Roger Whitley's Diary: May 1688

May 1688

May 1st Tuesday, the Peover men retorned; Huson went to Tatenhall; whilest at dinner with my daughters & children Mr Downes of Salop came about Roger's debt; he dined, & went about 2; a man came from Mow Cop about milstones; stayd all night.

2. Wednesday, Huson went to Chester to attend the Comission; thence to Shotwick & Houseman went after him in the afternoone; my daughters & I took the ayre in the coach past 5; we went to Ashton, called at Bromleys & James Wards; dranck in the coach.

3. Thursday, after dinner came cosen Thomas Whitley of Shotton, his wife, her brother, Hughes, Massey & Parry; to cleare the mortgage of Shotton; which they did; & retorned about 5; about 4 Mrs Dresser's brother & White her brother in law came to see her; supt, I left them past 9; Huson & Houseman retorned from Shotwick after I was in bed.

4. Friday, Mrs Dresser & her brotherrs went to Chester; retorned late, I saw them not at night; Huson went to Frodesly.

5. Satorday, Mrs Dressers brothers went about 9; Houseman went to Chester about 10; retorned late.

6. Sonday, I was not at church, having a cold; Traverse came at night, supt, stayd till 10.

7. Monday, Houseman went over Runcorne, about the arrears of the quarters rents; Bolton, Broster & a Mason came from Tatenhall about repairing the mill damme; they dined with us; after dinner came Boswell the paver; he dined below; they all went before 2; about 4 came Mrs Hardware; stayd till past 5; Sir John Crew sent his servant to visit us; Houseman retorned past 11.

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9. Wednesday, Houseman went early to meete Huson at; they retorned late at night; about 5 in the afternoone I & my daughters went to visit Hardwares farme; we retorned past 6; Minshall came to Peele past 9; I left him past 10.

10. Thursday, about 11 Whittle of Barrow, Philips & 3 other neighbors came to get a contribucon for Barrow steeple; they stayd about 1/2 houer; past 12, Huson went towards Ruthyn to Harcourt to the receipte of the revenue arrears; Minshall & Traverse supt with us.

11. Friday, one Hoole (Sir G. Michaels tenantt) brought his daughter againe as a servant in the family; he & Minshall dined with us; after dinner I & my daughters went to Utkington; my coachman being sick I hyred a neighbor to drive us; Minshall & his man went with us; Sir John Crew, his Lady & sister were abroad, the rest at home; we met the Deane there; he, Minshall & I & a yong man (a stranger to me) had a bottle or 2 of wine; and a bottle of mumme; we came thither 1/2 houer past 3 & came away about 6; Minshall stayd after us; I was gone to bed before he came to Peele.

12. Satorday, after dinner my daughters, Minshall, Houseman, Crosby &c went to Chester; all (but Minshall) retorned past 8; presently after came Parry, from Dysart; the man came for money for a milstone.

13. Sonday, I was not at church; the coachman being sick; Parry dined, supt.

14. Monday, Sir John Crew, Sherwood & one Gascoigne dined with us; they went away about 7; Mr Parry was abroad all day; came to supper, I left him, about 10.

15. Tuesday, Parry dined & went away about 2; then came Jackson, Crosby & Davenport; after them came Mr Richard Wright about his father's money; they went away about 7.

16. Wednesday, my daughters dined at Utkinton; retorned about 6.

17. Thursday, G.Mainwaring, Chratchley, Johneson, Deane, Jackson & his wife, dined with us; after dinner came Minshall; they went to bowles; stayd all night; I left them past 10; about 4 came one Low (Lord Brandon's servant ) to speake with Huson; went away presently.

18. Friday, G.Mainwaring & the rest (all but Minshall) went away before 8; I saw them not; Minshall dined with us; went after noone to fish; retorned past 9.

19. Satorday, the new gardner came; I went with Minshall to Chester; alighted at Wrights; had a tankerd of beere with him in a lower roome; Holland trimmed me; the glasse man came to me about putting a new glasse in my coach; I dined at G. Mainwarings, Minshall with us; after dinner came in 2 or 3 Masters of ships & Brett & Mainwaring of Calvely; I left them about 3; went to Angells; there were he, my sisters, Roger's wife, cosen Morgan & her sonne, sister Kate Whitley, Hester Williams &c; (Minshall was with me) thence I went to Jackson's; there was Alderman Wright & his sonne, Streete, Balsh, Minshall, Deane, Crichly, Johneson, G.Mainwaring &c; I left them before 7, went home.

20. Sonday, went to church in the afternoone; no company all day.

21. Monday, Sir John Crew, his Lady, sister, William, Norris, Spurstow, Cockhayne & his wife, Sherwood & his wife, Knightly, Gascoigne, Mr Deane, Hassall, Minshall &c; dined with us; Hardware came about 5; they all went about 7; onely Minshall stayd all night; this day the French cook came.

22. Tuesday, Minshall dined with us; after dinner, one Whitby of Sutton & another came in with Minshall; they had a bottle of wine & beer; parted at 4, Minshall stayd all night.

23. Wednesday, Minshall dined; about 3 I brought him to Venables; his house at Tarvyn; there came to us Bunnell, Laurison, Wright & another neighbor; I stayd till neare 6; payd the reckoning (2 shillings) came home.

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May. 24. Thursday (Ascention day) we dined alone; about 2 Mr Hoole of Bunbery came about taking a lease at Bechin; dranck a glasse of wine; stayd till past 3.

25. Friday, dined at home, no company all day; Lord Rivers gardner walked in the court; I asked him if he would speake with me; he sayd he stayd to speake with my old gardner.

26. Satorday, I was all day at home & without company; William the cook was then discharged & went to Chester with Mrs Dresser who went to fetch the children home.

27. Sonday, I went to church (with daughters) in the afternoone.

28. Monday, Kathrine Calvert dined with us; no other company all day.

29. Tuesday, no company all day; onely Lightfoote to speake about a lease in the morning; in the evening came cosen Whitley of Aston (& John Millin) stayd all night.

30. I sent Houseman to wayte on Lady Delamer at Dunham; Minshall came at night; I left them together past 10; that morning some of Barrow came to me to agree about carrying of coales.

31. Thursday, I sent Houseman to visit Lady Aston &c; Alban Gray came about bricks; cosen Whitley retorned about 4 in the afternoone; Minshall stayd all night; we parted past 10.