con. who came early this morg. Felt upset, flood of thoughts of dear Conrad. Drove fr. 4 to 5 with them & it did me good. Dear Lin came at 6 o’c & Emma before. Maudie & self alone to dinner, v. cozy & went to bed early. Lennie & Roy home 11 o’c fr. their dinner, R. at the Larnacks. Saw Sir Francis Burnand morg. looking v. well. Thursday 20 June Go D.V. to Buxton, Alice Linley there. Go to Grosvenor Hotel Broadwalk. Dickie came to see me early. Mrs Causton’s 4 - 6.30, 12 Devonshire Place. Felt v. seedy & shakey. My darling drove me in 28


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brougham to Euston & Geoff Con came to say good bye. He leaves for India in Oct. Left by 12.10. Horrid day, rained hard. & v. cold. Changed Stockport. Alice Linley met us at Grosvenor Hotel & had lovely flowers in my room. Pretty & comfortable room overlooking gardens. Awfully primitive dinner & plates & silver leaving much to be desired! V. poor food. Friday 21 June Good night. V. wet, v. cold, v. windy. Horrid coffee breakfast. Fear bad food will drive us away, c’d otherwise be comfortable. To Dr Armstrong’s at 12 o’c. V. kind & thinks I have made a good recovery so far. Have I really. This I doubt very much, or if the operation was worth it, too long helpless & too long separated fr. Dickie. Took water at 4 o’c, tasteless. To bed early. V.v. cold. Saturday 22 June Very cold. Gusty heavy showers & windy. Letters fr. dear Lin & my little own. Took the waters at 11, 6 oz, & left 2 specimens at Doctor’s! & had high frequency & rubbing, 2/6. Breads 4d. Rested before & after luncheon. Heavy rain. Alice, Anette Zualiani & self had tea with Mrs Davison in her charming rooms on Broadwalk at Mrs Wains. G. Barker there, rather frivolous but v. kind. To pump after took water. Sunday 23 June Still very cold & windy & showery. Heavy rain after luncheon. At 11 to spring, 6oz water with Alice & Vince. Walked, & High Frequency 12 o’c 2/6. Lay down before luncheon. After lunch again rested & wrote. 3.30 to spring & walked. Heavy shower. Dinner 6 o’c. Very rough food. After played patience with Alice. 9 o’c oddest meal I have ever had. Dotheboys tea in Dining room. Bed. Monday 24 June Slept fairly well. Dull heavy rain wind & cold. Had pain caused by constipation after dressing & had to lie down. Vince got me water fr. spring so only walked 10 to 12 to High Frequency 2/6. Raining heavily & blowing. Had bath chair 1/-. Rained heavily. Unable to go to see doctor too cold & too wet. Vince brought me the water. Tuesday 25 June Still blowing dark cold & dull. To Pump room 11 o’c to 12. Electric treatment 2/6. Went over Old Hall. Very nice & well appointed. Bright rooms & should move but for bother, & having Alice here. At 3 o’clock to take water after seeing Dr Armstrong, too busy to attend to one, far too 29


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casual, & gives no directions. Played Patience evg with Alice. Better food today. Very wet afternoon fr. 3.30. Sat & worked in my room. Wednesday 26 June Alice & Miss Marks to theatre evg, to tea Symour Hicks & Coy. Rough blowy night but finer & some sun. At 11 with Vince to take water & Electric treatment at 12 o’c, 2/6. Letters fr. Dickie, Midge, Edgar, Toula, invitation Lady Strachey. Feel so tired & so does everyone else. Warmer. Dickie hard at work on opening Volume drawing. Bath chair 1/3 for one hour. Rested 3 times afternoon! Passed in Bath chair 12 beautiful alms houses endowed 1904 & given by Mr Milnthorpe?. A Clergyman & his wife came they seem nice people. Bath. Bed early. Thursday 27 June My bill with Vince £5.17.2. Slept well. Bright morning. “Well Dressing Day” & little girls in blue, red, white and green danced round a long pole to a good band. The Well near Central Buxton was decorated with flowers, & another well. To waters 11 o’c with Alice & Vince, for a walk, & to Electric treatment 2/6. After luncheon rested & at 3 in Bath chair 1/3 to Empire Hotel to engage Arthur’s room, great dull wilderness of a place. Had my milk & rested till dinner. People do talk after dinner & there is no rest fr. it as Vince also is a great talker. To bed at 9. Record day no rain. Letters & papers fr. Dickie & letters & flowers fr. Maudie. Friday 28 June Galoshes 3/-, breads 4d. 3/6 chair 3 times for 2 hrs & for Elec. Treatment. Fine morning, wet afternoon. To see about Bath Old Hall. Doctor 2.30. Walked morg with Alice for water & to Electric treatment, 2/6. To have more now. Coffee & bread 6d. Letters fr. Lin & Maudie. Shoes mended 2/6. Find walk morg too tiring with Electric Treatment. Shall take it v. quietly in future. Saw Dr A. Don’t think much of him far too great a gossip & not a bit careful of one, was too much to do. Wet again. Tried coffee at 4 o’c & out after. ½ hr rest before dinner. Arthur L. came & he & A. to Mr Davison’s after dinner. Saturday 29 June Fine but cold. Slept fairly well. Dear Dickie comes tonight. Pain in back & side & have my doubts as to complete cure. Pouring wet after tea. Rested & read whilst Vince worked in my room. To tea at Mrs Davison’s. Arthur there & Mr E. Barker. We laughed a good deal. Arranged to lunch with Arthur at Empire Hotel tomorrow. Dickie arrived 9 o’c. Had dined in train. He looks v. fairly well. Sat & smoked in our room, Vince unpacked. 30


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Sunday 30 July Had good night considering Lin slept in my bed after so many months alone. Fine morg & Dickie had bath in his room (wee one) next to mine. & breakfasted here. Wrote after in smoking room. Had Bath chair 1o’c & we went to Empire Hotel to lunch with Arthur. Alice & Mrs Davison met us there. Good luncheon. Bath chair 3.30. Rained & cold, to take water & back to Hotel, tea in our room. Dickie to sleep. Dinner at 6 o’c. Vince made a good cup of coffee for Lin which he had in our room & he went for a walk after. I went to 9 o’c meal. Lin had biscuits & whiskey in our room. To bed 9.30. Monday 1 July Slept fairly well, woke 3 or 4 times. Dull morg. Out with Dickie 11.30 for little walk to Electric treatment 3/6, 15 minutes. Lin, Alice, Arthur & Mrs Davison went to Bakewell in carriage. Rested in my room with Vince working. Walked to Well & bought rib, hooks etc 1/-. Washing & breads 1/2. Saucepan & roll 1/1. Total 6/9. Lin home just in time for dinner. Sat in our room after & Vince made us coffee. Feel fairly well side, back & front so tender & painful last few days. Tuesday 2 July Saw Dr Armstrong 2.30. Electric Treatment 3/6. Mrs R.Mills, 14 Queens gate Place, 10 o’c. Lady Strachey 4 - 7. Lady Norman 4 - 7 at Lady McLarens, 43 Belgrave Sqre. Dull morg. Slept well. Lin, Alice, Mrs Davison & Arthur dined with Mr Barker at Hydro. Excellent dinner & they enjoyed it v. much. I dined alone, in bed before they got back. Lin & Arthur for walk, finest day since we came here. Sat in Public Gds with Lin. Wednesday 3 July Mrs Braunstein 4 - 7. Slept well. No Electric treatment. Dickie left at 1.20 after lunch. Poured in torrents all day long. Unable to go out at all. New people came, Mr Meade, Bishop of Cork’s brother, & 4 elderly ladies. Bad news of poor little Anna Dietz. No hope. Lin’s bill £1.5.6 but he lunched & dined out & 2 breakfasts out. Gas in drawing room after dinner, had to come to my room. Thursday 4 July Fair night. Fine with heavy rain & wind. Caught in heavy rain in Bath chair. Paid my bill £5.18.8. Pouring showers on & off all day long. Chair 3/- very dear indeed. Alice & I went to (blank) ugly place & ugly views along road of Buxton chimneys. Unable to have High Frequency

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Treatment, machine gone wrong. Rested fr. 4 - 6. More showers but fine later. Deadly dull uninteresting people here now, never saw such women. Friday 5 July Sent specimen to Doctor. Very showery, dull with a few seconds of sunshine only during day & heavy hail storms! Walked a little morg & afternoon. 3 o’c Electric treatment 3/6. To bed 8.30 & had my head washed. Read Marcus Aurelius (dates 161 to 180 A.D.) True but dull. Letter fr. Tabbie from Amsterdam. The little white flower could not tell name of is Saxifrage. Mrs Tanner the nice clergyman’s wife & his daughter leave here tomorrow & we are all sorry, quite the nicest looking people here. Saturday 6 July Very cold again, like Oct. Awake some hours but slept fairly well. So grieved about poor Anna Dietz whose case is now hopeless. Little pain in side & back. The Tanners left, 3 of them, for “The Towers”. To treatment 20 minutes 3/6. Cards 1/-. Box of (illeg) 1/-, breads 6d. Rib. & breads 9½. Sunday 7 July A record fine day. Out morg took water at well & to Electric treatment & waited at Mrs Davison’s ½ an hour. Had Bath chair 1/3. Hospital 2/-. Saw Horse down at end of Broad Walk, had got legs caiught in wheels of cart. Alice & I went to Mrs Davison’s & sat there. Too late to dress for 6 o’c dinner. Wrote many letters. Stamps 6d. E. treatment 3/6. Monday 8 July Mrs Ivan Moore Brabazon’s at home 4 - 7, 29 Chesham St, S.W. Pouring wet cold & gale blowing. In all morg. Letters fr. dear Lin, Maudie, Edgar. Unable to see doctor. Absolutely wretched day. Finished “Les desenchantées” by P. Loti. V. good. Sent it off. Washing 1/3, bread 2d. Too wet to go out, had to give up treatment. To tea at Mr Barker’s at Hydro. Pretty cozy rooms. Mrs Davison fetched me in cab & took me back. Tuesday 9 July Punch dinner & Mark Train a guest there. Lady Johnson Ferguson’s dinner. Saw Doctor Armstrong at 2 o’c, was most kind, enjoined rest & never to be up to breakfast & not down before 12 if possible & not to mind what people thought. Walked to take water morg. & again to see Doctor, take water & treatment 3/6. Rested & made blk silk bows. Letters fr. darling M, dear Lin & Midge. My darling’s dance tonight!

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Wednesday 10 July Maud’s dance last evg. a great success. To take water morg. Dull, some rain. Treatment 3/6. Rubber ring 6d, breads 3d (illeg illeg) bag 9d. Rested till luncheon & after took walk in town, driven in ¼ to 4 by threatened storm. Letters fr. Dickie about cellar & E’s wardrobe moved for the drainage upheaval. Walked afternoon. Bath chair for an hour 1/3, delightful but looked very stormy. We went to Burbage, Vince with me. Talked to Miss (illeg) nice Irish lady after dinner. Mrs K. sang. Thursday 11 July Lady Bergne’s dinner at Ranelagh 8 o’c. 13 Pembroke Rd. Altered to Welcome club. Fine morg, cold & v. blowy. Alice went with me to take water 3d with breads & to Treatment 3/6. Vince in. Went over Argyle Villas beautifully got up, v. clean & v. cozy, £5.5.0 a week charming sitting room & 2 bedrooms, good rooms. Had Bath chair after tea 1/6. Worked until tea time lying down. Lovely day second fine only since I came here!!! Find Vince like old Nana very self willed & argumentative over trifles, most irritating tho’ meaning well & kind & attentive & naturally vy untidy. Friday 12 July Slept well, better for not talking for hours after dinner to uninteresting people. Came up at 7.30 & wrote in my room last evg & at 8.15 Alice came & we talked on sofa & arm chair before a large fire in my room! 12 July!!! Another fine morg. Had Bath chair one hour ¼ afternoon, went new road to Millar’s Dale only pretty for short distance, gasometer & railway etc entirely spoiling one side of road, by nature v. pretty. Rested & after dinner Anette Zuliani came v. unhappy about her friend Miss Holmes death on Wed, unexpected. Lovely air. Had no Electric Treat. Saturday 13 July Dear Lin takes No.8 Stafford Terrace during awful upheaval of drains in our house. £4.4.0 a week & maid 10/- a week. Raining, gentle warm rain. Letters fr. Dickie & Maud. Lennie & M. go to Nymans for week end. Unable again to take Electric Treatment. Feel sure uric acid lurking in my back by the aching of it, & still feel so tired. No Electric Treatment. Went to tea with Alice to Mrs Davison, Mr Barker there. Went to my room early. Sunday 14 July Hot, stuffy foggy day. First day without a fire. To drink water morg. with Vince. Sat out till luncheon, after to Electric Treatment. Sat out after till 4 o’c. 2/6 only ten mninutes, don’t believe in it one bit. Lay down rested till 33


