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A Country Parson: James Woodforde's Diary 1759-1802
The diaries of Parson James Woodforde (1740-1803) have been a constant source of delight and amusement of thousands of readers since their first publication in a five-volume selection in the 1920s. The Norfolk parson's detailed and acute observations of English country life have ensured him a major place among the country classics of English literature. Ronald Blythe calls Woodforde "one of the most unforgettable characters of English literature."
This new edition of selections from the diaries brings an entirely new dimension to the writings of this quintessentially English clergyman. As well as reprinting the most entertaining and amusing passages, this beautiful, oversized volume is lavishly illustrated with reproductions of paintings, watercolors, and engravings by such atritst as Constable, Cotman, and Crome, who were contemporaries of Parson Woodforde. There are also illustrations of portraits and documents relating to the Woodforde family and their friends as well as drawings of the church, houses, and landscapes the parson knew and decorations representing the country and culinary delights he so loved.
Although the years covered by the diaries saw many momentous international events--the American and French revolutions, for example--Parson Woodforde's central concern was with the details and very distinct flavors of English village life. His gift for capturing those textures will undoubtedly enthrall a new generation of readers.
This new edition of selections from the diaries brings an entirely new dimension to the writings of this quintessentially English clergyman. As well as reprinting the most entertaining and amusing passages, this beautiful, oversized volume is lavishly illustrated with reproductions of paintings, watercolors, and engravings by such atritst as Constable, Cotman, and Crome, who were contemporaries of Parson Woodforde. There are also illustrations of portraits and documents relating to the Woodforde family and their friends as well as drawings of the church, houses, and landscapes the parson knew and decorations representing the country and culinary delights he so loved.
Although the years covered by the diaries saw many momentous international events--the American and French revolutions, for example--Parson Woodforde's central concern was with the details and very distinct flavors of English village life. His gift for capturing those textures will undoubtedly enthrall a new generation of readers.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1924
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 27, 2019
One of the most delightful things about reading is that it is a self-perpetuating hobby. What I mean is that as one is reading a book, it references another piece of literature, and naturally one desires to share a link with the author and/or character - I have experienced this hundreds of times since first beginning to read. One of the earliest I can recall is Little Women which I read many times as a child. Literature is a big part of the March girl’s’ lives, and two books in particular appear regularly: The Pilgrim’s Progress and The Pickwick Papers.
I did read The Pilgrim’s Progress as a young teen, but it wasn’t until many years later that I finally read The Pickwick Papers - in fact it was only three or four years ago. It remains to this day one of my favorite books of all time.
Recently, I re-read the Thrush Green series by Miss Read. In one of the books, each chapter begins with an epigraph taken from English literature and poetry. I was already familiar with many of them but one with which I was not familiar with was Woodforde’s Diary.
Once again my curiosity got the best of me. Within a few days (thanks to Amazon) the abridged version of the Diary arrived at my house. Written in the decades just preceding Jane Austen, it is absolutely fascinating look at late Georgian society.
I very much enjoyed this detailed look into late 18th-century country life. Much has changed of course, and yet I was struck by some aspects of country life that remain the same, and, I suspect, are shared by country people the world over. The vagaries of weather, which even with our 21st century technology we cannot control, provides a definite shared link with the past. For example, on July 11, 1787, he noted:
Even today, farmers scurry to prevent their hay from being rained on and consequently ruined.
Another common thread is the relationships and kinships among rural communities. If you’re of a prudent nature, you hesitate before criticizing or ridiculing someone because you don’t want to insult someone’s relatives!
One thing that is very different, though, is medicine and medical treatment. The treatment of various illnesses related in the Diary range from shocking to downright horrifying! On May 22, 1779, Mr. Woodforde relates treating his boy-of-all-work, Jack, for a touch of “ague” by:
Parson Woodforde was, it seems clear, just an ordinary man of his time: not especially bright, although more educated that the norm; not especially talented; but certainly kind and compassionate. He regularly gave money to the poor, whether of his own parish or just a traveler passing through.
During the final 10 years or so of his life, Mr. Woodforde was in ill health. It’s hard to tell exactly what a modern diagnosis would be - gout, certainly, but also perhaps rheumatoid arthritis? He reports pain and swelling in his joints particularly in his legs and feet. This forces him to hire a curate as he is not able to conduct or even attend church services for the last few months - years, even - of his life.
If you’re at all interested in history or people, I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book. The time I spent reading it was well spent indeed.
I did read The Pilgrim’s Progress as a young teen, but it wasn’t until many years later that I finally read The Pickwick Papers - in fact it was only three or four years ago. It remains to this day one of my favorite books of all time.
Recently, I re-read the Thrush Green series by Miss Read. In one of the books, each chapter begins with an epigraph taken from English literature and poetry. I was already familiar with many of them but one with which I was not familiar with was Woodforde’s Diary.
Once again my curiosity got the best of me. Within a few days (thanks to Amazon) the abridged version of the Diary arrived at my house. Written in the decades just preceding Jane Austen, it is absolutely fascinating look at late Georgian society.
I very much enjoyed this detailed look into late 18th-century country life. Much has changed of course, and yet I was struck by some aspects of country life that remain the same, and, I suspect, are shared by country people the world over. The vagaries of weather, which even with our 21st century technology we cannot control, provides a definite shared link with the past. For example, on July 11, 1787, he noted:
I was very busy all the Morning long in helping them in the Field, as we were busy carrying our Hay. We finished about 8 this Evening and then came Rain.
Even today, farmers scurry to prevent their hay from being rained on and consequently ruined.
Another common thread is the relationships and kinships among rural communities. If you’re of a prudent nature, you hesitate before criticizing or ridiculing someone because you don’t want to insult someone’s relatives!
