21st April 1944

Friday
Brilliant day, warm and sunny.  Saw nine horses going to plough between Woodside and Severalls.  Not so many ‘planes going over as usual.

Saw Poulter tonight, and he told me that Dr Henry Laver’s scurrilous diary has been destroyed by Marshall, the solicitor, on Mrs Lyon-Campbell’s instructions.  Marshall read it out to her, and then burnt it page by page.  Marshall’s knowledge of Colchester families must now be very considerable.

When I got back to Boxted tonight I found that Miss Bentley had mended a bad rent in my mackintosh and had patched one or two other things for me quite without my asking and without expectation of payment.
 
Very dark tonight, but the new moon comes tomorrow.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Catherine

I've probably missed something in previous entries, but what was so scurrilous about Dr Laver's diary that made them burn it? (or does nobody know?)

Mike Dennis

E J Rudsdale said...

Hi Mike,
This is the first mention of the scurrilous diaries of Dr Laver in Eric's journals, so you haven't missed anything. Unfortunately, we do not know what was so scurrilous about them but as Dr Laver was a GP in Colchester, I imagine he knew a lot about the local inhabitants and recorded his thoughts in his diary. His daughter, Mrs Lyon-Campbell, certainly ensured that they never came to light! Best wishes, Catherine