Roger Whitley's Diary: October 1696

October 1696

October 1. Thursday, Mainwaring went early to Namptwich; Cartwright (in Adam's absence) brought the Black Book & the late Acts of Parlement to me; in the evening I went to see the Bishop. then to Alderman Edwards; but he was going to bed; I went with his sonne & Huet to the Feathers; Lloyd came to us; I went up stayers to visit Mrs Browne (Dorisla daughter) & her husband, retorned to the company below & home past 8.

2. Friday, Mrs Humfreys (wife to one of the players) came to shew me the Patent she had from the Master of the Revells, Bradford came about his clyents money which Mr Davyes owed them. Angell & Sidney dined with us; Thomas brother Peters son came about 2., all went after 3. Huson & Smith retorned from Flint assises & Northop. Smith went to Peele.

3. Satorday, James Mainwaring came about wine; Lachford about his concern at Ashton; I went to the Penthouse at 12. retorned before 2. Streete, Loyd, Deane, Hand, Comberbach, Mainwaring, his sister, sister Lloyd dined with us; Johnson came after diner; all went past 4.

4. Sonday, was not at church; Minshall, Roger Whitley & son dined with us, went about 2 Houseman & Madamoiselle went Peele.

5. Monday, I went to the Court past 12. retorned before 2. Streete. Lloyd, Cratchley, Sheriffs, Comberbach, Adams & Dick Minshall dined with us, went before 4. Bromley brought 35 li. clipt money for the Mint, Yong & Lightfoote came with him, Houseman went to Shotwick, I & Minshall wayted on the Judge past 5. went thence to the comitte at the Penthouse; thence with Minshall to Jacksons; the Warden of the Mint came thither to us; then Streete & Parry; then Mainwaring & Bellot; I left them past 9. Huson came thither to speake with me, but stayd not; this day my gransons & Alpott came from Peover; Houseman was out all night.

6. Tuesday, Judge Hook, Lord Warington, his cosen Jackson, the Governor, Bellot, Leeming & severall Gentlemen & Lawyers dined with us, about 4 I went to the Penthouse; past 5 we went in a body to wayte on the Judge; I & Mainwaring called at the Ship, there was Bellot, Llea, Holland & Parry. Murray came in with us; I left them, about 8 went home, supt; after supper came Mainwaring; about 9 came Delves & went past 10.

7. Wednesday, Ashton & another Captaine came to complaine about quarters; I appointed to be at the Penthouse at 12 where severall of aldermen &c. met & severall townsmen & women; we settled things as well as we could; Johnson was with me in the morning. Morgan dined with us but would help me with no money that he owed me; at 3 I went to the Penthouse & thence (on foote) to the funerall of Alderman Edwards; I did not goe into the church but retorned home; 1/2 houer past 4 Lashford came to me about the lease at Ashton; I bade him finde out Houseman to hasten it; Smith came from Peele, retorned agen; about 7 2 Sheriffs, Cratchley, Johnson & James Mainwaring came to me & Mainwaring; we discoursed the citty concernes about election of aldermen &c. parted past 9.

8. Thursday, Ashton & the other Captaine came to me about money for the soldyers, I promised to lend 5 li.; went to the Penthouse at 12. retorned past 1. Lightfoote came after diner, also Holland, Houseman came home this morning. I went to Husons & Angells then home.

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October 9. Friday, went at 12 to a General Assembly in the Hall for the election of Aldermen. Huet, Kinaston & Bolland were chose. they & 2 Sheriffs dined with me; Delves, Gleg, Bellot &c. came after diner stayd awhile.

10. Satorday, I went to the Penthouse at 12. the 3 Aldermen took theire oaths; I retorned past one. the Officers of the Mint dined with me (& the Governor) parted all & Goldsmith & others came about 5; the Mint Officers brought me new money.

11. Sonday, was not at church; the aldermen dined with us; also 2 Minshalls, Wright, William Mainwaring &c. parted past 2. I went to take leave of the Judge in the evening; supt; after supper came Dick Minshall & James Mainwaring; parted at 10.

12. Monday, Mainwaring & his sons went to Peover; Ashton & the other Captaine came & I lent them 40 li. new money; Adams told it to them & drew theire receipt; Waine, Shales & another Butcher came about the bull bayte & the concernes of the company; Jordan about the building at Shotwick. in the evening I went to Lady Bellots & called at Jacksons; there was Governor, Newall &c. left them at 9.

13. Tuesday, I went to the Penthouse, acqainted Streete & Lloyd of Evan Jones scandalous reports of Mainwaring & my selfe &c. at night I went with Johnson to Charles Griffith's; there was Coker, 2 Sheriffs, Hall, Moris &c. we parted about 9.

14. Wednesday, I went to the Penthouse, Evan Jones justifyed the scandalls he had layd on Mainwaring & me; was bound over for good behavior &c. Recorder, 4 or 5 more dined with me; I signed a warrant against Fernehall.

15. Thursday, Mainwaring retorned from Peover. Weddall came for a warrant against Horton & had it, we had an Assembly; Mainwaring, Minshall, Sheriffs dined with us; I went to the Penthouse at 6, about the Justices of Peace voting for the election of Mayor next day &c. then home &c. Broster came from Dyssart.

16. Friday, I went to the Penthouse past 11; the Aldermen voted who they would have housed for Mayor. then went to the Inner Common Hall on the same occasion; then to the Court in the Hall. Mainwaring & Hand were voted on one side; Allen & Bennet on the other; the 2 last were housed & Bennet was chose after I had voted for Sheriffe; I went home to diner (neare 5) Mainwaring, Morgan & Minshall dined with us &c. after supper I went to visit Sheriffe Mainwaring. there was severall with him. we parted past 9.

