Roger Whitley's Diary: August 1696

August 1696

August 1. Satorday, no company nor businesse; Huson went home at night; payed Mr Gerards dues to Swinson; my Granson went to Chester past 10.

2. Sonday, was not at church; Mainwaring, daughter &c. went in the afternoone. granson & Morgan came past 11. Hughes & Fletcher came from Warington; Doe from Chester to be hyred for Brewer (I agreed for 8 li.interl). Kircom about cutting wood at Bechin; Moses & Bowker about the same;.Horton & Fernhagh came about 5 to discourse about timber; Huson was here all night & soe was Fletcher.

3. Monday, Mainwaring went early to Cholmely; Hughes & Fletcher came to worke; I sent the cart to Chester for lead & bottles; Richard Hughes & Baker came about theire accounts with Huson; & Morgan, 2 Sheriffs, Comberbach, Kinaston, Burrows, James Mainwaring, Davyes &c. dined with us; they bowled in the afternoone; Holland came past 4. brought some chickens; went at 5 the rest about 7. Hughes stayd all night.

4. Tuesday, Richard Hughes stayd all day & night about my son's accounts. Roger came before diner, stayd all night; Morgan & Granson went to Chester in the afternoone.

5. Wednesday, past 1 I & daughter Mainwaring &c. went to Peover stayd awhile at Sandyway Heads; came to Peover about 7.

6. Thursday, Bellot, Lee of Booth, Warburton, William Mainwaring, Jodrell dined with us; bowled afternoone; Raph's father & Barnes came to see me; Bellot stayd all night & William Mainwaring.

[fo. 207v]

August 7. Friday, Mrs Offley, Kate Mainwaring, Mrs Aston, Jolliffe & another gentlewoman dined with us; after Bellot, Nat Llee, Warburton of Grange, William Mainwaring &c. dined with us; Joseph Haerson came after diner; Bellot, Nat Llee, William Mainwaring stayd all night; Tittle came with letters.

8. Satorday, they killed a buck; Bellot, Nat Lee, Llee of Booth, Roger Mainwaring, his wife, sonne & daughter dined with us; we left them & Peover about 4, came to Peele before 9.; Houseman went to Chester in the evening..

9. Sonday, Mainwaring, daughter &c. went to church; Granson dined with us; went to Chester, in the evening Moses gave us account of the wood stealers at Bechin; had another warrant.

10. Monday, Broster went to Dyssart, James Kent to Frodsham fayre to endeavour to buy me a carthorse or 2. Morgan came from Chester about 12. dined with us; went about 3 towards Whitchurch. there to overtake daughter Whitley & her children & goe with them to Oxford; I examined the old cowman & Arthur about the meate; they could not deny it; I directed them to get baile or they should both be sent to prison.

11. Tuesday, Mainwaring went to dine at Huxley's (with Lord Chomely, Egerton &c) then to goe to the race at Chewson; Houseman went (past 10) to Tatenhall & Bechin; the mowers began to mowe in the wood &c. Houseman stayd out all night.

12. Wednesday, Mr Parker (the London scrivener) came to me past 9 from Colonel Perry (& partners) whom he left at Chester; he retorned past 10. I desired they would come dine with me on Thursday; Moulton & Huson came about leasing the Lodge at Shotwick; Large the cooper about the money he owes me & account of work done; Mainwaring retorned at night; Huson went to Chester.

13. Thursday, Huson came past 9. Colonel Perry & Parker dined with us; retorned about 6. Lightfoote & 2 Hollands came to treate about leasing at Ashton, but stayd not because the Londoners were with me; Broster came back from Dyssart.

14. Friday, Sheriffe Deane (& his sonne) came past 11. dined with us, soe did Palin, Mowson, Chub,Harrrison & [blank] they went past 5. Kit sent me word by Brock he would leave me if I did not consent to it, he would goe without; upon discourse with him. he was very saucy & peremptory; he had conveyed away his new clothes; would not restore them; I gave him 2 or 3 blows with my hand & staffe; he sayd the Smith & other servants advised him to leave me & be a prentise the Smith denyed it; but was passionate & high talked as if he would leave me; I told him when he had a minde to it; the constable came to bring Kit to the House of Correction; he humbled himselfe, told where his clothes were at Chester; the Constable left him here all night.

15. Satorday, Huson went to Chester & Brock; they went to look after Kit's clothes (which they sent interl) ; Mainwaring went to Chester past 10. retorned past 8. soe did Brock &c. Smith went to see his father.

16. Sonday, I was not at church; Bowker, Moses, Kircum & another came about cutting wood at Bechin. I spoke with them, after diner Houseman went to Barrow to speake with Mrs Sherrard; it was the Wakes there; he stayd out all night; Smith retorned that evening.

17. Monday, Huson came about 8. went to Shotwick to sett out the new houses &c. Mainwaring went early to meete Sir William Aston at Frodsham (retorned to diner interl) a man came thence with a carthorse to sell me but stayd not; Selsey & Nicco (2 butchers) came to know if I had any fat cattle to sell. Mr Calais & Cooper came & dined with us; stayd till 6. Bingley came after diner about candles; the servant I hyred at Peover came this evening to live with me.

