This is an account of the diary of Mary Nichols, daughter of John Bowyer Nichols, a London publisher who lived at The Chancellors, a large house by the Thames at Hammersmith between 1831 and 1846. As editors of the Gentleman’s Magazine and publishers of many county histories, the Nicholses were at the centre of the network of antiquaries, genealogists and local historians that existed during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They were also members of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society and printed the early volumes of Transactions. Mary’s diary testifies to the broad interests of her family and provides a unique insight into both their private and social life, identifying many of the publishers and writers who were entertained at their home. It also includes information relating to Hammersmith and its inhabitants during the 1830s, and tells us much about the education Mary and her siblings received at local schools.

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