Week 38: Maud Berkeley
In her richly illustrated diaries, Maud chronicles her life on the Isle of Wight.
Maud Berkeley has, in my research, proved to be a bit of an elusive figure; I haven’t been able to find anything about her that’s not in direct connection to her diaries. To be more specific: the 1985 publication of her diaries, which I also own and am drawing from today. As far as I can tell, it wasn’t published again, and no manuscripts or transcriptions can be found online.
All of the biographical information about Maud I was able to find comes from the introduction of that 1985 publication. Maud was born in 1859 as the youngest of nine children. All of her siblings pursued academic careers and some moved abroad, while Maud accompanied her elderly parents on their move to the Isle of Wight when she was twenty-three.
She started her first diary when she was twenty-nine, and kept writing until the birth of her three children in the 1900s; she wrote at the end of her last diary: ‘A photograph of my three darling children marks the end of my diary-writing. I am now going to turn my attention to compiling an album for each one’.
Today we’re looking at September 1890 - I can’t follow my usual weekly format for these diaries, since there are no specific dates in the 1985 publication. Beside some of Maud’s illustrations you can see that she did date her entries, but these dates were not carried over into the transcription.
(or rather: this month’s entries)
Played a great deal of tennis this month. Have practised so much that I decided to enter the Ryde Open Tournament. No sooner had I put my name down than I was roundly defeated by the hopeless Daisy Fardell. Too late to withdraw my name.
Played three sets with Major Brown against Lilian and Fred. They won, 6-2, 6-1, 4-6. They make a rather demonic pair as they seem to know each other’s mind. Major Brown wasted point after point as we both called ‘Yours’ whenever a difficult ball winged its way over the net. Noggie’s balletic leaps about the court a joy to see.
Had a set at the Club today, with Steakie against Lilian and Mabel. Then with Mabel against Lilian and Steakie. Started a set with Lilian against Mabel and Steakie. On our return home, Lilian suggested to me a daring plan. She wanted to go to the Fair in Sandringham Avenue. I am always ready for any prank with Lilian. A splendid adventure. Had a swing in a swingboat and then a shy at a cocoa-nut. Hurried home, though, when two coarse looking individuals began to follow us around the fairground.
Did some dress-making in the morning and then relieved Lilian at the Coal and Clothing Club for half an hour. Went to the Smith’s Reception in the afternoon. Alice Smith gave us each a piece of bride-cake to dream on, so we had to walk upstairs backwards.
Lillian and I entered for the Ladies’ Doubles at Ryde. Had to borrow George Fardell’s hat to keep off the sun, it was so hot. Beaten in the second round.
Went to a big garden party at the Fardells’. Very superior. A band, ices, champagne cup and peaches. Did my duty by everything. About a hundred people.
I made my debut in a ladies’ cricket match on the County Ground - Shanklin versus Southsea. Our team was Beatrice Frere, Lilian, Mabel and Steakie Barnes, Miss Way, Jessie and May Gordon, Miss Kelly, Dora Ernsthausen and M.T. We won. Although I went out with a duck in our first innings, I retrieved my reputation by making, in the second, thirteen runs and carrying my bat out. Agreeably surprised to find myself ‘still alive and prowling’.
The Great G1 is in a bate about something. Dreadfully stiff after yesterday’s cricket. Lilian came over in the afternoon to assist me to read Vanity Fair to the Great G and Nannie2. Horrid day, with a sea-fog which eventually turned to rain. Went to Shanklin church in the evening.
Unfortunately I don’t have much to offer you today in terms of links for further reading material - I can really only refer you to the book itself, edited by Flora Fraser. It’s only available secondhand as far as I can tell.
But before I go, I didn’t want to leave you without this wonderful illustration (also from the diaries) of a cat getting sprayed by a garden hose:
Thanks for reading today’s post! If you enjoy diary diving with me, please consider subscribing to the newsletter or sharing it with other history-loving and/or nosy people. Also, stay tuned for an exciting bit of diary-research I’ve been doing! Yes, I know I’ve been hinting at this for a few weeks now, but it is coming, I promise! And you’ll be the first to know.
‘The Great G’ is what Maud called her father; the name was probably a play on Grandfather, since he was quite old relative to Maud’s age (he was in his fifties when she was born).
‘Nannie’ is Maud’s mother.