Roger Whitley's Diary: April 1691

April 1691

Apr: 1st. Wednesday, Sir William Aston & Angell dined with us; went about 5; Mainwaring, Bidolph & I went to Bromleys; then to the fishing of a poole neare Kelsall; retorned presently; Huson came back from Mold after I was in bed; a man came from Staffordshire with his sonne to be my postillon; Tomkinson retorned from Werrall.

2.Thursday, Bidolphs coachman went with his horses to Elmehurst; Mainwaring & Houseman went to Wrexam; Huson went (past 9) towards Frodesly; Bingley & another came from Chester (about 10) about candles; they dined with us; Mainwaring retorned past 10 at night; Briscoe came from Crew & a man from Lady Bellot.

3.Friday, Comley came from Dysert about the copper oare; a Soldyer (in a red coate) from Colonel Cholmely to Mainwaring. Barker came to discourse me about Bromley's building; Bidolph Mainwaring & I went to Chester past 11; light at Jackson's; dined at Ned Burrows with G.Mainwaring, Streete, Morgan Whitley, Jackson, & Farington; Warburton came after dinner; Danold trimmed me there; Mathers came to me about Lord Maxfeild's debenters; drank glasse of wine, stayd not; I & G.Mainwaring went to Angells, saw my sister, sister Lloyd, &c. then we went to Keck's to speake for a cushion for the pulpit at the Chappell; then to Jackson's; there Fog came to me; afterwards Taylor (but in a by roome) the Governor, Mainwaring, Bidolph, Bevan, Warburton, Parry, Farington, &c. were in the great roome with us; Governor & Bevan left us; we parted past 7; went home about 9.

4.Satorday, Tomkinson went to Lach & Chester; after dinner, Bidolph & Mainwaring went a hawking; Charlotte & 2 cosen Mainwarings went to Peover; in the evening came Comley about the oare; after him came Walley to the same purpose; stayd not long; I went to Bromleys past 6, there was Mainwaring Bidolph & Comley; parted past 7, went home.

5.Sonday, was not at church; Morgan came in the evening; Jackson after him; stayd all night.

6.Monday, G.Mainwaring & Warburton came before 10; went with Mainwaring, Bidolph & Jackson to the funerall of Lady Warington; Comley came about the oare, dined with me & daughter, &c. came againe at night, lay here.

7.Tuesday, Comley sealed articles for the copper oare, & Wood, went about 11; Lightfoote came then, went in ½ houer: Charlotte, Mainwaring, his sisters retorned at night from the funerall; G.Mainwaring & Jackson with them.

[fo. 130v]

Apr: 8th: Wednesday, Mainwaring, Bidolph, G.Mainwaring, Jackson & Tomkinson went to fish a Poole at Shotwick; Houseman went after them; they retorned about 10 at night; sent Burges before with some fish, &c. about 4 came a man from Mr Yates of Manchester with a letter to Huson; I writ an answer; Huson retorned from Shropshire about 10; went to Flint about 11.

9.Thursday, about 4 came Shard, Sparks & Melsh from Chester to speake with me about a mortgage on Mr Melshe's brothers estates in Werrall; they went past 5; as they were going, came Lee an attorney to speake with Mainwaring 10.Friday, I & my family received: the Sacrament at Tarvyn; in the evening came Lord Delamer, his tutor & servants; then Mr Shelley, Walker, &c. they stayd all night.

11.Satorday, Lord Delamer, &c. went (with Mainwaring) towards Chester; I & Bidolph went after them (to attend the Sheriffe) before 10; we met them at the Glassehouse; went with them to Chester; stayd at the Feathers ½ houer; there Donald trimmed me; met the Judges in Handbridge; waited on them to the Castle; then dined at the Feathers with Sheriffe, Lord Delamer, Burdet, Lee, Booth, &c. went then with Bidolph & Mainwaring to Angells; then to the Penthouse where was the Mayor, Governor, & severall Aldermen (drinking the KinG.s & Queen's: healthe, being the Coronation day) thence went to Jackson's; spoke with Crosse, Foulks (a Carpenter),&c. there was also 3 Mainwarings, Streete, Parry, Vicars, &c. Bidolph & I left them, & went home, ½ past 6.

12.Sonday, was not at church, weather being cold, &c. Huson came late at night.

