Roger Whitley's Diary: March 1690

March 1690

Mar: 1st. . Satorday, Traverse & Hardwar came to Peele; swore the Assessors; Mainwaring & Lee went with me in coach to Chester; the rest on horseback; we lighted at Wrights; went to the Penthouse; dined at Jackson's with Crew, G.Mainwaring Streete, Gleg, my sonne, Morgan went to visit the Governor in the Castle; severall others came in whilest we were with him; went to the Ship Taverne; there was Crew, 2 Mainwarings Lee, his sonne, Gleg, Deane, Farington; Hunt, Mercer, Streete, &c. I left them, went to the Sunne with Farington, Mercer, &c. there came to us Streete, 2 Mainwarings, Murray, my sonne, Richard Wright, &c. we parted before 10.

2. Sonday, went twice to Parish church; dined at Angells with my sonne; went to the Mayor in the Penthouse; after evening sermon, to Talbott, to visit Coney & those that came from London about my copper oare; then to Jacksons to give them a bottle of sack; then to Andersons (with G.Mainwaring & Streete) then to G.Mainwarings where we supt with Mainwaring, Gleg, sonne, &c. Johnson came to us, but went before supper; we parted about 10.

3. Monday, I went to the Penthouse, where was Examination of Words, wich Grosvenor sayd against the King,&c. then went to Talbotts to speake with Coney, &c. before he went to Dysert; then to the Common Hall to the Crown Moote, &c. then to Angells, where I & G.Mainwaring dined; then to Jacksons with G.Mainwaring. Streete came to us, & Wright, Thomas Griffith, Crosse, a stranger (from Dublin),&c. I left them at 5, went home.

4. Tuesday, Mainwaring went to Edisbury's; Angell dined with us; retorned past 3; my sonne & Morgan came about 2; stayd all night, &c. Sir William Aston sent a servant to excuse his not dining with us the next day; Mr Savage came, & stayd all night.

5. Wednesday, Crew sent a servant with a letter to Mainwaring. my sonne, & Morgan went away towards Wales about 12, before dinner; Savage went in the afternoone: about 2 a man came with a letter from Mr Jackson about Mr Poultney's Bill; Mainwaring retorned about 7.

6. Thursday, a man came with a letter from Sir William Aston to Mainwaring. Traverse dined with us; went with Mainwaring about ½ past 3 to meete Crew at the Deanes in Kelsall; retorned late, past 10.

7. Friday, 2 Gentlemen came from Shenton to speake with sister Anne, I conceive about some businesse relating to Mr Needham; Richard Lightfoote came to me to treate about a lease for some ground at Lach; Mainwaring dined at home, Nat. Lee came after, did eate something; went away with Mainwaring (past 3) Mainwaring went to Peover, Hardware came as they went, stayd but awhile; Huson retorned from Dysert, about 9.

8. Satorday, Booth that informed against Grosvenor,came to complaine that he was threatened that they would have eares, &c. I told him, whilest he swore truth for the King he need not feare; I bid the Butler stand by,&c took… [fo. 115v] March: 8. …notice what I sayd; I left him; at his going away he met me againe, neare the Dyatts; I still advised to speake truth & that would protect him; he told me that G;Harvey, though he appeared against: him; yet had given him up his bonds & discharged him, many yeares agoe; that when he went from him he went into the King Charles his service; that after Harvey had delivered his bonds & received 2 li to be frinds he had imployed him severall times to work under him; at last he would not pay him his wages; Booth sued him & recovered it; which had incensed Harvey against: him, &c. I still charged him to speake nothing but truth; soe he went presently back to Chester; I dined at home; in the evening came Bidolph & 3 servants: then Conen & 2 other men that came from London & had bin at Dysert;,&c. stayd all night.

9. Sonday, Bidolph & the 3 Londoners dined with us; Bidolph & I went to church after dinner; then to the Vicars with Traverse, Hardware & Grantham; then home past 5.,&c. my sonne & Morgan came that evening.

10. Monday, Sir William Aston, daughter & Offley; Crew & Sherwood & Angell dined with us; Mercer dined with Huson in the buttry; Davenport came about brasse for the well; Morgan went to Chester about 8; the 3 Londoners went about 10; my sonne, Angell & Mercer about 4; Aston & his company neare 5; Crew & Sherwood past 6.

11. Tuesday, dined at home with Bidolph. about 3 we went to Chester; alighted at Angells, went to the Sunne, there was G.Mainwaring, Johnson, Deane, Murray, Streete, Farington, Mercer (Vicars came in, but stayd not) & severall others; we all parted at 10; we lay at Angells; he was abroad that night.

