Anne Lister Entries Only – 1st-15th September 1834

Monday 1st September 1834

[up at] 8
[to bed at] 12 1/4

good kiss rainy morning till about 9 at which hour Fahrenheit 58 1/2º – breakfast at 9 1/2 having
had Charles Howarth for orders what to do and he and James began the tentwise top of the upper
kitchen chamber – the postman the packet of returned letters from the Post office at Geneva,
charged 11/5, 2 letters from Mariana and 1 from my aunt for me, one from Mrs. Sutherland to
Adney and 2 for Eugénie – what with French postage paid by Laffitte, and England paid here,
these letters have done well enough for the public revenue – siding – Adney and I walked to
Whiskam cottage and about – had Washington from 2 to 3 – then Adney and I in the walk –
dinner at 6 1/4 – wrote and sent at 8 3/4 3 pages to ‘Mrs. Lawton Dr. Belcombe’s York’ having
scratched out the first direction to the Reverend M. /Michael/ Miller’s Scarborough’ – kind letter
– gently and kindly remonstrating against her charge of neglect, – that I might have written to her
oftener however engaged – and that I had never neglected Miss MacLean or Lady Vere – said I
had intended delaying my letter a post or 2, to send it by a small parcel, but, in consequence of
her (Mariana’s) letter wrote immediately and would not send the parcel till I had heard from her
again – said I never suspected the possibility of reproach from that quarter whence I least
deserved it; but ‘those who might be supposed to know us best, are not always those who do us
most rigorous justice – Mary, I leave your own heart to judge’ – Adney and I measuring north
parlour for carpet etc. etc. till 11 – Adney much tired – finish day since about 9 a.m. Fahrenheit
61º at 11 10/.. p.m. found my cousin come and obliged to prepare

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0081

Tuesday 2nd September 1834

[up at] 7 20/..

[to bed at] 12 1/2

no kiss fine. Fahrenheit 56º at 8 1/2 a.m. breakfast at 9 1/2 in the north parlour first time – Had Mr. Adam from 10 1/2 to 11 about the Staups title – difficulties – to consult counsel – the deeds might be ready by Christmas – Mr. Hird called at 2, on Adney, about Lidgate – both sides behave handsomely Mr. Hird not seeming much against taking even the whole of the land, so that I think they will agree, and we shall prepare accordingly – Adney and I with my aunt a little – then off at 3 50/.. to Lidgate the cart to follow to bring things away – I turned back to order about John’s bringing the Lidgate sofa that has been at Shibden the last 5 or 6 months or more – I at Lidgate at 5 35/.. – busy getting off Adney’s mahogany wardrobe, etc. – had Walker, the blacksmith (from opposite the Crownest gates) to help us, and he went with the cart to Shibden – Mr. John Priestley called on Adney for 1/4 hour just before we came away – home at 8 1/2  – dinner at 8 3/4 – coffee as usual – with my aunt at 10 for 1/2 hour – upstairs at 11 1/2 – fine day till near 2 p.m. then showers for a couple of hours and thunder – fine from about 4 for the rest of the afternoon and evening Fahrenheit 60º at midnight – Charles and James Howarth finished putting up woodwork for tentwise top of upper kitchen chamber –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0081

Wednesday 3rd September 1834

[up at] 6 20/..
[to bed at] 11 1/4

no kiss fine Fahrenheit 55º at 7 25/.. a.m. Adney and I at Lidgate at 9 – breakfast there at 10 1/2 – our cart had been there waiting for us ever since 6 a.m. found Charles and James Howarth there to help to loaden and had George too – all the day packing glass, china, etc. – we walked both ways, and home at 8 10/.. – dinner at 8 50/.. – coffee – 10 minutes with my aunt – finish day till between 12 and 1 afterwards rainy afternoon and evening Fahrenheit 60º at 10 3/4 p.m. George brought me from home to Lidgate this morning kind letter 2 1/4 pages from Lady Stuart Whitehall franked by Lord Stuart de Rothesay to say Sir Augustus Foster had looked at the Fourgon for me at Baxter’s, and thought it heavy – but said he was not a good judge, and did not like to say more – kind letter also 3 pages and ends and under the seal from Lady Vere Cameron Achnacarry, Fort William North Britain 28th August – had never been so long without hearing from each other and hoped we never should be again – begged me to write soon – had given a note for me to the care of Lady Stuart to forward to Paris – supposed I had never got it – no! I never did – very well and happy –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0081

