| Description | [Diary Transcription]
264
1832
October Monday 22
6 40/..
11 1/2
fine morning Fahrenheit 54° at 7 1/2 — breakfast at 8 20/.. — Miss Walker and I off in her carriage to York
at 11 35/.. and alighted there at the Black Swan at 4 55/.. — dinner at 6 — wrote note to Dr. Belcombe who came at 8 1/2
saw him 1/2 hour first and he then staid 1/2 hour with Miss Walker and me — Tea as soon as he left us — came to
our room at 10 55/.. — fine day — Fahrenheit 59° now at 11 20/.. —
Tuesday 23
8 5/..
11 40/..
V V
N
Did not sleep much grubbling her till two last night and then again this morning washed
and in my dressing [room] ready for Dr. Belcombe at 8 1/2 who saw Miss Walker before she got up — staid with
her and afterwards with me in my dressing room above 1/2 hour — had old Parsons at 9 1/2 cut my own
hair and Miss Walker’s till about 11 — breakfast at 11 1/2 — Sat dawdling and half asleep by her on the
sofa till two ~ Out at 2 1/4 — called on Mrs. Milne and Charlotte Norcliffe — out — called at
Myers’s about Miss Walker’s carriage, and at the will office about getting copy of will of the late Mrs. Pries
tley of Kebroyde for Miss Walker — Came back to Miss Walker for a little while — then out again at 3 to call
on the Duffins — met Mrs. Duffin in Coney Street with Mr. and Mrs. Ballard married 6 weeks ago
to whom Mrs. Duffin made haste to introduce me — walked about with her a little — then back to
Miss Walker took her out at 4, to Barber and Whitwell’s to buy seal and for gloves,
and walked her round the minster — then left her at home and from 5 to 6 sat with Mrs. Milne
and Charlotte Norcliffe and William Milne — ate a little dinner with them — very merry and agreeable — Mrs Milne rallied
me about Miss Walker but we made foot love under the table appeared uncommonly glad to see them and
nothing could get on better would willingly have spent the evening with them if I could
home at 6 to dinner — Miss Walker very much tired and overcome and lay on the sofa till Dr. Belcombe came
at 8 1/2 — he staid near 1/2 hour with her and then as long with me in my dressing room Nothing the matter
with her but nervousness if all her fortune could fly away and she had to work for her
living she would be well a case of nervousness and hysteria no organic disease
thought I should be sadly pothered with her abroad unless I had the upper hand and ought not to
pet her too much but going abroad would do her good ~ tea at 9 1/2 — Miss Walker went to
her room before 10 — I some time with her then till 10 3/4 wrote all the above of today — fine day — Fahrenheit 63 1/2°
now at 10 3/4 Dr. Belcombe brought this morning very kind note from his wife very kindly offering us beds at her house —
Wednesday 24
9
11
No grubbling last night she was ssore fine morning Fahrenheit 63° at 9 — had Parsons junior — Dr. Belcombe came at 10 — breakfast at 10 1/2 — out with
Miss Walker at 1 — shopping — called and sat 20 minutes with Mrs. Henry Belcombe — went to see the museum on the
manor and here and at the minster at 3 20/.. till 4 — then again shopping, and came in at 5 — I off at 5 1/4
for 1/2 hour to the Duffins and the same with Mrs. Anne and Miss Gage and home at 6 1/4 and dinner at 6 20/.. —
Dr. Belcombe came at 8 1/2 — tea at 9 and came upstairs at 10 — fine day —
Thursday 25
9 40/..
12
Vc
Vc
Grubbling two or three hours last night and almost as much this morning so that obliged to hurr
y at a fine rate in dressing this morning up and dressed and out in 25 minutes to Dr. Belcombe’s — 1/2 breakfasted with Mrs.
Henry Stephens Belcombe and walked back with Dr. Belcombe at 11 to pay his last visit to Miss Walker who is certainly better —
breakfast at 11 1/2 — had Parsons and various interruptions and out at 1 1/4 — went into the minster court to
Mrs. Milne and Charlotte Norcliffe (the latter had just heard of the death of her friend Mrs. Bevan) — Mrs. [Miss] Walker called for
me (in the carriage) at 2 — met Mrs. Duffin in Micklegate — took her into the carriage and introduced Miss Walker and talked
of our being in York again — set down Mrs. Duffin on meeting her husband 1/2 way to Dringhouses — he struck me as
being very much broken — at Tadcaster in an hour — stopt near 1/2 hour in Leeds at a potshop etc.
265
1832
October
V
and in 3 1/2 hours (at 9 40/..) alighted at Lidgate Miss Walker much less tired, and having borne the journey
much better than I expected — I had felt her queer a little on leaving Leeds it being dark we talked
quite as if all was ssettled said I could not now spend more than a thousand a year talked
of alterations at Shibden to be done out of our joint income supposing us to spend
in travelling only two thousand a year talked of what plate we had and seemed quite
agreed though without any decided yes on her part she is evidently much attached to me
had tea, and went upstairs at 11 — fine day —
Friday 26
10
11 10/..
V
Vc
N
N
Grubbling till late and gave her as she owned pleasure tired as she was she was not too tired for that
at it again before eight in the morning and left our bed sheets (she came and slept with me) quite wet
our night linen being ditto the housemaid being a widow might suspect what had
been going on unluckily so pleased with the success of last night’s grubbling ventured to
take off my drawers and try to get to her did not succeed in despair about it owned that
I had no business to think her fairly my own till we had been really and properly together and this led to doubts
and fears on my part and she talked of not deciding till the third of April ~ breakfast at 11 —
sat talking till after 2 — then walked slowly, along the village to Cliff hill, 1st went to see the carriage,
and then made our call — the letter with black edged paper and black seal from Miss Bentley, Manchester,
being given to Miss Walker junior to read — it fell from her hand on seeing that it was to announce the death of her
friend Mrs. Ainsworth in consequence of being thrown out of an open carriage — To be interred on
Monday — but no other particulars mentioned — immediately proposed our returning — walked home with Miss Walker
and instead of going to Shibden as I had intended wrote and sent at 5 little note to my aunt stating the case,
and begging her not to expect me today — would see her tomorrow but might return here — note from
my aunt by the boy to say sorry but beg me not to return on her account — should however be glad to see me tomorrow —
Miss Walker and I had had much talk this morning about bringing the Ainsworths here and about money matters etc.
seem to have persuaded to let Lidgate to Charles Robinson for a good rent instead of lett
ing Washington have it for nothing how all these Ainsworth plans are changed and over!
Miss Walker seemed much affected but I have really got her to be far better than I could have expected
it instantly struck me she would in due time succeed her friend and be Mrs Ainsworth
however she has just said well now there is no obstacle to our getting off in January
wrote the journal of yesterday and so far of today till prayers at 10 — fine, soft, thickish, November
day — went upstairs at 10 20/..
Saturday 27
11 25/..
11 1/2
Vc
Fahrenheit 51 1/2° at 11 1/2 a.m. — Lay in bed grubbling and lovemaking till our linen was almost as wet as yester
day morning breakfast at 12 — sat talking till after 2 — left Miss Walker and went to Cliff hill and sat an hour
with her aunt Agreeableizing to the old lady and apparently getting into her good books not a little
back at Lidgate at 3 40/.. and off to Shibden at 4 — told my aunt and the rest the history of my journey to York
and back at Lidgate at 6 — Dinner at 6 5/.. — tea at 8 — Comfortably cozy ~ went upstairs at 10 —
Fahrenheit 62 1/2° at 11 1/2 p.m. fine November day —
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