One thing that is very different, though, is medicine and medical treatment. The treatment of various illnesses related in the Diary range from shocking to downright horrifying! On May 22, 1779, Mr. Woodforde relates treating his boy-of-all-work, Jack, for a touch of “ague” by:
I gave him a dram of gin at the beginning of the fit and pushed him headlong into one of my Ponds and ordered him to bed immediately and he was better after it and had nothing of the cold fit after, but was very hot...😱😱😱
Parson Woodforde was, it seems clear, just an ordinary man of his time: not especially bright, although more educated that the norm; not especially talented; but certainly kind and compassionate. He regularly gave money to the poor, whether of his own parish or just a traveler passing through.
During the final 10 years or so of his life, Mr. Woodforde was in ill health. It’s hard to tell exactly what a modern diagnosis would be - gout, certainly, but also perhaps rheumatoid arthritis? He reports pain and swelling in his joints particularly in his legs and feet. This forces him to hire a curate as he is not able to conduct or even attend church services for the last few months - years, even - of his life.
If you’re at all interested in history or people, I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book. The time I spent reading it was well spent indeed.
May 29, 2012
Parson Woodforde's Diary simply cannot be recommended highly enough. It's a six or seven-star book entirely in its own class. But that's a personal view. For me, the height of reading pleasure is getting (solidly, firmly and extensively) into another person's mind and life and staying there for a good, long while. And Parson Woodforde's diary does that better than any of the other books I have read. Of course, we all know, intellectually, that in times past, times without our modern conveniences and "advantages", life was much more "restricted" when it came to "information from outside", among other things. But it's quite hard to vivify that intellectual knowledge all on our own. It takes a book like this diary to give one a more instinctual, felt sense of just what existential consequences impinged on people in far-off times as the result of such "restrictions". (I put scare quotes around "restrictions" because, obviously, there were people then, and there are people now, who felt and feel those "restrictions" to have been advantages.)
For the necessary book summary, I'll just say that this book affords solid insight into: rural class relations at the time, gender relations, the cooking and eating of food, contemporary clothes making and wearing, the relative isolation of rural areas, the functions of religion, the process of visiting among the advantaged, travel, illness and 18th Century Oxford University life.
Parson Woodforde (1740-1803) left Oxford in 1763 and was presented with the living of Weston-Longville (in Norfolk) in 1776, where he remained for the rest of his life. His diary, begun at Oxford in 1759, was regularly continued until his death in 1803. As one might expect from a 45-year diary assiduously kept up, it is immense, being contained in 72 separate notebooks and an additional hundred separate leaves. The first published version (1920), in five volumes, necessarily left out the great bulk of the work, particularly from its early years. All single-volume editions are even more compressed. If one develops a taste for Parson Woodforde after reading a single-volume paperback, that taste can be gratified by reading what is available on-line and slowly buying the various volumes of the 17-book, complete edition.
Parson Woodforde in Wikipedia is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Wo.... The Parson Woodforde Society (sponsors of the only complete edition of Parson Woodeforde's diary) can be found at: http://www.parsonwoodforde.org.uk/. For the Woodforde family in general (many of whom apparently kept diaries), see: http://www.woodforde.co.uk/. For those interested in reading this and other diaries (as I am) the following is a useful website: http://www.pikle.co.uk/diaryjunction.....
Enjoy.
For the necessary book summary, I'll just say that this book affords solid insight into: rural class relations at the time, gender relations, the cooking and eating of food, contemporary clothes making and wearing, the relative isolation of rural areas, the functions of religion, the process of visiting among the advantaged, travel, illness and 18th Century Oxford University life.
Parson Woodforde (1740-1803) left Oxford in 1763 and was presented with the living of Weston-Longville (in Norfolk) in 1776, where he remained for the rest of his life. His diary, begun at Oxford in 1759, was regularly continued until his death in 1803. As one might expect from a 45-year diary assiduously kept up, it is immense, being contained in 72 separate notebooks and an additional hundred separate leaves. The first published version (1920), in five volumes, necessarily left out the great bulk of the work, particularly from its early years. All single-volume editions are even more compressed. If one develops a taste for Parson Woodforde after reading a single-volume paperback, that taste can be gratified by reading what is available on-line and slowly buying the various volumes of the 17-book, complete edition.
Parson Woodforde in Wikipedia is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Wo.... The Parson Woodforde Society (sponsors of the only complete edition of Parson Woodeforde's diary) can be found at: http://www.parsonwoodforde.org.uk/. For the Woodforde family in general (many of whom apparently kept diaries), see: http://www.woodforde.co.uk/. For those interested in reading this and other diaries (as I am) the following is a useful website: http://www.pikle.co.uk/diaryjunction.....
Enjoy.
June 14, 2026
The Revd. James Woodforde’s remarkable diary is an invaluable source for historians of Eighteenth Century rural life. Begun in 1759 at the age of nineteen while at New College, Oxford and continued until shortly before his death on New Year’s Day 1803, the full diary runs to over 5000 pages. There are many edited editions available and the full text has been digitised by the Parson Woodforde Society and is available online. I read the beautiful Folio Society edition (1992), edited by David Hughes and illustrated with engravings by Ian Stephens which I found second hand in pristine condition for less than half the price of most of the other currently available editions. After some years as a curate in his native Somerset, Woodforde takes up the living of Weston Longville in Norfolk where he spends the rest of his life. His diary is a fascinating mix of the everyday and the deeply personal, shot through with the occasional irruption of world affairs (the French Revolution plays out during the course of his time in Norfolk, and occasionally makes itself felt even there).
