Roger Whitley's Diary: August 1686

August 1686

2. Monday, daughter Mainwaring began to be in labor in the morning early; Dr Angell was sent for & Mrs Hardware & her daughter; they dined with us; also Mr Kenrick, his wife & daughter, G.Mainwaring , his sisters & Mrs Anderson, Kinaston, Minshall, Wolley, Gerard & Dicas; they parted about 7; G.Mainwaring & Minshall & Angell stayd all night.

3. Tuesday,about 8 my daughter Mainwaring was brought to bed of a sonne; Mrs Hardware & her daughter & daughter Angell, Dicas &c with her; G Mainwaring went to Chester in the morning; neighbor Lightfoote came with Selsby's sonne about the rent that old Selsby & Simpson owe me; also Mr Delve's man with letter from Denington to Mainwaring in the evening I went to visit the Deane; he was abroad; I went to Nant ale's; there was Hide & Peter Brisko; we went in; G. Eaton was drunck upon the bed; got up, left the roome was very drunck; Hide & Brisko dranck a glasse or 2 of ale; as I was going away Mainwaring , Biddolph & Minshall came from setting; we went into the garden; had 2 or 3 flagons of ale; parted past 7; came home, Angell was still there; we supt & sate up till about 12.

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4. Wednesday, Biddolph went towards Elmehurst; Mainwaring & Minshall went part of the way with him; Dr Angell went to Chester; Mainwaring & Minshall retorned later.

5.Thursday, Mr Egerton & Mrs Shakerley sent theire servants to see daughter Mainwaring , Har: Syddall kild a fat oxe at Peele; Mainwaring & Minshall went a setting; retorned late.

6. Friday, Mr Gerard came to propose the sale of Kingsley & one Whitworth with a message about some money due to Lady Bromley (from Roger) for 2 horses; they dined with me, went away betwixt 3 & 4; Jackson's man brought post letters from Chester; Syddall came to cut up the oxe.

7 .Satorday, Mrs Booth sent her servant to know how my daughter Mainwaring & all of us did; Mainwaring & Minshall went to dine with Mr Hurlestone; the farryer came to see the coach horse, 8. Sonday, I went to church with Mainwaring in the afternoone; the school master of Hargrave preached; Hardware, Traverse, Grantham, the churchwardens & 2 or 3 more of us went to the vestry about raising a lea for some poore children; went home..

9. Monday, the paver, Hughes & another slater came to me about repaires & work to be done; Mr Newcomen & Robert Lloyd dined with us; parted past 4; about 6 came Sir Thomas Mainwaring his sonne & daughter; then Lord Delamer; then Dr Angell & my sister; also cosen Powell; we supt, went to bed past 10; I left Mainwaring , his brother Angell & Lord Delamer's gentleman Kelsall in the Compasse with a bottle of wine; &c; .

10. Tuesday, Mr Disbury's servant brought some growse; Lord Delamer, Sir John Crew & Charlotte were Gossips to Mainwaring's; child; they dined with Sir Thomas Mainwaring , Angell, his wife, sister Lettice, Mrs Booth, her daughter, my sisters, cosen Powell, Hardware & his wife & daughter, Sherwood, Streete, G.Mainwaring , Arderne, D.Minshall, Traverse, Cumberbach, Jackson & his wife, &c. many of them went away in the evening; Delamer, Sir Thomas Minshall, Jackson, Traverse, William Mainwaring &c stayed all night; Delamer went to bed past 11, then I left them also .

11. Wednesday, after dinner Lord Delamer went homewards; the rest stayed all night.

12. Thursday, Sir Thomas Mainwaring & his company went to Chester about eleaven o'clock, soe to Gayton; Dr Angell went to Chester also Mrs Dicas with her sonne who came for her; the woeman cook also went to Chester; Minshall & Howseman a setting; Mainwaring with his father to Chester; Fryer & Johnathan discoursed with me, Hughson & John Griffith about reaping and mowing my corne; my cosen Powell went away past 12; Mainwaring & Minshall retorned past 10; we parted past 11.

13. Friday, an old man came to the doore; he sayd he had bin a trompeter under me at Aberustwyth (for about a month) but I doe not remember him; he sayd he came now from Ireland going for London; had served under Colonel Werden with Marrow; would goe to him; I made him eate & drinck & gave him 2s, he being very poore & within one of 80; a tenant & his wife from Kelsawle brought us some chickens; they dined in the buttery; Mainwaring went to Cumbermere; Minshall stayd with me; about 4 Mr Hardware & his sonne came to see me; they went away about 6; Minshall stayd all night.

14. Satorday, Minshall went to Chester; there came 3 men & 3 woemen (Mainwaring 's tenants) to gossip with my daughter; the woemen dined with us & Sir William Aston (who came from Wrexam waters) the men dined with Eywart at the side table; they all parted about 5; Sir Willoughby took horse at the foregate; I brought him to his horse; William Minshall came in the evening; Dr Angell & Mainwaring retorned from Cumbermere.

15. Sonday, Mainwaring , Minshall & I went to church in the afternoone; Cranck came with a letter to Hughson & widdow Morgan's mayde (& another woman) from her mistresse to know how we all did.

