| Description | [Diary Transcription]
4
1825
August Saturday 6
7 55/60
11 3/4
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+
+§
It rained all last night again — Breakfast at 9 1/2 — my aunt came about 5 minutes before I set off (at 10) in the gig to
Bakewell — good road — the first mile or 2 through a ravine, the river Wye (which has its source near Buxton) running
all along the bottom — after ascending a long hill, and going some distance on the high ground go down upon the village of Darrington 5
miles from Bakewell, then 2 or 3 miles farther Ashford where used to be considerable marble works — but they are said to be returning very flourishing just now — the marble got from the
adjoining hills and full of organic remains — fine black marble here — which owes its black colour says Mr. White Watson
of Bakewell, to its petroleum of which it contains a great deal — yet the marble-[illegible] yard, a little way this side of the village — [illegible] seems on a pretty good
scale, and there were several men employed — very pretty drive from Ashford to Bakewell — mountain scenery — Bakewell
much improved of late — belongs almost entirely to the Duke of Rutland, who has built an excellent new Inn — the
Rutland Arms, a very nice house to dine or stay all night at — a nice little village or town — Chatsworth
4 miles distant from it and Haddon Hall (the ancient seat of the Vernons and by marriage with them now belonging to the Duke of
Rutland) 1 1/2 or 2 miles distant — found on the table at the Inn (in no. [number] 9, a very nice small parlour with a lodging opening into it) among several
other books Rhodes’s Peak scenery in (4 I think) thin 4to. [quarto] volumes with plates — read there [illegible] account of Bakewell
Church, Haddon Hall, etc. — Mrs. Radcliffe (a native of Derbyshire) fond of the latter — much there and there imagined
much of the finest scenery in her mysteries of Udolpho — a curious old cross (called the holy cross) in Bakewell
Church yard — 3 or 4 old monuments — Vernons — Manners — and a Sir ___ [Thomas] Wednesley [Wensley] who was killed at the famous battle of Shrewsbury
(vide Shakespeare’s Henry 4th Falstaff etc.) — the tower of the church seems older than the rest — octagonal — a handsome
Saxon arch at the west end, now a window looking immediately over the ancient font, and to the altar table — a neat apparently
new organ in the church — fine view from the church yard (from under the east end of the church close to the old cross) of the town,
Castle hill — the vale of Haddon and Haddon Hall whose turrets peep from among the wood at about 1 1/2 or 2
miles distant then 1 1/2 miles farther Rowsley — the Wye runs all along this vale (of Haddon) — the Duke of Rutland
generally comes down in the shooting season (not to Haddon Hall) but a shooting box he has 4 miles from Bakewell —
ought to have seen the baths there kept by Mr. White Watson, a scientific man, who has a good collection
of minerals, but I had not time — must stop on our way to Chatsworth — only an hour at Bakewell, and got back
here in 2 5/60 hours, 12 miles — the 1st turnpike from Buxton (2 or 3 miles distant) a very pretty Gothic cottage —
the farther end from here completely wrapt in ivy even to the very top of the chimney — very pretty —got back
at 3 20/60 — Went up to dress ~ My aunt had had Mr. Flint — went to bathe at 3 — staid in the bath 8 minutes —
temperature 97° Fahrenheit — Dinner at 5 — only 11 of which only 4 ladies, and 2 new gents [gentlemen] — Got back to our sitting
room at 6 5/60 — how quick they all eat! good dinner but no soup — tea brought in at 8 — dawdled over it
and wrote all the above of today — Mr. Rhodes in his Peak Scenery quotes Mr. White Watson’s account of the formation
of rotten stone from the black marble near Bakewell — e.g. on Dirtling [Dirtlow] moor — as we went it rained one 5
minutes more or less heavily and was fair the next all the way — only a little shower or two in returning — hardly got home before heavy showers
again — what a rainy place! — for they were half deluged both Wednesday and Thursday besides all the rain that has fallen
since we came — as my aunt was going to the bath she observed 2 persons (ladies) staring in at the coffee room window and observing
to Cordingley ‘they must be strangers’ — said Cordingley [illegible] ‘Ma’am it is Mrs. Farrer and Mrs. Petres’ — on returning I had seen
standing near the Hall a gentleman I had said to myself was the image of Major Fawcett — Very dull today too but my
drive ddid me good I shall get used to this ssort of thing by and by. Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Wilson went away today and another
party — 2 of our ladies at were a Mrs. Hall and her niece — Mr. Hall is president — one vice president yesterday a Mr. John
Robinson, and today a Mr. Haines — the reverend William Childers sits on my aunt’s right and I on her left — Came up to bed
at 9 50/60 — read from page 55. to 65. volume 1. Rousseau’s Confessions. E..[above] o.. ~ Fahrenheit 66° at 11 p.m. in my room (in one of my drawers) —
5
1825
August Sunday 7
9
12 20/60
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Awoke at 7, but not getting up immediately fell asleep again and slept till very near 9 — Breakfast at 10 1/4 — went
to church at 10 50/60 — service began at 11 — Mr. Spencer, the incumbent, did all the duty — preached considerably above 1/2 hour I think
(could not get to my watch) from Matthew xxvi. 41. ‘Fast and pray lest ye enter into temptation’ — good plain discourse — reads well, but too
