Roger Whitley's Diary: January 1688

January 1688

Jan; 1st Sonday, I went not to church; Minshall, Jackson & wife & Brereton stayd all night.

2. Monday, Mainwaring went towards Peover; was to meete Crew on the way; Farrington; Joneson, Browne & others came from Chester; also Mrs Dicas & her sonne; Huxley, Smith, Craven, & 2 Rollands from Bunbury; they all dined, in the evening went to Kents; Biddolph Minshall, Jackson with them; retorned late; stayd all night; onely Dicas, Brome & 2 other men went to Chester.

3. Tuesday, the Bunbery men went away about 10, before I saw them; Biddolph & the rest went a fowling; Jackson & his wife dined with us; cosen Brereton went after dinner; Biddolph, Minshall, Farrington and Johnson retorned at night; supt, sate up with them till past 10.

4. Wednesday, Biddolph Minshall, Farrington went a fowling; Johnson went to Chester; Jackson, his wife &c dined with us.

5. Thursday, Biddolph, Minshall, Farington & Jackson went to Cockaines; retorned late; Mainwaring with them &c; Warmingham & his sister dined with us; went to Chester about 3 & Mr Salisbury with them.

6. Friday, we dined all at home; Mr Hardware with us & Dicas & her sonne from Chester; Mrs Dicas stayd with my daughters, 7. Satorday, Jackson, his wife & Farington went to Chester; also Minshall after dinner; Biddolph & Mainwaring went with him to Tarvyn; Hughson went towards Dysert.

8. Sonday, went to church in the afternoone; Traverse dined & supt with us.

9. Monday, Biddolph & Mainwaring went to dine at Utkinton; Davyes of Manley & of Frodsam came to me about 2, stayd till 4; also a tenant ( I think Pemferton from Soughall to get a tree of me &c; Mr Davyes servant was also with him.

10. Tuesday, Mainwaring went to meete the Sheriffe at Northwich; stayd all night; Angell dined with us;11. Wednesday, Biddolph went a fowling, retorned about 4; Mainwaring retorned past 7; there came a man from Dysert to get work; another with him to shew him the way, [fo. 86r] Jan; 12. Thursday, a man brought me a letter from Mr Babington at Chester to offer me the purchase of some of his lands; after dinner came in Lloyd, old Jackson & Holiwell from Chester; stayd till 4; the masons Davyes &c came to speake about getting stones & a man prtending there was coale in my ground at Kelsall; 13. Friday, Mainwaring went to meete Bruen a hunting; the man came again about the coale & a man that is a fowler from Ince; one Taylor & his wife (a schoolemistress) came from Chester, dined with us; went after dinner to see the gardens, decoy etc. stayd all night but he would not sup nor was in our company; Pemberton (a shoe maker) came to James the smith; he dined with the servants; dranck a glasse of wine in the Compasse, stayd not; then came from hunting Mainwaring, Bruen, his brother in law, brother & unkle, Hardware & Humfreys; they did eate cold meate in the buttry, then came to the Compasse; stayd till neare 6; also Rolland from Bunbery came past 3; dranck a glasse or 2 with us in the Compasse; went past 4.

14. Satorday, Taylor & his wife went to Chester (before I saw them); soe did the Smith, Griffith & Crosley; then went Biddolph & Mainwaring; Tarvyn barber trimmed me; Hughson retorned this night from Wales.

15. Sonday, I went not to church; Biddolph & Mainwaring retorned from Chester, about 11; Minshall & Traverse came at night, supt, stayd all night; I left them past 10.

16. Monday, Jackson & Holiwell came from Chester; retorned after dinner; there came also Minshall from Bechin about a lease & Hussey from Peover; they stayd not; Biddolph, Mainwaring, Minshall & Traverse went a setting; Hardware called but stayd not; supt; I left them past 10.

17. Tuesday, Biddolph, Mainwaring, Minshall went a hunting, dined at Hardwares; a yong man came from Ince; went with the fowler a larking; the gentlemen came home when we were at supper, Traverse with them; supt, I left them at 10.

18. Wednesday, we dined at home; after dinner Biddolph, Mainwaring, Minshall & Traverse went a shooting; a man from Ashton brought barley yesterday and this day; the gentlemen retorned together about 7; supt, I left them past 10.

19. Thursday, Alderman Anderson, Humfreys, Mercer & an apothecary (Basnet) Alderman Lloyd's sonne, Holiwell &c. dined with us; retorned about 4.

20. Friday, Mainwaring & Minshall went to Chester; Hughson towards Shotwick; Mainwaring retorned about 9 at night.

21. Satorday, Tarvyn barber trimmed me; we dined at home; no company; Hughson retorned late.

22. Sonday, I went not to church; Alderman Hughs came to Peele at night.

23. Monday, we dined at home; Mrs Dicas & Thomas Hughes with us; when we were at supper came Mr Lee of Booth, supt, I left them, past 10.

24. Tuesday, Winnington came to see me & Holinshed to speake with Mainwaring Lee stayd to dinner, also Crew, Sherwood, Cockayne & one Stafford came about 1 & dined with us; they all parted past 5; Thomas Hughes dined with Hughson.

25. Wednesday, Mainwaring went to hunt with Bruen; Hughes went away & Hughson to Chester soe towards Northop, Shorley etc (they went imediately after dinner); Traverse & Biddolph dined, then went a fowling; then came Robert Lloyd from meeting Wood at Ke sall about Tatton's proposall &c; the 2 Bostocks (Masons) came to see me from Chester; dined with the servants &c; went presently away; Biddolph & Traverse supt, Mainwaring retorned past 9; we parted at 10.

26. Thursday, some men brought oates, others barley; they dined with the servants; Bellot's buttler cald to see us; Biddolph & Mainwaring went a setting past 2; then came Hardware & his wife; stayd not; Angell came past 4, stayd all night; half an houer past 6 daughter Biddolph was brought to bed of a gerle.

[fo. 86v]

Jan; 27. Friday, Hugh Delves came from Chester; Philips of Barrow & one Smith came to offer some land to sell, dranck, stayd not; Angell stayd all day; Delves dined went about 3; Biddolph & Mainwaring went with him out; came back at 6; supt, parted past 10.

28. Satorday, Biddolph & Mainwaring went past 8 towards Mere; Tarvyn barber trimmed mee; Angell retorned to Chester about 11; Biddolph & Mainwaring retorned past 8 at night; also S Hughson; John Griffith was hurt with a cart; Traverse his tenant came to look to him and to sett in his shoulder bone.

29. Sonday, the ways were soe bad, I could not goe to church; Mainwaring walked (in the frost) Traverse dined & supt with us; we parted past 10.

30. Monday, we did not eate till evening; my daughter Mainwaring began to complaine, in the morning, Dr Angell & Mrs Hardware came about 1; she was deliverd of a sonne; a little more than halfe an houer past 2; Mr Whittle of Barrow & 4 more of his parishoners came about 1 to desire me to contribute to the rebuilding of theire steeple; stayd 1/2 an houer; in the evening came Jackson & Bradshaw from Chester, supt; I left them past 10.

31. Tuesday, Mainwaring went to meete the Sheriffe at Northwich, Jackson & Bradshaw with him; Cholmely sent his servant to know how we all did; the postman of Tarperly brought me some oysters & dined with us; Mainwaring stayd away all night.