| Description | Particular entries include details of Charlotte's day to day activities, and those of her children. Charlotte is still involved with charitable work, spending some time giving out stores, and acting as a hospital visitor on Wednesdays. Mary is involved with various committees, including the St Paul's Committee, and attends a committee luncheon at the Ladies Club on 9 May. She also works at St Mary's, Whitechapel which is mentioned on 5 December.
Sidney continues his theological studies at Keble College, Oxford. Charlotte reports that he has won a £3 prize for books and only just missed a share of £20 for good papers at Collections on 16 May. She gives some details about Cecil's career, mentioning that he went to Dean's Yard to appear as a candidate for law clerk on 30 January.
Charlotte visits several exhibitions, and goes to other events. She attends an Old Masters Exhibition at Burlington House with Mary and Bennett on 20 January and goes to a Japanese Exhibition and Water Colour Exhibition with Mary, Cecil and Sidney on 26 March. She and Bennett attend the Women's section of the Anglican Conference at Prince's Hall on 29 May.
She visits Harpsden several times during the year, to see friends and, on 23 January, to put flowers on Fred's grave for his birthday. Charlotte also holidays in Bridlington in August. Activities include walks to see the 'fine old priory church' on 6 August and Mary and Sidney have a donkey ride along the sands on 20 August. Sidney goes out fishing on 24 August and on a geological search along the sands on 29 August.
The event which dominates the later part of the year is the death of her second son Harold. On Charlotte's return from visiting relations on 16 October, she finds a telegram 'telling me of darling Harold's gun accident today, a 2nd followed telling me that he had passed away painlessly, unconsciously 2 hours afterwards'. Mary deals with the shock well and is very helpful to her mother. There is a cutting stuck into the diary at this date announcing Harold's death. She receives a letter from Lady Lyon the following day telling her that Harold had shot himself in his sitting room, 'plainly in a desponding (sic) state' The inquest on 18 October at Kilvrough, near Swansea, where Harold had been living, recorded a verdict of 'suicide during temporary insanity'. The funeral was held 21 October and Harold was buried at Penard church. The diary contains a loose piece of paper, formerly inserted at this date, with a quotation copied out in Charlotte's writing.
Reading matter includes 'Sacramental Life' by K. Little, 'Pusey on Daniel the Prophet', 'Influence of the Imagination on Belief' by Mozley, Mozley on Miracles, Liddon's 'Power of the Resurrection', 'Revelations of the Risen Lord', 'Faith in a Holy Ghost', Smith on 'The United States', 'Japan As We Saw It', 'Royal Visit to Eisteddfod', 'A Gentleman of France', 'book on Spain' and 'Social Evolution'. On 15 January, Charlotte notes that 'Mary kindly read me a sh[ort] well written story by R. Kippling' (sic).
The diary contains lists of letters sent and received throughout the year at the back of the volume.
Loose enclosures comprise: newscutting giving biographical details of Fredericc Bagot and noting his death and a note about finances at Coutts. |