Roger Whitley's Diary: February 1690

February 1690

Feb: 1. Satorday, Wood, Lady, daughters, Edisbury, Mrs Shakerly dined with us with Biddolph; Mainwaring, sonnes, daughter &c; parted betimes; I stayd at home all day.

2. Sonday, was not at church, dined at home with Minshall, brother, Arderne, Roger &c; stayd at home all day; G.Mainwaring came at night, supt, parted past 9.

3. Monday, went to Westminster, dined at Woods (with my family); after dinner came Titus; we parted presently; I went to Mosiers & to Crowne Taverne; there was Biddolph; Lewes, Dashwood, Thomas, Smith, my sonne, 2 Mainwarings, Nevet &c; we parted past 9.

4. Tuesday, Barington came about his bills; I went to Toll about Chester money; I dined at home with Biddolph, Mainwaring, his brother, my 2 sons; brother, Morgan, Thomas &c; about 3, I went to Sir R: Gwynn; he was at dinner with Colt, Owens, Rud, Rawley, & severall others; I dranck a glasse of wine; stayd ½ houer; my daughters called me; went to Sir Robert Cottons; he & daughters & sonne were at home; 2 other gentlemen with them, with musick books & instruments on the table; went then to cosen Fairefax; saw him & Lady; then called on Mrs Shakerly; they brought me home; Jones came & settled accounts: I took him in my coach to Nags Head; there we parted; I went up to Wood, Maxfeild, Cooper & another; then came Biddolph, Mainwaring & Coling; we parted neare 10.

5. Wednesday, I went to Lord Delamer then to Lord Macclesfeild, then to Wood, to Pigeon, to Hall at the Treasurer of Chamber's office; walked in Whitehall an houer; spoke with severall acquaintance there; came home past 12; dined with Biddolph, Mainwaring, 2 sons, brother, Morgan, William Morgan &c; went about 7 to St Albans Taverne; there was Wood, Colt, Biddolph, Mainwaring, Bedisford came about 9. we parted at 10.

6. Thursday, severall people came to take leave of us (Tovey, Kent, Kenrick, brother &c). we took 3 coaches, set out past 8; stayd awhile at the Greene Man in Barnet; dined at Bull in St Albans; lay at the Sugar Loaf (the Crowne being full) at Dunstable.

7. Friday, set out about 8; called at Woborne (stayd not); that morning Alderman Mainwaring & Houseman overtook us; dined at the Swan in Newport; lay at the Rose & Crowne in Northampton: 8. Satorday, set out at 8, called at the Ale House on the hill neare the windmill; dined at Creek; lay at the Star in Coventry; there we met Major Daniell, D. Minshall & Mr Lawton from Ireland; supt together.

9. Sonday, we continued all day at Coventry; Mr Mat: Price came to see me about 5; stayd not.

10. Monday, we set out past 8; dined at the Harp; there Biddolph parted with us; severall frinds from Lichfeild meeting him there; he went with them to Lichfeild; we lay that night at the 4 Crosses.

[fo. 114v] Feb: 11. Tuesday, we set out past 8; dined at the Swan in Newport; lay at Whitchurch (at the Red Lyon) that night; there Mr Cotton, Mr Taylor, Captain Mainwaring, Goldsmith, Delves, Savage, &c. met us; (the 3 first retorned that night after supper) one Eddows & another townesman came to see G.Mainwaring. I left them past 9.

12. Wednesday, cosen Brereton (the widdow) came to visit us; we set out about 9; called at Hampton Post; there parted with G.Mainwaring (he went to Chester) we called at Utkington; did not alight; saw Sir John, his lady, Mrs Hurlestone, &c. at the Gates; dranck wine, &c. came to Peele before 6; Hardware met us at Tarporly, or Utkinton, brought us home; where we found my 2 sisters,&c. the Stage coach went to Chester that night.

13. Thursday, I took phisick; Mainwaring went to a meeting of Deputy Lieutenants at Middlewich; G.Mainwaring & Mr Hunt sent a man with a letter about the next Election at Chester; the 2 other London coachmen went to Chester about 10 of the clock; I sent Huson to Chester for my Plate & to waite on the Mayor, &c. after dinner came Mr Gerard, stayd not long; Mainwaring retorned at night.

14. Friday, dined at home, Angell, Anderson & Ely with us; after dinner came Grantham, &c. Mainwaring went to Chester, stayd all night..

15. Satorday, I went to Chester, light at Wrights, went to the Penthouse; there was the Mayor & severall Aldermen, Sheriffe,&c. saw my sister, dined with G.Mainwaring there was Streete, Mainwaring Farington, the women, &c. Johnson & severall others came to us; about 4, I went with G.Mainwaring to visit Mr Booth; then to the Sunne; there was 2 Mainwarings, Streete, Edwards, Lloyd, 2 Andersons, Wright, Sparks, Croxon, Murrey, Farington, Deane, &c. about 7, we went (many of us) to Jacksons, there came Warburton, Taylor, &c. we parted past 10; lay at Angells.

