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WELCOME to our website about the 18th Century diarist Anne Hughes and 'her Boke'.
Its key aims are :
- to provide background information to Anne Hughes' Diary
- to help further the ongoing research into its origins
- to support the recent publication of the latest edition of the diary
in aid of Alzheimer's and dementia care
Anne Hughes' Diary was originally serialised in 'The Farmer's Weekly' in 1937, and later published in various book editions, most often under the title, ‘The Diary of a Farmer’s Wife 1796-1797’.
If true, it's a rare piece of social history but, without the actual eighteenth-century diary as provenance, the book's authenticity is uncertain and its academic value diminished. Questions remain:
Did Anne Hughes and her diary really exist and, if so, where is the original manuscript?
The Anne Hughes Research Team has come some way towards answering these critical questions. We hope feedback via this website will advance our knowledge.
WW2
Land Girl
Margaret
Urgent - Can you help?
We are looking for people who may have actually seen the original diary at its last known location on a farm in Oxfordshire, England, during WW2.
For example, Margaret (see photo), a member of the UK's Women's Land Army, may have been a key witness. What is her surname and where is she today?
If you know, please contact us:
To see more photos of people we are trying to identify, including some young WW2 British and American soldiers : CLICK HERE
We hope you enjoy reading about our research. If you are able to help us with further information, or if you have any questions, please
get in touch.
The Anne Hughes Research Team
We'd like to thank everyone who has helped us with our research,
especially the local people in the areas where these events occurred.
If any of our readers are tempted to visit these places,
please be aware that often there is no public access and
many are still people's homes, so please respect their privacy.
Anne Hughes' 'boke' – ‘The Diary of a Farmer’s Wife 1796-97’
With a brand new introduction and never-before published photos, along with new illustrations, a re-issue of the Diary by The Goodlife Press Ltd is still obtainable from Amazon.
(See our Links page to purchase.) Royalties are donated to a charity supporting carers and sufferers of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
The Anne Hughes Diary website is now archived by the British Library's web archive facility: