Anne Lister Entries Only – 16th-31st October 1834

Thursday 16th October 1834

[up at] 7
[to bed at] 11 5/..

no kiss tho’ in bed at the same time    dullish morning Fahrenheit 51° at 7 3/4 – out at 7 50/.. for 1/2 hour – breakfast at 8 3/4 – Letter (aux soins des Messrs. Hammersleys banquiers à Londres) signed outside H[arry] Vane from Madame de Bourke 1 page very kind enclosing in a French envelope the laisser passer from the bureau des finances for my carriage – some time talking to Adney – damp and smart rain not caring to go out – then happening to go into the little breakfast room to my father and Marian above an hour’s talk to the latter – it seems she had made up her mind to marry Mrs. [Mr.] Abbot    I promised not to name it to anyone    said I would not advise against it but I did not think it would answer so well as she might think    she knew what and how she was    to mind how she gave up that till pretty sure of being better    she did not know the mortification of giving up her own family meaning and explaining myself and Shibden    but the best thing would be to get him to settle as far off as she could    agreed she could not live happily alone    but to mind not to leap out of the frying pan into the fire    if she sold Skelfler might sink the overplus money   if she could get ten percent for the four or five thousands  it would make her income comfortable with the stay she would have here   said I would help her    she said she could not get ten percent   I told her not to despair of that but did not say further tho’ thought I would give it her myself    talked to her very gently and kindly   this seemed to stagger her determination  and make her nervous     Gill came about fence walling about Yew trees wood and Robin close land – referred him to Washington – then with Adney 1 1/2 hour looking for old French grammars to give George – then out at 3 20/.. – with Charles Howarth and James doing the blue room chimney piece – Midgley and the boy setting fire place in north chamber and the other mason flagging shoe–black place – from 4 40/.. to 5 1/2 read from page 212 to 235 Bakewell’s Geology – dinner at 6 – coffee – won 2 hits and a gammon against Adney’s 2 hits – from 8 to 9 1/2 except having Marian for 1/4 hour read aloud to her (she making charity baby clothes) from page 107 to 133 volume 1 Niebuhr’s Rome – with my aunt from 9 1/2 to 10 5/.. – Rainy windy day – very high wind towards evening and rough boisterous night – Fahrenheit 53° now at 10 1/2 p.m. –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale  SH:7/ML/E/17/0096

Friday 17th October 1834

[up at] 7 5/..
[to bed at] 11 1/2

a kiss last night but no better than the last   she said I d[id] not give her dinky dinky as at first  how was it  that is she did not feel moisture from me as before – very windy morning but fine Fahrenheit 54° now at 9 5/.. a.m.   till now looking at little Chamouni Model of Mont Blanc – opened this morning 1st time since our arrival – out at [9] 10/.. breakfast at 9 3/4 – read the Morning Herald (of Wednesday) – Long advertisement about rail road connecting London Norwich York, Edinburgh and Glasgow – Adney off to Cliff hill etc. at 11 when Holt came for 1/2 hour to tell me the sale of Mr. Samuel Hall’s coal to Mr Rawson was all off – the estate entailed upon Isaac Thwaite’s children in default of Samuel Hall leaving issue – he has only one child, a daughter aetatis 20 living with her aunt Pearson, at the North bridge because her mother (Mrs. Hall) an odd person – Rawson on finding the property entailed wanted Samuel Hall to give him a bond of indemnity for £3,000 – refused – and whenever the coal is again to dispose Samuel Hall promised Holt a chance for it – the Rawsons all low about it – Holt does not think much of their colliery now – have very little of their own coal to get – mine pulled at this new pit (to be called Walkerpit in compliment to Adney) will make at 8d a load a great deal more than Rawson’s sold in the town at 9d – Jeremiah Rawson wanted Holt to speak to me about their buying the Shibden coal but he Holt declined – I can get all the coal above Dove houses out at this Walkerpit – Mrs. Machin’s coal cannot be got now that Samuel Hall’s coal is unsold – would have me get it at £10 per daywork if I can – but not worth more – Told him to get to know all he could (without saying anything) about the Sutherland coal in Rooke’s land – the man who was to have had £20 from Rawson for advising Samuel Hall to sell his coal is not now to have the money, so will tell Holt (for he knows) all about the Rookes land coal – Holt to let me know too the value of the Hawkins coal – and to get me (willing to pay for it) a general plan of the coal strata in this neighbourhood – said I suspected Stocks was doing his best to get a loose in Upper brea land – Holt to look after this – I would give as much for Upper brea (I thought) as anybody would – Stocks would beat James Norris at longheadedness – Holt to be on the look-out – to call again by and by – went to my father and Marian – above an hour with them – told Marian what had passed – she said she had not determined on taking Mr. Abbott    did not know that she should do it – Told Marian I would give her £20 for the view of Shibden dale by Mr. Horner if she liked to which she consented, and handsomely offered to let me have it for £10, as I could get him to copy it for that price – or said she would leave it in the house and take nothing – of course, I declined this – then out with the masons and Charles and James Howarth till their dinner at 1 25/.. and sauntering about for 10 minutes afterwards – then wrote the above of today till 1 55/.. had Pickells – to begin moving wall in his Long field for road to Mark Town’s land at 7/. a rood – out at 2 25/.. to meet Adney – not at Lidgate – at Cliff hill at 3 5/.. to 3 25/.. Adney not there – back by Lidgate to Lightcliffe church – peeped in at windows – she was not there – (she was to take old Washington and go and see about the pews) in passing Lidgate saw little Susan, and Adney not there – fancied I had missed her – took shelter at Hardcastles for a few minutes   home at 4 1/2 – rainy for some time after – heated and uneasy at finding Adney not returned – with Charles Howarth still at the blue room chimney piece – Adney safe back about 5 1/2 not much, or rather very little wet – dinner at 6 – coffee – had Marian some time – read from page 132 to 153 volume 1 Niebuhr’s Rome – then played and lost 3 hits – 1/2 hour (till 10 1/4) with my aunt – fine but very windy till about 4 p.m. then rain – fairish about 6 p.m. and wind lower – Fahrenheit 51° at 10 20/.. p.m. and fair (rain very recently) and wind gone down – raining heavily at 10 25/.. p.m. –

[In margin:] 

Sale of Samuel Hall’s coal, off.

Walkerpit.

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale  SH:7/ML/E/17/0096 & SH:7/ML/E/17/0097

Saturday 18th October 1834

[up at] 6 40/..
[to bed at] 11

no kiss   much rain in the night – the flags quite wet but fair and finish now at 7 1/2 a.m. and Fahrenheit 48° – out a minute or 2 – breakfast at 8 1/2 – Adney kept me downstairs helping her  to move her preserve pots    told her laughingly it was penny wise and pound foolish I ought to be looking after other things   too true – Washington came about 10 1/2 – told him I had told Gill to speak to him about some walling to be done in Yew trees land, and agreed take his field at £500 to be paid at my next Christmas rent-day – mentioning that Miss Walker would help me by lending me the money (£100) due to her for the hay bought of Collins on quitting the Lidgate land – Washington said it would be above £100 – but he had not got it yet – wanted Mr. Hird to take it – Washington to send his papers to Messrs. Parker and Adam – the present tenant he thought would be glad to keep the field – expressed myself well enough satisfied with that – for if he did not keep it, I knew not what to do with it if Hardcastle did not want it – Before breakfast had had Charles Howarth up with the new chimney piece – too high – determined to pull down and lower the stone-work 4 inches – on going up about 11, found Midgley and Jonas (Mallinsons 2 men) had not set the arch straight – had Charles Howarth to help us, and took the arch stone (the mantel) down again and just got it back again at 12 40/.. – Instead of staying downstairs with Adney should have been with the workmen – my eye is, thank Heaven, correct enough yet – I can see to the 8th of one inch as well as any of them – Letter this morning from Messrs. Milbourne and son – thanks for my approbation and for the amount of their bill received of Messrs. Hammersleys – Looking over Chamouni minerals till 2 – up and down and in and out with the workmen – walked with Adney in the walk from 3 5/.. for an hour – then as before with the workmen – 20 minutes with my aunt till 6 10/.. – dinner at 6 20/.. coffee – played 4 hits and a gammon of which won only 2 hits – read aloud as usual from page 153 to 176 volume 1 Niebuhr – 1/2 hour with my aunt till 10 10/.. – finish but windy day – Fahrenheit 49° now 10 20/.. p.m. –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0097

Sunday 19th October 1834

[up at] 8
[to bed at] 11 25/..

no kiss fine morning Fahrenheit 46° at 8 20/.. till which hour tidying and dusting – breakfast at 8 25/.. – prayers to my aunt at 12 40/.. in 1/2 hour – at Lightcliffe church in 16 minutes at 2 3/4 – service began today at 2 1/2 – beginning the psalm when we got there – Mr. Bellamy did the duty – preached stupidly 38 minutes from Habakkuk i.13 – walked in the walked [walk] 3/4 hour till 5 40/.. – then Adney and I 20 minutes with my father and sister – dinner at 6 20/.. – Mr. Sunderland came at 7 – went with him to my aunt – the wound rather – very little – larger – ‘nothing adverse’ – Mr. Sunderland sat with Adney and me while we took coffee – thinks my father may not get over the winter – may go off as suddenly as my uncle did – water on the chest and in the pericardium – with my aunt 3/4 hour till 10 10/.. – In the morning and this evening read from page 235 to 301 Bakewell’s geology – finish morning – a little rain about 2 1/2 and afterwards during church and a few drops in returning at 1st – fine while we were in the walk and afterwards – read after breakfast account in last night’s paper (morning Herald received this morning) of the burning down of the 2 houses of parliament – fire broke out about 6 20/.. p.m. on Thursday – flames not extinguished tho’ got under at 1 a.m. on Friday – damage roughly estimated at at least 1/2 a million –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0097

Monday 20th October 1834

[up at] 6 50/..
[to bed at] 11 20/..

