Roger Whitley's Diary: March 1687

March 1687

1st Tuesday, Mrs Brereton went away early; Minshall, Morgan & Lloyd dined with us; there came B men from Bechin to rid the hill & Browne about my sons ground at the stables; he came agen at night; Minshall, Traverse, Loyd, Morgan & Hughson being present; complained of damage done by Mr Davyes order in spoiling the fence; I declared I would not mediate in the matter but advised Lloyd (being my sonns agent) to speake with Davyes bayliffe & workmen to forbeare till their master were acquainted with the damage & to write to him about it.

2. Wednesday, Traverse & Minshall went a fishing; Lloyd went to the stables to prevent further damage; also writ a civill letter to Davyes; Minshall & Traverse came back after dinner; eate a bit in the buttry, Mr Williams of Chester came also about the same tyme & did eate with Minshall; we had a glasse of wine in the Compasse; he went with Hughson to see the house & land at Molesworth; desiring to take a lease; Minshall, Traverse & Morgan went a coursing; came back, supt, sate up with Lloyd till 10.

3. Thursday, I went (with Minshall) to christen the cooks child at Flookers Brook; there was Fogg, Harleston, his wife, daughter Whitley &c; we dined there; after dinner came G.Mainwaring he & Minshall went(71r March 1687) 3. went with me to Jacksons; there were also Cooper & Hand; I left them 1/2 houer past 5; went home alone in the coach; found Lloyd & Morgan there, supt, left them past 10.

4. Friday, Carington came to hold his tenement on a rack for the yeare; was with me agen at night; but nothing done; Lloyd & Morgan dined; supt, &c; we parted past 10.

5. Satorday, Lloyd & Morgan went to Chester; also Hughson & the buttler & the carts &c; Bolton of Ashton brought some oates that were bought of him; he told me his name was Bolton; I would stay to talk with him knowing how much he had bin against me for Davyes, James the smith was with me, &c; whilest we were at dinner Mainwaring retorned from Peover & Swetnam with him; after dinner came Pierce Baxter to desire me to redeeme a mortgage of his, stayd all night.

6 Sonday, Swetnam & Baxter dined with us; we went to church in the afternoone; then to the Greyhound with the Deane, Bruen, his unkle &c; Hardware his wife & daughter came in but stayd not; we parted past 5; John Hussey came from Bower; Morgan came from Chester, he Swetnam, Mainwaring, &c supt; Baxter was not well; we parted past 10.

7. Monday, Mainwaring & Swetnam went to Farme Race; Morgan after them, then Baxter & Lightfoote came & had his lease sealed; no company that day.

8. Tuesday, Hughson went to Bechin & Holt, then to Alney &c. about my son's rents; I was before & after dinner amongst the workmen; Akerley of Kensall brought me 3 tubs of butter from Chester.

9. Wednesday, Cokaine & others of Ashton brought some oates; I bade them goe in to a drink, a woman with them, also the overseer of the poore of Tarvyn about a poore man that desires a collection; about 2 came Williams of Chester about taking some land at Bechin; he told me that the Bishop preached an excelent sermon on Sonday; that there was expectation of a meeting house on the Papists there; that some of the dissenters had got license to preach &c; I replyed that we must submit to the King's pleasure & I hoped God would direct him to the best; we had a glasse of wine & of ale; he went away past 3.

10. Thursday, I walked with James Ward into the feild where they were ditching & plowing to order some new works; cosen Whitley of Shotton dined with us; went away about 3; then I went to Utkington to condole for Mrs Rowse's death, I saw Sir John Crew, Stephens & Llee; there came in one Wicksted of Namptwich (a stranger to me ) I stayd an houer; retorned home.

11. Friday, the minister of Codington & his neighbour Minshall came to me about taking leases at Bechin & Codington; I talked awhile then left Eyward to keep them company; I went amongst the workmen; they dined with us; also Sir Thomas Bellot, his mother, Lady, sisters, another gentlewoman, Mr Wilbraham, Gleg, Llee, Minshall, Mainwaring, &c; the woomen went away past 5; the men stayd all night; I left them together past 11.

