Roger Whitley's Diary: December 1691

December 1691

December 1. Tuesday, Charlote, Charlotte Mainwaring & 2 sisters went (before 10) to Chester, to the funerall of cosen Mary Ravenscroft, (stayd there all night interl.) Huson came about 10. Morgan went to Chester about 12; a Chester gardiner came to our gardiner; I made him drink, &c. Charles Arnot came agen to be hyred; Roger went to Kelsall at 12; retorned about 8; Nixon & the coachman retorned from Chester.

2.Wednesday, James Kent & Nixon went to Chester to bring 2 Charlottes & sisters to a christeneng at Mrs Huson's; Huson went home about 10; past 1 Bidolph, Roger, daughter Mainwaring & children went to Huson's; retorned at 6 with 2 Charlottes & sisters; Roger & Morgan came about 8; Griffith of Chester came past 3 to buy my wheate at Dysert; retorned past 4.

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3.Thursday, Bidolph took phisick; Roger & Morgan went past 12 towards Dysert; Huson went (from home) to Shropshire; Foster came in the evening to talke about building at Shotwick; a servant of Lady Calverley's came to speake with Roger about money; he dined with the servants; Davyes & Ormes came to see me, dined with the servants; went about 2.

4.Friday, Nixon went to Chester for fish; after dinner Bidolph went a shooting.

5.Satorday, Tomkinson went to Chester; soe did John & the cart; Bidolph & Houseman went a fowling to Frodsham; Davyes the shoemaker brought me a letter from Mr Wright, to recommend Moulson to be sword-braser if there should be a vacancy; he went back at 10. Bidolph's coachman came in the evening.

6.Sonday, I was not at church, Bidolph, daughter Mainwaring,&c. were; Burrows dined with us; went about 2; Mr Griffith came before 3; went before 4.

7.Monday, Bidolph went about 7 to Elmehurst; Gill & the boy with cattle to Malpas faire; Tomkinson & the coachman went after them about 11; Huson went with them from Burton; about 7 Cranok brought a letter from G.Mainwaring to acquainte me that Generall Genckle was landed and would lie that night at Chester, that Colonel Fairefax was come thither.

8.Tuesday, Jordan came after dinner to speake about making brick; (Joseph let W. Davyes blood interl.) Tomkinson, the coachman,&c retorned from Malpas; Mosse brought a doe from Shotwick.

9.Wednesday, Joseph bloodyed W. Davyes againe (about 11) he went to his sister's at Moldsworth in the afternoone.

10 Thursday, the coachman went to Chester (on foote interl.) about his own business; Jonathan & Moses swept the chimneys; Jordan & Jackson mended the hearths; Savage came with 2 men to be servants; he dined with us; they below with the servants; they went about 2; Palin came about Lord Maclesfeld's rent, went agen at 4; Tomkinson went to Chester (about his own businesse interl.) He & the coachmen came back at night.

11.Friday, Nixon went to Chester; Houseman to Mr Banner about a doe;,&c. Hall of Chester (a Cooper) came past 2 to speake about wood; he did eate some cold meate, went about 3; in the evening a man brought a letter from Hunt; another brought a letter from Minshall; they retorned; a man from Wallesey brought fish about 1; he stayd all night.

12.Satorday, Tomkinson went to sell beasts & to buy corne at Chester; Huson came about 10; about 11 went to let W. Davyes blood & then to Chester; (Roger came past 12 interl.) about one came Minshall & his wife, dined, stayd all night; in the evening Bidolph retorned from Elmehurst; Morgan came from Chester; also Tomkinson.

13.Sonday, I was not at church; daughters & sisters were; also Roger, Bidolph, Minshall & Morgan; in the afternoone Lord Rivers keeper brought a doe.

14.Monday, Huson came about 9; he & Burges & Moses went before 11 to Lach to look after widdow Harbert's rent or to make a seisure; about 12 came Colonel Fairefax, G.Mainwaring, Allen, Crachley, Berry, his Lieutenant Francks, Donald, Cottrell, &c. dined; about 2 came Crew & Sherwood; they all stayd till about 4; then Fairefax, G.Mainwaring, &c. went to Chester; past 5 Crew & Sherwood went.

