A Farm Journal ~ from the 19th July to the 1st August 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 :~

There is no entry for the 18th July 1870

3 - 19 Fine cut[tin]g hedges B & RA & child[re]n came

4 - 20 Ditto Self to Chester meet[in]g met Josiah Thompson Thomas Swithenbank & Mark Leicester about rep[resentin]g Chester meet[in]g house etc - mason altering flues of boiler

5 - 21 Dry BB & Vernie left Mason here fetched 4 more stoups [sic] dipped Ewes & lambs - thatching etc

6 - 22 Fine at turnips

7 - 23 Ditto cut round oats but thought them too green so left them - at turnips again horse & hand hoed

No entry for the 24th July 1870

2 day 25 Fetched 4 more stoops at turnips

3 - 26 Ditto

4 - 27 Began to cut oats men had 2 q[uar]t[e]r[s] beer p[e]r day mach[i]ne works well takes from 8 to 12 men to tie according to crop

5 - 28 Fin[ishe]d oats & set up - raking stubble with horse rake

6 - 29 began to cut wheat No 11

7 - 30 Ditto field cut most & set up - had 6 foundry men in aft[erno]n p[ai]d 2/6 ea[ch] with bag to 8pm & also had 2 men from the line to help at 4pm - 22 men in all

1 - 31 Showery

2 - 1st 8 Mo[nth] fine Fin[ishe]d No 11 & set up also cut No 5

A Farm Journal ~ from the 28th May to the 12th June 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 :~

 

7 - 28 to 6 of 6 Mo[nth] Very hot dry weather no rain - ridging beans up - scuffled potatoes & some swedes in No 2

 

7 - 4th self to M[an]chester met F & M at Station & on to Longstone with them

 

1 - 5 Meet[in]g met our Amer[ican] Friends - Anna le Field & daughter Caroline - to dine at Ashford - also her son Rich[ar]d & sister Emily Cromwell & friend Mrs. Daniels & daughter - very agreeable company seemed very much pleased with this part of England - staid all night at Ashford

 

2 - 6 B[akewe]ll Fair - not busy slender show of beasts & sheep - to Middleton to lodge

 

3 - 7 W[illia]m & I to B[akewe]ll Bowers looked round & back to dine - then to One Ash had tea & then looked round farm - lodged at O.A. & on to M[an]chester

 

4th day to B.B.'s & on Home aft[ernoo]n found all well no rain yet - grass going  back

 

5 - 9 dry fin[ishe]d hoeing & ridging beans - in full flower looking well - scuffling Swedes & thinning to end of week

 

1st day 12 Showery day self to Chester meet[in]g met Co[u]s[in] H. Abbott & (Henrietta Holmes) WETurner Tho[ma]s Jackson & Mary Bodle - on appointr [?] to visit us on rec[eip]t of our Certificate - they all came to dine here & took  tea & back to meet[in]g even[in]g - very nice agreeable friends S.A. was down & was very active but took no harm 

A Farm Journal ~ from the 9th to the 26th 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 - 9 Fine - Father better - SA & I off for Sandycroft arr[ived] Chester noon & home found all well - they had sown the lints 1 ac[re] & were on sowing the beans & 5 cwt Laws man[ure] p[e]r ac[re] 

5 - 10 Fine breezy day W. N. W. sow[in]g beans & cross cut[tin]g fallows - ewe dead - from that curious dull complaint  - scour & mouth watering - gave Godfrey & Flour grind - (Ewe lambed 2) - SA LA Sarah & I to Chester LA. to Longstone S.A. & I to buy furniture - Dodds

6 - 11 to 3 - 15 Fine sow[in]g beans bro[ther] Eben[ezer] came even[in]g

5 - 17 Showery sow[e]d oats - 13 ac[res]

6 - 18 Fine - fin[ished] sow[in]g oats & har[rowe]d Capt. Arthur's - fetch[e]d seeds fr[om] Chester 

7 - 19 to 7 - 26 Mostly fair few hail storms [word indecipherable] frost & cold N.W.Winds

3 - 23 [this date does not appear to be correct] Showery drizzle sow[e]d  Grass seeds on 13 ac[res]/roll[e]d beans & chain harr[owe]d roll[[e]d oats in lambs come very slowly - 15 E[wes] & 22 L[ambs] - had ewe torn behind & bit in fore leg by dog - she died next day (had two lambs) went with Jones - butcher of Saltney to look for some bar[ren ?] cows went round by Ruton Dodleston Broughton bo[ugh]t 3 - 2 of John Challiner 30 15/- & 1 of John Sheen 14 17/6 of Broughton 

