Roger Whitley's Diary: December 1687

December 1687

Dcr; 1st Thursday, Mainwaring Minshall & Roger Mainwaring went to Chester; Coppock came about Mr Lloyds accounts; Williamson & Solman about taking work; the old man with venison from Shotwick; Richard; Hughes from Northop; I had a dispute with the cook & threatened to havee a warrant for him; afterwards he blamed himselfe, promised to doe better &c; Roger, Mainwaring & Minshall retorned from Chester past 7, we supt; I left them past 10; Lloyd & Hughes stayd all night.

2. Friday, Mainwaring Roger Mainwaring & Minshall went a hunting, retorned to dinner; Angell came about 12; the Tarvyn barber trimmed me; G.Mainwaring & Jackson dined with us; went back past 4; soe did Angell before them; Mainwaring & Roger Mainwaring went to meete the hunters at Kelsall; retorned (with Minshall) past 9; I left them past 10.

3. Satorday, Mainwaring Roger Mainwaring & Minshall went to Chester; Lloyd & Hughes after them; then Morgan &c; they retorned not that night.

4. Sonday, Angell dined with us; I went to church in the afternoone, retorned about 4; found Mr Taylor & Hughson retorned from Chester; about 6 Mainwaring Roger Mainwaring & Morgan came from Chester; supt, parted about 11.

5. Monday, Roger Mainwaring went homewards past 11; Cookson came with some money; Boulton & 2 or 3 with him came about taking Tatenhall Hall &c. & to enter into articles; also Bridge came with John Wright & Huxley with Smith about taking a tenement in Tatenhall; they dined; also Jackson & one Bennet from Chester, all went in the afternoone to see a at Mouldsworth & homewards in the evening; onely Bolton & one Shenlon (Shaine, or such a name) supt & stayd all night about theire businesse, also an old man that came with them to draw the writings about Tatenhall.

6. Tuesday, Streete, G.Mainwaring & Wright came from Chester; they, Jackson, Lloyd, Bolton, & Sheane dined with us & in the buttry; the 2 last went about 5; the others soone after; Lloyd stayd all night.

7. Wednesday, Mainwaring went to Peover; Hughson, Griffith &c; to Malpas faire; past 11; Masters the hearth officer with Finchet & the 2 constables of Kelsall came to me (with some poore tenants & neighbors) about cottage hearths; &c; they dined with us; went away past 2; Bingley the chandler & 2 others came from Chester with candles; did eate in the buttry; Mr Taylors clark came at night with writings; went to his father's to bed.

8. Thursday, Taylor's clark came agen; saw my sonne & I seale writings; went before dinner; Morgan & Lloyd dined with us; past 3 my sonne & I (& Morgan on horseback) went to Kelsall; there was Hugh Cawley & Thomas Wright (an old man) at Ales; then came Crew & Cockaine; we parted about 7; left Crew, Cockaine & Morgan behinde us; my sonne & I came home about 8.

9. Friday, Paine of Whitchurch dined with us; his businesse was to offer his service to be imployed in managing my estate; he went past 2; yong Hardware came past 3, & stayd past 4; no other company that night.

10. Satorday, I & my sonne went to Chester; Lloyd & Morgan on horse back; I lighted at Wrights; had a tankard of ale with him, Harleston & Salisbury; yong Colston trimmed me; I dined at Angells; sonne & Morgan with me; sister kept her chamber; I went about 2 to Alderman Mainwaring, his wife & sister; thence he went with me to Jacksons; there was G.Mainwaring,Streete, Har Lloyd, Robert Lloyd, (Parry, Wright of Stretton awhile) Minshall, Cockaine &c; we parted past 5; came home before 8; Mainwaring was retorned from Peover before us.

11. Sonday, I & Mainwaring went to church in the afternoone; then to the Greyhound with the vicar, Traverse, Hardware & old Bruen; the 2 last stayd not; then came Morgan & Minshall from Chester; stayd awhile, parted about 4; Minshall & Morgan came to Peele.

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Dcr; 12. Monday, Mainwaring, Minshall, Morgan, my sonne, Vicar Gerard & Traverse dined with us; Holiwell dined in the buttry (with Huson) after dinner he came to the Compasse, took a pipe & went away; then went Gerard then the other gentlemen abroad; my sonne & I stayd at home; past 3 came Jackson; did eate & drink a glasse of wine; went away; Mainwaring & Minshall, Morgan came agen before supper; we sate up till past 10.

13. Tuesday, Huson went towards Frodesley; Griffith & Houseman to Chester & Shotwick; Mainwaring Minshall & Morgan went a coursing; Whitworth came to demand Shotwick rent for Lord Brandon; & Burrows to let my sonne Blood; they went together before dinner; Angell came to see my sonne; dined with us; went in the evening; whilst at dinner, came Crew, Sherwood & his sonne; dined, parted past 4; Minshall, Morgan Mainwaring &c; supt, parted past 10.