12. Wednesday, (being the fast) I went twice to the Parish church; we had onely Prayers in the morning; about 2 I went to the Penthouse & with the Mayor to church; Mr Thomas preached; about 5 I went to G.Mainwarings; supt there with Bidolph, Streete, Farington, &c. after supper came Johnson, Murray, Mercer & some others; then came my sonne & Morgan we parted before 10; Dr Angell came home that night.

13. Thursday, about 9 I met G.Mainwaring, Johnson, Murray, Gates at Gerards; there came severall people (Griffith, the Carpenters & severall others) offering to vote for me & G.Mainwaring if we would get them made free & those that wanted money desired to borrow it & would pay it againe or work it out; but G.Mainwaring & I refused to meddle in the matter; soe I left them, went to Dr Fog, & with him, to the Quire, then to the Mayor in the Penthouse; the elder Sheriffe, Shakerly, Leeming, Ince, Wilcocks, Wilson, Allen, 2 Bennetts, Williamson & Mr Thomas was present; they made about 37 freemen that morninG. Alderman Edwards, Wynne, & Hand were present; they objected against: severall that were made free; one being very old & in a capacity of being made free for 40 yeares together; Edwards asked him how he came to desire his freedome now; he sayd he wanted money before but now a frind lent it him; many old & severall under age were made free; I and Alderman Mainwaring would not be prsent at making any free nor give any countenance to it; we onely came to move the Mayor & the Sheriffes that a pole might be in the Norgate streete, a spatious place, and not on the Roadee; & gave many reasons for it; they sayed: they would consider it; we left them there; went to the Talbot, dined there with Bidolph, Streete, Mainwaring, Morgan, Wright, &c. after dinner came Croughton, Sheriffe Batho, Edwards, Hand, Farington, Pugh, Kinaston, Wright, Salisbury, &c. ( Mrs Harleston & Mrs Wright came to speake with me in another roome; also Mr Glasier & another, in another roome, they stayd not long) we all parted about 5; Bidolph & my sonne went home with me in my coach.

14. Friday, I took phisick, sent Houseman to Chester about 11; in the evening Mainwaring retorned late; his sisters came about 6;.

15. Satorday, Bidolph & I went to Chester, also Mainwaring & my sonne; I went to the Penthouse to speake with the Mayor & Sheriffe about the Election; they were busy making new freemen, Grosvenor and Leeming with them; I would not stay to see any made; we dined at Streetes; went in the evening to the Sunne; many frinds with us; parted before 10.

16. Sonday, went twice to church, dined at Angells with Bidolph, sonne, &c. went to the Penthouse at 2; to church with the Mayor; them with him to the Penthouse; then to Gerards; severall frinds came to us, Mainwaring, G.Mainwaring, Streete, Johnson, Nat. Booth, &c. parted before 9.

[fo. 116r]

Mar: 17, Monday, went to the Penthouse about 8; then with the Mayor, Sheriffes, Grosvenor, Leeming, G.Mainwaring & some Aldermen & many freemen to the Towne Hall; the Sheriffe opened the writ; some few poled there; G;Mainwaring & I protested against: the new freemen; we disowned the practice & if any should give us theire votes we disowned them; Sheriffe Batho also protested against them; I & Mr Booth objected against Hugh Grosvenor's pole as not being a freeman; onely made Alderman by the new Charter; the Sheriffe would take his pole & very insolently told us we disputed the pole; bid us be silent or goe out of Court; then he ajourned the Court to RoodeDee; there we poled in cold & wett till 6 at night; he had a minde to shut up the pole; we opposed it; having severall in the crowde that called out to be poled; the noise & confusion was great; the Sheriffe then ajourned the Court till 9 on Tuesday; Sheriffe Batho declared he ajorned the pole till then; Grosvenor & Leeming went first; G.Mainwaring & I after them (all carryed in chaires) went to the Sunne taverne, where we supt; many frinds with us; parted about 10.

18. Tuesday, I went to G.Mainwarings; then to Booths, here Sheriffe Batho & many frinds were; then went together to Roode Dee; after us came the other Sheriffe, Grosvenor, Leeming, Lord Cholmely &c ; the Court was opened by Proclamation in the usual manner; my sonne & neare 30 (old interl) freemen demanded the pole; Sheriffe Partington denyed it (Sheriffe Batho for it) protested against shutting up the books & declaring till all were poled; Grosvenor & Leeming brought Pemberton (the madman, & one more with an intent to pole & endeavord to bring others but could not & seeing our Party considerable & more coming on (18 of which demanded the pole under their hands) but Sheriffe Partington would not yield to it; shut up the books; declared the pole in favour of Grosvenor & Leeming; Sheriffe Batho declared for me & G.Mainwaring orderd Parry (onder Towne Clarke) to publish it; Partington commanded Constables to put him downe & carry him to prison (but they did not), then Batho got up himselfe & desired Mainwaring to publish me, & G.Mainwaring duly chose & that he would retorne us; then Partington & ye other Party left the Court (I think without ajournment:) went to the Penthouse; Batho & we stayd; the books were cast up, & closed; Proclamation made; we were carryed up in chaires (with great nombers of people) dined at the Sunne, Batho, severall Aldermen, &c. with us; they sealed our Indentures; went to the Penthouse to annexe them to the writ; Partington refused it; soe did the Seale Keeper; we sent it away to the Clark of the Crowne by Morgan Whitley; we dined there about 2, parted about 5; went with Streete to Shire Hall; poled, went to the Sunne (many frinds there) parted at 9.