A Farm Journal ~ 21st to the 30th October 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 :~

5 - 21 Fine but cold U & A[unt] W[ilson] to Ashford & S.A. at Kiln etc & ditto weather

[no entries for the 22nd, 23rd or 24th October 1869]

2 - 25 Fine but cold N wind sold S H cheese to Orr 70/-

3 - 26 very hard frost

4 - 27 Ditto bitter cold Chas Young & Geo Wallwin* to weigh swedes & corn. turnips for prize

5 - 28 Ditto weather to Ashford to dine & bro[ugh]t U[ncle] & A[unt] Wilson home

6 - 29 Fine frosty day W.N. fin[ished] Kiln Moss field & lit

7 - 30 Fine but no frost W.N. began to cut swedes & pit corn turnips in Ridge piece - Haven Fair beast sold well & sheep too slender show - foals 10 to 12£ 

* This may have been the George Wallwin who would have been 36 years of age or thereabouts in 1869. In the 1871 Census Return he was 38 and lived at Ashford Millhouse and was described as a farmer and corn miller. He had been born in Elton and lived with his wife, Hannah, who was ten years younger and had been born in Bakewell. Also in the Millhouse at the time of the Census was his daughter, Elizabeth, aged 2 years of age. They had a 19 year old General Servant, Clara Marples, who had been born in Bakewell, and a farm labourer, Luke Burn, who was 44 and married, and who had been born in Roscommon, Ireland. There is no mention of his wife and/or children.

Any reader who knows the area may be interested to read that ten years later in 1881 George Wallwin farmed 600 acres at Meadowplace and they had five children [including Elizabeth]. They also had five servants/farm workers, one of whom was Isaac Spencer from Over Haddon who was described as a sheppard !

A Farm Journal ~ 1st to the 20th October 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 - 1st 10 Month] Fine day heavy rain last night shower at noon chain harrow[e]d manure at S.H. plough[in]g & working at Mill - we have had very heavy rain with a great deal of thunder & lightning corn out looks weather & some sprouting

 

to 7 day 9 Showery & close muddling weather - finer

 

4, 5 & 6 lead Watricle & fin[ishe]d top field lead Far piece S.H. Thrash[e]d etc thatching cows at S.H. have tick from some sows bo[ugh]t at B[akewe]ll 

 

to 4 - 20 Showery dried oats & gr[oun]d into pig meal thatch[e]d filled pudding pie in Willow-field & lighted [sic] & began Moss field pie - cows at S.H. about well again very severe frosts last night & one before very cold N. winds give cows at S.H. turnips & feed of grains & hay night & morn[in]g - Uncle & Aunt Wilson here - been to Middleton today - sold J.Harrison 7 fat pigs & 2 lame theaves 

A Farm Journal ~ from the 16th to the 30 June 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 :~

 

4 - 16 Ditto shear[e]d a few in aft[ernoo]n - sold J.Critchlow 3 fat pigs £18 5/- & 6 fat ewes 40/-

5 - 17 to 7 - 19 Showery shear[in]g when fit

1 - 20 fine

2 - 21 Fine day Irish men spud[din]g thistles etc

 

3 - 22 Ditto cheese from Cales to G.R.Baker @ 76/-

 

4 - 23 Dull but fair sold cheese SH to Tho[ma]s Orr 70/-

 

5 - 24 Fine fetch[in]g grains to Cales 4 1/2 p[e]r strike del[ive]r[e]d

 

6 - 25 Ditto cheese to Longstone - rem[ainde]r of grains to Cales

 

7 - 26 Fine & hot finish[e]d shearing - horse hoing [sic] turnips (swedes) cut thickly - very dull gloomy week - swedes are very backward as if stunted & the fly has been uncommon busy - corn 1st sown looks pretty well but it is all backward owing to the prevalence of East wind for so long up to end of last week it was as cold almost as Xmas - Fine up to end of 6 mo[nth] - & warmer - began to thin swedes 

 

6 mo[nth] 2nd day 28 began to mow

 

 

[No further entries for June 1869]  

A Farm Journal ~ from the 1st to 15th 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 ...

