A Farm Journal ~ 1st February 1870 to 2nd March 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 ...

 

 A Farm Journal continues :~

 

4 - 1st 2nd Mo[nth[ 1870 self worse sick all day - at night had to send for Dr. Moffat of Hawarden who reported Scarlet fever so I was booked for a season of bed - had the fever mildly & went on satisfactorily

 

7 - 4th Jesse went home again the men on the farm are plough[in]g or lead[in]g manure

 

15th I was well enough to get dress[e]d & be in the room upstairs - in another week I managed to get down stairs

 

23rd I went out for a walk 1st time & next day 5th day 24th bro[ther] W[illia]m came - was very pleased to see him - he looked round & saw about things I think nothing has gone much wrong - helped to put my a/c right

 

7 - 26 Fine bro[ther] W[illia]m left - he would call at Ashford & see F & M

 

1 - 27 to 4 day 2nd of 3 Mo[nth] - fine up to 4th day - wet - had been working land for beans & lints - 4 wet day no work on land - S.A. & Lucy Ann to Chester to shop etc - expected bro[ther] Eben[ezer] but not come - I did not get out today as it was wet - only have 1 lamb yet - the engine broke down but they are getting it mended at the works - it is a great convenience having being so near a smiths shop 

A Farm Journal ~ 8th November to 4th 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 ...

 

 A Farm Journal continues :~

 

2 - 8 Very windy indeed B[akewe]ll merket - 6 cows down for Jos[eph] Lee - sold him 7 heifers £10 10/-& 2 calving cows £37 - Ashford to tea & home - beasts selling well & sheep & pigs

 

3 - 9 to 2 -15 Wet & windy weather sharp frost mid last week & snow gone on 6th day 15 B[akewe]ll Fair took beasts down for Jos[eph] Lee - sold cheese to Etches 71/- pigs 8/- very brisk fair for all classes

 

to 7 - 27 Pitted corn turnips in Ridge piece & cut swedes except a few at S.H. good crops plough[e]d & sow[e]d swede gr[oun]d at Cales with Rye 

 

to 7th - 4th 12 Mo[nth] very stormy week 6 in[ches] of snow[e]d [sic] to Chesterf[iel]d on 4th day M[onthly] M[eeting] very heavy travelling W & E* with me Self to Nott[ingha]m & Norm[an]t[o]n & home on 6th day

 

7 -4th thaw[in]g very sloppy 11 pigs sold to J. Skidmore of Sheffield took to B[akewe]ll to truck one tippled over in lane & had to Kill - dress[e]d & sent by coach in even[in]g  

 

 

* I assume W & E are his brothers, William and Ebenezer 

A Farm Journal ~ from the 16th to the 31st August 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 ...

 

 A Farm Journal continues :~

 

[no entry for the 16th August 1869]

 

3 - 17 Fine - packed One Ash wool

 

4 - 18 Fine Jos[eph] & I to Haddon Hall & to One Ash for tea

 

5 - 19 Fine Farnsworth sale Monyash - Jos[eph] & I to Middleton in even[in]g

 

6 - 20 Ditto Jos[eph] & I & Co[u]s[in] Eliza to Ashford Jos[eph] to meet the 7.40 train - bo[ugh]t tup of John Brassington 6.10/-

 

7 - 21 Fine F & R.A. & Co[u]s[in] Augusta Hall [Hull ?] to tea - parted ewes 4 barren cows from Bro[ther] Wm £50 to S.H. want a little rain

 

1 - 22 Fine

 

2 - 23 Ditto - to Middleton with Eureka mower to fit at Wms

 

3 - 24 Ditto very hot at Middleton finish mach[ine] & bro[ugh]t to Intake End & began to mow thistles & windles - sold 3 bulls to Tho[ma]s Grindy

 

4 - 25 Ditto finish[e]d mow[in]g Intake End cut[tin]g thistles etc to B[akewe]ll to tea at Jos[eph]

 

5 - 26 B[akewe]ll Fair cheese low - sheep & beasts slow - sold 83 lambs to John Kirkam 24/- 3 for luck - taking the whole of my wether lambs

 

6 - 27 Ditto weather very hot indeed but a  heifer of E.B. [my great great grandfather Ebenezer Bowman ?] calved this even[in]g Bowman Bloore to tea with a young American named Ashmore

 

7 - 28 Tremendous hot finish[e]d lead[in]g the hay out of Intake end bone dust for sow[in]g Rye & wheat

 

1 - 29 Very cold N.E. wind very sudden change from yest[erda]y

 

2 - 30 cold E. wind B[akewe]ll market - began to cut corn in Watricle & Seed Piece S.H.