Thursday 4th September 1834

[up at] 7 40/..
[to bed] 12/40..

no kiss fine – breakfast at 9 – had Greenwood’s man to measure for bookcase in blue room –unpacking china – At Lidgate (Adney and I walked) at 11 1/2 – packing china etc. – Had one cart again and Charles and James Howarth who arrived just before us – George brought (in the afternoon) the card of Mrs. William Priestley and ditto of Mr. William Priestley each directed in pencil ‘Miss Walker’ – had called and sat a little while with Marian but never asked after me, tho’ Mrs. William Priestley mentioned Miss Walker’s being here and said how long she would remain was another thing – seemed in bad temper about it – said Adney had not consulted any of her friends – had not named her intention even to her aunt of Cliff hill – evidently bitter against me – Mrs. William Henry Rawson left her card for Adney at Lidgate and so did Mr. Edwards or somebody from Pye nest for all the families of Pyenest and Darcey Hey, for Adney had given strict orders to admit no one – Miss Horsfall called and left her card yesterday morning at Lidgate for Adney – nobody being admitted – walked home in 3/4 hour at 8 20/.. – dinner at 8 3/4 – coffee – 20 minutes with my aunt till 10 1/2 – fine day – Fahrenheit 64º at 12 40/.. tonight –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0081

Friday 5th September 1834

[up at] 7 20/..
[to bed at] 11 1/2

no kiss Ellen Hatton and daughter here by 7 1/4 to do the tentwise top of the upper kitchen chamber to be Adney’s and my own bedroom in future – ready in 3/4 hour while they got their breakfast – Adney and I breakfasted at 9 1/2 – busy till 2 unpacking and siding things from Lidgate, and giving Mallinson orders about making laundry in end of barn next the part of it I had had made into a coach house during my absence – asleep in my study above 1/2 hour till 3 – Mr. and Mrs. Bateman called in the morning – very civil and judicious and would not have Adney disturbed knowing she was so busy – inquired after me very properly – so that I shall now in their case get over my objection to making new acquaintances and call with Adney – Had Pearson for surely a couple of hours, till I was tired almost to death, about his farm at Mytholm – the substance of all the talk was that as he had satisfied my sister that the scandal against his character in the matter of his son John’s bankruptcy, I was satisfied too, and had [no] objection to his keeping on the farm, if he would give the rent – but he must have a lease like the rest – this a sine qua non – after all his objections, he seemed to agree to this if he did not object to the rent – said I should have the farm valued – my father would take the same rent as hitherto during his life, but the first rent day after his death I should expect the rent according to the lease – Pearson said he should want paying for laying down all the fields – he had entered to them in a very bad state and should want paying for what he had in them – I said I wanted nothing but what was fair but thought as he had entered about 35 years ago it was rather long to go back for the charge of laying down but we should see about that, and settle on his signing the lease, if we agreed again – Mr. Sunderland came at 6 – does not think my aunt’s general health worse than when I left home – but the sore on the leg increased and he does not think her likely to do more than get over the winter if so much – one of Mrs. Machin’s daughters came to say her mother would sell the coal of the 5 lower fields (adjoining George Naylor’s and Joseph Hall’s) and wished to let me know before selling it to Mr. Rawson who, it seems, offers her £300 or £400 – the daughter knew not what quantity of land, nor anything about the value of the coal – it was only the coal of the 4 upper fields that had been sold to Mr. Samuel Holdsworth and thus come into possession of Mr. Rawson – I was very civil – said I would tell Holt to value for me, and would give an answer on Wednesday evening – dinner at 7 1/4 – siding the hall full of Adney’s bureaus, and great things, and baskets full of crockery – 10 minutes with my aunt till 10 25/.. – then came up to bed – fine day – windy blustering night – Fahrenheit 60 1/2º at 11 p.m. –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0081 & SH:7/MLE/17/0082

Saturday 6th September 1834

[up at] 7 1/4
[to bed at] 11 50/..

