Cottage scenes during the cholera

A vivid snapshot of rural Devon in the summer of 1832, this diary offers a first‑hand look at life in the parish of Plympton St Mary just before the cholera epidemic struck. The author, the local clergyman, paints the landscape in careful detail—the winding river, scattered villages, and tidy cottages of agricultural labourers—while noting the community’s confidence in the health of their environment.

When the first case appears in early July, the entries shift to a sober chronicle of fear, precaution, and collective effort. Meetings of villagers and gentlemen, the formation of a Board of Health, and the urgent push to improve sanitation and secure a place for the sick reveal how a tight‑knit parish confronts an unseen threat. The narrative remains grounded in everyday observations, giving listeners a clear sense of the period’s mindset and the fragile balance between hope and crisis.