William Monk, born 9 October 1868, Preston. A printer by trade, he was a member of the Clayton-le-Moors Working Mens Club. During 1917 he kept "A Short Diary Of The Club Land in 1917". The diary was a record of the activities of a group from the Working Men's Club. They decided to keep an allotment for the "growing (of) potatoes etc to assist in defeating the terrible submarine menace (of) the German pirates" (page 2). The diary concentrates on the everyday running and gardening of their vegetable plot and provides an insight into the priorities and views of those on the Home Front. William died on 2 June 1944, in Accrington.