 

3 - 31 Fine day W.E. 

 

 

I am sure that anyone reading this will be thinking, why did he go to Haddon Hall. John was a tenant of the Chatsworth Estate, the Dukes of Devonshire. Now [as some of you will know] just over the other side of the hill is the Haddon Estate, the Dukes of Rutland. Perhaps he was just going to have a look around though John didn't seem to go anywhere without there being a 'business' element.

 

If only he had gone into more detail.

A Farm Journal ~ from the 16th to the 28th February 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 ...

 

 A Farm Journal continues :~

 

3 - 16 Fine A.Cox & Wm & I ferret[tin]g here to dine

 

4 - 17 Wet lead[in]g manure

 

5 - 18 Thunder rain showery - fin[ished] lead[in]g man[ure] S.H.

 

6 - 19 Fine day Truck of Grains in spread[in]g man[ur]e etc

 

7 - 20 Fine

 

1 - 21 Frosty

 

2 - 22 Beautiful day 

 

 3 - 23 Ditto stack in & chopped at Cales last stack

 

4 - 24 Wet aft[ernoo]n plough[in]g Watricle etc - stop[pe]d sending milk

 

5 - 25 Stormy began to make 2 cheeses p[e]r day 18 cows E.B.* sends his milk still

 

6 - 26 Very fine but cold & windy Co[u]s[in] Eliza SA & I & all went to Ashford to dine & tea**

 

7 - 27 Very stormy snow & hail at times - plough[in]g etc

 

1 - 28 Very stormy indeed Snow 6 in[ches] deep & drifted

 

 

* I assume 'E.B. refers to JBB's brother Ebenezer Bowman.

 

** It is likely that this meant a visit to my great great great grandparents Heny and Mary Bowman [the elderly couple in the photograph above] who lived at The Elms, Ashford in the Water.

  

A Farm Journal ~ from the 1st to the 15th February 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 ...

 A Farm Journal continues :~

2nd Mo[nth] - 2 - 1 B[akewe]ll market slender Milk slow beef & mutton scarce

3 - 2 snow[e]d morn[in]g - stack in & thrash[e]d Cales

4 - 3 Wet morn[in]g - to Matlock M[onthly] M[eeting] Amos & Edith Griffith from America there also Edw[ar]d Brewer very nice meeting - bro[ther] W[illia]m & I with Peter Bromley [Bramley ?] by rail to Whatstandwell & then on to Wingfield to look at hogs 2 dead scour but are better then by rail to Nott[ingha]m to Sam's lodged & in morn[in]g on to Mansfield looked beasts at Davys & Millns all doing well as can expect

6 - 5 Most beautiful day home all well

7 - 6 Fine day finish[e]d plough[in]g ley - began lead[in]g manure out S.H.

1 - 7  Fine

3 - 9 Fine morn[in]g stormy aft[ernoo]n fetch[e]d 500 Strike Grains from Wharf

    

2 - 8  Showery day lead[in]g manure took B.Brayshaw to B[akewe]ll

 [The entries for the 8th and 9th February 1869 are transposed in the farm journal]

4 - 10 Showery lead manure etc

5 - 11 lead manure etc

6 - 12 Thrash[e]d Stormy snow on gr[oun]d

7 - 13 Fine Snow gone Co[u]s[in] A Cox & W[illia]m & I ferret[tin]g in dale

1 - 14 Fine but windy

2 - 15 Fine & mild B[akewe]ll market bo[ugh]t cow from Jon[atha]n Blore £17 in calf - 1 of a man £14 - calved 2 calves B Bower £33 - 1 of G. Furniss £18 10/- 

Out of interest I fed the names Amos and Edith Griffith [see the 3rd February entry above] into Google. According to the Find a Grave website Edith Price Griffith was born on the 9th May 1801 and died in February 1873. Amos Griffith on the 13th October 1794 and died in 1871. Could this be the same couple ?

The website goes on to reveal that "Amos & Edith ... were the parents of Elizabeth P Griffith Milhous. Elizabeth was the mother of Franklin Milhous. Franklin was the father of Hannah M. Nixon. Hannah was the mother of Pres. Richard Milhous Nixon.

This makes Amos the great-great-grandfather of President Richard Nixon." 

I realise that it could be another Amos and Edith Griffith but the couple referred to in the Find a Grave site were buried in Shortcreek Cemetery ... and the website goes on to reveal that this " ... cemetery was established by the Short Creek Monthly Meeting Quakers ..."

