Here’s part 2 of my transcription of an old Diary written by Julia Harriet Grubbe in 1879. In this blog, I have also included some census records that show Julia with her family.

This beautiful photo below is not one of mine, but was shared on Bonhams’ auction site when they sold the extensive collection of Grubbe family photos and ephemera on 24 March 2015. This Diary and all the other items, I and other people have acquired since then, very likely originated from this job lot. Link here: Grubbe Family Collection no 323

You can see Julia seated on the right with five of her brothers.

The 1851 census below shows that Julia and the family were living at 23 Queen Square, St George the Martyr, Finsbury, Middlesex. Julia was born here on 9 February 1846.

Queen Square Hospital.

Queen Square was, in 1879, and remains well known for its Hospital and healthcare facilities.

A house in Queen Square (No. 24) was leased at an annual rent of £110, and the National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic opened in the spring of 1860.
In 1866, the lease for the house next door, No. 26 Queen Square, was purchased for £3,000 (as was the lease for No. 24). The Hospital then had 36 beds.
By 1868, the Hospital had 60 beds and, by 1870, 64.
The hospital went from strength to strength, and today the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) is the United Kingdom’s largest dedicated neurological and neurosurgical hospital. It offers specialised care for a range of brain, spinal, and nerve conditions and is a major centre for research and training within the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

In the 1950s, space was leased in 23 Queen Square for the Institute of Neurology, which conducted psychological, histological, and biochemical research.
Today, UCLH Private Healthcare operates private consulting rooms at 23 Queen Square, which is located next door to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.

May.

3) Lawrence turned up early this morning.

5) I came home & dined with Eustace at Mr Chatwode’s.

6) I came to Brighton.

7) I spent the day in bed.

8) I came home again. Certainly Brighton does not suit me.

9) Mrs Wilmer & Catherine came in the evening but I did not see them as my throat is still very troublesome. Edmund came.

10) Helyers & LeConte’s dined here. Mrs E G came to luncheon.

11) Uncle Robert came in the evening. It has been such a long dreary day. I shall be so glad to be well again. Edmund went back to Wycombe.

Uncle Robert was Robert Samuel Grubbe, b 25 June 1822-d1891, one of twins, the other was Edward Walter Grubbe, b 25 June 1822-d 1907, brothers of Julia’s father John. From all the records I have looked through, it seems the Twins were inseparable in life, both going to school at Eton, both training to be Engineers, all the Census records have them together. After leaving home at Horsendon, they rented rooms together until Robert died in 1891. Neither of them married or had any children; I imagine Edward must have missed Robert dreadfully after his death. Edward was a lodger, renting rooms until he died in 1907, aged 86.

12) Hubert went to Southwold.

13) Auntie & Edith have been for the day.

14) We have had a great fright today we were afraid Papa was going to be very ill but I hope & think he is better.

15) Papa is better I am thankful to say. Louis dined here yesterday & Uncle Charlie lunched.

Uncle Charlie was, I believe, Julia’s father’s youngest brother, Reverend Charles Septimus Grubbe, born on 3 May 1830 & died 30 October 1910 in Creek Cottage, Woodside, Lymington, Hampshire. He was Archdeacon of Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa, 1861 to 1865, then Vicar of Mentmore, Buckinghamshire, from 1868. If you remember, Mentmore was mentioned in part 1 of the Diary. His CDV photo is another of my finds below:

16) Auntie & Edith who came back on Wednesday went away today.

17) Walter went a fishing expedition.

18) Willie Foster & Charlie Lillingston dined here.

Charlie Lillingston was Charles Alfred Gordon Lillingston, born in Southwold on 30 October 1857. He married in London in 1888 to Mabel Harriet Ogilvie (1866-1925). She was born in Australia. They had 4 children. He was a member of the Imperial Forest Service in Australia and a Justice of the Peace. He came back to Britain and remarried after her death. Charles died on July 29 1934, at Balmacara House, Lochalsh, Ross Shire, Scotland (late of Yulgilbar Castle, the Ogilvie’s home in Australia).

22) Left off fires.

23) The Lecontes came to dinner. Had a fire in the evening.

26) Dora came. Had a fire. Total speculation on my part, but I have discovered that Julia’s brother, Walter John Grubbe, married late in life at the age of 64 in the autumn of 1912 to a lady called Dora Edgell, a widow; her maiden name was Jowitt. Her first husband was Charles Arnold Edgell, who had died in 1905. The couple were both Teachers in Falmouth, Cornwall, although Dora had been born and baptised in Finsbury, London, in 1867. Did she know the Grubbe family from her younger days? She didn’t marry her first husband until 1898, so maybe she had kept in touch with them, and that’s how she and Walter came to marry, as he was a Barrister/Solicitor.