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dinner, no tea. Alice & Annet Z. to Empire for tea & to Mrs D. after dinner. Afraid to go out, too tired. Monday 15 July X. dear Lin moves in to No 8 Staf. Ter. whilst our drains are being done. Alice, Anette & self lunched with Mrs Davison, excellent luncheon well cooked, quite a treat. Went into Public Garden first to watch croquet with Alice & Anette. After luncheon rested & at 4 we three went to take tea with Mr Barker at Hydro. Mrs (blank) & Mrs Williams & Mrs D. there. Vy pleasant. Treatment 2/6. No, c’d not go. Anette left after dinner for Liverpool. Alice & I played Patrience in my room. Tuesday 16 July Bath chair 1/3. Sent cheque £100 Nash for sanitary work at Stafford Terrace. Lovely day. Water morg. & to Electric Treatmnt 2/6. To Old Hall about luncheon on Thursday at 1.15 there for 7. At 2 o’c to Dr Armstrong, my first impression of him correct, feel v. sorry for him. Bath chair 1/3 just about past “Towers” & by road end of Broad Walk. Dear Dickie at No 8 Staf. Ter. Emma taking charge of No 18. Letters fr. Dickie, Nurse Frances, the darlings so happy at Westgate, God bless them. Dickie dining at Yates Thompsons tonight. Wednesday 17 July Another fine day, lovely morg. To treatment 2/6. Bought ribbon for undergarments 1/-. To Old Hall & gardens with Alice afternoon 1/-. Paid Vince for washing & stamps 1/- & oddments 1/-. Total 6/-, six shillings! Vy amused sitting & watching croquet, a stupid game for men. Bath night. Alice to Mrs D’s after dinner. Two new men arrived long table full. Thursday 18 July 4 weeks at Buxton. Lin dines with Sir John Fletcher-Moulton. Florence Howlden, Marjory, Mr Guy Russel, Mrs Davison & Mr Barker lunch with Alice & self at “Old Hall” 1.15, & go on to tea after at Mr Barkers, Hydro. Most enjoyable day. The “Old Hall” luncheon charming, table, cooking & service A1. Vy pleased & not expensive £1.12.6 for 7, coffee cream & whiskey included. Can strongly recommend it. A Mr Pillatt sang at Mr B’s v. well & Marjory also. Florence came & rested with me here until 4 when we went to Hydro. Punch & Judy evg! Alice came & sat in my room after. Friday 19 July Another lovely day. Paid bill “Old Hall” £1.12.6 & gave the excellent waiter & maid 5/- well worth it. Sat with Alice in Gardens after taking 34


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water, Mr Barker joined us. Had Electric treatment 3 o’c, 2/6, 6d garden entrance, Vince 1/7½ . Letters Dickie, Maudie, & Tabbie. Washing 1/1 stamps 1/- Total 7/-. 2 letters fr. dear Lin. Saturday 20 July Two letters fr. dear Lin. Lovely day. Letters fr. Dickie, Maud & Tabbie & Sophy. Heard of poor little Anna Dietz’s death last Thursday week! Electric treatment 2/6, gardens 1/-, water & cream 4d. Pad & polish 1/-. Total 4s 10d. Met Alice at Gardens to see the Croquet tournament 1/-. Back at ¼ to 5. Had tea in my room. Lovely day. Dear Lin goes to St Albans Pageant. Spent 4/11. Walked after dinner past Alison to Mrs D’s. She talked the entire time of her throat, one hour, pity to think so much of herself. Sunday 21 July Slept well, all windows wide open. Vince forgot to close them! Unfortunate memory, but also forgot myself! Out morg. with Alice, sat & watched Church Parade, not much worth seeing. After luncheon rested & wrote till 3 o’c & took chair to Empire. Had tea there, cold, tea in lounge. Saw Mrs & Miss Hickman in their rooms after, nice woman. Walked back. Mrs Keating sang after dinner. Alice to Mrs D’s after, & came to my room to rest. Continual patter of feet outside. Chair 1/3, tea 1/3, Hospital 1/-. Monday 22 July Very cold again. No treatment. Walked morg & afternoon. Listened to singing evg. Reading David Copperfield. Tuesday 23 July Lovely morg. Treatment 1/6. Vince too argumentative, do not think I can put up with her. Otherwise she is kind & attentive, but untidy. Self willed. She is exactly like Nana, when wrong won’t own it. Letters fr. Ham L, Midge, Lin, Maud, Roy & George Dietz. Bath chair for 1/3. Alice went with me for an hour. Worked after. Talked to widow lady after dinner. Alice to Mrs D. Stamps 1/-. Wednesday 24 July By cheque Stores, 15/11. Colder, dull. Letters fr. Dickie, seems v. comfortable at No 8. Going for hour Bath chair morg with Alice, 1/3. Afternoon to tea with Mrs Davison. Cake! Enjoyed it. Walked after with Alice. Vince vy seedy with cold. Sent her to bed early. No reading. Treatment 2/6. Letter evg from Dickie unable to come Sat, Punch dinner on Monday, so we must go alone to Bedstone & trust Lin can spend a few 35


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days next week there with me. Letters fr. George Dietz, Maudie, 2 fr. Lin, Edgar. Thursday 25 July 5 weeks at Buxton. Fire. Dull raw morg. To treatment 2.30, 2/6. Bath chair 1/3. Bill £5.15.0. Letters fr. Dickie, Maud, Emma about covers to morg room. Friday 26 July Morg with Vince to take water & to treatment 2/6. After lunch to Dr A. Very kind impressed on me not to tire myself or exert myself! To chemist. Very wet unable to have chair. After dinner watched Miss Hogg, Miss Meade, Mrs Keating & Alice play Bridge. V. funny, we all laughed heartily. Dear Lin finished his work at 9! Had bath & greatly amused listening to David Copperfield. Slept badly. Saturday 27 July Dull, cloudy. Out morg to take water with Vince, home 2.30. Arranged papers. No treatment. Packed after lunch with Vince, very untidy packer, would put everything in anyhow, no order or system, luckily v. little to pack. But is so kind I can’t help liking her. V. tired had tea & cake! Pd chemist 7/-, post office 3/-, bath chair 1/5. Delightful hours drive round Burbage with Alice. Glorious evg, never saw Buxton look so pretty before. Sat & talked to Mrs Keating, all rest to a Concert. Bed 9.30. Sunday 28 July 2 letters from dear Lin, he goes to Calais today. Dear little watch in gun metal & leather strap for wrist fr. Dickie so pleased with it. Letter fr. darling Maud & a long letter from Sophy & another fr. H. Langley. Fine early, dull later, rained. Go to tea at Mrs Davison’s. The Curate fr. St Anne’s called & had tea, vy amusing & good looking man. Vince hopeless packing, cannot fold dress or bodice & is desperately slow. Monday 29 July Go to Bedstone D.V. with Dickie, take Vince. Arrive Craven Arms 2.20 where H. will send for us. Leave here Grosvenor Hotel 10.10. Fine. Had most comfortable journey 3rd class fares but had 1st class permits, only changed at Stockport & had thro’ carriage to Craven Arms where brougham & dog cart met us. Lovely country, wild flowers again which rejoiced me to see after a town. Midge & Tommy at Bedstone, Midge just ret’d fr. Stoke. We 2 dined alone & had cozy little evening together. Everything so beautifully kept, silver, furniture, not a fault to find. Tommy a vy handsome boy exactly like Dora, very tall & well built. 36


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Tuesday 30 July Lovely day. Slept fairly well awake 6 o’c. Find Tommy immensely grown like a child of 4 instead of 2. Like Nurse v. much, so quiet, never talks & keeps him so beautifully clean & is a splendid needlewoman. Sat & walked about grounds which are perfectly lovely. Such a joy to see everything so well kept & silver & furniture beautful. Ham arrived in Motor from Stoke Edith in time for luncheon. Rested after until 4 o’c. Midge & H. played croquet. I strolled about. Cozy little dinner of 3. Fire in dining & drawing room. To bed 10.10. Wednesday 31 July Lovely day. Walked a little & sat out. Coldish. Mrs Blizzard & dau. to tea fr. Llandrindod. Sir W. & Lady Curtis & a lady from Essex. Mr Brown & Mr Green Price. These 2 played croquet after with H. & Midge. I walked a little. Rather tired. To bed rather late. Thursday 1 August Dora & Miss Davenport to lunch. Came in their car, left at 4. Midge went with H. to Bazaar at the Heber Percy’s. Mrs Evans, Fanny’s, 2 boys came fr. school, 14 & 12. Look more like 18, 14, so tall, nice looking nice mannered boys, stutter a little, both of them. Felt v. tired & seedy all day after bad night. Lay down, Vince read to me, & we went for walk & after tea I lay down again. To bed early 10 o’c. Friday 2 August Fine morg. Telegram fr. Dickie comes by 1.30 today with Fitzroy. Had good night. Out with Midge rose garden. Poured after luncheon. Midge in Car to Ludlow. Slept better. H. & 2 boys out fishing morning. Dickie & Fitzroy arrived just before dinner. Both look tired. All boys came in to dinner. Went to bed almost directly after. Saturday 3 August Tommy out to tea & had his & his 2 nurses tea served out in garden, refused to go in! Lovely day glorious sun & cool wind. Sat on Verandah with Lin & Midge. After luncheon Midge & the 2 boys went off to the Rogers at Stannage to play cricket & won 10! Ham & Dickie for drive in car back to tea & off again to see end of Cricket. Boys dined alone & did not see them again. H. & Dickie played Billiards. H. beat Lin. Letter fr. Claud Conrad. Sunday 4 August Gleamy windy & dull morg. Slept well. Some rain. Lovely day later. The 3 Harley girls came to luncheon & tea, seem vy nice & one knows a good 37


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deal about botany & told me name of many wild flowers. They fished with H. & Midge & Dickie went to Stoke Edith. Fox Pitts, Miss Gladstone etc etc there. Lovely evg. H. seems v. quiet & depressed, much more so than he used to be. Cannot be well. To bed 10.30. Monday 5 August My darling Maud’s birthday & may God bless & keep as she so richly deserves, a joy to us all. Lovely early morg. H, Midge & Lin to Ludlow Show where H. is showing 2 year old yearling. Slept well. H. had 3 prizes two 2nd for the 2 year old & yearling, & one other. Got back about 5.30. Boys to the Rogers, Stannage. Lin enjoyed day at Ludlow & they lunched at the Wards, Henage. Felt pain in back & side, odd pain v. disquieting. Sent 5/- div Sons of Gualia to Bank. X. Tuesday 6 August Lovely morg, slight shower. Dear Lin left & went in car with Fitzroy to Craven Arms 11 o’c. Sent off Div. Robinson Mine £7.2.6 to Bank. X. Very cold. Unable to sit out. Walked a v. little on account of pain in my side. A young girl Miss Shaw came to lunch & tea, played games with the boys & Midge after tea. Ham sciatica in foot, saw doctor. Better evg, comes fr. liver. Seemed much better & brighter during dinner & evg. Wednesday 7 August Vince argued for the 3rd time most annoying because I wish my alpaca folded. Cannot stand it if she goes on, worse than old Nana Hort. Ham to London for one night to attend board meeting, I trod on poor Darkie’s foot, he nearly threw me down lying on bottom stair, dangerous. (illeg illeg). If cold cannot walk, unable to sit out. Considerable discomfort in side. Roy dined with us. Cards after. Thursday 8 August Midge & boys to Knighton, back to lunch & Mrs Green Price. Off again after to Ludlow Show. D. & Paul there. Back after 8, enjoyed their day. I walked with Vince, lay down, read etc. Still feel pain in side & front like appendix. Late to bed, dined 8.30. H. not back. Roy joins yacht for French cruise with H. & Tabbie, v. rough. Friday 9 August Fine. Lost 2/9 stamps in envelope. Found them. Appendix still painful. H. returned, seems better. Midge & boys out morg, cricket. Walked with Vince got wild flowers. Letter fr. darling Maud, large house party there. Mr Carlisle, Maud Hanson Walker, Geoff Blair, Geoff Con. etc. Roy on

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yacht with H. & Tabs. H. more lively during dinner. Midge had croquet with him before dinner. To bed 10.30. Saturday 10 August Mrs Beale’s. Lovely day. Mr & Miss Long to luncheon. Midge & 3 boys to Stoke Edith for cricket after. Lovely day. Had walk with Vince, longest taken here. Camp stool. Tommy with cold & went to his nursery. Waddie there. Tried electric massage 6.30. Letter fr. dear Lin going north Sunday night, too tiring as he will shoot Monday. Dine 8.30 tonight, H. & self tea alone. Appendix more comfortable. H. caught trout 1 lb 2 ½ oz. Sunday 11 August Lovely. Midge, H. & boys to Church. I walked with Vince & camp stool thro’ Glen, sat out. Took book of wild flowers. Darkie’s foot poulticed. Glad cause of pain discovered, an abcess in foot. Hope relief. Long letter fr. dear Lin, & my darling. Walked with Vince & camp stool, great boon, do not get so over tired. X. Tried electric bath at 6 o’c, goes well. Monday 12 August Lovely day. Side better. Wrote morg. Wire fr. dear Lin arrived safely Newton Stewart, pouring rain! & open trap for 27 miles drive! Tiresome, trust he won’t take cold. Expected 2 ladies to luncheon, did not come, weather uncertain & blowy. Long letter fr. Roy. Sent him £5.5.0 for his birthday 19th inst. He goes with Ham, Tabs etc Joyeuse to the Anchorage today, weather so bad! Long letter fr. Tabbie. Mr Powell clergyman dined here & sleeps, plays in C. match here tomorrow. Tuesday 13 August Gleamy, some sun. Clerical Cricket Match here today. Clerics won. Montgomery not badly beaten. Only boys, Midge & self to luncheon. About 50 to tea. Mrs Prescot, Mr & Mrs Sykes, Mr & Mrs Heber Percy pretty woman, Rogers etc. Mr Green Price staying here. Letter fr. Dickie bad weather. Maudie large house party Balcombe. Wednesday 14 August Crcket match Brampton Bryan. All men & boys off early. Midge & self alone to luncheon. Pouring rain! Did flowers morg. Lady Boughey, Mr & Mrs Dalgleish, Col McClean, Mr Denning(?), Mr Green Price (already here) arrived. Col & Mrs Heber Percy, Mr & Mrs R. Heber Percy, Miss Harley came, 14 to dinner. Vy delightful evening. Bed 11.30. Vy tired.

