Roger Whitley's Diary 1684-1697 Bodleian Library, Ms Eng Hist C 711. Originally published by [s.n.], [s.l.], 2004.
This free content was digitised by double rekeying. All rights reserved.
April 1687
Ap; 1. Friday, Mr Fowler & Adams came from Chester; dined with us; also Mr Holmes & Proby; they parted pat 4; there came a Ten]an]t of Marris to speake with him; stayd all night; the Plaisterers were discharged about 5; &c.
2. Satorday, Morgan went to Chester; soe did Howseman; after dinner in the evening came Sir Thomas Mainwaring & his family; then Mainwaring & Minshall &c..
3. Sonday, we went to church in the afternoone; I stayd at home in the afternoone; Traverse dined & supt with us; Morgan came in the evening; supt, I left them about 11.
4. Monday, there came a man to me with a letter from Mr Davenport of Bramhall about Syddall's bond; Hughson & Houseman went to meete Adams [fo. 72v] 4. at Bechin ; Mainwaring & I went to Chester; also Nat; Lee meet us at the gate & went with us; Morgan & William Mainwaring & Traverse went on horseback; we light at Wrights; he told us Lord Brandon was at Jacksons, desired to see us; we found him dressing; we left him; he desired to dine with us at Wrights, came within an houer; there was also G.Mainwaring, Streete & Minshall; Mainwaring of Shotwick came after dinner also Laughton & Bowyer; Brandon went to Jacksons; sent for us to him. there was with him Lieutenant Colonel Hastings; we had a bottle, parted; I went to Angells; then to Williams & Hunt; then to the Shire hall, where the Judges & Court were sate; there I mett Sir John Hanmer & some others; also I met Major Minshall at the Castle gate; saluted him & past him by; I went from the Hall with Mainwaring & D.Minshall to see Mrs Shakerly, her sisters, Mr Taylor, his wife, 2 Booths &c were with her; the Governor came in, drank to me &c; then I & Mainwaring went to waite on the Judges; we met Warren in the outward roome; there was Sir John Arderne, the Deane, &c; we went in to Sir Job's chamber, sate awhile with him; I went then (with Minshall) to Alderman Mainwaring's; he & his wife were abroad; then to the Sunne; there was G.Mainwaring; Mainwaring of Shotwick, Lawton, Bowyer & Traverse; I dranck a bottle with them; then went to Jacksons; there was Gleg & William Mainwaring then came G.Mainwaring, Mainwaring & Mainwaring of Shotwick, Morgan, Bramhall, Traverse &c; Alderman Simpson came to speake with me in another roome; I stayd not; we parted about 7; Mainwaring & I went home together in the coach; we found them at supper; I left Mainwaring, his brother, Traverse & Morgan in the Compasse past 10, went to bed.
5. Tuesday Sir Thomas Mainwaring went to Chester about 11; stayd all night; his 2 sons, daughters, Morgan & Traverse dined with us; after dinner old Bromhall of Namptwich came, dined in the buttry; took a pipe & a glasse after dinner, went away past 4; Mainwaring, his brother, sisters, Morgan, Traverse supt.
6. Wednesday, Hughson went to Chester past 1; 2 Mainwarings, their sisters & Morgan dined with us; past 2 Lady Bellot's servant came to know how we did; Harper & Brewer went to Chester; Sir Thomas Mainwaring retorned past 5.
7. Thursday, Hughson went early to Chester (with witnesses) to prosecute the man for seditious words &c; there dined with us Mrs Shakerley, Mainwaring. Ravenscroft, 2 Booths, Gleg, Minshall, G.Mainwaring , Mainwaring of Whitmore, Traverse, Sir Thomas Mainwaring, his sons & daughters, Llee; the women went about 6 & G.Mainwaring, the other Mainwaring, Gleg & Lee went about 7; the rest stayd all night.
8. Friday, Sir Thomas Mainwaring, his sons & daughters & Charlotte went to dine with Lady Bellot; Minshall, Morgan & Traverse went to fish the pitts in the meadow with Harper, Howseman, Tittle & Axson; Traverse's cosen came to us; Minshall & I went up to dinner, the rest followed; Morgan & Traverse dined with us; his cosen dined in the buttry; came to us after to the compasse; we had a bottle of ale; then they went a fishing; Sir Thomas Mainwaring &c retorned at night, Traverse went home &c; Sir Thomas Bellots servant came to Peele.
[fo. 73r]
Ap; 9. Satorday, Sir Thomas Mainwaring & his family went home; Minshall & Morgan went to Chester; Da; Edwards widdow came to me about the money her husband owed me; at night (when I was going into bed) Mr Barber came to us (with Hughson) from Chester, I saw him not that night, being past 11.
