Orra White Hitchcock diary, 1850 May to July
Hitchcock, Orra White, 1796-1863
A diary belonging to Orra White Hitchcock in which she recorded the details of a trip to Europe with her husband Edward Hitchcock. This is the first of two diaries used and during the period covered by this volume the Hitchcocks traveled through England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. The first page contains a "list of ship acquaintances" and the entries open with a detailed description of the departure and arrangements on the steamer ship, as well as descriptions of the conditions at sea. Orra continues her diary upon arrival in England and details the sights, sounds, dining arrangements, weather and places of interest. Entries describe the Hitchcocks' visits to notable geologists including Dr. Gideon Mantell, Sir Charles Lyell and Reverend Adam Sedgwick as well as the paleontologist Sir Richard Owen. They visited geological collections and agricultural schools in addition to more typical tourist attractions. Orra comments repeatedly on the poverty they encountered throughout Great Britain as well as the class structure in evidence. A few illustrations are included and several pages have markings on them that seem to have been left by samples of plant life collected and placed in the diary.