Some aspects of the diary that made a particular impression:
- The complex web of social obligation on which late Eighteenth Century rural life was predicated. This didn’t come as a surprise; I’ve read Fielding, Sterne and Austen, but the granular detail that accumulates in Woodforde’s pages make it all the more real.
- Winters were generally very cold and very snowy. Woodforde was writing towards the end of the Little Ice Age and it shows.
- Meals usually involved enormous quantities of cooked meats or fish (this angle is one that is noted by just about anyone who has read the diary!). Vegetables are rarely mentioned. Presumably they were present but not worth description.
- News had to be ‘got’ along with the groceries. Woodforde frequently mentions sending one or other of his servants to Norwich to ‘get some news’.
- Family relationships were just as complex and fraught with potential misunderstanding as they are in the twenty-first century
- Travel over any distance sounds horrendous. Woodforde and his household made frequent trips back to Somerset to see his wider family. These would take days and of course would be subject to the vagaries of the road, the weather and in the forced company of whoever else happened to be shut up in the coach with you.
Some aspects of the diary that made a particular impression:
- The complex web of social obligation on which late Eighteenth Century rural life was predicated. This didn’t come as a surprise; I’ve read Fielding, Sterne and Austen, but the granular detail that accumulates in Woodforde’s pages make it all the more real.
- Winters were generally very cold and very snowy. Woodforde was writing towards the end of the Little Ice Age and it shows.
- Meals usually involved enormous quantities of cooked meats or fish (this angle is one that is noted by just about anyone who has read the diary!). Vegetables are rarely mentioned. Presumably they were present but not worth description.
- News had to be ‘got’ along with the groceries. Woodforde frequently mentions sending one or other of his servants to Norwich to ‘get some news’.
- Family relationships were just as complex and fraught with potential misunderstanding as they are in the twenty-first century
- Travel over any distance sounds horrendous. Woodforde and his household made frequent trips back to Somerset to see his wider family. These would take days and of course would be subject to the vagaries of the road, the weather and in the forced company of whoever else happened to be shut up in the coach with you.
April 30, 2016
I felt rather privileged to be reading a diary of a country parson spanning the years 1758 to 1802. This is an account of a life lived but not a terribly exciting one and perhaps this is what makes it - that is, Parson Woodforde, so endearing.
It is an incredible detailed account of meals eaten ... holy, mother of God ... those meals! The dining table, it would seem, was just crammed with lots and lots and lots of meat for the one dinner. Vegetarians will be aghast to read of dishes involving 'rosted' chickens,'rosted' ducks, pigs' faces and beef, often at the same time. It was no surprise to read that gout was an extremely common ailment as well as painfully bloated stomachs. At one point some neighbours visit him and he thinks they look unwell and reckons they've probably been eating too much fruit.
A sty on his right eye is rubbed with the tail of his black cat because that was the believed cure. When he sees his cat rubbing her face and ears with both paws he knows there is to be a change in the weather. Drinking pints of port wine was good for a bad stomach and a coffee in the afternoon helped you to sleep better. I will sorely miss reading this book for this sort of 'innocence' - for the want of a better word. However it is also - accidentally - a sober account of the lives of the poor and the harsh weather that froze women on their way to their market, caused birds to drop dead out of the sky and tamed ravens enough to stand at the kitchen door hoping to be fed alongside the poultry.
The one thing I missed was dialogue but then it was up to me to 'hear' the voices of his niece Nancy, who lived with him, and his servants. I think I may have developed a slight crush on his two manservants - Ben and Britton - and I was left wondering what happened to all of them after his death. I really hope Betty, his maid and cook, made a good marriage - she deserved it. But did Ben really love her after all, is this why he was so angry when she got engaged to his cousin?
This was a lovely, gentle read but be patient - the first few pages are brief impersonal entries with lists of names, charges and meals. Once he reaches his Norfolk the story begins to flower.
It is an incredible detailed account of meals eaten ... holy, mother of God ... those meals! The dining table, it would seem, was just crammed with lots and lots and lots of meat for the one dinner. Vegetarians will be aghast to read of dishes involving 'rosted' chickens,'rosted' ducks, pigs' faces and beef, often at the same time. It was no surprise to read that gout was an extremely common ailment as well as painfully bloated stomachs. At one point some neighbours visit him and he thinks they look unwell and reckons they've probably been eating too much fruit.
A sty on his right eye is rubbed with the tail of his black cat because that was the believed cure. When he sees his cat rubbing her face and ears with both paws he knows there is to be a change in the weather. Drinking pints of port wine was good for a bad stomach and a coffee in the afternoon helped you to sleep better. I will sorely miss reading this book for this sort of 'innocence' - for the want of a better word. However it is also - accidentally - a sober account of the lives of the poor and the harsh weather that froze women on their way to their market, caused birds to drop dead out of the sky and tamed ravens enough to stand at the kitchen door hoping to be fed alongside the poultry.
The one thing I missed was dialogue but then it was up to me to 'hear' the voices of his niece Nancy, who lived with him, and his servants. I think I may have developed a slight crush on his two manservants - Ben and Britton - and I was left wondering what happened to all of them after his death. I really hope Betty, his maid and cook, made a good marriage - she deserved it. But did Ben really love her after all, is this why he was so angry when she got engaged to his cousin?
This was a lovely, gentle read but be patient - the first few pages are brief impersonal entries with lists of names, charges and meals. Once he reaches his Norfolk the story begins to flower.
January 9, 2012
Although Woodforde often liberally sprinkles his diary with uneventful minutia about his personal dietary preferences and the domestic round, I was intrigued by the sheer unadorned candour of his entries which make the man almost endearing across the centuries. Diary of a Country Parson, 1758-1802
April 3, 2020
On finishing I felt I had lost a friend.
