Roger Whitley's Diary: November 1686

November 1686

Nor; 1st Monday, I went to Chester with Mainwaring; called on my sonne & Traverse at Jacksons; went (with George Johnson for our guide) to Soughall; met Penket on the sands; dined at his house with my sonne, Traverse, Streete, G.Mainwaring, Brikhened, Molineux, Penket, Wright & then came Minshall, Burrows, Morgan Whitley, Griffith, Bradshaw & severall others from coursing; they dined in the outward roome with one Wood that came with Bradshaw about his lease; Mainwaring of Shotwick came about 3 o'clock; Mainwaring, my sonne & I with some others went to the Lodge; had a bottle or 2 of wine; there came one Hocknell to us but he had no businesse as I could learne; onely a busybody & in hopes of drink; we stayd not long; hasted over the sands for feare of the tyde; called to see cosen Mainwaring; went thence to Angells; then to the Sun Taverne, supt there with the company that had been a coursing & fowling; parted past 10; lay at Dr Angells.

2. Tuesday, I went to see Colonel Bearsham, at the Pyed Bull, then to see brother Whitley; then to Alderman Wrights to take coach; Davyes & Jenson (his neighbors) went in with us; we had a tankard in the hall; Salesbury, Traverse & my sonne & Minshall came to us; we dined at Newton; Harleston & his wife, sonnes & daughter, Penington, G.Mainwaring, Mr Mainwaring, Griffith &c. Penington & yong Mrs Hurlestone went away before 3; we all parted about 4; went home.

3. Wednesday, Bird & Davyes came about Tatnall; they, Hardware, his daughters & Traverse dined with us; (Davyes dined with Morgan in the buttery); they stayed till 4; Hardware till past 5; the man of Hoome house came also about Tatnall; Betty's nurse & her husband came to see us; about 4 I went to my workmen, carpenters & bricklayers &c. Traverse & Morgan supt with us; we parted past 10.

4. Thursday, Mr Carter & Mr Lloyd dined with us; about 3 my sonne & Mainwaring retorned from coursing with Traverse & Morgan; Carter & Lloyd went past 4; the rest supt, parted past 10.

5. Friday, Mainwaring & I went to church; Gerard preached; dined at home; Mr Robert Lloyd, Morgan &c. dined with us; past 3 they 2 went to Chester; Meyrick came to speake with me about trespasse done by my cattle.

6. Satorday, I stayed at home all day, had no company, onely with workmen; my sonne & Mainwaring were abroad, till late.

[fo. 66r]

7. Sonday, I stayed at home all day, not being very well.

8. Monday, Mainwaring & my sonne went to ? Alrey; Hughson, to meete them there; G. Cookson brought part of his rent; his sonne came with him; there came a man to see Mr Davyes house and tenement; Fletcher came about the tenement at Tatenhall & 2 Bostocks about laying the foundacion of the well house & the mill at Tatenhall; Bonnell of Tarvyn came from Sir John Arderne to know when I would be at home that Sir John would come to me &c. in the evening came the Vicar of Tarvyn to tell me Sir John Arderne would dine with me next day; 2 men came with Wrench, about making a boate.

9. Tuesday, a man left a letter for me from Mr Salusbury with a sub pena to attend a Comission on Thursday at Chester &c. Sir John Arderne, the Deane & Gerard dined with us; went away neare 5; they discoursed about the hearth duty, Davyes Kelsall way &c. nothing that was publique; invited me to dine with him on Monday.

10. Wednesday, severall neighbors brought home some plaster of Paris viz; Row, Carington, Leadbeater, Meyrick & Molsdale; after they dined I gave them a bottle of wine in the Compasse &c. about 6 a man brought me a letter from Mr Beversham to borrow money &c. I discoursed the ship carpenters that are making my boate.

11. Thursday, The same man came againe about money for Beversham; I went to Chester; sent him 5 guineys by his servant; dined at Angells; went to the Harp & Crowne to the Comissioners about Salisbury's businesse; there were 4 of them & a clark; I could say nothing positively to any of their intergatorys; saw Mrs Salusbury, Winne, Starkey & the man of the house; went to sister Lettice; discoursed her about her businesse; (2 or 3 of her step kindred being by) desired that the Recorder & we might to talk of it; I would doe according to the trust reposed in me; called to see Mrs Mainwaring went to Taylors to wish him joy, Hunt & his wife were there; then went to Hurlestons; there were severall there, as his father, Gleg, G.Mainwaring, Minshall, Jackson, Griffith & yong Penington &c. dranck a bottle or 2, Mainwaring & my sonne went away with me in my coach, ½ houer past 4; soe home.

12. Friday, stayd at home all day, onely our owne company.

13. Satorday, stayd at home all day, no company.

14. Sonday, went to church, afternoone, Eywart preached; in the evening came Morgan, Jackson & his wife & Traverse; supt, parted past 10.

