Diary of Louisa Martin

Manuscript diary dated December 1885 to September 1886 of Louisa Martin, the wife of poet and civil servant, William Wilsey Martin. The diary reflects the life of a middle class wife and mother living in London in the late nineteenth century. Louisa Martin made daily entries in her diary which she kept in a notebook stamped 'Supplied for the Public Service' with a stamp of the crown, and also an 'Inland Revenue' embossed stamp suggesting it was of civil service issue. The diary is a very full and detailed record of the activities of her immediate family living at 15 Delamere Terrace, West London, which included her husband, who is always referred to as Pater, her daughters, Ada, Florence, (known as Flo) and son, Montague (known as Monty). Her married daughter, Edith (known as Di), son in law, Morton, and grandchild, Myrtle, appear to live close by and the two households are closely linked and see each other almost daily. During the period covered by Louisa's diary, Ada marries Morton's brother, Clement Nugent Jackson. The family had a wide social circle and enough means to live comfortably, keep servants and enjoy regular outings, holidays and entertainments. Louisa records domestic matters and keeps notes in the margins of the diary concerning household accounts and financial transactions. Although it is essentially a personal record of day to day family matters the writer also refers to literary and sporting celebrities and events of national importance and public interest. Louisa records in her diary a variety of family illnesses and injury requiring medical attention as well as the death of William's father at their home, so it is also a record of medical practices and procedures of the time. On occasions Louisa makes comments in French, usually on potentially sensitive matters such as her opinion of the behaviour of her son, Monty.

Louisa Martin, born in 1838, in Geneva, was the wife of William Wilsey Martin (1835-1913), published poet and Surveyor of Taxes at the Inland Revenue. At the time of her writing this diary, they were living at 15 Delamere Terrace, West London with their daughters, Ada Louise (b.1859), Florence (b. 1866), their son Montague (b. 1869). Their daughter, Edith Rosine, known as Di, her husband, Morton Strode Jackson and baby daughter, Myrtle Beatrice (b.1884), Louisa's grandchild, lived close by. In 1886, Ada marries Morton's brother, Clement Nugent Jackson.
Source: http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=/eng/search/ancestorsearchresults.asp (accessed 17 October 2011); 'The Times' announcements of marriages June 1886; http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp (accessed 17 October 2011)

William Wilsey Martin (1833-1913), born in Reading Berkshire, published a number of poems and ballads such as the anthology 'By Solent and Danube' Trubner &Co., London, 1885, 'I dream'd a dream' 1882, set to music by Edith Cooke and the Coronation Ode, 'God keep the King' in 1902. He also held the position of Surveyor of Taxes at the Inland Revenue based in Somerset House in London.

Source: COPAC: http://copac.ac.uk/search?&au=william+wilsey+martin&sort-order=ti%2C%2Ddate (accessed 17 October 2011)

Ada Martin (b.1859) eldest daughter of William Wilsey Martin and his wife, Louisa, married Clement Nugent Jackson 15 July 1886. She also became a published writer of dramatic songs, stories and ballads, including Gordon League Ballads, Skeffington, London, 1897, under her married name of Mrs Clement Nugent Jackson or her pseudonym, Jim's Wife. In her diary, however, her mother refers to an earlier work by Ada entitled, 'Our First Quarrel' which was accepted by the Religious Tract Society in 1886.

Source: 'The Times' announcements of marriages 16 June 1886 on microfilm
COPAC: http://copac.ac.uk/search?&au=Mrs+Clement+Jackson&sort-order=ti%2C%2Ddate (accessed 17 October 2011)

Clement Nugent Jackson (1846-1924), British athlete, academic and athletics administrator was elected as a don at Hertford College Oxford in 1869 and university proctor 1881, fellow of Hertford College 1881-1886 and college bursar 1887-1914. As a young man he was an outstanding athlete and later a major figure in the foundation of the Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) in 1880. His brother, Morton, married Ada Martin's sister, Edith and their son, Arnold Jackson (1891-1972), coached by his uncle Clement went on to win gold medal in 1500m at the Stockholm Olympics of 1912.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clement_Jackson (accessed 17 October 2011)
http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/50371 (accessed 17 October 2011)

Open. Access to all registered researchers.

Purchased in July 2008

Please see full catalogue for more information.

Cadbury Research Library holds the archive of the Amateur Athletics Association (AAA) which contains material relating to the foundation of the Association and the role played by Clement Nugent Jackson (AAA/1/2/2)
'By Solent and Danube: poems and ballads' W. Wilsey Martin, Trubner & Co., London, 1885, containing inscription 'To Miss Ashbee with the author's kind regards Dec. 1885': University of Birmingham, Cadbury Research Library r PR4984.M4S6
'Gordon League Ballads for working men and women by Jim's Wife' (Mrs Clement Nugent Jackson), Skeffington and Son, London 1897: University of Birmingham, Cadbury Research Library r PN4305.P7