This diary gives a vivid picture of life in a Yorkshire village between the Napoleonic Wars and the Victorian era. Robert Sharp, schoolmaster, village constable, shopkeeper, and tax collector, was in a unique position to observe the affairs of the village and the lives of his fellow villagers, whom he describes with wry humour and affection, often quoting their conversations verbatim. He also took a keen interest in what was happening outside the village, both nationally and internationally, giving the reader a valuable insight into how these events were reflected at the local level and how they were viewed by contemporaries.