no kiss rainy morning – the chimney sweep had just done the blue room when I got up – Shaw’s man came at 8 10/.. had to send for Charles Howarth who arrived at 8 20/.. and the mason (Midgley) at 8 1/2 – told Charles I must have him come earlier – breakfast at 9 40/.. and Adney read the newspaper to me till near 11 – then came Mr. Wilson of Fennyroyde Washington’s tenant of the field I have just bought, to advise me to buy of him the lump of soil laid up at the end of Mrs. Scholefields new public house – if I could buy it at £5, would be cheap – Mr. Wilson not likely to stay long at Fenny-royde if his wife died – ill 14 months confined to her bed the last fortnight and the doctors gave no hope of her recovery – I said he had better give the field up – he particularly begged me not to tell Washington he had been here – out at 11 1/2 – 2 loads of gravel came for the terrace walk – had it put in the barn – off to Halifax at 12 5/.. – down the old bank to Mr. Parker’s office – out – the clerk gave me the small parcel containing £200 in bank of England – at Whitley’s – ordered numbers 101 and 102 Quarterly review and paid for the carriage going to London per Pickford’s waggon – then to the Joint Stock Bank – 1st time – asked for Mr. Caw – very civil – paid 10/. for his remitting immediately to Hammersleys (to be paid immediately) £200 – agreed to remit me any sums in future free of any charge on condition of my allowing them 21 days after being paid into their hands at Halifax – would allow 3 percent on deposits – and if a regular account with them and considerable transactions would give and take 4 percent on deposits and advances – met Mr. Parker in returning – some time at his office – I would take £3000 of Mr Wainhouse at 4 percent if the Godley business could be settled for £2500 – if not only wanted £1000, and would give 4 1/4 percent for this sum if I had no more – Adney’s settling with Mrs. Clarke likely to be done in 3 weeks, and the Staups papers not likely to be ready of a month – would I sell a share or 2 of navigation? no! if the proprietors would do anything about the rail roads – not anxious to sell – shewed me a plan of almshouses to be erected in the township of Ovenden near Holdsworth hall by Miss Wadsworth who has made over estates in Northowram to trustees (the vicar for the time being of Halifax, Mr. Dean of Ovenden, Mr. Ramsbottom of Jumples, Mr. Parker himself and aliis) for charitable purposes – her property adjoining Adney’s Hipperholme quarry left to Mr. ____ and not likely to be sold – the almshouses after some built by Mr. Turner father to Mrs. Lee the abductee of Messrs. Wakefield – gothic with grecian pediment over – in the midst of – the long line of eves in front – objected to this – would put the arms twice – i.e. over each pair of twin-doors, and the crest over the one single door at each end of the front – home (up the old bank) at 1 35/.. – sat with Adney – went out with her at 2 55/.. into Trough of Bolland wood – Caught in a heavy shower – home at 3 1/4 – wrote the above of today till 3 50/.. – then (read from 301 to 323 before breakfast) wrote 3 1/2 pages of 1/2 sheet to Lady Stuart de Rothesay – dinner at 6 – coffee – won 2 hits and lost 1 and a gammon with Adney – had Thomas Greenwood above an hour till after 9 – 20 minutes with my aunt till 10 10/.. – Greenwood had no particular news – paid him his bill for wood, above £35 – fine while I was out this morning – afterwards rain and showery afternoon Fahrenheit 53° now at 10 20/.. p.m. and calm and fair –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0097

Tuesday 21st October 1834

[up at] 8
[to bed at] 11 40/..

no kiss    up at seven for quarter hour but went to bed again   talked and played but nothing like an attempt at a kiss – fine morning from about nine breakfast at 9 1/4 – Charles and James Howarth began seriously in the north chamber – the 2 sempstresses making drugget for blue room – Shaw’s man plastering up over the chimney piece, etc. Adney and I off at 10 55/.. to Halifax – met at the gate the assessed taxes collectors Isaac Walker and another – turned back and paid mine for the whole year up to next April – off again in 10 minutes – down the new bank to Halifax – Shopping – at Walker’s, etc. home at 1 1/2 – found Mrs. Bateman returning our call and Miss Caroline Rawson (from Cliff hill) with her – I very civil to the former – then came Mr. Parker to ask if I had any objection to Crutch (because he uses a crutch) Sutcliffe taking Northgate house of Mrs. Scatcherd till next May day – no – none – Mrs. Scatcherd being still answerable for rent and repairs – sat with Adney while she took luncheon – before 3, came Mrs James Briggs, my late steward’s wife, bringing Miss Sutcliffe to ask if I had any objection to her father’s taking Northgate house as above named – no! none – He would like to become the tenant afterwards – what rent should I ask? answered I had asked £120 per annum – well! but what should I take? answered I generally asked about what I intended to have – but I was not quite determined what I should do with Northgate house, whether to let it as before or not – if I determined to do so, should not take less than £120 by private contract – if I did not get that, should let it by ticket – not binding myself to take the highest bidder – then backwards and forwards with the plasterer yellow washing George’s shoe-black place and afterwards with him the 2 Howarths pulling down all the ceiling in upstairs water closet – dinner at 6 25/.. – coffee – won 5 hits of Adney and lost 2 – had Marian some time – wrote all the above of today (downstairs) till 10 5/.. – then with my aunt 20 minutes till 10 25/.. found cousin come gently between four and five this afternoon – quarter hour preparing for cousin – fine day from about 9 in spite of rain and wind in the night and till about 9 a.m. – very bilious all today –

[In margin:]

Rent of Northgate house stated to Mrs. James Briggs

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0098

Wednesday 22nd October 1834

[up at] 7 1/4
[to bed at] 11 35/..

