Tuesday 1st July 1834

Up at 7 – breakfasted at 9 – answered my sister’s letter, & Washington’s & wrote to my Aunt whom Mrs. Lister said in her letter was very much hurt that she did not know sooner I was coming abroad tho’ it had been talked of by all the world for some months – said to my Aunt that I was sorry to hear this, it was out of my powers to tell her sooner as I did not know myself & wrote to her, & my sister, as soon as it was fixed, that to them I had never been intentionally uncommunicative, & that it was very unlike me, to tell my plans to all the world but herself (my Aunt). To Washington, I wrote to decline Mr. L[ampleugh] Hird’s proposal to take Lidgate. & said I would rather wait, & let the house & land undivided even if I got less – – kept a copy of this letter sent my signature & date, for Washington to fill up with a notice to quit for Thomas Greaves – To my sister (whose eyes are still very bad) said I hope she would have the best advice for them, if they were not soon better. Told her about my letter to Washington, our route to Geneva, my letter of the 28th April which I concluded she had never received – my Aunt being hurt at not sooner being apprised of my coming abroad – that I wrote both to her & my Aunt as soon as it was fixed.

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale WYC:1525/7/1/5/1/13

[up at] 5 10/..
[to bed at] 11 35/..

no kiss see line six above – very fine morning Fahrenheit 70 1/2° at 5 1/4 am – wrote copy letter to Samuel Washington dressed – then had Adney till 7 1/2 – she tired with talking so before breakfast and lay down for a couple of hours – wrote out yesterday till 9 3/4 then wrote 1 1/2 page to my aunt – with Miss Walker breakfast, dawdling over from 11 till 12 – dressed – then till 5 20/.. finished my letter 3 pages and ends and under the seal, and at the top of page 1, besides writing in 1 3/4 line very small quite at the top of page 1 as follows (for my aunt to enclose to Mr. Parker) ‘Geneva. Wednesday 2 July 1834. Sir – I shall be very much obliged to you to make the necessary arrangements for my not being at home till the end instead of the beginning of next month – I will pay all but the £2000, immediately on my return – I am, sir, etc. etc. etc. A Lister’ – glad to have a better account of my aunt and hear my father is pretty well – to hurry Charles Howarth to finish the north parlour that my aunt may get into it as soon as possible – account of the journey from Paris – quite well now – delighted with the Jura and the fine opening upon the lake of Geneva and the Savoy mountains – to be off for Chamouni /Chamonix/ on Thursday – from there to Martigny, Great Saint Bernard, Aosta, Little Saint Bernard and return by Cormayeur – all this may take 8 or 10 days – post office more conveniently situated than the bank, so to direct her next to me “poste restante, à Genève, en Suisse” – will write again in a week, or on our return – if my aunt waits ten days before writing to direct “aux soins de Messrs. Henri Hentsch and Co. Banquiers, Genève, en Suisse” – wrote in Adney’s letter to Washington as follows ‘Geneva Tuesday 1 July 1834. Sir – Pickels is quite right – I have given no leave to anybody to cut grass in the plantation you mention; if I had, I should have told him – He will proceed against the man as he (Pickels) thinks will answer best – I am, Sir, etc. etc. etc. A Lister Be so good as to hurry Charles Howarth to finish the north parlour (the low room next the drawing room) that it may be ready for my aunt as soon as possible’ – Adney declines the terms proposed by Mr. Lampleugh Hird for Lidgate (buildings and 17 days’ work for £60 a year and furniture on a valuation at 5 percent for 3 years wanting several alterations) had he offered 40/. per day’s work for the land and £30 for the buildings and a lease of 8 or 10 years, would have agreed – for the furniture would not ask more or take less than £20 a year unless taking more away than thinking of at present – several applications for Lidgate if divided – will settle nothing about it till her return – Washington offers £20 per annum for it – we suppose there will be about 17 days’ work for this – had just written the above at 6 pm – dinner at 6 20/.. in 1 5/.. hour Adney and I (took George) out from 7 55/.. to 9, sauntering in the town – very fine day – Fahrenheit 70° at 9 50/.. – bought little Chamouni Guide this evening – read almost the whole of it – lay quietly by her twenty five minutes and then to my own bed (in bed) at 11 35/.. –

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale, SH:7/ML/E/17/0049