Status Updates From Kilvert's Diary, 1870-1879

I love when Kilvert talks to his older parishioners who remember George IV’s coronation and the wars early in the century.

Love these passages about Oxford! And the High Church service was so interesting.

“My bedroom is illuminated all day with a beautiful rosy light from the glorious blossom of the pink may on the lawn” (390).

“At the dairy it was butter morning and Fair Rosamund was making up the sweet rolls of rich golden butter. Mrs Knight says the butter is so golden at this time of year because the cows eat the buttercups. The reason why the whey is so sweet and wholesome in May and June is because the grass is so full of flowers and young sweet herbs” (336).

July 26, 1873’s entry reminds me of Thomas Hardy so much with the sheep and the red dye.

“Katie and the Monk [Kilvert’s young niece and nephew] were in the habit of calling over the balusters ‘Bigglesy-buggles’ to everyone who came up. They were told not to do it as it was not a nice word for them to use” (259).

😂😂

All these words for boats! “The Mersey was gay and crowded with vessels of all sorts moving up and down the river, ships, barques, brigs, brigantines, schooners, cutters, colliers, tugs, steamboats, lighters, ‘flats’, everything from the huge emigrant liner steamship with four masts to the tiny sailing and rowing boat” (244).

“There came into my mind…the old story of the clergyman waiting for the hymn before the sermon to be finished…and looking through the church window…seeing an old woman pulling up a stubborn carrot. At last up came the carrot all at once, over went the old woman on her back head over heels. ‘I thought so!’ Exclaimed the delighted clergyman aloud to the astonishment of the expectant congregation” (230).