Emily Moses sporadically kept a diary from 1885 until her death in 1949. Shared here are some early scribblings, illustrated with little snippets of daily life. They detail some of the early sightings of the Wiltshire Snare.
Front page of the diary, dated March 1885, when Emily was 18 years old Wednesday, 11 March, 1885. Emily writes “On my return home I told Papa about the beautiful colours on the wren’s feathers.”Thursday, 19 March, 1885. Emily mentions that she saw some caterpillars and snails in the garden. “In penance for my dislike of the snails, I have made myself draw one. Such strange creatures!”Tuesday, 24 March, 1885. Emily recounts a walk with a friend and says, “Miss Eliza showed me a nest she found hidden in one of the holly bushes.”
On the 13 April 1885, the last entry before Emily takes up her diary again in July she writes, “I must ask Mama if she has lost a string of beads, as I am sure that I saw some turquoise and green beads in amongst the sage in the herb bed.”
Friday, 17 July, 1885. Emily indicates that she has not kept her diary for three months. She refers to the blackberries, “… I fear that I should not have picked them so early in the season, and wish that I had left them for the birds.”Saturday, 18 July, 1885. In this entry there appears the first reference to The Wiltshire Snare. “We have had such an abundance of strawberries this year that Mama and I have made countless jars of jam. Even my new found friends, the Wiltshire Snares, did not manage to munch much of the crop.”
Throughout the rest of July the diary is filled with references to visits to the library to find out more about snails. On the 28 July Emily refers to the Snares as “…slimy and furry friends…”.
Friday, 4 December, 1885. A charming sketch to accompany the diary entry for the day. “Today we began making our Christmas puddings. The whole kitchen was filled with the scent of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. Mama let me mix the pudding, and we all took a turn at stirring it, and making a wish…”Christmas Day, 1885. “We woke early and gathered by the fire to open our small gifts. I received a lovely set of new stationery and a silver locket from Mama and Papa. I shall treasure the locket always.”Monday, 28 December, 1885. Emily writes of a visit to her friend, Charlotte East. In earlier diary entries Emily has shared some of her sightings of the Snares as with Charlotte, however “…I took with me my much cherished notebook and sketch pad, in which I have been keeping my Wiltshire Snare observations. But I was hesitant in showing Charlotte…”
Emily’s diaries for 1886 and 1887 are full of her discoveries about the Wiltshire Snare, as her knowledge expands and she understands more about their behaviour, anatomy and habitat. During this time her accompanying notebooks become structured and more scientific in nature. We have her to thank for our current knowledge of the Wiltshire Snare.
The Wiltshire snare 