Notes made by Harriet Ann Evans (born Dickinson)

and later added to by Fanny Evans and John Evans

At first, Harriet enters Evans information on the left hand page and Dickinson information on the right, but abandons this method for entries after 1781. I have consolidated the entries chronologically. This transcription made in July 2015 by Penelope Forrest, born Phelps, from photographs of the journal pages made by Judith Frances Hubbard in May 2013 on a visit to the Ashmolean Museum, where the original is held.

1685        Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Our ancestors the Polchets & the De Brissacs fled from France.

                Rice Evans married Hannah. 1716 Thomas Evans (their son) Born June 19^th

1730 or 31       Peter Abraham de Brissac Born

1744        Thomas Evans married Jane. Vicar of Bassaleg

1754        Thos. Dickinson (Our Grandfather) Born

1760        Frances de Brissac Born Sept^r 22^nd

1781        Captⁿ Dickinson & Frances de Brissac married on the 30^th June

  "            Arthur Benoni Evans Born March 25

  "             Captⁿ John Dickinson died April

  "             Captⁿ T. D. made Superintendent of Ordnance Transports

1782        John Dickinson (My father) Born March 29

1789        Dec^r 21^st Ann Grover (my Mother) Born

1810        Sept^r 5^th John Dickinson married to Ann Grover – my parents H.A.E.

1811        John Moody Dickinson Born June 13^th died 1812 23 May

1812        John Henry Dickinson Born Dec^r 7^th died 1813 Jan^y 25

1814        Jan^y 2^nd Frances Eliz^th Dickinson Born

1815        Dec^r 28^th John Dickinson Born

                                                            1818                            (from Mamma's journal)

Jany 13^th          George Grover Mid R.N. died

                        Nash Mills House altered

                        George Dickinson resides with us

                                                            1819

March 22^nd        The channel from Nash Mill head to new line of canal opened

May 2^nd              Fanny to school at Brighton after the Croup

June 17^th         The Rev^d A.B. Evans married Anne Dickinson

Aug 2^nd            Canal Committee at Batchworth opened new line (now part of Rickmansworth)

 "   17^th            Joseph Phelps Esq^re marr^d Eliza Dickinson

Dec^r 26^th          Sam Grover returned from Antwerp

                                                            1820

Jan                   Duke of Kent died.  30^th George III died

                        Great flood after thaw Nash Mills

                        M^r Dickinson sprained his ancle badly

March 10^th       Samuel Dickinson Born

                                                            1821

Jan^y                 The Paper makers at N.M. struck for more wages, are sent off, & new taken                        on. 4 labourers made Engineers. M^r Dickinson up all one night to look after them!

                        M^rs Thos. Dickinson in England

Ap 20^th             Card making begun this week

June 3^rd            Old M^r Bernard died

       13^th           John fell into Mill head

Aug 7^th              Queen Caroline died, a riot in the City on her funeral

Oct 1^st             John to school daily at D^r Morg^ney

Nov^r                 M^rs Thos. Dickinson at Nash Mills

Dec^r 15^th          William Dickinson Born

                                                            1822

Jan^y                 John broke his arm

March 29^th       Didot's first visit to Nash Mills

July 17^th           M^r Dickinson to Edinburgh. M^rs J.D. to Farnham

Sept^r 13^th         Samuel Grover died. An excellent clergyman & great loss

Nov^r 23^rd          George Longman died

                                                            1823

Feb^y 5^th            George Dickinson left. P.M. Taylor at Apsley

        10^th          M^r Moody (Mamma's G^t Uncle) died

                        Sam's first bad illness. M^rs Maynard to Nash Mills

Ap 11^th               John to Anderson's School

May 6^th            C. Longman Esq^re began with M^r D. ast

June 11^th          Harriet Ann born

July 20^th           M^r Waddel & M^r Dickinson to Paris

                        I had the small pox at three months old

Oct^r 10^th          I was christened at Abbots Langley church

Nov^r 6^th           G^t Uncle Montague Grover died

        17^th          John Evans born

Dec^r                 Jane Grover to Nash Mills. The Tom Dickinson boys there

                                                            1824

May 19^th          M^r Dickinson to Edinburgh

June 1st           Jane Grover to Brighton

Easter              Griffin & a large party at Nash Mills

June 19            C. Longman Esq^re came there

                        M^r & M^rs J.D & Fanny to Boveney (near Windsor)

Nov^r                 M^r D took out patent for Card cutting machine. Fountleroy cond^d for Forgery

27^th                 John thrown out of a Gig

                        Mamma's bad illness in London & Paralysis

                                                            1825

                        M^rs J. Dickinson at Brighton from Jan^y to April

                        Young Tom Dickinson to Bombay

Ap 29               M^r D. persuades M^r Huskisson to keep on paper duties

June 20^th         Sam & Willy lay first bricks of Home Park Mill

Aug 8^th             John to school to M^r James

Sept^r 7^th           to Margate for two months

Dec^r                 M^r Dickinson takes 22 Bedford Row

                        M^rs Maynard leaves N.M.

                        The Panic. Country neighbours offered to support my G^dfather M^r Grover if the                         Bank at Hemel Hempstead was endangered. M^r Collett answ^d for £10,000, M^r                         Dorien 10,000 & others in proportion. No run on the bank in consequence. One                         Market day M^r D sent £1000 in sovereigns, to meet any demand.

