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Lord Ashley (later the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury), the 'Poor Man's Earl', is widely remembered as a leading aristocratic philanthropist whose concern for suffering and the oppressed victims of Victorian 'progress' saw him champion a range of social, industrial, educational, and health reforms. A deeply religious individual, his evangelicalism and sense of philanthropy as 'duty' make these extraordinarily rich and candid diaries a vital resource for understanding the motivations of a prominent philanthropist and Victorian social reformer. The Diaries of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, the Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury contain detailed accounts of his labours, religious and philosophical reflections, self analysis, and descriptions and criticisms of contemporaries, and offer thereby a fascinating insight into Victorian politics and social change.

The full run of the diaries span the period 1825-85. This first volume, covering 1825-45, shows the emergence of Ashley as a passionate evangelical reformer and determined advocate for a range of domestic and international issues and causes. Ashley is seen maturing as a private and public figure, courting and marrying Lady Emily (Minny) Cowper and starting a family while searching for a role and purpose, reading, touring (Europe in 1833-4, and Britain in 1839), and studying, while also taking the first steps in his parliamentary career. Ministerial office did not last long but Ashley soon became a key figure in Tory political circles, working closely with figures such as Peel and Wellington, and establishing his own position on questions of social and industrial reform.