Was it therefore the great great grandparents of President Richard Nixon who travelled from the United States to Matlock all those years ago ? 

There are photos of Amos and Edith Griffith on the Find a Grave site here.

A Farm Journal ~ from the 1st to the 15th February 1868

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.]

A Farm Journal continues :~

7 - 1st 2 Mo[nth] - very Stormy wet & windy night & day tremendous wind - Flower cow cast calf at Cales

3 - 4 rather stormy morn[in]g - finish[e]d plough[in]g 

4 - 5 Windy but fair M[onthly] M[eeting] at Matlock bank met at Clara J. Stevens - nice meet[in]g - Tho[ma]s Hartras there & several Irish friends visitors - home with F[ather] & M[other] in their carriage - began to rebuild wall dale side of Lit[tle] Lamb pasture

7 - 8 Stormy morn[in]g N.E. with snow at times

1 - 9 Fine

2 -10 Ditto walling in Lamb Pasture

5 - 13 Fine day thrash[e]d & gr[oun]d mung etc W[illia]m at Cales doing cake breaker

6 - 14 Fine spring like day S[arah] A[nn Armitage] & Baby & I to Ashford J[ohn] A[rmitage] & Maria R.A.B[rayshaw ?] & children there

7 - 15 Rather colder north wind with hail at times get[tin]g stone lamb pasture

 

A Farm Journal ~ from the 1st to the 31st January 1868

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.]

A Farm Journal continues :~

4 day 1st Dull misty frosty day W.E. no plough lead[in]g stone into Derby lane etc - cows lie in have swedes & straw - M[onthly] M[eeting] at B[akewe]ll

5 - 2 Fine hard frost W.E. repairing Derby lane tied 8 heifers up at Cales - rough wintry weather lead[in]g stone onto Derby lane 

 
Derby Lane with Summer Hill on the left

There is then no entry until the 15th January 1868

4 - 15 began plough[in]g again Fine day - Funeral at Monyash of Mary Ann Blore of Brushfield Hough

6 - 17 Stormy day grinding at Cales

7 - 18 Ditto weather got stack in at Cales & thrash[e]d - open weather now wind S.W. - all young things lie in but go out in day - plough[in]g Crags ley - Thrash[e]d at Cales - winnow[e]d Bl[ac]k tartare for seed & put in mill chamber 

- open weather to 3 - 28 Showery & mild to Middleton to dine & tea fetch[e]d W[illia]m & Alf[re]d Cox fr[om] Rowsley

4 - 29 Fine day Stack in S.H. winnow[e]d plough[in]g etc.

5 - 30 Fine day very windy

6 - 31 Ditto - W[illia]m & Alf[re]d Cox to dine & tea

A Farm Journal ~ October 1867

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.]

In this photo John is fourth from the left. My great great grandparents, Ebenezer and Hannah Bowman, are the third and fourth adults from the right. John and Ebenezer were brothers and their parents are the elderly couple in the middle, Henry and Mary Bowman.

"A Farm Journal"continues :~

1 of 10 Mo[nth] Fine finish[e]d corn cutting dipped ewes & lambs

4 day 2nd Fair morn[in]g wet aft[ernoo]n - self to Ashford last night & on to Furnace M[onthly] M[eeting]* with Father & co[usin] E. this morn[in]g then to Peter Bramley's to tea & by train to Nott[ingha]m evening - our folks lead corn out of Watricle etc.

5 - 3 Fine day at Nott[ingha]m

6 - 4 Fine but cold & windy home with W[illia]m & two of Wain's [sic] children lead[in]g corn - Edw[ar]d Brewer had a Public Meet[in]g in even[in]g here to lodge to Bakewell in morning

7 - 5 Beautiful day W[illia]m & Eben[ezer]'s men & horses helping us to lead Nether Intake corn just finish[e]d at night

1 - 6 Fine

2 - 7 Very showery day Thunder & Lightning even[in]g

3 - 8 Ditto cold & showery thatch[in]g stacks & paring Watricle - only make 1 cheese a day at S.H. 14 cows - at Cales 2 1 day 1 the other - Very showery weather

up to 6 day 24 finish[e]d lead[in]g corn at S.H. in only mid[dlin]g condition

7 - 25 Fine getting potatoes Pewet Knobs self grind[in]g at Cales plough[in]g N[ethe]r Intake began last 2nd day to give cows a few turnips Showery weather

to 30th [next two words indecipherable !] Haven Fair day Fine day no cattle a great many sheep & prices low - bo[ugh]t 12 Ewes & 8 Thieves of G. Shirley 33/- each many unsold    

 * There is a photograph of the Toadhole Furnace Meeting House on the Crich Parish site ...

