Wednesday, February 20, 1839

1839

February

Wednesday 20

7 3/4

4

Much snow on the ground – Small driving snow falling between 8 and 9 and between 9 and 10 and now at 10, snowy day –

Went downstairs to Joseph Mann at 8 40/.. – Six masons pulling down the boiler house – will soon have it down and be in want of lime and sand – George gone to Mr. Rawsons for bricks – on his return to get sand (2 carts and a chain horse from bottom of Trough of Bolland wood – washed down from Godley road) and then lime –

Breakfast at 8 55/.. – Sat talking – Came upstairs at 10 – Fahrenheit 38° inside now at 10 5/.. and 33 ° outside at 11 1/2 a.m.

At 12 1/2, sign petition against the beer shops to be presented to Lords and Commons – Brought by Ann’s tenant of the Black Horse and mine (Harper) of the Stump Cross Inn – Begged they would not be led into signing any petition against the corn laws – Ann also came and signed the two petitions – I, A Lister.  She, Ann Walker.  I said nothing, but thought she might as well have let it alone.

Ann came to me for a few minutes before 12– and again about one about her letter to her sister, and staid till 3 – All the day from 10 to dinner at 6 10/.. except the above interruptions, looking over my last travelling Journals and writing 3+ pages letter paper small and close of letter to Lady Stuart de Rothesay –

Ann read French in the little dining room – Parcel of books from Whitley’s as ordered last week (Friday 15th instante mense, page 341) – Looked a little into them – Tea – Came upstairs a few minutes before, leaving Ann downstairs copying her letter to her sister – At least, copying the business part of it –

Gleams and snow showers all the day –Fahrenheit 36 1/2° inside at 9 p.m. and 32° outside at 9 1/4 p.m.

Letter tonight from Mr. Harper – 

Had received and returned the glass for the west tower windows – Bad in colour and quality – Air bubbles in it and one square broken from careless packing – 

Wants Robert to send the measurements of the windows (he, Mr. Harper, not having a copy of the measurements sent to Newcastle – 

Advises my paying more and having better glass – a square of glass containing

1 foot square = 9/.                                                                                                        

2 feet square = 17/.

3 feet square = 28/.               

‘and they increase in that ratio in price – the glass I had ordered was15 per cent lower price but not so good  in quality as common crown glass’ –  he is trying ‘experiments with the new process for taking views but has not yet succeeded in fixing pictures when I have obtained it, but I do not despair of success’ –

Will teach Miss Walker the process when he has succeeded – Really very good of him – The drawings for the hall done, but a difficulty about window shutters – afraid they will be observed to be ‘in moveable pieces, to take down and put in a closet’ –

From 9 1/4 to 3 in the morning looking over my journals and finishing my letter to Lady Stuart de Rothesay – except that had Ann from before 11 for about 1/2 hour –

WYAS Finding Numbers SH:7/ML/E/22/0128 and SH:7/ML/E/22/0129