A Farm Journal ~ from the 16th to the 31st December 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 :~

2 - 16 Fine & mild self to Middleton & onto B[akewell ?] with W[illia]m to Nott[ingha]m even[in]g

3 - 17 Ditto weather to Lincoln Q[uarterly] M[eeting]  small - the Freedmens aid agents address @ us after the business meeting W.F.Mitchell of America Arthur Albright of Birmingham also the freedmen are all employed at Good wages the relief is solicited to aid the widows & orphan children - 3 hogs dead of redwater - want dry food I think

4 - 18 home bo[ugh]t doG [sic] at Bakewell snow[e]d most of day gr[oun]d cov[ere]d over wind N.W

5 - 19 tied bullocks up Frost & snow

6 - 20 Ditto

7 - 21 Drizzly wet day snow mostly gone got stack in & thrash[e]d at Cales

1 - 22 Fine & mild

2 - 23 Fine frost B[akewe]ll market came by Ashford home  bo[ugh]t bull calf of Milnes 15/-

3 - 24 Dull & misty

4 - 25 Christmas Day Fine bright frosty day - very quiet day no company Alice Bonsall left us - began to give ewes & thieves corn pitting turnips in Stonepit close S.H. ploughing Ridge piece ley -

5 - 26 Ditto Ditto

6 - 27 Misty no frost

7 - 28 Fine day rather frosty morn[in]g

1 - 29 Fine

2 - 30 Fine

3 - 31 Fine frosty plough[in]g etc

The End of 1867 not so profitable as its forerunners by a good deal beef kept up pretty well till Autumn sheep very low indeed wool 30/- p[e]r [next word indecipherable] cheese 40/- to 60/- crops of corn & hay pretty good & well got good crops of turnips not made so much cheese as usual quite trade dull & things uncertain

For information on the Freedmens Aid Society click here

For information relating to Arthur Albright click here

Red Water disease is referred to here