| Description | [Diary Transcription]
307
1825
June
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magistrates, and had taken 2 decanters, and 3 bottles of port wine, and 3 of sherry, only 2 of which Mr. Stocks would allow
to be drawn — about 1 Mr. Parker came to say, Messrs. Stocks and Bairstow had viewed the footpath, were very
well satisfied with it, and seemed to think my uncle needed not fear not gaining his point — at 2 went to the workmen
Mr. Stocks advised Mr. Parker’s seeing, shewing the plans to, and explaining the nature of Mr. Lewis Alexander’s opposition
to, the 3 following magistrates in our Morley division, Messrs. Hird near Bradford, Cunliffe Lister of Manningham, and Colonel Plumbe
Tempest of Tongue hall — went again to the workmen at 2 — Gave Jackman 13/6, that is, 9d. [pence] each for 18
men, John Jackman and his 3 sons, John, William, and Thomas, Abraham Mallinson and his son (all masons) Frank Oates,
John Crossley and Thomas Acomb who have lowered Lower brea lane, Matthew ——— Mr. Robinson’s man who has helped us,
George ——— Mr. Robinson’s cart-driver (the other driver gone to see his father and not here) George Sykes the gardener, and his brother James,
Charles Howarth and our own 4 men William Green, James Smith and his son Joseph, and John Booth — ale being now 3d. [pence]
a pint, the men would have 3 pints each, were to leave at 5 o’clock, and seemed all highly pleased — I saw
them all off a little after 5 — sauntered slowly back and got home at a few minutes before 6 — staid talking to my uncle and aunt
1/2 hour — Dinner at 6 35/60 — my father and Marian came in the evening about 7, and staid 1 1/2 hour — Marian has been not quite
well of late, but is better — her digestion is not good — In the evening wrote all the above of today — Very fine afternoon and evening —
fine morning till about noon, then a heavy shower for 1/2 hour — Barometer 2 3/4 degrees above changeable p.m. Fahrenheit 57° at the [illegible] at 10 p.m.
which hour came upstairs to bed — E..[above] o. —
Friday 10
6 40/60
11 20/60
Vc
Went to the workmen at 7 3/4 — found them all there — staid a few minutes then walked forward to Lightcliffe, and got to the William Priestley’s
at 8 1/2 — waited about 1/2 hour reading the Time’s Telescope for 1824, on the means of restoring to life persons who had been
drowned — the Priestley’s seemed very glad to see me — it was their sheep shearing — about 40 of their own sheep, and as many of
Mr. Walker’s — Mr. Walker very unwell — sat cozing with Mrs. Priestley till 12 (with 1 or 2 interruptions), when Mrs. Priestley
of Kebroyde, and her son John’s oldest girl and her governess, and one of Mr. William Henry Rawson’s little girls called — staid perhaps 1/4
hour, and then walked leisurely back to the footpath — staid with the men till their dinner (a very little after 1) and then sauntered about the fields, and got
home at 3 — sat above an hour talking to my uncle and aunt — went again to the workmen at 4 1/2, and staid till they gave up
at 6 1/2 — got home at 6 3/4 — Dinner at 7 — Living in the drawing room all today — Came up to bed at 9 50/60 and wrote the
above of today — Very fine day — very warm — Barometer 3 1/4 degrees above changeable Fahrenheit 61° at 9 50/60 p.m. — E..[above] o..
Saturday 11
5 55/60
11 1/2
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§
Gave Hotspur oatcake Cut my toenails Sat down at my writing desk, and from 7 40/60 to 10 1/4 wrote the latter 1/2 page 3, the ends, and
crossed all the 3 ppages and finished my letter, began this day week, to Miss MacLean Congratulating her on her brother’s intended marriage.....
‘I feel as if you did not know me thoroughly, not exactly enough to be aware whether a garret shared with such an
‘one, would be shared in happiness, or not — I shall certainly share mine with someone in those dreary days, when I am left ‘alone,
‘like a sparrow on the house-top’ — But we will talk over these matters when we meet — Should you survive your father, as I hope and
‘trust you will, still you have your sister Breadalbane — For my own part, I often think how often you have reminded me of our
‘slight personal acquaintance with each other — your good opinion, I flatter myself, I shall deserve to retain — your regard may
‘possibly alter, — may possibly be diminished — without your doing me injustice — But no more — ‘Sufficient till the day’ etc. etc. you
‘will know, is 1 of my favourite maxims, — my usual sedative of anxiety by anticipation’ — Say I do not think her fortune so
small it is as much as have the younger children of many of our county m families — after dating this morning
say I had waited to be able to fix my plans with some certainty — cannot leave home till July 18, and my aunt is now ordered to
Bath, and we set off on the 18th July — can only stay with her till she is settled — then return to my uncle — despair
of seeing my friend this year, but still live in hope of doing it another time — ‘can only hope, for charity’s sake, that your
disappointment will not equal one-tenth part of my own’ — will take the first opportunity of going to her for till we have been
domesticated for a few weeks she will never feel to know me with certainty — ‘Trust me I shall not allow you, for
‘one moment longer than can be avoided, to run the risk of too strongly confirming your regard to one who may not
‘deserve it so much as you anticipate — You certainly are not thoroughly enough acquainted with my character to know
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1825
June
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‘whether a garret shared by such an one would be a blessing, or the contrary — the more I reflect upon myself, the more I am
‘constrained to acknowledge a singularity of sentiment for which I am not quite able to account — I think I could make anyone
‘comfortable who made me so — But say, what would give me comfort, or, — for that is not enough, — what would give me happiness?
