Friday, February 24, 1837

 

1837

February

Friday 24

8 10/..

11 1/4

No kiss.

High wind all last night – Just as Ann was getting into bed at one, heard a loud knock!  Called up John Booth – who went out and fired his pistol – This roused me up, Ann fancying she had seen a light in the saddle room – Put on my dressing gown and pelisse and stockings (have slept in flannel drawers and socks all the winter) and went all over the house – All over the cellars, leaving John with Ann in the hall – Found the drawing room window-shutters unclosed and the door unlocked – and buttery door into the kitchen unfastened –

Got into bed again about 1 1/2 – Rain early this morning and high wind – Fair about 9 or after and Fahrenheit 38° at 9, the sun shining – Ice this morning at 11 – The ground white at my getting up this morning –

Breakfast at 9 and sat talking to Ann till 10 1/2 – Then had Taylor the tinner in the store-room, again nailing on more iron sheeting against the rats – and had him to do the cowslip-wine cellar cupboard adjoining the old beer cellar –

Then with Bligh settling about the hall stoothing at the top of the gable-end against the drawing room – Instead of straight stooths would have them diagonal – Diagonal stooths to put against the upright one, they have just fixed up –

Then out about 11 for 1/2 hour – Then came in for Ann, having promised to walk with [her] part of the way to the school –

Wrote the above of today till 12 20/.., then wrote a few lines to Mariana while Ann was getting ready to walk to the school – Off about 12 40/.. Walked with her as far as Lidget, then left her and went to see Mrs. Hopkins, who had been dangerously ill for the last week or 10 days – Out of danger – Staid a few minutes –

Back about 2 with Robert Mann +2 the rest of the afternoon till came in at 6 1/2 with a very bad cold – Could hardly speak – Caught it last night, I suppose, getting up out of bed and going into the cellars and about –

Robert and company throwing claying over from the yard to the east embankment near the rock bridge and earthing up a couple of largeish hollies and getting another to the spot – All hands, 4 or 5 masons and John Booth and Frank and Richard Hepworth helping Robert +2 to get the mass of earth and old oak root from off the cart over the wall onto the embankment – 2 carts carrying clay from the coachhouse court all the day except bringing the holly this afternoon the last thing – Mark and his son Richard Hepworth carting soil from Northgate – Put it close to the present entrance gates right coming from Halifax –

Dressed – Dinner at 6 40/.. – Coffee – Read the newspaper and corrected Ann’s letter to her sister about selling building ground at Golcar three half pence per yard – Ann wrote to her sister tonight – Building ground at Golcar 1 1/2 pence per yard per annum = £2 = 320 yards on lease for 999 yards – 1 1/2 pence per yard at 5 per cent = 2/6 per yard paid down – came downstairs and wrote the last 14 lines till 10 10/.. –

Finish day, but high wind and cold – Fahrenheit 32° at 10 p.m., then put away the cowslip wine taken out of the cellar-cupboard this morning –

Letter tonight – Foley – an offer for the Lodge – To live there on my terms, it being said I had built it for a nunnery !

WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/E/20/0026