19. Wednesday, dined at Feathers went (about 2 to the Sunne; here were severall cittisens going to pole for Mainwaring). about 6 to visit the Mayor (G.Mainwaring with me) then to the Governor; then to Hunt (Duckenfeild came to us) then to the Feathers, then to Angells about 9.

20. Thursday, went to (lady Calverly's; took leave of Cotton; then to interl) the Harpe & Crowne; there was Streete, Lloyd, Bellot, Mainwaring, G.Mainwaring; & severall people gave informacion of bribes, threats, irregularityes in the election; went thence about one; took leave at Angells; dined at Ephraim Bennets (in Forest Streete) Sheriffe Batho, Deane, Johnson, Robinson, Pemberton, Bidolph G.Mainwaring & severall with us; some also came after dinner; I left them ½ past 5; came home, Bidolph & sister Anne with me; my daughters & cosen Mainwarings in the other coach; Mainwaring & Swetnam came late.

21. Friday, I sent John Nixon with letters to G.Mainwaring; Comberbach (Jordan came to work interl) & Norbery; Bidolph, Mainwaring, Swetnam, &c. dined with us; also Jackson; after dinner came Crew & Sherwood; then Gerard & the Schoolemaster & Thomas Griffith & 2 Chestermen about money, to Mainwaring also John Hussey, &c. they parted betimes; Crew,&c. about 6; about 7 came G.Mainwaring & Norbery & my sonne; they stayd all night.

22. Satorday, Bidolph, Mainwaring & G.Mainwaring & my sonne went towards Elmehurst & London; Swetnam towards Lancashire; Norbery went to Chester before 11; Huson & Houseman past 12; cosen Mainwarings & 3 Gransons towards Peover about 1; about 6 cosen Whitley of Aston came to see us.

23. Sonday, I was not at church; cosen Whitley dined with us; in the evening the Curate of Sutton came to desire my contribution; having but a small living & teaching the boys of the Parish; he stayd not ½ houer.

[fo. 116v]

Mar: 24. Monday, I sent Huson to Chester; cosen Whitley retorned about 3; no company after that day.

25. Tuesday, about one o'clock a man came from Lleeke with a letter to Huson about the copper oare; he retorned after dinner; Huson went to Chester to pay for the expences at the election; Hardwar came to see me in the evening; stayd ½ houer.

26. Wednesday, William Minshall & his nephew Wright cald past 2; dranck a glasse of wine, stayd an houer; then came the Parson of Sutton & one Woodcock with him to procure something from me towards the Parsons maintenance, having but 11 li a yeare; they went in ½ houer; Pratchet came to take his leave, having left his master; Sir John Crew & Sir William Aston sent to see us; in the evening the Deane sent his servant with a letter: of complement wishing me a good journey.

27. Thursday, no company all day.

28. Friday, Mr Hocknell came about 11; Mr Thomas soone after; both dined with us; about one I went to Chester; light at the Talbot; saw Alderman Wright, Bonnell & another with him; went to Angells, Mrs Mainwarings, Mr Booths, Jackson's & then to Charles Griffiths; there came to me Farington, Comberbach, Parry, Batho, Johnson, Deane, Traves, Murray, Hall, Croughton, Streete, Lloyd, &c. I brought a bottle of sack, & sherry from home, had 2 bottles of claret from Jacksons; we parted past 6; came home about 8.

29. Satorday, my daughters & Sidney dined at Utkinton, met Lady Delamer there from London; retorned about 4.

30. I went to church after noone; a stranger preached; after sermon I went with the Sheriffe, his brother & Traverse to the Greyhound, stayd there an houer; about 7, Morgan came from London.

31. Monday, Davenport the wyerman came about some work; then came Farington, Span, Burrows, Mercer & Jackson; then Angell; they all dined with me (but Davenport) bowled, went back in the evening; & Morgan went with them; Roger Brereton came in the afternoone & stayd all night.