Diaries and other papers of Lt. Gen. Sir Frederick McCracken (1859-1949) and of Mrs....

This deposit comprises two series of diaries - of Lieut.-Gen. Sir F.W.N. McCracken and of his wife Ann ('Nan'), daughter of T.C. Glover of Edinburgh - together with a small number of other documents and papers.

General McCracken's diaries cover the period 1882-1938, with a short gap for the duration of the first World War, 1914-1918. They provide a detailed record both of his family life and of his military career during this time. They are, however, essentially personal documents: comparatively little note is taken of public events. There are many loose papers and other items in the diaries - telegrams, letters, visiting cards and programmes, as well as rough notes and jottings. These have not generally been noted in detail except in the case of letters and photographs. Occasionally pressed flowers have been found between the pages of the diary: these have generally been removed for better preservation.

Mrs. McCracken's diaries cover the period 1886-1912, though the series is very incomplete after 1897. A considerable part of these diaries has been written in a cypher. This has been deciphered by Miss F.S. Stradling, M.A., who has also provided the following note on the diaries:

Ciphers such as this are common in diaries and writings of the late nineteenth century and were particularly popular among women. It is not known where this cipher originated - possibly it was devised by Mrs. McCracken herself. It is in any case quite a straightforward cipher: some letters remain the same, others are upside down, and others are replaced by symbols.

The same cipher can also be found in certain entries of General McCracken's diaries, especially during the period between his engagement and marriage.

Mrs. McCracken's diaries begin in January 1886. For the first two years, 1886 and 1887, they are particularly detailed, covering the period of her courtship and early marriage. As the duties of marriage and motherhood become more pressing the entries become briefer and some of the lively detail of the earlier entries is lost.

At the beginning of 1886 the Glover family are in Hoshungabad, India. There is no means of telling, from the diaries themselves, in what capacity Mr. Glover is there, but frequent references to 'accompanying Papa to the workshop' suggest perhaps that it is in a commercial rather than a military capacity. Life for Ann Glover consists largely of helping Mama, playing tennis, and attending (and giving) numerous dinners and dances. Her social life is very full and she is very susceptible to the attentions of young men. There are many references to army personnel, and the family's social life obviously is centred in army circles.

Anyone with the patience to decipher Nan McCracken's diaries will find their efforts rewarded. Although the style is rather pedestrian and they are not perhaps of the highest literary quality, nevertheless they are full of detail and create a surprisingly real picture of colonial life.

Besides the two main series of diaries there is a short series of pocket diaries, 1927-1932, and two volumes containing a private log of sea voyages round South America, 1926 and undated, both kept by General McCracken, two volumes containing notes on 'Health Lectures', and on astronomy, geology and botany, kept by Mrs. McCracken, and a small number of miscellaneous Christmas cards, visiting cards and other papers.

Deposited by Mrs. B.M.M. Powell of East Croydon, Surrey, March 1952 (Acc. 501).