February 24, 2024
I had to. Miss Read did. IYKYK
February 2, 2026
A very engaging book for those interested in what an ordinary person’s daily life looked like in the 1770s. This is an actual journal from an Englishman who lived in the countryside and worked for the church, so there is no plot in the traditional sense, but the interesting details of what an average person did, how they acted, and how they viewed the world around them (including the American Revolution) were fascinating. I was surprised by how little fretting and anxiety he displayed even though his country was in less than promising wars with multiple countries/colonies. He prayed, fasted, and got on with his daily life with friends and neighbors. I was also surprised by how many instances of adultery and venereal disease there were amongst the servants!
December 28, 2019
I can’t say I’ve read every single word yet but this is a diary I first heard about over 40 years ago & it’s wonderful to finally own a copy. It’s truly fascinating & one I will dip in and out of for years.
August 26, 2015
I've finished the book and then re-read it as I probably won't come back to it again for another ten years or more. The truth is that I first read Diary of a Country Parson, in the late seventies. I was at the University of Bath, doing a course on Technology and thought I needed something to read as a diversion and this turned out to be the Diary. James Woodforde was born in 1740 and the diary begins in 1758 he spends his entire life between Somerset, Oxford and Norfolk. You soon get used to; "we dined, supped and slept, etc." As a makes his way through the years, being the steadying influence of the Woodforde family and coping with the often reckless life styles of his brothers, and his "pert" and often "saucy" niece Nancy.
James Woodforde is very much a priest of his times and believes in the honesty and goodness of his fellow man, giving a 6d or shilling to the needy and deserving, happy in the pulpit, though being careful to note those "not at church today." On the other hand, he enjoys the country lifestyle, with his coursing of Hares and fishing of food for the table. And the table, often groaning under the weight of his dinners, loaded down with rosted sirloins, rabbits hares and ducks.
There is the smuggler or smugglers who keep him stocked with quantities of "moonshine" to be "bottled up" and the frequent mention of a "tub of gin or cognac." He brews his own beers and of various strengths, likes to call and be called upon by all his many friends and neighbours, visiting is a regular part of his social scene.
All this is set against the back-drop of the wars and exploits of the British Empire the French Revolution and the troubles and woes of the British people through this time.
James Woodforde is very much a priest of his times and believes in the honesty and goodness of his fellow man, giving a 6d or shilling to the needy and deserving, happy in the pulpit, though being careful to note those "not at church today." On the other hand, he enjoys the country lifestyle, with his coursing of Hares and fishing of food for the table. And the table, often groaning under the weight of his dinners, loaded down with rosted sirloins, rabbits hares and ducks.
There is the smuggler or smugglers who keep him stocked with quantities of "moonshine" to be "bottled up" and the frequent mention of a "tub of gin or cognac." He brews his own beers and of various strengths, likes to call and be called upon by all his many friends and neighbours, visiting is a regular part of his social scene.
All this is set against the back-drop of the wars and exploits of the British Empire the French Revolution and the troubles and woes of the British people through this time.
November 9, 2019
I have read three diaries of 18th-early 19th century clergymen. This one, Paupers and Pig Killers William Holland's diaries, and The Diary of Benjamin Newton. Was there a fashion for clergymen of the period to keep diaries? The Woodforde was the least interesting as it covered the longest period and so to facilitate this only a few entries are included for each year. Holland's diaries were more interesting to me as there are more day to day entries over a shorter time. I guess I'm more interested in their day to day life and opinions than over-all life story. The Newton dairy just covers two years but he is not such an appealing character as Holland.
November 22, 2025
James Woodforde is the eponymous "Country Parson." For over 43 years he kept a diary, recording daily events, the cost of items, and his interactions with friends and acquaintances. I believe historians have found this sort of thing useful, as it gives them a picture of what daily life in a rural parish looked like.
"A terrible Accident happened while we were at dinner, which many of us went to see the Body -- viz, a poor Boy was dragged and killed by a Horse about half a Mile from us on the Ilchester Road. The boy was about 14 Years old -- I hope to God the Poor Boy is happy. There was no bone broken neither was his Skull fractured -- but he is dead. We call came home singing, and I thank God well."
That particular version that I read is a group of selections from his diaries by one, David Hughes, and published by the Folio Society. I'm not sure that I could have made it through all five volumes of his complete diary entries. Many of the things recorded are relatively uninteresting to the modern reader.
"Brewed a vesell of strong Beer today. My two large Piggs, by drinking some Beer grounds -- taking out of three Barrells today, got so amazingly drunk by it, That they were not able to stand and appeared like dead things almost. I never saw Piggs so drunk in my Life -- I slit their Ears for them without feeling... 16th. My 2 Piggs are still unable to walk yet, but they are better than they were Yesterday. They tumble about the Yard and can by no means stand at all steady yet. In the Afternoon my 2 Piggs were tolerably sober."
Reverend Woodforde had charge of Weston church. Towards the end of his life, he seems to have paid other curates to oversee his day-to-day duties as his health did not give him the vitality he needed to complete them.
I suppose there are a number of things that came through to me in these pages. First, the ever presence of death. At one point, a maid, Molly Dade, who was only a teenager got sick and had to go home to her family's home. After several weeks, Woodforde noted that her father contacted him to say that she had died.
"The Weather being extremely cold and severe with much Snow on the ground and still more falling with cutting Winds. After Service I buried a Daughter of the Harrisons an Infant aged only 5 Weeks -- I think that I never felt the cold more severe than when I was burying the above Infant. The Wind blowed very Strong and Snow falling all the time and the Wind almost directly in my Face, that it almost stopped my breath in reading the funeral Service at the Grave, tho' I had an Umbrella held over my Head during the Time."