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Thursday 15 August Wet early, v. fine later. Kneighton Show. The 3 boys, Ham, Col Maclean, Mr Dalgleish & Mr Green Price left early. Mrs Dalgleish & Lady Boughey in latter’s ugly car, open. Midge & boys in her car. I lunched alone, walked with Vince ½ hr before lunch & in garden after. Had tea with house party on their return. Some played croquet. 8 dining. Lovely evg. Friday 16 August Lovely day. Sat out with Col Maclean & Mrs Dalgleish watching croquet players. Three boys & self to lunch only. All rest to the Heber Percys to luncheon. Letters fr. Maudie & Edgar. All returned to tea, pouring, & off to fish. Got trout 14 lbs, lovely fish. Midge landed it. Vy pleasant evg but too late for me, awfully tired, could not slip away in time. Side better & more comfortable in consequence. Saturday 17 August Lovely early. Slept badly. Mr & Mrs Dalgleish & Col Maclean left at 9.30. Delightful house party over. Midge & self walked round garden, gathered sweet peas. H. rode & fished, got 2 fish Clun. Rested & then out with Midge taking off rose tops. H. shot pigeons & rabbit. Long letter fr. Dickie enclosing bog asphodel. Boys to Harleys afternoon. Quiet evg. H. seems tired & does not look well. Sunday 18 August Woke 6.30, did not sleep after. Wrote. V. annoyed Vince had my bodice drawers wardrobe so untidy, crushes my clothes terribly & is not tidy, a great pity as impossible to learn at her age. H. & Midge & boys to Church. I sat out all morg. Afternoon Midge & self sat out. Mr C. Brown called, had tea. Lady, Sir Henry & Miss Ripley & the Harley girls called, did not see them. Tommy came to my room. To bed early. Monday 19 August Tommy leaves today. Roy’s birthday, may better luck be with him this sorry year! Good night, woke early. Letters fr. Lin & Maud. They seem to be very rainy in Scotland & Sussex, not nearly such fine weather as we have here. Mr & Mrs Tom Bolland to luncheon. Mrs Evelyn, Mrs & Miss Rogers to croquet. Hilda Sp. & Gladys Chirnside came to stay. V. pleasant evg & H. quite lively. Played rabbits after dinner. Tuesday 20 August Lovely & even warm. Sat out with Gladys on Verandah after walk with Midge round garden. Lunched 1 o’c. H. & Hylda fished Clun morg. 40


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Midge, Gladys & 2 boys to Hereford Cricket Match, home 7.30, v. cold & not enjoyed it, nor the Harley tea. H. & Hylda played croquet after luncheon, watched them. Had tea together & walked with H. & Hylda along Glen, they fished pool. I ret’d, rested. Young Brown to dinner, all played rabbits after & all boys dined with us. Wednesday 21 August Fine but cold later. Dull. Dora’s garden party, & Shrewsbury Flower Show. Midge & 2 girls have gone to Show, away at 12 o’c in car. Cold. H. & boys to fish in Clun, back to lunch. Got 4 fish. Dace, 2 grayling & small trout. After they fished pool, got trout. Midge & girls home at 8, another puncture! Gladys C. dead lame & v. silent, has bad manners but is such a kind girl, pity so slangy. Played rabbits after dinner & I watched them until 10 when to bed. Vince reading “Oliver Twist” aloud. Thursday 22 August Dullish, fine later. Fitz with Harleys to flower show, home 11 o’c! after fire works Shrewsbury. Letters fr. Dickie & Maud, well. Wretched weather in Scotland & also in Sussex. Gathered flowers morg. Uric acid up in last 2 days & violent indigestion. My own fault, not careful enough in what I eat. Midge with Hylda & Fitzroy to Green Page garden party, organ. Miss & Mr Rogers & young Rogers for croquet & tennis. H. plays well watched him for some time. Quiet evg. Friday 23 August Lovely day. Walked to end of Glen & gathered sweet peas. Midge to garden party with Hylda & Fitzroy at Brampton Bryan. Young Rogers came at 3.30 with his 2 cousins, girl & naval man. Played croquet & tennis. Vy astonished at Gladys’ strange ways! Quiet evg. Lin having v. bad weather at Drumlanford. Saturday 24 August Lin had splendid day driving grouse, they got 108 grouse. Lovely day. Midge, H, Hylda & (illeg) in dog cart & young 4 yr old, only in harness yesterday, to Clun. Fished, caught nothing, back to luncheon. Geoff K. Davis, Bertie, to Knighton cricket. Midge, H. & 2 girls to Mrs Evelyn’s garden party. They enjoyed it immensely. Little Teddy & self & Vince to Up. Pool, we gathered flowers. Most glorious afternoon & scenery too lovely. Col. Elton to dinner & they danced after. Lin driving grouse at Drumlanford today.

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Sunday 25 August Lovel morg. Lovely all day much warmer. Sat out with Gladys after they returned from Church, & met them returning from Church with Ham, & saw little bull calf 2 days old. After lunch rested an hour & sat watching Midge & Fitzroy play croquet. Thought he was rude to Midge & felt angry. Watched Gladys play tennis with the 3 boys. Sat a little with Waddie on lawn & rested before dinner. Played charades after dinner. To bed 11.30. Monday 26 August Lin returns from Drumlanford. Letter early morg fr. Dickie, leaves today, another letter fr. him evg. cannot hear tomorrow. Hylda, Midge, H. & self sat out morg. Midge took the 2 girls to Hereford in car & saw them off to Show at 2 o’c. Sir H. Ripley, Col Elton & brother came & shot pigeons. I had tea with the boys. Walked with Vince, got honeysuckle. Boys in to dinner. H. very out of temper & v. disagreable all thro’ dinner, most unpleasant. To bed at 11 v. tired, so late last night. Cannot imagine why Midge sits up so late. Tuesday 27 August Lovely day. Boys to Stannage for games, the Rogers place. Midge & self to upper pool & Midge fished, without success. Perfect day, sunny, warmer & yet crisp air. V. happy day, quiet & restful & played spoof with boys evg. Wednesday 28 August Frost in night. 2 letters fr. dear Lin, fear v. uncomfortable as Mr Johnson is at No 8 & his 2 maidservants, expect will unsettle Marie! A wonder if it does not. If only Lin had started the work when I wanted him to do it. Mr Johnson at No 8 now & the whole family return 7th Sep, the day Lin turns out. Boys over to play cricket at Ludlow. Midge fetched them leaving here in Car at 4.30. Gardened morg. & afternoon. Lovely, sat out, flies tiresome. Quiet little dinner. Boys played for Hereford against Shropshire. Thursday August 29 Mr Johnson at No 8, Lin cannot be comfortable & undisturbed I fear. Dullish & cooler but no rain & very warm later. Sat out & much bitten by flies. Sat on Verandah marking Fitzroy’s socks with Midge, gathered sweet peas after. Three boys to Ludlow cricket, lost by 14 only, Hereford against Shropshire & 11 3 men short! Sat out after walking to Pool with Vince & watched Midge & Teddy play croquet. Miss Ripley to dinner, nice peaceful girl sweet voice. Games after & to bed at 11.10. Fitz saw 42


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her home with Sir Henry who fetched her! Letters fr. Dickie, Maud & Emma, afraid Lin not v. comfortable. Friday 30 August Slept well. 2 Evans boys Bertie & Teddy left, poor little Teddy wept leaving. Fitzroy & Hugh K. Davis motored after luncheon. Midge had to speak to Fitz who is v. rude at times. Ham returned from the Dalgleishs at tea time, he & Midge fished after & got 2 small trout. I gardened after a short walk with Vince, but felt v. tired & rested fr. 6 - 7, felt Back. H. looks well & the 2 boys in to dinner. Letters fr. darling M, Roy & dear Lin. Saturday 31 August Darling litle Linley’s birthday, 8 years old today. Lin arrives about 6 o’c, so glad to see him again. Effie, Geoff, Mrs Gibson, Roy, Harold & his wife & baby & Miss Crosier are at darling Maud’s! Young K. Davis leaves. Midge in car with 2 boys to Ludlow, left young K.D. & saw Vera & made calls. H. & self to tea alone. Sat & watched him play croquet alone. Dear Lin arrived 6.30, looks fairly well, always cheery dear thing. Played billiards & beat Ham. Too cold billiard room, M. & self drawing room. Sunday 1 September Dull morg. autumnal. Midge, Ham & Fitz to Church. Had delightful walk with Lin to upper Pool morg. Fitz lunched at Lady Ripley’s. Lin wrote & I lay down in his room till 4 o’c. Decided to leave Thursday or Friday for Edgar’s. Lady & Miss Ripley to tea both very nice & vy young looking. Miss R. v. fond of little Fitz. We all walked along Glen to Keepers cottage. I sat with Lin at Pool, rather tired evg. Gave Fitz 5/-. Bed early. Monday 2 September Little Fitz leaves at 10 o’c for 67 Cromwell Gds to be with Eddie B. & Effie, & Geoff who sails for India Tuesday, & to get his clothes for school Marlboro’ where he goes on the 20th inst. Wire fr. Fitz evg. Effie at Balcombe with Maud, Eddie B. abroad so poor Fitz alone. Long letter fr. darling Maud, large party there. Pouring wet here all day. Attempted to walk with Dickie after tea found had to return. Pleasant evg, H. lumbago, tried my electric battery. Caught earwig in night. Tuesday 3 September Toula’s birthday, sent her two prs. gloves 10/-. Again dull, v. disappointing now dear Lin is here. Very wet all day. Went as far as lodge gates with Dickie. Quiet evg. Mrs Morton called to tea. Saw new 43


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moon thro’ glass when I got up at 3 o’c early morg to open window. Vince forgot it. X. Wednesday 4 September Geoff Conrad leaves for India for 5 years! Dear Lin left 10 o’c. Had wire from Edgar w’d meet me Friday at Manchester, & one fr. Maud. Have decided not to go to Ravendale, do not feel strong enough. Had intended going Friday. Bitterly disappointed not to go to dear Edgar’s, feel too seedy as my side hurts again. Thursday 5 September Feel seedy generally, still punished for Sunday’s long walk. To post office with Vince & a little walk after. Lovely morg & so warm but dull later. Quiet day. Letters fr. Dickie & dear Edgar & Maudie. Fitzroy at Maud’s, not yet written to thank Midge. Those tiresome proprietors of P. worry Lin again over his holiday, too bad. Friday 6 September Toula goes today to Ravendale. H. got 6 fish from Clun. Had intended going to Edgar’s, do not feel strong enough for long journey. Lovely day. Still feel seedy, side & back painful & strange depression. Out morg. with Midge. Vince utterly ruined my new blouse, quite useless for me as regards dress making, shall not let her do any more new things. X. Went in Motor with Midge to Brampton Bryan, lovely place. Sat out & walked a little after tea.. Prety little photo frame fr. dear Edgar. Saturday 7 September Dull & raining. Warm. After luncheon walked a little with V. Midge & H. in Car to Ludlow & to make 3 calls, all out. Back to tea 6 o’c. Sat out & they went off to fish. Very pleasant evg. To bed early. H. seems much better. Started reading “The Queens of England” by Strickland, v. interesting. Sunday 8 September Lin slept at 18 Stafford Ter. after nearly 2 months absence. Heavenly day, fine & warm. Midge & H. walked about together thro’ gardens etc to see what needs doing. We sat after on lawn. After luncheon on verandah all 3 & read. Col Elton came to tea which we had on verandah. I walked after with Midge & H. thro Glen, they on to fish. Quiet peaceful evg, pleasant dinner. H. certainly better.

