Diary, 12 March 1941-2 June 1943

Containers:

Box 1

Component identifier:

File 1

Content Summary:

Bound, brown paper covers, inscribed 'Martin Boyd, Plumstead, Little Eversden, Cambridge'; entries in blue ink. Begins with Boyd's move into Plumstead 12 March. Daily entries recording visitors, garden planting and cultivation, daily business, arrangement of house and its furnishing, 'mishaps' (as with car), weather, food purchases (often with prices), letters received, invitations. Daily routine mainly garden and use of produce, visitors, taking guests and others into Cambridge. Occasional references to writing (as 'wrote in morning', 'approached novel again', 'work a bit am', etc), readings (Tolstoy), films and plays seen. Entries: 22 June 1941 'John told me Russia attacked by Germany' (a rare reference to the war); 15 July 1941 (underlined) 'No oil'; 28 September 1941 'made some a'Beckett seal impressions' (this the weekend Col. a'Beckett came to stay); 30 September 1941 'Frightful letter from Ainslie Pharall. Wrote amiable non-committal reply'; 1 November 1941 (underlined) 'Go to tea with Marge at Criterion'; 5 November 1941 'cheque 63/15/9 gbp Curtis Beam mostly Guild 'lemon Farm' 36,000 copies sold'; 6 November 1941 re letters from B and R with final statement of Mim's estate...'. Names mentioned include Hugh (Fausset), Marge and Eric Rutherford, Gordon, Madeline Keyes, Helen, Mim, Arthur Hay, Madeline and Piggy, Miss Plummer and Col. a' Beckett, Raymond Wood. Inserts at page commencing 9 Jan 1943 (printed items): poem Spring Song by Walter Roberts and An Elizabethan prayer for our enemies.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The papers of Martin Boyd that were retained by his sister, Lady Nolan (nee Mary Boyd), following his death in 1972 and after her death in 2016 by her immediate family from whom the collection was acquired.

Subjects:

Arts

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