Overview

The Diary Of A Cotswold Parson , from 1820 and 1852, reveals the world of the English parson to us and throws new light on a fascinating period of social history. It was just before the railways made travel much faster, yet it is astonishing how well the Reverend F.E. Witts manages 25 miles from his rectory in Upper Slaughter to Gloucester on his horse or in his carriage. Witts was a shrewd observer and notices how the fashionable world behaves as he passes through Cheltenham, and how the building of the town progresses. His work at Gloucester brought him into contact with some interesting historical figures, and the diary enables us to form a more rounded picture of various famous names, such as the inventor of the smallpox vaccine, Dr Edward Jenner, and Bishop Monk.

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9780750931755

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Reviews

he Diary Of A Cotswold Parson is a charming collection of writings from the diaries of the Reverend F E Witts which reveals to us in great detail the world of the English parson and throws new light on a fascinating period of social history. The extracts are mainly from 1820 and 1852 and through the descriptions of his travels through the area we get a real sense of how the towns of Cheltenham and Gloucester were expanding and changing and how the fashionable world was encroaching upon the traditions and values of the countryside. It was just before the railways made travel much faster, yet it is astonishing how well the Reverend F.E. Witts manages 25 miles from his rectory in Upper Slaughter to Gloucester on his horse or in his carriage. His work at Gloucester brought him into contact with some interesting historical figures, and the diary enables us to form a more rounded picture of various famous names, such as the inventor of the smallpox vaccine, Dr Edward Jenner, and Bishop Monk.Witts was a shrewd observer with an eye for comedy as well as social history and his exuberance and good humoured writing make this book a joy to read. (Kirkus UK)

Author Information

David Verey was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, and for 19 years was senior investigator of Historic Buildings.

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