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16. Monday, Minshall went to Namptwich; I sent Howseman with him to visit the old Lady Bellot & the family at Dereford; Dr Angell went to Chester, I & Mainwaring went after him; we light at Wright's; stayed not; Holland trimmed me & we dined at Jacksons with Streete, G.Mainwaring , Minshall, Thame, his wife, Mrs Boothby & another, Cumberbach, Harleston & one Font (a Papist, & thought to be a Preist); he went after dinner when Alderman Wright came in; then Mainwaring Minshall & I went to the Recorders; he had clyents with him; then we went to Lutwich; we had 2 bottles of wine with him & one Mr John Booth; we left him past 4; went agen to the Recorders, had a glasse of wine & a glasse of ale; he went with us to Jacksons; there was most of the company & Gleg, Mainwaring & Harleston went about 6; I left them about 7; went to see Mrs Minshall with her sonne & G.Mainwaring , dranck a glasse of wine; there was a yong man spoke to me (at Jackson's doore) to be my brewer &c. I went home.

17. Tuesday, about 5 Mr Deane & 2 Mr Hides came to see me; they stayed well past 7.

18. Wednesday, Hughes the slater was pointing the slates yesterday & today; the two Bostocks, masons came to speake to me about work; Ned the brewer was brewing; Sydall came about the beefe that was salted; Sir Thomas Mainwarings postillions came for horses & pillions for Gayton; Jones brought a buck from Frodersly.

19. Thursday, we had no strangers; Mainwaring came home from Gayton past 10.

20. Friday, Mainwaring & I went about 5 to visit the Deane at Kelsall; Hide was with him & his clark; there came to me Finchet & one Holland about a herriot; we stayed till neare 8; came home; after supper Hales came from Chester about sheep which Hughson had seised on for Dods rent; retorned agen about 10.

21. Satorday, stayed at home all day; Dr Angel came in the evening.

22. Sonday, went to church in the afternoone; the Deane was there; Dr Angell went about 5 towards Chester; there came a yong man from Tatenhall with a bill for 300 li. from Mr Dod of Broxon; another man came with him; dranck a glasse of wine & Biddolph came from Sir Michael Biddolph with a letter to his wife.

23. Monday, Hardware & his wife dined with us; about 3 came Lightfoote to speake about Winpennys lease; Hardware & his wife went about 4; in the evening came the Lady Delamer's gentleman to see my daughter; after supper Mainwaring & I dranck a glasse of wine with him; the dayry mayde dyed this evening about 8.

24. Tuesday, daughter Biddolph & Charlotte &c went towards Elmehurst about 3/4 past 9; Mr Mainwaring went with them to Stone; Hinde came for his mistresse; they went after dinner.

25. Wednesday, some neighbors came to accompany the body of the dayrymade to be buryed; 3 men came about the cattle that were seised at Bechin for rent; & Matthew Browne about his arrears of rent, &c; Mr Deane & the 2 Hides dined with us; & stayd till past 7 drincking; bills came from Biddolph &c; about 8 came Sir Thomas Mainwaring, his sonne, daughters, children &c. & D.Minshall from Chester &c; we had a bottle with Mr Mainwaring & Minshall after supper & parted about 11.

26. Thursday, Finchet of Kelsall drought some of the tenants rents & his wife brought my wife a present; Mrs Cooper, Briket, Taylor, Burrows & her sister in law came to visit my daughter & Harrison of Knotsford called on Sir Thomas Mainwaring, they all dined with us; there was a soldyer (the gardners boy) came to take leave of us (marching from Chester) I gave him a shilling; bade him serve God & the King; there was Coopers man & Mrs Burrows man in the buttery with us; I made them drinck &c. William Fletcher came to take a small Tenement in Tattenhall & to discourse about a well house.

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Aug; 26.Harrison & Minshall stayd all night; after supper we had a bottle of wine with Mainwaring & his brother, I left them about 10.

27. Friday, Meyrick came with some papers about Hackney's tenement; Harrison went away before I saw him; William Minshall came about one o'clock; Bills was sent with some pease and beanes to Elmehurst.

28. Satorday, Mr Gleg came about one, dined with us, soe did 2 Minshalls, Sir Thomas Mainwaring, his sonns & daughters &c; after dinner came Mrs Hurleston; she went away in the evening; soe did Gleg.

29. Sonday, D.Minshall went away in the morning; Sir Thomas Mainwaring & we went twice to church; after evening prayer the Deane came home with us; stayed till past 6.

30.Monday, Hardware, his wife & Traverse dined with us & Dick Minshall came after dinner; betwixt one & 2 Sir Thomas Mainwaring & his company left us; also Hardware &c. Mr Cholmondley's servant came to enquire after my daughter Mainwaring & to present theire services to all the family; I went down to him in the buttry; dranck to him a glasse of wine; retorned thanks, services &c. D.Minshall & Traverse supt with us; I left them past 10.

31.Tuesday,Mrs Swinton, Wright, Edwards, Greg, Cooper, Parker & Mr Edwards dined with us; also D.Minshall, K; Hardware, Mainwaring &c. they went away neare 6.