 

 A Farm Journal continues :~

 

5 Mo[nth] 1 Very fine time dry Eastwinds very cold with hot sun - lost 7 ewes with blackening etc 3 hogs 

 

2 day 3 Showery day - self with John Hodg[so]n [or Hodgkinson] & H[enr]y Pursglove drove to Lindhurst etc for beasts - off next morning as far as Alfreton for night self to Heanor in aft[ernoo]n M[onthly] Meeting]

 

5 - 6 Showery day

 

6 - 7 Ditto  Working Pewet Knobs

 

7 - 8 Ditto cold N.E. Wind - walling etc. Sold 7 fat pigs £3 10/- each - pastures pretty good cows all out

 

1 - 9  Fine

 

2 - 10 Fine & warm B[akewe]ll market things very dear

 

3 - 11 Fine but cold E wind Frosty nights sow[e]d swedes S.H.

 

4 - 12 Ditto weather 

 

5 - 13 Ditto sow[e]d swedes Cales

 

6 - 14 Ditto fallow[in]g lime in for mear [sic] etc

 

7 - 15 Cold dry E Wind very [next word indecipherable] week grass goes fast Tideswell Fair bo[ugh]t 4 cows - better to buy

 

A Farm Journal ~ April 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 :~

 

5 - 1 4 Mo[nth] Fine day bad luck - had to kill cow bo[ugh]t of Jon[atha]n Blore £17 - Inf[lammatio]n owing to drinking too much water - also sheep died Inf[lammatio]n before lamb[in]g - sold both to Biggin men

 

6 - 2 Ditto Very stormy night Thunder & lightning with snow

 

7 - 3 Fine day Truck of grains in - another sheep poorly pig dead at Cales £2 10 - 

1 - 4 to 6 - 9 Showery weather mild & dull very dirty lost another ewe makes 2 sow[e]d manure on Seed Piece SH & harrow[e]d too wet to work well - lambs doing pretty well - very showery time no sowing

 

15th began drilling oats in Far piece S.H. harrow[e]d & sow[e]d finished

 

There are no more entries for the rest of April 

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

 

3 - 16 Stormy 4d Fine to Middleton for some boards met Father & R.A. also Maria & Bertie there

 

4 - 17 Stormy

 

5 - 18 Fine frosty Cotton cake to Cales chopped at Cales etc

 

6 - 19 very stormy snow[e]d heavy W.N.E. Jesse to Millers Dale for Lime ers [those who work with lime ?] for mear at S.H. Richard Clulow doing it over with lime under pitchings on Clay - grains to Cales

 

7 - 20 Fine bright day W.N.E. snow most gone by noon Cheese off to G.Baker 22 Cwt seeds up from Jos. 3 Bar[ren ?] Cows to Elton sold  Luke Headfield £42 - Robt. Heathcote here doing gigs

 

1 - 21 Fine

 

2 - 22 Fine frosty grinding Indian corn at Cales etc. self to Nott[ingha]m even[in]g

 

3 - 23 Fine but cold N.E. winds to Warsop to look sturks doing pretty well

 

4 - 24 at Nott[ingha]m Fine do  [or perhaps ditto ?]

 

5 - 25 Fine but cold N.E. Wind to Matlock Bridge met hogs coming home - gig to meet me took 3 up in gig. Wm. Hadfield brought rest poorish

 

6 - 26 Ditto Ditto grinding Indian corn etc at Cales - harrow[e]d ley at S.H.

 

7 - 27 Very frosty & snow on gr[oun]d things doing mid - very severe [next word indecipherable]

 

1 - 28 gr[oun]d cov[ere]d snow thunderd [sic]

 

2 - 29 Snow gone Fine day B[akewe]] Fair many beasts rather dull owing to scarcity of fodder cheese 70/- to 80/-

 

3 - 30 Fine Slack in to chop S.H. Sheep on from Cales for Lambing began to sit up

 

4 - 31 Fine days frosty nights 

 

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

2nd Mo[nth] - 2 - 1 B[akewe]ll market slender Milk slow beef & mutton scarce

3 - 2 snow[e]d morn[in]g - stack in & thrash[e]d Cales

4 - 3 Wet morn[in]g - to Matlock M[onthly] M[eeting] Amos & Edith Griffith from America there also Edw[ar]d Brewer very nice meeting - bro[ther] W[illia]m & I with Peter Bromley [Bramley ?] by rail to Whatstandwell & then on to Wingfield to look at hogs 2 dead scour but are better then by rail to Nott[ingha]m to Sam's lodged & in morn[in]g on to Mansfield looked beasts at Davys & Millns all doing well as can expect

6 - 5 Most beautiful day home all well

7 - 6 Fine day finish[e]d plough[in]g ley - began lead[in]g manure out S.H.