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Monday 9 September Mervyn & Ethel come today from London. Woke at 7 after good night, opened curtains, sun pouring in, lovely. Walked about with Midge. H. rode. Rested after luncheon & at 4 o’c Midge & self sat outside on Verandah & had tea & read, walked after. Mervyn & E. arrived 6.30 delighted to see them. H. rode with his rods & fished Clun river. 3 greyling. Vince again rude because I asked her about silk blouse. X. Extraordinary the first rude servant since Nana! Mervyn, Midge & self talked & H. & Ethel played billiards. Tuesday 10 September Good night. Another lovely morning. The 2 Walker girls came both v. nice looking. Sat out midges awful bitten terribly. Ethel plays croquet wonderfully, & billiards evg. H. & Ethel fished. Wednesday 11 September Lovely day. Morg some fished, others croquet. Ethel played piano charmingly. Nicola sang. Young Shaw & friend came for tennis. H. & Ethel to Mrs Rogers for croquet, beat them. V. pleasant evg. music singing & dancing. Thursday 12 September Lovely day. Slept badly. Sat out watching Ethel play croquet. Wrote Collins & Miss Spencer. Dickie seems little depressed in letter, fancy Marie giving trouble, no doubt been entirely spoilt at No 8. Badly kept house that & maids left to themselves for months on ac’t Mrs Johnson’s illness. Watched H. & Ethel play croquet. Nicola left after luncheon. Went for walk with Mervyn, lovely along Glen. V. delightful evg. H. & E. billiards & we sat in Billiard room. To bed 10.30. Friday 13 September Slept fairly well. Fine morg. Gladys & H. rode to Titrell. We sat out & I gardened a little with Midge but does not do me any good. After luncheon H, Ethel, Gladys & Mervyn to fish in Clun. Caught 6 grayling. Midge in Car to Ludlow, tyre punctured. Back at 4.30. Mr Shaw to tea, exactly like Mr Stone. Midge & self walked round after. Played bridge with H, Midge & Gladys after din. To bed 10.30. Very tired, c’d not get to sleep. Saturday 14 September Lovely morg. Dull later. Dull. Sat out with Mervyn & E. Gladys & H. riding. Midge gardening, find it tires me so dreadfully. Sat in old wooden seat end of Terrace. Mr, Mrs & Miss Champion, Mrs Morton & Miss Llewelyn to tennis. H. played. Midges so bad could not sit & watch 45


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tennis. Mr Champion drives his own car, a beauty, Daimler. Mr (blank) came to stay, a nice looking young man who is estancing in S. America. Went to bed at 10 o’c when they all went to billiard room. V. tired. Wire fr. Lin who comes tomorrow. Sunday 15 September Lovely morg, slept well. All the Church. Wrote morg. After lunch rested. Midge, Gladys & self to Lady Ripley’s to tea, quantities of lovely flowers in her garden. Dickie arrived at 6.30, looks well. Mr Lindsell seems to admire Gladys. To bed 10.10. V. tired feel a little sick. Monday 16 September Paid Vince 3 months wages, with 1/3 weeks washing £7.0.3. (seven pounds & three pence). Lovely day. Dickie, H. Mervyn, Mr Lindsell went for day’s shooting, got 15 ½ brace partidges, 4 hares etc. Midge, Ethel & self to Brampton Bryan for tea ar Mr Shaw’s, Parliamentary barrister, a deadly dull person. Lovely place beautifully kept. Old ruin half covered in ivy & gardens v. fine. Only got poor tea at 6 o’c after walking round grounds, famished! Quiet evg. Lin funny at dinner. Tuesday 17 September Dickie left at 9.30. Mr Lindsell & Mervyn shot rabbits, & played croquet later. Midge & H. to luncheon at the Boughton Knights Castle. Rested. At 4 watched croquet till tea, Midge & H. back, whilst Ethel etc played croquet. Mervyn & I walked with rod to pool, saw three fish rise but no use. Saw kingfisher! fly over pool. Midge joined us. Ethel & H. played billiards, M. & Mr Linsdell. Midge & self looked thro’ ‘County’ book drawing room. Wednesday 18 September Lovely day. Sat out morg watching croquet. Mrs (illeg) Mr Brown & son & Vera K. Davis came, the last to stay. Looks v. delicate. Had had operation for appendicitis. Pleasant evg. Vera & self to bed early 10.10, rest billiards. Thursday 19 September Lovely day. Knighton show. Vera, Mr Lindsell, Ham & Midge went at 10 AM. Sat out with Mervyn & Ethel. Lunched alone, rested, & went to tea at Vicarage, quantities of flowers. Rest enjoyed their day. We all went to upper pool at 6 o’c, got nothing. Most glorious evg red sunset & full moon, lovely.

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Friday 20 September Toula comes to Bedstone, arrives evg. Lovely morg, misty early. Ham & young Lindsell to fish, got 4 large grayling. Had walk with Mervyn & Ethel to pool after watching croquet. Midge fetched Toula, Vera went with her, arrived 7 o’clock v. fresh & well in spite of long journey. Mervyn danced wonderfully evg, step dancing, amused us v.much, like dear Con. Lovely sunset. Saturday 21 September Lovely day, v. warm. Sat out watching croquet. After luncheon Midge, Toula & Vera went & paid call in motor. Ham croquet with Ethel. Mervyn & self watched & then went for a walk. Quiet evg. To bed V, E, & self at 10.30. Letters fr. Dickie & darling Maud. Young Lindsell left early, he thought I was Ham’s sister, could not have thought much! Mist evg. Sunday 22 September Dull morg. Feel v. seedy, Midge also, think either fr. chill or taking glass of Kimmel last evg, v. foolish. Walked with Vera garden & Midge. Midge unable to come in to luncheon. I very sick before & after so went to bed & feel horribly seedy. Fire in my room. They all came up early to bed. Directly after tea went to bed. Monday 23 September Mervyn & Ethel leave by 9.45 AM train & go straight thro’ to Maudie’s. H. goes to London by same train. Toula & Vera here. Midge up to breakfast but still feels seedy. I feel better fairly good night. Water dreadfully thick white milky & uric acid. Must have a crippled sort of kidney still! Fine morg. Saw Dr Darrell, says it is a liver attack & wiser to remain in bed. Vince again temper fear cannot go on much longer, so upsetting. Tuesday 24 September Leave Bedstone. Unable to go feel (illeg). Liver attack. Midge same, & saw Dr Darrell. Says it is wiser not to travel till Thurs. Seconde fracas avec femme de chambre en deux jours, pas bonne p. moi! Little Vera went in car with Midge & Toula home. Delightful evg. Nice talk at dinner we 3, & Toula read after. To bed early. Mr Douglas Smith called & the M(illeg)s . Heavenly day. Wednesday 25 September Lovely day. Sat out & walked, v. fine. Had electricity & rested. Elle veut bavarder tout, tres fatigant. Letters fr. Dickie & Maud, Mr Douglas Smith 47


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& the M’s. Packed remaining things. Toula Midge & self sat on Terrace, perfectly heavenly. Quiet evg. & nice talk during dinner we three only. Thursday 26 September Heavenly day, v. hot. Left Bedstone after delightful visit of 8 weeks & 4 days! Midge drove me to Station left Bucknell by the 1.15, arrived Euston 7. V. hot uncomfortable journey. Toula also saw us off. Expences fares etc £3.1.4, taking 2 third class fares & permits to go first. Dear Roy met me Euston & Upton. Roy & self home in cab alone. Dickie looking v. well. We dined 3 together. Marie doing house with Emma. To bed 9.30 or 10. Lavatories both look v. nice. Vince broke pulley, fell to pieces, & no unpacking but it was a tiresome journey. Friday 27 September Good night, woke early. Looked thro’ papers etc. Saw Emma who looks very well indeed. Decided to give her present of £5 for good management etc, between us. Decide to go to Maud’s tomorrow, Dickie with me. Vince out directly after dinner till 9, looks v. tired after yesterday’s heat. Saturday 28 September Slept v. badly. D.V go to Balcombe by 4.30 train. Feel awfully bad, so hot & cold & headachey. Felt worried too as V. seems so incapable, untidy & unmethodical although meaning so well. Lovely day. Lin & self gave Emma £5 as recognition of her care etc during my absence & glad to do it. Lin & self to Station alone sending V. & Upton on with luggage. Beautiful station all altered & new carriages (illeg). Our darling met us looking well, so rejoiced to see her & the dear chicks so well. Mervyn, Ethel & Miss Crozier & Mr Allan here. Went to my room & to bed, v. tired, & did not go down again. Sunday 29 September Slept well & feel rested. Mervyn & Ethel came to my room 9 o’c & gave me a dear little air cushion in case, darling Maud a sweet little pendant & book & the darlings each a sweet bunch of flowers, such a joy to see them all & so well & Nurse F. too so well. Dull & damp day so did not go out. Lennie Mervyn & Mr Allan fished after luncheon. I read & rested in my room. Read to Lin Mrs Sella’s reminiscences, most interesting knowing so many of her friends. Ruffled evg. dear Lin & E. late dinner mistook hour, Lennie put out & nervy, better later. Stole away to bed. Monday 30 September Vy bad night. Dull morg. v. fine & warm later. At 11 o’c went for drive in Victoria with Maud to Nymans. Sat out with Mrs Messel, Mrs de la 48


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Penha (also an invalid having had operation like myself) her daughter. Dear little Linley went with us. Mrs M. most kind, made me have some soup whicch I was vy glad of, had refused milk befor starting. Letter & wire fr. dear Roy for my birthday & little glass & silver handle fr. Toula so kind of her & so useful. Rested & walked with Miss Crozier & Maudie after tea. Lin, M & E. to meet Lennie in car, quite peaceful evg & bed early. Darling Maud looking well. Tuesday 1 October Lovely morg. slept well, only awake about hour in night, so thankful! Lin up early & out & at work after. In new bedroom, vy nice, so light. Maud & self in motor ¼ to 12 for drive, called on Dr Parker, out, coming tomorrow at 11.30. Such quantity uric acid & I want a tonic if I may take one. Brought Coushla back to lunch & tea. All playing “Diabolo” on lawn on return, & Muriel & her cousin here to luncheon, 10! Sat out & rested. Maud, E. & Gladys C. to tea out, went in Vic. Lin, Mervyn to fetch Lennie, took Coushla back. Played games evening. Rain. Wednesday 2 October Mr & Mrs Campbell dined here. Dear Lin left by 4 train fr. Balcombe. V. depressed & quiet he has worked hard on Almanack ever since he came. Went for short motor drive. Saw Dr Parker morg. & am to take “Parish’s food” to see how it suits me. Enormous quantity uric acid. L’enniu m’a causé cet desordre j’en suis sûre avec l’abigail agée. Drove with Maudie closed carriage. Mrs & Miss de la Penha came at tea time, they leave Nymans tomorrow. Thursday 3 October Lovely day, some rain. News fr. Ethel M, her sister going on well & being moved fr. (illeg) to Ethel M’s flat tomorrow. Mervyn staying on. Wrote some wonderfully good verses on “Proposals à la Mode” for Gladys Croziers’s book. Went for lovely long motor drive morg. with Maudie, Miss C. & Mervyn. Mrs Freeman & Mrs Kay Shuttleworth to luncheon, both v. ordinaire. Mrs F. lets Fanny Barker her house at St Remo. For drive with Maudie & walk after, delightful. Danced evg. Friday 4 October V. wet morg, cooler. Lovely later. Out morg. in motor for one hour. After luncheon in Victoria with Maudie & walked after, feel wonderfully better, in air all day long. Toula arrived late. Mr & Mrs Campbell dined here, pleasant evg. To bed early. Mr Webber here young stockbroker, quaint manners. Muriel & Miss Lund v. pretty young girl came morg.

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Saturday 5 October Dear Lin came by 4.30 & Mr & Mrs de Beaufort by same train. Lennie to shoot with the Lester Reeds. Mrs L. Reed shot with the men, bad day’s sport, few birds. Walked morg with Toula & sat out so sunny. Mr Webber & Mervyn fished, no success. Maudie’s committee meeting about Nurse held here. After luncheon to Nymans in Victoria with Maudie & Toula. Mervyn, Mr Webber & Miss Crozier walked, had tea there. Very pleasant evg. Lin v. amused with Miss C’s stories. V. sleeping out. Sunday 6 October V. wet early. Roy with Mr Stern. Maud, Toula, Linley II to Church, rest reading etc. After luncheon Mr & Mrs de Beaufort, Maud, Lennie & Mr Webber to Nymans in motor. Dear Lin worked all day. Sat with him morg. read Nathaniel Howthorn’s “House with the Seven Gables”. Had walk after tea with Dickie. Mervyn & Miss Crozier for walk. Vy pleasant evg, to bed early. Monday 7 October Fine alternately showery. Mr & Mrs de Beaufort left & Mr Webber by early train with Lennie. Dr Dalebroke (who Lin, Lennie & Maud met at Seville) came at 5.25, quite a nice man. Mervyn left by 4 o’c train. Maud & self for drive in Victoria & took Mervyn to Station. Walked morg with Toula & again with Lin, Maudie & G. Crozier & Toula after tea. Lennie reviewing his Volunteers. We dined at 8 o’c. Tuesday 8 October Very hot & dull. Mrs Parsons brought in Lin’s tea v. late. Dear Lin goes up after luncheon. Maudie also goes to London for Dona Linda de Galedora’s wedding, marrying a man 9 years her junior! Maudie looked sweet. Mr Dalebrook, G. Crozier & self went in Car with Lin to Three Bridges & had lovely drive round Crawley, back, Toula & self for little walk & G. Crozier & Mr D. also for stroll before tea. Maudie back 5.20. Played roulette evg. Lennie seems well. Wednesday 9 October Alternate fine & dull, cooler, some rain. Dr Parker came morg. Toula & self for lovely drive morg. in Victoria. Walked after luncheon, no, rested, v. tired until 4 o’c tea, & G. Crozier left. V. nice girl, bright, clever & pretty. Darling Maud & I went for a walk with little Linley who was v. good, love these walks with my precious Maud. Lennie busy with his military papers evg. M. & self patience, Toula worked.

