Roger Whitley's Diary: April 1688

April 1688

Ap; 1st Sonday, I went not church; no strangers of all day.

2. Monday, I took some phisick; Mainwaring went a coursing & to dine at Utkinton, retorned past 9, Minshall with him.

3. Tuesday, there came a man from Tatenhall about cleaving wood & another from Chisleton for money for oates; after dinner Mainwaring & Minshall went towards Stableford & Tarvyn; the Vicar & his father came past 3, stayd past 4; in the evening came Hoole & his wife (a tenant of Sir Thomas Mainwarings) to bring theire daughter to be a servant in the house; there was another woman from Chester to be a servant; Hoole & his wife supt with us; I left Minshall & Mainwaring past 10; there came one Mr Smith from Mr Frogsall whilest we were at supper; he supt in the buttery with Huson; I went to him, after supper.

4. Wednesday, Mainwaring & Minshall went (before 8) to Badeley; I took phisick & kept my chamber till evening; Mr Froysall came as my daughters sate downe to dinner; also Hoole & his wife; I did dine, in my chamber about 4 o'clocke; Major Brooks came, I did not see him; Mainwaring & Minshall retorned late from Badeley; I left them & Froysall, past 10.

5. Thursday, Tarvyn barber trimmed me; Mainwaring & Minshall & Froysall dined; G.Mainwaring , Mainwaring of Calverley, Jackson, Cotton, Hughes &c. dined with us; the last 5 went to Chester past 6; old Porter & Burganey came past 4 about yong Porters seisure, accounts &c; I told them I desired onely my rent, would let them dispose the over plus; they stayd not long; Angell came about 6; he, Froisall, Smith, & Minshall stayd all night; I left them about 10.

6. Friday, the hearth officer came for the duty, was payd, I saw him not; Mainwaring went past 9 to Middlewich; Minshall went a coursing, Froisall & Smith went away before dinner; Minshall retorned to supper (Houseman with him) with some fish from Sir John Crew at Croton; Mainwaring retorned late (Nat Lee with him) after I was in bed.

7. Satorday, I went to Chester, Lee with me; Mainwaring & Minshall on horseback; we dined with G.Mainwaring, one Warburton & Ludlow from Ireland, Mr Wright &c. with us; after dinner came Bret, Streete &c; I went with Streete, Lee & Minshall to Theops, had a bottle in the hall; met Thomas Wrench at the doore, he came not in; then I called on Dr Angell; then went to Jackson's; discoursed awhile with Taylor; saw Baker of Alney below, dranck a glasse with him; then went to Minshall's; there was G.Mainwaring, Mainwaring, Lee, Balsh, Hurleston, Farington, Streete, Wright &c; stayd there till past 7; Mainwaring of Calveley met me at my going out, signed a release to him in the kitchen; Huson & Houseman, G.Mainwaring present; I left him to doe the like & deliver it to G.Mainwaring, Lee, Mainwaring &c; I went home in the coach.

8. Sonday, Jackson & Bradshaw dined with us; went to church in the afternoone; Mainwaring & Lee with me; after sermon, went to the Greyhound with 3 Bruens, Traverse, Hardware &c; the Vicar came to speake with me (about a Sacrament on Good Friday) stayd not; wee all parted before 5; found Jackson & Bradshaw at Peele; they went about 7; Minshall came when we were at supper; Traverse came with us from church; we supt, I left them past 10.

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Ap; 9. Monday, Mainwaring went about 7 towards London; Huson went towards Mold, to the assises.

10. Tuesday, Houseman went to Sir William Aston & beyond Runcorne about the quarters rents; my sisters went to Chester about 3; Hardware & his wife came at 3, & went at 4.

11. Wednesday, Deane Arderne & his cosen Arderne came when we were at dinner & stayd till past 7; the Deane told a great deale of news; was very free in his discourse about taking off the Penal Laws, Test, &c; about his expectacon of being Bishop of Oxon; how he would manage his see, but live still at Kelsall &c; spoke (but little) about renewing my lease.

12. Thursday, Minshall came when we were at supper, I stayd with him till past 10.

13. Friday, (Good Friday) I went to the Sacrament with my daughters & some of the servants; about 1 a gentleman came to me with a letter from Mrs Ratcliffe about her sonne, Mr Tatton which I answered past 3; retorning her letters & papers, enclosed; Jackson & one Smith (a stranger to me) came about 3; dranck a bottle of wine; went past 4; Minshall retorned from coursing, supt.

14. Satorday, Nat Lee & his father & Minshall dined with us; past 2 we went to Kelsall to meete the Sheriffe; there was Bellot, Swetnam, Davenport, Egerton (of the North) & severall other gentlemen; the Sheriffe came about 4; I went with him to Stamford Heath; there I saw the Governor, Bellot, G.Mainwaring & Minshall went back with me to the Crow; we had a glasse of ale but did not alight; we parted; then I met the Deane & another with him in his coach; I called at an ale house in Tarvyn, for Houseman; there was 2 Bruens, Arderne, the Vicar, schoolemaster Bannell; I dranck a glasse of ale in my coach; left them, came home &c; Huson retorned past 9 from Mold assises.

