| Description | [Diary Transcription]
98
1826
January Saturday 28
8
11 1/2
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Slept pretty well — made my fire — at breakfast at — came upstairs at 11 1/4 — read over wrote in
my aunt’s name to desire Mr. Hoyland to have a proper hatchment ready to be put up as soon as possible after
the funeral — read over, sealed with black wax, and sent (at 12) my letter ‘à Madame Madame Barlow Quai Voltaire
no. [number] 15. à Paris’ — then in 1/2 hour wrote a full 1/2 sheet note to Mrs. William Priestley Lightcliffe in answer
to hers of yesterday — the address and conclusion to ‘my good friend’ — a very friendly note — giving an account of the
manner of my poor uncle’s death — glad to hear she was quite ‘perfectly recovered’ — should be glad to see her —
‘the sooner you come after the funeral, the better — ever, my good friend, very truly yours Anne Lister’ my father
come — wrote the above of today, and went down at 12 3/4 — my father’s cold better but still bad — he went before 2, and I
read aloud to my aunt my note to Mrs. William Priestley and sent George with it at 2 — the servants now dine at 1, and we at 6 — came upstairs
and wrote the copy of the paper to be sent to Mr. Rayner of the persons to have scarfs, and those to have gloves and biscuits —
21 of the former, 43 of the latter — my aunt and I having both resolved to make each a will to suit our present
circumstances, she has just made hers this afternoon to be signed tonight, and I shall, I hope, make mine
tomorrow or Monday — she leaves all to me, making me her sole executor legacies to my father Marian and Cordingley —
I shall do the same to my aunt — George has just brought me (4 p.m.) a full 1/2 sheet note in answer to mine
from Mrs. William Priestley — very kind note of condolence — she is evidently much pleased with my note, and will come
I daresay very directly after the funeral — went upstairs with my aunt into the library — Found at her suggestion
in one of the private drawers of an old oak writing desk forty nine and a half guineas ~ Staid down talking to my
aunt till 5 1/2 — then dressed — Dinner at 6 5/60 — directly afterwards John Booth and George Playforth witnessed my
aunt’s will — the former wrote his name the latter made his mark — tea at 8 for my aunt — I had none — Slightly
mentioned our spending next winter abroad going after the next rent day or at latest early in August
talked a good deal of it tonight go to a south of France watering place first then winter at Nice or
Bordeaux my aunt says nothing against it how can we get the money she fancies we shall be worse off
than I hope we shall she little thinks I think of getting a new carriage built for us in York ~ Very fine day —
hard frost — sunshiny — much milder towards evening — Barometer 1 1/2 degrees above changeable Fahrenheit 35 1/2° at 9 20/60 p.m. at which hour
came up to bed — settled accounts — skimmed over my uncle’s will — wrote the last 10 lines —
Sunday 29
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11 20/60
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made my fire — went out at 8 — walked to the Crownest gates — got back at 9 1/4 — walked 1/2 hour on the terrace and up and
down our approach road — breakfast at 9 3/4 — Letter of condolence and inquiry (2 1/2 ppages) very affectionate and very properly written from IN- [Isabella Norcliffe] (Langton) —
It seems Charlotte on her return home from York on Friday night took the news of my uncle’s death which my letter to IN- [Isabella Norcliffe]
confirmed yesterday morning — How was it sent illegible Mr. Duffin must have got his letter on Friday morning — the
paragraph I sent to the editor of the Yorkshire Gazette is in the paper published yesterday which my father sent us before breakfast
this morning — IN- [Isabella Norcliffe] seals with black, and adds in a post script ‘of course I am going into mourning’ — Everything kind both
from Mrs. Norcliffe and Charlotte Norcliffe — Staid downstairs all the day — my aunt but poorly — read aloud the morning psalms and chapters and Epistles
and gospel — could not do more on account of my cold — better but still far from well — at 1 began emptying out the bottom drawer
of my uncle’s bureau — then looked over the bureau itself and burnt several useless letters not being [able] otherwise to find the necessary papers —
dressed — Dinner at 6 — tea at 8 — (I take none) — afterwards wrote out for Mr. Rayner the list of 21 persons to have scarfs, and 28 tenants
and 18 other persons to have gloves and biscuits — ‘Mr. Rayner is requested to write merely as follows with each scarf —
From Shibden hall, with the compliments of the family to Mr. or Mrs. ——’ — my aunt’s tongue much swelled at the root, and her
throat much relaxed — she can scarce swallow at all — Very fine frosty day — hard frost this morning — 6 degrees milder
this evening — Barometer 1 1/2 degrees below changeable Fahrenheit 39° at 9 40/60 p.m. at which hour came up to bed — afterwards wrote all the above of today —
[margin text:] vide next
page line 24.
