• Mary Ann Miles- Most of the diary is spent in thinking and hoping for marriage with this girl. However, she doesn't seem to share his interest, and apparently has some understanding with George Dewse, cousin of William's in York.
• Adelaide Holbourne- This girl accompanies Charles in many of his outings, and he obviously likes her a lot, but has not got any serious intentions towards her. However her father thought that Charles might be thinking of marrying her, so she perhaps had had other ideas. She was from a working class background and Charles obviously considers her not of his class.
• Sarah Anne Russell- This distant cousin seems quite interested in Charles and goes to great lengths to keep the contact between them going, but again, I think Charles doesn't think she is quite up to his class.
• Emma Vokes- This girl lives in York, and he went to infant school with her. But since she has grown up, her name was linked with Homer Thackray who subsequently committed suicide apparently because she didn't love him, and thus Charles' relatives don't feel she is quite "the thing". However, Charles is very taken with her, and would quite like to get to know her better, but I think he has decided that he probably wouldn't consider her for marriage.
• Miss Smith (Josephine)- This woman is mentioned continually in the diary and Charles writes to her and hears from her more than anyone else, but I think he regards her only as a friend. His family certainly don't approve of her.
• Miss King- This woman is mentioned 4 times in the diary, and only as a friend of the family's from York. No romantic ideas are linked with her at all.
• Jane Anne Riley- This young woman from York has obviously become his main choice of a wife as the year comes to a close. He has written to her, not directly but through his cousin, and has sent her rather expensive New Year's presents. One gets the impression that she would be suitable from the family's point of view, and that she was a very good person, but that he really couldn't get too excited about her compared to Emma Vokes.
• Mary Eagle- This young girl writes to Charles a few times. He obviously
isn't romantically interested in her, but her family is very close to his
family in York. He talks about Mrs. Eagle saying that as long as she was
alive, he wouldn't want for money. He buys a picture for Robert Eagle for
his parents to take back to York with them after their visit. In London,
the Eagle family are represented, and also when Charles visits in York,
the Eagle family accompany his family on their outings. This is the girl
in fact, whom Charles married, on May 20, 1859, at All Saints, Pavement
Church, in York. Charles was 29 (8 years after the diary was written) and
Mary Eagle was 19, so she would have been 11 when he wrote the diary. At
the wedding, Thomas Eagle and Elizabeth Eagle are listed as witnesses.
Thomas Eagle was Mary's father, and Inn-keeper. Also listed as witnesses
are George Walker, Charles' father, Sophia Holliday and Mary Ann Braithwaite.
Charles' profession is listed as an Accountant, and his father is still
listed as a Cab-owner. (Copy of Wedding Certificate)
Comments or questions to j.day@which.net