The bitter cold of winter is a theme as well. It seems that during the winters, homes were very frigid. In one place, Woodforde mentions that all of the chamber pots froze under the beds in the night.
Woodforde wasn't prone to gallivanting around -- at least not after he taken his church. He did see a balloon launch and was aware of the French Revolution along with the various conflicts around the world which Britain was fighting. He mentions them more in passing and seems to have been more upset at the ways in which his taxes went up as the British government attempted to pay for the cost of their wars. (He wasn't against purchasing smuggled rum to avoid some of the high taxes on imported alcohol.)
The Parson seems to have recorded dutifully the different foods that were served at meals that he attended or that he hosted. He also drank a fair amount of alcohol -- he was no drunkard, but did like his beer, port, and wine in decent quantities.
Toward the end of his life, he spent quite a bit of time documenting how he felt, the pains in his legs and "ancles" as well as his general weakness. The doctors spent time applying different powders and poultices, but it seems without much avail.
"In the Evening we took a walk into St Georges Colgate to see a very remarkable & surprising little Boy, who is just 3 Years old and in Coats, and will play on the Organ some Tunes. He was rather sleepy this Evening and therefore could not be prevailed on to play any Tune, but he would touch the Keys indiscriminately, & not play anything but what completely was concord -- Sharp & Flats the same. He would suck at his Mothers Breast & play with one hand upon the Organ and every Note in proper Tune. He is quite a miraculous Child & must be inspired."
I'm not sure whether to recommend this book or not. I think it gives a better picture of what life was like in late 18th century in England than most other books I have read. Fiction tends to focus on the high points and great events of the day, while this meanders along through a fairly uneventful life, exposing the day-to-day challenges of parish life. The end, of the book is on par with the rest -- a simple entry about Parson Woodforde being very weak -- hardly able to dress himself, going to church and then eating a repast of "Rost Beef." Thus ends this abridged snapshot of 18th Century England.
"A terrible Accident happened while we were at dinner, which many of us went to see the Body -- viz, a poor Boy was dragged and killed by a Horse about half a Mile from us on the Ilchester Road. The boy was about 14 Years old -- I hope to God the Poor Boy is happy. There was no bone broken neither was his Skull fractured -- but he is dead. We call came home singing, and I thank God well."
That particular version that I read is a group of selections from his diaries by one, David Hughes, and published by the Folio Society. I'm not sure that I could have made it through all five volumes of his complete diary entries. Many of the things recorded are relatively uninteresting to the modern reader.
"Brewed a vesell of strong Beer today. My two large Piggs, by drinking some Beer grounds -- taking out of three Barrells today, got so amazingly drunk by it, That they were not able to stand and appeared like dead things almost. I never saw Piggs so drunk in my Life -- I slit their Ears for them without feeling... 16th. My 2 Piggs are still unable to walk yet, but they are better than they were Yesterday. They tumble about the Yard and can by no means stand at all steady yet. In the Afternoon my 2 Piggs were tolerably sober."
Reverend Woodforde had charge of Weston church. Towards the end of his life, he seems to have paid other curates to oversee his day-to-day duties as his health did not give him the vitality he needed to complete them.
I suppose there are a number of things that came through to me in these pages. First, the ever presence of death. At one point, a maid, Molly Dade, who was only a teenager got sick and had to go home to her family's home. After several weeks, Woodforde noted that her father contacted him to say that she had died.
"The Weather being extremely cold and severe with much Snow on the ground and still more falling with cutting Winds. After Service I buried a Daughter of the Harrisons an Infant aged only 5 Weeks -- I think that I never felt the cold more severe than when I was burying the above Infant. The Wind blowed very Strong and Snow falling all the time and the Wind almost directly in my Face, that it almost stopped my breath in reading the funeral Service at the Grave, tho' I had an Umbrella held over my Head during the Time."
The bitter cold of winter is a theme as well. It seems that during the winters, homes were very frigid. In one place, Woodforde mentions that all of the chamber pots froze under the beds in the night.
Woodforde wasn't prone to gallivanting around -- at least not after he taken his church. He did see a balloon launch and was aware of the French Revolution along with the various conflicts around the world which Britain was fighting. He mentions them more in passing and seems to have been more upset at the ways in which his taxes went up as the British government attempted to pay for the cost of their wars. (He wasn't against purchasing smuggled rum to avoid some of the high taxes on imported alcohol.)
The Parson seems to have recorded dutifully the different foods that were served at meals that he attended or that he hosted. He also drank a fair amount of alcohol -- he was no drunkard, but did like his beer, port, and wine in decent quantities.
Toward the end of his life, he spent quite a bit of time documenting how he felt, the pains in his legs and "ancles" as well as his general weakness. The doctors spent time applying different powders and poultices, but it seems without much avail.
"In the Evening we took a walk into St Georges Colgate to see a very remarkable & surprising little Boy, who is just 3 Years old and in Coats, and will play on the Organ some Tunes. He was rather sleepy this Evening and therefore could not be prevailed on to play any Tune, but he would touch the Keys indiscriminately, & not play anything but what completely was concord -- Sharp & Flats the same. He would suck at his Mothers Breast & play with one hand upon the Organ and every Note in proper Tune. He is quite a miraculous Child & must be inspired."
I'm not sure whether to recommend this book or not. I think it gives a better picture of what life was like in late 18th century in England than most other books I have read. Fiction tends to focus on the high points and great events of the day, while this meanders along through a fairly uneventful life, exposing the day-to-day challenges of parish life. The end, of the book is on par with the rest -- a simple entry about Parson Woodforde being very weak -- hardly able to dress himself, going to church and then eating a repast of "Rost Beef." Thus ends this abridged snapshot of 18th Century England.
