Tuesday, October 15, 1833

 

1833

October

Tuesday 15

8 20/..

1 20/..

A little German –

Found letter from my aunt Shibden on my breakfast table dated the 1st instante mense –

All well, and good enough business-news, but my aunt has got a bad ankle – the skin broke and discharges a good deal (‘white matter’) and she suffers much from it, but Mr. Sunderland gives hopes of it tho’ he does not dare heal it for fear of bad consequences – Perhaps my poor aunt will have this open sore as long as she lives –

The Brighouse road turnpike interest, it seems, cannot be paid off – It must be funded and then interest to be paid on the whole in future – Eh bien! Be it so –

Washington has, at last, settled with Mrs. Walsh and her son, and bought all the ground cut off from the Sour Milk hall land by the new Godley road, £160 at 6d. pence per yard = 6400 yards – I am very glad of it –

Washington had had a letter from Mr. Lister to say, it would not be convenient for him to have a lawsuit with the Misses Walker of Walterclough – Foolish enough de sa part to write at all to Washington about it, after my saying that I would pay the expense and charge him nothing, but merely take the water rent towards payment – The Lower water business is before counsel – Jonathan Mallinson had got good water to his house from a new spring found under the new road – More water got to the Shibden reservoir by opening out old drains –

Money paid, £36.15.0, to Miss Hebden the other day for taking Charlotte Booth for 3 years – The girl was to go to her as last Monday week the 7th instante mense –

John Bottomley had foolishly given Green leave to go along the new road on his (Green’s) saying I had given him leave – My poor aunt should send them all to Washington –

Miss Walker writes to her aunt of returning tho’ she had not mentioned it to Mrs. Sutherland on account of her, Mrs. Sutherland’s, not being well – Why have I not heard from Mrs. S-?

A few lines after finishing the letter, to say Mr. Sunderland just had called and thought the ankle going on well –

Breakfast at 11 – Brioche from Lady Harriet with a little note to say she had paid 3 marks for it which I might send back by the servant or pay herself!  Wrote note of thanks and enclosing the 3 marks –

Wrote also to Mr. Browne – ‘Mrs. Lister presents her compliments to Mr. Browne and regrets very much being in the country when he was so good as call on Friday – Finding that being presented at court might make her winter here more agreeable, Mrs. Lister would be glad to have her audiences before the Queen’s birthday – Mrs. Lister is very much obliged for the bible and testament for which she will be glad to pay the bible society when she has the pleasure of seeing Mr. Browne’ – ‘Peter Browne Esquire H.B.M.S. [Her Britannic Majesty’s] Chargé d’Affaires’ –

Wrote the above of today and out at 1– Threatening rain – Turned back for 10 minutes – Then out again –

At Comtesse Blucher’s at 1 25/.. for 1/2 hour – Rained as I got there and all the time and all the way back –

Home at 2 1/4 – Going to have an audience of one of the princesses at 7 this evening – I to be at the Bluchers’ at 8 and go both then to the Swedish and Dutch ministers – Think they did not want me this morning, but very civil.  Won’t go again in a morning in a hurry. –

Wrote 3 pages large sized sheet to my aunt – chit chat –

Sorry about her ankle – anxious to hear from her – can write and have an answer every month – Mention my 2 days in the country to see Roeskilde, and slept at Mrs. Rosenkrantz’s – Widow of the late Danish prime minister, Born a princess of Russia – A charming person – Morning! and Evening! Cold – F about 46° between 6 and 7 a.m. in the country –

Shall not stir much from Copenhagen till I can regularly begin my travels again –

Then at middle of page 2, began with business – ‘

I wondered at your telling me the Brighouse road had proportioned to pay off the arrears of ‘interest – It is all very well whether it can or not – Leave the matter to Washington – He will do what is right –

I am very glad he has settled with Mrs. Walsh and her son, and bought the land – As soon as he gets possession, tell him to move back again the bit of walling that was obliged to be taken down, but to put it in a straight line right across the Greensward, where he will remember I wished to have it at first, and where the line will be shortest – The more stuff they had from Halifax into that hole, the better – but Washington will know all about it –