16. Sonday, I went twice to Parish church; dined with Mainwaring at Angells; after evening sermon, went home with the Mayor; there were 2 Mainwarings Streete, severall Aldermen & Sheriffe Partington; I moved, that if the Parliament writ did not come tomorrow, before the rising of the Court; that the Court might be kept in being by short ajournemts; seeing that the messenger promised at London (as Cotton writes) to deliver it on Satorday & Sir Michael Biddolph writes from Lichfeild that they had theire writ on Friday & the messenger told them there that he would be at Chester on Satorday & we might reasonably conclude that the messenger would be with us in a few houers; not that we desired a spedy Election (by surprise) but to be possessed of the writ & then to ajourne to a convenient day for the Election but the Sherffe would not consent to it; I went that evening to the Sunne with 2 Mainwarings, Streete & Robert Anderson; parted about 10.

17. Monday, went to G.Mainwaring there saw Mr Henry; then to the Penthouse (met Broadnax in the streete but stayd not long with him) then to the Penthouse; went with the Mayor, Aldermen & Sheriffs, to theire Court (in the Common Hall) the Sheriffe ajourned the County Court past 11 (it struck 12 at the Mayors after we brought him home) before the Sheriffe ajourned, Streete moved him agen to ajourne the writ till the next day in expectation of it; but he refused & the ajournment is to that day month (the 17th of March, 2 days before the meeting of the Parliament) he sayd (not here but in his discourses elsewhere) that Sir Thomas Grosvenor & Leeming, being absent, & they intending to stand, that there would be a surprise on them if the Court were not ajourned for a long tyme, &c. I dined with the Mayor; with Mainwaring, Sir G.St.George, & officer of his, severall Aldermen, & Sheriffs, Taylor; parted past 3; visited Hancock (2 Mainwarings with me) went then to Angells, G.Mainwarings & Jacksons; there came severall Aldermen, Warburton, &c. to us: Mainwaring & I took coach past 5, camer to Peele before 8.

18. Tuesday, I sent Houseman to Chester; to look after goods by the carryer; Mainwaring went towards Denington (in the morning) Traverse dined with me, parted about 2; in the evening came Har: Parry, stayd all night, &c. Mrs Hardware came in the evening stayd an houer, &c. 2 Borlocks & Jordan came in the evening to see me.

19. Wednesday, Huson came in the morning; Parry stayd all day; Smith of Bumbery & his wife dined with us; Crew came past 3, stayd till 5.

20. Thursday, Parry went away, about 10; Delves came from Shotwick; & retorned; Dobs & Yates (2 Chestermen) came to see me after dinner; I gave them a bottle of ale, & left them..

[fo. 115r] Feb: 21. Friday, one Potter of Chester dined with us; parted about 3. daughter Mainwaring went that morning towards Peover.

22. Satorday, I went to Chester (sister Sidney with me, I left her there) I light at Wrights; went to Hunts, found Sir William Aston, & Sir John Crew there; we went together to Angells; I went to the Penthouse, there was the Mayor, Sir Thomas Grosvenor, severall Aldermen, Sheriffe Wynne, &c. I called on Aston & Crew, at Angells; went in my coach to Wrights, dined there with G.Mainwaring, Governor, Warburton, & a High Constable of Werrall; Alderman Wright, Streete, & Lloyd came, but did not dine with us; Jackson brought us wine, Mr Griffith, & then Sheriffe Batho came, just as we were parting; I went away (alone) before 5, came home about 7.

23. Sonday, stayd at home all day; no company.

24. Monday, carpenters & Gray came to work; Wolfe & 2 Bennetts from Hatherton; old Bennett dined with the servants; the other with me; they went about 3; the tenant of Alvanley (that hath taken Shotwick) came about 3, stayd ½ houer; no more company that night.

25. Tuesday, Mrs Done dined with my sister & Charlotte. I did not see her, having taken phisick;. at night my sonne & Morgan came from London.

26. Wednesday, my sonne & Morgan went towards Aston: (about 11) after dinner Huxley & Gardiner came to speake with my sonne about money; I gave them a bottle of beere & left them; about 5 Mr Lleeke came; then Mainwaring my daughter & Swetnam with them from Peover.

27. Thursday, Lleek went away abouit 10; Hughes & another slater came about work; Farington, Jackson, Sparks, Pemberton, Peck, G.Mainwaring, Streete, Murray, Crew, Hardware, Gerard, &c. dined with us; they parted about 6; Swetnam stayd all night.

28. Friday, Mainwaring & Swetnam dined, then went to Tarporly; retorned at night with Mr Lee.