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Thursday 10 October Fine early. For drive with darling Maud, lovely all round by Forest & the Pearsons. Rested after lunch & walked alone with my darling before tea, delightful to have her all to myself. Lennie with multitude of flies & fishing tackle evg. Felt v. tired sitting up after dinner. To bed 10.30. Lennie played pianola. Darling played patience. Letters fr. Lin getting on well with work. Friday 11 October Darling Maud left for London by 9 train, goes to see Dr Abraham. Lunches with Mrs Hohler, has friends to tea with her at Rumplemeyers & dines with the Fleichmans & goes to French play with them after. Dear Lin finishing his drawing & has got on with Almanack. Toula & I drove to Lady Frederick, saw her. Ld F. in bed with chill. She in great state about losing Maud’s cheque of £11.11. I wrote Maud about it. Had rest & walk before tea with Toula & Nonie, a little restless! Quiet evg with Toula & to bed early. Saturday 12 October Lovely early. Awoke 7 o’c. good night. Wrote to Lin & Maud & Tabbie. For lovely drive to Peas Pottage to fetch cream & butter in Victoria with John driving dark horse, Toula with me, & back by forest. Chicks a little wild at luncheon, rested after & walked with Toula. Mistook distance of road home by fields & cows!!! Vy tired after tea at 5. Sat in drawing room, to bed early. Little Linley to Dr P’s to tea. Maud & Lennie & Mrs Gibson leave by 1 train for Montrose N.B. Sunday 13 October Fine. Slept badly, woke at 4 o’c & could not sleep after. Toula & little Anne to church. Nonie in my room at breakfast. Walked with Toula before luncheon, rested after but disturbed. Walked with Toula before tea. Wrote after tea & had little Oliver in. Sorted Lennie’s music after dinner until 10 o’c to bed. Monday 14 October Slept badly, woke at 2 o’c could not sleep after. Dull morg, good for Lennie’s fishing! Pouring with rain all morg. Letter fr. Dickie poor Mrs Johnson like myself progressing slowly. Feel much better but always conscious of my back & side which ache dreadfully if the least tired. The chicks v. good, only little Linley wanted to smoke a cigarette after luncheon! Drove to Lowfield with Toula where she stayed 15 minutes with her friend. Had chicks in after tea, made little boats. Delightul evg, cards. Bed early. 51


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Tuesday 15 October Lovely morning. Dear Toula goes by 9.40 train thro’ to Oswestry. Lovely day, crisp autumnal morg. I took Anne for drive with her doll in Victoria morg. Very good. Nonie lunched alone with me & was v. good but wished to peel his pear with the carving knife & fork! Little Anne to tea with me v. happy together. Letter fr. Dickie, sent venison, & Maudie who says Lennie in his waders looked equal to any pantomime, a friendly Puss in Boots! Nurse F. came & read leading articles evg. Had an hours walk with Vince. Wednesday 16 October Colder, dull morg. Woke v. early. Rained all day. Cesarewitch races. In all morg. Wrote letters. Point de letteres d’adv. de hier! Letters fr. Dickie, Maud & Roy. At 3.15 with Nurse F. Anne & Oliver to Mrs Campbell’s where they had tea. I for drive & Linley boy had tea with me, was a little restless. Played roulette after. Too tired to have my head washed. Nonie squeezed my waist & hurt my side, dear boy was so sorry after. Awful accident 19 killed railway Shrewsbury at 2 AM yesterday. Thursday 17 October Another dark dull morg. Drove Mrs F. Walker’s with Anne to say children could not go to tea there as both Anne & Oliver were sick in the night, jumbles I think! Mrs F.W. most kind asked me to go to lunch there, cannot as dear Lin comes. Had little Oliver in to tea & the 3 white kittens in nursery after. Nurse F. read to me after dinner. Friday 18 October Fanny & Alice come by the 10.40, arriving 11.41. Coming tomorrow. Rain & dull. Took little O. & Nurse F. for drive, he a little noisy. So good alone with me. A little girl named Anne fr. Mrs Faure Walker’s to tea with the children. Oliver had his with me, was with me until 6.30, as good as gold. Linley & Anne vy happy with their little girl friend making toffee. Nurse F. kindly read to me evg. To bed 10 o’c. Vy bad weather in Scotland & Lennie no sport. Darling v. well. Saturday 19 October Fine & sunny. Went in Victoria to meet Fanny & Alice at Sta. Fanny looking much older & not a good colour. Went for lovely drive thro’ forest & back in time for luncheon. Little Anne lunched with us & Fanny gave her a little butterfly brooch, red enamel. All 3 chicks in after lunch played piano. V. good, F. & A. delighted with them. Tea 4 o’c. They left by 4.30. Met dear Lin at 5.30. V. walked with me to Station & came back with him in carriage. Looks fairly well & had quiet evg. together. 52


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Sunday 20 October Our wedding day. Heavy rain, thunder in night. Sat with Dickie in new bedroom whilst he worked all morg. For walk with him at 4.15. Wet morg, fine later. Fire smoked v. much in his room but was v. cozy when it burnt up. It blew a perfect hurricane & rained heavily morg. Quiet evg & to bed early. Sat in Lennie’s smoking room. The dear chicks very good & Linley played pianola & Anne & Oliver listened & danced! Monday 21 October Lovely day. First day I have felt warm enough in open carriage without a coat or fur cape on. Took little Anne at 11.30 & had most beautiful drive, called first to enquire for Mr & Mrs Messel, left this morg for London. What a treasure of order cleanliness & neatness their house keeper is. Rested after luncheon. Walked with Lin along red road. Dickie went to sleep directly after dinner. Nurse F. brought in the little white cat & her kittens. Tuesday 22 October Letter fr. Maudie, no salmon yet. Lovely day. Dickie sent off his drawing at 4.15 on our way for walk. Letters from both Mrs Morton & Mrs W. Latham. So glad to hear from them again. Letter fr. Ethel Mervyn about Berthe who comes to me on 6th of Nov. as housemaid until 6th Jany. Letters fr. both Mrs Latham & Mrs Morton Latham, shall be glad to see them again. Lovely drive with little Anne morg. Edie F. came for chicks music lessons. Had delightful walk with Lin thro’ fields after tea. Letter fr. Edgar. Read Kipling’s “Brushwood Boy” to Dickie after dinner in smoking room. To bed 10 o’c. Wednesday 23 October Wet morg. Fine later, lovely afternoon & evening tho’ cool. Wrote morg room with Nonie boy, & drove with Lin to Three Bridges in Victoria at 2.30. Dickie seems well & cheery, returns D.V. Saturday. Letter fr. darling Maud, vy happy at Melrose, no salmon yet alas! They dined with Mr Whatman & Mr Cockagne at Hydro last evg & Mr Cunard joined them after dinner. Letter fr. Mrs Latham for me to go tomorrow morg. On return fr. Three Bridges went with Marnie & little Oliver to see calf born on Saty. Thursday 24 October Lovely day, 2 showers & colder. Drove at 11.15 to see Mrs Latham at Cuckfield, took Nurse F. & Oliver, & Linley on box seat, Victoria. Rested after luncheon. Walked with Vince, & Anne to tea. Nurse F. read & showed me netting after dinner. X. Lennie caught his first salmon, 12 53


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lbs. Maud’s letter, Mr Whatman is the son of Mrs W. I met at Harrogate who fancied herself but was very nice always to me. Did not think much of her, far less than she thought of herself! Friday 25 October Lovely morg, v. cold. Letters fr. P. Agnew, his wife better, fr. Dickie & Maud who seems v. well (illeg) & Lennie, caught more fish & remaining on 2 days longer to fish with Mr Cunard. Drove at 11.30 with little Anne to enquire for Ld Keswick, both still ill, & nurse there. Saw Miss Fitzroy. Drove to Vicarage, saw Miss M.S. Miss Mead to tea, learnt the parish here is St Leonards Forest. Vy wet afternoon unable to go out. Edie here to lunch & tea. Letter fr. Dickie & fr. darling M. Saturday 26 October Fog in London! Jessie Bainbridge’s weding to Cap’t Darrell, Coldstream Guards. Lovely morg. At 11.30 drove in Victoria to Nymans. Mr & Mrs Messel just arrived. Walked round Heath garden, immensely overgrown since last saw it. Lovely flowers & shrubs brilliant in colour. Returned late for luncheon. Rested & had walk with Vince. Saw Baloon going towards Brighton v. low down, chicks delighted. Dickie arrived by 6 o’c. Little L. met him in brougham. Had quiet little dinner together. He looks vy well, such a much better colour than he used to have. Sunday 27 October Dull, cold. Answered Lady Hickman’s & Mrs Galbraith’s invitations. X. Opened a letter of Maud’s to Nurse F’s by mistake, but Nurse F’s was fr. Maud & the envelope was for me, great commotion as all were certain it was Nurse F’s! Walked with Lin morg & again before tea. Met H. Booths, vy handsome family, & the Meads. Little Oliver to tea with us, Linley in to luncheon. Vy quiet evg. Lin read, I netted. To bed 10 to 10. Monday 28 October Hoped Edgar would come today, wired he could not, v. disp’d. Mystery of letter, dearest Maud enclosed my letter in envelope addressed to Nurse F. Much warmer & fine. Maud & Lennie return Wed, Maudie before luncheon. Sent a piece of salmon to the Canon. Drove morg with Nurse F, little Oliver & Linley to Haywards Heath about lamp. For walk with Lin toward B. Place, longer walk. Little O. to tea with us. Tuesday 29 October Dull & rainy. Lin had intended taking little Linley to Brighton for the day. I drove at 11.20 with Lin & little Linley to Station & they went to Brighton for the day. Edie came by their train & left by their return train. 54


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I walked to Station with her to meet them. Took Edie for lovely drive. Played diabolo after luncheon with little Anne & Oliver & rested in drawing room to hear little Anne’s music lesson. Sat in Smoking room after dinner. Vy tired & reading all evg. Wednesday 30 October Very wet. Lennie & Maudie arrived home fr. Melrose at 1.30 both looking so well. My darling wonderfully well & happy. Lennie in the depths of anxiety over stock exchange & looks v. blue. After luncheon he went to fish the Lake & got an eel! I drove at 2.30 to Three Bridges with Lin, complains of feeling livery, hope he will be all right. Maudie to a meeting!!! & lots of people to tea here after! About village nurse! Pleasant dinner & to bed at 20 to 9. Maudie must be very tired. Thursday 31 October Lovely morg. For drive at 11.30 with darling Maud & Linley on box to Potters Bar for butter. Maudie vy amusing about Mrs Gibson & her family views! On our return greatly surprised to hear Edgar was here, delighted to see him, & looking so well. We walked up & down drive & he lunched & had tea here, so vy happy to see him again. I drove with him to Station & saw him off in train. Hamilton, Tabbie & Mr Welch Thornton arrived. Tabs & H. look well, so glad to see them again. Delightful evg. Pianola a little noisy. Friday 1 November Glovers shoot. Lovely morg for Lennie’s shoot. Dear Lin leaves tonight for Sir Alfred Hickman’s after work, & leaves by night mail to Wolverhampton. Vy anxious lest he sh’d take cold fr. fatigue. Drove at 11.30 with Maudie, & Tabs went to Church. After luncheon Maud & Tabbie for walk. I went for short one with Vince. Met little Anne & Antoinette. Little L, Oliver & Anne to Brighton to have their hair cut! Dear little O. vy naughty to V. & Ellen. Lennie had good days shooting bag. Vy pleasant evg & to bed late! Saturday 2 November Sir Alfred Hickman’s shoot. I cannot go. Wightwick nr. Wolverhampton. Lin going. Slept badly & rather headachey. Lovely morg. Mr Welch Thornton leaves early. Lennie & H. shooting at Glovers. Mr Eric Parker returned with them & slept here. Seems wonderfully improved. They had excellent days shooting. Very pleasant evg, again late to bed. I drove with Maud & Tabbie thro’ forest morg. Afternoon Maud & Tabs to “at home”. I went with Vince for walk with Katti, Vic & Flora. Vy naughty &

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disobedient. Nurse F. & chicks to Ottie’s & sleeping at Nymans. Lin at Sir A.H’s. So sorry cannot afford to go on with maid & told Vince. Sunday 3 November Dickie arrives tonight from Sir A. Hickmans at Haywards Heath. Dull morg. Lin dining with Roy at Stafford Terrace on his way fr. Wolverhampton here. Dull morg. Woke 6 o’c. Lennie’s Volunteers to Church, band. Mrs Messel, Hylda, Cap’t Gibbs, Muriel & Mr Messel & Mr & Mrs Hayworth Booth to luncheon. 14 at luncheon V. wet afternoon. V. dark. Dear little Oliver fell & cut his tongue v. badly. Maud took him in Motor to Dr. P’s. Much better evg. Pleasant dinner. To bed 10.30 v. tired. Lin arrived at 11 o’c, met at Haywards Heath. Monday 4 November Bad night. V. tired. Dickie looks well & really enjoyed his visit to Sir A. Had good sport. Met Col. Tillotson. Lin shooting with Lennie, Hamilton & Mr Parker Nymans today. Lennie, Lin, Mr E. Parker, Ld. Denman, Cap’t Gibbs shot at Nymans. Foggy day. Tabs, little L. & self for drive, little L. restless. I drove again at 3.30 with Maudie in brougham to Nymans, back to tea. Rather late to bed again. Good days shooting, nearly 500 head of game, only ducks & pheasants. Tuesday 5 November Slept very badly, 3 late nights. Lovely morg. H. & Mr Parker left by 9.30 train, Tabs by 10. Maudie leaves by 4.20 & does not return until Sat. with Lennie. Edie F. here & returns with darling Maud. Went for drive morg. with my own. Rested after lunch feeling v. headachey & tired. Felt stupid & weepy when Maudie left, don’t like not being with her at Xmas, & yet feel for Lin’s & Roy’s sake tis better. Walk with Dickie & to bed early. Wednesday 6 November Slept better, much. Vy dull morg. Dickie leaves by 10 o’c, train 10.40. Letter fr. Ethel Mervyn saying Berthe would have to leave us in a month as Mrs Church had taken a flat on account of her son. Tiresome but cannot be helped. Berthe arrives Staf. Terrace today fr. Boulogne early. X. Arranged to give her at rate of £24 a year. Drove with little Anne to Nymans for Lin’s shooting stick which was found during our absence in his room! Walked with Vince & rested before dinner. Chicks delighted with fireworks. Nurse F. read evg. & to bed 9.30. Thursday 7 November Good night. Vic in my room. Darling M. returning from Lancaster Gate. Coming tomorrow. Slept much better. V. dull morg. Had Vic in my room 56