1 - 7  Fine

3 - 9 Fine morn[in]g stormy aft[ernoo]n fetch[e]d 500 Strike Grains from Wharf

    

2 - 8  Showery day lead[in]g manure took B.Brayshaw to B[akewe]ll

 [The entries for the 8th and 9th February 1869 are transposed in the farm journal]

4 - 10 Showery lead manure etc

5 - 11 lead manure etc

6 - 12 Thrash[e]d Stormy snow on gr[oun]d

7 - 13 Fine Snow gone Co[u]s[in] A Cox & W[illia]m & I ferret[tin]g in dale

1 - 14 Fine but windy

2 - 15 Fine & mild B[akewe]ll market bo[ugh]t cow from Jon[atha]n Blore £17 in calf - 1 of a man £14 - calved 2 calves B Bower £33 - 1 of G. Furniss £18 10/- 

Out of interest I fed the names Amos and Edith Griffith [see the 3rd February entry above] into Google. According to the Find a Grave website Edith Price Griffith was born on the 9th May 1801 and died in February 1873. Amos Griffith on the 13th October 1794 and died in 1871. Could this be the same couple ?

The website goes on to reveal that "Amos & Edith ... were the parents of Elizabeth P Griffith Milhous. Elizabeth was the mother of Franklin Milhous. Franklin was the father of Hannah M. Nixon. Hannah was the mother of Pres. Richard Milhous Nixon.

This makes Amos the great-great-grandfather of President Richard Nixon." 

I realise that it could be another Amos and Edith Griffith but the couple referred to in the Find a Grave site were buried in Shortcreek Cemetery ... and the website goes on to reveal that this " ... cemetery was established by the Short Creek Monthly Meeting Quakers ..."

Was it therefore the great great grandparents of President Richard Nixon who travelled from the United States to Matlock all those years ago ? 

There are photos of Amos and Edith Griffith on the Find a Grave site here.

A Farm Journal ~ from the 1st to the 31st January 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 :~

 

[There is no entry for the 1st of January 1869]

 

7 - 2 1st Mo[nth] 1869 Fine day snow most gone - stack in at Cales thrash[e]d & chopped by steam

 

1 - 3 Stormy

 

2 - 4 Very fine day B[akewe]ll Farmers club dinner - rec[eive]d 1st Prize £2 for swede turnips - W[illia]m Hadfield £1.10.6 for long servitude -

 

3 - 5 Stormy day

 

4 - 6 Fine Self to M[onthly] M[eeting] B[akewe]ll home to dine [2 pigs killed]

 

5 - 7 Fine but mainly misty - Tups away - three dead

 

5 - 7 to 3 - 19 Very wet or misty but mild weather - no servant have charwomen to help - plough[in]g etc sheep are not looking 1st rate too wet & grass frim* takes them off their dry food rather 

 

- to 7 - 23 Mostly Fair today frosty with a little snow - plough[in]g ley began Seed Piece SH - sheep have chop malt combs oats & cake doing mid - 

 

1 - 24 Very fine mild week for time of year thunder rain frequently

 

[There were no more entries for the rest of the month. I can't recall him missing so many days. I wonder what happened ?] 

 

* The word is 'frim' not 'firm'. Grass is described as frim [usually] in Springtime when it is young and tender.    

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

John Bayliff Bowman is fourth from the left in the photo below ...

