Richard Ryley was born in Barnoldswick in around 1821. He lived with his wife and child and was a cotton weaver who worked in the local mill. He kept a diary for three years starting on 1 January 1862. Richard suffered many hardships throughout his life. When he could get work, hours were long and wages low. During the period covered in his diary, the American Civil War (1861-65) disrupted the textile industry by cutting off the main supply of raw cotton. For people like Richard, this meant unemployment, which often led to malnutrition and disease. Richard made his last diary entry on 11 June 1864. He died later that year at the age of forty-three.