Roger Whitley's Diary: October 1687

October 1687

Ocr; 1st Satorday, we went to Chester, Mainwaring & I in the coach, my sonne & Morgan on horseback; we dined at Minshalls; G.Mainwaring, Streete, 3 Wrights, Hurleston, Mitton, Baroby, Baskervile & severall others with us; Lady Bunbery came to speake with me there; also Mr Bird; past 3 I went to Jackson's to meet Mainwaring of Shotwick & Taylor; Mr Mainwaring came to us; articles were drawne & the businesse refered to Mr Mainwaring & Lee of Darnehall; we retorned to Minshalls; some of the company were still there; also Ely & Walker about a difference with Jackson; the businesse was composed; we parted neare 7, came home before 9.

2. Sonday, I went to church in the afternoone (Mainwaring, my sonne & Morgan with me) after sermon, we went to the Greyhound; with 2 Aldernes, Vicar & schoolemaster; we parted neare 6, came home.

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Ocr; 3. Monday, Hughson & Morgan went to the Welsh audits; Houseman to visit Lord Delamer & Sir Thomas Mainwaring my sonne & Mainwaring went to Utkinton and Darnehall; Grantham came (with a yong man to offer his service); before they went Burrows came & let daughter Mainwarings blood; went againe about 11; one Jepson came to speake with Hughson about money due to Mr Saladine; about 3 came Robert Roberts daughter to speake with my sonne; then came a servant from cosen Cristian Powell with a present & a letter also a man from sister Robinson to Charlotte & Neale the farryer brought a letter from sister Anne; Mr Kenrick (the chimist) came to Peele at night.

4. Tuesday, I went to Chester (with Mainwaring & my sonne) we alight at Wright; saw Baroby, Baskervile, Adams &c. in theire shops; a yong man gave me a letter from Har; Birket about keeping my Courts; & Mr Babington's lands &c; we went to Jacksons; then to the Bishop; (G.Mainwaring with us) dined with him; left him before 4; came to Jackson's; there was Dr Balsh, Baskervile, Mitton, Baroby, Adams, (Alderman Anderson, his cosen & Basnet awhile), Minshall, Farington, William Griffith &c; we parted past 6; came home.

5. Wednesday, I sent Houseman to Cookson & to Chester, I discoursed Kendrick about my well drawing water with his engine; about going to Dysert &c; we dined at home; afternoone my sonne & Mainwaring went a setting; I and daughters visited Mrs Hardware & Mrs Hunts; yong Hardware came in as we were going away; as we were rising from supper came Minshall, Jackson & Dr Balsh; I left them a little past 10; I gave Profit & Kenrick directions as to theire journey to Dysart.

6. Thursday, Kenrick & Profit went towards Dysert; my sonne, Mainwaring &c. went a coursing; they retorned to dinner; also Traverse, & Grantham; the doctor went to Chester about 4; the rest went to meete Crew at Kelsall; they retorned late; brought yong Lee of Darnehall with them (I saw them not).

7. Friday, Mainwaring Minshall, Lee & Traverse went abroad about 9; I saw them before they went; the Tarvyn barber trimmed me; Jackson went to Chester; Mainwaring of Shotwicks man brought a letter to Mr Mainwaring; Grantham dined with us then went with Griffith to view & praise the cattle; about 5 Sir Thomas Mainwaring & his daughters &c. came hither & his sonne William &c; Mr Minshall also was here.

8. Satorday, we dined at home; I sent Houseman to Chester; he recd 80 li. of Cookson's money.

9. Sonday, we went to church in the morning; dined at home, Traverse with us; in the afternoone I stayd at home; supt, parted past 10; Traverse stayd all night.

10. Monday, I went to Chester, Mainwaring & my sonne with me; light at the Talbotte; went to the Mayor in the Penthouse; signed and sealed a transfere before him; he, Mainwaring my sonne & G; Mainwaring witnessed it; he gave us a bottle of sack; we went to Andersons shop; then to Dr Angell's; saw him, my sister & Roger's wife; went to the Sunne; dined there with Mainwaring my sonne, G.Mainwaring, Minshall & Burrows; Mr Lee of Darnehall & his sonne came & William Mainwaring; we parted about 3; I went (with Mainwaring & my sonne to wayte on the Judges; there was in the outward roome, Warren, the Deane & Dr Shippen; then we went to visit Mrs Shakerley; the Governor gave us & Lieutenant Colonel Hostings a bottle of wine & ale; I spoke with Birket below about my Courts; went to Jackson's; there was Streete, Wright, G.Mainwaring, Booth &c; a man came with a letter from Mrs Froysall; we parted past 6; went home.