no kiss Fahrenheit 58º at 8 40/.. a.m. and haze and small rain – breakfast at 10 – Had Washington with our rent accounts – I received £190 in bills + 37 sovereigns + 1/4 leaving £50 in his hands, clear of all the payments – dawdling over 1 thing or other – wrote out journal of 27th and 28th ultimo – Mr. Lampleugh Hird came at 1 3/4, and took Lidgate and all the land and the house furnished for 10 years at £100 per annum the first 1/2 years rent to be allowed for improvements – he staid about 1/2 hour and behaved handsomely, hoping, if Adney remained here, that, as they would be near, they should be good neighbours – all this is very well – I had Mrs. Dewhirst 1/4 hour, Pearson’s sister, about Mytholm – said I could say nothing – not improbable Pearson and I should agree again – it all depended upon whether he would give the rent I should ask – if not, the farm would be open – not determined but thought I should then let it by ticket, as I talked of letting the Stump Cross Inn – yes! she had heard of that, so thought it useless for some friend of hers to apply – Adney and I off at 2 55/.. (walked) to Lidgate – she busy upstairs – I in the cellar packing wine from 4 1/2 to 7 1/4 –17 bottles champagne, 18 ditto raisin; 3 1/2 dozen port of 1825 and 3 dozen of the same 19 bottles fine old madeira with the remaining 4 bottles of port of 1825 and 1 bottle of noyau – we walked home in 50 minutes at 8 20/.. – dinner at 8 3/4 – Adney went to bed before coffee – I with my aunt 35 minutes till 10 35/.. – small rain in the morning till after 10 – then fair and finish till 3 3/4 – then heavy rain and rain till near 7 p.m. Fahrenheit 57º now at 10 55/.. p.m.

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0082

Sunday 7th September 1834

[up at] 8 20/..
[to bed at] 12

no kiss she always too tired  finish morning Fahrenheit 56º at 9 a.m. breakfast at 10 – siding the linen of the hall table into Adney’s mahogany wardrobe etc. went to my aunt at 12 – Adney and I read prayers – quite as much as my aunt could bear, as she had spasms directly after the service was over – Adney lay down for an hour and I sat by reading the newspaper (morning Herald) – off at 2 1/2 and we walked to Lightcliffe at 3 20/.. – time enough – my watch 1/4 too soon – no books – Miss Walker of Cliff hill must have sent for them; for surely they cannot have been stolen – Mr. Wilkinson did all the duty – preached 1/2 hour from gospel of St. John iv. 13, 14. Adney had the 10 boys that did not come to Lidgate for their shirts and stockings and buns and beer yesterday – we walked home in 50 minutes at 6 50/.. – dinner at 7. coffee – settled with Cordingley – I with my aunt 1/2 hour till 10 1/2 – Adney in bed at 9 40/.. and sat by her till 10 – fine day Fahrenheit 58º now at 11 40/.. p.m.  altering Adney’s letter to Mrs. Henry Belcombe –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0082

Monday 8th September 1834

[up at] 7 1/2
[to bed at] 12 1/4

no kiss rainy morning Fahrenheit 56º at 8 1/4 a.m. – wrote out 29th ultimo and wrote 4 pages of 1/2 sheet to Dr. Belcombe then wrote and sent off by George at 12, note to ‘Mr. James Holt High Roydes’ to ask him to value Mrs. Machin’s coal for me as soon as he could as Mr. Rawson was about it, and I had promised an answer on Wednesday afternoon – breakfast at 9 1/2 – had Mallinson about the wine cellar – ordered how it was to be done – then had Pickels about stable etc. at the Whiskum toll house or Whiskum cottage as I shall call it, and out with him there and in the upper land, about road for Mark Town etc. till 2 – Adney and I off to Lidgate at 4 10/.. rain before we got there – took shelter in the barn – Sarah gone to Wakefield and the house locked up – then left Adney for 3/4 hour at Cliffhill while I sat at Crownest – then fearing Adney had gone past unseen, sent Samuel Washington with the key to Lidgate and went to Cliff hill, and brought Adney away at 5 35/.. – no shake-hands with her aunt who had been crosser than ever – How tiresome! gets upon poor Adney’s nerves, and undoes all good – Surely she will cease to care for such senseless scolding by and by – all sorts of bitterness against me – I am said to have said in York, I would have nothing to do with her ‘troublesome friends’ and indeed her friends, said Mrs. Ann Walker, would not trouble her (Adney) much at Shibden – the poor old woman’s head is crammed full of pother and untruths –at Lidgate till 6 25/.. – home at 7 1/2 – dinner at 8 – Greenwood came about 9 about the blue room bookcase – estimate £23 with the wire work of the doors which (in brass) might be £6 – to let us know further about this on Wednesday – would be done in 6 weeks – he staid near an hour – said Mr. Fuller would give £110 for Northgate house and land, and that £7350 was bid at the sale, but very few people there – too much land now in the market – would cost £2000 to fit it up as an Inn, and should then let for £250 per annum – said I should have no objection to lay out the £2,000 on these terms for a good sure tenant –then 1/4 hour with my aunt leaving Marian with Adney – she (Adney) and I afterwards sat talking downstairs till 11 40/.. – rainy day tho’ tolerably fair while I was out this morning from 12 to 2, and fair till Adney and I got 1/2 way to Lidgate and tolerably fair as we returned – raining heavily now at 11 3/4 p.m. and Fahrenheit 59º –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0082