12. Satorday, the men (Bellot &c) dined with us; Llee went away past 3, the rest past 7 &c; Morgan came that afternoone; Hughson at night.

13. Sonday, went afternoone to church, Gerard preached; the gentlemen of the Parish mett in the chancell, (viz; Hardware, the vicar, my selfe, 2 Wrights &c;) with the churchwardens about the money belonging to the schoole; the making a clock house.

14. Monday, Mainwaring went to Utkington to accompany Mrs Rowses hearse some part of the way, &c; Hughson went to Northop; about 12 G.Eaton & Mr Davyes steward came to me about the way (betwixt Ashton & the clap gate); they complained that I trespassedon the grasse; I told them I had a way through those feilds, they allowed it; I told them let them make a passable way in any part of the feilds & I would keep to it; they asked me who should mend this way; I sayd I thought Mr Davyes or his tenant & I proposed to refere it to Mr Davyes councell at Chester; they seemed well satisfyed; I gave them a bottle of ale; I also spoke to them of the damage done by Mr Davyes order in the sonns tenemnts at the stables; they promised all should be rectified; I ordered Houseman to be with us to take notice of all that passed.

[fo. 71v]

14. about 2 Graves came with Morgan; I spoke to him about the trespasse in my sonns grounds & desired Mr Davyes might have what he desired provided it was noe damage to my sonne &c; Mainwaring retorned that night.

15. Tuesday, Mainwaring went early to Chester; about 10 there came a man to me from the Deane to offer his service to be brewer & baker &c; I bade him come againe for I was then in hast; Morgan went in the coach with me to Chester; we called for Bellot at Chiselton; went to Chester; we alighted at Minshalls; dined there with Mainwaring, Bruen, 3 Hurlestons; Pennington, Kenrick, Gleg, Streete, Alderman Wright, Jackson &c; about 3 I went to the Bishop; saw him & his sonne, had a glasse of hock, brought him to the Quire; went to Dr Angell; saw him & my sister, retorned to Minshalls, stayd there till neare 7; Mainwaring, Morgan & Bellot went back in my coach, put Bellot downe at Chiselton; went home.

16. Wednesday, the hopman came to me about the hop yard & a man from Mr Anderson of Chester for some strawbery plants &c; I went with Hughson to see the workmen in the feilds; when I came home I met Mr Thomas the hearth officer at the doore; he dined with us; also Traverse who found us at dinner; after dinner we had a glasse of wine; Thomas went with Hughson about the hearth businesse; Mainwaring, Traverse & Morgan went a setting; retorned, supt.

17. Thursday, I dined at home, Mainwaring & Morgan with us; they went abroad about 3; soone after came Mr Mainwaring from Shotwick to discourse of his rent &c; he retorned past 6; Traverse wife came in with Mainwaring & Morgan supt, parted past 10.

18. Friday, I went with my daughters & sisters to Lady Bellot; we dined with her, her sonne, daughters, Mrs Huxley & another gentlewoman & the chaplaine; after dinner the women went up to cards; Mrs Boon, Mainwaring & another woman came to them also G.Mainwaring & Minshall to us; we parted past 6; came home; Mainwaring & Morgan came late.

19. Satorday, Hughson went to Chester past 11 Mainwaring & Morgan went to meete Bellot at Kelsall; I went to the plaisterer, bricklayer.

20, Sonday, went to church in the afternoone; Hughson and Morgan went to Chester to speake with Mr Lloyd; retorned at night.

21. Monday, Hughson wet to the Deane to have advise about the cottages paying hearth money; Winnington the plaisterer came to see me; I went among the workmen plaisterers, carpenters, bricklayers &c; at dinner Mr Robert Roberts came to look for Mr Lloyd; he dined in the buttry; afterwards he came to me to the Compasse; there was Mainwaring, Morgan & Hughson; he discoursed the businesse in dispute betwixt him & Lloyd about the purchase money for land; my sonne bought of him &c; he went away about 4; there came also Bradshaw to have a lease sealed for lands at Shotwick &c; at night came Mr Minshall, supt.