                                                            1826

Jan. 13^th           Hurst & Robinson stopped payment; the Panic continues

                        John thrown from his pony!

                        M^rs J.D. put to school little Sam

                        Willy fell down the kitchen stairs

May                 Joseph & Elizabeth Phelps in England with three children

26^th                  M^r D. to Scotland till 4^th June

June 20^th         Dear Sam died of inflammation of the brain. He was buried at St Andrews                                                    Holborn

Aug 10              Home Park Mill started – H Grieve & G. Boone

Sept^r                Miss Shanks our governess

                        M^rs John Dickinson dangerously ill, to London Oct^r

Nov^r                  Miss De Camp Governess

                                                            1827

March 19           G^t Uncle Day died. M^rs Pollock died in B.R.

          27^th        Mamma's bad illness

June                 Fanny ill of ague.

                        M^r Dickinson's iron safe broken into at O.B. £35,000 bills stolen – & recovered.

                        John to Eton

Sept^r 23^rd         M^rs J.D. to Hastings, the Cradock itinerary begun, & M^r Dickinson to Edinburgh

Dec^r                 The Chancery suit about Hurst & Co begun

                                                            1828

                        I was ill of Croup at the Bury. Mamma fetched me Feb^y 4^th

March              Henry Grover ordained. Brockett Grover died

                        Willy to M^rs Sergeant's school at Brighton

                        John ill – Miss Decamp & children to Nash Mills

May 24             Captⁿ Thos. Dickinson died (my G^dfather)

June                 Cradocks at Nash Mill

July                  Grand^ma Dickinson & At. Fanny to Nash Mill

Aug 16              M^r D & John to Scotland

                        M^rs J.D. children, & Mary G to Bramblebury for a month

Nov^r 7^th            Miss de Camp left. Miss Barnard governess

Dec^r 10^th          The Vice Chancellor dissolved the injunction against Papa's works at Croxley

                                                            1829

                        A dinner party at Bedford Row, Jan^y 7^th given to Sir Sidney Beckwith, Andrew                         Strahan Esq^re, E. Foss, P. Graves, Phelps, Grovers, Dickinsons &c

Jan^y 9^th           Mamma took Fanny to Miss Hanly's at Brighton. She is ill again & her journal                         ends here.

                                                            1830

Aug.                 We went to Ramsgate, Grandma G & Aunt Harriet with us. H.A.D. very ill

  "                    Uncle Charles Grover married to Susanna Chaplyn

                                                            1831

August 23^rd     M^r Strahan died

                                                                            1832                                                    (Fanny's journal

[Note: The handwriting is the same as that above and certainly not that of Fanny Phelps, later Evans. The first person still refers to Harriet Dickinson. The Fanny mentioned in the text is Harriet's sister.]

                        The family down to Nash Mills, old M^rs Dickinson came from Bosworth.  Jan 27^th                         H to School

June 7^th           The Reform Bill passed

April                 Fanny D & Augusta G to Eton

May 9^th            George Dickinson died in India

13^th                  Papa to Scotland        
17^th                 Fanny ill at Mess Ball

June                H from school            

30^th                 Willie very ill

Aug 1^st             Augusta Grover was married to Rev^d Chas. Way

        3              Fête opening the Infirmary – to London

August 26^th      William Dickinson my dear Brother, died.

Sept^r                at Nash Mills

Oct^r                  Family return to Bedford Row

                        Mamma & Fanny to Brighton – Family spend Christmas at the Bury.

                                                            1833                                                    (Fanny's journal

Jany 1^st            Vice Provost of Eton died. Uncle J. S. Grover elected

                        All to London. Grandmama D took H to Bramblebury

Feby                 De Villeret.     23^rd John & Fan to Eton for ten days

                        Miss Brooke governess left. Manks's Mamma with Rhoda took H to Brighton, to                         school at Madame Lefaudeux's, Brunswick Square.

                        The year of Influenza. Papa to Scotland.

Sept^r                Mamma's Tic Doloreux [neuralgia]

Oct^r 10             Mamma & Fanny to Brighton. 15 Violent Storm Pisa broken

Nov^r                  H very ill with Mamma in lodgings, Papa had a bad fall from his horse – The Wig

Dec^r 7^th            Papa to Brighton, I did not know him

        9^th            He brought us home               

11^th                  Mamma taken very ill

                                                            1834

Oct^r 16^th          Houses of Parliament Burnt down

                                                                                                                        (Fanny's journal

Feby 8^th           Mamma's Paralytic Stroke

March 7^th         Emily Way born         

24^th                  Mamma down stairs after 14 weeks illness

May 17^th          Papa to Scotland. Aunt Eliza Phelps ill in England.

June 18^th         The Ball given to the eight granddaughters at Bramblebury.

                        Mamma can write again, talk of leaving N.M.

July 15^th           Charles Longman brought Miss Hampton to see Nash Mills House

                        The London & Birmingham Railway begun.

                        Mary G & M^r Peshall. The open carriage brought.

Sept^r 11^th         Susey Grover, C. Grover's eldest girl, Born

Oct^r 11^th          Fanny & Eliza Dickinson embark for Bombay

       13^th           Grandpapa Grover & Uncle Grover's birthday

Nov^r 7^th            Our family left Nash Mills for C. Longman's

                        Martin shot himself. Papa's bailiff, old M^r Maynard died.

Back