Annie Norris was born at Wroxton on 22 November 1835 and died on 8 May 1923. She was the second daughter of Henry Norris (1810-1889), J.P. and Deputy Lieutenant for Oxfordshire and J.P. for Warwickshire, and his wife Ellen (also referred to as Cleonora or Eleanor) nee Crawley (c.1810-1893). The family took the lease of Swalcliffe Park in 1848. As well as her parents, her three unmarried siblings were living at Swalcliffe Park during the period covered by the diaries: Ellen (1834-1927), referred to as "Ellie" or E" in the diaries; Mary (1839-1924) and George (1843-1935), "G" in the diaries. Annie Norris also had two married siblings: Albinia (1837-1911), who married Revd Henry Clark Powell in 1863 and is referred to as "Albie" in the diaries, and Henry or Harry (1841-1914), who married Mary Bovil in 1867. Two nieces, Albinia Powell and Dorothy Norris ("Do" in the diaries), and two nephews, "Harry" or "young Harry" Norris (b.1869) and John or Jack" (b.1870) Norris, are also referred to. Dorothy Norris married Arthur Pearson Davison of Sevenoaks in 1888. (See also family tree at the end of this catalogue.)
The diaries end with the death of Annie's father in 1889. She, her mother and unmarried siblings apparently left Swalcliffe Park, because only her brother Henry and his wife are recorded as living there in the 1891 census.
The diaries contain many references to places near Swalcliffe, notably Banbury, Epwell and Shutford.
Two of Annie Norris' diaries for 1880-1881 are deposited among the Swalcliffe parish records (reference PAR262/17/J/1-2). Those archives also contain notes on the history of the parish by her (PAR262/17/MS/1) and a typescript copy of Revd Payne's memoirs, which she mentions transcribing after his death in 1886.
The information in this introduction is taken from Annie Norris' diaries, the Wroxton parish register transcript, the Victoria County History of Oxfordshire volume X and "Burke's Landed Gentry (1935).
These diaries were purchased in 1995 and given the accession number 4046.
Catalogued by Elizabeth A. Finn, July 1997
Open
These diaries form part of what was once
a much longer sequence. As well as the
diaries surviving among the Swalcliffe
parish records, Annie Norris herself
refers to earlier diaries going back to
1852 (P403/J/2, fol. 27r). Both diaries
are small (17.5cms X 11.5cms), hard
bound volumes of 144 leaves each. There
is an entry for almost every day and the
length of each entry varies from one or
two lines to three or four pages. Annie
Norris is not an introspective writer
and rarely mentions her feelings, even
during times of stress, such as her
father's final illness in 1889. However,
she describes people, places and events
in detail, and the diaries present a
full picture of the outward
circumstances of her life and her
interests.
Annie Norris was unmarried, and her
closest relationships seem to have been
with members of her immediate family,
particularly her father. Many entries
relate to visits by or to her relatives,
or outings that she made with them. Her
brother George's activities, notably
hunting, shooting and attending musters
of the Oxfordshire Hussars are also
mentioned frequently. Outside her
family, her closest relationship appears
to have been with Revd Edward Payne
(Vicar of Swalcliffe 1837-1886) and his
wife, who seem to have regarded her as a
daughter. She often comments on her own
health and that of her family and
friends.
Annie Norris was interested in the
weather, which she comments on almost
every day (perhaps partly a scientific
interest - she owned a microscope
(P403/J/2, fol. 96r), and was interested
in the weather station built by Dr
Wilkinson (ibid. fols 86v-87r)). She
also makes notes on flowers, plants and
birds. The diary sometimes comments on
national and international political
events, but there is little about local
politics. She sometimes refers to books
books she read: often these were sermons
or theological works, but they also
included novels, such as "King Solomon's
Mines". Her greatest interest was in the
church and village life of Swalcliffe.
She frequently mentions Revd Payne and
his successor, Dr John Turner Wilkinson
(Vicar 1886-1894, "Dr W" in the diaries)
and often went to the Vicarage to speak
to them. She also records the services
she attended, sermons she heard and
numbers of communicants. She often
refers to decorating Swalcliffe church
or preparing it for services and
discusses alterations to the church
fabric. She also describes churches and
services she attended while on holidays.
Annie Norris often visited the
Swalcliffe Sunday School and the
National School, even attending when the
School Inspector visited. She seems to
have run a clothing club ("Cl. Club")
and helped to organise social events for
children and old people in the village.
She took an interest in the welfare of
the villagers, visiting the sick and
elderly and helping a young unmarried
mother, Eliza Simmonds (P403/J/1,
various references).