slow — the church well filled — hot — very neat modern church — handsome stone faced walls within, not covered, — not spoilt, —
with any sort of wash — got back about 1 — at 1 10/60 set off walking — went along the crescent and old town of Buxton a little way along
the Derby road — sauntered slowly, and got back at 2 — sat talking to my aunt 3/4 hour — Then went to have Cordingley curl and pinch
my hair and then slept in my chair till four ~ My aunt had a bath at 3 1/2 — in 10 minutes — dinner at 5 — out of the dining
room in 1 5/60 hour — wrote the above of today — Tea at 8 — read aloud to my aunt the 1st 31 ppages of Moore’s Buxton and Castleton guide —
Came up to bed at 9 50/60 — read from page 65. (all aloud to myself) to 81. volume 1. Rousseau’s Confessions — A little rain early in the morning before breakfast
breakfast — all the day afterwards very fine, in spite of the threatening cloud that hurried me home from my walk. E..[above] o... ~
Monday 8
8 40/60
12 35/60
at breakfast at 10 1/4 — my aunt went out in the gig at 11 for 3/4 hour being sent home by the rain — wrote the latter 2/3 page 2. page 3, and the
ends 3 or 4 lines of crossing on the 1st page of my letter to Miss MacLean begun this day fortnight — Still no letter from M- [Mariana] I hope she is not
ill — Had my hair curled at three and a half — Dinner at 5 — only 11 of us — tea at 8 — a band of military music began to play in front of
the crescent about 7 1/4 and continued playing till about 9 — my aunt, looking out of the window, saw the rooms at St. Anne’s where she and my
aunt Martha were this time (this very day, 8 August) 16 years ago) when the band played and my aunt Martha was so ill she could scarce bear it — the
remembrance was so strong my aunt (Anne) burst into tears, and cried sometime — I could have shed tears at first but my aunt’s cry
ing prevented me I sat and never uttered thinking of Mrs. Barlow the last time I had heard [illegible] military music was with her in Pa
ris my heart turned towards her I felt as if I could write instantly Maria Maria live for me do not marry come what
may I will be yours a momentary thought of π- [Mariana] occurred then came the recollection of Blackstonedge [Blackstone Edge] and I said am I or am I not th
rowing away my happiness in giving up Mrs. Barlow if I knew her family her character in Guernsey and found all right should
I not take her surely her attachment to me must be real and disinterested but what could we do with Jane ~ the servants
having a ball tonight from 9 to 11, my aunt and I sat up till 10 35/60 — then came up to bed — read (this morning and tonight) from page 81 to 93.
i Rousseau’s Confessions — Showery morning (heavy showers) — fine afternoon and evening — heavy rain between 9 and 10 — Fahrenheit 67° (in my room) at
12 p.m. E..[above] o...~
Tuesday 9
8 1/2
12 1/2
§
Breakfast at 10 — my aunt went out in the gig for a couple of hours at 11 — came upstairs at 11 — read from page 93. to 98. i. Rousseau’s
Confessions — then crossed the 1st and 2nd and 1/2 the 3rd page and wrote under the seal of my letter to Miss Miss MacLean the 1st 1 1/3 page all about and against Mrs. Bury’s match —
at the bottom of page 2 — ‘You have no cause to be a little jealous’ of Mrs. Barlow, or anyone else, who, in my future life, may cheer
‘the lonely windiness of my way — Some companion I must have — I feel the want grow daily more and more into a strong necessity — but,
‘whatever destiny may in this respect await me, the deep regard I have always felt for you, and the peculiar interest I have
‘always taken in everything that concerns you, will never change save with the vital stream that feeds them’..... page 3. ‘why
‘should you fancy I ‘sometimes build too securely on your health’? Perhaps you do not quite understand me on this subject — you
‘know not how my every feeling towards you is softened by anxiety — you know not the trembling hope with which I seek for
‘your bulletin of health, nor yet the patient resignation with which I content myself with its detail — come what may, I am
‘convinced that all things work together for good, and shall be always satisfied that I have once, at least, loved a
‘person more than worthy of my regard’§ ..... page 2 of the crossing — my aunt ‘will not have her desire to see called ‘curiosity’, but
says, it is interest, and such an one as she has no fear that their appearance will disappoint’ ….. we should be most glad to see her — and
I think she would be comfortable — mention the probable report of Sir John Astley marrying the honourable Mrs. Harris, Miss Markham
of the deanery York, that was — my yesterday’s date is ‘from this most rainy, wind whistling, and dreary of places, Buxton’ — Give my
address here but say she had best direct direct to me at Shibden as usual — wrote the above of today, which took me till
2 10/60 —
§ ‘In spite of my cough and oppression on my chest, I am gaining ground, and complimented daily on my looks’ — ‘Surely I may flatter
‘myself a little from this, but when your account has sometimes been altogether unfavourable, shall I tell you the strange thought that has crossed my
‘mind? — Oh! that she knew someone whom she loved, and trusted — whom I could fancy like herself, and call her representative! — I remember mentioning
‘this to Mrs. Barlow — there is the following in her last letter — ‘How is Miss Maclean? I do feel greatly interested in her etc. etc. (gave the whole passage) —
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