The Diaries of Rev. Robert Knopwood (1763-1838)Index: Royal Society of Tasmania Collection

Abstract

Rev. Robert Knopwood (1763-1838) kept a fairly detailed and lively diary most of his life. According to Miss Mabel Hookey (1871-1953) some of the diaries were purchased at the sale of Knopwood's effects by her grandfather George Stokell (? d. 1874 aged 86) of Rokeby House, Rokeby. These covered the years 1801 - 1804, 1805 - 1808, 1814 - 1820, 1822 - 1834 and. 1836 - 1838. They passed to Stokell' s daughter, Henrietta, who gave the first volume (1801-1804) to her brother George whose daughter Alice sold it to the Mitchell Library. The others were given to Mabel Hookey who kept the second volume (1805-1808) but sold the other three volumes to Angus & Robertson, who re-sold them to the Mitchell Library. The Royal Society of Tasmania had microfilm copies made of the diaries in the Mitchell Library of Knopwood' s life in Tasmania (from 7 Feb. 1804) and the diary owned by Miss Hookey (see RS.15.) Miss Hookey later bequeathed the diary in her possession (1805-1808) to the Royal Society. A transcript of this diary (1805-1808) made by W.H. Hudspeth, was published in Papers &Proceedings of the Roy. Soc. of Tas., 1946 & 1947. See also M. Hookey, “Bobby Knopwood in his times”, Hobart . (Fuller) 1929, and The Chaplain, being some further account of the days of Bobby Knopwood, Hobart (Fuller's Book Shop) [1970] RS.12