Thursday 21 November 2013

A Farm Journal ~ the death of my great great great grandfather ...

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 ...

My great great great grandparents
 
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 

Tuesday 19 November 2013

A walk in the countryside to the east of Holymoorside ...

North-east of Darley Dale, between the moorland and Chesterfield, the village of Holymoorside is a good starting point for a walk in the countryside between the village and the outskirts of Chesterfield.

I parked near the Bull's Head and walked towards Chesterfield along Holymoor Road ... 

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011

There's a well used path through the fields though and I was soon following this ...

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011

This forms part of the South Chesterfield Way ...

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011

When I was there a couple of years or so ago the footpath had oil seed rape on both sides ...

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011  

The boundary of the parish has been marked by eight boundary stones, one of them pictured here ...

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011  

I don't know to what 'Low Years' relates ! Is it the name of the area ?

 I was following the path in the Hipper Valley ...

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011  

... and soon a pair of Canada Geese with six goslings passed me by ...

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011  

A coot gave me a glance from private property ...

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011  

At the end of Walton Dam the route I was following did an 180 degree turn [or thereabouts] through the houses and gardens north of Matlock Road ...

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011   

For the next half a mile or so my route passed between garden fences too ... 

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011  

Eventually I reached Matlock Road along which I have travelled for over 60 years I suppose though I have never crossed it in this way ...

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011  

I had seen the odd walker following the path south and away from the road though. Now I was doing the same ...

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011  

This path ran through and along the edge of the Chesterfield Golf Course where I was warned to 'Beware' ... 

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011  

A wide path proceeded into Walton Wood ... with hardly anyone about.

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011  

... where waymarking was probably superfluous ...

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011  

On the south-western side of the wood I was greeted by aromatic wild honeysuckle and a tree-topped hill ...

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011  

It was at this point that I walked north-westwards inside the woodland ...

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011  

... the owner of the private woodland made it clear what you could [and couldn't] do on the public footpaths !

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011  

Hopefully I reached Matlock Road without being in breach of the law. I crossed the road to the north-east of Walton Lodge, walking through the fields ...

Holymoorside, Hipper Valley and Walton Woods ~ 28th May 2011  

After some road walking I picked up another footpath on the eastern side of Holymoorside to bring me back into the village.

I found a seat in the churchyard, made friends with a cat and sat enjoying a slightly stewed cup of coffee which had been in my flask for far too long.

This walk was followed on the 28th May 2011
 
Length of walk ~ 5.96 miles *
 
Total mileage walked so far in 2011 ~ 204.94 miles
 
Total mileage between the 1st September 2009 and the 28th May 2011 ~ 726.68 miles

  45 of 2011 [which means in 2011 I was still averaging just over 4.5 miles a walk.]
 
* distance calculated on Ordnance Survey's Getamap

Sunday 17 November 2013

A Farm Journal ~ from the 19th July to the 1st August 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 :~
There is no entry for the 18th July 1870
3 - 19 Fine cut[tin]g hedges B & RA & child[re]n came
4 - 20 Ditto Self to Chester meet[in]g met Josiah Thompson Thomas Swithenbank & Mark Leicester about rep[resentin]g Chester meet[in]g house etc - mason altering flues of boiler
5 - 21 Dry BB & Vernie left Mason here fetched 4 more stoups [sic] dipped Ewes & lambs - thatching etc
6 - 22 Fine at turnips
7 - 23 Ditto cut round oats but thought them too green so left them - at turnips again horse & hand hoed
No entry for the 24th July 1870
2 day 25 Fetched 4 more stoops at turnips
3 - 26 Ditto
4 - 27 Began to cut oats men had 2 q[uar]t[e]r[s] beer p[e]r day mach[i]ne works well takes from 8 to 12 men to tie according to crop
5 - 28 Fin[ishe]d oats & set up - raking stubble with horse rake
6 - 29 began to cut wheat No 11
7 - 30 Ditto field cut most & set up - had 6 foundry men in aft[erno]n p[ai]d 2/6 ea[ch] with bag to 8pm & also had 2 men from the line to help at 4pm - 22 men in all
1 - 31 Showery
2 - 1st 8 Mo[nth] fine Fin[ishe]d No 11 & set up also cut No 5

Saturday 16 November 2013

A Farm Journal ~ from the 1st to the 17th July 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 7 Mo[nth] Showery
 
7 - 2 Fine
 
1st D[itt]o lead 2/3rds of clover No 14
 
2 - 4th Fine set out the clov but dull & Cloudy
 
3 - 5 Fine day but Showery even[in]g Chester fair took 4 little pigs but did not sell - great drop - in pigs at least 10/- p[e]r h[ea]d poor show of beasts & of a  poor sort - horses - many - got a bit more hay
 
4 - 6 Fine - fin[ishe]d hay - S.A.Fisher left us
 
5 - 7 Fine hoing [sic] turnips SA & baby & self to H.Alletson's to tea looked round - & on to Spicers farm to look round crops fair - turnips up but want rain - folding sheep on Lints - rape & turnips drilled for feed[in]g on
 
