The Diaries of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, the Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury

Lord Ashley (later the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury) is perhaps best known to social historians as the ‘Poor Man’s Earl’, the aristocratic philanthropist whose concern for suffering and the oppressed victims of Victorian ‘progress’ saw him champion a range of social, industrial, educational, and health reforms. A deeply religious individual, his Evangelicalism and sense of philanthropy as ‘duty’ make these extraordinarily rich and candid diaries a vital resource for understanding the motivations of a prominent philanthropist and Victorian social reformer. The diaries contain detailed accounts of his labours, religious and philosophical reflections, self analysis, and descriptions and criticisms of contemporaries, and offer thereby a fascinating insight into Victorian politics and social change. The full run of the diaries span the period 1825-85. This first volume, covering 1825-45, shows the emergence of Ashley as a passionate Evangelical reformer and determined advocate for a range of domestic and international issues and causes. Part One of Volume One shows Ashley maturing as a private and public figure, courting and marrying Lady Emily (Minny) Cowper and starting a family while searching for a role and purpose, reading, touring (Europe in 1833-4, and Britain in 1839), and studying, while also taking the first steps in his parliamentary career. Ministerial office did not last long but Ashley soon became a key figure in Tory political circles, working closely with figures such as Peel and Wellington and establishing his own position on questions of social and industrial reform.