Monday 28 October 2013

A Farm Journal ~ from the 1st to the 22nd April 1870

My great great great uncle John Bayliff Bowman lived at Summer Hill, near Monyash in the County of Derby, until the end of January 1870 when he moved to Sandycroft Farm, Queensferry, Flintshire.

The Bowman family, who were Quakers, had rented 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 :~

6 - 1st 4 Mo[nth] sow[e]d small seeds on wheat & roll[e]d etc

7 - 2 Ditto Ditto - very backward weather for vegetation - lints sown a month ago not up yet

1 - 3 Fine

2 - 4 Ditto to 4 - 6 Ditto 25 Hogs from Derbyshire arr[ive]d safely work[in]g 14 ac[res] for mangolds - old chopper broke cogs bo[ugh]t another at  Chester

5 - 7 Fine

6 - 8 Showery even[in]g

7 - 9 Wet & showery got new chopper to work lead[in]g manure onto ridges for mangolds

1 - 10 Showery

2 - 11 Fine lead[in]g manure for mangolds & spread[in]g up to Alletsons to call with Sarah & children bo[ugh]t some Flowerpots - looked over the works 

3 - 12 & 13 sow[in]g mangolds & work[in]g etc

5 - 14 Beautiful day self to Rhyl & to Bodrydden [sic] Hall sale of Stock but did not stay it as there was nothing in my way an old fashioned place in Vale of Clowyn [sic] - very nice land mostly grass - Nurse Bean came in even[in]g

6 - 15 Good Friday Men off today mason from Hawarden lowering fire grate under Engine boiler & put longer bars in

7 - 16 Misty morn[in]g Co[u]s[in] E[liza] & I to Ashford

1 - 17 Fine day

2 - 18 Ditto B[akewe]ll Fair Strong fair had my cheese down etc. sold part to John Thomas Crewe 65/- & rem[ainde]r to Jos[eph] B[owman] B[loore] @ 62/6 - Cattle dear but easier sheep lower

3 - 19 Ditto Father & Mother & self started 10-19 for Chester by M[an]chester - arr[ived] 2.10 found all well

4 - 20 Ditto cutt[in]g potatoes & setting muck out on No 12-5-21 Ditto Chester Fair took in calf Heifer & sold £13 5/- also Bay filly but not sold - good many beasts in but few well bred some nice yearl[in]g Irish £5 sturks £9

622 [sic] dull showery even[in]g set[tin]g potatoes 

4 comments:

  1. I love the comment (an old fashioned place) he would be shocked how fast things have changed since those days.Ann

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    1. Yes, this comment struck me too Ann. I wonder what he would have made of our desire to conserve and preserve nowadays ?

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  2. Funny how he thought Bodrydden Hall was 'old fashioned' even back then!!

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    1. I don't suppose they had the time nor the money to appreicate our heritage in quite the same way back then Mitch.

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