| Description | [Diary Transcription]
96
1826
January
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done no good — there could have been no suffering at the last — it was a very large vessel that was ruptured — death
occasioned instantaneously by the inward bleeding — I had noticed a swelling almost as big as my 2 fists on the pit of the
stomach — and my poor uncle complained of a little pain — tightness and heaviness — here yesterday evening, and said he had
it during the night before, but it had gone off — Asked Mr. Sunderland (thanked him for the brace of partridges he
had sent my uncle yesterday) to call at Northgate, break the thing as well as he could to my father and Marian, and
ask them to come immediately — my aunt and I breakfasted — sent for Matty Pollard — she and the servants did the last
offices to my poor uncle — my father and Marian arrived at 11 3/4 — we none of us spoke for some minutes —
It was a melancholy meeting, but my father bore it more — much more calmly than I expected — Marian after
a few burst of tears at first, was also calm — both she and my father have wretched colds — About one,
the corpse was ready for us to see, and I took my father into the room — he lifted back the napkin for
a moment — death was then stamped on the countenance — my father shed a tear or 2, and, after I had opened my
poor uncle’s drawer and taken out his will (he told us where it was a day or 2 ago) we came downstairs —
After waiting a little while, I read aloud the will — no one uttered a word — as soon as I had done,
I hastened up to my own room — wrote to the Editors of the Yorkshire Gazette York — Leeds Intelligencer Leeds — Courier,
and Gentleman’s magazine London —, and to Miss Harvey 17 Albemarle Street Piccadilly London to order mourning for myself
to be down as soon as possible — On sitting down to dinner, my aunt obliged to leave the room from a violent burst
of grief — I went down to her in the drawing room — by and by left her tolerably composed, and came upstairs again — wrote a
few hurried lines to Mr. Duffin (York) to IN- [Isabella Norcliffe] (Langton hall) to M- [Mariana] (Lawton hall) and to
Miss Maclean (15 Hill Street Edinburgh) to inform them of the melancholy event — Rayner, the
undertaker came about 4 — my father and I gave the necessary orders — sent off all my letters to the post
office — dressed — went downstairs at 5 1/2 — a little while with my aunt in the drawing [room] — then with my father
and Marian who had tea in the dining room — my aunt just came in to wish them good evening, and they went
away a little after 6, in the chaise that brought them — my aunt had tea and I dinner at 6 3/4 —
we were best left to ourselves, and talked of things as calmly as we could — the funeral to be tomorrow
week — 8 tenants to be bearers, etc. etc. my aunt is as well as can be expected — everything
reminds us of my uncle — How suddenly he has been snatched away at the last! It seems
a frightful dream! On coming upstairs to my room to dress after seeing my poor uncle look
ed into my heart and said Lord I am a sinner there is not that sorrow there there ought to be I felt
frightened to think that I could think at such a moment of temporal gain that I was now ssure
of the estate are others ssaid I thus wicked and I knelt down and said my prayers oh the heart is
indeed deceitful above all things he was the best of uncles to me oh that my heart were
more right within me I shed a tear or two when my father and Marian came and stopt once in
reading the will I am grave and feel anxious to do and seem all that is decorous but there is not
that deep grief at my heart I think there ought to be oh that I were better Lord have mercy on me
and forsake me not oh cleanse my heart and forsake me not for mine iniquity ~ Fine day, but thick.
