| Description | Separate entries for Charlotte's wedding anniversary and other dates appear at the front of the volume. Entries for 12 December onwards are written in pencil on loose pieces of paper.
Particular references are made to visits to the 'magnificent' Lichfield Cathedral, '£12000 have already been spent in restorations', Charlotte writes on 14 January; attendance at a 'Collation' at Oxford given by the University to the Prince and Princess of Wales at All Souls Library, 17 June; visit to the Henley Regatta, 25 June; and to a choral event [?special service/festival] in which her own Harspden [children's church] choir is a participant in October. She remembers the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales in her prayers, 10 March.
More general details include visits from Charlotte's relatives and stays with Fred's family- Charlotte writes of her 'dear, kind and fascinating new mother', 16 January. She also details general Harpsden routine - this entails helping Fred at the school, being active in the Clothes Club and the Children's Books Club which she co-runs with Fred, and taking the children's choir. There is also a mention of Harpsden's school inspection by Mr Bellairs on 21 October - he 'thought it wanted discipline but on the whole satisfactory' writes Charlotte. She is hopeful that they 'should get a larger grant under [the] new code'.
Parish activities include decorating the church for special services, visiting parishioners and 'bread distribution', 6 April. In addition, details of Charlotte's household purchases are also given: these include '2 bottles of brandy at Coopers, 1 gallon of Indian corn at Suttons, pills, papers and extract book at Wyly's', 15 November. Charlotte's poor health, most especially her back pain, dominates much of the later entries, though she still reads daily.
Reading matter includes sermons,'Obadiah' and 'The Torment of Fear' by Kingsley, and Wordsworth's 'Tours in Italy', and Stanley's 'Lectures on Jewish Church', and she starts reading the 'Standard' |