Diary of John Manningham

Excerpt from Diary of John Mannigham, of the Middle Temple, and of Bradbourne, Kent, Barrister-at-Law, 1602-1603

The first historical writer who noticed this little volume for a literary purpose was Mr. John Payne Collier. In his Annals of the Stage, published in 1831 (i. Mr. Collier quoted from this Diary various passages connected with his special subject, and drew atten tion to the principal personal facts disclosed by the writer respecting himself, namely, that he had many relations in Kent, and had pro bably been a member of the Middle Temple.

The late Mr. Joseph Hunter was the next writer who used the work for an historical purpose.l With his well-known fondness for genealogical inquiries he applied himself to determine who the writer was whom Mr. Collier had designated merely as a barrister.