Ever been caught not paying attention in class? Well, thirteen-year-old Richard Beale was – just 234 years later. The Museum of English Rural Life uncovered a math book belonging to the teenager, filled not only with lovely handwritten equations but delightful doodles.
The journal was acquired as part of a set of 42 diaries that belonged to the Beale family. So taken and entertained by young Beale’s drawings, the museum tweeted out pages of the notebook which then went viral. However, it was one illustration, in particular, that seemed to grab people’s eye, a sketch of a chicken wearing pants. Sure it might sound silly to some, but try telling that to Harry Potter author JK Rowling who tweeted the doodles were “truly wonderful” and even teased her next novels would be “the adventures of a chicken who wears trousers.”
The museum programme manager, Adam Koszary, told the Guardian he hoped the viral tweet would draw attention to the archives, “When you see a 13-year-old from the 18th century doing the kind of doodles that kids are doing today, it is so relatable – there’s an instant connection.” Scroll down below to see this delightful piece of history and all the reactions!
The Museum of English Rural Life is notorious for tweeting out entertaining history tweets of their cool archives
This week while going through some old journals they made a discovery they thought was worth sharing
A 234-year-old school diary from a 13-year-old boy…filled with more than just equations
However, there was one illustration that captivated everyone’s attention above the others
People quickly started to respond
It was so great that it even caught the attention of Harry Potter author J.K Rowling
Image credits: jk_rowling
Image credits: TheMERL
Image credits: jk_rowling
Image credits: TheMERL
People not only appreciated the funky chicken but the boy’s exquisite handwriting as well
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