10. Sonday, I saw Mr Barber, he stayd with us all day, in the afternooone Mainwaring, his wife & I went to church; the schoolmaster preached; when I came home there was Lightfoote; he would have sold me some hay; then came Malborne about going to Shotwick; he supt in the buttry; after supper he came to the Compasse where was Mainwaring, Morgan & Barber; we had a bottle of wine & a bottle of ale; parted about 11.
11. Monday, Hughson & Malborne went to Shotwick, Howseman to Bechin, Mainwaring towards Wallasey; Morgan to Chester; Barber homeward (early) then came Dob about the money Roger's wife owes him, his brother & another yong man came with him; they had a tankerd of ale & parted; a man came with part of my rents from Runcorne; then came Hardware then Angell, they dined with us; parted about 3, Angell past 4; Mrs Bunbery's man came with a letter to sister Anne with one enclosed to me from the Lady Dungannon.
12, Tuesday, at about 3 o'clock Robert Roberts came to me to speake with me about his accounts with my sonne & Mr Lloyd; he shewed me his state of the account. I advised him to be at Mold on Friday where Morgan Whitley, Hughson would be & Mr Lloyd (if we could prevaile with him) he sayd he had some writings that concened the lands I bought of him & promised to bring them to me on Monday; he sayd one Robert Davyes from about Salop had formerly sued him for the lands but he had a writing which stopt his Proceedings & he would bring it to me on Monday &c; he went away past 4; he is a litigious, ill & dangerous man; I will endeavour to end things betwixt him & my sonne that he may have no further pretence to come to us; Mainwaring & Morgan & Hughson & Malborne came home very late; Mr Forfar sent his man with a letter to Hughson to excuse his & Mr Oatley's coming over.
13 Wednesday, Malborne went away; also Forfar's man; Hughson went to Chester; Mainwaring & I went in the coach & Morgan on horseback; we alighted at Wrights; Minshall went with me to Angells, I saw him & Rogers wife at dinner & my sister in her chamber; I dined at G.Mainwaring 's with Mainwaring, Minshall, Mrs Atkinson G.Mainwaring & his wife; after dinner came the Deane, Brooks, Streete, the Recorder & sister Lettice; we went into another roome to discourse about sealing some writings; I refused, Mainwaring & Morgan & her kinswoman being by; she went away unsatisfyed; the Recorder went to the company with me; the Deane & Brooks were gone; Lee was also there & Farington & Nat; Booth came in but stayd not; then we went to the Sunne (the Recorder, Streete, G.Mainwaring, Minshall, Mainwaring & Lee & Morgan; about 6 some of us went to Jackson's; there was Alderman Wright, Lee, Mainwaring, G.Mainwaring, Morgan, Minshall & Robinson (a tanner) came to me about some bark at Shotwick; stayd not; Mainwaring & I went homewards past 7.
14. Thursday, Mainwaring went to Badily; Housman retorned from Bechin; about 11 Mr Hardware & his daughters came to us; she dined with me; he went away before dinner; Morgan came back from Chester at night.
15. Friday, Hughson & Morgan went to Mold; about 12, Warrington came about some poles we had of him, drank a cup of ale; stayd not; then came Lee, then one Barker of Chester, then Lady Bellot, her 2 daughters & cosen Dor; Ravenscroft to dinner; Mainwaring retorned before dinner; about 4 Barton left us, the rest about 6; Lee stayd all night.
[fo. 73v]
Ap; 16, Satorday, Mainwaring & I went to Chester; I went (with Minshall) to visit sister Angell; she & Roger's wife were at dinner; Lady Grosvenor came in; we left them; dined at Wrights with Mainwaring , G.Mainwaring, Jack Wright, Alderman Wright, Minshall, Jackson; after dinner came Gleg & his brother Taylor, then Alderman Lloyd & Edwards, then the Recorder (some others came to speake with me) and Robinson about bark, Lewes Williams about Rogers debt &c; Robert Lloyd next; Bird came to me before dinner about Tatenhall businesse but stayd not; Jack Wright left us betimes; the rest stayd till past 7; then Mainwaring & I went home to Peele 17. Sonday, went to church after dinner; in the evening went to Mr Hardware; Travese & his cosen came home with Mainwaring; supt & parted about 11.
18. Monday, Mainwaring went to Chester; Morgan & Streete came to Peele, the last stayd not; widdow Bostock & her son's came about accounts; Robinson & Croughton about bark; the farryer about the lame horses; Mr Penket came about Molineux's lease; he Robinson & Croughton dined with us & Mrs Hardware; G. Joneson came with Penket, dined in the hall with the 2 Bostocks; theire mother&c; Robinson & Croughton went about 5 then Penket &c. soone after; then came Robert Roberts about his disputes with Mr Loyd; I left him about 6; Hardware, his wife, sonne & daughter supt with us; they went about 10; Mainwaring retorned from Chester; Morgan with us; we went to bed past 11.
