A Farm Journal ~ from the 1st to the 15th May 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 :~

 

6 1st 5 Mo[nth] Ditto work

 

7 - 2 Beautiful fine mild hot day W. South finish[e]d set[tin]g potatoes doing swede gr[oun]d & fallow[in]g N[ethe]r Intake took sturks out into Intake - bullocks & calving beasts on seeds in Waterhole & ewes & couples lost 2 ewes makes 4 since we began lambing - grass grows nicely & corn looks well 5 beasts at Cales & 6 here go out onto seeds in day turned the young Calves out at Cales

 

1 - 3 Fine

 

3 - 4 Fine but cold E.W. fallow[in]g - to Fritchley even[in]g - stayed all night - sow[e]d swedes in Watricle

 

4 - 5 Fine morn[in]g W.E cold at Fritchley started 8 oclock for Ripley - to S.Bramleys - found Peter there too also Eliz[abe]th Hopkins after get[tin]g cup tea & religious opport[unit]y all set off to Heanor M[onthly] M[eeting] several fr[iend]s of Q[uarterly] M[eeting] Committee there very nice satisfactory M[onthly] M[eeting] self on to the Hague even[in]g

 

5 - 7 Fine ditto look[e]d round with Cha[rle]s crops look well then to Eckington bo[ugh]t 2 cows of Barber £33 home aft[ernoo]n 

 

6 - 8 Fine day W. South - very warm thunder in even[in]g & little rain follow[e]d

 

7 - 9 Ditto most beautiful grow[in]g day Matlock Fair EB & self there bo[ugh]t 4 cows each & home sow[e]d swedes S.H.

 

1 - 10 Very fine

 

2 - 11 Ditto

 

3 - 12 Fine day sowing bones on Intake end W[illia]m Hadfield been at Littlewoods on East Moor a whole day waiting for some beasts that should have come from Barbers of Eckington but did not

 

4 - 13 Ditto weather

 

5 - 14 Ditto Rent at Haven

 

6 - 15 Self to Tideswell fair bo[ugh]t 4 cows