Ralph Josselin was a vicar and prosperous farmer in the village of Earls Colne in the southeast of England. In 1643 he began a diary that he maintained until his death in 1683. Remarkable in its range, it includes intimate details of Josselin’s personal life and business activities as well as reflections on national and foreign affairs. The following passage contains entries recorded over one week in June 1651, during the period of Cromwell’s Protectorate.

June 9, 1651. The state of England although worn with civil wars, and scarcity and ill trading for many years, being but in bad terms with Holland, and not altogether sure of Spain, proclaimed open war with Portugal, and is in open war with France, our fleets being in the midland sea: we at the same time are endeavouring to conquer Scotland, and Ireland, attempt Silly [an archipelago off the Cornish coast] with a fleet, and yet send a fleet also to reduce the islands of Barbados in America: and yet the nation is much discontent and divided, yet feared to name not the attempts of any foreigner against them.

June 10. Lent Mr. Litle this day 20 pounds. Received of Goodwife Day 3 pounds. This day my wife went to my Lady Honywood, where unexpectedly we had a mess of peas for which my wife longed very much, this was a good providence of god, a mercy laid out that we were not aware of.

June 12. Heard Goodwife Mole had the small pox, the lord in mercy spare me and mine, lent Goodman Mathew 4 pounds for 3 weeks.

June 15. This week past the lord was good and merciful to me and mine in many outward mercies the lord knows my heart was in a very dead cold frame, for the Sabbath and I was very unprepared for it, carelessness eats up my spirit, and I do not stir up my heart within to gods service, and yet my god [did not] fail me, my navel moist and my belly in a part on my left side as it were sore, my wife ill, my daughter Jane this day ill, oh my lord quicken me and do me good by all, I preached twice, the day very hot, grass burns away, the lord in mercy hear prayer for a comfortable rain.

Source: Alan MacFarlane, ed. The Diary of Ralph Josselin, 1616–1683 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991), pp. 247–248. Spelling modernized.

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