 A Farm Journal continues :~

 

4 - 16 Fine day S.A. & baby Ann & self to Nott[ingha]m found Mother A[rmitage] not so well we lodged at Aunt Lucy's

 

5 - 17 Fine self with others off to Lincoln Q[uarterly] M[eeting] - not a large meeting tho very satisfactory testimony to Catherine Hopkins deceased read & referred to Committee a good deal of instructive communication from divers individuals - Self off by 1.15 train & home in even[in]g - weigh[e]d SH cheese for G R Baker of Thirsk 12 cwt 65/- & rem[ainde]r of dairy in spring

 

6 - 18 Fine day cheese off Rob[er]t Bramwell here bo[ugh]t red barren or cast cow £9 - 5 sturks £4 each heifer & bullock £12 Sold Strawberry cow Redfern 11£ & Grindy £12

 

7 - 19 Fine day fin[ishe]d turnips took 4 tups away - ewes all together 100 with 1 tup thieves in 3 lots - 10 sturks to go to S. Davy's give cake to teach em - to eat it - fine weather for time of year - Chas plough[in]g Crags ley turf Jesse O Intake ley

 

1 - 20 -

 

2 - 21 Very wet day self to B[akewe]ll market bo[ugh]t calving cow £10 15/- a confirmed kicker - a March calver for Jesse £9 15/- sent home - self off aft[ernoo]n to Nott[ingha]m to fetch my dear wife & babe

 

3 - 22 Fine day S.A. & I went to see Mother A[rmitage] - she was very low but cheerful & appeared quite desirous to be gone to a better country where sorrows are unknown & after blessing us & desiring us to endeavour to do right & to train our children in a proper manner we took our last farewell of her - reached home safely aft[ernoo]n 10 calves were taken down to B[akewe]ll in morn[in]g for co[usi]n H[enr]y B[owman] to go in morn[in]g by rails also 10 sturks went to S. Davy's of Warsop - cow home from Swans - calver cost £18

 

4 - 23 Fine Mrs. Slack & Mrs. Milland here [can't make out next few words] & allot[tin]g the dole

 

5 - 24 Showery got a truck of grains in broke & ground cake at Cales

 

6 - 25 Fine aft[ernoo]n showery morn[in]g - Mother Armitage died at about 6 oclock this morning aged 79 - her birthday -

 

7 - 26 Showery

 

1 - 27 -

 

2 - 28 Snowed all day 6 in[ches] deep next morn[in]g

 

3 - 29 Winterly - got stock in at Cales & thrashed

 

4 - 30 Fine day S.A. & I to Nott[ingha]m

 

5 - 31 Fine day at Nott[ingha]m the Funeral day of dear Mother A[rmitage] conducted very nicely - Edward Everett spoke at the grave side Friar Lane burying ground & in meeting Eliz[abe]th Hopkins Eliza Southall [?] S. Knott C.Barnard suplic[ate]d* S.A. & baby stay at Aunt Lucy's self home in even[in]g as far as Ashford - all night walked up in morn[in]g frost & gr[oun]d cov[ere]d snow - 2 cows to Jos Kirkam & Jesse's cow up £17 - Bakewell cow Flower cast calf

 

 

* I'm not totally convinced the word is 'supplicated' ~ it appears to be written 'suplic' with a little 'd' behind and above the 'c'.

 

  

A Farm Journal ~ from the 1st to the 15th December 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.]

John Bayliff Bowman is fourth from the left in the photo below ...

 A Farm Journal continues :~

12 Mo[nth] Cold raw day Co[u]s[in] H[enr]y Bowman here sold him 5 barren cows for £55 - got a truck of grains in at  6 1/2 p[e]r bush[e]l from Ind Coope & Co* 3 - 1 

4 - 2 Fine day but dull self to Chest[er]f[iel]d M[onthly] M[eeting] & back - small meeting - Eliz Hopkins Jos Bottomley

5 - 3 -

6 - 4 Very wet day took l[oa]d of Swedes down to Pheasey Bakewell at 1/6

[No entries for two days]

2 - 7 Fine day B[akewe]ll Market took 35 fat sheep down sold to Septm** Press @ 35/- 15/- less for 1 - to Station to meet L.A.Fisher from Deptford who comes as our head nurse

3 - 8 Showery Sold J.Critchlow 6 fat pigs  £21 - 10/- sold Etches Cales Cheese 72/- H[enr]y's beasts to Middleton to go in morn[in]g by rail fr[om] Rowsley - sold W[illia]m 5 Heifers & bo[ugh]t 2 cows of [sic] him

4 - 9 Fine day S.A. & I nurse & family to Middleton to dine met Meggy from B[akewe]ll

5 - 10 Fine fair Windy day (Killed ewe for selves) finish[e]d cut[tin]g Head[in]g Swedes to Cales began pitting all that were worth of the corn turnips in Watricle plough[in]g ley in Over Intake - sheep have cotton cake - showery time

[No entries for three days]

2 - 14 Very wet day to Millers dale with milk & on to Litton Rob[er]t Bramwell*** about some sturks & cow he sent here - home & weighed cheese at Cales for Etches 19 cwt 72/-

3 - 15 Cheese to Station Fine day at Cales got cake breaker ready for work & had Little Stones up etc.

