Two Manuscript Diaries, covering the years 1916 and 1917.

Two 8vo diaries, by Charles Letts, the first 'improved' and the second 'self-opening'. Both in heavily worn covers, lacking spines, but internally clean, on aged paper, and with the text entirely legible. Both diaries end with a brief set of accounts. The diaries are filled with details of the life of a young English lawyer in London during the Great War, including references to the many legal cases in which he was involved. Tyndale was a voluminous reader (entries include 'Fortunate Youth in bed.' and 'Happy Go Lucky in bed'), and both diaries are preceded by long lists of 'Books Read', evincing wide interest, from Shakespeare to Chesterton and Oscar Wilde, and (interestingly, considering the context) including the diaries of Pepys and Evelyn. He also gives details of his daily reading in the body of the diaries. As the diaries make plain, at the time of writing Tyndale was a hardworking junior barrister, but he would become a leading Divorce lawyer, acting as Consulting Editor of a standard work in the field, Kee and Coles's 'Divorce Case Book' (London: Butterworth, 1950). His diligence is much in evidence: '[28 March 1916] In Court all day. Got Wherby restored but Deane gave Double a dressing down. Took Mather v M & Roberts for Stenham. Decree No Costs. Richardson v R & Selway. Decree & Costs. Wheeler Decree & Costs. Pepe Decree No Costs. Did not call the clerk to prove service in W Miller. Lunch with Skinner in Court. Tea Mr R R. Holland 6-7. No work after Dinner. Read and finished Life in The Law.' He consults with other lawyers, reads briefs, teaches, comments on cases, indexes in the library ('All the morning at Torts Index.'), lectures ('Talked to lame man afterwards.'), and the handle of his brief bag breaks off. He comments adversely on a colleague named Cecil Hayes: 'Hayes' Cross Examination of Muller was rather an indecent Exhibition', and 'Went to see Hayes. The more I see of him the less I like him.' At the Central Criminal Court he takes part in 'bigamy', 'carnal knowledge' and 'infanticide cases' and the 'Quack manslaughter case [7 September 1916]'. At the Central Criminal Court on 11 September 1916 notes that 'Finger print man convicted.' On 25 May 1916 he hears 'some interesting things' from Gordon Hewett 'about the Sitwell Case.' Otherwise he leads a London bachelor existence: playing billiards and chess, going to the cinema ('pictures'), dining with a friend at the Genova before going to the Palladium, going to the Kilburn Empire ('Found it a poor show.'), coming home 'on top of Bus', experiencing a tube breakdown, shaving on his way to chambers, losing his umbrella, getting fitted for a belt, finding a hole in his 'trowsers', suffering from diarrhoea and a burst 'belt suspender', and buying a tie, pants, socks, flannel trousers, shoes and 'half a dozen collars'. He smashes his pipe and goes to the Arts Club. His mother sends his second pair of spectacles and his father an umbrella to be mended. His pyjamas arrive from Austin Reed's. He visits his father's dentist, whom he finds 'a funny old card'. On 24 February 1917 he 'Looked in at a Peep Show in Strand.' On another occasion he sees 'a tattoed [sic] lady'. Standing in for Talbot-Ponsonby, he is employed by The Times to report on a number of cases. On 19 December 1916 he notes: 'Reported Hulton v H all day for T-P.' His report of the case, for which 'T-P.' gives him 10/6, appears in the newspaper on 20 and 21 December. He does further 'Times Reporting' on 17 January 1917, and at the Divorce Court the following day. On 20 January 1917 he notes 'Did Times Reporting. They never fetched the stuff!' Another ten instances of Times reporting before 20 February 1917 are noted with a T in a circle, and there is evidence of further reporting as late as November 1917. 1916 begins with Tyndale being examined at the recruiting office, and found medically unfit, and the diaries contain occasional references to the fortunes of friends at the Front.