Essex. Grafton Dare (John Marmaduke, of Cranbrook House, Ilford) & Robert Westley Hall-Dare, son-

Essex. Grafton Dare (John Marmaduke, of Cranbrook House, Ilford) & Robert Westley Hall-Dare, son-in-law of Robert Hall. Memorandums. [Diary & Account book], 2 vol., manuscripts in two hands, (diary) title and 434pp., (account book) 106pp. excluding blanks, ruled throughout, last 2ff. cut at head at end, original green vellum, second mentioned ink title on upper cover, first mentioned rebacked with the original spine laid down, sm. 4to, 1st January 1792-9th September 1804 & 20th July 1829-26th April 1831. ***A detailed day to day account of life in Essex by a provincial gentleman living at the end of the eighteenth century. Probably a soldier, Grafton Dare records in January 1792 that his baggage has arrived in the river and been passed through customs and on 14th November 1802 that the "1st picture of Seringapatam came home". Apart from family matters most of the diary is concerned with activities such as crops, hay, stock, muck spreading, property maintenance, wine making and bottling port. He also held manor courts at Theydon Bois and Romford and many local areas are mentioned including Barking, Romford, Squirrels Heath, Rainham, Southall, Colliers Row etc. While the vast majority of the diary refers to estate business it also records Grafton Dare attending the Quarter Sessions in Chelmsford in 1795, attending a Turnpike meeting in 1794 and becoming a Commissioner of Sewers in 1801 and a Commissioner for the Land Tax at Romford. Later entries by his son in law record on 10th November 1829 the misreported death of Sir Eliab Harvey "a lie" and real death on 21st February 1830 (Captain of the " Fighting Temeraire", 1758-1830), inspecting work houses, elections, Epsom races etc.