Category Archives: 1914

All diary entries written in 1914.

W. W. Jacobs

Cover ImageW. W. Jacobs was an English author of short stories and novels. Although much of his work was humorous, he is most famous for his horror story “The Monkey’s Paw“.

Arthur Linfoot noted, in his diary entry for 8 June 1914, that he had read “one or two of W.W. Jacobs’ short stories”. Clearly we cannot know which.

Arthur Linfoot also noted, on 17 May 1917, what appears to have been some kind of stage adaptation of The Monkey’s Paw, performed by the Merry Mauves at Bailleul.

W. W. Jabobs’ complete works remain available as an Amazon KIndle book.

7 June 1914; Sunday

June 1914, ,

Stayed off chapel in the morning through bad foot. At Sunday School and chapel at night. Stayed to sacrament. Had short walk afterwards with Willie, Charlie and Dora’s Charlie. Talked with Blaikie too. No lesson in the School. The weather a bit showery. Got wet in the afternoon. Read a bit. Played a bit.

6 June 1914; Saturday

June 1914, ,

At work as usual. Very little to do and we finished at 1 o’clock without leaving anything back. Troubled a bit with my foot. Charlie got some stuff at the chemist’s for it. Charlie’s Birthday. I bought him a tie. We went up the town and bought Willie and Lily a salad bowl. I went down with it at night and we talked until 10 o’clock. Saw their presents. Read a good bit.

5 June 1914; Friday

June 1914

Didn’t go to baths on account of bad foot. Busy all day. Finished early. Went for Charlie and called for Willie on the way to meeting. Mr F.E.Smith1 at the Victoria Hall2. He spoke about 1¼ hours. Had a lot of interruption especially from a woman in the gallery. A crowded house. He made a good case, but didn’t finish his speech on account of the heckling. Enjoyed the meeting.

  1. Mr F E Smith: 1872 – 1930; Solicitor General, then Attorney General, 1915 – 19; Lord Chancellor (as Lord Birkenhead) 1919 – 22; Secretary of State for India, 1924 – 28; deeply involved with Unionist Ireland -­ possibly the subject of this speech. ↩

  2. Victoria Hall: see note on 10 January. ↩

2 June 1914; Tuesday

June 1914, , ,

Got up about 9 o’clock. Read and played first thing. Shaved and went to Roker in the afternoon. Had a bit trouble with sore foot. Stayed in at night. Edie and Nelly Frere came up to see Mother while I was in. Charlie and I spoke to them in the town in the afternoon. They were with Jack and Hilda1 and the baby. We saw them at Roker too. I read a good bit.

  1. See Hilda disambiguation page. ↩

1 June 1914; Whit Monday

June 1914,

[Written in longhand above date – ] Choir Trip to Haydon Bridge

Got up 5.15. Called for Charlie. Got 6.30 train to Newcastle. Got excursion train there for Haydon Bridge. About 27 in the party. Walked to Langley Castle and then on to the moors where we played handball. Got dinner and tea at the town hall at Haydon Bridge. Walked to Hexham in the afternoon. Played football part of the way. Visited Sele, abbey, and river side1. Got the 6 o’clock train back and had tea. Walked to the spa after tea. Left there about 9.30. Got home just after mid-­night. Charlie and I set Edie Horton, and Lou Pearce home. Edie Hunter and a girl called Mary Smith sick and Jimmy Oliver. Mary Smith lost her purse with 7/9 in it and we subscribed to make it up. Charlie with us. * at Hexham. Scalded foot last thing with some boiling water.

  1. The Sele is an open area in the centre of Hexham. ↩

30 May 1914; Saturday

May 1914

Busy all day. Had only an hour for dinner and went back in the afternoon on Charlie’s bicycle. Worked until 5.30. I developed bad cold. Charlie got me a bottle at the doctor’s at night for himself and for me. Went up town and looked in shop windows a bit. Papers full of disaster1.

  1. The Empress of Ireland disaster; see yesterday’s entry. ↩