17. Satorday, the 2 Coroners came to see me & Minshall about his lease; then Sefton & another about leasing Akerley's house; Broster went back to Dysert; I went to the Penthouse (at 5) to deliver the Citty plate to the new Mayor & Treasurer, then home with the Mayor & the 2 Sheriffs, Streete and Ince was with us; I left them within an houer; came home. Sheriffe, Mainwaring came to me to talke about the Hall accounts; stayd not long.

18. Sonday, was not at church; Minshall & Morgan dined with us; in the evening the Recorder & severall Aldermen , Sheriffs &c. came (according to custome) to complement & take leave of me. we had some bottles of wine &c, soe parted; Roger supt with us; went soone after; Mr Post, Mr Warburton's sonne came to see me; after supper came Deane & Sheriffe Mainwaring, parted before 10.

19. Monday, I sent for Adams, gave him a new spoone to supply that which was stole, when Lord Lieutenant Sidney was at my house; Houseman went with Norbery to keep the Court at Ashton. Weddall, Clarks, & Hawley (of the Mint) & Minshall & Warburton dined with us; parted about 4; Roger came & discoursed me long & patiently about his concernes. I went to the Penthouse (to the Hall comitte) before 6. there was the Mayor, Ince, Allen &c. past 7 we parted; I went (with John Mainwaring) Hand & Murray to the Ship; there was Streete, Mainwaring, 2 last Sheriffs, Pemberton & Minshall, we parted past 9; Howesman retorned.

20. Tuesday, Houseman went early to Tatenhall, Huson came to me before 8 & went to the Audit at Middlewich; I sent for Gray about his accounts &c. Warburton came about 11 about his father's businesse; we dined at Sheriffe Mainwarings (much company) came home past 4.

21 Wednesday, Pursell & others were with me about Frodesley; they dined in the outward roome; Minshall & Warburton & Roger with us; I sealed a bond to G. Warburton, gave it his sonne; I was indisposed with. purging; Minshall supt with us; Adams was with me about Roger.

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October 22. Thursday, Adams was with me about Rogers businesse. I sent Houseman several times to Roger about the danger of arrest, he was in; Mainwaring & Roger Whitley dined with us; after diner came the 2 Captaines then Roger; all went about 4. Purcell was with me but stayd not; about 8 Yates came to renew his lease, but having lapsed his tyme of changing a life I refused to seale it.

23. Friday, Deane came to see me after diner & Johnson, then Penant & Mr Davyes; I went about 5 to visit Mr Buckley at Mr Birkets house. he was abRood. I came home, about 7 Deane, Holland & Cratchley came to sit with us & take leave of Mainwaring; we parted past 10, Huson retorned from Middlewich.

24. Satorday, I had a fit took me in bed, about 5 I rose & stayd up till neare 11 before it left me; Mainwaring went (about 1) towards London; Huson brought my daughter some Audit money; Richard came with the cart from Peele; Moses brought one Rowe with him about taking some of Palins tenement; a man came to me (who had marryed one of Mr Davyes creditors) about her money; I bid him goe to Mr Bradborne the Attorney to draw up the accounts & draw a letter of Attorney about it &c. Morgan came past 8 about Roger.

25. Sonday, the 2 Captaines, Roger & cosen Whitley of Aston dined with us; Deane, Johnson & Sheriffe Mainwaring came after supper; went past 9. Roger went to Aston with cosen Whitley.

26. Monday, Houseman went with Norbery to keep Court at Soughall; dined with us; at 5 I went to Deane to go visit the Recorder; met them in the street, went to the Recorders; stayd neare 2 houers; his wife came to us (in his study) stayd not long; I went home , after supper Hand & Norbery came to me; stayd till after 9.

27. Tuesday, Huson was with me also Croughton from the Mayor about accounts of the Kings money. I sent him word I would observe the Kings direction in issuing & accompting for it; in the evening I visited Mr Bulkley, stayd an houer; retorned about 7.

28. Wednesday, Huson was with me &c. Charles Griffith was with me about malt &c. I went in the evening to visit Mr Davyes; then to the Penthouse (there was the Myor & the Recorder & 2 Bollands) then to the Bishop; then to cosen Mainwarings. then home.

29. Thursday, Huson was with me past 8; he was going to Frodesley; Davyes & Fletcher came about 2 about the money due to them for the Hall; the Swordbearer & Macebearer came for, & had the 3 quarters wages due to them. past 3 I went with daughter &c. to see the Mint; retorned past 5. past 6 came Alderman Cratchley, then Johnson, Murray, Huet & James Mainwaring; parted about 9.

30. Friday, Houseman retorned from Werrall; Comberbach was with me about cosen Ravenscroft's rent to the Hospitall; Clarkson & Isaac came with theire accounts for work at the Hall. Husbandman & Brewer came for malt from Charles Griffith; 2 sisters dined with us; past 4 the Bishop & Dr Antwisle came to visit me; I called at the Coffee House at 5; there was Recorder, Pugh, Deane, Yeomans, 2 or 3 more; I went presently to the Penthouse; there was Mayor, Recorder, some Aldermen, workmen &c. past 6 I went home; Recorder with me, Deane & Holland came after, parted past 8.

31. Satorday, barber trimmd me, the cart came from Peele for goods; also the coach horses &c. Johnson, Mr Lloyd, Cratchley &c. took leave of us; we left Chester past 3. came to Peele past 5; Houseman stayd at Chester all night.