Roger Whitley's Diary: October 1686

October 1686

Ocr; 1. Friday, one Cottingham & another man came with Carington about his lease; they went into the buttery with Mainwaring & Minshall; we had a bottle of wine & some cold venison &c. Traverse & Minshall dined with us; past 3 they went with Mainwaring a setting; came back to supper; parted about 11.

2. Satorday, Mainwaring & Minshall; I went to Chester; a sadler from Salop came about 1 for money Roger owed him; he stayed in the hall while we went to prayers; dined with us; when we rose dranck the Kings health & went away; Kate Hardware came when we were at table, sate downe, but had dined before.

3. Sonday, went to church in the afternoone; about 5 Akerley came to me; afterwards his brother; talked to me about the way. &c; dranck, but stayed not.

4. Monday, one Davyes & Finchet of Home Streete came about taking my demesne at Tattenhall; also Akerley & his sonne & Molsdale about the way; Mr Egerton, his brother & Traverse came home with Mainwaring dined & stayed till evening; went past 6; Traverse came againe with Mainwaring supt, parted past 10; the Vicar & church wardens came about 11 at noone for money on a breife for fyer; &c. there was a man came from ? Gontrane, spoke to me about money he owes.

5. Tuesday, discoursed with Poole of Hatherton for putting 2 lifes in his lease; after dinner he went back; Bedisford came after dinner, did eate cold meate in the buttery; soe did Kirk & Tomason of Chester; we had 2 bottles of wine afterwards; they went about 5; Bedisford soone after.

6. Wednesday, Grove came about going with horses to meet my sonne; James Ward came to discourse with me about the way; about 6 came G.Mainwaring, Baroby, Mitton, & Minshall; stayd all night.

7. Thursday, Cumberbach came, did breakfast with the other gentlemen; they parted past 10; in the evening my sonne & Humfreys came from London.

8. Friday, Humfreys & sonne dined with us; while we were at table came Humfreys clarke, groome & the messenger; then came Morgan Whitley & Jackson (they sate downe with us) also Mr Lloyd came but would not dine; before dinner came James Ward to talk about the way & his tenement; also Mr Wilbraham's man came to speake with Mr Mainwaring & Hugh (my old coachman) with my sonnes things from Chester; Lloyd & Jackson retorned at night; Sir Robert Cotton's man came to see us, from his Master and Lady; about 5 came Sir Thomas Mainwaring, his sonne & daughters, servants &c. some of the gentlemen sate up late; I left them past 10.

9. Satorday, Humfreys, my sonne, Morgan Whitley, the messenger &c. with S; Hughson went about 10, towards the audit at Wrexam; in the evening came Minshall.

10, Sonday, I was not at church; Sir Thomas Mainwaring his sons & daughters, Traverse & Minshall dined & supt with us.

11. Monday, widdow Royland, widdow Gill, Mary Hignet & James Ward came & discoursed with me about the way; Mainwaring & I went to Chester past 10; met Alderman Mainwaring in the streete; waited on the Judge in [fo. 64] Ocr;11. the Castle with Sir ThomasMainwaring &c. then we went with the Governor to see his lady in her logings; dranck a bottle of mum; with them; then I & Mainwaring went to Hunts, spake with him about my businesse; the Deane was there; Mainwaring & I dined at Angells (with my sisters, Grace Mainwaring &c;) neare 3 I went to Taylors chamber, then to Hunt, then to Williams; fee them; then to Jacksons, there was Mainwaring, G.Mainwaring, Gleg, then came Colonrl Lee, Harleston, Davenport, Browne, Brett; Mainwaring & I left them past 5, saluted Lieutenant Wynne as I went by the kitchen; tooke coach, came home little past 7; Traverse, Minshall supt with us.

12. Tuesday, I went to Chester with Mainwaring & Minshall; dined at Jacksons with Bellot, 2 Harlestons, Lee, G.Mainwaring Streete, &c. I had severall of my witnesses came to me, in the afternoone; I went to Taylor; with him to Leighborne, Williams, Wynne & Cooke (my councell) feed & instructed them; then Taylor went with me to Jackson's; another clark came to them, I know not his name; examined some of them; parted about 9; went to the Sunne; there was Bellot, 2 Mainwarings, Streete, Pickering, Minshall, Thomas Mainwaring of Whitmore &c. all in the kitchen; &c. parted before 11; lay at Angells.

13. Wednesday, Grantham came home to Dr Angells (about the way) went to the Hall; the tryall began before 9; lasted till neare one; saw & spoke with Cholmeley, Grosvenor & severall others (onely complemnts &c.) went with Streete & Minshall to G. Mainwarings, dined there with Bellot, Mainwaring Streete, Thomas; Mainwaring & severall others; Offley came about 3; Jones (my witnesse) came thither to speake with me &c; past 4 I went to the Castle; wayted on the Judges in theire lodgings; spoke with the Governor about the summons sent me to appeare the next day at the Glovers stone about the Forest businesse; I desired him to excuse my attendance; Sir Jeffrey & he invited me to drincke a glasse of wine, in the Governors lodgings; there was Offley, Wilbraham, Bellot, Mainwaring & Minshall, &c; I called on Taylor, went to Williams (to advise about dating the verdict & nonsuite; went then to the Sunne; there was 3 Mainwarings, Kenrick, Streete, Minshall, Bellot, Wilbraham; we supt, parted at 11.

14. Thursday, Leiutenant Winne came to me about money to be paid to the Regiment; I went to the Feathers, spoke with the gentlemen that brought the money from Dr Jeffreys; went to cosen Ravenscroft, spoke with Kate, the rest abroad; spoke with Mr Hughes in the Row; went to Jackson's; there were 2 Mainwarings, 2 Harlestons, Bellot, Lee & a tall man, a stranger, Minshall &c. dranck 2 or 3 bottles of wine; took coach with Bellot & Mainwaring for Peele; took Chaham up at the Golden Lyon, came to Peele by one, dined with Sir Thomas Mainwaring, Gleg &c; they stayd all night; went to bed about 12.

