Clergymen, in general, like to write. Take, for instance, our own clergy who write many hundreds of pages every year. My own late father-in-law, Fr. Dossetor wrote many books and hundreds of poems and boasted that he spent at least two hours a day writing. There was an even more prolific writer, who also was a "Clerk in Holy Orders", that clergyman was James Woodforde.

The good cleric started his diary on 21 July 1759 when he found that he had been excepted as a scholar at New College, Oxford. He made an entry in the diary nearly every day until the last entry on October 17^th 1802.

James Woodforde was born in Ansford, Somerset in 1740, the son of a clergyman. The Woodfordes had been significant priests in the Church for three generations and at the time of James birth his father also had a living at Castle Cary as well as Ansford. James was ordained when he was 23 and spent the next 10 years as a curate in his father’s parishes. It was 5 November 1774 when he was working as Proctor of New College, Oxford when he heard of a living which were in the gift of his college. ". . . in Norfolk, by name of Weston Longville worth it is said £300 per annum." A month or so later and it was his! The Church of England in the reign of George III was a different place than it is now and there was no problem at all with the new incumbent taking 18 months to move in to the Parsonage.

Up until just after the First World War no one had any idea that these diaries existed until a Hertfordshire doctor persuaded a neighbour, John Beresford to take a look at the manuscripts. Beresford was enthralled at what he read, as every reader has been who has read Parson Woodforde. It turned out to be one of the most important primary sources on the period and is rated along Samuel Peypes and Kilverts Diary. The Parson Woodforde diary was first published by Beresford in 1924 in five volumes with notes and references.

Students of James Woodforde have mixed feelings about John Beresford’s work inasmuch that it is a bland assessment of the author and he seems to focus on the enormous meals that people ate in those days. So in 1968 "The Parson Woodforde Society" was formed by Rev. Canon L. Rule-Wilson in order to extend and develop our understanding of James Woodforde and the society in which he lived. It’s other objective is to give an opportunity for people interested in Woodforde to meet and exchange information. The other great service which the society is engaged is the producing volumes of the diary with all the entries intact. There are also copious notes for each of the entries where supporting material exists. As with any publication of this nature there are very good indexes for the document. The last volume to be published was this month and covers 1785 to 1787 (Volume 11).

When you read the diary, that is when the man comes alive. A gentleman clergyman, occupying his living, doing his duty as he saw it and being a sociable bachelor he is looked after by his niece Nancy and 5 boisterous servants. One thing that strikes the reader is his unfailing generosity to the poor and his kindly ways. His idea of his clerical duties however, leave the modern reader in despair, he preached only once a week on a Sunday and Good Friday. Often the entry would read, ". . . Read Prayers and Preached this morning at Weston". That was it! The Church had yet to be awakened by Wesley and the sacramentalists of the Oxford Movement.

My favorite, amongst many, is the entry for the 15^th April 1778 and subsequent entries where you can see a real insight into his world. ". . . brewed a vessell of strong Beer today. My two large Piggs, by drinking some beer grounds taking out of my Barrels today, got so amazingly drunk by it, that they were not able to stand and appeared like dead things, and remained all night. I never saw Piggs so drunk in my life. . . .".

The entry for the next day is ". . . My 2 Piggs are still unable to walk but they are better than they were yesterday. . .In the afternoon my 2 Piggs were tolerably sober".

If you would like any further information on Parson James Woodforde (universally referred to as JW) please let me know.