Eight Autograph Diaries of Frances Barbara Airey ['Fanny Airey'], daughter of Sir George Airey and his wife Catherine, daughter of Lord Talbot de Malahide, written in Paris, 1850-1866, with references to political events and expatriate high society.

Author: 
Frances Barbara Airey (1799-1870), daughter of Sir George Airey (1761-1833) and his wife Catherine, daughter of Lord Talbot de Malahide; sister of Sir Richard Airey and Sir James Talbot Airey
Publication details: 
The eight volumes written in Paris, and dating from 1850, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1856, 1857, 1866.
£450.00
SKU: 12150

Eight tall and thin 8vo diaries of unusual shape: the first six 34.5 x 13.5 cm, the last two slightly smaller. The first diary has 120pp., the others of similar length. With between two and four daily entries to a page, depending on the volume. The diaries are elegantly printed by a number of different Paris publishers (Dechamp; Pirmet; 'E. J.'; 'M. et H.'; 'F. G.'; 'B. L.'). Five are bound in light-brown cloth, with coloured paper labels stamped in gilt; the other three have printed paper boards. In good condition, lightly-aged; with slight damage to the bindings of the volumes for 1854 and 1866. In autograph on the front cover of the volume for 1852 is 'Fanny Airey'. Written in a crabbed and difficult hand, study of which would yield far more than is conveyed in this description. The Aireys were an army family: Fanny Airey's father Sir George Airey served with distinction in the Napoleonic Wars, and two of her brothers, Richard Airey (1803-1881), 1st Baron Airey, and Sir James Talbot Airey (1812-1898) distinguished themselves in the Crimean War, with the former issuing the order for the Charge of the Light Brigade. Through her mother, the Hon. Catherine Talbot, third daughter of Lord Talbot de Malahide, Fanny was placed firmly within the Anglo-Irish Ascendancy. Throughout the eight diaries Fanny shows herself to be a pious Catholic, with almost every entry beginning with the word 'Church' (usually at La Madeleine or St Roche, and on occasion at both on the same day), with records of high mass, sermons, and the giving of confession. As an example of her pietry, the entry for 28 March 1850 begins: 'Church before breakfast heard two Masses & received the Blessed Sacrament thank God -'. Main themes throughout the diaries include going to balls, soirées and matinées, and the Italian Opera; talking walks and carriage rides around Paris; receiving visitors (all well-connected and often English and Anglo-Irish); business affairs; and the weather, to which Fanny is very sensitive ('the day is very cold & extremely dirty'). A 'Mr Berone' is a regular companion in early diaries, and a 'Mrs Maberley' in later ones. Towards the end there are a number of references to Fanny Airey's servant Celestine. For example, on 11 July 1866: 'Church, Celestine came again & dressed me to dine at the Stackpooles, after dinner we all went The Stackpooles and me to the Cafe to hear Theresa .' Most of Fanny''s time is spent in Paris, but she and her mother visit Blois and Tours in September 1850, and she visits England in May and October 1857 (mainly London, but Brighton 'for change of air' on 14 July; 'an Archery Party (at the Mote Lord Romneys Park)', 4 August; and Cowes Castle, Isle of Wight, 31 August). In the early diaries Fanny is solicitious towards her mother, whose death would appear to have occurred in 1852, although the exact date has yet to be ascertained. There are a number of interesting references to political events. On 24 February she goest to 'Church at St Roch a fine Requiem to celebrate the Anniversary of the Revolution of 1848'. On 6 March 1850, during the demonstrations over the government's removal of the wreaths of immortelles which had decorated the July Column since the February Revolution of 1848, she writes: 'Church went a drive with my My Mother paid some visits & went to see the Column at the Place du Bastille that has been with Immortelles'. And six days later, on 12 March: 'took a drive with Mamma & Mr Berone to see if any trouble was going on the Bastille'. On 8 July 1850 she records that she 'did not go out any more heard all the Revolution was over & Paris quiet again but much damage was done to the Houses on the Boulevards by the & heard many People killed on both sides some also by accident, but the Troops behaved very well and every one appears pleased'. On 11 July 1850 she reports that 'Paris still in a State of Siege and the accounts from the departments bad'. On 3 March 1856 she writes that her brother James 'dined Tête a Tête with me and took leave of me after dinner as he starts early tomorrow morning to join his Regt in the Crimea (the Coldstream Guards, but he is in the Staff as Q M G to the Light division out there'. Twelve days later she goes 'to the Hotel de Ville to see the Cradle to be given to the expected Prince by the City of Paris, but when we got there &c were told it had gone to the Palace of the as the Empress expected to be confined any moment'. On 22 March 1850 she is stirred 'out of Bed by the arrival of my nephew Charles Tottenham [Charles John Tottenham, later Marquis of Ely] from Eton come to spend his Holy days [sic] He is well I went to Church & Sermon & walked a good deal with Charles afterwards it was a very cold day Mr Berone came to us in the evening We played whist'. Some of her time in the next few days is spent trying to amuse Tottenham, for example on 29 March 1850 she goes 'out shopping' with him. Among the occasional visits to the Opera are one on 10 January 1850: 'Church Mr Borer gave us a Box at the Italian Opera asked several People to come but they were all engaged so I and my mother went there I was sorry for of her cold but she was not the worse for it We saw Jn Bluche & Benoni in the "Burhen and were much amused | very cold day'. And on 23 March 1850 she writes: 'Church, Sent my Deed to Mr Corbett to send to England for me in the Evening went to the Opera Mr Peryman having lent us his Box, saw the In Black Bernini & Mad sung liked it very much afterwards went to a Soiree at Mrs Goulds, for the sake of amusing Charlie Tottenham did not remain late - very cold'. On 27 January 1866 she records the marriage of her niece 'Minnie' (Florence Maria Stapleton) to 'Governor Seymour', i.e. Frederick Seymour (1820-1869), Governor of British Columbia. And on 18 August 1866 she records the marriage of another niece Margaret Mary Stapleton ('Daisy') to Count Hubert de Stacpoole. The later diaries contain several references to Lady Stacpoole, for example on 27 November 1866: 'Church, to my surprise Hubert & Daisy Stackpoole [sic] in & she asked me to take her in as he was going to the country on business I was delighted to do so I try to make her as comfortable as I can - Sir Edward Baker Mrs Sinclair & the Conningtons called on me -'. The last entry in the last volume (1866) reviews the year, considering it 'a remarkable one for our family My niece Minnie having married to Seymour My niece Daisy having married Count Stackpoole My niece having married a M ' She concludes: 'I am thankful to God for all his mercies - to me and mine -'.