13.Monday, Bidolph,&c. went a fishing; a tenant from Alrey dined with us; Hussey came from Peover in the evening;,&c. I sent the coachman with carpe to the Judges & Dr Fogg.

14.Tuesday, Huson went early to Lord Warington's & then to Sir Richard Brooks; Hussey went to Mainwaring at Chester; cosen Mainwarings, Nixon, &c. went to Chester past 9. retorned at night; Morgan after them; & Huson (past 9) from Lord Warington.

15.Wednesday, Huson went past 9 to Chester; Morgan after him; also Bidolph & I in the coach; lighted at Jackson's; went to Angells, saw my sister; dined with the Bishop with the Judges, Lord Delamer, Delves, Mainwaring, Governor, Mosely, &c. I discoursed cosen Wright about Lloyds debt to my sonne & his bond; the Sheriffe came to attend the Judges to the Hall; I went then to Jacksons; sealed Kirrison's lease; discoursed Crosse about the Hospitall businesse; there was the Governor, Morgan, Streete, G.Mainwaring,&c. I met Gleg of Grange in the Row, by Alderman Edwards, discoursed him about the tax on Shotwick Park; he promised ease; & in the next assessment; met Taylor there also; discoursed him & Huson about my severall concernes, saw Edwards, & Alderman Lloyd, &c. went agen to Jackson's; Bidolph & I went home past 7.

16.Thursday, stayd at home all day, no company; about 6 Bidolph & I went to Bromley's.

17.Friday, Tomkinson & a teame went to Shotwick; Donald came to trimme me; dined, &c. in the evening came Sir Thomas Delves, lady, Mrs Leeke, &c. Tomkinson retorned from Shotwick.

18.Satorday, Huson & his wife came about 8; I sent my coach to waite on the Judges at Chester; the Judge, Sheriffe, Hopkins, Booth, Lee, Hardwar, Angell, Mainwaring,&c. came before 12; dined, also Mr Gerard; the Sheriffe, Booth, Lee,&c. went about 5; the rest stayd all night; Minshall came after dinner.

19.Sonday, the Judge, Delves, Mainwarng, &c. went to church; dined, also the Governor, G.Mainwaring, Brereton, Captain Davyes, Angell, Jackson, Cockaine, Hardwar, Gerard,&c. Governor, Brereton, & Davyes went about 6, also Angell, Jackson, &c. retorned; the rest stayd all night.

20.Monday, the Judge, Hopkins, &c. went before 9; Under Sheriffe,&c. came to waite on him; 2 Mainwarings attended him to Namptwich; Mainwaring retorned late at night.

[fo. 131r]

Ap: 21. Tuesday, Sir Thomas Delves, lady, cosen Mainwarings, harlotte, &c. went to dine at the Sheriffs; retorned about 8; Shelley went away about 11; about 5 came Meots from Chester to propose a mortgage on his brothers: estate in Werrall; went before 6; Bingley, Chandler dined with me; Morgan went to Chester after dinner; Huson after him about 4. Mainwaring went to Chester in the morning to the Quarter Sessions.

22.Wednesday, Delves, lady, 2 cosen Mainwarings Mrs Leeke, went away before 2; after supper came Comley's agent from Dysert; stayd all night.

23.Thursday, Comley's agent retorned (about 10) the gardener & Joseph went to Chester; after supper came Savage; then the Collyer, stayd all night.

24.Friday, Tomkinson went before 7 to Lach & Shotwick; Donald came to trimme us; Mainwaring & Nat. Lee came about one, dined, stayd all night; Savage went away about 3; Donald about 5; Lightfoote came about 4; went before 5; Tomkinson retorned from Shotwick.

25.Satorday, Tomkinson went past 7 to Chester; Broster after him; past 11 Lee came from Lord Warington to Mainwaring, dined, went agen past 2. Bidolph, Mainwaring & Nat. Lee went a fishing; I met them at Bromley's past 6; Lee stayd not, went home.

26.Sonday, I was not at church; Huson came about 5.

27.Monday, Mainwaring went to a month's meeting at Knotsford; Huson & Broster towards Dysert; Tomkinson to Mr Glasier's; retorned at night.

28.Tuesday, Lightfoote came to me past 11; went before 12; carts went to Chester for slates; Bidolph & Houseman went to fish on the forest about 3.

29.Wednesday, no company all day.

30.Thursday, Mainwaring retorned at night from Peover.