22. Tuesday, Mainwaring, Morgan & Minshall went a coursing; Mr Samson (the man that took Tatenhall) came to me about 12; he dined in the hall after dinner he came to the Compasse; he had a glasse of wine & ale; I & Hughson discoursed with him about Mr Bird & his holding the land &c; he went away about 4; then came the Deanes man to be hyred for a brewer, baker &c; I left Hughson to discourse with him about wages, work &c; then he came to me, I hyred him for 8 ll wages.

23.. Wednesday, I went to Chester with Mainwaring & Minshall; light at Jackson's; there was G.Mainwaring we had a pinte of sack; Mainwaring & I dined with the Bishop, his Lady, sonne & daughter; there was Brooke, Collis, Angell & his wife; we parted past 3; went to Jacksons; there was Mainwaring of Shotwick, he stayd not; then came Holmes, Minshall, [fo. 72r] 23. G.Mainwaring, Streete, Morgan, Burrews &c; we left them about 6, Mainwaring , Minshall & I went in the coach together to Peele.

24. Thursday, Jackson came from Chester before dinner, after dinner came Bradshaw; his businesse was to borrow money having writ me formerly about it; there was also one Davyes came to sell a calfe in the morning; Minshall, Bradshaw stayd all night; I left them about 10; Thomas Pickmore came, stayd all night.

25. Friday, (being Good Friday) I went with my family to the Sacrament at Tarvyn; Ned Morgan came to see us; went back about 4; Golding the cook & 2 others came from Chester; they dranck in the buttry with Harper &c; they went presently away; there a man from Davyd Edwards wife to invite me to the funerall of her husband; K; Hardware came & dined with us about 5 o'clock; Minshall & Morgan came at night; also Lightfoote, one Traverse of Chester & Hugh Conley came & dranck a bottle of ale, stayd not.

26. Satorday, Mainwaring, Minshall, Morgan, Hughson went to Chester; a man brought oates from Avonley &Bolton & Eatons man brought barley from Ashton, I was with them & the workmen & the plaisterer; after dinner came Robert Roberts; he shewed me a Processe to appeare at Flint assises but would not serve me, promised to be with me on Monday to meete Morgan, Lloyd &c; this night the brewer came to me, 27. Sonday, I went to church in the morning; about 4 in the afternoone the Deane (with 2 or 3 servants) came to me, then came Mainwaring & Traverse from church; then came the Bishop, his Lady, sonne, daughter & servants; then Mr Gerard, then Morgan & Minshall from Chester; Gerard & Traverse went after supper, the rest stayd all night.

28. Monday, the Bishop, Deane &c went about 8, also Minshall & Mainwaring; Robert Roberts came in hope to meete Mr Lloyd; he came not; Morgan & Hughson discoursed with him about his businesse &c; Hughson writ by him to Cooke his lawyer about the bond sawes in my name; he went before 10; Angell dined with us; went away about 4; Mr Lloyd came about Roberts accounts; Mr Whittal (and Grantham) came to borrow money; a poore woman came for charity for her house burnt at Hawarden; 2 men came to Mrs Hester (her brothers); supt in the buttry; dranck a bottle of wine with me & Morgan in the Compass; I left them at 10.

29. Tuesday, Mrs Hester's brothers went early; Hughson went to Mold offices; about 12 came Thomas Lodsam from cosen Whitley of Shotton with a letter about my joyning in a fine & recovery; he dined; I gave him a glasse of wine after dinner in the compasse (with Morgan) he retorned past 2; Morgan & Houseman went a setting; retorned late, supt, went up at 10.

30. Wednesday, sent Harper to Chester with letters to the Post & to buy meate; Hughson came back from Mold.

31 Thursday, the plaisterer came againe; Morgan & Houseman went to Houghton Tower about the quarters rents; Hughson & Profit went to Dysart; after dinner came one Dob, a Taylor from Chester about money Rogers wife owes him; I gave him a glasse of wine in the compasse; he stayd not; Morgan came back at night.