27) We went to an organ recital at the temple. Had a fire.

28) We went to 5 o’clock tea with the Wicks it being Kathleen’s birthday. Had a fire.

29) Mother has been spending the day at Teddington. George went to Southwold.

30) Edith & Alice went away. Papa & Mother went to Wing. I came to Teddington.

31) Louis came to dinner.

The 1861 census below shows that the family was still living at 23 Queen Square, St George the Martyr, Finsbury, Middlesex.

June.

1) I am afraid it has not been a propitious day for those at Wing, at least it has been very wet here.

2) Such a day, I do not think it has ceased raining for above 5 minutes at a time. I am so sorry. This was Whit Monday. The weather was extremely wet this year, which affected everyone, especially farmers in 1879.

3) A slight improvement in the weather. We are having fires all day.

5) Such a lovely day! I sat in the garden nearly the whole day. Uncle, Edith & I went to tea with Miss Cators.

7) Louis came.

9) Louis went away. We went into Bushey Park overs.

10) Mother, Dow & Constance came & fetched me home.

12) Louis dined here.

14) Julia Hall came also Edmund. Walter went to Berners.

This could have been a family or house Walter was visiting at the village of Berners Roding, Essex.

15) Auntie came in for the day.

16) Constance & I came to Bedford. Lawrence came to tea with us.

17) We went to a Cricket Match in which Lawrence played.

18) We went to a lawn tennis party at the Bournes.

19) We went on the river this morning. & for a walk this afternoon.

21) We went to call on & have tea with Mrs Duberley & to see the Barracks.

22) A nice day tho’ much colder. We went for a long walk this afternoon.

23) We went for a walk this morning & to call on Mrs Bourne this afternoon.

24) We watched a cricket match this afternoon.

25) We left Bedford & came to Wing.

26) Such a day we have not been out at all.

27) Uncle Peter & Arthur arrived. Arthur was likely her brother, Arthur Robert Grubbe. There are a few options for Uncle Peter on the tree.

28) Uncle & Aunt William who have been in Holland Park went away today accompanied by Edmund.

By the time of the 1871 census, Julia and her family had moved to 29 Holland Park, Kensington.

Young ladies from wealthy families were very fortunate, as many didn’t have to marry to secure a stable future for themselves. Julia remained single all her life.

July

1) Constance & I came home. Constance & Rosalie arrived.

I think Rosalie is very likely Julia & Constance’s first cousin. Mary Constance Rosalie Draper was born on 25 April 1856 in Belgaum, Karnataka, India. Her father was James Draper, and her mother was Anne Constance Grubb, her father’s sister. Rosalie lost her father when she was only 9 years old. Rosalie died on 29 March 1927 in Kent at the age of 70; she never married. I do believe that the mention of Auntie on several days could be Anne, as she was a widow. Rosalie was her only child.

2) Lawrence came.

3) Dow went away.

5) Constance & I went to hear Mr Farmers Oratorio.

Henry Farmer (13 May 1819 – 25 June 1891) was a British organist and composer based in Nottingham.

6) Lawrence went away.

7) Auntie & Edith came in to luncheon. We went to a music meeting & I played.

8) Father, Mother & I dined with Mrs Jenne. Edmund has been gazetted to the 88th Connaught Rangers.

To be “gazetted” to a regiment, especially in the context of the British military, means that an individual’s name and details have been officially published in the London Gazette as part of an appointment or award. This publication in the official government journal serves as the formal announcement and legal record of the event. 

In 1879, the 88th Regiment of Foot (Connaught Rangers) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, primarily recruiting from the west of Ireland. The regiment was formed in 1793 and would later, in 1881, merge with the 94th Regiment of Foot to become the Connaught Rangers.

9) We went to a garden party at Acton.

10) Rosalie, Constance, Maggie Hall, Arthur, George & Edmund who arrived from the Lea just before dinner having been to see Les Cloches de Corneville

In July 1879, “Les Cloches de Corneville” was at the Folly Theatre located on King William Street in the Strand. The production was an English adaptation of the original French operetta. Later in 1879, the comic actor J L Toole had taken over the lease and renamed it Toole’s Theatre. The theatre opened under his management on November 7, 1879, with a triple bill of comedies. Toole remained there until 1895.

11) I have been to lunch & spent the afternoon with Minnie, Maggie came for the evening & tea.