no kiss   stormy night – rainy windy morning Fahrenheit 50° at 8 25/.. a.m. breakfast at 9 to 10 – afterwards tidying blue room – with my aunt and Mr. Sunderland who says my aunt could not get to Harrogate and there could not bear to bathe in or drink the water – advises a warm bath – but not under 90° of Fahrenheit – and with Adney then all the afternoon with Charles and James Howarth planning and ordering about north chamber – Midgley the mason plastering up the upper water closet – dinner at 6 – coffee – Adney won 2 hits and 2 gammons and I won nothing – then having read the 1st 28 pages before breakfast read aloud to Adney from page 29 to 63 Pettigrew’s history of Egyptian mummies – rainy windy morning till about 10 – afterwards fair – high wind – and coldish –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0098

Thursday 23rd October 1834

[up at] 7 20/..
[to bed at] 12 20/..

no kiss   finish morning – windy – breakfast in the blue room at 8 3/4 – Midgley altered the setting of the north dining room and north chamber grates, making a large flue behind in the place of the space left for coal – with Charles and James Howarth in the north chamber doing the frame-work of the top – off with Adney to Lidgate at 11 1/2 – there above 1/2 hour – an hour at Cliff hill till about 2 1/4 – home at 3 by the old road – Mr. Isaac Green called about 3 1/2 for 35 minutes ostensibly to offer what he had bid before the putting up to auction (£8000) for Northgate house and the land immediately adjoining, but in reality, I think, on the part of Mr. Rawson to sound me about if I wished to dispose of coal, and if I did if it would be sold by auction – said I had not made up my mind about it, and should 1st get the pit I was sinking, done down to the bottom – he (Isaac Green) asked if I thought of taking in the waste at the top of the hill – answer no! not now – had had several opinions about it, but would now take it in if Mr. Rawson would give me £100 to do so – would let all remain as it was for the present on account of the coal – Isaac Green thought I had a right to the waste – and Mr. Rawson thought very differently about it now from what he used to do – this sentence also applied to his (Rawson’s) opinion about the coal – all blame laid on Mr. Jeremiah Rawson – I said it was a pity Christopher Rawson did not take the opinion of someone he could really depend upon and make up his mind and stick to it – said I was not at all inclined to sell Northgate or any part of it – I had satisfied my conscience by putting it up to auction and was very glad it did not sell – had £10,000 been bid at the sale or the day afterwards I would have taken it but [if] he, Isaac Green offered me £10,000 payable tomorrow I would not take it now – the stone was just mentioned (by me 1st) he (Isaac Green) should be wanting some soon – Just left the subject as affording a loop–hole for coming again in reality about the coal – what he had just learnt about it could give Rawson no hope of agreeing – would merely shew that I should get the pit down the bottom before I made up my mind what to do – Isaac Green mentioned Rawson’s having bought Mr. Hall’s coal for £10000 – I took no notice of the bargain being off – Isaac Green would never dream of my knowing this – I merely said when Isaac Green said Mr. Hall must have been mad to sell at this price that Rawson could not buy of me after that rate – off to Halifax down the new bank at 4 1/4 to Walkers about lining for tent room bed – and to Whitley’s – back in an hour – with Charles and James Howarth – woodframe top of North chamber put up – dinner at 6 5/.. coffee – Adney won 2 hits and a gammon and I nothing – both of us some time with my father and Marian – then in the blue room and read from page 63 to 95 Pettigrew’s history of Egyptian mummies – 20 minutes with my aunt – Mr. Sunderland having recommended her to use warm baths if she could bear the water not under 90°. tried her milk and water she puts her feet in – 89° Fahrenheit tonight – and could not bear it warmer – wrote the above of today till 11 10/.. at which hour Fahrenheit 50° – heavyish shower while [we] were at Lidgate between 12 and 1 and a few drops about 5 1/2 p.m. – otherwise in spite of threatening clouds a pretty fine but windy day – the high wind kept the rain off –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0098

Friday 24th October 1834

[up at] 8 25/..
[to bed at] 12

no kiss very fine hard frosty morning Fahrenheit 46° in my study (the sun shining into it) at 9 20/.. – breakfast at 9 1/2 – looking over plans of Adney’s joint property in Halifax – Mrs. Catherine Rawson and Miss Ellen Rawson of Mill house called at 11 1/2 for 1/2 hour – out with Adney in the walk and Trough of Bolland wood and walking in front of the house (to get out of the high wind) 1 1/4 hour till 1 1/2 – at my desk at 2 1/4 – an hour making short notes from Pettigrew’s history of Egyptian mummies – from 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 wrote a full 1/2 sheet and 3 pages of another ditto to Lady Stuart de Rothesay – then out with Charles and James Howarth (preparing doors for north chamber) in the joiner’s shop – ran down to the bottom of the walk and back – John brought cowslip wine and all the empty bottles from Lidgate this afternoon packed in the body of the cart, put into the barn here for tonight – Mrs. Ann Lee (alone) came this morning and began re-making up our bed – lining it with handsome crimson twilled cotton – dinner at 6 1/2 – coffee – Adney won 2 hits and I one and a gammon – read aloud to her from page 94 to 119 Pettigrew’s history of Egyptian mummies – 1/4 hour with my aunt till 10 10/.. – fine, frosty, cold day – Fahrenheit 43 1/2° now at 10 40/.. p.m.–

