18 January 1915; Monday

At work as usual. Busy all day. Played the piano at night, and then went to Mr Chadwicks. Talked to Mrs Chadwick until 10 o’clock, and then stayed and had supper and didn’t leave until 11 o’clock. Talked about speeches1 that we couldn’t quarrel about. They referred to the loss of their little girl2. Mother in bed bad3.

Great Earthquake4 in Italy about this time. About 30,000.


  1. “Speeches”: transcription correct, but perhaps “subjects” was intended. 

  2. ALL had first heard of the Chadwicks’ loss on 9 November 1914

  3. “Bad”: in North-Eastern English idiom means ill or unwell. 

  4. Great Earthquake: presumably the earthquake (13.01.15) in Avezzano, in the Abruzzo region of central Italy, said to have been ‘possibly’ the worst earthquake in Italy’s history. The town had been on the shore of Lake Fucino, at that time ‘the largest lake in peninsular Italy’ (this presumably excludes the lakes north of the Po), which was completely drained in the late 19th century, leaving land for cultivation and housing. Population was 42,000, of whom 12,000 died; only the Casa dei Palazzi and a wing of the Palazzo Orsini remained.