Friday, December 12, 1834

1834

December

Friday 12

7 50/..

11 50/..

Pretty good kiss last night

Breakfast at 9 – Sir Robert Peel arrived –

Off with Ann at 10 10/.. to Cliff hill – About an hour with Richard Woodhead – He will do double railing for me (I finding everything, rails ready for railing) at 1/. per rood – Had done for the road (finding everything) at 8/. a rood – if I find stoops wood posts, that would make 2/. a rood difference –

Then sat about an hour at Cliff hill – Mrs. Ann Walker all wrong again – In a passion at me for  Ann’s walling along the private road (between Cliff hill and Crownest) to Huddersfield – A foot person would not have room to pass a carriage, the road would be so narrow – I explained that Ann had measured it the other day, and that it would be left 5 yards broad – Mrs. Ann Walker seemed staggered, and got into better humour – To last probably till she sees again Mrs. William Priestley ! –

Ann gave Mrs. Rogers a returned letter from her to her niece – Mrs. Rogers agitated and vexed – Wrote a note to Mrs. Bagnold of which Ann took charge, as well of the letter to be reforwarded –

Home at 1 3/4 – Sat with Ann during her luncheon – and read aloud to her Mr. Wortley’s speech, printed separately – Longish and good – Delivered on Wednesday evening in the Old Assembly room –

Out from 3 1/4 to near 5 – In the upper land with Pickles and then with him at Whiskum cottage –

The gable end ill-built – The rain beats through the wall – The stones, instead of being from 4 to 5 or 6 inches in the bed should have been 1 foot and well-jointed –

Ordered the well sunk for water (none found nor to be found there) just under Whiskum cottage to be filled up forthwith and said he might make a drain and reservoir for top-water in John Bottomley’s field adjoining –

Some time with Charles Howarth hanging oak door into new China closet –

Wrote the above of today till 6 10/..

Dinner at 7 – Coffee and then came and sat upstairs about 8 1/2 –

Note this morning from Mr. John Edwards with the compliments of Mr. Wortley’s committee, begging me to ‘convert’ Shaw the plasterer’s vote for Wortley – from a single to a plumper –

Dinner so late, for Mrs. Greaves and Mr. Beattie, her lodger (and Mr. Hudson’s usher), came to Ann for 3/4 hour or 50 minutes to beg off the bailiffs sent into their house this morning to make distress for rent; but Ann would not give way –

1/4 hour with my father and Marian between dinner and coffee – Read this evening (and now and then talked to Ann) from page 483 to 509, Bakewell’s Geology – 1/2 hour with my aunt till 10 20/.. –

Very fine day – Fahrenheit 45 1/2° now at 10 25/.. p.m.

[Marginal note:] Joseph Mann brought specimens of numbers 6. Scale 16 yards thick 7. 4 yards coalband 8 inches thick

WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/E/17/0123