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after reading about burglaries! Walked morg with Vince. Started tucking crêpe de chine like M’s pretty Kimono bodice! Wonder when it will get done. Dr. P. came to see little O. Says all children need great care to guard against Lennie’s nerves. Wish I might reorganise dairy here, not nearly careful enough for children. Linley lunched & Oliver to tea with me. Bed 9.30. Dr. P. prefers Sussex cows to Jersey. Friday 8 November Dull rainy morning. For drive at 11.20 with Anne, called Mrs Faure Walker, away. Woods & forest like fairyland, ablaze with the ground covered in golden brown beech leaves & many trees still full of foliage. Edie here, & little Linley in to luncheon. V. restless & exhausting. Went for walk with Edie 2.15 till 3 o’c. Fine & bright. Met Mrs H. Booth’s boy & girl walking along so nicely with their governess. Wish Linley & Anne had the same, & looked so neat & tidy. They badly need a well bred governess & to be out of nursery now. Rested & had tea with Edie. To bed early. Reading A Great Punch Editor, Shirley Brooks. V. interesting. Saturday 9 November Hamilton L’s shoot. Lin going D.V. Dear Lin goes to Bedstone until Wednesday D.V. Heavenly morg, good night. Darling M. arrives by 10.40. Bill Weigal & Mr & Mrs Fleischman come today until Monday & Mr & Mrs Wood fr. Crawley due here. Met darling at Sta. looks very pale, went for drive together. Sat together on Verandah in sunshine, quite warm, for an hour. Rested. M. to meet Lennie Lake, fishing. Rested whilst V. read Shirley Brook’s memoirs. Tea. Fs & Bill arrived. To bed 10 o’c before gentlemen came out of Dining room. Mr Messel called afternoon. Sunday 10 November Slept till 5 o’c. Dull foggy morg. Like what I saw of Mrs Fleischman, seems restful quiet woman & no side. Sat between Mr F. & Bill opposite my darling. Always find Mr F. pleasant to talk to & glad to hear of old friends fr. Bill. Lennie looks better. Wrote all morg. Mrs F. & Maud to Church, Lennie to drill Haywards H. Mr F. & Bill for walk after lunch. Mrs F. & Lennie to fish in Lake. Darling & self for walk. Rested & tea. Fishers got nothing & Mr & Mrs F. left by 4.0 train. Bill good company at dinner, interesting talk. Bed 10 o’c. Monday 11 November Bright, woke before dawn again, but slept well. Packed & ready afternoon. Find Vince very untidy in packing & so slow. Mrs Latham’s tea. Maudie v. busy packing, sent Curtin for her holiday, wonder she went 57


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knowing how much Maud had to do, only confirms my opinion in general. Two of Lennie’s clerks came to dinner 7o’c. Lennie in uniform & giving concert for Volunteers at Haywards Heath. To bed early. Tuesday 12 November V. & self return to Staf. Ter. All go up fr. Balcombe today, Maudie with us. Maud, chicks, self returned London by 10.51 train. Chicks v. good & Linley in charge of white kitten in Basket. Darling M. drove me home & V. came on with luggage. Lovely day, found all well. Lunched alone & unpacked after. V. fearfully lethargic & slow, had to do a great deal myself. Rested whilst she read after tea. Roy dined with me & we had a cozy little evg together. He looks well but thin. Bed early. Wednesday 13 November Dickie returns fr. Bedstone. I go up with Vince, went yesterday. Lovely morg & slept well to 6 o’c. Could not sleep after. Came back from Balcombe with Maudie yesterday. Drove with darling Maud at 11.30 & little Anne round Park & saw the Emperor & Empress of Germany fr. a distance in procession to Guildhall from the Park. They, the King etc, in the main road Bayswater side. Looked thro’clothes & 2 boxes with V, does not give attention. Dear Lin ret’d from Bedstone, 2 pheasants 1 hare. Roy dined out. Marie out but not until Lin had gone. Thursday 14 November Slept fairly well woke so often. Walked a little with V. Met Mrs Spofforth & Mrs Clarke. Saw Nash about our vy faulty lavatories & hot water, promised to see about both. Drove with my darling round park & to Miss Manisty’s. Dull day, no sun. Lin very busy, tiresome drawing on the quarrel between the Admirals Lord C. Beresford & Sir Percy Scott. V. undignified. Rest after lunch. Did box. Grace came to tea, has to work vy hard & feel want of air badly & eating luncheon so quickly. Lin dining ¼ to 9, hopeless for me. My box fr. 104. Friday 15 November Drove with darling M. morg, fetched Mabel B. who was lunching with us. Very raw & vy cold. Walked after with V. ½ an hour before luncheon. Antoinette came, engaged her for 6th Dec. Saw another maid fr. Grace F’s. Miss Rose Innes came. Lin’s light went out, lucky candles in my room. Saturday 16 November Dull & very raw & cold. Maud & Lennie to Scotland to the Galbraiths until Tuesday. Went for walk with Vince morg thro’ Kensington & to 58


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Barkers, thro’ gardens, home. Cleared wardrobe after luncheon. Lin out all day, returned to tea. Roy in to dinner, out after at 9.45. Birch came round about carriage Monday 11 o’c. Roy dined with us, looks vy well. Left at 9.30 for Mr Stern’s. (Note pinned to page: Put out Nov 17th 4 old pieces of silver & silver tea caddy, 6 table dessert, 6 large & small forks, 1 nut crackers. 24 in all, 2 bronzes. Put these away. Box fr. Bank. 2 bronzes. Wed 20th Put out another bronze, Mother’s. Put out newly plated wine cooler for plant.) Sunday 17 November Lovely day. The children came with Nurse F, flowers, & looking so well. At 11 went with Lin to Zoo in brougham. Vy happy with Dickie, thought the houses at Zoo looked dirty. We lunched alone. Mervyn & Ethel came at 3 o’c & remained to tea. Nicola Walker came at 7 & remained to dinner, felt v. exhausted after she left. Roy dined out. Table etc looked nice. Monday 18 November Very wet. Ordered Maud’s carriage at 11, too wet to come. Edie here, great help in doing drawers of wardrobe etc, got thro’ a lot with her, worth 3 Vs. Lunched here & our brougham took her back & a note to Mrs Harold M, with whom I was to have had tea but too wet to go out. My new grey coat & skirt came, vy nice indeed, Maudie’s present, dear little thing one of so many. Dear Lin looks tired, he will give himself so much work. Roy home to dinner. Tuesday 19 November V. dull morg, cleared later. M’s carriage at 11 o’c. Went with Vince to Russel & Allen’s, pretty gown 22 gns, Kreutzer 16 gns, Marshall 13 gns. All ridiculously dear. Glad did not order any. Bought 3 prs of gloves Marshalls. Dickie out all day, lunched at Club. Mrs Fagan, Lady Spielmann, Mad’ Jaquenot called. Roy in to dinner, cozy little evg, 3. To bed 10 o’c. Roy had bad day on S.E, £80 to the bad. Wednesday 20 November Fog awful, impossible get on with shopping. Edie comomg to luncheon & tea. My darling & Lennie arrive early fr. Scotland having travelled fr. Terregles by night train. Turned out drawers drawing room & one shelf Roy’s room wardrobe. Darling M. & Lennie returned fr. Scotland & Maudie came to tea, looking sweetly pretty. Roy out to dinner. Edie remained until 6 o’c. Emma out. Berthe waited. Bed 10 o’c.

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Thursday 21 November Lady Johnson Ferguson’s to 26th , Lin going D.V. Fanny Nembhard comes at 4 o’c. Out morg to Woollands ordered hat £2.2.0, & to Ross’s Grafton St. Saw gown I liked rather, black faced cloth, ordered it, £14.14.0. Vy expensive. But everything is this year! Walk with V. for ½ hour before luncheon. Read to Lin, rested. Heard fr. F.B. George Brooks is marrying a nurse!!! Had my dinner at 7.30. Friday 22 November Lin goes after dinner by night mail to Springkell, M’s. Dull raw day. Carriage at 11 o’c took Vince to Bumpus, saw books. To be fitted Ross’s not a soul there besides myself, bad trade everywhere. V. to Mudies changed book, got Idle thoughts of an Idle Fellow. Had a little walk before lunch, rested & read to Lin after. He & Roy dined at 10 o’c. Catastrophe en masse! Caterpillar! Microscopic cutlets. Never again. Must have standing order fr. Mrs Jones for chicken Thurs. Saturday 23 November Lady Johnson Ferguson’s, Lin going. He left by night mail last evg. Lovely morg after early rain. Hope same with Lin. Toula came at 11 looking so nice in her new black. Her brother Alfred died Tuesday of heart & acute pneumonia & was buried yesterday. He has left nothing! Toula & I walked up Campden Hill & she left after luncheon in Brougham for Paddington. Roy out to dinner. Quiet evg. Sunday 24 November Fine, & sharp frost. Had carriage at 11.30. Took V. first to Mrs Sington at home 27 Brompton Sqre. Looks v. frail. Such a pretty room. Church bell tiresome. To 104 after. Saw E. Cussans & little Linley, seems fairly well. All had colds. Manni(?) away. Ethel & Mervyn to luncheon. M. left at 3 o’c & E. remained until 6 cosily talking & resting. Ada Sp. & Miss Erhart(?) came after Albert Hall. Sp.called morg. Roy out to dinner. Monday 25 November X. Took paper about £40 B.A. Pacific for certificate, ordinary, to Bank. Dull early. Slept well. Feel heady. Edie came & we went in Maud’s Victoria to Bank & to Stores. Bought soldier doll & books. Edie to luncheon, left at 3, read to me. Roy in to dinner. Vy dear & gentle, so different to what he was before my illness but he looks seedy, boil on cheek. He had carriage at 9 o’c & went out.

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Tuesday 26 November Lin returns fr. Sir Edward Johnson Ferguson. Maudie & Lennie from Balcombe. Very dull wet morg. Unable to go out all day, was to have been fitted at 4.30 at Ross, Grafton St. Dickie arrived about 7.30, seems v. fairly well, not lost cough yet. Roy dined at home & we sat in drawing room after dinner. Wednesday 27 November Had M’s carriage at 11, to Ross’s to be fitted. Took V. & called for Maud on way home. Darling looks well & had enjoyed her shoot house party. Kenith Campbells, Fisher Rowes, Mr Gosling, Mr (blank) & Gladys Crozier. Maudie lunched with Lin & self & I walked as far as Kensington Palace back with her, V. with us at 10 to 4 & home to have tea with Lin morg. room. Edie & H. dined here & Roy, 4. Marie out. Berthe managed v. nicely. Singing after. Thursday 28 November Lovely morg. Silver box from Bank, in pantry. Out in Maud’s Victoria 11.15 to see Mervyn & his work at Studio. Mr Gillet there also. Mervyn looking so handsome & distinguished even in his working Holland Blouse. Vy pleased with his 2 statues of Guards mounted & Don Quixot, v. clever. To Maud’s, found her having her miniature done by American lady. Little Linley having his music lesson. Walked with Vince after luncheon. Read to Lin. Nicola & Winnie Walker came to tea. I dined at 7.30, Lin at 9. Roy out. Felt v. tired. Friday 29 November Edie comes for lunch & tea. Fog v. thick & white. Cleared later. Edie came & we went by Omnibus to Dover St to be fitted at Ross’s. Great alterations needed! Vy tiresome, wonder if it will fit ever. Had to stand ages, vy tired. Took cab home. Edie lunched here & too tired to do wardrobe. She read & I rested. Darling came whilst we were at tea, vy well & going off to Balcombe by car tomorrow for week end. Gave Edie a pheasant & silk coat. Dickie finished about 10 o’c, read to him, & I to bed 9.30. Saturday 30 November Lovely morg. Darling M. & Lennie to Balcombe for week end. Vic at 11 o’c with Vince to Jacobs, out, Evans got nothing I wanted but stuff for doll’s dress. Walked with V. 20 minutes before luncheon. X. Lin & self for matinée, Bouchiers’ “Juggernaut”, vy good. Felt odd hot & cold there. Walk to carraige waiting at Athenaeum did me good. Dickie & self quiet day alone, Roy out. To bed early, only back ache, rested before dinner. 61


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Sunday 1 December Fine. Dress fr. Ross’s black cloth very badly fiished inside, not a success. Carriage at 12, & went with Dickie to Park, heard band & walked fr. Knightsbridge home. Upton jerked me when stopping, too close to kerb. Very cold wind. Met Mr Huish who walked back with us. Quiet evg, Roy, Lin & self. Monday 2 December May Nembhard coming to tea. Slept badly kept waking with a horrid feeling, 5 times in night. Dickie leaves at 2 o’c for Col. Lucas! Returns Wed. Dull morg. Mrs Parsons at Home, 3.30. Went in Maud’s carriage to Harrods, saw fur mantle, lorgnettes, dictionary & white jersey. To Lady’s Shirt Company. Lin off in cart 2 o’c. Rain. Maudie to tea. Roy out to dinner & to see Champion fight after with Stern. Tuesday 3 December Dull, slept well till 5 o’c, not after. Edie coming for day. Nellie K. to dine with me quietly. Edie shop. with me in Maud’s carriage. To Jacobs. After luncheon Lady Bergne, May Nembhard & Mrs Keith came to tea. X. Silver out for first time, Emma unpacked it. Nellie K. to dinner with me alone, v. cozy & quiet. Roy out. Wednesday 4 December Mrs Bosanquet’s at home 4 - 6.30. Wet. Had M’s carriage at 11 to Stores £1.10.11. 4 prs of maid’s sheets 18/-. To Maud’s to luncheon. Alone in carriage, managed better alone, V. so slow & have to tell her everything, seems in a dream. Chicks vy sweet & so quiet & so good. X. Paid £1.10.0 to London Joint Stock Bank for 3 allotted new B.A. Pacific shrs £10 each. X. Dear Lin returns from Col. Lucas. Maudie brought me home 4 o’c. Thursday 5 December X. Left my security list with Mr B. at L.C.Bank. Lovely morg. walked with Vince morg. Lin Rocking Horse drawing. Letter fr. Antoinette asking to come Saty. V. inconvenient. Hope I am wise & that all will go well, have grave doubts from note. Read to Lin & dined 8.30. Had headache, & must not attempt it again & feel side directly I am tired. Roy in to dinner. Lin does not look well, feel worried about him, so flabby. Shall see Dr Beecham if he does not look better. X. Put £50 to deposit Nash’s ac’t. X. Friday 6 December Berthe goes back to Mrs Church. V. sorry to part with her, vy nice maid & good worker. £2.4.6. Antoinette Duval comes from Maud. Lovely 62


