Two Yorkshire Diaries: The Diary of Arthur Jessop and Ralph Ward's Journal

By Arthur Jessop and Ralph Ward

These diaries by Ralph Ward (fl. 1754-6) and Arthur Jessop (1682-1751) were first published in 1952 and paint a valuable portrait of the trials, tribulations and pleasures of everyday life for the middle classes in rural Yorkshire in the mid-eighteenth century. A transcription of Jessop's diary from 1861 was first discovered in a Huddersfield bookshop in 1927. A local apothecary and pious community man, Jessop depicts the cycles of life in West Yorkshire, displaying a very British preoccupation with the weather. His diary, which covers the period 1730-46, notably discusses the impact of the Jacobite uprising of 1745. Ralph Ward was a fairly wealthy cattle trader, farmer and businessman in North Yorkshire. He was involved in local government, which he describes factually and clearly. His diary, covering the period 1754-6, also discusses business transactions, farming methods and, of course, the weather.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1108058396
• ISBN13: 9781108058391
• Release Date: April 2013
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"