A journal of a tour on the continent in the years 1844 and 1845 , 1844 July 4-December 8
- Title(s):
- A journal of a tour on the continent in the years 1844 and 1845 . part 1st.
- Published/Created:
- 1844 July 4-December 8.
- Physical Description:
- 1 v. ([262] p.) ; 16 cm.
- Holdings:
- Rare Books and ManuscriptsD919 .J68 1844Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Fund[Request]
- Copyright Status:
- Copyright Not Evaluated
- Full Orbis Record:
- http://hdl.handle.net/10079/bibid/9808403
- Classification:
- Archives & Manuscripts
- Notes:
- The writer of the present diary remains unidentified. He appears to have been a servant in the household of Dr. William Charles Henry M.D. F.R.S. (1804-1892), who, with his wife Margaret Allan (1810-1890), lived at Haffield, a small estate home in Ledbury, Herefordshire, from 1837 to 1892. The family took regular trips to Europe, in part to aid the somewhat weak health of some of their children.
Bound in contemporary black roan, with marbled edges and marbled endpapers.
Manuscript diary recording a continental voyage taken with the Henry family of Haffield, Donnington (Herefordshire) in 1844 and 1845. Only the first volume of the diary (1844, July 4-December 8) is present. It is written in pen and black ink throughout, in a single hand. The journal was written by an unidentified servant in the Henry household, for it refers to Dr. William C. Henry and Mrs. Henry as "Master and Mistress." Furthermore, there is some indication that the journal was kept by a male servant, as the traveler describes evenings out alone and instances at which the "females of the party" are restricted from certain sites (such as particular chapels in Italy), suggesting that the traveler was not among them.
The voyage begins in England, with a departure from Haffield and a holiday in Worthing ("six weeks there seabathing") and a water voyage to Dieppe, France. on August 15th. The party consists of fifteen persons and two carriages, and includes Dr. and Mrs. Henry and their children, of which there were at least six at this time. The other seven people are likely to have been servants and nurses for the children. The diary is full of misspellings and somewhat vernacular phrasings (e.g., "I believe Dieppe is the most fasionablest [sic ] seabathing place in France"; "In the Champs Elysees is always games of all kinds going on..."). This last aspect of its language suggests that the writer did not have a very sophisticated education.
The diarist keeps scrupulous details of the entire trip, with entries for almost every day of the voyage. The traveler seems to appreciate keenly every sight and sound, for he admits that this is his first voyage on water (and thus, it can be inferred, to Europe). He suffers a fierce bout of seasickness on the way over (and on subsequent water journeys). He records trips to cathedrals, museums, and natural wonders in France, Switzerland, and Italy, among them the Champs Elysee, Rouen, Geneva, the Alps, Mount Vesuvius, and Pompeii. The family and the diarist attend English church services almost every Sunday, and their sightseeing focuses heavily on religious architecture. The diarist records at length witnessing a ceremony in which a nun takes the veil, witnessed during his days in Italy. He also records his consternation at traditional funeral services on the continent, which he regards as lacking decency. - Subject Terms:
- Alps -- Description and travel.Europe -- Description and travel.France -- Description and travel.Henry, Margaret, 1810–1890.Henry, William Charles, 1804–1892.Household employees -- Great Britain -- Diaries.Household employees -- Great Britain -- Travel.Italy -- Description and travel.Switzerland -- Description and travel.Voyages and travels -- 19th century.
- Form/Genre:
- Diaries.
Travel literature -- Europe. - Export:
- XML