A Farm Journal ~ from the 1st to the 16th January 1867

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.]

"A Farm Journal" continues :~

3 day - 1st of 1st Mo[nth] 1867 - Fine bright - frosty day gr[oun]d co[vere]d with snow 3 in[ches] - busy with the cattle & sheep - put ewes into moss field & gave turnips & hay - hogs into old meadow at Cales hay & turnips

4 - 2 Beautiful day frosty M[onthly] M[eeting] at B[akewell] - small self walked down & back

5 - 3 ditto - Thrash[e]d at Cales

6 - 4 dried oats & winnow[e]d - Ditto weather tied 11 more Irish

7 - 5 ground the oats into mung & meal windy & more like a change

1st day - 6 Fine frosty day

2 - 7 Wet morn[in]g - fair aft[ernoo]n - B[akewe]ll market & Club dinner I attended & rec[eive]d 1st prize for Swedes £2 

3 - 8 & 4 Fine & frosty

5 Ditto Mrs J went to B[akewe]ll with butler & Loui & Polly & on to Ashford & home - took mother 6 hens - W[illia]m & I to Hurdlow - Chalton [?] & home bo[ugh]t cow at Hurdlow

6 - 11 Thrash[e]d at Cales 3 little stacks Fine day

7 - 12 Snowy day bo[ugh]t 3 sturks & cow 33 10/- of S. Andrews 2 Heifers 24 5/- Mark Critchlow - cow of J.D.Wheeldon 16 10/- & W[illia]m of Hurdlow - sent all down to W[illia]ms at Middleton - took ewes down to Old Mans Green gave hay & turnips - tied 7 Irish at Breck Cote - 4 remain out

1st 13 Fine & frosty - W[illia]m & family at Meeting

2 - 14 Ditto - stack in S.H. oats to Cales & sheep cratches - 

3 & 4 winnow[e]d oats cales drying 

Just so you can put a face to the name [but remembering this is him as an older man] here is William Bowman and his wife, Elizabeth ...

 

In 1867 William would have been  41 or so. In the photo above he would have been in his seventies. In later years he described himself as a Retired Lead Miner/Engineer.

A Farm Journal ~ from the 16th to the 29th November 1866

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.]

"A Farm Journal" continues :~

6 - 16 very wet day home in dog cart & horse bo[ugh]t at Nott[ingha]m with Joanna - arrived safe at home almost perished with wet & cold - found all well

7 - 17 Very sharp frost all day - plough[in]g - cutting swedes off when fit etc Cows lie out yet - have a bit of hay night & morn[in]g - & turnips in day

1st day 18 Stormy morn[in]g fine aft[ernoo]n

2 - 19 Fine & frosty

3 - 20 Ditto - S.A., Joanna & I to B[akewe]ll & Ashford to dine & tea

4 - 21 Ditto - S.A. & Joanna to Rowsley to meet Sam but alas there was a message for J. to return to N - to bairns badly - S.A. ret[urne]d alone

5 - 22 Fine but dull

6 - 23 Very showery day self to Middleton met Father & W[illia]m & Lizzy & Brownson looked over the farm & valued most things - satisfactorily - 11 ac[res] of turnips & swedes - seeds on moor 15 ac[res] look very promising - corn pretty good but weathered - hay ditto part weathered but not spoiled 

7 - 23 Dull & mizzly at times - finish[e]d cut[tin]g & carting swedes at S.H. cutt[in]g off in Waterholes & pi[tin]g corn [next word not clear] at S.H. - Cows have turnips in the field & hay night & morn[in]g - lie out

1 - 24 Very stormy

2 - 25 Fine day bro[ther] W[illia]m came up from B[akewell]

3 - 26 Fine day W[illia]m & Eben[ezer] & self to Alsop in Dale to sale of Mrs. Buxtons [sic]  bo[ugh]t 5 cows 2 heifers & bull calf & 35 ewes @ 51/- 6 cows of Jos[eph] Kirkam £14 10/- - home -

4 - 27 Fine & frosty

5 - 28 Fine but cold S.E. wind - to Staden Farm sale of the late W.Wood of Eagle Hotel Buxton - bo[ugh]t 4 heifers

6 - 29 Fine to Buxton to Eagle Hotel sale bo[ugh]t 55 ewes 50/- about Grey Horse £12 & bay mare £24 10/- rising 7 years each - bro[ther] W[illia]m at Middleton valuation

There was no entry for the last day of November 1866