The diary covers one year of a student's experiences at boarding school in Lincolnshire during the mid-nineteenth century. The volume cover is entitled 'Life at School' and signed R. A. Smith in a number of places. A keen student, the author's diary provides a notable insight into the school curriculum, methods of education and the privations of boarding school of the period. Details of given of the subject matter of individual lessons including history, Bible studies, geography, arithmetic and planning, surveying and drawing. In addition, the diarist reports on less usual matters including the visit of the hairdresser, the existence of an archery club and his piano practice. There are also references to his attendance at the local Wesleyan Chapel. The student also regularly includes details about his health and the state of the weather.
Diary of a boy at boarding school
This material is held atUniversity of Birmingham, Cadbury Research Library, Special Collections
- Reference
- GB 150 MS88
- Dates of Creation
- 1865
- Language of Material
- English
- Physical Description
- 1 volume
Scope and Content
Administrative / Biographical History
It is not possible to identify the author or the boarding school referred to in this diary. If the author is R. A. Smith internal evidence suggests that his first name is Richard. Some parts of the diary have been used to practise handwriting, or as a note book, and an entry for 23 May includes the word 'Richard' written in a different pen underneath the entry for that day. The author mentions a sister who dies in the summer of 1865 and a brother, Tom, who attends the same boarding school.
One can assume the boarding school is in Lincolnshire as internal evidence refers to Sleaford, Spalding and a number of other, smaller, settlements in the county
Access Information
Open. Access to all registered researchers.
Acquisition Information
Purchased August 1998
Other Finding Aids
Please see full catalogue for more information.
Archivist's Note
Papers arranged and described by Mark Eccleston, August 2009.
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.