Henry Pidgeon’s Diary

Henry Pidgeon's signature
Henry Pidgeon’s signature

Henry Pidgeon (1806-71), a retail chemist in High Street, Shrewsbury, and Borough Treasurer for 31 years until his death, is better known as an antiquarian and writer. His book Memorials of Shrewsbury was first published in 1837 and went through a number of editions. It gives a clear and accurate description of the buildings and institutions of the town in the middle of the nineteenth century, and is very valuable as a local history resource. Pidgeon also kept a personal diary of events in the town, which he grandly titled ‘Salopian Annals’. Most of the volumes for the period 1823-30 are in the Shropshire Archives.

Extracts from the diaries form the basis of the articles first published in Shrewsbury Today. You are welcome to reproduce any of the written material, but any illustrations from the Shropshire Archives are only to be used with their permission.

Health, Wealth, and the Perils of the Poor
A Grave Situation
Smallpox and Measles in 1823
Death in the River
An Unusual School