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morg. With V. by om. quite comfortably to Harrods, decided on fur mantle 19½ gns, awful amount of money had to spend on self. Walked part of way home, om’ed rest! Read Mr Guthrie’s funny little Xmas story in Strand about “Ferdie” to Dickie. Maudie came to tea looking fairly well darling thing. Roy out to dinner. Saturday 7 December Slept well, fine morg. Lin very busy. Off to B. Museum in carriage after luncheon for studies. I went to Harrods with Vince, saw glasses, arranged about cloak, no yesterday did that. Only walked to Kensington, sat with Mrs Sington, & home. Effie came to tea, looks well. Lin, Roy & self dinner, felt v. tired. Sunday 8 December Showery & fine on & off all day. Lin left at 11 o’c for Sir C. McLaren’s, Wales. For walk ½ an hour with V. Met Palgrave Simpsons, they go in a few days to Egypt. Effie to luncheon, she slept after! Herbert & Edie to dinner. Monday 9 December Washing since return, 16.7 & £1.1.1½. Ethel Mervyn to luncheon. E. coming tomorrow instead. In closed carriage, Maud’s, to Harrods about fur coat. Darling to tea & Mr & Mrs Galbraith also. Most kind about Lin & their shoot, always so considerate about his work. Roy & I dined alone. Tuesday 10 December Lady Mansfield Clarke 4 - 6.30, 20 Lennox Gds. Ethel to luncheon. Drive in darling’s Victoria with new pair. Took back 3 Scripture books to Bumpus sent on ap. Round Pk & home. Mrs Adlam, Findlay, Gill, Mrs Harold & Harold to tea. Bump with Quisel(?). Slept badly. Roy out to dinner. Wednesday 11 December Dickie returns fr. Sir C. McLaren’s, Wales. Enjoyed his visit v. much but he coughs & looks puffy & tired. Am sure these hard walking days & shooting are too much for him. Had Maud’s open carriage & 2 men! Edie with me to Stores & Harrods. Lunched & had tea with me. Mrs Wallace came. Vince out. Roy & I dined alone, he seemed v. tired & pale, came in 8 o’c. Thursday 12 December Wet morg. bad night & Dickie’s cough troublesome, seems to have taken cold. Closed carriage came 11 o’c. Took velvet & old blk silk coat to 63


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Jacobs, saw patterns Marshalls, none I like embroideries. Barkers & home. Wretched day for Lin’s work. Sorted shelf alone wardrobe, can do better alone, but so little at a time. Read “Souls Market” to Lin at 6 o’c & we both dined together at 8 o’c!!! Roy out to dinner. Bed 10 o’c. Friday 13 December Dull early, fine later. Slept better. In M’s brougham to Barkers & to Maud’s, having her miniature done. Too hard & lacks M’s (illeg) delicacy. Walked home alone from Broad Walk. X. No stick or umbrella & felt none the worse. Mrs Bergheim called, did not see her. Read to Lin. Lin finished work 9 o’c!!! Read “Our Autumn Holiday on French Rivers”. Charming. Roy out. Saturday 14 December Lady Sutton’s daughter married St Mary Abbots 2.30 to Mr Julius Bertram M.P. Awful day. M. & Lennie to Balcombe. Poured more or less all day unable to go out. X. Wrote to Carter again about hot water, that Nash had promised to put tank in order at his own expense. Read to Dickie who has another drawing to finish by Monday & wrote to Tabs to ask if we c’d go to them next Thursday. Roy out to dinner. Lin & self alone. Vy tired slept after dinner & I felt stupid. Sunday 15 December Bad night. Lin coughed & woke me, could not get off to sleep again. Got up & gave him lozenges. Lovely frosty morg. early. Had carriage to Hyde Pk. Corner & walked back from there with Lin. Chicks came morg. Little Anne to tea. She was as good as gold & so sweet. Mr Paxton came, left 7 o’c, v. tired of him. Dickie, Roy & self to dinner. Felt very tired out. Monday 16 December Fine quantity uric acid, fatigue feel certain, as eat no meat & took no milk yesterday. Punch Dinner. In our brougham to Miss Jacobs with Edie, ages there, so difficult finding trimming for Vest. Upton drives v. badly & felt nervous, so jerky & undecided & never seems to have his horse well in hand. Edie remained until 3 o’c. Maudie came to tea, Dora staying with her. Roy dining with them. Dickie to Punch dinner. Alone. Tuesday 17 December Darling Maud v. busy not here today, sent some veils & pretty stuff. Lovely morg. Went with Vince to Harrods by omnibus & darling Maud’s carriage came whilst we were out! Most vexing. Bad night, Dickie coughed so, & woke at 4 & vy little sleep after. Met Mrs Moore Brabazone, Spofforth, a’ Beckett Tyrrell & Lady Gilbert at Harrods. No 64


MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

one called. Marie v. inconsiderate about Xmas Day. X. Roy, Lin & self dined at 8 o’c. Dickie sent off his drawing. Wednesday 18 December Lin has another drawing to do today. Had vy bad night Lin coughed till 12.30. Got up for lozenges & could not sleep after 4 o’c. X. To Miss Jacobs about blk. velvet coat, fear me it won’t be a success. Rested whilst Vince read 2 hrs so feel better. My darling came & had tea with me. Sat with Dickie some time. Roy dined at Lancaster Gate with Dora alone, & took her to theatre. Lennie & Maud out. Pity Marie cannot get on with E. (illeg) makes them too comfortable (illeg illeg). Thursday 19 December Dull. Slept till 5 o’c, not after. Maids v. late. In all day so wet, & very warm & muggy. Did up magazines, Punches, papers & my Balcombe presents, Lennie, Maud, chicks & Nurse F’s with Marie, a most excellent packer, so neat & tidy, wish V. was the same. Rested a good deal & feel better. Did a good many post cards & sent them off. Roy, Lin & self to dinner. Roy out in brougham after. Friday 20 December Slept vy well, best night for a week. Dickie did not cough, think patent powder doing him good. X. Taken it 4 days. Sunny & warm early. Maudie came in & had tea. Saturday 21 December Left by 2.55 for Sherborne. Saw Mrs now Lady Hare looking lovely at Waterloo. Sent V. on with luggage, drove with Lin in brougham. Comfortable journey but vy back achey & an hour late. Went to my room (illeg) there & to bed directly after. Tabs most kind. Found Mervyn & E. here & Dorothy S. Charming house, looks as if they have lived here years. Delightful room. Sunday 22 December Slept well till 5, not after. Walked with Ethel M. round grounds. Gareth wonderful report, much grown. Baby Gwenith here, dear wee thing, like Lawrence. Rested a great deal afternoon, read “Three Musketeers”. Dickie worked all day but went for walk wth H. after. Gwen played harmonium in the little Chapel in Park. Gareth, H. & Tabs to Church away. Delightful evg, so restful. Ethel & Gwen played.

65


MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

Monday 23 December Good night. Wet morg. Dear Lin goes up to London after luncheon & remains alas! over Xmas Day. V. altering my grey dress, v.tiresome to be obliged to have it done & an awkward job. No letter fr. Roy by first post! Came evg with Mr & Olive Shakespeare, had narrow escape of serious accident Sherborne train wrong side of Sta. & only just in time to shunt before Express dashed tho’! Roy looking v. seedy. Walked with Ethel & Mervyn. Gwen & Gareth hunting. Games evg. Tuesday 24 December Again dull & rainy. Walked with V. awful roads never saw worse so rough & muddy. Mr Shakespeare says fr. building carts etc. Thro’ K. garden with Dorothy & Mr S, rest to Sherborne in Car. After lunch finished tree & rested 4.30. Eighteen children to tea & each had present, a box of sweets, orange & large cake. They sang hunting songs v. nicely. Baby v. good, saw her taking tea with her 2 small uncles! As good as gold! & so clean, excellent nurse. Played Charades boys & Mervyn, & put our presents on tree. Wednesday 25 December V. dark & wet. Rain. Tabs gave me lovely Bath Blanket with the wreath design I wanted worked on it. Dear Edgar sent silver yard measure, Ethel & M. handkerchiefs, boys wee charm, Roy card case, & gave Roy £7. He seems vy depressed & dull, wish he could thro’off that heaviness & be brighter. Walked with Tabs after lunch . O. & E. to Briscoe’s cottage awfully dirty road. Two Gordens to tea. Vy happy evg. games. Wish dear Lin & Maud were here. Thursday 26 December Dull morg. Hope Lin will be here by dinner time, arrived 9.30. Fine later & went for walk in Park with Ethel & Mervyn, bitterly cold, soon got warm walking. Dear Lin came by 5 train arriving about 9.40 after having dined in train. Cards after dinner. Doctor to see Mervyn, says he has adenoids. Dickie seems v. cheery & looks fairly well. Friday 27 December H. Lin, Mr S. shooting afernoon, rabbits & 5 pheasants, round Park. Dull morg. Slept well till 5 o’c. V. cold, bitter east wind. Had walk with Roy to Briscoe’s Cottage & took dogs for walk. Mervyn joined us. Wrote letters after. After luncheon in car with Mervyn & Ethel to Sherborne Abbey, fine old building square tower no spire. Tomb of 2 Lewistons in Lewiston Chapel there, recumbent figures 1578 under canopy. Finished “Dream & the (illeg)” by O. Hobbes. Tabs, Gwen, Roy & Dorothy to 66


MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

small dance Sherborne. Fire in Conservatory, hope not greatly damaged & Lin & Mervyn out seeing to it with Mr S. Bed 10 o’c v. tired. Saturday 28 December Slept well, woke before 5. To sleep later. Dull & cold. Went for delightful walk round Park with Lin & Roy. Some snow. Wrote after & decided on Lin’s account to remain until Tuesday here that he may get another quiet day before the journey. Feel sure it is wisest altho’ I long to be with my darling. H. G. & Gareth hunting, vy large field. Lin came across my Grandfather’s will in Illustrated London News of 1868. X. Patience evg. Roy & Ethel! & music. Mr S. sang. Bed 10.30. Sunday 29 December Slept badly, woke at 4.30 & heard all the hours strike after. Snow still about. Mervyn played trick on Tabbie by rigging up a pheasant digging up her bulbs on lawn. Walked with Lin taking 4 dogs to Lillington, quaint little place down stone paved path. Rested after luncheon. H. busy with glass pictures all morg. Patience again evg, Ethel & Roy. 10.30 bed felt tired. Monday 30 December Slept much better fr. 12 till 7 & dozed after! Dull morg. Leave for darling Maud’s tomorrow, going up by 12 o’c train & should catch the 4.30 fr. Victoria. The Shakespeares leave today & Mervyns Thursday. Delightful visit. X. Nash starting alterations in Bathroom today as we have no hot water upstairs. To Sherborne with Lin in Tab’s motor, over Abbey. H’s gloves, & posted book to Nurse Davis. Patience evg. Tuesday 31 December To darling Maud’s straight through. Dull. Slept till 6 morg, (illeg), no sleep after. Hamilton off 11 o’c shooting with young Digby. Lin, Roy & self left at 11.30, caught 12 o’c train for Waterloo. Goods train derailed Salisbury detained us half an hour where we changed. Last day of old year which has brought us great sorrow on dear Conrad’s sudden death in April. My own long illness causing infinite trouble to my darling Maud & to dear Linley. Maud’s loving thought & goodness to me all thro’ a most trying time, a lifetime of devotion on my part would never repay the dearest & best & most unselfish little daughter in the world, a sunbeam of joy to us all. May God bless & keep her now & always & grant her precious life may be full of happiness she so rightly deserves. Roy looks better since the drains have been done at Staf. Ter.