18. Tuesday, Mainwaring went early to Knotsford; past 11 came Alderman Lloyd, Edwards, Hand & Cratchley, they dined with us; after diner came Macebearer & Hickock; they all went about 5. Huson & Houseman retorned this evening from Shotwick.

19. Wednesday, Huson went this morning early to Chester to discourse Mr Wright about the Inquistion &c. against Mr Evans lands; Ned Lightfoote brought a horse to sell; but stayd not.

20. Thursday, Houseman & Thomas went early towards Frodesley for venison &c. Huson came about 10. Mrs Salisbury, her son Lloyd & daughter, Harry Lloyd & Taylor dined with us; went past 5.

21. Friday, Croughton & Adams dined with us; Minshall dined with Huson in the Hall (he brought me some money) Guitchard Attorney came after diner about the money Roger owes Griffith the cooke. they went past 3. Mrs Huson came to see us; her husband went home with her in the evening [fo. 208r] August 22. Satorday, Brock, Tittle & the mayde went to Chester about 9. Morris retorned from Northwich about 10 & went immediately to Chester; about 9 I, daughter & family went after him; came there about 5. went (with Mainwaring) to visit Mrs Mainwaring; stayd not. Parker came to tell me that Colonel Perry & the rest were in towne; I promised to wayte on them next day; Johnson & James Mainwaring came after supper, went before 10. Huson went home.

23. Sonday, was not at church (Mrs Swift, Lloyd & Brabone came to me about Mrs Swifts businesse interl) in the evening I went to visit Perry & his partners at the Crowne; stayd an houer; called at the Ship, met there Bockhurst & Streete; left them (& Mainwaring with them about 9. Houseman brought venison from Frodesly.

24. Monday, went to the Courts before 12. retorned by 2; no company (but sister Lloyd & Key) at diner; Hunt was with me in the morning about Mrs Swifts cerfore & her affidavit; about 4 Perry and his Partners came to see me; I left them at 6 (& Mainwaring with them) went to the Hall comitte at the Penthouse. Mainwaring came to us; then to the Ship, 2 Sheriffs, Hand, Cmmberbach, Bolland & Murray with us. Parry came to us; we parted before 10. Howesman went to Shotwick & Brombrow & retorned.

25. Tuesday, Johnson with me in the morning; I went to the Assembly before 12; retorned before 2 to our venison feast; besides our Assembly men, Perry & Partners & 2 of Johnsons frinds dined with us; they all went before 5. I was not well; retired to my chamber & stayd above all night.

26. Wednesday, Broster went to Dyssart; Braborne was with me about the widows debt from Mr Davyes; Keriton came to me about his debt; Governor, Warburton, Lloyd, Brand & another (Mint officers) & Key & Roger (who retorned this day from Elmehurst) dined with us; after diner came an Ensigne with orders to the Governor about 2 companyes of soldyers coming to towne; then came Johnson & Deane, he went presently away to provide quarters for the soldyers; the rest went about 4. Claxon came about money, I sent Shipton with money along with him to the Goldsmith's to pick out good money for him; Hughes came for money, I sent him to Houseman who promised to provide for him; I payd Claxon five pounds (by my daughter) Johnson, his brother in law & frind came to me about a debt of Roger's; went at 8 &c. Burrew was with me with a stranger for a passe, I put him off to the morning.

27. Thursday, Adams was with me then Johnson (about the building) then Bostock about wages for the Hall Captaine Astons Lieutenant & Ensigne, Roger dined with us; I went to the Penthouse about quartering the soldyers; then to the Ship; there was Streete, Ince, Cumberbach, Mainwaring, Parry &c. with us. I sent to Borrows for the man that desired the passe but he absconded; Burrows & his sonne were sent for, were examined about him but could not finde him out.

28. Friday, went to the Penthouse past 11. Johnson & Cratchley dined with me.

29. Satorday, I went to the Penthouse past 12. retorned neare 2. Johnson & Sheriffe dined with us; & cosen Whitley; went about 4. I went to the Roodee at 6. then home.

30. Sonday, was not at church; sister Lloyd dined with us; went with daughter to take the ayre past 5 towards Boughton &c. came home past 7.

31. Monday, Norbery & Golborne were with me about Davyes debt. the Caruer was with me about the 130 li. I have order to pay him; Cratchley & Poste the butcher about his being Constable; Adams with the Black Book about the Glasiers case &c. Mrs Offley, Ashton &c. came past 12, but went to dine at Bellot's; I went to the Penthouse at 5. about the Hall; also about the soldyers quarters; I prepared a draught of a letter to the Secretary of War about the matter with the Aldermen &c. approved of & orderd Cumberbach to transcribe & send it by the postman, Mainwaring went early to Dedington. Mrs Mainwaring lent me 50 li to pay the workmen.