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0098

Saturday 25th October 1834

[up at] 8 20/.. 
[time of going to bed missing]

goodish one last night fine cold frosty morning Fahrenheit 45° at 9 (sun shining) in my study – breakfast at 9 1/4 – Had Washington – he has let the bit of walling in Yew trees land to Gill to do – William Keighley to prune the trees (Yew trees wood) overhanging the Sutcliffe wood lane – Mr. Armytage asks 3/. a yard for the whole of that field adjoining widow Scholefield’s new public house almost as much, says Washington, as the whole farm is worth – very well! said I, then I think it must be his heirs executors and assigns who sell, not he himself – It seems Mr. Joseph Armytage would like to sell his little place in Lightcliffe adjoining the Cliff hill land – Adney anxious for it – Washington thought about £3000 rent £100 to be let at that to Mr. Joseph Armytage the present possessor for his life – wrote the last page of my 2nd half sheet and finished my letter to ‘Lady Stuart de Rothesay[‘] dated today – ‘my dear Lady Stuart Few things give me greater pleasure than hearing from you, because it would really give me pain to be quite forgotten by one whom I, at least, know how to value – It is very good of you to care about hearing from me – I am stupidly situated at best; and the protracted sufferings of my poor aunt throw around me a shade of melancholy which I am forever thankful excess of occupation will not let me dwell upon more than it is possible to avoid – Her sufferings seem to increase; yet danger looks less near than it did last year at this time – and do tell dear Charlotte, that I am employing my whole mind upon humdrum matters at home, not knowing how long my anxieties here may last, and not daring to think when I may be able to commence my great tour – I hope Miss Berry is arrived – I heard of dangers such as, perhaps in vain security, you think yourself free from in the quiet, delightful retirement of Highcliff – but one thought of to ‘stand over like Vere’s coffee pot[‘], never once occurred to me – Your very allusion reawakens my suspicions – Be there in the storehouse of events what there may, I trust there is as much of happiness for dear Charlotte as human destiny can afford – I shall never forget my tour to the Pyrenees, nor ever cease to feel deeply interested in the happiness of all my compagnons de voyage – the return from Mont Perdu, made an impression on me, I think you did not observe at the time – I shall, by and by, be too old for Mont Blanc – There was great secret talk of a Miss Campbell’s making the ascent last summer; and one of the guides would have been glad (weather permitting) to arrange our going together – Perhaps the lady herself had no idea of this – I was impressed with the idea that her fondness of celebrity was far greater than mine – a fit of unconquerable shyness came over me, and, instead of waiting, as I might have done, I was off –’ Some time or other hope to see Highcliff again – have not heard from Lady Stuart since her going into Norfolk – should have been anxious about her, but for Lady Stuart de Rothesay’s good account – hope to see old Sarum and Stonehenge en route to Devonshire and Cornwall – have long wished to see the latter county – ‘Is Lady Gordon returned and what are her plans for the winter’…. ‘I cannot fancy her, unaided, travelling very cheaply – Perhaps few of us are calculated to stand best alone – I often smile at its being Miss Tate who so kindly advised me on this subject – I know you will be, – must be, – engrossed by countless persons and things in London; but you will be glad of quiet for some time longer, and perhaps will spare me a few more minutes by and by’ – ask if our political horizon is likely to clear a little – an expectation here of another commercial panic ‘before long’ – 3 banks in town already, and 3 more going to be set up – ‘the selling price of land hereabouts might surprise you – For a little field of about 1 3/4 acre, 2 miles from the town, and of apparently no extraordinary value, the proprietor has just sent me word, he asks three shillings a yard or about £1200! But I must not fill my paper without begging my very kind love to Charlotte and thanks for her nice note, and begging her to give my love to Louisa, and congratulations on her having begun painting in oils, and kind remembrances to Miss Hyriott – Adieu, dear Lady Stuart, and believe me very truly and affectionately yours A Lister’ dont remember my ever concluding with affectionately before mentioned having on taking up a Morning Herald arrived in my absence seen the contradiction (by authority) of the matrimonial connection talked of for 1 of the daughters of Lord Stuart de Rothesay with Mr. Canning – said I had heard of it from 2 or 3 people in Paris – from 11 to 11 3/4 wrote all the above of today and did up my letter to ‘The Lady Stuart de Rothesay’ under cover to ‘The Lord Stuart de Rothesay, Highcliff, Christchurch, Hampshire’ – sent it by George at 3 1/2 – out then with Adney – By Park farm to the new coal pit – was down to the depth of 11 yards this morning – thence 1st time to the stone Mr. Freeman is bearing for me in George Naylor’s land – to Joseph Hall’s, and George Naylor’s and home at 5 25/.. – with my father and Marian almost 1/2 hour – About 2 p.m. Mr. James Ingham called on Adney for 1/4 hour or 20 minutes – she very dignified in her manner. Thinks he would not much like his visit   he probably came to make her an offer if he had dared    said his brother and his wife were coming to call     told A- [Adney] they must not be admitted nor Mr. James I- [Ingham] anymore    both of us indignant and agreed – dinner at 6 – Letter from Mr. Pearce the coach maker by George who did not go to the Post Office till 3 1/2 this afternoon – advises the patent wheels – has sent several to the continent – only want greasing 3 times a year – has never fitted private carriages with mail coach lamps – played and won the only 1 hit we had tonight – coffee in the blue room – in the course of the day; morning and evening, read from page 119 to 205 Pettigrew’s history of Egyptian mummies – 10 minutes with my aunt till 10 – fine cold frosty day – Fahrenheit 43 1/2° now at 11 1/4 p.m.

