My great great great uncle John Bayliff Bowman moved to Sandycroft Farm, Queensferry, Flintshire, in January 1870.
His father (my great great great grandfather) was Henry Bowman and his mother Mary Bowman (nee Brantingham). My great great great grandparents, Henry and Mary, are shown here ...
A Farm Journal continues with this entry on the 2nd August 1870 :~
Fine set No 5 up tied rakings all up & set No 1 out - self had a Telegram to say "Father was ill come at once" so I left at 2pm for Chester arr[ived] Longstone at 8pm. Lucy Ann met me in the road & told me the sad news that dear Father was no more with us in the flesh - he had died from a fit of apoplexy about 9 oclock in the morn[in]g was in more than usual health & vigor had had his breakfast & read to them from Acts - 20 Chap[ter] - & after went out to the closet where he was seized apparently quite in an instant was taken without pain or struggle he was called from works to rewards happily as we firmly believe prepared to join in the countless multitude in singing praise to him whom it had been his aim the life to serve - by the grace of God he was what he was & may it serve as a lesson to us all that amidst all our earthly ups & downs we may keep in mind the solemn warning "Be ye also ready" - died 8 mo[nth] 2 1870 in his 77th year & was interred in Friends burying ground Bakewell on the 5th of the same - we were all too late to see dear Father alive after he was taken for no one was with him - dear Mother had up to a recent date always attended him but he had got so much better that he was quite able to dress himself - this was a little cause of regret to Mother - but we must be thankful that he was spared a lingering illness & that he enjoyed life to the last - John & Maria & their 3 boys had been staying at Ashford some time & the horse was in the gig & they were all ready to start for Nott[ingha]m & [word could not be read] waiting to bid Father farewell - dear Mother did not feel able to attend the funeral so stayed at home we had a nice company of friends & all passed off comfortably - John Critchlow spoke acceptably at the grave exhorting us to live as we can die & also as to the example Father had set him & how that for 50 years he had known & watched him in his outward walk - also spoke in meet[in]g Uncle Howitt - & Uncle Brady - Jos[eph] Bottomley - a solemn meet[in]g sister Mary A[rmitage] also spoke very nicely in meet[in]g self stayed till 7th day left by 1.18pm - R.A. stays with Mother who seems nicely but of course feels the loss severely as we all do at losing so good a Father - may we endeavour so to live that some may not fear to die whensoever the call may come
His father (my great great great grandfather) was Henry Bowman and his mother Mary Bowman (nee Brantingham). My great great great grandparents, Henry and Mary, are shown here ...
A Farm Journal continues with this entry on the 2nd August 1870 :~
Fine set No 5 up tied rakings all up & set No 1 out - self had a Telegram to say "Father was ill come at once" so I left at 2pm for Chester arr[ived] Longstone at 8pm. Lucy Ann met me in the road & told me the sad news that dear Father was no more with us in the flesh - he had died from a fit of apoplexy about 9 oclock in the morn[in]g was in more than usual health & vigor had had his breakfast & read to them from Acts - 20 Chap[ter] - & after went out to the closet where he was seized apparently quite in an instant was taken without pain or struggle he was called from works to rewards happily as we firmly believe prepared to join in the countless multitude in singing praise to him whom it had been his aim the life to serve - by the grace of God he was what he was & may it serve as a lesson to us all that amidst all our earthly ups & downs we may keep in mind the solemn warning "Be ye also ready" - died 8 mo[nth] 2 1870 in his 77th year & was interred in Friends burying ground Bakewell on the 5th of the same - we were all too late to see dear Father alive after he was taken for no one was with him - dear Mother had up to a recent date always attended him but he had got so much better that he was quite able to dress himself - this was a little cause of regret to Mother - but we must be thankful that he was spared a lingering illness & that he enjoyed life to the last - John & Maria & their 3 boys had been staying at Ashford some time & the horse was in the gig & they were all ready to start for Nott[ingha]m & [word could not be read] waiting to bid Father farewell - dear Mother did not feel able to attend the funeral so stayed at home we had a nice company of friends & all passed off comfortably - John Critchlow spoke acceptably at the grave exhorting us to live as we can die & also as to the example Father had set him & how that for 50 years he had known & watched him in his outward walk - also spoke in meet[in]g Uncle Howitt - & Uncle Brady - Jos[eph] Bottomley - a solemn meet[in]g sister Mary A[rmitage] also spoke very nicely in meet[in]g self stayed till 7th day left by 1.18pm - R.A. stays with Mother who seems nicely but of course feels the loss severely as we all do at losing so good a Father - may we endeavour so to live that some may not fear to die whensoever the call may come
Fantastic writing here, the words are amazing.
ReplyDeleteYes, he did his Father proud ...
DeleteA very moving piece,he was obviously very highly thought of by everyone.We are lucky John kept such an excellent diary,I really enjoy reading them Charlie.Ann
ReplyDeleteThis entry certainly touched me too Ann.
DeleteOh, this is both wonderful and sad ... such a picture of their family and beliefs. Your great-great-great-grandfather was also a handsome man.
ReplyDeleteI've never thought of Henry being handsome I must admit ... it is certainly a moving entry and the love and respect John felt for Henry shines through.
DeleteSo sad a time for the family. But, that said, after reading JBB's brief notes on his daily routines, this entry comes as a revelation....who knew he could write so eloquently?
ReplyDeleteJohn certainly pulled out all the stops didn't he Mitch.
DeleteI was thinking exactly the same Mitch... we're so used to to the abbreviated entries about sowing in the field and selling livestock, along with the regular weather reports, it's quite unusual to see such a lengthy report of a single event which causes him to adopt a quite different style and voice.
ReplyDeleteI just wonder if John's journal entries are so brief because he was so busy Ian.
DeleteThere's something so special in that he had been reading from the Bible ... the book of Acts is such a good one, too.
ReplyDeleteI smiled when I read that he had been reading the Bible to his family. I have to own up to never having read the Book of Acts as far as I'm aware.
DeleteIt sounds rather as though they were Quaker folk, Charlie. When he speaks of being "in meeting" very much puts me in mind of the Quaker Meeting House and how the turn of phrase goes within their walls.
ReplyDeleteOh yes they were Quakers Jenny. That was the reason they moved from Leek into the countryside around Monyash, Derbyshire, 200 years earlier, in the 1690s.
DeleteI always enjoy reading Journal entries but this one was very special. It is an honour that you let us peek into how folk lived so long ago. Thank you. I actually think he looks like he might have had a bit of mischief of the good jolly kind in him.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are okay, Charlie.
ReplyDeleteRest in peace Charlie,we will miss you.Ann
ReplyDeleteTo think this is the last one you posted. RIP Charlie.
ReplyDeleteI am so missing his quick wit in answer to my questions or in his comments on my blocks. I am still thinking of him often.
ReplyDelete