 * In 1868 Ind Coope was a brewery based in Burton-upon-Trent some 30 miles south of Monyash

** I can't quite decipher the 'Septm' written to JBB. It's more of a 'Sept' with a smaller 'm', 'n' or 'r' behind and slightly above.


*** This would presumably have been the Robert Bramwell who was 55 years of age in the 1871. At that time he was a farmer of 20 acres. His wife was 35 year old Hannah. They had both been born in Litton. In 1871 five children are listed ~ Thomas [13], James [9], Ann [6], Hannah [4] and George [1].

A Farm Journal ~ from the 13th to the 30th November 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.]

John Bayliff Bowman is fourth from the left in the photo below ...
 

 A Farm Journal continues :~

 

6 - 13 to 6 - 20 Very fine mild weather for time of year lead all swedes home at S.H. & began to pit corn ones fair crop of Scotch yellows but only about 3/4 ac[re] of them

 

7 - 21 Very sharp frosty night rimed & misty dull day W. South at night & no frost cow calf dead of Speed at Cales - plough[in]g lime in Pewet Knobs - sending two cans of milk every day to Manchester 2/4 p[e]r doz[en] 11 to 12 doz[en] p[e]r day SA & children & Ann to Ashford

 

1 - 22 Very wet day

 

2 - 23 Fine

 

3 - 24 Ditto Nomination day at B[akewe]ll Cavendish & Jackson Liberals Arkwright conservatives - a crowded Bakewell & a bit of skirmishing in aft[ernoo]n

 

4 - 25 Fine

 

5 - 26 Ditto sale at Isaac Grindy's Oldhams [began to plough Intake Ley] very good sale of an excellent stock of Dairy cows bo[ugh]t 1 £12  - calves 4 mo 19 - W[illia]m bo[ugh]t 3 - sheep poorish lot but sold well

 

6 - 27 Fine day Polling day at B[akewe]ll excited day but orderly suppose Cavendish & Arkwright are the elected

 

7 - 29 beautiful day frosty night - cutt[in]g swedes in Watricle - plough[in]g etc

 

1 - 30 [no entry other than date] 

 

A Farm Journal ~ from the 1st to the 12th November 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.]

John Bayliff Bowman is fourth from the left in the photo below ...
 

 A Farm Journal continues :~

 

1 - 1st Fine

 

2 - 2 Windy & showery but no frost

 

4 - 4 Ditto Self & Wm & Eliz[abe]th to Matlock M[onthly] M[eetin]g & home again pleasant visit dined [word could not be deciphered] Worralls [or is it Morralls ?]

 

5 - 5 Very thundery day hail storms frequently ground white over

 

6 - 6 Very sharp frost & snow fine bright day put tups to ewes & thieves 201 & 15 lambs to tup foddered heifers in intake etc barren cows from Cales & incalves to Cales began to give cake etc & sent 3 doz[en ?] of milk to Manchester with Eben's lot

 

7 - 7 More snow very frosty bright day cake from P[arsley] Hay

 

1 - 8 Ditto

 

2 - 9 Milder B[akewe]ll market things low - took 20 sturks & 11 bullocks to Wm's at Middleton [6 of Wms sturks also] to Mansfield

 

3 - 10 Fine day milder & snow gone beasts started at midnight - self off by 9 o'clock train to Ambergate & then on to Alfreton - found beasts had gone on so took a gig & caught them a little on this side Sutton all right - got a glass of beer & then walked on with them - parted in Sutton - one lot for Millns of Lindhurst & 20 sturks to Warsop Sam[ue]l Davy's - all right - stayed all night & on to Lindhurst in morn[in]g to look beasts & then home

 

5 - 12 Fine & mild - spread[in]g lime - plough[in]g etc began to cut weeds - I have 1st prize for Swedes  

 

 

Did the beasts walk all the way to Sutton [in Ashfield ?]. It rather sounds that way. Imagine a herd of cows being driven through the night. How many beasts were there ? Presumably 37 in view of the 9th November entry. How many men looked after them on the way ? 

 

The next entry covers the 13th to the 20th November 1868.