Roger Whitley's Diary: July 1686

July 1686

[fo. 59v]

July 1st. Thursday, Savage came to speake with Mainwaring ; Mrs Booth & her 2 daughters came to us with Lord Delamer's coachman & postillion; also her man & mayd; they stayd all night (all but the coachman & postillion) in the evening came Traverse; he supt with us; parted about 11 2. Friday, Mainwaring & Minshall retorned from Mere; Mr Farington came from Chester to goe a duck hunting & Mr Lloyd to my sonne; he and Mainwaring went to meet the tenants of Kelsall; the smith came to shoe the horses; Mainwaring & sonne retorned to dinner; Mrs Booth & her 2 daughters & Traverse dined with us; at the end of dinner came Mr Hunt & his clark; Lightfoote came before dinner to shew me his leases; Hunt, Mainwaring , my sonne & I looked over Arderne's writings in the afternoone; Mrs Booth & daughters & 2 servants went away about 6; her mayde & another man went in the morning; Hunt went about 7; Mrs Hardware, her daughter & Tongue came in the afternoone to take leave; about 10 came Mainwaring my sonne, Minshall, Traverse, Morgan & Farington; they supt with us; lay at Peele all night with Lloyd, I left them about 11 at night; about 7 Minshall sent some fowle from the forest by Cranck; severall people came to look after sheep and cattle that were driven off the forest.

3. Satorday, Minshall, Morgan & Lloyd dined with us; went to Chester with my sonne, Hughson & Mainwaring 1/2 an houer past 3; about 6 Baroby & his servant came to Peele; about 8 came widdow Brereton & Mrs Preston with her, they stayd all night.

4. Sonday, we went to church in the morning; a stranger preached; the Deane was there; walked with us to the coach; sayd he would meet us at Northwich on Tuesday; that he had bespoke some meate &c. we dined at home, Baroby, cosen Brereton, Traverse &c with us; Jackson & his wife came whilest we were at dinner, & Wrench; about 9 (after supper) Mrs Jackson & Wrench went to Chester; also Mrs Preston; Baroby, Jackson, Mrs Brereton stayd all night; also William Minshall, who came as we were going to supper; Baroby went to bed about 10; I soone after, left the rest (& Traverse) together.

5. Monday, Morgan Whitley & Lloyd came from Chester; then Mr Streete; they all dined with us & Jackson; also Mr Whittle; about 4 they went to bowles; Major Brookes came at 5; went to the bowlers; about 8 he, Streete & Jackson went to Chester; Whittle went before; cosen Whitley & L. Lloyd came about 8; we supt together; Baroby went to bed about 10; I left them about 11.

6. Tuesday, Mr Hunt called on us; went with Mainwaring , my sonne & me & Hughson to Northwich; there was Sir John Arderne, his sonne, the Deane, Mr Gerard & his sonne; we dined together; afterwards sealed writings &c. we parted about 6; Mr Malborne came thither to speake with Hughson about going to Frodesly; I gave him a flagon of beer in the lower roome with Parson Gerard; Gerard & the Deane came with us to Sandyway lead; the Deane made us & our servants drink there; we left them; came home before 9; found cosen Whitley, Morgan & L. Lloyd still there & cosen Brereton; Minshall left them about 4; after supper I stayed with them till about 11; then left them &c.

7. Wednesday, cosen Whitley, L. Lloyd, Brereton, R. Lloyd & Traverse dined with us; whilest we were at dinner came Alderman Mainwaring , Edwards, Deane, Parry, Murrey & Burrows & sate at a by table; after dinner, about 3, went cosen Whitley, L. Lloyd & Brereton; the rest went to bowles; stayd till about 8; then parted, Traverse & Morgan supt with us; we parted about 11.

8. Thursday, my sonne, Morgan & John Wright went towards London about 8; Mainwaring went with them to Utkington; we had no company at dinner; Lightfoote came about 1 to have my sonne christen his child; Hughson went in his stead; Hardware came about 4, stayd an houer; a man brought a buck from Frodesly; Nurse Blag & her husband came to see us from Namptwich; they stayd all night.

[fo. 60r]

9. Friday, Alban Gray called to see me & offered his service as to brick laying &c. Span of Brunborow brought me a bottle of sack & dined with us; soe did Hardware, Brock & Manley of Namptwich & Dicas; his mother sate with Ewart at the by table; Hardware & Span went betimes, Dicas soone after; an old woman came to see me, sayd she had bin borne in the old house of Peele, was 74 yeares old, had bin examined about the way; was one of the best witnesses wanted a house to keep schoole in; they durst not receive her in Aston for feare of displeasing Mr Davyes; because she had a witnesse for me her off? at present; desired a roome in my house at Moldsworth; I put her off at present; told her I would consider &c. Brock and Manley went in the evening, Mainwaring went with them to the Deane at Kelsall.