15. Sonday, I went to church with my daughters in the afternoone.

16. Monday, I went to Chester; dined at Jackson's with the Sheriffe, Brandon, Bellot & many other gentlemen (& one Ensigne Gaywood) then I went with 2 Lees to Dr Angells; then we went in my coach to meete the Judge at Hough hill; soe to the Castle; I & Swetnam went to see Mrs Shakerly, she was abroad; saw her husband, 2 Mrs Hurlestons &c; then I wayted on the Judges; there was the Recorder, Deane &c; I went then to Hunt then with Taylor & Hughson to Jackson's (to give in my answer to Fanshaw's bill) then I went to G.Mainwaring's; there was Roger Mainwaring Thomson, Streete, Minshall &c; then we went together to Jackson's; I talked with Thomson (in the Row) about Brandon; also with Wood & Crosse about paying the Widdows 15s for Crosse's lease; then I went to the dining roome; where was the Sheriffe, Brandon, the Ensigne & severall others; I left them past 7; spoke with Robert Lloyd & Huson in the lower roome; G.Mainwaring, Streete & Minshall brought me to my coach; I came home (alone) at 9; there were 2 men from Peover about falling wood & John Wright, from Harden.

17. Tuesday, Huson went (past 10) to Chester & Wrexam, I took phisick; about 3 there came a man (he sayd his name was Pearce); he sent me letters writ by himself the contents were that he desired to speake me; I sent the buttler to know his businesse, that I was in phisick, could not speake with him; his businesse was to get money, pretended to be a frind of Colonel Birch, came from Ireland, had not a peny; I sent him a shilling by the buttler, he made him drinck & got him away.

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Ap; 18. Wednesday, I sent Houseman & James Wright to Manchester to pay Mr Minshull a 100 li. for the last years rent; as I went to dinner there came one Harrison of Aston to desire me to give Mrs Davyes of Dodleston some flower plants; I sent for the gardner; hee could not be found; I sent the buttler to aske Harrison, (though a stranger to me for I never saw him before) to come in dine, which he did (with me, 2 daughters & 3 children); after dinner he dranck a glasse of wine but the gardner not being to be found he went away past one; I promised to order him some plants &c. I wondered she should send to me, considering how ill she & her husband & family had used me; Salman came about his work but unsatisfyed that I would not pay him unreasonable wages; Huson retorned late at night; about 3 Grantham came to speake with me about the schoole money which they sued for; stayd but awhile.

19. Thursday, I took phisick, kept my chamber; Web (the builder) came about 10; was with me awhile in my chamber; dined below with my daughters; retorned about 3.

20. Friday, I went to Chester; called at Lady Bellots by the way; alighted at the Talbot; dined at Jackson's with the Sheriffe, Brandon, Bellot, 2 Mainwarings Thomson; after dinner I went to Dr Angell's; I saw the doctor, my sisters, cosen Ravenscroft &c; then to the Castle (Minshall with me) was awhile in the hall with Streete; then came the Governor & Lassells; after a while the Governor invited me & Minshall to his lodgings; then came Ensigne Caywood & Wilcocks & Swetnam; we had 2 bottles of wine; went agen to the Hall; then to take leave of the Judges; there was the Deane & others; then Bellot, Minshall & I went to the Heart Taverne; Streete came to us; went thence to Jackson's; there was 2 Mainwarings, Thomson &c; then came Brandon; I payd for a bottle of wine, left them, came home to Peele by 10 Huson went this day to Shotwick.

21. Satorday, Bellot, Lee of Darnehall, 2 Mainwarings, Thomson & Minshall dined with me; Lee & Roger Mainwaring went past 4; the rest went past 7; Cadwallader came with buttlers sister; Lee & Roger Mainwaringwent past 4; Tarvyn barber trimmed me past 8.

22. Sonday, I was not at church; no company that day; 23. Monday, I took phisick; G. Harvey came to mend the boyler, &c; a man gelded the 2 Colts; no company all day but S; Hussey; he stayd all night.

24. Tuesday, Mr Sherwood, Nat; Lee & Traverse dined with me; they stayd till past 4. about 1 came sister Lettice's servant with a sumons about the comission to be set on Tuesday next; Hughson went to Chester about it in the evening; 25. Wednesday, I took phisick; in the afternoone Robert Lloyd came to my chamber; was fuller of talk & news then ordinary; particularly of Mr Deane's charge at the Sessions, of Irish-soldyers to come over, of Judge Alibone, in his Circuite & many such discourses but I made no replyes; then he talked of sister Whitley's businesse, of Roger Brereton's affidavit; then of his necessityes, desired me to send him a supply; I told him I was sorry but I could not releive him whilest he was evidence in the Cause &c; then he discoursed of his concernes & my sonnes; desired my advise; I told him I could give no better advice than to refuse it; both partyes giving security to stand to the award; he sayd nobody would be bound for him; then I told him the next best (I thought) was to examine the accounts seriously & if any thing appeared due to my sonne (as I had reason to believe there would) to acknowledge his error & misfortune & referre it to him; wherein I promised to mediate soe far as could be reasonably expected from one; he seemed satisfyed with what I sayd & went away past 7; about 9 Minshall came after we had supt; I left him at 10.

26. Thursday, Minshall dined with us; he went to fish in the afternoone; no other company but workers and servants all day; we supt; parted past 10.

27. Friday, Minshall went a fishing; dined with us; went out agen; about 4 came 2 Lady Bellots & stayd till neare 7; Hardware came when they were here; would not come in; Minshall retorned neare 10.

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Ap; 28. Satorday, Huson, the smith, John Griffith &c. went to Chester; soe did Minshall past 11; a man brought a salmon from Shotwick; Huson &c retorned at night.

29. Sonday, I was not at church, the coach man & postillion being sick; 3 men came from Peover about Shotwick wood.

30. Monday, Broster & another (a stranger to me) came from Tatenhall; then Bird & Newcombe; then came Streete & G.Mainwaring from Chester & a cooper with them; we dined in the Compasse; then came Minshall & Jackson; then Hardware; about 5 we went into the cellar to see them draw off the wine; then came Taylor (about the Comission to be sett on Wednesday) they all went severally away; G.Mainwaring Streete, Minshall & the Cooper went past 7; I discoursed the 3 Peover men about ridding the wood at Shotwick, &c.