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Ocr; 11. Tuesday, cosen Christian (who came to us the last week) went home; a messenger came from Mr Lee of Adlington with a letter about Sydall; I sent John Nixon to Chester to wayte the coming of Mr Oateley & Froysall who sent word the night before that they would be here today & came to Peele at night; G.Mainwaring & Nat Lee came & dined with us; the last stayed all night.

12. Wednesday, Sir Thomas Mainwaring went to Chester, Morgan with him; then I went with Mainwaring my sonne & Lee; a wheele fell off neare the Blew Bell; we walked to Jackson's; there I met Oateley & Froysall (severall other tenants, Grantham &c.) I dined at Streetes; Mainwaring my sonne, Frogsall, G.Mainwaring, Morgan, Cumberbach & Mrs Milton with us; parted about 3; I went with my sonne to visit Mr Mostyn at the Feathers; G.Mainwaring & Streete with us; Franck Chomley & Hugh Grosvenor with him; I dranck a glasse of wine; left him; went to Dr Angells, Bird came but stayd not; met Oateley & Frogsall there, discoursed with Roger's wife about an allowance for her & her child; went then to Jackson's, saw Lord Delamer, Grosvenor, Warburton, Crew, Mortimer & severall others with him; his Lordship went presently away; Grosvenor, Nat Booth & I went to a roome to talk with the tenants of Marlston & Lock; about theire presentments for the ways; also Samson about his house; Lee of Darnehall came to us; we soone parted; I went upstairs to take leave of Mr Oateley; there were severall with him; I stayed not; Frogsall came downe with me; we had a bottle of wine (Mainwaring &c. with us) I took coach before 7, Mainwaring my sonne, & Morgan with me.

13. Thursday, 2 men came with the Runcorne rent; Sir John Crew came to dine with Sir Thomas Mainwaring &c; after dinner came Mr Kircome, a frind of Crews to speake with Sir Thomas Mainwaring; they supt with us; went away past 9; I left William Mainwaring his brother & Morgan past 10.

14. Friday, Sir Thomas Mainwaring & his company retorned towards Peover; past 10; I discoursed with Kenrick & one Jones about the mines at Dysart; Huson went to Chester before 9; Mainwaring went after him before 11; we dined, my selfe, sisters, sonne, daughters & Morgan; no company else all day.

15. Satorday, my sonne & Morgan went to Chester (Mainwaring & Hughson stayd at Chester all night) a man brought me a letter from Mrs Mainwaring from Shotwick; we dined at home; onely my daughters, sisters &c; Mainwaring, my sonne, Morgan & Hughson retorned from Chester after supper.

16. Sonday, I went to church in the morning, with my daughters & Mainwaring dined at home with Morgan sisters &c. my sonne was not well, kept his chambers; I went not to church afternoone; Traverse supt with us; parted past 10.

17. Monday, Mainwaring & Morgan went to Badely, Robin to waite on them; Huson went to Shotwick; John Griffith &c. to Bechin (with cattle) about 10; Grantham came with Crosby, to be hyred; I promised him 5 li. a yeare wages; I dined at home, sonne daughters & sisters &c; after dinner came the hearth-officer; stayd to drink a glasse of wine; sayd he would come againe on Wednesday; Mainwaring & Morgan retorned late after I was in bed.

18. Tuesday, I went to Chester (alone) dined with Alderman Wright & his wife; after dinner came Minshall, G.Mainwaring & Jackson; also Holland to trimme me; then Mr Taylor; we went to Jacksons (all but Holland); stayd till past 4; came home; found William Mainwaring at Peele & 3 men came to make a cyder mill; Mainwaring & Hughson went to Utkinton in the morning; retorned late; Robert Lloyd came in the morning, stayd all night; took a glasse of wine after supper with Morgan William Mainwaring &c. I left them about 11.