15. Friday, Jackson came from Chester; about 11 Sir Thomas Mainwaring & his company left us; before 12, Wibraham, Woodnet & his other servant (drunck) followed him; Bellot, Gleg, Jackson dined with us; went abroad in the afternoone; retorned about 7, supt, went to bed past 11, &c. (in the evening Widdow Royland came to take her leave; I gave her 5 shillings for her charge.

16. Satorday, Mary Hignet came to get her sonne some work &c; about 12 came Mr Stanyers & another (a stranger) they dined & being wet weather they all stayd all night; onely Jackson went about 4.

17. Sonday, Bellot, Gleg, & the others went away; I went to church in the afternoone.

[fo. 65r]

Ocr; 18 Monday, Broster's sonne of Tatenhall came to speake with me about the land his father holds, but stayd not; Bromley the brewer came to tunne the strong beer; after supper Wrench came to Mainwaring & me (in the Compasse) with a whelpe.

19.Tuesday, Minshall & Burrows came & dined with us; about 2 they, Mainwaring & I went to Kelsall; there was Mr Taylor's Deputy kept the Court; there was Mr Gerard & Vernon (Sir John Crews agent) & many tenants; we stayed above an houer there; then went to see the Deane; there was Gerard, his wife & sonne & Smethers; we parted past 6; came to supper, sate up till past 10.

20.Wednesday, 2 men came from Hawerden; one with a letter to Hughson; the other to offer himselfe to be my butcher; also yong Dod came from Tatenhall about the ground his father holds &c. after dinner Finchet came from Kelsall with Winpenny's 2 boys to see if we would entertayne both or one to serve in our family; at night my sonne came home with Mainwaring, Minshall & Traverse; supt, we parted before 11.

21. Thursday, Mat; Browne & Samson Shelby came to me about the ground they hold; then came one Parry & Lloyd to my sonne; they dined with us & Minshall; all but Browne, he dined with the servants in the hall; after dinner they had a glasse of wine; parted past 3, then came Captaine Powell & cosen Cristian; they Traverse & Minshall supt.

22. Friday, my sonne, Mainwaring , Hughson & Minshall went to Chester audit; cosen Powell & her husband dined with us; whilest at dinner came yong Mr Kelsall; he dined with us; after dinner tooke a glasse of wine & left us.

23. Satorday, Dr Angell dined with us; stayd all night, soe did Powell & his wife.

24. Sonday, Angell & Powells went away in the morning; I went to church, in the afternoone; Traverse supt with us; parted past 10.

25. Monday, Traverse came to my sonne & Broster about the tenement in Tatenhall; I & Mainwaring went to Chester; dined at Wrights, he with us; Minshall & Morgan sate with us but did not eate; Holland trimmed me; Jeynson & Davyes was drinking below; I onely asked them how they did; past three I went to Jackson's; Wright & Minshall with me & cosen Thomas Whitley, Mainwaring, Morgan, G.Mainwaring & Farington came to us; we had 3 bottles of wine; parted at 5; came home, found Traverse & Morgan there; I left them past 10.

26. Tuesday, Wrench came to my chamber to talke of his worke; I went to discourse Jordan & the other bricklayers; Traverse, Morgan, Lloyd, Hughes & Mr Griffith of Newton dined with us; we had a bottle of wine & beer after dinner, the miller told us he had got a badger, would beate him on Thurday; Griffith went about 4; the rest stayd all night; onely Traverse went home past 10.

27. Wednesday, Morgan, Lloyd & Hughes dined with us; Philips came to me in the morning to know if I would lend one Wilbraham a 100 li. I refused; after dinner came Meakins with 2 couple of rabbits & about money Roger owes him; also a man from cosen Powell with some plants &c. Traverse, Morgan, Hughes supt with us.

28. Thursday, Lloyd, Hughes, Morgan, my sonne, Mainwaring & Traverse dined with us; Lloyd & Hughes went away in the evening; about 12 o'clock the miller & neighbors brought a badger to be bayted in the field next the house; there came a pedlar woman (with one eye) into the kitchen as dinner was going; they told her they would buy nothing; asked her to dine above; she desired a bit in the kitchen, which she had, & went away; Traverse supt with us; parted past 10.

[fo. 65]

Ocr; 29. Friday, Mainwaring , my sonne, Hughson, Howseman &c; went to meete some tenants of Bechin & Tatenhall at Tatenhall to get in arrears and contract for the demesne &c. for the next yeare; Mainwaring of Shotwick & Jackson dined with us; went away past 3.

30. Satorday, I went to Chester, daughter Mainwaring & Sidney with me; light at Jacksons; there was Minshall, Streete & Mainwaring, Edsbury & Swetnam came to us but stayd not; there was Dr Angell, my sister, cosen Mainwaring &c. above; they dined there; I went with Mainwaring, my sonne & Streete, G.Mainwaring &c. to Samson Shelleys; Mrs Weston was there; we dined together; I spoke with severall of my tenants &c there & at the next house; went thence past 3; went to the Recorder; I feed him in the suite betwixt me and Davyes; had a bottle of wine; my daughter called before 5; went home together.

31. Sonday, Jones (one of the witnesses for the way) dined with the servnants & a frind of his with him; after dinner I dranck a glasse of ale to him; left him with Hughson; went to church; Mr Deane & Traverse came home with us; about 5, the Deane left us; Traverse supt with us, parted about 10.