| Description | [Diary Transcription]
126
1831
June
‘Mrs. Lawton, but, being very unexpectedly disappointed, shall be off early in the morning — I left
‘Paris on Monday week, and can, up to that time, give a very good account of all the party in the rue d’angoulême —
‘I was sorry to find Lady Stuart, at the Lodge, far from strong, and anxious and uneasy about Miss Hobart, not, I fear,
‘without too much reason — Believe me, my dear Lady Eastnor, very truly yours Anne Lister — Priory.
‘Wednesday Evening 1 June’ — directed ‘Viscountess of Eastnor Victoria Cottage’ — The first part
of the address after that on Lady Stuart’s note — very fine day — Fahrenheit 66°. in my room now at one
tonight —
Thursday 2
7
12 3/4
L
N
Cameron off at 3 this morning by the Express coach for Lawton and took my letter or note (written last night),
to M- [Mariana] Before breakfast George took my note (vide last night) enclosing Lady Stuart's to Lady Eastnor — not at home — in the
country — breakfast at 9 1/4 — off from Leamington for Lawton at 9 40/.. and arrived
at 7 40/.. — M- [Mariana] met us at the door — Mrs. Milne gone — some time with my aunt and M- [Mariana] upstairs
then went and sat some time with Charles in the dining room — Tea upstairs — dressed — then tea down stairs with the
Lawtons about 10 — came to my room at 10 3/4 — very fine morning then hazyish and hot and threatening
then till afternoon and then very fine afternoon — Fahrenheit 65°. now at 12 3/4 tonight Saw π [Marana] when she
was undressed for bed but only for a moment she speaks loud is very well but not
distinguee ~
Friday 3
8 3/4
1 10/..
Q
π [Mariana] came to me in bed at seven and staid till I got up had a kiss but don't think either she
or I cared very much for it in reality ~ breakfast about 10 or before — M- [Mariana] and I tête à tête sat dawdling over it near an hour
then talking to her in her room About Cameron and her tittle tattle old Lady Stuart's maid
Wyatt brought a letter from Cameron to Watson saw the latter in London and said how
odd I was dressed so oddly but Lady Stuart was very fond of me all which I observed must have
arisen from what Cameron had said or could not have been known in that quarter for
I myself had not given rise to it π [Mariana] mentioned a Mrs. Green whom she thought would just
suit me I ought she said to have a discreet person ~ Luncheon about 2 — my
aunt came down soon after — from about 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 M- [Mariana] and I dawdling about out of doors — walked to the
Congleton Lodge — went in to see Mrs. Grantham — then went to see M-'s [Mariana] school — dressed — dinner
at 6 1/4 — coffee — tea at 9 — came to my room at 11 — Had my hair done ~ I am in what
used to be Charles and M-’s [Mariana] room in which he has never slept since his brother’s death but is still
at the other end of the house — M- [Mariana] for the moment makes what used to be the Squire’s room her dressing
room and gives me up her own, so that we are near — we sat talking in my dressing room till
near 12 — fine day, but hot, and heavy, and sultry, and oppressive — felt languid and unwell
all the day — wrote 2 ppages to Marian to say we should be off from here about 10 on Tuesday and hoped
to be at Shibden to tea between 8 and 9 in the evening —
127
1831
June Saturday 4
7 50/..
1 10/..
L
Q
π [Mariana] came had a kiss just at the last breakfast at 9 — Left for the post my letter to Marian (Shibden) written last night had horses to my carriage, took M- [Mariana], and off
at 9 1/2 to Northwich to see the rock salt mines — at Northwich at 12 — stopt at the Crown —
took a young man as guide but the Mine to the principal of which (Captain Parrott) Charles had
given us a letter was not what we wished to see, mere brine works as at Lawton salt works,
and we walked across the fields to the mine that the Russian princes and all strangers see, that
of Messrs Firth and Worthington and called of the Marsden Salt Company — at theirs mine at 1 10/.. an hour down, and up again at 2 50/.. —
M- [Mariana] and I and one of the workmen went down in a bucket — shaft 336 feet deep — the 1st gallery
(on entering) 30 feet high by 50 broad — immense halls (perhaps as high but seeming less so from
their immensity) supported by huge square columns — only 30 men at work, and now
only one horse, — a very good worker in the mine, when taken up today would not pull
at all — used to have 6 horses — the men earn 20/. a week, or 1/2 a crown a day — sell
about 25,000 tons or upwards of the salt rock per annum — the fine clear rock salt has
sold for £5 a ton — now taking the rock as it comes, it sells for 15/. a ton — this mine
discovered by the Duke of Bridgewater’s steward, Mr. Gilbert, 60 years ago and worked by him at that time —
since then other mines worked that go as deep — have never got to the bottom of the rock — know not
how much thicker it may be — 2 or 3 large square pits made for brine pits, but the excise would not
suffer them to be used — the brine yields 2 lb. 11 oz. per gallon — it some times reaches 2 lb.
13 oz. but then too strong, does not work well, being frizzly and crackly — the great hall
that Canning dined and spoke in, might be lighted for 9/. of blue light and 12 lbs. of
candles — went to 2 book sellers shops in Northwich seeking for a Northwich guide, or some account
of the mines — none to be found — off home at 3 25/.. — grubbled π [Mariana] twice in returning ~
no oranges to be had at Northwich — got a dozen at Sandbach of which ate 9, — so thirsty and
oppressed by the heat — home at 6 1/4 — dressed — dinner at 6 35/.. — all sat very long after dinner
till 8 3/4 — Coffee — tea — came to my room at 11 1/4 — Had π [Mariana] for ten minutes talking —
very fine day — Fahrenheit 68°. now at 12 tonight —
Sunday 5
9
12 50/..
Q
π [Mariana] came at eight and ten minutes after I had been at the water closet and she staid with me in
bed till nine had a kiss breakfast at 10 — my aunt came very soon after — Charles was gone to Bartholmley
church — M- [Mariana] and I went to church (Lawton) at 11 — Mr. Carter, the curate, did all the duty — preached 17 minutes
from 1 Peter iii. 21. afterwards M- [Mariana] and I walked about the grounds till 2 — then luncheon for 1/2 hour — then walked about
again till 5 50/.. — saw the stables new and old, gardens etc. Long talk told her though I had not origi
nally intended it about bringing Lord Pollington in for Halifax about flirting with
Lady Gordon and my marrying for rank some old peer of seventy and then as π [Mariana] observed she might leave
L [Charles] on the first grand quarrel and my rank might support her she said she had thought of this before but
[margin text:] Thursday 16 June 1831.
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