12) Walter went to Princess Risborough.

14) Walter came back. Edmund went to Aviring? Or could this be Oving in Buckinghamshire? Reggie back to Eton.

15) Mrs E G dined here & was disposed to be rather cross.

16) Constance & I went to a music meeting & both played. Constance, Rosalie & I went to G Meed’s later.

17) Rainney. Louis dined here. It drizzled this afternoon.

20) At last we have had the prayer for fine weather. I am afraid things are getting very serious.

21. Constance & I went to the last music meeting & both played.

22) We have been spending the day at the Academy.

23) Horace Wilner came to dinner. St George Burke had a son born on 21st, Redmond St George.

The only likely Horace Wilmer I have found is this one, born in France in 1851 and married in 1874 in Kensington, London, to Mary Frances Graham.

Redmond St George Burke, Julia’s 1st cousin once removed) was born on 21 July 1879 in Southampton, Hampshire. His parents were Walter St George Burke and Mary Ann Macrae Cockburn. Redmond married Aileen Marion Wrench in 1907. He was in the Imperial Forest Service, then later a Farmer Landowner after he inherited The Auberies, Bulmer, Essex, after his father died in 1916. They had three children. He died on 3 August 1951 at the age of 72.

The Imperial Forest Service was the name for the forest management and administration of the British Empire, particularly in India, established in the mid-19th century under the leadership of Dietrich Brandis to manage forests scientifically and conserve resources for the Crown.

25) Father, Mother & I came to the Lion Hotel at Wycombe, we drove down & I enjoyed it immensely.

The Lion Hotel was actually The Red Lion Hotel, High Street, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. A big part of Wycombe’s heritage.

26) We drove to Marlow this afternoon, but it was too wet to do anything this morning.

27) It is such a handsome Church here, we had a very nice sermon.

28) We have been visiting Papa’s farm’s. Such a nice day, but I am so tired.

29) It has come quite hot at last, we drove to Amersham & had our luncheon by the road side.

30) We have been to Horsendon today, we did not intend to dine there but it ended in our doing so. Walter came for a few hours but we did not see him.

31) We drove home, I am afraid I am rather sorry to come back. Edmund returned from Oving (Buckinghamshire)

If a family “drove” somewhere, they would have likely travelled in a horse-drawn carriage or wagon. Private carriages were a status symbol of the wealthy, while others might have used stagecoaches or hired carriages.

This is 16 months after Julia had finished writing her 1879 Diary, and it finds her and her family still living at 29 Holland Park.

August

1) Reggie came home.

2) Aunt Constance & Rosalie went to Wing.

5) Edmund went to Berners.

6) Arthur & Maggie went to Southwold.

8) Auntie came. Louis dined here. I have been with Mother to Mrs Bowman’s.

9) Arthur Henry is going to be married.

Arthur Horsendon Henry (Julia’s 1st cousin) was born on 30 July 1842 in London. His parents were Alexander Henry and Anne Frances Harriett Grubbe (Julia’s father’s sister). Arthur married Octavia Anne Magnell on 20 January 1880. On the 1911 census, it says they had 2 children who had died. Arthur died in 1916 at the age of 74.

10) Uncle Robert & Frank Henry came in the evening.

12) Father, Mother, Eustace, George, Hubert & Constance came to Southwold & I, Lawrence is here.

15) Walter came, we went to the party in the Vicarage gardens.

19) I have been spending the day at Reydon Farm. Fosters came for tea. Edmund came home. Reydon Farm was in Southwold.

20) My dear Lawrence has gone.

21) There have been tremendous thunderstorms & such deluges of rain. Father, Mother, Edmund & I lunched with the Hichlings. In the evening we went to a music party at the Chapmans.

22) Edward Swinford & his wife came to tea, also Mr Tatham.

23) It has rained from morning till night.

24) Edward Swinford dined here.

25) I had tea with a large party of children at the Fosters.

26) The twin Fosters came to tea. Eustace went away.

27) E was to have spent the day with the Fosters, but as it was so wet I concude he did not come.

28) The Fosters dined with us. E did not come so I suppose there is no chance of my seeing him this year.

29) The William Fosters are gone. I am so sorry.

Part 3 of Julia’s Diary will be coming soon.

I have been kindly lent this Diary to share by Jeremy Carson, a Dealer in Books and Ephemera and also a Collector. Link to Jeremy’s website here: Antiquarian Book Company

You can contact me either by commenting here or via email at lynnswaffles@gmail.com. 

Till next time then……..