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Ocr; 19. Wednesday, my sonne, Mainwaring & his brother went to Mrs Gleg's funerall; Hughson and Houseman went to Shotwick; Lloyd stayed at Peele with Morgan to make up accounts; James the Quaker came to buy the cow hydes; Randley the carpenter to offer his work; I discoursed Kendrick about Dysart & his retorne to London; past 3 Hardware & his sonne came to me, went past 4; I went to the wood; discoursed James Ward & the charcole man; Lloyd & Morgan supt with us; I left them before 10.

20. Thursday, a woman & 2 men came from Tatenhall to discourse about Vernons tenement; they pretend a life in being; I talked with the charcole man, the men that make the cyder mill &c; at dinner came William Mainwaring & the keeper; they went away about 3; Lloyd & Morgan stayd all night.

21. Friday, Sir James Poole's man brought me a letter for some venison; the cooper came with a note for work; I checqued him for his ill work; &c; Mr Lloyd went to Chester this day.

22. Satorday, Morgan & Hughson went to Chester; at night my sonne, Mainwaring and Minshall came to Peele; also Hughson.

23. Jackson & his wife came to Peele; Burrows let my sonnes blood, dined with us; I & Mainwaring went to church in the afternoone; there was Bruen, sayd he would dine with us; next day; Kenrick went to Chester about 4 in order to his journey to London; promised to retorne (to goe to Dysart) with in a month; Morgan came from Chester; brought Traverse with him from church; Jackson, his wife & Minshall stayd all night; we supt; I left them about 10.

24. Monday, Hughson went to the Court at Soughall & to Shotwick and Brumborow; Mainwaring Minshall &c. went a fowling; they retorned to dinner also Dr Angell dined with us & a woman from Namptwich (with the children at the by table); she brought a letter to Mainwaring about a cosen of William Minshalls; after dinner came Mr Bruen, stayd till night; also Croxon came from Chester to take my answer to sister Whitley's bill; he came at 4, went at 5; the rest stayd all night.

25. Tuesday, Minshall, Angell, Jackson & his wife went away about 11; the postmaster of Tarperly brought a letter from Sir John Crew to Mainwaring concerning his office &c; stayd but awhile; Lloyd came from Chester; he, Morgan Mainwaring my sonne &c. dined with us; Tarvyn barber trimmed me before dinner; we went a coursing in the evening; Lloyd stayd all night; we had a bottle after supper.

26. Wednesday, I sent Houseman to visit Mrs Chomleys at Vale Royall; about 11 came Coster & Parry about the miners of Dysart, they dined, stayd all night & Hughson came back from Shotwick, & Houseman from Vale Royall; Lloyd stayd all night.

27. Thursday, Coster, Parry, Lloyd &c. dined with us; the Quaker of Tarvyn came with the chandler, with candles; Hughson went to the Court at Kelsall.

28. Friday, my sonne, Mainwaring, Morgan & Lloyd went to Chester; came home late, Lloyd of Pentrobyn with them; I was gone to bed; Coster & Parry dined with me; the hearth officer came at dinner tyme; dined with us; stayed till past 4; Hardware came, stayd awhile; also a yong clark from Mr Broedhurst about Syddall's businesse; Coster & Parry stayd all night; I left them past 10; 2 men came from Salop (about 11) about Rogers debts.

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Ocr; 29. Satorday, Mainwaring, Traverse &c. went a coursing; Hughson went to Chester; & about 11 Coster & Parry went towards Dysart; cosen Lloyd of Pentrobyn dined with us; went about 3 with my sonne & Morgan to meete Mainwaring &c. at Kelsall; they retorned past 6 with Traverse; cosen Whitley of Aston came about 4; they all supt; I left them past 10.

30. Sonday, I went to church (with Mainwaring ) in the afternoone; the company stayed all night; the carpenter that made the cyder mill tooke leave of me.

31. Monday, Hughson went to Wrexam; the company dined soe did Mrs Dicas & her sonne; they went past 2; also the gentlemen went a coursing; supt, parted about 10.