14. Wednesday, I, Mainwaring & my sonne went to Tarvyn to heare the scholars doe theire exercises; there was theire Mr Gerard, Traverse, Hardware &c; Hardware dined with us; with his wife, sister, her husband & sister; they parted past 3; no other company that night.

15. Thursday, my sonne went towards London; I went with him in my coach to Utkinton; Mainwaring, Minshall, Morgan a horseback; there dined with us Sir John Crew, his lady, Mrs Williams, Norris & Done; Sherwood & Cockaine at the other table; we parted past 3; I came home alone; the rest went towards Namptwich; I met Streete neare home; he stayd with me all night; we went to bed about 10; (In the morning Finchet came to me about Kelsall businesse) 16. Friday, Streete went to Chester past 10; about 4, Sir Michael Biddolph, my daughter &c. came to Peele; no other company.

17. Satorday, Biddolph &c. dined; were at home all day; at night Mainwaring retorned with Minshall & Traverse, supt, parted past 10.

18. Sonday, we stayd at home all day; had no company; Cadwallader brought venison.

19. Monday, Biddolph, Mainwaring & Minshall went a shooting; retorned not till past 5; Huson came back from Frodesley; the wheelewright from Chester came to mend the chariott.

20. Tuesday, Biddolph, Mainwaring & Minshall went a fowling about 10; there came a man from cosen Whitley with a letter; also a man with a ferret whilst we were at dinner; Mr Hughes (the verger) came for the Shotwick rent due to the Deane & Chapter; he dined in the buttry; after dinner dranck a glasse of wine with me in the Compasse; Hughson payd him his money; he left me past 2; Biddolph Mainwaring,Minshall retorned in the evening, supt, parted past 10.

21. Wednesday, Hughson went before 8 to Shotwick; Hurleston's man came to Mainwaring from the new Sheriffe; Mainwaring & Minshall went after them to Chester; stayd away all night; Hughson retorned late; about 2 came Crew, onely his man Alcock with him; they went away about 4; Hardware & his mother came about 3, stayd till 4.

22. Thursday, Biddolph & I &c were at home all day; no other company; Mainwaring came back from Chester about 6.

23. Friday, we dined at home; Salisbury brought me a periwig, dined with us; Holywell brought the men's clothes, dined below; after dinner took a pipe in the Compasse; they parted about 3; Mainwaring went to meete the Sheriffe at Kelsall; retorned about 4.

24. Satorday, Biddolph & Mainwaring went a fowling; Huson went early to Chester; a man came from Stanney to invite me to the funerall of Sir H Bunbury next week; no company all day.

25. Sonday, & Christmas day; we went to Tarvyn to the Sacramen]; dined at home; no company all day.

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Decr; 26. Monday, we dined at home; after dinner, Biddolph & Mainwaring went a fowling; retorned betimes.

27. Tuesday, Mr Bagnall, Tellot & others came from Bromborow; Jeynson, &c from Tatenhall also G.Mainwaring, his sonne, Streete, Murray, Jones from Chester & Mrs Brereton; also Hardware, his sonne, theire wifes, Gerard, Grantham, the schoolemaster &c; they dined; G.Mainwaring & Streete & Brereton stayd all night &c; the rest parted about 4 & 5 &c; Cadwallader brought venison.

28. Wednesday, Huson went to Lach ; G.Mainwaring, Streete, Biddolph & Mainwaring to Chester (about 11) Nat Lee came about 12, dined with us, retorned to Utkington about 3; Eywart came at night.

29. Thursday, Harry Syddall was below with Griffith cut up the oxe; I sent Houseman to see Mrs Chomley's from my daughters & James Wright to Chester to excuse my going to the funerall of Sir Hennry Bunbury; the ways being not passable for my coach; no company all day; Hughson retorned late.

30. Friday, Cadwallader retorned to Frodesly; one Whitley came from Mould to see us; Akerly & Dainty from Kelsall, Hall & another from Sambach (Hall for money for ale) they dined in the buttry; after dinner dranck a bottle or 2 in the Compasse; parted about 4; Whitley stayd all night; Mr Salisbury of Chester's sonne & daughter came last night; I saw them not till today, about dinner; Jackson's boy brought fish.

31. Satorday, Hughson went to Chester, Whitley with him; Tarvyn barber trimmed me; yong Fisher of Tarvyn came to me; I proposed to him to goe to the University, he would acquainte his frinds &c; Biddolph, Mainwaring & Minshall came from Chester about 12; also Crew, Lee & his sonne, Cockaine & Done; they dined, after dinner came Jackson & his wife; Crew &c parted about 6; the rest stayd all night; Eywart went away past 2.