WOMEN'S LANGUAGE AND EXPERIENCE, 1500-1940
Women's Diaries and Related Sources

Part 4: Sources from the National Library of Scotland and the National Library of Wales

The aim of this project is to bring together a vast body of womens diaries and related materials from all over England, Scotland and Wales, so that scholars can examine womens lives over three centuries from a variety of perspectives. By examining their language and experience it is possible to see how dreams and aspirations changed over this period, to see how travel and work altered their lives, and to understand the roles of family, childbirth and death in shaping womens lives.

There are 79 volumes from the holdings of the National Library of Scotland. In addition to diaries we have included some additional materials such as devotional notebooks, commonplace books, autobiographies and memoirs.

Amongst the important 17th century materials are Lady Halketts Meditations (MSS.6489-6502). These 14 volumes are a mixture of religious reflections and diary entries, commenting on her sins, as well as on financial problems following the Civil War, historical episodes such as the Popish Plot of 1678, and thoughts on widowhood. They cover the period from c1650 to her death in 1699.

Records relating to Covenanters include both letters and memoirs for the period 1675-1704, mainly relating to three sisters - Elizabeth Collace, Jean Collace and Katharine Ross (Adv. Mss 32.4.4 and 34.5.19). This material is chiefly religious in character, but includes some notice of family movements and affairs, conventicles and persecutions, and the texts of the field-preachers sermons. By way of comparison, there are also 17th century memoirs for John Livingstone and James Fraser. The 17th century religious memoir of Marion Veitch is at Adv. Ms.34.6.22.

Because evidence concerning witchcraft is so scarce, we have also included a small item (MS.1909) describing the confessions of Margaret Duchall and others, accused of witchcraft, in Alloa in 1658.

The 18th century is also well represented, starting with diaries describing the social life and private affairs of Anne, Lady Stuart, of Castlemilk (MSS.8224-8229 and 8231). The diaries of Mary Graham, 1781-1791 (MSS.3628-3637) offer a different perspective of life in the period detailing her work among the poor. The diaries also describe her travels in Spain and France, and her capture by an American privateer.

The autobiography of Eliza Fletcher, 1770-1817 (MS.3758) extends into the early 19th century, as do the correspondence, journals and songs of Lady Nairne and of her sisters, Mrs Stewart of Bonskeid, Mrs Steuart of Dalguise, and Mrs Keith of Ravelstone (MSS.980-986) These cover the period from 1763 to 1847 and provide a remarkable portrait of a scattered family who remained in close contact. They also give sharp insights into literary and artistic taste.

We have also taken the opportunity to include two fascinating manuscript volumes which shed much light on womens lives in this period. The first is an essay on female conduct by Margaret Monro dated circa 1739. This contains much practical advice, but warns that: "The danger of promiscuous reading of plays is so great, that no young woman ought to allow herself in it, she ought to read none, except such as are recommended to her by one whose judgement and sincere friendship she can rely on. Many novels are written in the same bad taste as the faulty plays, and tend greatly to turn the head and corrupt the heart...." (MS.6658, f31). The second is Tibbie Flint, a fictional life set in Roxburghshire, Edinburgh and London (MS.9379A-B). This was apparently written by Elizabeth Bell of Coldstream (1787-1876) between 1808 and 1828.

A variety of 19th century diaries describe life in Bath, York and at Fontainbleau School. Of particular note is Isabella Bremners 1853 diary describing her passage to India and her subsequent life in Bombay as the wife of a doctor. There is also a substantial 13 volume run, 1825-1852, of diaries, commonplace books and account books of Lady Hislop, daughter of Hugh Elliot, the diplomat (MSS.13141-13153).

One of the most poignant and remarkable records is the medical journal of Lady Christina Malcolm describing her ultimately unsuccessful struggle with breast cancer, 1829-1831. Attempts to cure or alleviate the condition by means of medicine, plaster, bathing and operation were all tried and the efficacy of rhubarb pills and opium are discussed. In addition to her own notes, there are letters from her children (Acc. 9756).

For the 20th century there is a substantial five volume diary for Elizabeth Haldane covering the period from 1910 to 1937 (MSS.20240-20244) and an account of Anne Geddes visit to the United States in 1900 (MS.19997).

The diary of Katherine Wynn (Peniarth Ms. 521A) dates from 1682, and the copybook of Katherine Thomas, c1660, (NLW MS.4340) includes verses on the death of her children.

One of the largest sequences of diaries is the 10 volume set for 1778-1786, describing the life of Elizabeth Baker of Dolgellau, together with her letter books, 1779-1797 (Peniarth 416 I, II and 501). Continuing on from this in date terms are the diaries of Elizabeth and Sarah Ann Ellis, 1786-1839 (19 volumes, NLW MSS.11737-11755).

The diary of Mary Rees (NLW MS.3093) describes the life of a Ministers wife, 1861-1862, while the lengthy run of Mrs Clerks diaries (NLW MSS.15035-15041) provide insights into nineteenth century household management.

Finally, we offer 9 volumes of diaries and 2 volumes of related materials of Hester Lynch Piozzi (1741-1821) (NLW MSS.11096-11104). These describe her life at Brynbella with the musician, Gabriel Piozzi, her literary endeavours, and meetings with friends. There is good material relating to Samuel Johnson and the bluestockings. These papers also form an important complement to the records of the Ladies of Llangollen, Sarah Ponsonby and Eleanor Butler, (also published by Adam Matthew Publications) with whom she was closely connected.