| Description | [Diary Transcription]
294
1832
November
N
U
heads of Mr Ainsworth’s letter that came yesterday and kissed her gently and made love she afraid of
the journey abroad and of my ever leaving her and thinks she shall not live to return afraid
I shall be disappointed in her her feelings cannot keep pace with mine assured her not
I know not how it will be I fear I shall have no good take of it she has neither head nor heart
for me Miss [Mrs] Priestley rather grave after our long tete a tete my manners shew too much influence she wonders
I dare say and does not like it as I have never called on her and am evidently taken up
with Miss Walker — home at 5 40/.. — Dinner at 6 1/4 — afterwards wrote the above of today — had Pickels
and paid him £7.5.9 for draining at Lower Place — On returning found note from Miss Walker that she
had sent in the morning begging me not to send her Throp’s brother — Throp himself at Lidgate
for me when I got there — set him to value the laurel, and the one and the box at the Stag’s head
and passed it off well as Sykes was there — (Miss Walker had determined to turn off Sykes and have Throp’s brother) —
they told me at the bank this morning that Mr. Rawson had been rather sharp with Carr
who had said he would pay him as he was going to sell Godley and had already 2 applicants for
it — Then had a nap till nine — then looking over Cordingley’s accounts (since 24 September last) till 10 1/4 —
my aunt then came to me in the drawing room and and by the large fire in the hall sat
talking till 11 when came to my room — wrote note dated tomorrow morning to ‘Samuel Freeman Esquire
Southowram Lodge’ to say compliments and I shall be ‘glad to see him at Shibden hall as soon as he can make it convenient
‘to come — either this afternoon or evening’ (meaning Sunday) ‘or the earliest time’ he will be so good as fix, except
‘twelve o’clock tomorrow’ i.e. Monday — very fine frosty November day — Fahrenheit 47º now at 11 25/.. p.m.
Sunday 18
7 1/2
11 50/..
+
NN
N
very fine white frosty morning Fahrenheit 46º at 7 3/4 — breakfast with my father at 8 25/.. in 3/4 hour —
then came to my room — looking into French Itinerary article Blaye casttle of (7 lieues from Bordeaux) where the Duchesse
de Berri is confined — then read over the whole of last night’s courier — and went down to my aunt at 11 25/.. —
sent off by John (before breakfast) my note to Mr. Freeman written last night — Note in answer answer compliments and he will
come at about 10 1/2 tomorrow morning — from 11 50/.. in 50 minutes read prayers and sermon 18 Mr. Knight —
came upstairs at 1 5/.. and out at 1 1/4 from which time to 5 1/4 in my walk — walking up and down
and looking about — thinking of Godley — perhaps Tommy Holmes wants to buy it, his wife (Miss
Ibbetson the dressmaker that was) having £1700 on it — thinking how to plant up my walk
with more hollies and thorns and yew and hazels etc. but will get no more fancy things except box and juniper — Thought very
little of Miss Walker she has neither head nor heart for me I shall be better without her and yet
I hesitate and know not how it will end if I once leave her there is an end of it — Dinner at 6 1/4
in 3/4 hour then an hour’s nap on the sofa — then writing out accounts in private Daybook till 9 3/4 — Note tonight from
Mr Holroyde solicitor saying that ‘the description of houses which his client would build upon the property offered
to be purchased from Miss Lister would be similar, and in no degree worse, than those which constitute the adjoining streets
of Waterhouse Street and Broad Street’ and begging to know the price I shall ask — went into the other room at 9 50/..
sat talking to my aunt about Godley etc. and came to my room at 10 50/.. fine frosty morning but thick and hazy and dirty
(though fine) day and evening — Fahrenheit 45º now at 11 p.m. —
295
1832
November Monday 19
7 10/..
11 50/..
Vc
Vc
+
thick, hazy, soft, but fair morning — thorough November morning — Fahrenheit 45º at 7 1/4 a.m. breakfast with
my father at 8 1/2 — staid talking and waiting for Marian till 9 40/.. then staid talking to her till 10 1/2 — about her
selling my father’s property here to pay off with — may perhaps make £6000 of it including Hampstead —
She does not think herself bound to leave what comes extraneously to me or the Inmans the latter
can have no claim beyond my mother’s share of Skelfler and though I may have claim to what belonged to
both parents she would not like it to go to the Welsh Listers and would only leave it me for my life
I spoke very gently saying all I said was merely said as matter of opinion when I said I
thought I had some claim to what she had from my father and mother though to nothing more we were very
amicable she said she should never to come here for more than two nights and that only to see
me I observed that after her once leaving here she might see very little of me she thought that
probable and that she might see more of me abroad than in England she said if she should ever have
two thousand a year and thought she should be the richer of the two — expecting Mr. Samuel Freeman
at 10 1/2 but did not come till 11, and staid till 12 when Mr. Parker came — mentioned about Godley
will employ Mitchell about it who is to come and speak to me tomorrow evening — Freeman can let
me have the money if wanted — he is to value the stone in Joseph Hall’s land — mentioned having a good
offer for it — he told me of the road from Brookfoot just above or below Samuel Sowden’s and to come out just above Mytholm, and
join the Lower Brea branch road as proposed for the private road George Robinson and Pickels and I were
measuring for on Saturday and asked if I should object to it — no! I thought it would be a good
thing, and he might count upon my throwing no obstacle in the way — it seems this road
is likely to be done in another year or so — said not a word but thought to myself that
will be just doing the job I want and help too to stop the road in front of Shibden hall —
the road too by Folly to Southowram is likely to be done — out with Mr. Parker at 12 10/..
for an hour — took him to the spot and explained all about footpaths and bridle roads and about the drift
I want driving under the Lower brea branch road on account of the right of irrigation to see
Joseph Wilkinson, and then let Mr. Parker know the result and he will take measures accordingly —
allows that I have right to have the old bridle road just under upper brea reopened — I can
commence an action against the Godley road commissioners and compel them to do it — the matter to be settled
between us — on leaving Mr. Parker turned up by the Stump cross Inn down to old Wilkinson’s —
sat some time with him — so civil and spoke the old gentleman so fair he seemed quite pleased, came
down with me to James Smith’s land to see where it would be best to try for water — advised
me about it — will meet Holt to give his advice and seemed quite on my side about it —
then brought him all along my walk to see it, but could not persuade him to come in — never man
seemed better pleased — we parted at our gate at 2 3/4 — then some time with John holing for
hollies in the hall wood (within the railing) — and then in 1/2 hour at Lidgate at 3 40/.. — reading 1/2 hour
volume 1. Southey’s book of the church (in 2 volumes 8vo [octavo]) till Miss Walker and Miss Parkhill returned from Huddersfield —
then an hour with Miss Walker upstairs She seemed glad to see me expected my staying tonight but
owned ‘it was not liked’ that is by Miss Parkhill I said Miss Parkhill was foolish but all Miss Walker’s friends would be
glad to get rid of me said it would only make [me] more civil to Miss Parkhill and so it did on my going downstairs
[margin text:] William Green carted 2 loads causeway stone taken up from the hall wood
old walk into to Tilly holm to finish the footpath causeway there —
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