LOOKING BACK
Poster for the Ealing Fair on Ealing Green
attended Great Ealing School which stood
in the present Ranelagh Road, close to
St Mary’s Church. The headmaster was
Dr Nicholas and the Adamses soon
became close friends with the Nicholas
family. The diary is full of references
to them and to the other friends and
acquaintances Adams made in the area.
Some met at a dining club at the New Inn
in the present St Mary’s Road.
CROWDED DANCING,
AND CRICKET
Adams describes a ball which took
place at the assembly rooms attached
to the New Inn. It was held to mark the
birthday of the Duke of Kent, the son
of King George III.
The Duke was Ealing’s most notable
local resident, and Adams writes about
meeting him. At the ball, two lines of
dancers each with 21 or 22 couples, took
part in country dances. But the ballroom
was newly finished, damp, hot and
overcrowded – which led to ill effects for
some participants, including Louisa.
Adams writes about another social
occasion at Gunnersbury Park which
was owned at the time by Alexander
Copland, a successful building
contractor. Adams attended a cricket
match there; he says little about the
game but describes how the cold dinner
served in a tent was interrupted by a
swarm of wasps.
Adams also writes extensively about
family life, including his concerns
about his sons’ education and the
family’s health. The diaries provide
intriguing glimpses of both the life of
the family, and the community in this
area two hundred years ago.
Adams was recalled to the USA in
April 1817. He writes wistfully of
leaving Little Boston House; it had been
a happy period. He served as President
of the USA between 1825-29 and was a
forceful opponent of slavery.
Little Boston House
READ MORE
Little Ealing History Group has
published a book based on the diaries
and further research into the people,
places and events they refer to. An
American President in Ealing: The
Diaries of John Quincy Adams 1815
to 1817, is available now at £10.
For more information, visit
www.littleealinghistory.org.uk
Great Ealing School in 1809 painted by W. J. Franklin
POVERTY AND LOCAL FAIRS
Adams describes his walks around the
area and his observations of local life.
He comments on poverty and social
conditions. He writes somewhat scathingly
about the abilities of the local clergy.
The family visited and enjoyed local
events and fairs, including pony races on
Ealing Dean. A poster for a fair in Ealing
from 1813 spoke of such attractions as
‘grinning through a horse collar’ to win
the prize of ‘a large leg of mutton’.
around ealing
Spring 2015
49