This diary is written by a tailor who lived in Southsea ( where my mum lives! ) in the mid-1800s.

The pocketbook is inscribed at the front with the name of Benjamin Ivison, 16 Port Royal Street, Southsea. It seems to contain more than one hand, the content indicating the Ivison was a tailor. The book is bound in blue leather, with the initials ‘BI’ engraved on the clasp. It includes a small pencil and a pouch sewn into the front cover.