A Portion of the Journal Kept by Thomas Raikes, Esq., from 1831–1847 4 Volume Set

The social world of 'dandy' Thomas Raikes (1777–1848) included some of the most influential people of his day. Raikes was best known for his diaries, extracts from which were published in four volumes from 1856 to 1857, and cover the years from 1832 to 1847.

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Diarist Thomas Raikes (1777–1848) was an Old Etonian whose social world included some of the most influential people of his day. Raikes was no politician - he had an established reputation as a 'dandy' - and he spent much of his time in gentlemen's clubs in London, especially the Carlton and White's. He was ostensibly employed by his father, a merchant and later governor of the Bank of England, and was married with four children. His reputation as a man about town was confirmed by the posthumous publication of these diary extracts, in four volumes from 1856 to 1857; they focus on his time abroad, mostly in Paris, but also in Prussia and Italy. His wide acquaintance among politicians made him a close observer of British and international political affairs, such as the Reform Bill of 1832 and the abolition of slavery in the West Indies.