Roger Whitley's Diary: July 1684

July 1684

1. Tuesday, Mr Peter Leicester came to me in the morning to acquainte me with the sale of Marbery's estate; we talked of it & of the sodyers at Chester; he commends them for civill carriage &c; he went away about 11 o'clock; then came Mr Gleg after Mr Kelsey but stayd not long; after came Alderman Anderson, his wife, Mrs Mainwaring & Mrs Richardson; they dined with me; towards evening came Alderman Symson & Mr Lloyd (about the money Mr Symson owes me); not long after Alderman Anderson & company went away; then came Mr William Minshall, soone after Mr Gleg, Symson & Lloyd went away; Mr Minshall stayd all night.

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2. Wednesday, the keeper of Shotwick came to Peele to settle old accounts; I went with my daughters in the evening to visit Mrs Bruen &c. and supd there.

3. Thursday, Mr Brock brought me a letter from an unknowne woeman at Chester; the businesse was that she had a friend would sell some estates in Holland & France; I bid Sam Hussey stay by me whilst he was with me I told him I would not take those things of gift, soe he went away; the slaters were in the hall while he was with me and after dinner Fran Jakson came to see; I gave hime 2 or 3 glasses of wine & he went away; he talked something of Mr Wilmer, Madox &c. but I regarded not; there was after the overseer of the poore for my charity to a poore woeman; he also brought me some tench-fray, but he went spedily away.

4. Friday, we dined at Utkinton, where was (besides the Precenter) the Deane of Chester, Mr Brook of Namptwich, Mr Wiksted, Mr Sherwood &c. we sate all afternoone in the parlor drinking 2 or 3 bottles of wine, and came away about 7 o'clock.

5. Saturday, we went to Chester (being to christen Mr Higgison's child on Sonday); we dined at the Talbot (Mr Manley & Mr Mainwaring dined with me); Alderman Mainwaring, Mr Swetnam & Mr Minshall sate by; I went to the Quire, afterwards to the Sunne where was Mr Mottershed, Mr Mayor, Alderman Mainwaring, Swetnam, Mr Mainwaring &c; we went home with my daughters before 10.

6. Sonday, was at church twice, dined at home; christened Mr Higgison's child about 5; stayd at his house with Dr Fog & the other company till about 7; went then home with Mr Mayor, Alderman Mainwaring &c; they supd with us, also his wife, Mrs Bartlett & Mrs Hudson, Mr Gleg & Mr Swetnam.

7. Monday, we went to Shotwick, dined there with Mr Mayor, Alderman Mainwaring, Gleg, Minshall, Mrs Mainwaring, Mrs Hudson & 2 or 3 of the neighbors, 2 ministers &c; after dinner I settled the businesse about fiching with those neighbors; retorned in the evening; supt at Alderman Mainwaring's; & went home betimes.

8. Tuesday, I went to the Quire, then to Mr Taylor, thence to Mr Hunts, soe to dinner; after dinner I called at Alderman Lloyds, Alderman Edwards & Mr Burrows; I met Mr Buttler in the Row; after a short discourse of cosen Griffiths death I called at Dr Angells; went with yong Mr Williams to the Fountaine whither came to us Mr Mayor.

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Alderman Edwards, Parry, Deane, Higgison, Burrows, Alderman Lloyd, Anderson, Symson, Mainwaring, Hunt, &c; I had bin awhile in the next roome talking with Symson & Humphry Lloyd about the writts against Selsby &c; I went thence & left them; about 6 went with the Mayor & Alderman Mainwaring & Minshall to Mrs Mottersheds; stayd there till my daughters called me with the coach & soe went to Peele.

9. Wednesday, we dined at home, had no company; in the evening Sir Michael Biddolph & my daughter came to us; also a man with letters from Rogers wife & Mr Ottley.

10. Thursday, I was at home all day; in the afternoone Mr Lardon, another minister, the clarke of Tarvyn & his brother (an Irish gardener) came to see the house; I gave them a bottle of wine (Mr Eywart was with us) & we parted.

