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 ~ 20th to the 31st January 1870 ... John leaves Summer Hill

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 :~

6 day 20 Hard frost began to get implements set out in Square at S.H. ready for sale & gears blacked etc

7 - 21 Ditto work & weather

2 day 24 Hard frost with a little snow on gr[oun]d few showers during the day

1870 1st Mo[nth] 2nd day 24 1st Sale day at Summer Hill cattle horses & carriages, had a very good sale

3 - 25 2nd days sale ditto weather implements etc - things sold well not a very large company

4 - 26 no sale

5 - 27 Ditto weather 3rd days sale furniture good sale on the whole the best furniture made the worst out -

6 - 28 Ditto weather Valuation at S.H. & packed the cart

7 - 29 Ditto weather Valuation at Cales - final - down to Ashford in evening Isaac went with me to help me carry my things

1 - 30 Fine frosty day at Ashford - to M[an]chester in even[in]g - lodged at the Cathedral Hotel & off by 6.40am

2 - 31 to Chester & on to Queens Ferry & Sandycroft Fine day Taylor-Churton & his clerk met I paid ch[eque ?] £2000 which was telegraph[e]d to Bakewell about no answer had to go to Chester arr[ive]d & rec[eive]d telegram & there was end of the transaction [word indecipherable] inventory & possessions of farm lodged at Hop Pole & to breakfast with Taylor at Grosvnor [?] & on to Sandycroft again - met our folks with the trap 12 oClock at Queens Ferry - all well - self on mare in even[in]g - to Cherry orchard to John Fishers - bo[ugh]t 10 sturks £9 each & then to Green End farm & bo[ugh]t lot of ewes £2 - 8/- & home - sore throat - sent Chas Wright with mare to meet Jesse - self worse had mustard plaster on throat - & went to bed - Jesse arr[ive]d all right very wet night did not unload so had to sleep between blankets self rolled & toss[e]d all night no sleep  

Ticking away ~ Day 1056 ... oh, that's a bit of a blow.

After a week of scans, bloodtests and what have you I turned up at hospital this morning wondering if I was fit enough to join the Clinical Trial I had been screened for ...

The doctor asked how my back felt and I told her that it had started to feel easier. She then informed me that the MRI scan showed that cancer cells had got into my spine and this had resulted in some compression of the vertebrae. As a result the only course of action she could recommend was radiotherapy ... starting today.

The chances of being involved in the clinical trial are obviously reduced but they are going to ascertain whether I can still take part if the radiotherapy is effective ...

By about midday I was once more being irradiated (you feel nothing) and I was home by 2-ish. I will now have treatment for the next four days (excluding the weekend). I have been warned about the possibility of increased pain (at least initially) so I need to keep my painkillers close by.

It's a blow. I have always been able to console myself with the thought that I would get better in a few days time ... or a week ... or a month.

I will prevail for as long as I can.

It is two years and two days since I retired. Here I am enjoying a pint as a newly retired Legal Executive ...

A Farm Journal ~ 1st to the 19th January 1870 ...

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 :~

1870

1st Mo[nth] 7th day filling kiln in Moss Field

3 - 4 Fine day M[onthly] M[eeting] at B[akewe]ll S.A. & I there to Ashford to dine - self to Chester even[in]g

5 - 6 Fine day at C. met Mr. Taylor at Elphicks agreed to sign bond to be prep[are]d £250 - looked over Farm at S[an]dyCroft busy thrash[in]g - back as far as M[an]chester

6 - 7 Fine & mild RA & I to Longstone met Maria & John [surname indecipherable] & Willy S.A. met me home in even[in]g

7 - 8 Fine [Brownson here to take inventory of effects 3 - 4] lead[in]g manure at S.H.

5 - 13 Thrash[e]d at Cales in even[in]g attended meet[in]g in Methodist Chapel called by W[illia]m Meader - of the divided sect of Friends - W.M. spoke nicely said that his mission was not to call to this sector the other but to invite all to come to Jesus & be saved to work out their own salvation - to come out from the evil & look to our own states not knowing how long we may be spared Invited them here to lodge & took them down to M.A.'s in morn[in]g - hope there was no harm done

2nd day 17 Very foggy B[akewe]ll market & Farmers club dinner - did not dine - on to Ashford to tea home even[in]g 

3 & 4 winterly weather - lead[in]g manure out Cales - fin[isin]g plough[in]g S.H. etc - Fine frosty weather  

Ticking away ~ Day 1051 ... always look on the bright side.

There's no doubt that my health has deteriorated quite suddenly in the last week or two. I can't walk very far at all now and have been pushed around three hospitals in a wheelchair.

