| Collection | Diaries, essays and notes of Queen Charlotte |
| Description | This diary records part of a journey to Weymouth undertaken by George III, Queen Charlotte, and the Princesses Charlotte, Augusta, and Elizabeth. The family stayed at Saltram (23 - 27) August before travelling to Exeter (27 August) and on to Weymouth (28 August - 13 September) stopping at Longleat (14 - 17 September) before returning to Windsor (18 September). Documents relating to the early sections of this trip are not known to survive although summary details of the journey were published in The Gentleman's Magazine and also in "A Diary of the Royal Tour in June, July, August, and September, 1789" by 'an Observer of the Times'.
This diary is a factual account of Queen Charlotte's daily activities rather than a record of her thoughts and feelings although impressions may be given on places she has visited. Charlotte consistently records the location and day's weather and also notes if any family members have bathed (while at Weymouth). Society news is only occasionally recorded.
Due to Charlotte's sometimes idiosyncratic spellings and to enable greater discoverability, the names of people and places have been corrected and expanded in square brackets using the published edition of the diaries (see below) which contains further notes on people, places, and events mentioned. This volume is interleaved with blotting paper: this has only been digitised where writing or significant markings are present. Folio 2 (blank) has been photographed only as an example of this.
Written in pencil "Read Oct 1945 O. F. M" [Sir Owen F Morshead, Royal Librarian] (f 1).
23 August (f 3 r) - Saltram
24 August (f 3 v - f 5 r) - visit to Marystow, home of Mr Heywood
25 August (f 5 v - f 6) - visit to [Cotehele House], seat of Lord and Lady Mount Edgecumbe
26 August (f 6 v - f 8 r) - visit to Kitley House, seat of Mr [John Pollexfen] Bastard
27 August (f 8 r - f 9 r) - journey to Exeter via Halldown Place, home of Sir [Bourchier Palk] Wray
28 August (f 9) - journey to Weymouth
31 August (f 11) - on board the Southampton Frigate
2 September (f 12 r) - brief mention of a trip to Dorchester
4 September (f 12 v - f 13 r) - brief mention of a trip to Dorchester
5 September (f 13) - on board the Southampton
6 September (f 13 v - f 14 r) - on board the Magnificent
7 September (f 14 - f 15 r) - visit to Milton Abbey, seat of Lord Milton and his daughter [Caroline Damer]
8 September (f 15 v - f 16 v) - ball at Weymouth. List of guests given.
10 September (f 17 r) - on board the Southampton
12 September (f 18 - f 19 r) - on board the Southampton
14 September - (f 20 - f 21) journey to Longleat, seat of Lord and Lady Bath with visit en route to [Redlynch], seat of Lord Illchester and also to 'the Convent' at Stourhead belonging to Sir Richard Hoare
15 September (f 22 - f 23) - Longleat
16 September (f 23 v - f 24 r) - journey to Tottenham Park, seat of Lord and Lady Ailesbury
17 September (f 24 r - f 25) - trip to the Forest of Savernake
18 September (f 25 v - f 27 r) - return journey to Windsor
The remainder of this volume is blank |
| Custodial History | Transferred from the Royal Library, 1965 |