Diary 1887 - June
1 Wednesday
Tricycled back to Basingstoke. It was a very hot day. I started at 11 o’clock & got to Mr Hamilton’s at one & had dinner. He tricycled 6 miles along the road with me & was very pleased to see me. It was a splendid ride, the scenery beautiful & the roads good. Got home at 7 o’clock, had a cold bath, a pint of beer & some meat & went down to Allen’s & had a game of tennis.
2 Thursday
Katie Knight went home. In the morning wrote to Edith to thank her for my visit & to ask Paul Bull about a gentleman he knew in Florida who wanted a companion. In aft. went down to Hackwood Park to see a cricket match, rode back with Mr Gabell & Warren. In the eve sent some pansies & stocks etc up to Aunt Mary
3 Friday
Arthur gave me a monogram stamp for a birthday present. Mended some baskets. Went in to see Dunn who was having a week’s holiday.
Against this entry JBM has inked and used this stamp: an elaborate intertwined JBM.
4 Saturday
Killed a carrier pigeon & took it down to Marion Allen. Uncle & Aunt Jane went to Deal. Went down to our baths, the first time this year. The water was good. Umpired on Folly for the School against St. Michael’s. School lost. Arthur’s birthday
5 Sunday Went over Mr Lodwidge’s garden.
6 Monday Watering in the garden all day. In eve. up to Station to get Exchange & Mart. Minnie & Mrs Clift came in to tea & asked me to go over to tennis when I liked.
7 Tuesday Watered the garden with liquid manure. Went on Tricycle.
8 Wednesday
Sent an advertisement to the Exchange & Mart to sell a pair of Jacobins 5/- & pair of fantails 5/-. Painted the stable door inside. Had a letter from Herbie Horton, Bath.
9 Thursday
Wrote to Gammon’s for bushel of pigeons’ food 5/-. Wrote to Paul Bull to send me particulars of Mr Godden. Wrote to Blanche.
10 Friday
Painted Coach-house door outside first coat. In evening went over to Sherbourne & had a game of tennis with Minnie. Had a letter from Gammon to say he could let me have a sack 4 bush. For 19/- but I did not. Uncle William’s birthday.
11 Saturday
Wrote to Aunt Jane for Mamma. Mended corn bin. Had a letter from Paul Bull giving me particulars about Mr Godden, Pinellas Pt., Hillsbourough County, Florida. His estate is just what I should like, by the sea. Ma objects.
12 Sunday
Aunt Jane’s birthday. Wrote to Paul Bull, Mr Angelsmith & Herbert Horton to tell them I was going to Florida.
13 Monday
Got up early & began cutting down the pear tree in the middle of the lawn, so that we could play tennis. Dug up the roots myself. Getting my hand in for Florida. Went down to Allen’s to tennis. Drove Ma & Misses Hasker out for drive.
14 Tuesday
Cut up the pear tree & took it down to the cellar. Had a letter from Paul Bull giving me more particulars & telling me the way to go. Wrote to Mr Williams to ask him to sell me his portable bed which was being stored at our shop.
15 Wednesday
Bottled a dozen of ginger beer that we made. Mr Parsons came for my fantail pigeons in answer to my advertisment in Exchange & Mart. He gave me three bantams & 2/- for a young pair of fantails. Went down to Allen’s to tennis. Had a letter from Mr Williams saying he could not let me have the bed.
16 Thursday
Went down & cleaned out Allen’s boat in the afternoon. Had a letter from Herbert Horton advising me not to go to Florida. Bantams came this evening. Went down to Loe’s to tennis. Wrote to Mr Williams to say I had sent off his box.
17 Friday
Drove Miss Pike’s school over to Sherbourne at 12 o’clock for the Jubilee there. Had dinner at Mrs Clift’s. I stopped there till 10 o’clock; very jolly
18 Saturday
Made some flags to decorate our house & covered some pots with red, white & blue for the table. My bantams began laying.
20 Monday
Got up at 6 o’clock & went to the Corn Exchange to see the meat came in all right & send it out to different people to cook, 200 joints. In the aft there was a children’s procession & 3000 had tea up the streets & afterwards a fête on the common. Had a game of tennis with Morton Lear.
Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee was celebrated over 20 and 21 June.
21 Tuesday
Jubilee Jubilee Jubilee!!! come at last. Got up at 6 o’clock to see the meat came in all right & to put it on the tables all right & cut up bread & meat for the poor. After the procession 2400 people had dinner in the streets. I carved a joint at Mr Cannon’s table. Afterwards a fête & bonfire etc on the common. All the town was illiuminated at night. It was a splendid day. Went off beautifully. Anybody had dinner who lived in the town.
Queen Victoria travelled in an open landau in a procession in London. Spectators were accommodated on terraced benches along 10 mile of scaffolding erected for the purpose.
22 Wednesday
Went to the Corn Exchange today to see things cleared away all right. Blanche saw the procession in London beautifully with Uncle & Aunt, they paid £5 for the 3 seats. Marked out our lawn & put up the tennis net.
23 Thursday
Put up some wire netting in front of the greenhouse & in the evening played the first game of tennis that has ever been played on our lawn. Mrs Adams, Blanche & Harry Powell & Will. Allen came in & played. I went down to Aunt Jane’s house to sleep as they were at Deal.
24 Friday
Went down & marked out Adams’ lawn in the afternoon & had a jolly game of tennis in the evening. Slept at Aunt Jane’s.
25 Saturday
Made some lead weights for the tennis net. Had a letter from Fred Paice to know if he could come up here on Tuesday from Salcombe. Wrote to Uncle William to tell him I wanted to go to Florida. Drove Ma & the children out for drive. Sunday
26 Sunday
Grandma’s birthday. Had a jubilee sermon – 2 hours. Willie Allen came in & we played tennis all afternoon & evening.
27 Monday
In the morning I tricycled over to Sherbourne with a note from Nellie Loe to ask Minnie to come in in the aft. Arthur & I went to Loe’s to a tennis party. The Caldecotts & Allens were there. Went to Aunt Jane’s to sleep. Soon after I was in bed Uncle & Aunt came home. I did not get to bed again till 1 o’clock.
28 Tuesday
Blanche came home & Julia with her. I painted the coach house door inside.
29 Wednesday
In the evening went to a tennis party at Adam’s, had some very good games.
30 Thursday
In the evening Ma, Julia & I went up to Mr Soper’s to see Mr Stephens who gave me a lecture on Florida & said it was the biggest fraud on earth & told me I should never make a farthing out there & should have to work dreadfully hard. This has settled my going to Florida