15.Tuesday, Fox the Tanner & a Sadler came about money Roger owes; about 3 yong Fernehaugh & Kelsey came & stayd all night; Angell dined & went at 3; Roger, Minshall,&c. went to Kents.

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16.Wednesday, Catherall the surgeon dined with us, went past 3; Fernhaugh & Kelsey went about 9 in the morning; about 4, Roger, Bidolph, Minshall, his wife, daughters, sisters,&c. went to Bromley's, supt there, retorned before 8; Pratchet came to see us.

17.Thursday, Bidolph's coachman & gardner went homewards; Pratchet retorned about 10; Jordan & Jackson came to cast clay for brick; Joseph went to Chester about 12; retorned at night.

18.Friday, Roger, daughters, sisters, Minshall & his wife went about 11 to Utkinton, (retorned past 6 interl.) Kinaston, Edwards, Lloyd, Catherall & Whaley dined with Bidolph & me; also Ormes & 3 other Pipemakers dined with the servants; they all went about 3; 2 men came in the morning about taking land at Moldsworth; Tomkinson went with them to see it.

19.Satorday, Huson came about 7; went to Chester past 10; the vicar & his wife dined with us, went past 3.

20.Sonday, I was not at church; Bidolph went in the morning; againe with Roger, Minshall, Charlotte, &c. in the afternoone; Jackson came at night; soe did Huson.

21.Monday, I sent Mosse to Disert; Roger sent Jonathan to Shropshire; Roger, Charlotte, Minshall & his wife went to Chester before 10 (came back at 7 interl.) Charles Davyes came to me about seates in the arbor & Bromley's hearths,&c. Catherall dined with us; went before 3; Jackson went a shooting, came back at 7; ( Richard Yong & a man brought a letter from Mr Davyes interl.) Smith came after supper; we had a bottle of wine; I left them past 10.

22.Tuesday, a man from Barrow came to take land at Moldsworth; John went with the cart to Chester; widdow Hurbert, another Hurbert, Porter, Jones & Oakey dined with us about the tenement in Lach; they went about 3 & 4,&c. Minshall & his wife went about 12; Roger & Houseman brought them to Northwich; retorned past 6; Hickson & Roger's man went to Shropshire for Roger's daughter.

23.Wednesday, the coachman went to Chester on his owne businesse & Huson went past 10; past 11 Angell & Catherall came to Bidolph; dined, went about 3.

24.Thursday, Huson came about 8; Houseman went to Chester about 12 to get a tooth drawne (Randle & Mat. Browne came to settle accompts with Huson interl.) Huson went home at night; Morgan came at night.

25.Friday, Cristmas day; Mr Gerard came & gave us the Sacrament; he & the clerke dined with us; 3 drummers (belonging to Berry, &c.) came from Chester, dined, had money, &c. Cadwallader brought a doe.

26.Satorday, Cadwallader retorned; Tomkinson & Dutton had a quarrell & blowes; I payed the latter his wages & discharged him; after dinner Roger & Morgan went to Husons; retorned past 6.

27.Sonday, I was not at church; Bidolph & some went in the morning; also with the rest in the afternoone; Roger & Morgan came not back till 7.

28.Monday, Morgan went to Tarporley about the taxes; Bidolph & Houseman went a shooting; retorned at night; Broster, Mosse & Profit came from Dysert; Roberts came from London, stayd all night.

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29.Tuesday, Huson came about 9; went with Tomkinson to Chester; Grindley came about taking land at Shotwick; Hughes came to mend the slates; Roger went past 10 to Chester; retorned before 7; Tomkinson came home about 12.

30.Wednasday, Broster went to Chester; I & my family dined at the vicar's with Crew, his lady, Lee, his wife, Sherwood, Wheatyear, Aldersey, &c. we retorned about 5.

31.Thursday, Grantham, 2 Wrights, Lightfoote, Aldersey, Smith, his wife, Mrs Gerard & Mrs Wright dined with us; Gerard came past 3; they all went in the evening; onely Smith stayd till after supper; Cadwallader brought 2 does from Frodesley; Broster retorned.