On Tuesday I went to one hospital for a CT Scan and then another hospital to discuss the clinical trial and have bloodtests and an ECG.

Then yesterday, Wednesday, I went to a third hospital for a whole body bone scan. That was interesting, not so much as regards the medical matters but because of some of the 'characters' we saw.

Next Tuesday I'm due back at hospital number 2 to see whether it is worth putting me on the trial ... but before that I am due to go to a fourth hospital for an MRI scan.

As I sit here now (typing on my laptop) I am fine. It's only when I stand up or try to move that I experience any pain ... and some of the pain has been severe to put it mildly. It has made me cry. In the past three or four weeks it has, largely, been downhill, so much so that the lovely ladies who have been looking after me have had to push me around in a wheelchair ~ not so easy when there's 16 stones+ in the chair and the wheelchair has a wonky wheel. 

I sleep well though and only wake up in the night when 'nature calls'.

So, I'm not sure what next Tuesday 's appointment will result in ... oh yes, I don't think I've mentioned that I have been given some oral morphine to take if the pain gets too bad.

A Farm Journal ~ 17th to the 31st 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 :~

 

6 - 17 Fine rec[eive]d letters at South Field one from J.Kirby enclos[in]g ch[eque ?] - one from Chester about Farm there & it appearing likely I proceeded thither arr[iving] Queens Ferry on Chester & Hollyhead line 6 miles fr[om] Chester & walked about 1 mile back to Sandycroft Farm 215 ac[res] rent including tithe £500 - occupied by John Taylor J[unio]r Esq - looked over farm sandy loam in first rate condition& waited till 6 pm for Taylor, did not come so to Chester to Hop Pole Inn to lodge

 

7 - 18 Very showery to Churton & Elphick Auctioneers adv[e]rt[ise]d the farm - spoke with Elphick & after noon met Taylor & he who seemed inclined to let it me the rem[ainde]r of lease if approved by Agent to W.E.Gladstone Sir Stephen Glynne - Burnett - left Chest[e]r to M'Chester & staid at B.Brayshaws

 

1 - 19 Fine left for B[akewe]ll atend[e]d meeting & on to Ashford - wet horse aft[ernoo]m found all well

 

2 - 20 Fine look[e]d round all going on well Jesse began ley at S.H. Groove close to Middleton to dine to talk with W[illia] who has been poorly - going with me to morrow to Chester - bo[ugh]t calving cow 2 mo[nth ?] 10 off F Purslove £14

 

3 - 21 Fine day self to Middleton for W[illia]m & on to B[akewe]ll 1.26 for Chester arr[ived] 5 - to Hop Pole

4 - 22 Very wet snow & rain by rail to Queens Ferry station met John Taylor & on to Sandycroft in his gig - got bit lunch looked at agreement etc & then looked round farm - satisfactory - got dinner & on with Taylor in gig to Burnett the agent - gave him references & on to Chest[e]r stayed all night & on home in morn[in]g 

 

5 - 23 Fine S.A. at B[akewe]] to meet me safe home found all right

 

6 - 24 Fine day Mrs Slack & Miss Melland to help to divide the dole

 

7 - 25 Frosty Xmas day

 

1 - 26 ditto morn[in]g - snow[e]d aft[ernoo]n

 

2 - 27 Frosty morn[in]g then snow[e]d fast till noon W[illia]m & I ferret[e]d in dale a bit

 

3 - 28 Fine tied heifers up at Cales gr[oun]d cov[ere]d snow

 

4 - 28 Fine frost & snow

 

5 - 30 ditto

 

6 - 31 snow gone mild - Have taken the farm at Sandy Croft - here endeth the year 1869 -

Ticking away ... Day 1044 ~ a short update ...

The good news is that I'm going for a CT scan, blood tests and an ECG on Tuesday of next week with a whole body bone scan the following day.

If I get through the screening then I could well be starting the clinical trial a week on Tuesday.

The bad news is that I have been suffering quite a lot of pain in my back, groin and left thigh/knee. So bad in fact that I was put on Codeine painkillers for a week or so but when they weren't working I was given Tramadol, starting yesterday. Whilst the Tramadol helps I still have some pain. The two scans will no doubt tell us more !

I must have been feeling poorly because I haven't been online for a few days. I just wasn't interested. I haven't been out for a walk either. I can just about walk to the car and a little bit further and that is it.

I'm in pain as I type this so if you'll excuse me I'm heading downstairs to put my feet up.

As regards some of my other problems ~ the rash ... the 'swelling' ... these are much better than they were.

Stay well !