[In margin:]
Armytage’s field; price of.

James Armytage’s estate in Lightcliffe

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0099

Sunday 26th October 1834

[up at] 7 35/..
[to bed at] 11 1/4

no kiss very fine frosty sunny morning Fahrenheit 44° at 8 1/2 a.m. – breakfast at 9 1/4 – out with Adney at 10 20/.. to 11 40/.. in the garden and Trough of Bolland wood   Letter this morning from Messrs. Hammersleys and company London dated the 24th instant acknowledging the receipt of £200 on my account from ‘the Halifax Banking Company’ – reading Pettrigrew – Adney and I read prayers to my aunt and Oddy at 12 in 1/2 hour and then sat talking above 1/4 hour long – off to Lightcliffe church at 2 10/.. – Mr. Wilkinson did all the duty – preached 23 1/2 minutes from Matthew vii, 24. one should hear the commandments of God, and do them – home at 4 20/.. – walked 1/2 hour in the walk – I out talking to John – old Wilkinson has let his old servant (John’s brother) the land belonging to the Haugh, about 10 dayworks (they say 12 dayworks – but John thinks not so much) at £12 per annum – cheap so as to do him good – this little property to be sold on old Wilkinson’s death – all the coal to get – Had Charlotte Booth – much grown and improved – dinner at 6 – coffee in the blue room till 7 40/.. – In the course of the day and evening made several notes from and read from page 205 to 264 end of (begun on Wednesday) 
A history of Egyptian mummies, and an account of the worship and embalming of the sacred animals by the Egyptians; with remarks on the funeral ceremonies of different nations, and observations on the mummies of the Canary Islands, of the ancient Peruvians, Burman priests, etc. by Thomas Joseph Pettigrew, F.R.S., F.S.A., F.L.S., Doctor of philosophy of the university of Gottingen, member of the royal asiatic society, corresponding member of the academy of arts, sciences, and the Belles Lettres of Dijon, and of the Société académique de medecine de Marseille; Surgeon to the Charing cross hospital, the Asylum for female orphans, etc. etc. etc.
‘Nec cremare aut fodere fas putant, verum arte medicatos intra penetralia collocant’       
Pomponius Mela, liber i. capitulum 9.
London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, Paternoster Row. 1834.
1 volume quarto pages 264 with 13 plates printed by ‘Thomas printer and stereotyper, 12 Warwick square’.

with my aunt 25 minutes till 10 10/.. very fine, frosty, cold day – Fahrenheit 47 1/2° now at 10 20/.. p.m. –

[In margin:]
Haugh estate

Begun Wednesday  22nd instant
Read thro’ Sunday 26th ditto

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0099 & SH:7/ML/E/17/0100

Monday 27th October 1834

[up at] 7 1/2
[to bed at] 11 25/..

tried for a kiss last night but did not get a good one  fine morning and Fahrenheit 47 1/2° now at 8 25/.. – breakfast at 9 – off with Adney at 9 50/.. – to Lidgate – a little while there – gave Sarah a sovereign as a sort of take-leave present on her leaving Adney in about a fortnight – left Adney at the Cliff hill gate at 10 3/4 – home at 12 1/4 having sauntered along the walk – the glazier doing the stop-cocks into the north chamber and my aunt’s room closet – Charles and James Howarth making doors for north chamber – the plasterer came in the afternoon to plaster between the spars of my aunt’s room closet – from 12 3/4 to 2 1/4 gathering acorns in the walk – made a few notes from Pettigrew’s history of Egyptian mummies and sent it back to the library at 3 5/.. – Adney then came – sat by her at her luncheon and till after 4 – she had been 3 hours with her aunt met Mr. and Mrs. Edwards at Cliff hill – sat them out, and seemed to have thus disappointed them – set the acorns (I had gathered this morning) in Trough of Bolland wood and on the slope near the new dry bridge – Mr. Sunderland came about 5 – saw him – thinks my aunt as usual and my father better – some time with him and Marian – dinner at 6 20/.. – played one hit and lost it – then coffee in the blue room – looking over the peerage – read aloud to Adney from page 176 to 193 volume 1 Niebuhr – she then wanted me to play with and talk to her which I did till with my aunt from 9 35/.. for 1/2 hour – then wrote the above of today – very fine day – Fahrenheit 51 1/2° at 10 20/.. p.m. note printed this morning to announce Mr. Sharp’s concert on the 15th December –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0100  

Tuesday 28th October 1834

[up at] 7 35/..
[to bed at] 11

no kiss fine morning tho rather hazy – breakfast at 9 – had had Mrs. Dewhirst again to say they had heard of a place – must they look after it? should not like to be turned out of doors – said they must use their own discretion – I could only say as before I should let Mytholm by ticket and waited to let 2 or 3 things at once – then had Joseph Mann from the pit-sinking bringing me 4 specimens – it was 2 1/2 yards down before they got to the solid measures of which 1^st

