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 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 :~

1 - 16 frosty morn[in]g

2 - 17 Fine morn[in]g - wet aft[ernoo]n

3 - 18 Fine day at Cales W[illia]m & I doing cake breaker &

2 mo[nth] 4 day 19 Very wet morn[in]g - winnow[e]d oats at Cales for bro' Joseph 13d p[e]r stone

5 - 20 Fine frosty morn[in]g - wet aft[ernoo]n oats to B[akewell] weighed & pack[e]d wool 58 3/4 tod [?] 247 fleeces @ 35/- 4 1/2 tod locks 17/6 - weighed very well sold to J.Halliwell for Geo. Watkinson & Son Halifax - 

2 Mo[nth] 17 Sarah Gauntley died at Bakewell aged 88 & was buried on 6th day the 21st - she was quite childish towards the last & was looking over her workbox & leaned back in her chair dead

7 - 22 very wet aft[ernoo]n & stormy

1 - 23 Fine

2 - 24 Very fine springlike to Rowsley for Fisons Manure for corn £6 - calf from Jos. Evans up bo[ugh]t one of W.Garratt Alport

3 - 25 Fine ditto S[arah] A[nn] & I & boy & Ann to Nott[ingha]m - Mother A[rmitage] has been very poorly but found her a good deal better

4 - 26 Ditto self home

5 - 27 Very fine springlike garden[in]g etc Walling - Peter Bonsall & W[illia]m Needham doing East & South walls of Bottom Close Cales rid & find stone extra 3/- p[e]r rood

6 - 28 Fine & mild harrow[in]g Kiln close S.H. for drilling

7 - 29 Very wet day W.S.W. gr[oun]d cake etc. Thrash[e]d at Cales - uncomfortable day - All things doing pretty well 10 cows milking at Cales - have 14 calves there - 2 calved S.H. "Febrewary come & gone snow conna lieuf a conde ston"

An interesting fortnight's entries. First Sarah Gauntley died; then his mother-in-law was ill; and finally at the end of the month he quotes something ... though I have no idea what it was/means ... and he did write "Febrewary ..." !  

According to the National Probate Calendar Sarah Gauntley had "Effects under £1000". She was a Spinster and her Will was proved by "the affirmations of James Wall of Sheffield in the County of York and Mary Anne Bowman of Bakewell ... Spinster the Executors." Most personal representatives [Executors and Administrators] swear an oath on the Holy Bible. Quakers do not. They usually 'affirm' that what they have said or written is true. Their word is their bond in short. Sarah Gauntley was born in Grantham, Nottinghamshire and was the brother of William Gauntley.