15, Monday, went to Chester with Mainwaring; met my sonne at Jacksons, we dined with Sir John Arderne; there was his lady, sonns & daughters & Mr Ravenscroft; after dinner came in some Ladys; I visited Dr Fog; retorned againe; then Fog, his wife & daughter came to visit; we parted, went to Jacksons, there was G.Mainwaring , Taylor & Minshall; went thence to see brother Whitley; he dyed before we came; we found his wife & children in great affliction; stayd awhile, left Jackson with them; went home.

16. Tuesday, at home all day, no company.

17. Wednesday, Walt; Smethers, Olson & his wife & 3 other women (tenants at Kelsall) brought me presents & dined with me; Pope came to get leave to carry some wood through my grounds; I went to Chester in evening; went to Angells; thither came G.Mainwaring & cosen Whitley; Mainwaring stayd not; I left Whitley there & went to the Sunne; there was G.Mainwaring, Streete, Lloyd & Edwards & Borrows; we parted about 10 [fo. 66v] 18. Thursday, I went to the f unerall of brother Whitley; there were severall frinds at the house; also at Hawerden whither we brought his body to be buryed; I retorned with Mainwaring to Chester; supt at Jacksons, where was G.Mainwaring & Minshall; we left them before 7; came home before 9; found Natt; Lee there; supt & parted about 11.

19. Friday, the 2 ship carpenters left me; Lee & Traverse dined with us; whilest we were at dinner, Streete, G.Mainwaring, Minshall & Jackson came & dined with us; a man brought me some apples from Brock at Namptwich; about 5 o'clock came Mr Taylor; he stayd till past 7; the rest went before 6; Lee & Traverse supt; Lee stayd all night; we parted past 10.

20. Satorday, Lee left us; I went to Chester with Mainwaring, dined at Wrights; Bird, my sonne, G.Mainwaring & Morgan with us; after dinner came Captaine Hunt & his sonne Mainwaring about Shotwick; then came Mr Streete; Jackson came to us with wine & Wright dined with us; we parted before 5; came home.

21. Sonday, went to church in the afternoone; the Deane desired me to dine with him next day; Traverse & Morgan supt with us; we parted about 10.

22. Monday, the man came from Frodsam about the plaister of Paris; I dined at the Deanes with Mainwaring & my sonne; also Sir John Arderne, his sonne & son-in-law; Warburton & his brother Sir John Crew, G.Mainwaring & one Fradsome; Sir John Arderne, Warburton &c parted betimes; Crew & we parted about 8; G.Mainwaring, Morgan & Traverse came home with us, stayd all night; Frodsam left us at Aston.

23. Tuesday, Mr Robert Lloyd came to my sonne; he, Morgan & Traverse dined with us, they stayd all night; onely Traverse went home, past 10.

24. Wednesday, as we went to dinner, Poole came about his lease & Selsby the butcher (another man with him) about the brawne; they dined in the buttery, took a pipe & a glasse of wine in the Compasse after dinner; went about 3 o'clock, left his servant to rowle the brawne &c; Poole stayed all night; also Mr Lloyd & Morgan; Swetnam came in the evening; stayed all night.

25. Thursday, my sonne, Mainwaring , Hughson, Lloyd, Morgan, Poole, went to Chester; the 3 first about my lease, to the Deane & Chapter; & to sister Lettice about businesse with her; Swetnam stayd all night.

26. Friday, some men came with oates from Werrall; Holland & his mother, Cawley & his wife, & Widdow Wright came and her sonne from Kelsall with presents; dined with us; Laurison the fidler came, playd at dinner; afterwards 2 or 3 of them danced in the hall; they parted before 4; Swetnam stayd all night; Mainwaring & Hughson came back from Chester about 9; left my sonne behinde them.

27. Satorday, Mr Poole of Hatherton took a new lease of his tenement; went away about 12 o'clock; my sonne came from Chester, at night; &c.

28. Sonday, went to church in the afternoone; Morgan, L. Lloyde, Betton & Mr R; Lloyd came to us from Chester; they & Traverse supt with us; Swetnam &c. I left them together past 10.

29. Monday, Swetnam, Morgan, my sonne, Robert Lloyd & Lightfoote dined with us; Mainwaring, Luke Lloyd, Betton & Traverse came at night; supt. I left them at 10..

30. Tuesday, I went to Chester with Mainwaring in the coach to meete the Bishop; the rest went on horseback; we met the Bishop at Flooke Brooke; brought him to the Palace; stayd ½ houer with him; went back to Flooke Brook; there was Hurleston, his sonne, Griffith, Minshall, Mainwaring, my sonne, Swetnam, Morgan &c. dined there, parted about 5; went to the Sunne; there we found G.Mainwaring, Edwards, Lloyd, Murrey, Golborne, Ravenscroft; we parted at 10; I lay at Doctor Angells.