                                                                                          yards inches

1st Rag (stone)             from 2 1/2 yards deep to 6 1/2   = 4.    0 thick
2nd scale                      from 6 1/2   –––––––   to 12 1/2 = 6.    0  –––
3rd seat earth              from 12 1/2 –––––––   to 14        = 1.    6  –––
4th 4 score yards band coal from 14 ––––––  to 14.11   = 0.   11 –––
                                                                                                 11.   17 + 2 1/2 yards = 13 yards 35  inches

so that the pit is now got down to the depth 13 yards 35 inches – ordered the man beer, and said I should have to be footed by and by, and would settle about the specimens – siding the north chamber – out with John putting gravel on the terrace walk from 12 to 1 – till 2 40/.. wrote and sent by George at 3 3/4 Letter to ‘Messrs. Pearce and company Coach–Builders 103 Long Acre London Postage Paid’ to order patent wheels – and if the present lamps good enough to let them remain, if not to let me have such as they thought best – will consider about the boot-imperial – Mrs. Rawson of Stony Royde had called for about 20 minutes about 1 1/4 – looking not well or strong – particularly civil to her – had her in our little dining room brought in her and Marian from the drawing room the fire there being out – wrote and sent also by George note to ‘Mr. Hoyland Gibbet Lane’ to ask him to come before my fixing on the colour and for him to see if the plaster will be dry enough for painting by the end of the week – till 3 3/4 read from page 322 to 347 Bakewell’s geology – from 3 50/.. to 5 5/.. out with – walked round by Whiskum cottage and the top of the hill and home by Pump – Adney had long letter from her sister, chiefly on business – twenty four distresses to be made    several on cottagers    silly and tiresome    A- [Adney] nervous and complained of her back   annoyed    cried a good deal   but got her to backgammon played 3 hits and lost them all – began Niebuhr – but soon turned off to talking – with my aunt 20 minutes till 10 – fine day but rather hazy – Fahrenheit 52° now at 10 p.m.

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0100  

Wednesday 29th October 1834

[up at] 7 5/..
[to bed at] 12

no kiss   fine but rather hazy morning Fahrenheit 51° at 8 5/..  with Charles and James Howarth about hanging doors in the north chamber – breakfast at 8 3/4 – Read the mornings Herald – Adney had William Green’s wife – better on her return from the Huddersfield Infirmary – about an hour till 12 with my father and Marian – settled to pay the latter for Adney and myself and our 2 servants £10 per month and advised her having it the 1st of every month – Out with Adney at 12 10/.. no! prevented by Mr. Hoyland – the room will not be ready for painting (plaster over fireplace not dry) till the end of next week – Washington came to Adney about Taylor’s turning over the Tanhouse farm to one of the Southowram Thwaite’s – the walling off the field I have bought of Washington (from the road) walling and stones would be done at 10/. a rood – walling being 2/4 or 2/6 – there will be 25 roods from Hardcastle’s house – sat by Adney at her luncheon and out at 1 25/.. – along Trough of Bolland wood by John Oates’s and Fold and Hagstocks to Shibden mill and thence along Mr. Emmett’s park (behind Staups) and Stump Cross Inn and home by Trough of Bolland wood at 3 20/.. – out again alone in 1/4 hour till 5 1/4 – talking to John about Spigs colliery – and then to Charles Howarth in the workshop about coals – he has heard the colliers say they had got as far as Barraclough-lane head – I laughed, and said they had saved me a great deal of trouble – read a page or 2 – dinner at 6 – coffee in the blue room – just wished my aunt good night at 10 and had been 1/4 hour with my father and Marian between dinner and coffee – all the evening besides till 11 25/.. reading over Adney’s father’s will 65 foolscap pages of her copying – very fine day Fahrenheit 51° now at 11 20/.. p.m. –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0100

Thursday 30th October 1834

[up at] 8 1/4
[to bed at] 11 25/..

no kiss  fine morning rather dullish – breakfast over at 9 3/4 at which hour Fahrenheit 50 1/4° – Miss Prescott called on Adney yesterday while we were out – out with Adney at 9 55/.. – met Washington at his field – told him to set out the bit of ground to be given to the road and the new wall-race for wall between the road and field I have bought of him – at Crownest at 10 40/.. for 1 10/.. hour – Washington shewed Adney the letter he had jointly from Captain and Mrs. Sutherland – the 25 distresses ordered the same as in Mrs. Sutherland’s letter to Adney – Washington owned he would rather write 20 letters to Scotland than serve the distresses – 1 observation led to another – Adney mentioned her having asked for a division of the property and told all the circumstances and about the furniture etc. etc. Washington would take care the property was divided fairly no difficulty but about that in Halifax – at Cliff hill at 11 55/.. for 1 25/.. hour – Miss Walker never more gracious to us both – then by the fields to Lightcliffe – looked about Cordingleys farm – at Lidgate at 2 25/.. for 1/4 hour for Adney’s luncheon – then to Hopkin’s – they want a shed – had asked Washington to ask me to give them the wood – to begin next week – 5 yards by 4 yards – home at 4 – Long while with Marian – paid her for the two months (twenty pounds) A– [Adney] and I and our two servants have been here since our return from the Continent up to 1st November – then with Charles and James Howarth the doors hung in the north chamber – find great fault with the hinges (iron – rising hinges – very clumsy) – the shed at Hopkin’s will take 3 planks – dinner at 6 – coffee upstairs – played 3 hits and won 2 – read aloud from page 193 to 217 volume 1 Niebuhr’s Rome – fine day till a few drops of rain about 4, but fair and finish afterwards – Fahrenheit 53° now at 10 35/.. p.m. with my aunt at 9 10/.. for 40 minutes – then rubbed Adney’s back of neck with brandy 18 minutes – she was much tired tonight –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0100 & SH:7/ML/E/17/0101