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1826
January Monday 30
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11 5/60
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made my own fire — Letters at 9 1/4 — Letter from M- [Mariana] (Lawton Congleton) 3 ppages, the ends, and 1st page crossed dated Friday
and of course she knew nothing of my uncle’s death — she had had Miss Pattison and Miss Cottingham, which prevented her writing
to me sooner — a great deal about her mother — about ‘of parental feelings, different surely from every other, we must both
‘for ever remain ignorance and darkness, the doctrine of natural affection no theory can make us understand, and it
‘is impossible therefore to judge of the effects it produces, as we have no standard by which to measure it’ — ‘I am obliged
to you for making any change’ (in my letter to Mrs. Belcombe takes no notice of not writing at all), and the more as you could not
‘agree with me in the expediency of the thing, but for this once do fancy I am right — I ought to know the party best,
and of course must be most interested in having the break between you as little as possible’ . . . . What is it that
so discomposes you as far as I am concerned you have no cause to be discomforted 'tis true I lament
that my mother and my . . . . . . . . are not on terms that would best contribute to my happiness but in this as in all oth
er points love and you are uppermost in my thoughts and as on this ssubject I am incapable of change and have often
told you all I felt and all my heart suggested I need only refer your memory to what passed between us the
morning we parted at Manchester then and there you heard all the sentiments of my heart past present and
to come be happy then my Fred if you would wish to make me so — 'tis well π- [Mariana] should so far excuse her
mother I am satisfied she says nothing about the fifty pounds ~ Letter from Mr. Duffin (York) the 2nd
page written by Miss Marsh — very kind, proper letter — of condolence and inquiry — Only Mr. Duffin hopes my aunt and I will not be disturbed in our r
esidence here ~ Letter from Mrs. Milne (York) very proper letter of condolence and inquiry — part of the 2nd and
a small part of the 3rd page written by Anne Belcombe — I am pleased with this — it is Kind and proper — I wonder whether
it was her own or Mrs. Milne’s judgment that she should write — no message from Mrs. Belcombe nor a single
word of mention made of her — I shall take some notice of this when I write to Mrs. Milne — wrote the above —
went down to breakfast at 10 10/60 — the woman (Miss Duckworth) came to put on the shroud — Charles Howarth’s
cart brought the lead-coffin from H-x [Halifax] — Mr. Rayner the undertaker came and Charles Howarth assisted in putting the corpse into the coffin — my father came would not stay
dinner but went a little before 2 in spite of the rain — (only mild gentle rain) — Told Mr. Rayner to have the grave double depth,
and lined with brick-walling —to let all the four farming-men attend as mourners, and have 2 more tenants Joseph Hopkin and Jonathan Mallinson for mutes — ordered gloves and biscuits for 3 more persons — the woman who made the shroud, the glazier’s man
who will [be] here to close the coffin on Friday, and for Mrs. Fanny Brook my uncle and aunt Joseph Lister’s old servant — wrote a
note to Whitely the hatter, and sent the four farming men to be fitted with ‘good, strong, serviceable hats of about
10/. or 12/. price each’ — sent them also to the undertaker to be fitted with good, strong, black stockings — Staid
talking to my aunt — She and my father and I all went to see the corpse as soon as it was put in the coffin — my aunt as well
as can be expected, but only poorly — her throat Mr. Sunderland seems to think (he came soon after 11) was strained in
the violent burst of grief on Thursday, and that the difficulty of swallowing will go off in a few days — he saw poor
Cordingley, and has ordered her some medicine, probably something cordial; for the shock of finding her master dead seems much on her nerves and spirits —
Came upstairs at 2 25/60 — wrote the last 12 lines — then wrote the rough draft of my will — brought it downstairs, and read it
to my aunt — leave all to her and make her my sole executrix, giving £100 to my father the same to Marian and £20 each to
Mr. Duffin IN- [Isabella Norcliffe] M- [Mariana], Miss Maclean, Mrs. Barlow and Miss Marsh — wrote out my will on one page of foolscap paper
the signing and sealing on the 2nd page — dressed — dinner at 6 5/60 — afterwards signed my will in the presence of Cordingley, Charles Howarth
junior, John Booth, and George Playforth who all signed as witnesses (George made his mark) — my aunt had tea at
8 — rather more difficulty in swallowing today — I believe it is the complaint that attacks her muscles and nerves generally (that has
fallen upon her throat) — after tea wrote the last 7 lines — rain during last night — damp, rainy day — mild, soft, spring-like rain —
Barometer 4 degrees below changeable Fahrenheit 40 1/2° at 9 35/60 p.m. at which hour came up to bed — wrote a few lines in my aunt’s name (dated tomorrow morning)
[illegible] to Mr. Olivant to order him to send some patterns of neat mourning rings to look — 2 wanted for ladies that can be worn at any
time, something handsome in pearl or small brilliants If not too expensive for Isabella and π- [Mariana] ~
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