June 25, 2023
This book was charming and fascinating. It is very endearing to read the diary of a sincerely good and Godly man, who recorded both the tragic and the trivial in his brief, matter of fact style. And it was fascinating to so gain an insight into eighteenth century parsonage life. I was particularly impressed by the huge range of meat that was consumed not just each week, or day, but at each meal: 'we gave the company for dinner some Fish and Oyster Sauce, a nice piece of boiled Beef, a fine neck of Pork roasted and Apple sauce, some hashed Turkey, Mutton stakes, a wild duck roasted, fryed rabbits, a plumb Pudding and some Tartlets. Desert, some Olives, Nutts, Almonds and Raisins and Apples.' But mainly I loved the sense this book gave of the parsonage as the centre of the community. Every year, on Valentine's Day he gives money to children, on St Thomas' Day, to the poor of his parish and on Christmas Day elderly parishioners dine with him. This parson records in exacting detail his income on 'Tithe Audit Day', which farmers gave what, and, again, what they all ate for dinner with him. He felt it was important and necessary to record every expense and all his acts of generosity, so the relationship the parson had with his parishioners seems to have centered largely around money. But with the local squire the relationship had nothing to do with money, and a lot to do with keeping the peace, supporting the king, and playing whist.
June 10, 2019
I really enjoyed reading these diaries, many years of them between 1760-1802. Parson James Woodforde wrote many entries every year, accounting for his spending, recording his eating, drinking, social life, work duties and even some references to current events, like the French Revolution. He lives most of these years with his niece Nancy as housekeeper. His servants give him trouble, saucy boys, and maids growing big with child before his eyes. Neighbours are important, and he frequently donates to the poor of his parish. His feelings do emerge, we know what makes him happy and sad. Health becomes a growing concern as the years go by. I found this reading very therapeutic, every day began with 'breakfasted, dined and supped at ...'. Written so long ago, but much of it is very topical.
My copy was purchased at Clunes Book Fair but it's freely available online at Project Gutenberg too.
My copy was purchased at Clunes Book Fair but it's freely available online at Project Gutenberg too.
April 21, 2023
Oh my gosh what a fascinating book. I have never read a diary from the past with this much clarity and insight to the everyday. He has one entry at the beginning of the book, where he sits in on a trial and one is condemned to die and hung at 10am. Then he writes about commonplaces of every day life and it is still fascinating.
It tells us how very much we are still alike always, to people of the past. Regardless of dialog or how one speaks. 250 years ago was not that long ago as well. But what a writer James was.
The copy I came across at a thrift shop was well loved and I can see why. You can open it to any page and read something wholly interesting about his life.
It tells us how very much we are still alike always, to people of the past. Regardless of dialog or how one speaks. 250 years ago was not that long ago as well. But what a writer James was.
The copy I came across at a thrift shop was well loved and I can see why. You can open it to any page and read something wholly interesting about his life.
December 30, 2024
A fascinating window - however one-sided- into English rural life in the second half of the eighteenth century. It's truly wonderful that such writing exists and it reveals just how much times have changed but also how some things remain the same. I'm so glad to have discovered this book. Thanks Miss Read!
August 21, 2019
Excellent reading for anyone interested in everyday life in the second half of the 18th Century.
January 1, 2020
I loved this book, his critical eyes noting the changing fashions, food, the personalities of his community 250 years ago. He proves that times change but we essentially remain the same.
April 18, 2020
Loved this as much as ever. I first read the longer version many years ago. Delightful! Such an insight into 18th century social life, really missing it now I have finished.
June 3, 2024
This is an edited and condensed version of the actual diary. Very good for getting a flavor of life at the time. The kind you can dip into now and again.
Fascinating to see his comments!
Fascinating to see his comments!
April 25, 2025
Excellent Librivox reader
July 31, 2026
Essential read for any student of English psychology.
September 15, 2008
Il Diario di un Parroco di Campagna, 1758-1802 di James Woodforde è uno sguardo affascinante sulla vita di un parroco di campagna inglese del XVIII secolo. Il diario di Woodforde offre un ritratto straordinario della vita quotidiana nell'Inghilterra georgiana, raccontando i dettagli banali e i modesti piaceri che riempivano le sue giornate come ecclesiastico rurale.
La scrittura di Woodforde è caratterizzata da una deliziosa combinazione di umorismo, franchezza e semplicità. Egli documenta i suoi pasti pantagruelici con gli amici, i suoi rimedi per vari malanni, i duri inverni dell'East Anglia e la sua infallibile generosità verso i poveri. Nonostante gli eventi tumultuosi che scuotevano il mondo intorno a lui, come la Rivoluzione Francese e la Guerra d'Indipendenza Americana, Woodforde non accorda più importanza a questi avvenimenti epocali che al costo dei nastri per i cappelli di sua nipote.
Ciò che rende il diario di Woodforde così affascinante è la sua capacità di trovare gioia e significato nelle esperienze più ordinarie. Le sue annotazioni offrono una finestra su un modo di vivere ormai scomparso, eppure il suo umorismo, la sua franchezza e la sua semplicità fanno sì che la sua opera rimanga un classico della letteratura inglese. Come nota un recensore, "Dovevo. Miss Read l'ha fatto. IYKYK" - una testimonianza dell'appeal senza tempo della cronaca della vita di un parroco di campagna di Woodforde.
Il Diario di un Parroco di Campagna, 1758-1802 è una lettura deliziosa e illuminante che trasporta il lettore nel mondo dell'Inghilterra rurale del XVIII secolo. Le vivide descrizioni e la personalità coinvolgente di Woodforde rendono questo diario un must-read per chiunque sia interessato alla storia sociale del periodo.
