The item for sale is an antique handwritten diary for the year 1870 written in a Marshalls 212 page commercial pocket book with lots of interesting printed info.

Front page has the name Katherine Williams of   Bryngwyn  1870 .

Long entries for each day , written in a very neat script , very small writting . Lots of information.

Entries each day on the Diary pages the other side Cash Accounts has been used to record all the letters written and sent.

Lots of entries refer to Cheltenham.  An interesting entry on Monday 7th Feb. 1870 reads

"Lord and Lady Napier left Bry Gwyn for London he goes to India as Commander in Chief 1st March"

My little investigation shows that the Diary owner Katherine Williams was a member of the Sandbach family of of Hafodunos Hall in Bryn Gwyn.

She was related to Major General Arthur Edmond Sandbach 1859 / 1928.

Comming from a military Family not surprising she had equaintance of Lord Napier who was Govenor of Madras up to 1892.

Katherine (Kate) Williams lived from 1817 to 1903. The diary that she meticulously completed shows that she was probably married to a Vicar and gives a good insight into her life.

The back pages are very interesting as it shows her budget for consumables for the year , including Dress fabric and lots of other houshold items.

With their relevant costs.

The Diary is in excellent condition the gold edging to each page is in beautiful condition.

The book is quite easy to read , clearly written . There is a small newspaper cutting in the front pocket , also interesting. It describes a furnished Mansion in Montgomeryshire with nine bedrooms, 7 servants rooms,offices , stables, Lake of 12 acres for rent at £220 . That will be for a year.

Kate and her husband must have been looking for another home.

This is a fasanating Historical diary that any collector would be pleased to own, would be of great interest to anyone researching this period.