Saturday 27th December 1834

No entry today.

[up at] 9 40/..
[to bed at] 11 5/..

one very good kiss soon after getting into bed and not long after this  another not quite so good but very fair – very fine morning – frostyish – Fahrenheit 44 1/2° at 10 1/2 at which  hour breakfast to 11 1/2 having had Washington almost all the time – saw my father and  Marian, and then a little while with my aunt who looks poorly but had had a tolerable night  and was better – went out on to the flags for a little while about noon, but the sun that had  been out before, went in on her appearance and she had no benefit of it – I went out at 12 1/2  – in the low and upper land – had the 2 Manns, pit-sinkers, about the drift to be driven to  carry off the water from the pit – the level will come out (from the coal band which is 8 feet  below the dirt band pit now 49 yards deep) a little above the fish pond – I want the stuff from the drift laying up against the road wall on the Conery side – then had better come out into the hollow near the bridge and be taken from the drift up alongside the wall – this would make the drift about 300 yards long – had asked Holt 4/6 a yard for it – but he would say nothing till my return – a great pity – the drift should have been begun at the same time as the pit which would now have to stand till it, the drift, was done and could not be done in less than 3 months working night and day – Came in at 1 1/2 to pay the men the last fortnight’s pit-sinking – found Mr. Sunderland just come – he says the place on my aunt’s leg is getting larger – but her pulse was much as usual – my father very well – all well for Mr. Wortley and his election spite of the reports set afloat by the whigs of his drinking and singing at public houses – had Mr. Sunderland into the drawing to consult him about A-‘s [Adney’s] letting Grieves’s farm    named the three offers   S- [Sunderland] at first for Warburton   Beattie out of the question   said if W- [Warburton] had any chance for Hipperholme school  he had better not have the farm   S- [Sunderland] agreed and let out as a great secret   seeing me interested for W- [Warburton]   that he had a good chance of the school   seven trustees it seems? two Sunderlands and Mr. Dearden will vote for him    and I said one of the others might be gained in spite of Mr. William Priestley    I said one might do much for fair words but did not like things crammed down one’s throat   S- [Sunderland] seemed pleased to find A- [Adney] and I of his way of thinking and I really think Mr. WP [William Priestley] will be beaten as he was about the choice of an organist

[In margin:]

Drift from the coal-pit
Mr. Warburton and the school
out with Adney at 2 1/4 – walked with her to look after her planting at Cliff hill – 25 minutes with her aunt – home at 5 – Adney went to my aunt – had Pickells – the hunters had been yesterday week in Hopkin’s land, and done him much damage – Pickells thought they had even been in the garden – told him to make inquiries – dinner at 6 10/.. – 20 minutes with my father and Marian – Coffee at 7 3/4 – Washington came again (with Adney’s navigation money and my aunts ditto from Mr. Parker) and took coffee and staid till 8 1/2 – sat talking to Adney – with my aunt from 9 3/4 to 10 10/.. – very fine frostyish day – Fahrenheit 42 1/2° at 10 1/4 p.m.

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0131 & SH:7/ML/E/17/0132