11. Friday, there dined with us Alderman Wright, his sonne, Mr Hericks, Mr Mayor, Mainwaring, Cockayne, Theane, Mr Stanley & Lee (Londoners, strangers to me, but came with Mr Theane & Cockayne) Mr Minshall & the 2 Ned Burrowghs; after dinner they bowled till 7 o'clock, then dranck 3 or 4 bottles of wine & parted.

12. Saterday, Sir Willoughby Aston, his Lady, 2 daughters & another gentlewoman & Sir John Crew dined with us & stayd till the evening; before night my sisters came to us from Chester.

13. Sonday, we went to church in the fornoone; in the evening Dr Angell came to us, stayd all night.

14. Monday, morning, Sir Michael Biddolph &c. went away & Dr Angell after dinner.

15. Tuesday, morning Mr Lardon came to pay some money & Mr Brasy to receive money for wood; they found me in the buttry at breakfast; I drank to them and left them; Sir Willoughby Aston's servant brought a letter to Mr Mainwaring; Mr Lardon stayd to dinner.

16. Wednesday, Mr Bird brought 10 li of his rent; dined with us; stayd drinking a bottle or 2 of wine with Mr Mainwaring & me & playd at tables; went away about 6 o'clock.

17. Thursday, Salmon & Williamson came to me about weeding; I bad them goe on as Sam Hughson had agreed; if they did it well & the bargen was hard I would add something to it; after dinner Alderman Edwards, Mr Mottershed, Mr Doane, Mr Fearnhall & Ned Borrowe came to me, they walked in the gardens; after came in, drank 3 or 4 bottles of wine, had a melon, went into the best garden & about 7 they went away.

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18. Friday, Mathew Browne came to speake with me about the worke & building a bay for widdow Hubblestone.

19. Saturday, Mr Hall came to me about the money he & Mr Davyes were bound for & about the wood at Shotwick, he went away before 10; in the evening my sonne & Mr Dudley came to us.

20. Sonday, Mr Taylor came from church with us in the afternoone & stayd drinking a bottle or 2 of wine & eate some cold meate in the hall; left us about 7 o'clock.

21. Monday, brother Whitley & his wife & Mr Swetnam dined with us; Mr Robert Davyes came in the afternoone, drank 2 or 3 bottles of wine & went away in the evening; Dr Angell came, stayd all night.

22. Tuesday, Mr Hall came & dined with me; discoursed about the money he is bound for with Mr Davyes; left it with Sam Hussey sealed up; went away immediately after dinner.

23. Wednesday, Dr Angell dined with us.

24. Thursday, Mr Lloyd brought Sir Richard Bulkeley to dine with us; after dinner he took a pipe & a bottle with Dr Angell & walked in the garden; went away about 6 at night; Mr Mainwaring & my sonne at home; that night Mr Swetnam came to us.

25. Friday, Mr Jeysen the shoemaker dined with me; after he went away Mr Kirk, his 3 sons (boys) & another man called on me; walked in the garden, took a pipe & a bottle & parted; yong Mr Hall called in the morning & payed the money on Mr Davyes' bond; Mr Mainwaring, my sonne &c. dined at Badeley, retorned late at night.

26. Saturday, Mr Burrows came to trim us; Mr Mainwaring went to Chester to wayte on the Sheriffe; my sonne stayd at home & Mr Dudley.

27. Sonday, we went to church.

28. Monday, we went to Chester; made our appearance in the Hall; dined at Alderman Wrights with Mr Booth, Sir William Aston, Sir Thomas Mainwaring, Sir John Crew & Thomas Bellott; met at Sunne Taverne, I dranck 3 bottles of meade that evening with Sir William Glyn, Mr Winne, Langley &c. at the Crowne that night; went home about 9 o'clock.

29. Tuesday, we dined at Alderman Anderson's Sir William Aston, Sir Thomas Bellott, Sir Thomas Mainwaring, Roger Mainwaring, Alderman Mainwaring, Mr Mayor &c., Luke Lloyd came in after dinner; at night we met at the Fountaine; there was also Sir Richard Bulkley, Mr Robert Lloyd &c., we parted about 9; I went home; I had bin that night at the Crowne with Mr Taylor & Mr Cook about a commission.

30. Wednesday, my daughters came to towne; I dined at home, came home betimes at night; Mr Mainwaring &c; went that day to Holliwell.

31. Thursday, we dined at Alderman Lloyds.