- Francis Kilvert
Robert Francis Kilvert (
3 December 1840 –23 September 1879 ), always known as Francis, or Frank, was born at The Rectory, Hardenhuish Lane, nearChippenham, Wiltshire , to the Rev. Robert Kilvert,Rector ofLangley Burrell ,Wiltshire , and Thermuthis, daughter of Walter Coleman and Thermuthis Ashe. He is remembered for his diaries, reflecting rural life in the 1870s, which were published over fifty years after his death.Professional Life
Kilvert was educated privately in Bath by his uncle, Francis Kilvert, before going up to
Wadham College, Oxford . He then entered theChurch of England and became a ruralcurate , working primarily in theWelsh Marches betweenHereford andHay on Wye . Initially from 1863 to 1864 he wasCurate to his father at Langley Burrell, and in 1865 he became Curate ofClyro ,Radnorshire ; he remained there until 1872 when he rejoined his father at Langley Burrell. From 1876 to 1877 he wasVicar ofSt Harmon ,Radnorshire , and from 1877 to his death in 1879 he was Vicar ofBredwardine ,Herefordshire .In August 1879 he married Elizabeth Ann Rowland (1846-1911), whom he had met on a visit to
Paris , but he died a few days after returning from his honeymoon inScotland .Now there is a Francis Kilvert Society which holds meetings looking around places where Francis went and where he lived.
Kilvert's Diary
Kilvert is best known as the author of voluminous
diaries describing rural life. After his death fromperitonitis , his diaries were edited and censored, possibly by his widow. Later they were passed on toWilliam Plomer who transcibed the remaining diaries and edited and published a three-volume selection and later a one-volume selection "Kilvert's Diary, 1870-1879" (Jonathan Cape, 1938—corrected in the 1960s, and with anabridged and illustrated version for children published as "Ardizzone's Kilvert" in 1976). A different selection from Plomer's original version was published as "Journal of a Country Curate: Selections from the Diary of Francis Kilvert" byThe Folio Society in 1960. In 1992 a new selection was published under the editorship of David Lockwood, "Kilvert, the Victorian: A New Selection from Kilvert's Diaries" (Seren Books, 1992). Out of print since 1970, the 3 volume indexed edition was reprinted in 2006 by O'Donoghue Books of Hay-on-Wye (http://www.kilverts-diary.com). The complete surviving diaries were destroyed for unknown reasons by the relatives who owned them, except for the volumes listed below, which had been given to other people, while Plomer's own transcription was destroyed by fire in theBlitz . Kilvert also privately published pleasant but conventional poetry.The "Cornish Diary: Journal No.4, 1870 - From July 19th to August 6th,
Cornwall " was published by Alison Hodge in 1989 [From 20 July to 6 August 1870, Francis Kilvert stayed with the family of William Hockin at Tullimaar,Perranarworthal : SOURCE: "Kilvert's Cornish diary", edited by Richard Maber and Angela Tregoning, Penzance, Alison Hodge, 1989 ISBN 0-906720-19-2.] . TheNational Library of Wales , which holds two of the three surviving volumes, published "The diary of Francis Kilvert: April-June 1870" in 1982 and "The Diary of Francis Kilvert: June-July 1870" in 1989.Kilvert adapted to film
A
John Betjeman BBC television documentary on Kilvert, called "Vicar of this Parish", was shown in 1976 . This led to "Kilvert's Diary" being dramatised (270 minutes or 390 minutes—sources differ) on British television between 1977 and 1978, with Timothy Davies in the title role. The programmes are no longer available, and may have been lost.Further reading
* John Toman. "Kilvert's Diary and Landscape". (Lutterworth Press, Dec 2008)
* David Lockwood. "Francis Kilvert". (Seren Books, 1992)
* John Toman. "Kilvert: The Homeless Heart". (Logaston Press, 1992)
* Frederick Grice. "Francis Kilvert and His World". (Caliban Books, 1980)
* Readings are available on Saydisc CD (available from Qualiton US, and other retailers)External links
* [http://www.pikle.demon.co.uk/diaryjunction/data/kilvert.html Diary Junction website with links]
References
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