Ecco le principali riflessioni personali di James Woodforde emerse dal suo diario "The Diary of a Country Parson, 1758-1802": Woodforde documenta con grande umorismo e franchezza i dettagli della sua vita quotidiana come parroco di campagna, dai pasti pantagruelici con gli amici ai rimedi per i suoi malanni.
Nonostante i grandi eventi storici del suo tempo, come la Rivoluzione Francese e la Guerra d'Indipendenza Americana, Woodforde accorda loro la stessa importanza dei costi dei nastri per i cappelli di sua nipote, concentrandosi sulle gioie e i piaceri modesti della sua vita rurale.
Woodforde dimostra una grande capacità di trovare significato e felicità nelle esperienze più ordinarie, offrendo uno sguardo affascinante su un modo di vivere ormai scomparso. Il suo stile di scrittura, caratterizzato da umorismo, semplicità e franchezza, ha contribuito a rendere il suo diario un classico della letteratura inglese, apprezzato ancora oggi per la sua attualità e universalità.
Le riflessioni di Woodforde nel suo diario rivelano un uomo in grado di trovare gioia e significato nella vita quotidiana, nonostante i grandi eventi che sconvolgevano il mondo intorno a lui. Questo approccio lo ha reso un testimone prezioso dello stile di vita dei parroci di campagna nell'Inghilterra georgiana.
Dalle informazioni nel libro non emergono molte riflessioni profonde di James Woodforde sulla sua fede religiosa nel suo diario "The Diary of a Country Parson, 1758-1802". I risultati si concentrano principalmente sulla descrizione del suo stile di vita e delle sue abitudini quotidiane come parroco di campagna nell'Inghilterra georgiana.Tuttavia, possiamo trarre alcune considerazioni:
Essendo un parroco di campagna, la fede e il servizio religioso erano ovviamente parte integrante della sua vita quotidiana. Tuttavia, il diario sembra concentrarsi più sugli aspetti pratici e materiali del suo ruolo, piuttosto che sulle sue riflessioni spirituali.
Il fatto che Woodforde non dedichi molto spazio alle sue convinzioni religiose nel diario suggerisce che, per lui, la fede fosse qualcosa di profondamente radicato e naturale, piuttosto che un tema di particolare preoccupazione o riflessione.
Il diario offre uno sguardo sulla vita di un parroco di campagna dell'epoca, ma non approfondisce in modo significativo le sue credenze o il suo impegno religioso. Woodforde sembra concentrarsi maggiormente sugli aspetti pratici e sociali del suo ruolo. Il diario sembra piuttosto concentrarsi sulla descrizione del suo stile di vita e delle sue abitudini quotidiane come parroco di campagna nell'Inghilterra georgiana.
La scrittura di Woodforde è caratterizzata da una deliziosa combinazione di umorismo, franchezza e semplicità. Egli documenta i suoi pasti pantagruelici con gli amici, i suoi rimedi per vari malanni, i duri inverni dell'East Anglia e la sua infallibile generosità verso i poveri. Nonostante gli eventi tumultuosi che scuotevano il mondo intorno a lui, come la Rivoluzione Francese e la Guerra d'Indipendenza Americana, Woodforde non accorda più importanza a questi avvenimenti epocali che al costo dei nastri per i cappelli di sua nipote.
Ciò che rende il diario di Woodforde così affascinante è la sua capacità di trovare gioia e significato nelle esperienze più ordinarie. Le sue annotazioni offrono una finestra su un modo di vivere ormai scomparso, eppure il suo umorismo, la sua franchezza e la sua semplicità fanno sì che la sua opera rimanga un classico della letteratura inglese. Come nota un recensore, "Dovevo. Miss Read l'ha fatto. IYKYK" - una testimonianza dell'appeal senza tempo della cronaca della vita di un parroco di campagna di Woodforde.
Il Diario di un Parroco di Campagna, 1758-1802 è una lettura deliziosa e illuminante che trasporta il lettore nel mondo dell'Inghilterra rurale del XVIII secolo. Le vivide descrizioni e la personalità coinvolgente di Woodforde rendono questo diario un must-read per chiunque sia interessato alla storia sociale del periodo.
Ecco le principali riflessioni personali di James Woodforde emerse dal suo diario "The Diary of a Country Parson, 1758-1802": Woodforde documenta con grande umorismo e franchezza i dettagli della sua vita quotidiana come parroco di campagna, dai pasti pantagruelici con gli amici ai rimedi per i suoi malanni.
Nonostante i grandi eventi storici del suo tempo, come la Rivoluzione Francese e la Guerra d'Indipendenza Americana, Woodforde accorda loro la stessa importanza dei costi dei nastri per i cappelli di sua nipote, concentrandosi sulle gioie e i piaceri modesti della sua vita rurale.
Woodforde dimostra una grande capacità di trovare significato e felicità nelle esperienze più ordinarie, offrendo uno sguardo affascinante su un modo di vivere ormai scomparso. Il suo stile di scrittura, caratterizzato da umorismo, semplicità e franchezza, ha contribuito a rendere il suo diario un classico della letteratura inglese, apprezzato ancora oggi per la sua attualità e universalità.
Le riflessioni di Woodforde nel suo diario rivelano un uomo in grado di trovare gioia e significato nella vita quotidiana, nonostante i grandi eventi che sconvolgevano il mondo intorno a lui. Questo approccio lo ha reso un testimone prezioso dello stile di vita dei parroci di campagna nell'Inghilterra georgiana.
