Tuesday, 9 July 2013

A Farm Journal ~ from the 17th to the 31st May 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 ...
 
The Bowman family

 A Farm Journal continues :~
 
No entry for the 16th May 1869.
 
2 - 17 cold E Wind morn[in]g but turned South in even[in]g & showery - B[akewe]ll Fair - many cattle in but slow sale sow[e]d grass seeds in Pewet Knobs
 
3 - 18 showery Ditto
 
4 - 19 Ditto bo[ugh]t Pony of Sept[imus] Press
 
5 - 20 Fine but cold
 
6 - 21 Showery
 
7 - 22 Ditto aft[ernoo]n pick[e]d stone etc - growing day but cold N wind things doing pretty well F&M here from Ashford aft[ernoo]n oats looking well - some sown with Will[ia]m Drill too deep seem to take a long time to come out
 
1 - 23 Fine
 
2 - 24 Fine dayself to B[akewe]ll Market & then on to Calton arr[ived] 6.20pm lodged at Holly Bush - very cold E. wind looked round & agreed to build a new barn & cowhouses under
 
4 - 26 to Newcastle called at Uncle Bradys only Aunt & Hannah & Alfr[e]d at home - H&I to Jarrow in aft[ernoo]n to see Tom & Jenny - self on to Sunderland to call of George & back to Gateshead - left next Morn[in]g 8.30am very cold arr[ived] B[akewe]ll 4.30pm - found all well
 
6 - 28 Fine day but cold E wind yet plenty of grass & cows milk well
 
7 - 29 Fine day sow[e]d some corn turnips in Ridge piece - & seeds in Watricle with corn
 
1 - 30 Fine
 
2 - 31 Ditto W.E. yet - sow[e]d more turnips
 
 
* I assume this is the Septimus Press who in 1861 was the landlord at the Horse & Jockey in Tideswell. 
 

6 comments:

  1. Unusual to see him travelling so far out of his own district. He made pretty good time returning from Gateshead to Bakewell.

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    1. Every now and again he went further afield. I remember him going to Cartmel though that may have been his honeymoon, assuming that's what they called it in the 1860s.

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  2. I love the name Septimus Press he sounds like a Dickens character.I wonder what Uncle Brady did I haven't heard him mentioned before.Ann

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    1. Yes, it is a very Dickensian name isn't it. I wonder what sort of man he was ...

      Uncle Brady may well have been a doctor. I've seen a reference in a family tree to a Dr. Brady but haven't been able to find anything else out. I think he lived in or near Newcastle.

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  3. Fascinating insight into these people's lives.

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    1. It is ... we're learning as we go along. I think what has surprised us is how he got about.

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