Tuesday 9th September 1834

[up at] 8 50/..
[to bed at] 12 50/..

goodish one last night       lay quietly talking this morning      finish but dullish morning and Fahrenheit 57º at 9 1/2 – breakfast at 10 – wrote 1 page of 1/2 sheet envelope and finished my letter begun yesterday to Dr. Belcombe – said we were sorry not to have seen one leaving York – I wished to have consulted with him a little but the event had justified my courage – never journey answered better – took no medicine while away – nature had done all that could be desired – Adney had borne our arduous journey admirably and was an excellent traveller – mentioned our route in general terms – that we had scrambled up fearful rocks, waded thro’ snow, and gazed upon spots where others had been lost, and had picked up health and strength amid our wild but delightful wanderings – wrote out journal of the 30th instant – measuring and settling with Adney about curtains for north parlour – had Charles Howarth measuring the fireplace and planning about chimney piece – wrote compliments to Mr. Wilkinson and to inquire if there was a front gallery-pew at liberty in Lightcliffe and what would be the annual rent – if not begged to know what pews were at liberty, as, during my stay at home, should be glad to be one of Mr. Wilkinson’s congregation if I could get a good pew – Adney finished her very civil letter to Mrs. Henry Belcombe 1/2 sheet full and 1 page of 1/2 sheet envelope – as she could not do her commission and bring her and Mrs. Miller each 2 cases of Eau de Cologne, (the carriage too full) begged the commission might be put out of the question and that each would do her the favour to accept one case – very much obliged for Mrs. Henry Belcombe’s so kind invitation to spend a little while with her – grateful to Dr. Belcombe for all his skill and kindness and care – sent George off at 4 with Adney’s letter and mine to ‘Dr. Belcombe, York’ in a parcel to ‘Mrs. Henry Belcombe, Minster yard, York’ with the 2 cases of Eau de Cologne – one with Miss Comptons to Mrs. Miller, and with my note (vide above) to ‘the Reverend Robert Wilkinson Heath[’] – Adney and I off (on foot) down the old bank to Halifax at 4 40/.. – to Walker’s, Nicholsons, Whitley’s etc. and home (up  the new bank) at 6 55/.. – dinner at 7 10/.. – coffee – civil note compliments etc. from Mr. Wilkinson – could give no positive answer – would inquire – thinks there is one pew at liberty in the north or south gallery, could not make out which, – I with my aunt from 10 to 10 35/.. – she has very much pain, as usual – cannot now bear to talk much, or to have Adney and me (2 people) together – had had Mr. Sunderland while we were at Halifax. Adney went to bed at 10 I sat up looking for account book and bills – fine day. Fahrenheit 58º at 12 10/.. tonight –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0082 & SH:7/ML/E/17/0083

Wednesday 10th September 1834

[up at] 8 55/..

