MANUSCRIPT. WILSON, Frederic. The Student's Journal from his first attending school (to becoming Dean at Montreal Cathedral). January 1846 - May 1853. 1846-53
132pp ms. in lined notebook, with integral blanks. Contemp. maroon roan.
¶'Journal of Frederic Wilson, now student of of the Leeds Grammar School. Born at Weymouth April 11th 1830. Came to Leeds Nov. 14th 1835. Entered the Grammar School Leeds August 9th 1839.' The Diary entries begin on January 19th, 1846. A delightful record of an adolescent at school, who is not slow to boast of his successes, particularly in Latin, Greek and Theology. He describes his fellow students as 'potato heads' - and they in turn call him 'Stewpot'. His top position in his class is challenged by the 'Oatman' because of Wilson's weakness in maths. He records a school fight with local boys, in which the locals are trounced, floods in Leeds, the effects of the Irish famine on the English economy, and his own anti-Catholicism. Wilson becomes a noviciate at St. Saviour's Church, expresses qualms about socialists and Chartists ('these sinful people') and describes being threatened by an Irish Romanist with a pistol. During 1849 he visits cholera cases in Leeds, spends time on infirmary duty and distributes medicine. There is much detail of the parishioners he visits and where they live. Towards the end of 1850, Wilson is accused by the Bishop of Popish tendencies, the upshot of which is that he is offered placement at Montreal Cathedral, Canada and on the 19th December sets off by ship. He describes the journey in some detail - a foul-mouthed surgeon who 'incessantly swears' and a Catholic Irish family who will not let him give last rites to one of them, believing it to be paving the path to Hell. The diary finishes in May 1853, Wilson becoming Dean at the Cathedral.