Bennett's of Ballinacurra Descriptive List (Ref. B609)

B609/

B609/9/A/1 Diary, 1881. Includes a transcript of a letter to AGS dated 10 March, regarding malt injured on the ship ‘J Pringle’. In 1881, aged 18 (19 on 2 July), Bennett was not so involved in malting operations, and the diary mainly records family outings and home life, and sporting and social activities. Entries from February record his efforts to set up a Midleton cricket club, which was to play its first match on 12 July [newscutting report attached; other match report cuttings, on cricket and rugby, occur in the volume]. Many outings with his father, and with his sisters, Janie, Frances, and Avice, and his stepmother, Carrie, are noted. B609/9/A/2 Diary, 1882. A newscutting attached to the entry for 20 February reports on a rugby match between the county and city of Cork, Bennett captaining the county side. It is noted ‘the numerous jerseys worn no doubt tended to add to the brightness of the scene, but in future it would be more practical if each side wore one distinctive colour’. In the entry for 31 May, Bennett mentions a committee meeting about Midleton Lawn Tennis Club. From April on there are increased references to ‘Miss W’ [Brida Williams, companion to his sister Frances, and later Bennett’s first wife]. A note added on 16 February 1883 to the entry for 29 November 1882 notes that the rugby football game Bennett played on 1 December was his last match, having played regularly since 1877 at Portarlington School, and afterwards with Midleton College and Cork FC: ‘Farewell jersey and goalpost’. B609/9/A/3 Diary, 1883. In entry for 28 January, Bennett notes ‘walked by to late train in hope of meeting Miss W’. Entries from March record a trip to London. Beneath the final entry for the year are noted the names and addresses of B609/9/A/4 Diary, 1884. The entry for 2 January includes a tally of the number of miles cycled by Bennett in each month of the year. On 26 May he orders his first pair of glasses. The entry for 26 June, which Bennett spent sailing with his father and Miss Williams, ends ‘this day may be classed amongst the happiest of my life’. On 5 July he saw Miss Williams off from Cork, and notes ‘When, how & where shall we meet again, perhaps never in this world below, but above when all that is imperfect shall have passed away’. He adds ‘I look back on the past with regretful satisfaction’. On 7 July he set off on a trip with the Allens to Skibbereen, including a visit to Colonel Somerville’s home at Drishane House, Castletownsend. On 31 July he records the birth of his stepbrother (christened Arthur William on 25 September). In the later part of the year Bennett worked on a manuscript of a football story, and continued to correspond with Miss Williams, now referred to as ‘B’ [Brida]. The entry for 31 December records the departure abroad of Dr Allen ‘the old white headed father and his thin and worn son starting today on his flight from death’. some of Bennett’s friends.

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