‘I wonder if it be possible for you to know me well enough to answer this question at all according to my own ideas on
‘the subject’ ...... speaking of Mrs. Grieves, ‘I am quite sure she is not the one who ought to share my garret —
‘there is an indescribable something wanting, without which nor she, nor any other human being could make me happy — I should
‘not have made this observation, had you not told me, your friend would suit me better than you would — you were quite wrong, Sibbella;
‘but to know why you were wrong, would argue a deeper knowledge of me, than I think you possess — Mrs. Grieves is, surely, a
‘person of strong feeling; but that feeling is not like yours’ ——— wrote all the above of this morning which took me till
10 50/60 — then enclosed the amethyst seal I got cut for my friend by Mellerio (rue de la Paix, Paris) a violet
flower among a tuft of grass — motto, ‘Il faut me chercher’ [You have to look for me] — sealed and sent my letter directed to ‘Miss MacLean
of Coll, 5 South Street Saint David Street Edinburgh’, and went down to breakfast at 11 10/60 Letter from Miss Marsh (York)
3 ppages and the ends — she has taken some medicine prescribed by Mr. Duffin, and is better — with respect to her eyes she says,
‘the use of strong vinegar and water and using them as little as possible has done wonders, and I trust my sight may be preserved
‘as long as life is granted to me’ — ‘Mr. Lloyd the widower of poor Marian MacLean was married to Miss Serjeanton (of Camp hill near Ripon)
‘Tuesday last — Sir John Johnstone is to be married to Miss Vernon next week’ — some indifferent vverses on the beauty
of her niece Miss Sophia Greenup, made on her 1st appearance in the nisi prius court of assize at the castle, on which
Marsh observed ‘though very complimentary, she demands better verses’ — at 12 10/60 went out to the workmen, and did
not get home again till 6 50/60 — For 1 10/60 hour while the men were at dinner, sat and stood over the brook in the large sycamore
overhanging the water — at last, in spite of the heat of the day, felt my situation as if likely to give me cold — stood over the
men till they gave up at 6 5/60, and then 3/4 hour sauntering home by Charles Howarth’s reading volume 2 Rousseau’s Confessions — now and while the men
were at dinner read from page 54 to page 88. — Speaking to Jackman about the expense of a garden wall, the outside dressed stone, the inside
brick, like George Robinsons (just built—not yet finished) Jackman said bricks were 30/. [shillings] a thousand and 60 bricks would wall
(that is would wall the inside face) a yard; suppose therefore per rood bricks 15/. [shillings] stones, and leading, and hewing, 15/. [shillings] capings
and mortar, and footing, and labour of building about 14/. [shillings] and we calculated that such a wall would cost 45/. [shillings] a rood, so that
to enclose an acre of garden ground with such a wall 3 yards high above the ground might cost about (under) £300 —
take the side of the square at 70 yards then 70 x 4 = 280 7 (the no. [number] of yards in a rood) = 40 x 3 (the no. [number] of yards high) = 120 [therefore]
120 roods at 45/. [shillings] a rood would cost £270. — Charles Howarth put up this afternoon the notices respecting our stopping the footpath
through our courtyard, and that from Godley to Charles Howarth’s — Dinner at 7 — In the evening my father and Marian came — Afterwards
wrote the last 11 1/2 lines — Very fine day — very hot — Barometer 3 1/4 degrees above changeable Fahrenheit 65º at 10 p.m. at which
hour came up to bed E..[above] o.. ~ Read from page 88 to 95 volume 2 Rousseau Confessions which took me till 11 —
Sunday 12
8
11 40/60
x
Incurred a cross at seven Gave Hotspur oatcake and staid playing with him a long while — Breakfast at 9 50/60 — staid downstairs all the
morning — read aloud the morning service — then slept a little, and went upstairs at 12 3/4 — oppressed with the heat — lay down and absolutely
slept or slumbered till near 5 — 10 minutes in the garden for a little and came in at 5 1/4, and read the evening service — no sermon — dressed —
dinner at 6 1/2 — talked all the evening — wrote the above of today — Very fine, sunny, hot, summery day — Barometer 3 degrees above
changeable and Fahrenheit 56° at 9 55/60 p.m. at which hour came up to bed — E..[above] o. —
Monday 13
7
10 3/4
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Vc
Lay awake till after one last night my left finger up tried hard if I could have any pleasure this way but no and I will
attempt it no more did not even incur a cross at all after all I had to do heated till I was quite in a state of solution
unpleasant dreams all the night of thieves being in the house Breadalbane Maclean looking quite ill and altered etc. Awaked by
Martha at 5, but lay dozing till 7 — Very hot last night — Gave Hotspur oatcake this morning and staid playing with him above 1/4 hour — Had
breakfast brought into my own room at 8 55/60 (the little room downstairs so very hot with even a [illegible] morsel of fire in it) — went downstairs for
a little while then at 9 40/60 took George in the gig and drove to H-x [Halifax] — called at the vicarage — saw Mr. Knight — asked him about a school
for John Booth’s oldest daughter who is lame — then called at the Saltmarshes’ — saw them both — then called at Wellhead, and sat near an hour
with Mrs. Waterhouse — then called and sat a little while with Mrs. William Rawson, and with Mrs. Catherine Rawson — called at Blamire’s (the coach maker’s)
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