Between the years 1870 and 1879
The Rev Francis Kilvert kept a diary.
His life as a country parson on the Welsh border
was short lived; he was married in
August 1879 and died one month later of peritonitis.
Most of his diary has been
destroyed over the years… but some still remains.
I first studied this book at
Glasgow University and for the last twenty years
it has remained a firm
favourite.
I thought I might share some of it with you.

     We are in Victorian England,
beloved of Christmas Card manufacturers.
The year is 1870.

Sunday, Christmas Day.

As I lay awake praying in the early morning
I though I heard a sound of distant
bells. It was an intense frost.
I sat down in my bath upon a sheet of thick ice
which broke in the middle into large pieces
whilst sharp points and jagged edges
stuck all round the sides of the tub like
chevaux de frise, not particularly
comforting to the naked thighs and loins,
for the keen ice cut like broken glass.
The ice water stung and scorched like fire.
I had to collect the floating pieces of
ice and pile them on a chair before
I could use the sponge and then I had to thaw
the sponge in my hands for it was a mass of ice.
The morning was most brilliant.
Walked to the Sunday School with Gibbins
and the road sparkled with millions of
rainbows, the seven colours gleaming
in every glittering point of hoar frost.
The Church was very cold in spite of two roaring stove fires.
Mr V. preached and went to Bettws.
 
 
 
 

Monday, 26th December

Much warmer and almost a thaw. Left Clyro at 11am.

At Chippenham my father and John were on the platform.
After dinner we opened a hamper of game sent by Venables,
and found a pheasant, a hare,
a brace of rabbits, a brace of woodcocks and a turkey.
Just like them, and their constant kindness.
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, 27th December

After dinner drove into Chippenham with Perch
and bought a pair of skates at Benks for 17/6.
Across the fields to the Draycot water and the young
Awdry ladies chaffed me about my new skates.
I had not been on skates since I was here last,
five years ago, and was very awkward for the first ten minutes,
but the knack soon came again.
There was a distisguished company on the ice,
Lady Dangan, Lord and Lady Royston and Lord George Paget all skating.
Also Lord and Lady Sydney and a Mr Calcroft,
whom they all of course called the Hangman,
I had the honour of being knocked down by Lord Royston,
who was coming round suddenly on the outside edge.
A large fire of logs burning within an enclosure
of wattled hurdles.
Harriet Awdry skated beautifully and jumped over a half sunken punt.
Arthur Law skating jumped over a chair on its legs.
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, 28th December

An inch of snow fell last night and as we walked
to Draycot to skate the snowstorm began again.
As we passed Langley Burrell Church we heard the
strains of the quadrille band on the ice at Draycot.
The afternoon grew murky and when we began
to skate  the air was thick with falling snow.
But it soon stopped and gangs of labourers were at
work  immediately sweeping away the new fallen
snow and skate cuttings of ice.
The Lancers was beautifully skated.
When it grew dark the ice was lighted with Chinese
lanterns and the intense glare of blue,
green and crimson lights and magnesium rib and
made the whole place as light as day.
Then people skated with torches.
 
 
 
 

Thursday, 29th December

Skating at Draycot again with Perch.
Fewer people on the ice today.
No quadrille band, torches or fireworks,
but it was very pleasant,  cosy and sociable.
Yesterday when the Lancers was being skated
Lord Royston was directing the figures.
Harriet Awdry corrected him in one figure
and he was quite wrong.
But he immediately left the quadrille and sat down
sulking on the bank,
saying to one of his friends,
"Those abominable Miss Awdrys have contradicted
me about the Lancers".
This was overheard and repeated by
Harriet by a mutual friend and the next time she saw
him she said meaningly," Lord Royston sometimes
remarks are overheard and repeated",
or something to that effect. However soon after he
wanted to make it up and asked her to
skate up the ice hand in hand with him.
"Certainly not, Lord Royston," she said.
Lady Royston skates very nicely
and seems very nice.
A sledge chair was put on the ice and Lady Royston
and Lady Dangan, Margaret, Fanny, Maria and
Harriet Awdry  were drawn about in it by turns,
Charles Awdry pushing behind and Edmund and
Arthur and Walter pulling with ropes.
It was a capital team and went at a tremendous
pace up and down the ice.
A German ladies’ maid from Draycot House
was skating and making ridiculous antics.
 

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