18-27 May 1886 the diarist was staying with her sister and brother-in-law at Wylye, Wilts; on 26 May she had lunch with the Bishop of Salisbury and Mrs Wordsworth (fol. 28). On 17 June 1886 she comments on the election manifestos issued by Chamberlain and Gladstone (fol. 32v). Most of the entries in late June and early July are concerned with the illness and death (on 30 June) of Revd Edward Payne. A newspaper cutting recording Revd Payne's death is pasted onto fol. 39v. 7 July-2 August 1886 the diarist is on holiday at Shanklin, Isle of Wight. 8-14 August 1886 she is staying at 18 Albion Street, London, and 13-27 October 1886 she is at Eastbourne.
At fols 102v-103r there is a description and sketch of the Epwell chalice. During June 1887 many entries relate to preparations for Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, culminating in a description of the festivities at Swalcliffe on 21 June (fols 117r-119r).
6-29 July the diarist is staying at Southsea. She saw the Royal Fleet on 21 July and attended a performance by Sanger's circus on 25 July. Under 28 July she describes the wreck of the Bangor Castle". 23 August-6 September she is staying at St Albans, Herts., with her cousin Anne (?)Voysey. Fols 133v-134r contain a description of a visit to St Albans Abbey; she particularly comments on the High Altar screen, which was being restored. On 12 September she describes Swalcliffe School after its recent refurbishment, mostly paid for by a legacy from Mr Payne.
i plus 145 leaves, 126v-127r and 145 blank
Papers formerly loose in this volume have been catalogued as P403/X/1-2
The entry for 1 November 1887 contains an account of a concert held in Swalcliffe School Room. On 13 November 1887 the diarist notes that she "Began to write out Mr Payne's memoranda of his work here ...". 24 November-1 December 1887 she is staying with her Aunt Sarah at Talbot Square, London. On 28 November she writes a long account of a visit to a Mr (?)Blanshard, possibly an old friend of the family, living in Lower Seymour Street. On 15 May 1888 she gives an account of a confirmation at Swalcliffe church (fols 30v-31r). 14 May-19 May the diarist is again in London, staying with her Aunt Sarah at Talbot Square. On 16 May she visited the Italian Exhibition, of which she gives a detailed account (fols 42v-44r), at Earl's Court. On 18 May she visited the National Gallery and (?)Miagara" - the new Cyclorama by (?)Phillipoteause..." (fol. 46). 29 June -9 July 1888 she was at Shanklin, Isle of Wight; 9 July-26 July she was at Southsea (on 11 July she remarks that there was snow at Portsmouth) and on 26 July she went to visit her brother and sister-in-law at Chacombe, Northants. She returned to Swalcliffe on 30 July. 27 August-1 September 1888 she was staying at Margaret Street, London. On 29 August she visited the Zoo, travelling by omnibus, and on 31 August she visited the Crystal Palace. 4-8 October 1888 she was at Chacombe. Dr Wilkinson's `Observatory' [?weather station] at Swalcliffe is described on fols 86v-87r. On fol. 90r is a detailed description of the Old Folks' Tea at Swalcliffe on 26 December 1888. 12-19 June 1889 the diarist stayed at Holywell Lodge, St Albans, Herts., with her cousin Anne (?)Voysey. She comments negatively on the alterations being made to the Abbey (fol. 117r). On 16 June she attended an ordination at the Abbey and heard Bishop Claughton and Archdeacon Lawrence preach (fols 118v-119r). On 17 June she visited Sander's Orchid Farm. From 28 June 1889 onwards the entries are dominated by her father's illness. A newspaper cutting announcing the birth of a daughter on 20 [September 1889] to the wife of Arthur P. Davison at Underriver Sevenoaks is pasted onto fol. 134r. The last entry was made on 10 October 1889. Newspaper cuttings containing an announcement the death of Henry Norris on 19 October, a tribute to him by the magistrates at the (?)Police Court at Neithrop on 24 October and a report of his funeral [on ?25 October] are pasted onto fols 135v and 136r.
i plus 145 leaves, 136v to end blank
Papers formerly loose in this volume have been catalogued separately as P403/X/3-5.
Freshwater, Isle of Wight, annotated
1886" by Annie Norris. (Formerly
between fols 53v and 54r of P403/J/1).
Possibly a list of children at Swalcliffe School, with their ages and the standard they were in at the school. Annie Norris mentions writing to and receiving letters from the children while she was on holiday in Shanklin in 1886 and this list may relate to those letters. (Formerly between fols 56v and 57r of P403/J/10)
[?1886]
and church funds. The concerts were held on 21 December 1887, 11 December 1888 and 4 March 1889. (Formerly loose at the front of P403/J/2)
(3 pieces)
(Formerly between fols 23v and 24r of P403/J/2)
advertised in P403/X/4. (Formerly between fols 24v and 25r of P403/J/2)