And tell John to sow acorns all over (as thick as he can) the piece of ground between Greenwood’s field and the Godley road up to the wall Washington will put across the top – Let acorns be sown, too, on all the bare pieces of bankment, etc. in Trough of Bolland wood, and plenty in the Conery wood – John will know all about this’ –

Glad arbutuses do well and some Spanish chestnuts are coming up –

Ask if none of the acorns in the walk and wheatfield are coming up, and how the white clover looks –

Mr. Lister had no occasion to write to Washington about a lawsuit being inconvenient – Foolish to do so – But my aunt to take no notice of it – ‘Mr. Parker will do what is right – I shall perhaps hear from him before I write – He will have to tell me the opinion about the upper brea water, etc., but it will do by and by; as I do not mean to do anything more at present about that water’– Glad Jonathan Mallinson had got water from a spring found in the new road –

Not time to turn to my book, but no doubt Miss Hebden right about the sum agreed upon £36.15.0 for taking Charlotte Booth for 3 years – Hope she will do well – ‘How is her scholarship?’  Right not to give her money – A little present at Xmas enough – Right in Miss Hebden to get her a seat at church –

‘I am vexed at John Bottomley – I gave no leave to anybody unless to such as should pay £5 a year and help to repair the road, all which was mentioned to Washington – It is Washington who is to order all these matters – John Bottomley must inquire of him what is to be done, and not go pothering you – Do tell Washington to speak to John, and see that the road is not used by anybody but the tenants, until an agreement is first made by Washington with the person who wants the road – I give no leave without Washington’s knowing of it – or what would be the use of a steward? People would be for ever saying, I had said this and that –

I am glad you sent to inquire after Miss Walker – always give my kind regards to her’ –

Not yet written to Isabella Norcliffe – or Mrs. Norcliffe, but think of it daily –

‘I shall make a point of answering Mariana’s letters as immediately as possible – She has my best wishes as well as yours for her future happiness – I am quite reconciled – Providence orders all things wisely; and I am thankful –

Everything goes on quite well with me here, and I myself am quite well’ –

Said I should hope to hear from my aunt every month and should write as often –

Dinner at 5 1/2 in 1/2 hour – Read over my letter, and sent it down (for the post) at 6 1/2 to ‘Mrs. Lister, Shibden hall, Halifax, Yorkshire, England’ –

Dressed – Off to Comtesse Blucher’s at 8 – Took up her and Miss Ferrall and went to the Dutch minister’s – Madame and her 2 daughters, and Monsieur .  .  .  ., the Danish prime minister? with his gold star and white ribbons, came in – Tea – Staid an hour – Then to Madame Falson’s for 1/2 hour till 9 25/.. To the Swedish minister’s (pronounced Okesheald).  She and her sister, Mademoiselle Oxholm, Dame d’Honneur to Princess Charlotte, and ourselves the only ladies – Several gentlemen, Compte Blucher amusing the rest, and playing cards –

Madame Okescheald a very charming agreeable person, pale, and ladylike, and interesting, with a little consumptive cough – Her sister, Mademoiselle Oxholm too, plenty to say for herself and civil and agreeable – Talked of English gaucheries and shyness – And some English ladies did in society what ladies of no other nation would dare to do –

Very agreeable evening – Set down Countess Blucher – Miss Ferrall, and at home at 11 3/4 –

Dullish morning, F 56° at 8 20/.. a.m., but from about 12 1/4, rainy, damp, disagreeable day and rather windy, rainy evening, too – F 56° now at 12 3/4 tonight – Everyone has their stoves lighted and the rooms warm --

Note from Lady Harriet by Thomas this morning  -- Has got me a barrel of anchovies, 1 thaler 4 marks 0 schillings

WYAS Finding Numbers SH:7/ML/E/16/0122 and SH:7/ML/E/16/0122