my poor uncle complained all yesterday he could not keep himself warm even close to by the fire — cold, too, today — Barometer 3 1/8 degrees above
97
1826
January
changeable Fahrenheit 31 1/2° at 9 40/60 at which hour came up to my room to bed — Had my hair curled then wrote all
the above of today — my letter to the editor of Yorkshire Gazette and Leeds Intellig was ‘Sir — I shall be much obliged to
‘you to insert the following paragraph in your next paper January 26, at his house, Shibden hall, in this
‘county, James Lister esquire, aged 77. His death, awfully sudden at the last, was instantaneously occasioned by
‘the rupture of some large blood-vessel near the heart — I shall be much obliged to you to transmit the above
‘paragraph to the editors of the other York papers I am, Sir, your humble servant Anne Lister’ — the same paragraph
to the editor of the Leeds Intelligencer — To the editors of the Courier, and of the Gentleman’s magazine merely the 1st part
of it, leaving out the cause of my uncle’s death — Had just done the above of today at 11 1/4 — E ~ then
wrote a letter to Mr. Briggs to say, I have some thought of selling my horse if I can get my price for him, and begging
him to let me know what he thinks he is worth, and what he thinks he can sell him for — to let me hear from
him in ten days — He shall, at all rates, have the horse 2 or 3 weeks longer — the account of him as
good as I expected — do not like him the worse for riding rather heavier in hand than Mr. Briggs seems
to wish — then wrote a note to Mr. Rayner mentioning the bearers etc., then wrote a note to Marian
about their servants’ mourning etc. and to inquire after my father and herself — all which and writing the last 6 lines took me till 12 1/2 —
Friday 27
5 55/60
11 1/2
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did not sleep at all last night till after 3 — awoke before 5 and never slept afterwards — made my own fire — Sat
down at my writing desk at 8 1/4 — Sent my aunt my note to Marian and that to Mr. Rayner, to read — then sent them to their desti-
nation, and sent to the post (postage paid) my letter written last night to ‘Mr. Briggs Livery stables Tadcaster’ — Then crossed
out some of what I wrote to Mrs. Barlow on Monday and Wednesday and then wrote out the remainder which filled to the bottom of
the third page ~ it was irksome to me to write this it shocked me to be thus writing as if nothing had happ
ened — my aunt down at 9 40/60, so I went down to breakfast at 9 3/4 — Mr. Butler's man brought bombasines etc., and Mr.
Rayner’s man stuffs for the servants — Lowe the Tailor came to measure George and John Booth, and Miss Webster to measure my
aunt and the women servants — went upstairs about 11 — wrote a few lines to announce my uncle’s death to Mrs. Farrer, Mrs. Veitch,
and John Lister concluding my letter to the latter with that I should be happy to manage for him as my 2 uncles had done
before, and that, if I heard nothing to the contrary, I should hope he would find no difference in the regularity of his receiving his
remittances — said when I had time to look over my uncles papers, I would write again, before the next rent day
if he wished it, respecting the no. [number] of his policy for Sutcliffe wood farm, insured in the globe fire office —
Sent off my letters to Mrs. Farrer ‘5 or 7 Johnstone street, Laura place, Bath’ to ‘Mrs. Veitch, Mrs. Gorst’s,
Chapel Street, Preston, Lancashire’ and to ‘Mr. John Lister Castle Street Swansea, South Wales’ — my aunt and I then
went into my uncles room — she to see him for the 1st time since his death — she bore it much more composedly than I
expected — we looked into each one of his drawers And took out all the money which we afterwards coun
ted to one hundred and fifty nine pounds and sixpence. Staid talking till 2 1/2 — went out at 2 35/60 to James Sykes
and John Booth banking up and sinking (they began yesterday) on Charles Howarth’s side the wall between the Calf Croft and Pea field — Jackman’s sons
John and William walling there — walked up and down the fields and did not come in till 4 3/4 — talked a while to my aunt — dressed —
came downstairs at 5 40/60 Rayner’s tailor came to measure William Green and James and Joseph Smith for mourning — my aunt and I always to dine together at
6 — Sat down to dinner at 6 1/4 — afterwards wrote all the above of today — these out of doors improvements must be completed —
I only fear the money will be scanty we shall have nothing to spare for a carriage my aunt does not dream
that I think of such a thing I told her I thought we should have nine hundred a year after letting Northgate ~
Fine day — very hard frost — rather thickish — very cold — Barometer 2 1/2 degrees above changeable Fahrenheit 30° at 9 3/4 p.m. at which hour
came up to bed — very kind note of inquiry and offering to do anything she could for us from Mrs. William Priestley (Lightcliffe) about 2 today — sent
our compliments and thanks, and I would write by and by, — another day — Wrote the copy of and then wrote a few lines on the 1st end of my paper to
Mrs. Barlow briefly mentioning my uncle’s death and the manner of it then simply concluding with ‘God bless you, Maria!’ —
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