Thursday 29 August 2013

A Farm Journal ~ 5th to the 16th December 1869 ...

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.]

John Bayliff Bowman is fourth from the left in the photo below ...
 
The Bowman family

 A Farm Journal continues :~
 
1 - 5 frozen again and slippy
 
2 - 6 Thaw[in]g but very slippy Co[u]s[in] Eliza to Ashford - B[akewe]ll market things lower
 
3 - 7 Very dull misty uncomfortable day W[illia]m & I in dale ferret[tin]g lost a ferret
 
4 - 8 Ditto weather self to John Kirkams & bo[ugh]t a white bull calf then to Cales & broke 2 ton cotton cake for Hogs
 
5 - 9 Dully & foggy to B[akewe]ll 9am to meet John Kirby of Humberstone Leicester & a young man neighbour Mr. Kendal to look at a lot of barren cows sold him 17 at £13 each del[ive]r[e]d at Syston Station which will cost me about 50/- to do instead of luck - to Middleton aft[ernoo]n to look at Lomberdale Museum but no go - had tea at W[illia]ms & on to B[akewe]ll spring broke & had a jolting ride - left gig at B[akewe]ll to be mend[e]d & rode home
 
6 - 10 wet finish[e]d cutting swedes off at S. H. & cut & pit[te]d - a few corn turnips sheep to Elm close Groove close & sq[uare] close to bare & eat turnips prior to ploughing
 
7 - 11 Very wet day
 
1 - 12 Very frosty morn[in]g & snow[e]d aft[ernoo]n 
 
2 - 13 Very wet aft[ernoo]n B[akewe]ll put Xmas show - bo[ugh]t dole £8. 0. 0. worth
 
2 - 14 Very wet
 
4 - 15 Stormy snow aft[ernoo]n took 17 beasts down to B[akewe]ll to truck for Syston for John Kirby of Humberstone - self on to Nott[ingha]m Q[uarterly] M[eeting] at Lincoln
 
5 - 16 Fine day Q[uarterly] M[eeting] large interesting meet[in]g several friends spoke & I trust to the benefit of the hearers about 60 friends sat down at Spread Eagle to dine - Emily & Maria & I to L[incoln] Minster - to Nott[ingha]m even[in]g W[illia]m Sudderby to J.A.'s
 

4 comments:

  1. I wonder what he meant by "B[akewe]ll market things lower". Perhaps prices at the market were lower than previously?

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    1. This is my third attempt at replying to your comment Mitch. Yesterday both my mobile and my iPad weren't cooperating.

      I believe you are correct. He meant ""B[akewe]ll market - things lower". I imagine he wrote his journal last thing at night, by the light of a single candle, and he probably tried to get everything down as quickly as possible.

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  2. Tragic. Lost a ferret and gig broke a spring. Good thing that the meeting went well.

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    1. These things tend to balance themselves out ... :-)

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