In and Around Greenock in 1871: Robert Hutcheson Bowman's Scottish Diary

Robert Hutcheson Bowman was 21 years old when he began his diary in Greenock, Scotland on New Year's Day 1871. Scottish-born but raised in Australia, he had returned 'Home' to claim an inheritance and was enjoying a life of leisure while awaiting the settlement of the estate. The diary covers seven months. Written in great depth and detail, it includes reported conversations, the names of the many people he met, and accounts of sightseeing in Kinross, Dumfriesshire, Edinburgh and London. Most of his interests were centred on Greenock, where he was surrounded by friends and relatives. A young man of strong literary inclination, he had a keen appreciation of incident, particularly humorous, and a talent for description. His Scottish-Australian background gave him both an insider's and an outsider's view of life in the 'Auld Country'. This has resulted in a vivid, entertaining portrait of the social life and activities enjoyed by middle-class Greenockians, including skating, picnics, sailing, and holidaying in Argyll and Bute. Robert's diary is the delightful record of a memorable period in his life during one of Greenock's most prosperous eras. It will appeal to those interested in local, social and family history.