[to bed at] 12 3/4

no kiss rainy morning Fahrenheit 56º  at 9 50/.. breakfast at 10, and reading the Morning Herald till 11 20/..  10 minutes with my aunt – at my desk at 12 5/.. – interrupted – Had Mr. Hoyland – advised painting the blue room a light grey – dawdling with Adney – out a little – talk to John about coal-place and determine to make one in the farm yard against the new mangle-room – wrote civil note compliments to ‘Mrs. Machin’ and sent it by John this evening to say sorry I could not give an answer about the coal, not having received Mr. Holt’s valuation – sure he would not delay unnecessarily – If Mrs. Machin could wait a day should be much obliged – Adney 1/2 hour with my aunt this morning and an hour or more with my father and Marian this afternoon – before dinner (at 6 25/.. and coffee immediately afterwards as usual) and 3/4 hour afterwards till 10 55/.. wrote out 31st ultimo and every day of this month up to now 10 55/.. p.m. – having been with my aunt (much better tonight) 25 minutes till 10 10/.. – before this after dinner and coffee had played backgammon with Adney leaving off after several hits, she 1 hit ahead – she sat by me in my study after my leaving my aunt – thoroughly rainy day – hardly 5 minutes fair the whole day – Fahrenheit 58º in my study at 11 20/.. p.m. and Fahrenheit 56º at 12 1/2 tonight in the tent room (upper kitchen chamber) – sat up talking over Mr. Edwards’s letter and Mrs. Sutherland’s settlement of her property on her husband, according to Mr. Edwards‘s letter even without being settled first on her children – Adney‘s cousin came a very little tonight –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0083

Thursday 11th September 1834

[up at] 9

[to bed at] 11 35/..

no kiss   finish but dullish morning and Fahrenheit 52º in tent room at 9 a.m.  Kind letter 3 pages and ends and under the seal from Mariana Scarbro’ – Lady Stuart’s having written to her to inquire after me seems to have consoled her more than anything and of my last letter she says ‘what you say on the subject of not writing while you were abroad gives me all the consolation that you intended’ – she is rather better but still very poorly – …‘may our friendship which while we could see each other never suffered one moments interruption, and which I firmly believe no length of absence will lessen, burn bright until our last hour, and be renewed in a better world to last for ever and ever – I have loved you long and fondly, I love you no less at present tho’ our position with regard to each other is so changed that I cannot now, as hitherto I have ever done when in Yorkshire, anticipate the happiness of our meeting’ ……  ‘Now the material for hope seems worn out, and I begin to think this blessing is beyond my reach’… pleased to hear my journey has answered so well – ‘If I live till next year I mean if possible to try and accomplish a trip up the Rhine’…. she is in a lodging at Scarbro’ having her sisters Ann and Mrs. Milne with her, her mother being with Mrs. Miller – Mariana to stay there till 1 October and would like to stay a week longer if the sea bathing agrees with her – breakfast at 10 and had Washington with us and reading the paper till 11 1/2 – Washington values Mytholm farm at £60 or £63 per annum – said I myself valued it at £65 – but he will let me have the particulars – John brought Lowndes’s bibliographer’s manual from Whitley’s 4 volumes octavo 1/2 bound purple Turkey morocco 12/6 the 4 volumes 85/. but got them for 4 guineas – in my study and wrote the above of today till 12 25/.. then an hour writing 1 1/2 page to Mariana then went to Pickells – set him at work clearing away and walling for new coal-place – with him and about till 3 – then walked with Adney 1 1/2 hour in the walk – William Green let the mare get into the shrubbery and break off fine rose accacia – vexed – Adney lay down 1/2 hour and was then 1/4 hour with my aunt while I was pruning in the walk and did not come in till 6 50/.. – dinner at 7 – coffee – Adney won 2 gammons to my one and 5 hits to my 3 – came upstairs at 10 10/.. – 1/4 hour with my aunt – had seen her in the morning – had had bad night, and much pain, as usual, today – finish autumnal day – the trees green – not much sign of autumn amid the foliage – Fahrenheit 58º now at 10 3/4 p.m. in my study –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0083

Friday 12th September 1834

[up at] 9 1/2

[to bed at] 11 55/..

