Saturday, November 29, 1834

1834

November

Saturday 29

7 25/..

11 3/4

[Marginal note:] Ann’s cousin came this morning –

A tolerable kiss last night.  Very fine morning, Fahrenheit 50° at 8 10/.. a.m. – Hurried over breakfast.

left Eugénie and George to follow in the carriage by the high road to Leeds (to the hotel), and Ann and I and Charles Howarth walked (5 or 10 minutes from the Inn) to the railroad office – and at 9 20/.. Ann and I in the yellow carriage; the large best one (only this one in the train) at 3/. per place, covered in like a Stage coach with door and windows at each side – and Charles Howarth in the green carriage just before us, open at the sides – top supported on 4 uprights 2/. per place – the carriages, best and 2nd best, like those on the Manchester and Liverpool road – The carriage drawn up ready for starting under a large good shed – Our carriage called the Venus – Sat waiting 18 minutes and off at 9 38/.. (my watch 1/4 hour too soon by York – 10 minutes ditto by Hull, and 25 minutes ditto by Selby) –

At Milford (8 miles from Selby) in 44 minutes, our train having gone slow for the last 1/4 hour – This slow pace (the men got out and walked by the side of us, some throwing small stones upon the sleepers) continued for 25 minutes to 1/2 hour – It had rained almost from the moment of our starting – The sleepers were wet and slippery, and the wheels of the carriages would not bite – They only bite by their weight – Only one person (some sort of tradesman) in the carriage (holds 6) with us – and not a man of much intelligence – Said there was to be a meeting of the Aire and Calder Committee this afternoon to take into consideration what should be done in the present emergency – The Railway charges 6/8 per ton from Leeds to Selby – and the dues of the Aire and Calder from Leeds to Goole are 7/. let alone freightage, which will average 2/6 per ton more – The navigation by the river from Selby to Hull, being free, gives a great advantage –

At Leeds at 11 17/.., having done the distance from Seacroft in 6 minutes – The 800 yards tunnel into Leeds, being quite dark, took Ann and me by surprise and she did not like it at all – Distance from Selby to Leeds 19 miles – Rained all the way more or less, though not heavily – A nice commodious waiting room with water closet adjoining for the ladies – Good landing place and buildings for offices etc. in Leeds – Saw and spoke to the general superintendent, Mr. William Williams – asked him for a tariff of the charges on goods, etc. – A gentlemen’s carriage to be 15/. – Found Mr. Williams civil and intelligent – There was a tariff printed for the use of the persons of the establishment, but not allowed to be given to the public – On giving my name and address – saying I was interested in the Calder and Hebble Navigation, and anxious for information, he very civilly gave me one of the printed tariffs on my promise not to shew it, but leaving me at liberty to make and shew any extract from it I chose – Recommended me to Baines’s in Briggate for Wood’s work on railroads –

While talking, had left Ann in the ladies room and let all the flies and cabs go away, so walked in the rain (not heavy) to Wilkinsons about the pendule, to Kendell’s – took Charles Howarth –ordered chimney piece for north dining room, and to Baines’s the bookseller’s – very civil – shewed me a nice, new, clean copy of Nicolls’s plan the canals and railroads, very nicely done up in a case opening in the middle and looking like a book – Map 3 1/3 guineas, mounting and case 1 guinea, and book of text octavo 1 guinea = 5 1/2 guineas – They had Wood’s work but it was the 1st edition printed in 1832 I think, so I declined taking it – Bought a plan of the Leeds and Selby railroad, a 4 pence almanac etc.

At the hotel at 1255/.. – having just sent off Charles Howarth to go by coach from the Rose and Crown at one – Ann tired – ordered her a mutton chop and the servants to dine –

Bought the Leeds Intelligencer and Leeds Mercury of this morning and sat reading – It seems Sir John Beckett will come in with Baines, Mr. Marshall retires on account of bad health –

Off from the hotel about 2 – Above an hour at Nelson’s choosing fender and fire irons for the blue room Papin’s digester – and a new sort of grille to do beefsteaks etc. in front of the fire – Took up the pendule at Wilkinson’s – Left the umbrella at Kendell’s we had borrowed there in the morning, and off from there at 3 10/.. and at Shibden at 5 52/.. –

Some time with my father and Marian – Then with my aunt – She had 2 letters for Ann from her sister (Udale) and 1 franked by Lord Hotham at Denton Park from Mrs. George Fenton – and a note for me from the Halifax Philosophical Society and a kind letter from Lady Stuart dated Whitehall and 2 letters dated Langton 24th ultimo, 3 pages and ends, from Norcliffe! giving an account (rigmarole) of his tour in America –

Tea at 7 – Ann and I sat talking till after 8 – One of Mrs. Sutherland’s letters to announce that Miss Rogers was to live with Miss Walker of Cliff hill, and the other to announce Captain Sutherland’s having written to Mr. Rawson about the administration account money in the bank on  behalf of Ann and her sister – While Ann wrote copy of letter to her sister I read from page 41 to 71, Phillipps’s little Elementary work on geology bought at York –

Fine morning till about 9 1/2 a.m.  Afterwards, windy, boisterous, wettish day and evening –

Went upstairs at 10 1/4, at which hour rainy night – Fahrenheit 40° at 11 p.m.

 

WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/E/17/0115