Roger Whitley's Diary: March 1688

March 1688

Mar; 1st Thursday, Biddolph, Mainwaring & Turton went a fishing about 10; retorned past 2 & found us at dinner; G.Mainwaring dined with us, stayd till neare 6; Sherlock (my tenant neare Wallasy) brought his rent, stayd all night.

2. Friday, Huson went (past 10) towards Chester & Shotwick; Mainwaring & Turton went a hunting about 7; Taylor attorney dined with us; Croxon came after dinner to take my answer to a bill of Sir Robert Stanleys; they parted past 5; Mainwaring & Turton retorned before 6 & Hughson about 10; Hussey came about 4 from Peover to Mainwaring 3. Satorday, Huson went to Chester past 11; after dinner Mainwaring, Biddolph & Turton went to meete Crew at Kelsall; retorned past 8; Huson retorned about 10.

4. Sonday, I was not at church; Biddolph, Mainwaring & Turton went in the morning; no company all day.

88r and v blank [fo. 89r] Mar; 5. Monday, Mainwaring & Turton went early to Farme race; Grantham went downe with me to the meadow to advise about the improvements of it; Fog & Folio came thither to me; theire businesse to recomend Folio's brother for my chaplaine; they dined; went past 3; going out (in the hall) we met Whittle, Arderne & one Davenport; theire businesse was to motion Sir Thomas Stanley to Charlotte; they went away neare 7.

6. Tuesday, Huson went to Farme race, then to Alney; James with my horses to Wrexam faire; Mrs Dicas & her sonne dined with us; in the evening came Hardware & his wife, Henry & his & his sister & Mrs Kenrick, Greg & Hall; they had a bottle of wine &c; stayd not long.

7. Wednesday, Biddolph & I dined at home; Bellot's chaplaine dined in the buttry; after dinner took a pipe & a glasse of wine in the Compasse; stayd not; a shoomaker of Namptwich dranck a glasse of beere, did eate in the buttry; brought Biddolph some shoes; went past 3; Gerard brought one letter from Wright about Dod's debts.

8. Thursday, Widdow Edwards came about the money her husband owed me, dined with us; stayd not after dinner Mainwaring, Huson & the servants retorned from Wrexam faire.

9. Friday, Mainwaring went to Middlewich; retorned at night; Biddolph & I stayd at home all day. Siddall came at night about selling some veale & to offer a fat bullock.

10. Satorday, Huson went to Chester about 9; I sent Houseman to visit Sir Philip Egerton having hurt his leg; he retorned about 6; Huson came late from Chester; a man came from Namptwich with pigeons & currant plants from Hussey.

11. Sonday, I went not to church; Biddolph & Mainwaring went in the afternoone, retorned at 5.

12. Monday, Biddolph & Mainwaring went to Utkington to dinner; retorned after supper, &c.

13. Tuesday, I went to Chester with my daughters (Biddolph & Mainwaring went before on horseback) we light at Angells; daughters dined there; I dined at G. Mainwarings with Mainwaring & Biddolph & Jackson; Crosse came thither to me & agreed for the hospitall lease; past 3 I went with G; Mainwaring & Biddolph to Jacksons, Streete with us; we met him by the way (with Mrs Mainwaring); Wright met us at Jackson's doore; there came also Edwards, Anderson, Minshall, Warburton, Hand; Mainwaring came to us; my daughters called on me past 5; my sisters, Mrs Williams & Mrs Bunbery came with them; Mrs Jackson gave them a bottle of wine &c; daughters & I parted presently, came home before 8; Biddolph, Mainwaring & Minshall came past 10.

14. Wednesday, John Griffith with the husbandmen & 3 Teames went to Plow at Shotwick; Crew, Sherwood, G.Mainwaring Streete, Bret & Joneson dined with us; the 2 first went past 7; Bret went about 6; the rest stayd all night; I left them past 10.

15. Thursday, Biddolph & my daughter went (about 9) towards London; Mainwaring & Minshall went to bring them on theire way; G.Mainwaring. Streete & Johnson retorned to Chester; Huson went to Shotwick; retorned at night.

16. Friday, Jeynson came from Tatenhall about his rent, stayd not; Mainwaring & Minshall, Harpur & Ned retorned late at night; Mainwaring & Minshall after I was in bed.