playing last night    that is, merely grubbling a little     so that her cousin very scanty yesterday is plentiful today – up at 7 for 1/4 hour then in bed again till 9 1/2 – Out with Pickels at the coal place begun yesterday – Mallinson and 2 men and a boy came at 10 (put my watch on getting up back 20 minutes that it is now right by the day) to begin to do the wine-cellar – John Booth off at 12 1/2 pm to fetch Door-posts from Hove edge for coal place – Charles and James Howarth began the new doors for the approach road yesterday afternoon – the boarded gate too heavy for my father – breakfast at 11 to 12 looking over papers respecting Mrs. Clarke and her administration – at my desk at 12 1/2 – the remaining 1/2 of page 2 to Mariana begun yesterday – called down to Thomas Pearson – his shed falling in – took Pickells (about one or after) to look at it – I to find all stuff, and he will do it all up again for 5/. – then went with him along the brook to see the repairs of wearing and along Lower brea wood – sent him home and I sauntered up the walk – there with the workmen till after 3 – then with Adney – walked with on the terrace from 4 1/4 to 5 1/4 – then in the walk again pruning till 6 40/.. – sat down to dinner as I was at 6 3/4 – coffee – had Greenwood – ordered bookcase to be 21 inches deep inside measure, and 8 feet 10 inches broad and 7 feet high – £23 and brass wire at 2/. per foot = 18/. per door = £3.12.0 + £23 = £26.12.0  to be done 1 November – ordered about sofa, after one we admired at Le Sagés in Paris – would be (without Chintz for covering) £6 or £6 – would take 12 yards including 2 bolsters taking 1 yard each – chairs would take 3/4 yard each, and neat ones of mahogany would be 25/. per chair – Mr. Tweedy had asked Greenwood to see Northgate house – asked the rent – £120 – made no remark on this – said it was cheap at £10,000 – would be worth more when the town was made corporate – 10 minutes with my aunt till 10 20/.. – before this looking over Adney‘s papers – came upstairs at 10 3/4 – wrote all but the 1st 6 lines of today till 11 1/2 – fine day tho’ cloudy at times – Fahrenheit 57º in my study at 11 1/2 p.m. –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0083

Saturday 13th September 1834

[up at] 8 25/..

[to bed at] 11 1/2

no kiss very fine morning – ready at 9 1/4 at which hour Fahrenheit 50º in the tent room – breakfast at 9 1/2 – Had Greenwood’s man about the bookcase and sofa, and ordered window-blind for north parlour 12 feet of brass wire at 1/10 = 22/. and the oak frame – read a little of the Morning Herald – helped Adney with her letter to her sister    she Adney for settling with Mrs. Clarke as soon as possible wherther [whether] the Sutherlands will or not – Pickells at the coal-place – Charles and James Howarth hanging the entrance doors, and Mallinson and his 2 men and a boy at the wine cellar – 1/4 hour with my aunt and at 11 1/4 wrote the above of today – then asleep above 1/2 hour – downstairs with Adney      with the workmen – Pickells finished the coal place up to the beams – gave him authority as before for shooting over the estate and proceeding against all trespassers according to law – and Adney gave him authority to shoot over her property and discharge hunters and shooters but not to discharge other trespassers or shoot rabbits the latter being the province of Eastwood – the entrance doors hung – and Charles and James Howarth afterwards jobbing about other things walked with Adney from 3 20/.. above an hour in the new road

[In margin]

Adney and I gave Pickells written authority to shoot over our estates and I against trespassers as before – 

in Trough of Bolland wood and afterwards in the garden till after 5 – then paid Mallinson in full up to his beginning the wine cellar on Thursday – and paid Pickells up to tonight for the 2 1/2 days here at coal place – dinner at 7 – coffee – read aloud a little of Plumpton Wilson’s 1st sermon volume 1 octavo (2 volumes) – then Adney won a gammon and 3 hits to my one hit – went to my aunt at 10 – too late, so left her meaning to go sooner another time – she was in bed the night before last – very fine day – Fahrenheit 57º at 10 20/.. p.m. –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0083 & SH:7/ML/E/17/0084

Sunday 14th September 1834

[up at] 8 35/..