19. Tuesday, widdow Brereton & cosen Roger Brereton & Ned Morgan, Traverse & K; Hardware dined with us; Bradshaw dined in the buttry; a yong man came to be hyred for a groome; about 5 came Mr Gerard & Grantham to take leave; a woman (one Wright of Kelsall) dined in the hall; brought a present of egs; at night came Streete, supt with us, 2 frinds with him; they supt in the buttry; we went to bed past 10.
20. Wednesday, we left Peele (with Mainwaring, my daughters, Ewart &c) at 8 in the morning; Streete went to Chester; Hughson went to Bechin, Alney & Frodesley; we dined at Dedington with Sir Thomas Delves, his Lady; went thence past 3; came to Stone past 7; there was G.Mainwaring & Minshall & Morgan; we supt; stayd there all night.
21. Thursday, cosen Elianar Brereton came to Stone about her brother Roger; I sent him 50 s by her; we left Stone past 9; came to Elmehurst about 3; Sir Michael Biddolph was not retorned from London; Mainwaring, G.Mainwaring, Minshall & Morgan came soone after us; we supt betimes; went to bed about 10.
22. Friday, after dinner Mainwaring, G.Mainwaring, Minshall & Morgan went to Lichfield; in the evening Sir Michael Biddolph retorned from London; soone after they retorned from Lichfield; we supt; I went to bed about 11.
23 Satordy, we went a fishing; dined at an ale house neare a bridge; retorned before 7; supt; went to bed neare 11, 24. Sonday, some went to church in the morning Sir Michael, my selfe & the woomen had prayers at home; Hughson came from Frodesley; after dinner some went to the sermon; Sir Michael I & Minshall went to the Deane's (there were 2 others with him); we went with him to the Quire; after service retorned home with him; after us came Sir Richard Atkins; there was another gentleman with the Deane; we had a bottle of wine, discoursed with him about Tangier, Barbary, the Turks &c; left him about 6 ; we went with Bird & Minshall to the Swan; Mainwaring, G.Mainwaring & Morgan came to us & then Mainwaring of Whitmore; we had 2 or 3 bottles of wine; discoursed the ostler & one Morice about going to Peele with my horses; went back about 7 to Elmehurst; supt, went to bed past 10.
25. Monday, we stayd all day at Elmehurst; in the afternoone came Mrs Barnet & some other Ladyes to visit & yong Mr Alablaster; he dranck a glasse of wine with us in the parlour, stayd not; we went to bed past 12.
[fo. 74r]
Ap; 26. Tuesday, G.Mainwaring retorned towards Chester early; I dined at Elmhurst; about 1 I took coach towards London; Biddolph & Mainwaring with me; Morgan & Minshall, Huson with Howseman & Nixon on horseback; we called at Rabons; had a bottle of wine in the court; called agen at the Pammiers neare Coventry; had a flagon of beere to the coach; saw the man & woman of the house; went to Coventry; lodged at the Starr.
27. Wednesday, we left Coventry about 9; stayd an houer at Creek; lodged at the Peacock in Northamptom.
28. Thursday, I sent back my owne coach; Biddolph & Mainwaring went with it; I took place in the stage coach with Sir John Holman, Dr Poole, Lady Shore, her daughter & a gentlewoman from Stafford (Minshall, Morgan & servants on horseback); we dined at Newport; lodged at the White Hart at Dunstable; Holman supt with us in my chamber&c; my sonns man came thither.
29. Friday, we dranck a bottle of wine at the Chequer in St Albans; dined at the Red Lyon in Barnet (the women dined by themselfes) there William Minshall met us, dined with us & one Poole, Dr Pooles brother in law; we came to London about 6; alighted at the George in Aldersgate; Zacary Kent met us on the way; Streete went thence with Holman to the Bull in Wood Street; thither Baroby & Baskervile & my sonne came to us; severall of Holman's frinds (all strangers to me); we left them there past 9; Baroby, Baskervile & Minshall brought me to my lodgings at Mr Taylors a tobacco cutters on the back of St Lawrence church; we had one bottle of wine; they left me about 10.
30. Satorday, Swetnam, Edisbury & others came to see me, stayd not; Cosens trimmed me; about 12 I went to call on William Minshall at Grays Inne; he went with me to Kents & he with us to my son's lodging; Minshall & I dined with him & his Captaine stayd till neare 6; went to Kents againe; then to Sir Edward Woods; saw him & his Lady; he went with us to Grays Inne; we met Titus in the court; parted with them; went to Williams; left him, went home; found my sonne there; he stayd not; Baroby & my landlord went with me to the Queen's Armes; there came D.Minshall then Baskervile; then Crispe; we parted about 11.