Maria's Diary 10

Chapter 10

After Christmas

Keep the unity of spirit,
Keep it in the bonds of peace,
So alone shall we inherit
Hope, and truth, and blessedness.

December 24, 1830
 

Today is my birthday. I am 12. William stopped in to see us today. When he
called Mother and Grandma Alice had both been unwell, I wasn’t feeling well either so Father and William had a bachelor dinner. William did come upstairs to say hello to us and wished me a Happy Birthday.

15 January, 1831

What a time I had today. William came to visit and as I was particularly
cold, he sat near me, and kept rubbing my hands with his. I do like him.

Jan 21

I saw the comet. I’ll copy out the details from the newspaper.

Comet not discovered until late, in what must have been a very spectacular
apparition. In early December of 1830, should have been a bright morning object for the southern hemisphere. Crossed over into the evening sky at mid-month while approaching the sun. During the final week of the year, the comet should have been of great brilliance, perhaps exceeding Venus, when an evening object near the sun. Moved westward, returning to the morning sky. Comet finally discovered on January 7, 1831, at dawn in Serpens, at magnitude about +2 with an appendage measuring a couple of degrees in length.

Jan 29th

William came again this weekend. He went to chapel with us in the evening.
William told us a funny story. The Lord chancellor who is called the keeper of the King’s conscience was sitting in court and thought he recognised a man near by, and asked who it was. It was William Shepherd, “Unitarian heretical parson and Liverpool radical”. When he found this out, he was very put out, but as one clergyman was heard to say, “If one blackguard can sit there, why not another
one.”
 

Feb 6

William came and we went on a walk but it was the most sloppy filthy muddy
walk. Father wanted him to go to a conversazione with him, but he declined feeling the need to get home and write to his fiancee.

Feb 21

Father has gone to Paris for a few months, and the idea of taking us all
with him was dismissed.

I think William is about to change his mind and go with his various relatives to Paris, as they have been asking him to. He wants to go back to Liverpool and get started on his new career, and see his fiancee, but he is also very much wanting the trip. He spends quite a lot of time with his aunt Mrs. Ogden, who is going, and then he brought his Uncle and several cousins along out here to see us in Hackney.

2nd March
 

William is in a real bind. His father really wants him to go to Paris with his relatives, the Ogdens and their children, and he is prepared to pay his expenses (£50). The plan is to stay 14 days in Paris. Mr Robert Ogden is currently in London, so probably will try to convince William.

4th March
 

William’s uncle and cousin Frances are in London and plan to go on the boat
Eclipse on Saturday.

He says his Uncle and Aunt are getting passports, and will go on Tuesday
to Brighton.