[to bed at] 11 1/4

no kiss   very fine morning Fahrenheit 55 1/2º  at 9 1/2 a.m. at which hour breakfast – sat reading the 1^st 20 pages of the naturalist’s Journal article Lime etc – Lime chiefly good as a manure on account of the water it imbibes and its thus cooling the earth – with my aunt at 12 – Adney and I read prayers and sat talking a while – having had Holt for about an hour from about 11 – 11 dayworks of coal in Mrs. Machin’s land would not give more for it than £100 – cannot be got for nobody knows how long – Mr. Rawson cannot get it without 1st going thro’ Joseph Hall’s farm – Has bid her £100 for the coal – Holt thinks she cannot make a title to it – they (some of the children as heirs) are sueing her for the what she got for the stone she sold – the farm lets for fifty guineas a year George Naylor says sadly too dear – to buy it, it should pay 3 1/2 percent or 3 percent with the coal = £1750 for £30 per annum = £1000 + £15 per annum = £500 + £7.10.0 per annum = £250 – But £1500 would be enough for it – Mr. Rawson had bought Mr. Samuel Hall’s coal at Lawhill 60 dayworks both beds = 120 dayworks for one thousand pounds £100 to be paid on signing the deeds and the rest by instalments of £50 per annum – the contract only just made – not signed last Saturday fortnight – given not sold – one field that Rawson can get immediately is worth all the money – gave some friend of Mr. Hall’s £20 to advise him to sell at this price and gave Samuel Holdsworth also a fee for advising and being chiefly instrumental to the same – Rawson has put down 2 engines of 5 horse power each – the lower engine lifts the water into a level that empties itself into the Halifax brook near Thief bridge (near Stony Royde) –  ––––– Garforth of near Bradford the engineer and planner and putter down of the engines which cost £500 each – Mr. Holmes has sold Rawson some coal at £100 per acre according to Holt’s valuation – Mr. James Norris and Joseph Wilkinson going into coal partnership – Holt very glad he and I escaped Mr. Norris – Holt would not now like to have anything to do with him – too much coal now in the market – mine will pay for keeping – Rawson has at Swan bank pit and the other pit (coal of both brought out at the same place) 32 colliers 14 at one 17 at the other and 4 colliers will get a daywork in a year that Rawson gets 8 dayworks per annum – thinks they have stolen some of my coal – said I should be glad if they had – would look after them – Determined to get water for John Bottomley and Whiskum cottage – Holt to meet me about it, on the ground, at 3 p.m. on Tuesday and then to shew me where to sink pit, and give me an idea of the cost – should begin in spring – will be a year in sinking it – thinks Staups not too dear – 13 dayworks of coal there – Stocks would have brought out coal by the Staups loose for 50 years to come – after leaving my aunt soon after 1 read a few pages forward Naturalist’s Journal and asleep till 3 – Adney and I in the walk from 3 25/.. about 1 1/4 hour then in the garden and came in about (after) 5, and with my father and Marian till after 6 – dinner at 6 3/4 – coffee – read a little of Bardon’s costumes of the ancients (those of the Jews) – Adney went to bed at 9 – I with my aunt 3/4 hour till 9 3/4 wrote till 10 25/.. wrote the above of today – very fine day Fahrenheit 60º in my study now at 10 1/2 p.m. –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0084

Monday 15th September 1834

1834 September Monday 15th

[up at] 7 5/..

[to bed at] 11 35/..

no kiss very fine morning Fahrenheit 54º and out at 7 55/.. – set Pickells at the walk across the wheat field to Trough of Bolland wood – to be ashed at 15d per 1 horse load and ordered 3 loads at 18d gravel for the garden walk – Charles Howarth coming after 8 – and Hardy the 1st mason at 8 20/.. – scolded them all – said Pickells to pay £5 a year for Whiskum cottage – he wanted to have the 2 fields and cottage at £20 a year – no! said I, I have nothing more to do with the fields – they are let and must remain as they are – breakfast at 9 1/4 – Had Washington – brought his valuation of Mytholm farm 20 acres 15 perches = 30 dayworks 3 quarters 17 perches at £63.6.1½ per annum – I shall set it at £65 per annum – Told Washington to see Mrs. Machin tomorrow – if he could buy the coal 11 dayworks at 100 guineas or £120, to agree – to have the Mytholm pew in Lightcliffe church lined with dark green, ready for us next Sunday – out with Adney at 10 50/.. in the walk till 12 10/.. – then a little about and talking to my aunt in the garden walk, and had Messrs. Rothwell and Whiteley soliciting my subscription to the fund for Mrs. Dew, widow of the late incumbent of St. James’s – £600 already subscribed – nothing but fi[f]ties, twenties, and tens – gave £5 and my father gave ditto – at my desk at 1 40/.. – wrote the latter page 3 and ends and finished my letter to Mariana began on Thursday – from 3 25/.. to 4 3/4 wrote 3 pages of 1/2 sheet to Lady Stuart and till 6 1/2 write 3 pages of 1/2 sheet to Lady Stuart de Rothesay – dinner at 6 35/.. – coffee – backgammon – won 1 gammon and 2 hits to Adney‘s 3 hits – 1/2 hour with Marian – 20 minutes with my aunt till 10 10/.. – then near 1/2 hour again with Marian money matters   if I could let Marian have fifty of the hundred Adney and I are to give her on leaving    and the rest at Christmas    yes – came upstairs at 10 40/.. very fine day – Fahrenheit 60º at 11 10/.. p.m. in the tent room –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0084