Shropshire Routes to Roots

Personal sources: The Diary of a Shropshire Man (2)

The diary is a collection of all sorts of odds and ends from which we can gain historical evidence, as well as a general feel for the atmosphere of life in the early 1800's.

An amateur naturalist [Shropshire Archive reference: 245/14]

For instance, the picture above suggests wildlife which is now rare in Shropshire, such as the Red Squirrel, was commonly seen in 1804.

Extract about the death of Admiral Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar [Shropshire Archive reference: 245/14]

This entry records: "Battle at Sea Between the English and the French, Spaniards and Dutch in which Action Lord Admiral Nelson was killed but the English won the day...took 19 sail and sunk one. Action lasted 5 hours off Cadiz."

It is a stark reminder that Shropshire was not an isolated idyll. National events such as the Battle of Trafalgar still made their shockwaves felt, although in a delayed way. The entry before this one is dated November 7th, 1805. The Battle of Trafalgar took place on 21st October, 1805. This suggests that, in an age before television, the news took two to three weeks to reach Thomas Boycott.

An elegiac poem and a cure for a cough [Shropshire Archive reference: 245/14]

In the nineteenth century, life expectancy was lower and, death was never far away. Here Thomas has composed 'An Elegiac Poem on the Death of Richard Boycott of Coalmoor'. Elsewhere in the diary, Thomas Boycott wrote: "Richard Boycott of Coalmoor. Died August 27th 1801. Aged 38 years." Was Richard Boycott his brother?

Somewhat ironically, the elegy is followed by 'Some Unusual Receipts [cures] For a cough'. This consists of barley, raisins and liquorice. Clearly medical care was rudimentary in 1804.

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