3rd Earl's Diary

Adelbert Wellington Brownlow-Cust, 3rd Earl Brownlow GCVO VD PC DL JP (19 August 1844 – 17 March 1921) kept diaries now held in the Lincolnshire Archives. The ornate diaries were gifted to him each year by Adelaide his Countess. Sparsely filled in with pencil, they focus mainly on appointments. Nevertheless, they provide an insight to the life of an earl. The volumes sampled were for 1896, 1897, 1904, 1910, 1911 and 1914 (BNLW/4/5/37).

The Earl's spelling, writing and impreciseness makes it difficult to interpret entries, such as Vent Les Bains. No such place exists on Google maps, nor is mentioned in 53 million pages of British newspapers. It appears not, in spa towns of francophone countries. But chronologically on their travels between Nimes & Toulouse is presumed to be Vernet-les-Bains.

A data table of the entries is given here, with the date of entry, his locaton and activity if stated. An anlysis of the diaries is given below.

Banner image: the huge, 300m long north front of Ashridge that dwarfs the 108m long Buckingham Palace.

Location

His most regular entry was his location, 563 times. This shows that he spent most of his time at Ashridge House, followed by Belton then 8 Carlton House Terrace his London residence. But 221 daily entries were left blank as regards location.

Travel

The Brownlows travelled extensively. Countries visited during the 6-year sample were Algeria, Austria (Trieste before Italian annexation), France, Germany, Italy, Portugal (Madeira), Scotland, Spain, Sudan & Switzerland.

In 1897, they set off in January for Egypt to sail the Nile. It is difficult to interpret all their stops on the Nile due to transcription/indecipherability/Arabic translation/Lake Nasser problems, but they sailed south as far the 2nd cataract at Wadi Halfa in Sudan. From London and back to Ashridge took them away more than 3 months.

The map, right, illustrates the extent of their wanderings.

Railway

Ashridge was served by Berkhamsted railway station on the LNWR. In 1866, there were two arrivals and departures each day for London. By 1906, many more; the 08.09 from Berkhamsted reached Euston at 09.25. A 17.45 from Euston would arrive at 18.37. The Brownlow's had their own private waiting room at Berkhamsted (left). Now called the Brownlow Waiting Rooms, Station Approach, Berkhamsted HP4 1FQ. Used as a quartermaster's stores in WW1. Present by 1887 when royalty visited Ashridge.

Activities

When not on holiday, what did Brownlow record as his activities?

The most frequently recorded activity was his summer camps with his territorial troops. This is followed by his deep interest in the Home Arts. The Home Arts and Industries Association, was set up by Earl Brownlow in 1885 to encourage handicrafts among the lower classes

Pastimes are mainly confined to shooting and fishing. He only once recorded golf and that was tea on Belton Park's golf course that he had founded.

He involved himself with school committees mainly at Berkhamsted and Eton, his old school.

Brownlow was a National Gallery Trustee from 1897 to 1917 and donated several art works to them.

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