6 - 8  Fine at turnips
 
7 - 9 Ditto Dull & Thundery but no rain
 
No entry for the 10th July 1870
 
2 - 11 Fine day wrote to W[illia]m all news up to this morn[in]g - no rain up to 2 - 18 cut[tin]g hedges fetched 2 p[ai]r stone gate posts set up - 1 ton Cotton 1 Lead cake & 1 ton Palm nut meal from Thornley
 
1st day 17 even[in]g drove to Ledsham St[atio]n & on by 9.20pm to L[iver]pool to Cattle Market lodg[e]d market for sheep begins at 6am & for cattle at 7am was up at 4 oClock saw them bringing the sheep & cattle in most Irish - a fine drove of Spanish bullocks there - home at 3 o'Clock 

Friday 15 November 2013

A Farm Journal ~ from the 13th to the 30th June 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 :~
 
2 - 13 Fine fin[ishe]d thin[nin]g & hoeing swedes in No 2 as far as ready - cut[tin]g grass for beasts in shippon
 
3 - 14 Fine took 3 bullocks & cow & 3 store pigs to the Ermine Sale Pickerings - a poor sale could do as well at home Charles & Sidney * came - Eliz[abe]th & Polly & Nelly on to Rhyl
 
4 - 15 Fine at Potatoes flat hoeing
 
5 - 15 Ditto - Showery aft[ernoo]n Hawarden festival all went but S.A. S.F.A. came to dine from Rhyl (Joanna etc there) - went with us - left 6.40 for Nott[ingha]m
 
6 - 17 Fine - thinning swedes
 
7 - 18 Showery Chas & Sid & I to Thornton Moor to look at filly ley[e]d there - back to station C&S home by M[an]chester
 
1 - 19 Fine
 
2 - 20 Ditto SA & baby I to nurse to Rhyl to spend day with Lizzy & Co.
 
3 - 21 Fine
 
4 - 22 Fine
 
5 - 23 Showery - Nurse left
 
[No entry for 6 - 24]
 
7 - 25 Very cool N wind - thinning Swedes in No 2 - Scuffling potatoes 2nd time - tied 4 heifers up & are now feeding about 12 indoors with grass & cake
 
2 - 27 Fine Lizzy & Co home took to Chester - began mow[in]g - No 14 clover very poor crop - started Samuelson's Eclipse ** without track bond but would not work so bro[ugh]t one back from Chester started
 
3 - 28 & cut 10 ac[res] changing 1 horse worked very well - soiling potatoes & thin[nin]g swedes
 
4 - 29 Fine finish[e]d mow[in]g clover - Joanna & children here
 
5 - 30 they left Fine shower at night - Chester - Pickering  wool sale mine sold there 73 ewes Cheviot & Leicester @ 1/2 1/4 p[e]r lb & 25 Lester Hogs  
 
 
* Charles and Sidney are the two young boys in the photograph above. I believe the photograph was taken before 1870. They were two of my great great grandparents' children though not on my direct line.
 
** There is reference to some of Samuelson's implements if you click here
 
 

Thursday 14 November 2013

Passing the pike ...

... not a Victorian parlour game but what I did when taking a walk a couple of years ago in the Derwent Valley, Derbyshire. 

You see there's a pike that lies in the water at the Cromford end of the Cromford Canal that must be over  two feet long ... no, really ... just look at him or her ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011  

I know it would have helped if there had been something else in the water to help you compare but take my word ... this pike is over two feet long.

Sir Richard Arkwright's Cromford Mills were my starting point for a springtime walk in 2011. After passing the pike I walked past this rather attractive old redbrick building set amongst the even older stone-built ones of the Cromford Mills set-up ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

  I passed the old Primitive Methodist Chapel at Scarthin, now a private house, with this engraving above the front door ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

 I have shown this engraving before but I still think it is one of the most poignant ones I have ever seen.

Almost immediately I took the paved path up towards Hillside on my way towards Matlock Bath ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

 ... and, in particular, Upperwood. Isn't it beautiful ?

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

  The path runs along the private drive hereabouts on the hillside above the busy village of Matlock Bath ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

 ... from where you can get a distant view of Riber Castle across the other side of the valley ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

 The lane up to Upperwood has its drawbacks as you can see but it is a lane open to all vehicles. Imagine driving up here in any sort of car ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

 After a while I took a narrow, overgrown path leading downhill towards Matlock Bath ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

On reaching the main road, the A6, as it passes through Matlock Bath, I turned right back towards the start, passing this trough belonging to the Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association where it stands not so far from the church ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

 Then I was walking beneath another of Arkwright's amazing mills. This time Masson Mill built in 1783 but 'established' in 1769 ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

  A riverside path between the River Derwent on the left and the limestone tor of Scarthin Rock on the right leads to Cromford Church where you can turn right back to the canal ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011 

... and that enormous pike.

This walk was followed on the 27th May 2011
 
Length of walk ~ 2.82 miles *
 
Total mileage walked so far in 2011 ~ 198.98 miles
 
Total mileage between the 1st September 2009 and the 27th May 2011 ~ 720.72 miles

  44 of 2011 [which means in 2011 I was still averaging just over 4.5 miles a walk.]
 
* distance calculated on Ordnance Survey's Getamap