Friday 31st October 1834

[up at] 8 1/4
[to bed at] 10 3/4

no kiss windy damp occasionally smart rainy morning Fahrenheit 52° at 9 1/4 a.m. at which hour breakfast – Letter 3 pages and ends and 2 pages crossed from Mariana (Lawton) – dated Tuesday night 28 October – says it was a week ago she passed within a hundred yards of my door – she therefore returned home from York by Halifax! ‘For the 1st time in my life, you knew it not – that I knew it and felt it, you will not doubt’….. Her duty to dote on me less ‘Your friendship and affection I may still claim, and if you can at all guess how necessary they are to my peace of mind, I am quite certain you will at no period deny me either the one or the other. Heaven bless you, my Fred, and make you as happy as your own Mary ever did or can desire – Your last letter was sufficiently explanatory. I am convinced at least, if not satisfied, and for the future you shall be spared any annoyance originating from me’ be my friend be all that a new engagement will admit of   and for this Mary will not be ungrateful   she has loved you ‘dearly fondly and faithfully’   she loves you no less at present   but she loves you too well to be a source of discomfort to you    tho’ we should never meet again my wishes and prayers for you will not cease and to know you are happy will be always a source from which I myself can draw comfort and pleasure – Mariana says she is much better for her 6 weeks at Scarbro’ – but her eyes pretty much the same – asks what I am about and expresses more interest about Shibden she has done for many years – at my desk at 10 35/.. – wrote the above of today – from 10 3/4 to 1 wrote 3 pages and ends and 2 1/4 pages crossed to Mariana – Kind letter – never thought of her passing this way – ‘I can only hope that you will not always leave me in such ignorance of your plans, and can only say that, when I am better informed, I shall venture to attempt burring your carriage-wheels – I wish I had this time met you by accident – the surprise would probably have cost little more than the feeling of which you tell me – why should we never meet again? of what comparative use or pleasure the affection of one whom we never care to see? Friendship, in such a case, ‘is but a name – a charm that lulls to sleep’ – why put off meeting? There is no moral courage in this delay – But it is not I who may determine – you must judge for yourself; and heaven grant that your judgment may be right – you express more interest about Shibden, than you have done for years – thank you, my dearest Mary, for so doing – you tell me how rich I used to be in various arguments in favour of friendship – I am not aware of being poorer in this respect now, than formerly – at least, I have no reason to be so – nothing would give me greater satisfaction than to prove to you, that I have, thro’ life, made fewer unmeaning professions than many people have given me the credit, or rather discredit of believing – But it matters not – I am too thankful for present comfort, to dwell much upon past mortifications’ – pleased at her being so interested about Shibden and will therefore tell her more about it in future than I have lately done – have not bought Godley but its owner has taken a large portion of the land below the house – have been busy in directions her eye could not reach – but much still remains to be done before a passer-by can see much difference – have some small alterations in the house greatly to the comfort of all parties and leaving my father and Marian all as it used to be or better and giving ‘to me and my own more immediate family plenty of room’ – blue room a sitting room – upper kitchen chamber with a little place adjoining, a bedroom and dressing room – upper buttery, butler’s pantry – north parlour, a little dining room – 2/3 of the land let off, and have taken from the barn a temporary useful room, coach house for 3 carriages and shoe black place – Cordingley going to send Thomas Beech’s tools etc. to Lawton Mr. Greenwood having no more business with them than I have – glad of the so good account of Martha Booth – to tell her Charlotte going on well at Miss Hebden’s ‘and Joseph whom I call George, did exceedingly well abroad, and does very well here, being much grown and improved’ – have no doubt Martha will repay her (Mariana’s) pains-taking – conclude with very especially and affectionately yours – till 1 25/.. wrote so far of today – with Adney at her luncheon then out with her in the walk above an hour – then down the old bank to Halifax at 3 3/4 – twice at Mr. Parker’s office – not at home – a minute or 2 at Greenwood’s – 3/4 hour at Throp’s – home at 5 1/4 – with Charles and James Howarth putting up the board top over Marian’s bed-recess in north chamber – a few minutes with my aunt – dinner at 6 – coffee upstairs – played 4 hits and a gammon and won 2 hits and the gammon – read aloud from page 217 to 241 volume 1 Niebuhr – 10 minutes with my aunt till 9 55/.. – windy day – occasional smart rain (and dampish day) but not wet while we were out. Fahrenheit 52 1/2° now at 10 10/.. p.m.

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0101