Victorian autograph commonplace book of Robert Johnson, Junior, with a poem on his brother's death; diary entries with descriptions of Ibrahim Pasha, a cricket match, fireworks display, opera and ballet at Drury Lane; several pages in shorthand.

99pp., 12mo. Eleven pages written in shorthand. In original brown calf binding, marbled endpapers. The front of the volume carries the inscribed on front free endpaper: 'Robert Johnson Junr. | February. 1846'. The text is in two parts, with 29pp. at the front of the volume (inc. 1p. in shorthand); and 70pp. (inc. 10pp. in shorthand) at the rear (with the volume turned upside down). Lightly-aged, and with a light bloom working out from gutter of central pages. The writer is a cultured and intelligent young man, whose family appear to be based in East London (references to Limehouse, Stepney and the Lea Valley, also a 3pp. account of 'The village of Leaford [...] situate in the middle of Epping Forest in Essex'). His family may possibly be nurserymen, as he shows an interest in horticulture. The poem, of seventeen lines, is titled, 'On the death of my brother Edward Johnson May 13th 1848'. There are several pages of extracts in poetry and prose, and among these texts which may be original, including a prose rumination of 5pp., beginning 'Confound that organ grinder! If he has not been grinding that most decidedly infernal machine of his for the last half hour, right under our window, without in the least considering the mental & aural agony he is causing us'. This is followed by three ink portraits, including two of gentlemen in hats, one with an umbrella. The first page carries a diary entry for 22 March 1846, and is mostly of a horticultural nature, for example, 'Mrs. Wilson's heliotrope just on the burst The Acacia is now beginning to look very dingy but it is not quite over. The Pope's Head (in flower) arrived here about the 6th. of March, Captn. Moffatt, Ship, Parrock Hall, West Indiaman brought it over Friday Mr Alexander brought 3 Ericas'. Five lines on 'Weather' at foot of first page. Another early page carries a diary entry for 16 July 1846, beginning: 'Papa Mamma gave a kind of pic-nic at the field at the Lea Factory, unfortunately the day was very cloudy indeed, we did not have a gleam of Sun I think, which made it look very foolish, first we had a kind of dinner though in a very rough way, a piece of beef at each end of the table & 40 puffs there were present [...] after dinner we practiced cricket & archery &c.' (Description of the cricket match follows.) An entry for 18 July 1846 begins 'Ibrahim Pacha has returned to Egypt after a stay of nearly 3 Weeks, I saw him once at an horticultural fete at the Botanical Society's Gardens in the Regents Park he is not a very handsome man, he has a fine white beard & is very stout but whether that, is from his clothes or not I can't tell, he had on a dark blue coat and very large full trowsers, yellow stockings & red shoes something of this shape [diagram] he had his usual attendants with him. He resided while in England at Stewart's hotel.' On 19 July 1846 he goes to Limehouse 'at 10 o'clock to fetch Papa's umbrella, as it looked very showery, there was nobody down. Went to Church, Mr Bermingham preached, & Mr. Cox read prayers'. On 29 October 1846: 'Dreadful Fire in the Lime house at Gordons Cooperage | Mr. Smyth, our Drawing Master, of 85 Newman Street, Oxford Street, died after 6 Weeks illness of a nervous fever, he was about 60 years old'. On 5 November he goes 'to the Foundry to see the fireworks, about 500 dozen squibs & the same quantity for crackers'. On 23 November he goes to Drury Lane Theatre, 'sat in the pit. Saw the opera of "Loretta" by "Laverne" Madame Anna Bishop was the chief attraction she has a very sweet voice, but it is not powerful enough for Drury Lane, she strains & exerts herself till it is quite painful to look at her. She is the wife of Sir H Bishop the great composer, but they are separated because he did not like her going on the stage.' A description of a ballet titled 'Ways of Wapping' follows. On 3 November 1850 he describes a sermon at St Dunstans, Stepney, by the Rev. Mr Poole, curate.?>