67


MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

Start 1907 with balance Owe Bank Loan

£47. 0. 9 £150. 0. 0

Trust ac. Invested 1907 February Paid off fr. Loan Buenos Ayres allot. B.A. Pacific ditto February

£ 100. 0. 0 6. 0. 0 2. 0. 0 £ 108. 0. 0

March B.A. Pacific Joint Stock Bk B.A. Gt Southern March

2. 0. 0 30. 0. 0 £ 32. 0. 0

April Glen Mills Currie 2 for 3 allot. B.A.Rosario £10 shrs or ordinary Joint Sk Bank of B.A.Pacific re ordinary £10 shrs

May Call on Buenos Ayres & Pacific Rlys June B.Ayres Pacific on 2 allotted £10 ord shrs Paid off last debt to Bank Call on B.A.Gt Southern

9. 0. 0 4. 0. 0 £ 13. 0. 0

£ 6. 0. 0

£ 6. 0. 0 50. 0. 0 30. 0. 0 £ 86. 0. 0

September Call on allotted B.A.Rosario Rly £ 9. 0. 0 October

£- - -

November

£- - -

December

£- - -

68


MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

Received 1907 from Trust January Argentine Gt.West Cent. Uraguay N.E. Antifagasta January

19. 0. 0 23.15. 0 6.13. 0 £ 49. 8. 0

February Gt Western of Brazil 28.10. 0 Peebles & Sons 23.10. 0 February £ 52. 0. 0 March Cordoba Rosario 19. 0. 0 March £ 19. 0. 0 April British N. Atlantic 21. 7. 6 Illinois Central 19. 9.11 April £ 40.17. 5 June Canadian Pacific 23.15. 0 Lehigh Valley 21.16. 4 June £ 45.11. 4 July Antifogasta 6.13. 0 Central Uraguay 23.15. 0 £ 30. 8. 0 July (continued) Forward £ 30. 8. 0 Argentine Gt Western 19. 0. 0 July £ 49. 8. 0 August Peebles 23.10. 3 Gt Western Brazil 28.10. 3 August £ 52. 0. 3 September Cordoba Railway £ 19. 0. 0 October North Atlantic S.S.C. Local Loans Illinois Central

21. 7. 6 1. 4 19. 8.10 October £ 40.17. 8

November 69


MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

December Lehigh Valley Canadian Pacific

21.14. 2 23.15. 0 £ 45. 9. 2

Private account received January B.A. Great Southern B.A. Rosario B.A.Western Cordoba Cent Rly B.A. Pacific B.A. Pacific Chinese 6% Japanese 5% Japanese 4½ % January February B.A. Pacific Burmah Oil Waihi Gold Robinson Sons of Gualia G.E. Railway B.A. Trams Hull & Barnsley Midland Furniss February March Harrods Waihi Gold P & O Steamship

Brought forward Coupé Dunlop Coupé Dunlop Cuban

7.12. 0 1.18. 0 4. 5.11 1.18. 0 3. 5 5. 3 2.17. 0 1.18. 0 4. 5. 6 £ 25. 3. 1

13.4 4.15. 0 5.14. 0 7.16. 9 5 4.15. 0 9. 6 8.11. 0 7.13.10 1.15. 8 £ 42. 9. 1

1. 4. 0 5.14. 0 4.19. 9 £ 11.17. 9 £. 11.19. 9 2. 1. 3 2. 8. 6 12. 4. 5 70


MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

Chinese Japanese 6% Glas. S.W. Rly March April Japanese 6% Barker B.A.Gt Southern B.A.Rosario April

2.17. 0 1. 9 26.14. 6 20. 5. 8 £ 49.18.11

May

2. 2. 1 5. 0 4. 5 3.10. 6 9. 6 £ 6.11. 6

May City B.A.Trams Sons of Gualia Interest on dep.ac. B.A.Pacific Rly B.A.Trams

June Waihi Coupé Interest on deposit

2. 7. 6 6.10. 0 2.14.11 £ 30. 4. 3

11. 8. 0 2. 8. 6 4. 1 £ 14. 0. 7

Received from Private Account 1907 continued July B. Ayres Great Southern 4% debs 7.12. 0 B. Ayres & Pacific Rly 8. 9 B.A. Rosario 1.18. 0 B.A. Western debs 4. 5.11 Cordoba Rosario Central Northern 1.18. 0 Chinese 6% 2.17. 0 Japanese 4% 1.18. 0 Burmah Oil 4.15. 0 Japanese 4 ½ % 4. 5. 6 July £ 29.18. 2 August B.A. Pacific Sons of Gualia

13. 4 5. 0 71


MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

Robinson Gold Gt Eastern City Buenos Ayres Trams Furniss Rly Hull & Barnsley Midland August September Chinese Cuban

2. 2. 9 12. 4. 4 £.14. 7. 1

Forward Private ac’t September P & O Coy Waihi Harrods Japanese Glasgow & S.W. Deposit interest September October Lloyd Brazil Barker B.A. Rosario Rly B.A. Gt Southern Sons of Gualia October November City B.A.Trams B. Ayres Pacific Waihi Gold November December Interest on Deposit

7. 2. 6 1. 8. 6 9. 6 1. 8. 6 3.16. 0 6. 4. 5 £ 21.14. 9

14.17. 1 14.19. 9 6.13.10 6. 8 2. 7. 6 2. 7.10 12.11 £ 31.14. 9

2. 7. 6 8 17. 6.10 33.18. 2 5. 0 £ 53.18. 2

9. 6 4.11. 1 6.13. 0 £ 11.13. 7

12. 0

Mining Shares Received on my 5 Sons of Gualia £1 during 1907 On Robinson Gold for year 1907 72


MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

Jan July

7.16. 9 7. 2. 6 £ 15. 9. 3

On Waihi Gold for year 1907 Feb 5.14. 0 Sep 6.13. 0 Nov 6.13. 0 June 11. 8. 0 £ 30. 8. 0 Received fr B.A.Pacific Rly for year 1907 Jany £ 8. 8 Feby 13. 4 May 3.10. 6 July 8. 9 Aug 13. 4 Nov 4.11. 1 £ 10. 5. 8 Received fr. B.A. Gt Southern 1907 Jany £ 7.12. 0 April 26.14. 6 July 7.12. 0 Nov 33.18. 2 £ 75.16. 8 Received fr. B.A.Rosario 1907 Jany £ 1.18. 0 April 20. 5. 8 July 1.18. 0 Oct 17. 6.10 £ 41. 8. 6 Received fr. Japanese 1907 Jan £ 1.18. 0 4. 5. 6 March 6.10. 0 July 1.18. 0 4. 5. 6 Sep 2. 7. 6 April 2.17. 0 £ 24. 1. 6 73


MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

Received fr. Coupé 1907 March £ 2.11. 3 2. 8. 6 May 2. 8. 6 £ 8. 8. 3 Received fr. Chinese 1907 Jany £ 2.17.6 March 2.17.6 July 2.17.6 £ 8. 2. 0 These have lowered interest (illeg) 1907 Received fr. Hull & Barnsley 1907 Feby £ 8.11. 0 August 3.16. 0 £ 12. 7. 0 Receiv’d fr. Furniss Rly 1907 Feby £ 1.15. 8 August 1. 8. 6 £ 3. 4. 2 Receiv’d fr Great Eastern Rly Feby £ 4.15. 0 August 1. 8. 6 £ 6. 3. 6 Rec’d fr Midland Rly 1907 Feby £ 7.13.10 August 6. 4. 5 £ 13.18. 3 Rec’d fr. Glasgow S. Western Rly 1907 March £2. 4.11 Sep 2. 7.10 £ 4.12. 9 Rec’d from Burmah Oil 1907 Feby £ 4.15. 0 July 4.15. 0 £ 9.10. 0

74


MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

Rec’d fr. Cuban Bonds 1907 March £ 12. 4. 4 Sept 12. 4. 4 £ 24. 8. 8 Rec’d fr. City B.A.Trams 1907 Feby £ 9. 6 May 2. 2. 1 August 9. 6 Nov 9. 6 £ 3.10. 7 Rec’d fr. P. & O. 3½ % 1907 March £ 4.19. 9 Sep 4. 19. 9 £ 9.19. 6 Spent on dress, presents, Hotels etc 1907 & on House, on Doctor & on drains!!! V. ill February March April May June July August September October November December

£ 13. 0. 4 £ 43.15. 3 £ 15. 6. 7 £ 9.16. 2 £ 19.10. 4 £ 38.14.11 £ 19.19.6 £ 44. 7. 7 £ 30. 1. 6 £ 17. 9. 6 £ 19. 7. 5 £ 271. 8. 3 Spent dress, journey, presents etc only

Received from Lennie March £ 150 Received fr. darling Maud June £ 150 £ 300 From this paid Mr Haward, Doctor, March First instalment on drainage July to Walter Nash Second instalment on drainage to Walter Nash September Total

£ 130 £ 100 £ 100 £ 330

Doctor & drains & not more than £90 now to pay for drainage 75


MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

Total received monthly from Trust & Private investments during 1907 January

Trust Private February T P March T P April T P May T P (rest of year blank)

£ 49. 8. 0 25. 3. 0 52 42. 9. 1 19. 0. 0 30. 4. 3 47.18.11 45.11. 4 6.11. 6

Total spent each month (blank) Expenses Buxton Porter .8 10th July 7/9, 1/3 = 9/Guard 1. 0 Porter .6 Vince 5. 4 Stamps 2. 6 2 Telegrams 1. 1 3 High Frequency 7. 6 Started Saty 22nd daily after including Sundays Fees man 11. 0 Beach 10. 0 Eliza 10. 0 Bath chair Monday 24th 1/Tickets water 1. 1 ditto 1/3, ditto 1/3 th Geoff 10. 0 6 July 3/-, 7th 1/3 £ 30. 0. 8

Brought £ 16.16.6 to Buxton in cash, pd. out above from same.

Electric treatment to July 10 July 10th oddments July 8th see diary 7th Sunday Hospital 6th see diary

th

£. s. d. 2.16. 6 2. 7 2. 7 2. 0 1. 3 ½ 76


MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

1st see diary 28th June galoshes Shoes repaired

2. 6 4. 6 2. 4 £ 3.11. 5½ 5. 0 £ 3.16. 5½

Stamps

Total spent to July 14th in small (illeg) Buxton Drew cheque of £ 4.0.0 July Paid out of same Treatment Stamps Washing E. Treatment Stamps etc Say July 24th Total Hotel Bills Buxton 1st week 2nd week 3rd week 4th week 5th week 6th week

£ 6.17.1½

5. 0 10. 6 8. 0 2.15. 0 1. 2 £ 3.19. 8 £ 6.17. 1½ £ 10.16. 9 ½ to 24th July

fees

12/6 fares 16/1 porters 2/book & papers 1/2 Vince 1/2 washing & post

Last few days expenses. Fees Fares to Bucknall (illeg) guards, porters, cabs Mad’lle: Gentleman received motor horn prize at tennis. Asked if he had a motor said “No! This is as if you gave me a chemise without a woman in it!” Aged 10 Mervyn told Mad’lle he was not born at Pyt but at the Anchorage & that he was quite alone when he was born as his father & mother were in London & all the family away. Mervyn asked on reading advertisement in Punch what “Consecrated cocoa was like!” Age 3 Little Anne asked Maud to bring her a little Baby born abroad!

77


MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

Little Anne aged 5 “Did you know our under gardener Williams, he was such a nice man but God deaded him” then thinking a moment “No, God dyed him”. Oliver aged 3 “When I am ill I have my Temper-chart taken”! Mark Twain told Lin he knew a lady of middle age who had been most careful & abstemious all her life, never had any self indulgences, & who was taken very ill. Mark Twain said “There was no hope for that lady! She could leave nothing off. Now if she had indulged herself, taken champagne, rich food, etc she could have left these off & there would have been hope for her, but there was none for this lady, she had nothing left to leave off!” Lady seeing her cook extracting a poor cat’s head from some iron railings in which it had got fixed “Oh Jane did’nt you hear that poor cat before?” “Yes Mum I did hear it but I thought it was you practising your singing!” Why is the Prince of Wales like 15/-? Because it takes a crown to make him a Sovreign. Make 9999 into 3 figures. 99 9/9 What is better than Heaven? nothing, as nothing is better than Heaven What is better than half a loaf? Nothing as nothing is better than Heaven. Was Eve High or Low Church? Eve was Evangelical & then took to vestments. Who ate the Apple? The pair – pear! Mrs Louis Fagan, 66 Park Mansions Hyde Pk Fitzroy, Elstree School, Elstree, Herts Claud. Estancia Collinas, Nr Buenos Ayres, S. America Geoff. 89th R.T(?) Fusiliers, Portobello Barracks, Dublin, Ireland Mary Frances with babies. Address c/o Mrs Hall, Longford, Westgate on Sea, Thanet Best registry, Mrs Collins, 6 High St, Exeter Miss Tattershall, Southernhay St Nurse Frances, c/o Mrs Hall, Longford, Westgate on Sea Miss A.B.Holland, Pershore, Worcestershire Eve Fisher Rowe, The Firs, Reading Rd, Frnborough, Hants Aunt Linda, Grand Hotel St James, Rue St Honore, Paris

78


MARION SAMBOURNE’S DIARY 1907

Irishman, on going over by ship. He said what a fine ship, & seeing the small boats “Ah, God be praised everything has its offspring!” For chintz covers etc Green & Abbot, 47 Oxford Street, London, W. Miss Cussans, 4 Cromwell Avenue, Highgate, N. Miss Artindale, 34 Cornwall Gds Edgar, Grand Hotel d’Agaccio (illeg). Agaccio, Corsica. Dickie. Hotel Reina Christina, Algesiras, Espagna. Ethel Cussans, 4 Cromwell Avenue, Highgate, N. Lady Lawrence’s doctor (Feby) Dr Brinton, 8 Queens Gate Ter. Daisy Robertson, Upper Ifold, Dunsfold, Surrey Miss Elkins, 57 Warwick Avenue Fanny Nembhard, 27 Gilbert St, Gros. Sqre George Dietz, Woodend, Wickham, Hants Warrington Haward, 57 Green St, Grosvenor Sqre Mervyn, 2 Heath Mansions, Putney Heath Lane, Nr London

79


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