17. Satorday, Huson went to Chester; Mainwaring & Minshall after dinner; Mainwaring retorned late with Huson & Whitley of Mold.

18. Sonday, Jackson & Colston dined with us; I went to church after dinner with Mainwaring & my daughters; 2 strange gentlemen sate in Hardware's seate; Jeynson came with his daughter to be hyred; Jackson & Colston retorned about 6; I discoursed with Whitley about my businesse at Mold & with Burges about Shotwick.

[fo. 89v]

Mar; 19. Monday, Mainwaring went about a Commission to Beeston Brook; Houseman went to Northwich; Crosse & Carters wife came from Chester with Mr Taylors clark, about the Hospitall Lease, to see it sealed; they dined (Crosse with me, the rest in the buttry; also Whitley dined; &c; Crosse & the woman &c, went past 3; Robert Lloyd came about 4; stayd past 5; Mainwaring retorned about 8.

20. Tuesday, after dinner came Traverse; went abroad with Mainwaring retorned in the evening, supt, &c; Bolton came in the morning about marling; told me (before Huson & Salman) how the man that swore he had plowed the Popes but forsware him selfe, 5 yards at least; that he onely plowed in the field on the other side of the hedge & that when the other man held the plow that he (Bolton) drave it; he also sayd that Mr Davyes brought him to be examined by Recorder Leeming (his Councell) & that the Recorder told him he must sweare soe & soe but Bolton refused it saying he would not be forsworne &c; after dinner my 3 sisters came from Chester; Mr Hardware called on me; desired my son's money &c. stayd an houer.

21. Wednesday, Mainwaring went to a race at Farme; retorned about 8, with Minshall, parted past 10.

22. Thursday, Hurleston & Minshall, dined with us; they went a coursing after dinner; Traverse came back with them, supt; I left them past 10.

23. Friday, Mainwaring, Minshall & Hurleston went a coursing about 11; Smith came to pay his money for his fine, Huxley with him; dined with us; went away past 4; Mainwaring & Minshall retorned before supper.

24. Satorday, Mainwaring & Minshall went to Chester past 9; Houseman went after them; Mainwaring & Houseman retorned past 9. Ned & another brought some plants & a boare & sow from Elmehurst.

25. Sonday, I went to church in the afternoone with Mainwaring & my daughter.

26. Monday, Mainwaring & Calveley dined with us; went away past 4; Houseman & Crosby went to Bromberow in the morning about Mr Spon's herriots; Fletcher came, had his lease sealed; Huson went towards Dysert about 5; Mainwaring & the buttler went a setting past 4; retorned past 6, Dr Angell with him.

27. Tuesday, Mainwaring went (past 10) towards Peover; past 11, Bromhall of Namptwich came about money Roger owes him; dined (Dr Angell with us) went away, before 3.

28. Wednesday, Mr Lownds man brought me a letter from his master; about 12, I & daughter Mainwaring (with 3) children went to Peover; we light at Northwich at the house on this side the Bridge; the barber (Thomas Harper's brother) trimmed me; we stayd neare an houer; the buttler came with us as far as the Black Greyhond then retorned to Peele; we came to Peover about 5; we met Mr Robert Lee going out of the house (homewards) we found Sir Thomas Bellot & Gleg there with Sir Thomas Mainwaring & the rest of the family; Mr Mainwaring &c; he sent James Kent to meete us at Northwich; after supper Mainwaring his brother, Bellot & Gleg went with me to my chamber; we had a bottle of wine; parted before 11.

29. Thursday, Lord Delamer, Roger Mainwaring, Lee of Booth & Har rison dined there; Roger Mainwaring went away about 5; the rest were at cards, Swetnam came that evening; supt, I left them about 10; they parted past 11.

30. Friday, Roger Barnes brought me his rent, stayd with me 1/2 houer in my chamber; after dinner Mainwaring,Bellot, Gleg, Swetnam &c. went to Keringham, retorned to supper; had 2 bottles in my chamber; parted past 11.

[fo. 90r]

31. Satorday, Gleg went away early in the morning; about 11, Sir Thomas Mainwaring, my selfe &c. went a coursing; retorned at 12, dined parted about 2; came to Peele at 7; Mainwaring & Bellot went by Middlewich; Mainwaring came to Peele after I was in bed.