Dalle informazioni nel libro non emergono molte riflessioni profonde di James Woodforde sulla sua fede religiosa nel suo diario "The Diary of a Country Parson, 1758-1802". I risultati si concentrano principalmente sulla descrizione del suo stile di vita e delle sue abitudini quotidiane come parroco di campagna nell'Inghilterra georgiana.Tuttavia, possiamo trarre alcune considerazioni:
Essendo un parroco di campagna, la fede e il servizio religioso erano ovviamente parte integrante della sua vita quotidiana. Tuttavia, il diario sembra concentrarsi più sugli aspetti pratici e materiali del suo ruolo, piuttosto che sulle sue riflessioni spirituali.
Il fatto che Woodforde non dedichi molto spazio alle sue convinzioni religiose nel diario suggerisce che, per lui, la fede fosse qualcosa di profondamente radicato e naturale, piuttosto che un tema di particolare preoccupazione o riflessione.
Il diario offre uno sguardo sulla vita di un parroco di campagna dell'epoca, ma non approfondisce in modo significativo le sue credenze o il suo impegno religioso. Woodforde sembra concentrarsi maggiormente sugli aspetti pratici e sociali del suo ruolo. Il diario sembra piuttosto concentrarsi sulla descrizione del suo stile di vita e delle sue abitudini quotidiane come parroco di campagna nell'Inghilterra georgiana.
September 6, 2013
This is yet another gem which I stumbled upon in a charity shop. Having read many modern diaries and biographies which are generally filled with self aggrandisement and vitriolic comments about colleagues and rivals, it was a real treat to read this book. It is so self effacing, filled with amusing episodes of country life and as an informal record of those times is without peer. Beautifully written in a succinct diary format, Woodforde makes a record of his life and times.
There are countless gems...one of my favourites was a description of his two “Piggs” after they had raided his beer store...
“April 16, 1778. My 2 Piggs are still unable to walk yet, but they are better than they were yesterday. They tumble about the yard and can by no means stand at all steady yet. In the afternoon my 2 Piggs were tolerably sober.”
And he gives a description of life with a sore tooth...
“Oct 24, 1785. The Tooth-Ache so very bad all night and the same this morn’ that I sent for John Reeves the Farrier who often draws Teeth for People, to draw one for me. He returned with my Man about 11 o’clock this Morning and he pulled it out for me the first Pull, but it was a monstrous Crash and more so, it being one of the Eye Teeth, it had but one Fang but that was very long. I gave Johnny Reeves for drawing it 0.2.6. A great pain in the Jaw Bone continued all Day and Night but nothing so bad as the Tooth Ache...”
In addition, this record is filled with drawings of buildings and country scenes which, with a forward by John Julius Norwich, adds immeasurably to the text. This book is definitely worth trying to find as dipping into it from time to time is an amusing way to pass a few hours.
There are countless gems...one of my favourites was a description of his two “Piggs” after they had raided his beer store...
“April 16, 1778. My 2 Piggs are still unable to walk yet, but they are better than they were yesterday. They tumble about the yard and can by no means stand at all steady yet. In the afternoon my 2 Piggs were tolerably sober.”
And he gives a description of life with a sore tooth...
“Oct 24, 1785. The Tooth-Ache so very bad all night and the same this morn’ that I sent for John Reeves the Farrier who often draws Teeth for People, to draw one for me. He returned with my Man about 11 o’clock this Morning and he pulled it out for me the first Pull, but it was a monstrous Crash and more so, it being one of the Eye Teeth, it had but one Fang but that was very long. I gave Johnny Reeves for drawing it 0.2.6. A great pain in the Jaw Bone continued all Day and Night but nothing so bad as the Tooth Ache...”
In addition, this record is filled with drawings of buildings and country scenes which, with a forward by John Julius Norwich, adds immeasurably to the text. This book is definitely worth trying to find as dipping into it from time to time is an amusing way to pass a few hours.
September 11, 2011
James Woodforde is my hero! He may have led a 'little life' but he left us with a rich source of information about the minutiae of life as an 18th century country parson. Most people probably haven't heard of him, but anyone who studies the 18th century will find him cropping up in an amazing variety of contexts. His diary is not exciting, but it's fascinating, and one can't help but warm to him as the diary progresses into his time in Norfolk, where he was often quite lonely. I confess to being choked up at the end when he was still writing the diary despite being very ill. The odd thing is that there is no change to the tone in which he writes from beginning to end. He does not suddenly start to sound 'old'; he sounds the same throughout, which in a way made his death more poignant, especially at so young an age by today's standards (63).
September 20, 2013
I have the Glasgow Herald to thank for bringing this to my attention ... I think in one of their end of year reviews of contributors favourite books. Managed to find a copy lurking in the storeroom of the library I work in and just got drawn into the ordinary life of this country parson... much of it it has to be said is details of his meals! But having ahealthy appetite myself it was of interest. From a social history prespective it gives an insight into the lives of his class and also his neighbours, servants, the local poor, etc.
November 8, 2016
A treasure of historical trivia. No mention of the American revolt [aka American Revolution], but much of gluttony, 'largesse' [sic.] aka parsimony to this reader. Servants treated as servants should be. Arcane pecking orders. Adam Smith rules - brutally. Women = chattels. Sloth!
What's not to enjoy?
What's not to enjoy?
April 5, 2010
If you think binge drinker is just a 20/21st century phenomenon amongst the English, then read this and you will find you are quite wrong. Also if you need to know what was being eaten and drunk in the 18th century then this is the diary for you.
January 20, 2009
This is a wonderful snapshot of English country life in the late 18th century. You can just open this book to any page and find something interesting.
April 6, 2015
A simple and unaffeced account of Norfolk parish life in which parish ministry goes hand-in-hand with roast beef and a mild wonder at the way society is changing around him.
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