Voyages with a merchant prince

This is a NON-FICTION book, presenting the full text of a diary written during the 1830s on board ship by the wife of a Liverpool merchant - Julia Reay Ripley. Historical notes and explanations are provided. 

Julia's husband Thomas Ripley took the unusual step of taking his wife with him on an extraordinary voyage to the Far East. She documented the experience of being the only woman on board ship with insight and humour. Thomas went from rags to riches during his lifetime, and this remarkable journal shines a light on how he achieved some of his success. The couple are best known today as the founders of Ripley School in Lancashire. 

The diary remains in the private collection of the Hutchinson family. All enquiries about it can be directed to the contact page on this website.