10. Satorday, Mainwaring & I went to Chester, light at Wright's; Warmingham the barber trimmed me there; we had one tankerd of ale; we went & dined at G. Mainwarings; there was Sir John Crew, Mr Sherwood, Mr Clapton, G.Mainwaring , his wife & sister; whilest at dinner came Sir William Aston in his way to Wrexam; after dinner before we rose came Dr Angell, then Mr Kenrick, then Gleg, we had 2 or 3 bottles of wine; also Robert Lloyd came to speake with me; then D. Edwards wife, then Madocks, the master of the ship that brought my goods from London; Aston & Crew went betimes, then some others; Mainwaring & I, G.Mainwaring , Gleg & Kenrick went to Dr Angells, there was cosen Cooper & one of Major Euats daughters; also my 2 sisters & Rogers wife; we had 2 bottles of ale; I went hence to Jacksons, those gentlemen with me; there was Streete; Alderman Wright came to us; then D.Minshall & Crew (but he left us presently); Waine the Butcher brought up a quarter of veale, I bought it & gave him a glasse of wine; yong Baskervile came to us; we parted before 8; Mainwaring & I went home.

11. Sonday, I went to church in the forenoone; dined at home, Mrs Dicas with us; I stayd at home in the afternoone; Traverse came & supt with us; we parted about 10.

12. Monday, 2 neighbors came to borrow the cariage of my coach to carry a yong man to be buryed 7 or 8 miles off; my cosen Ravenscroft of Pickell & Mr Robert Lloyd dined with us (also Mrs Dicas) they parted past 3; there came a man with fish from Shotwick, and another with a letter & turkeys from cosen Powell; I stayd at home all day.

13. Tuesday, G. Swetnam came to us & his man; there came Mrs Dicas sonne & another man to see her; they went before dinner; Swetnam dined with us & Dicas; whilest at dinner came Mr Mainwaring of Shotwick (& his 2 sons, schoolboys) after dinner came my tenant Davyes; they parted at 5; Mainwaring 's businesse was to borrow money; I told him I had it not; Davyes spoke about money he owed me, his tenement &c; I told him I could say nothing to his matters without speaking to Hughson, who was now sick; so; I left him 14. Wednesday, Wrench brought a loade of goods from ship board; Mr Mainwarings gardner came hither to his master; Lightfoot came in the evening to Hughson.

15. Thursday, Wrench brought more goods from ship; Hughes the slater came to see me; was unsatisfied because Hughson put him by mending the slates.

16. Friday, I went among the mowers & hay makers, & to the mill; Mr Bruen & Jackson dined with us; after dinner came Bradshaw & a barber to Mr Mainwaring & then Traverse; old Dick Griffith & his wife came to see me, they dined with the servants in the hall, went away about 3; there came a woman from Chester for Roger's wife's mayde when she was sick; the gentlemen went to bowles; stayd till neare 9, then all parted &c.

[fo. 60v]

July 17. Satorday, one Wood, Bradshaw & another man came to me about a tenemt at woodbanck in werrall; I told them I would consider of it & send them an answer; I talked with the cooper about doing my work by the yeare; onely Mrs Dicas dined with us; in the evening the labourers desird some drinck; I went by them at the gate; they expressed joy for my retorne home agen but I left them.

18. Sonday, stayd at home in the morning, Mr Dicas came to see his mother & dined with us; I went to church with Mainwaring in the afternoone; Gerard preached; we retorned immediately home; Hardwar and his wife came to visit us; stayd about 1/2 houer; then Mainwaring , his wife & I went to take the ayre in the coach.

19. Monday, a man brought a letter from Chester from Mr Lloyd; yong cosen Whitley of Shottley came about his writings & the mortgage &c. there came with him one Ledsam; Whitley dined us (& Mrs Dicas) Ledsam with the servants; G. Cookson came from Cotton about his rent; he eate a bit of meate, went before dinner; after dinner came Jepson to Hughson about Saladines businesse; they parted about 4; also Coraton with a cow & a horfer to choose a herriotout of them; he and Row came againe at night to get his cow agen; past 10 at night D.Minshall came.

20. when I went out I found William Davyes at the smithy; he followed me to the stables; he sayd he had business with Hughson; I was willing to part with him; he left me at the house doore; there were 2 men came to speake with the gardiner; in the afternoone 3 men came to see the house; I know not who they were; I saw them in the buttery & after on horse back going away; but I did not speake to them nor they to me; yong Casterson was mending chaires & Raphson the waggon; in the evening came Sir Michael Biddolph, his wife, daughters & servant & a yong man to be my fowler..

30. Friday, Sir Michael Biddolph, Mainwaring , Dicas, daughters &c dined together; after dinner one Meyrick (a tenant at Moldsworth) came to me about borrowing 6 l &c. I made him drinck, bade him come the next week when Hughson was at home.

31. Satorday, the farryer came to speake with me about the lame horses; Gerard came to me from Sir John Arderne to know if I would buy Kingsley & pay in the money due on the last purchase in October next; about 4 in the afternoone Fryer & the other mowers came to acquaint me that all the hay was downe & to get a flagon of ale &c; but he dranck too much & soe did Casterson & the rest' Aug 1st Sonday, we went to church (Mainwaring & Biddolph with me) in the afternoone; in the evening Traverse came & supt with us; one of the mowers came to borrow my cart to carry him a loade of hay some day the week following; Traverse stayd with us till neare 11.