Description
Towards the end of 2021 a Victorian diary, quarter-bound and with marbled boards, was donated to a charity shop in York. Among the handwritten entries, the words ‘Hentland and Hoarwithy’ were noted, enquiries made and the diary returned to the minister of the Herefordshire parish of that name. Covering the years 1857–62, the diary was identified as belonging to the Reverend William Poole – the wealthy curate responsible for transforming Hoarwithy’s chapel of ease from ‘an ugly brick building’ into one of the county’s loveliest and most surprising churches.
Beautifully written, the entries range from the small-scale dramas of Poole’s domestic life and parish work, to revealing insights into political, social and world events. With the privacy afforded by the diary, he writes with candour and feeling, often berating himself or railing against others for perceived failings. But if the diary appears to confirm the reputation of Poole as difficult and irascible, it also betrays the humanity and sensitivity of a complex man.
Featuring a brief biography of Reverend Poole alongside the transcribed and edited entries, this book offers a fascinating contemporary view of nineteenth-century life as a rural curate.
Revd Dr Frances Phillips, MBChB DA, FdA (ministry) is retired associate minister of the St Weonards Benefice, which includes the parish of Hentland and Hoarwithy.
Paperback | 112 pages | 210 x 148 mm | Jul 2024
15 b&w illus
ISBN 9781910839799
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