My great great great uncle John Bayliff Bowman lived at Summer Hill, near Monyash in the County of Derby.
The
Bowman family, who were Quakers, had three
farms, One Ash Grange [which John Bayliff
Bowman often referred to as O.A.], Cales and
Summer Hill [which he usually referred to as S.Hill or
S.H.]
1 - 16 frosty morn[in]g
2 - 17 Fine morn[in]g - wet aft[ernoo]n
3 - 18 Fine day at Cales W[illia]m & I doing cake breaker &
2 mo[nth] 4 day 19 Very wet morn[in]g - winnow[e]d oats at Cales for bro' Joseph 13d p[e]r stone
5 - 20 Fine frosty morn[in]g - wet aft[ernoo]n oats to B[akewell] weighed & pack[e]d wool 58 3/4 tod [?] 247 fleeces @ 35/- 4 1/2 tod locks 17/6 - weighed very well sold to J.Halliwell for Geo. Watkinson & Son Halifax -
2 Mo[nth] 17 Sarah Gauntley died at Bakewell aged 88 & was buried on 6th day the 21st - she was quite childish towards the last & was looking over her workbox & leaned back in her chair dead
7 - 22 very wet aft[ernoo]n & stormy
1 - 23 Fine
2 - 24 Very fine springlike to Rowsley for Fisons Manure for corn £6 - calf from Jos. Evans up bo[ugh]t one of W.Garratt Alport
3 - 25 Fine ditto S[arah] A[nn] & I & boy & Ann to Nott[ingha]m - Mother A[rmitage] has been very poorly but found her a good deal better
4 - 26 Ditto self home
5 - 27 Very fine springlike garden[in]g etc Walling - Peter Bonsall & W[illia]m Needham doing East & South walls of Bottom Close Cales rid & find stone extra 3/- p[e]r rood
6 - 28 Fine & mild harrow[in]g Kiln close S.H. for drilling
7 - 29 Very wet day W.S.W. gr[oun]d cake etc. Thrash[e]d at Cales - uncomfortable day - All things doing pretty well 10 cows milking at Cales - have 14 calves there - 2 calved S.H. "Febrewary come & gone snow conna lieuf a conde ston"
An interesting fortnight's entries. First Sarah Gauntley died; then his mother-in-law was ill; and finally at the end of the month he quotes something ... though I have no idea what it was/means ... and he did write "Febrewary ..." !
According to the National Probate Calendar Sarah Gauntley had "Effects under £1000". She was a Spinster and her Will was proved by "the affirmations of James Wall of Sheffield in the County of York and Mary Anne Bowman of Bakewell ... Spinster the Executors." Most personal representatives [Executors and Administrators] swear an oath on the Holy Bible. Quakers do not. They usually 'affirm' that what they have said or written is true. Their word is their bond in short. Sarah Gauntley was born in Grantham, Nottinghamshire and was the brother of William Gauntley.
According to the National Probate Calendar Sarah Gauntley had "Effects under £1000". She was a Spinster and her Will was proved by "the affirmations of James Wall of Sheffield in the County of York and Mary Anne Bowman of Bakewell ... Spinster the Executors." Most personal representatives [Executors and Administrators] swear an oath on the Holy Bible. Quakers do not. They usually 'affirm' that what they have said or written is true. Their word is their bond in short. Sarah Gauntley was born in Grantham, Nottinghamshire and was the brother of William Gauntley.
Be wary of February,
ReplyDeleteThe longest month of the year.
What does "conna lieuf a conde ston" mean? Did you figure it out?
The longest ... and yet the shortest. Yes, I think it means " "February come and gone ~ snow's going to leave a cold stone". Having linked this to my Facebook page [where I have three or four local interested parties] we reckon that that is what he meant. I rather suspect that it was a local Derbyshire saying ... or something peculiar to one man perhaps who always came out with this at the end of a cold February. It would be good to know though to be sure.
DeleteFrom the words "she was quite childish towards the last", it sounds like some form of Alzheimer's or dementia. I. too, am fascinated by the words "Febrewary come & gone snow conna lieuf a conde ston". I tried Googling it but the only accurate return I got was this post!!
ReplyDeleteYes, it does seem as though she declined in this way but at least she had a quick death and was able to still use her workbox. As for the 'saying' I think it's "February come and gone ~ snow's going to leave a cold stone" as I mentioned in my reply to Karyn above.
DeleteIt's ironic that when you Google it you were referred back here. I Googled it before I posted it ... and got virtually nothing. Perhaps in years to come someone else will Google it and find an explanation.
I think I have heard an old saying,( February's come and gone, snow can't leave and can't stay.) But it was in a dialect,don't know if this is similar.Ann
ReplyDelete