Roger Whitley's Diary: February 1687

February 1687

Feb; 1. Tuesday, about 8 I went to the funerall of Mr Alport; there was the Bishop & severall others, I thanked the Governor for his civill letter; desired his excuse that I did nor write; he made me many kinde complements; I went with the funerall beyond Boughton; retorned to Alderman Wrights; dranck a tankerd of ale with him, Minshall, Salisbury, Jeynson &c went with Minshall to the Quire; then up with the Bishop, his Lady, daughter & Sir John Arderne; he left us; we had a bottle of hock; I dined with Dr Angell (Minshall with me ) past 2 we went to the funerall of Mr Wynne; there were Streete, Lloyd, Symson & severall others; I went with them to the Parish church, Hancock preached; I went with Minshall to the Sunne; Streete came to us then Mainwaring, G.Mainwaring, William Mainwaring, Wilbram, Morgan &c; I left them about 11, went to Angells to bed.

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feb 2. Wednesday, I went to Jacksons (with Morgan) to pay Sir John Hanmer money on Hoares account; there was Captaine Corwells with him; Minshal went with me to dine with Mr Hurleston at Newton; he & his wife, 2 son's & G.Mainwaring dined with us; we parted at 4; I sett downe Hanmer, Mainwaring & Minshall by the Raven; went home myselfe in the coach; there was Biddolph &Dr Angell; supt, parted past 10.

3. Thursday, Angell went to Chester past 12; Biddolph, Mrs Hardware &c dined with us; at night came Morgan from Chester & Hughson.

4. Friday, Morgan went back to Chester; no company but Kate Hardware all day, onely Siddall.

5. Satorday, sister Angell had my coach to Chester; in the evening came Mrs Mainwaring, Waring & Mrs Kenrick & Mainwaring with them; then Morgan.

6. Sonday,I went not out; in the evening Traverse came, supt with us.

7. Monday, Mainwaring, Biddolph, Morgan, Mrs Mainwaring, Kenrick &c dined, supt &c; after supper my daughters told me that there had bin an idle vagrant fellow at the doore (in the evening) had told severall of the servants that he came from beyond seas, had letters sewed in his coate, some for me & others that Monmouth was living, was at sea with a fleete & severall such mad storyes; that he pretended he would come agen the next day to deliver letters to my owne hand &c; I immediatly sent Hughson to look after him & to call the constable to aprehend him & bring him before some Justice of Peace to be examined, searched.

8. Tuesday, Hughson brought me word early that they aprhended the man; that he talked like a mad man; had attempted to cutt his owne throate; I ordered him to goe with the Constable & others to some Justice &c; they brought him to Chester; the Governor committed him to the Castle.

9 Wednesday, Mrs Mainwaring & Mrs Kendrick went in my coach to Utkington; Mainwaring & Biddolph went to meete Crew a coursing; there came a man before dinner with a letter from Downes of Salop about money Roger owes him; he went away, we went to prayers.

10. Thursday, Dr Angell dined with us; retorned past 3 to Chester; I went with my daughters, sisters,; Mrs Mainwaring & Kenrick to Kelsall; stayd an houer at Nant Ales; there was sene there, Cowley & severall neighbors & tenants; I gave them 2 flagons of ale in the kitchen, we did eate & drink; there was Mainwaring, Biddolph & Morgan; we retorned before it was dark; G.Mainwaring, Jackson & his wife came about 7 o'clock, & H; Delves, they supt, I left them before 11.

11. Friday, G.Mainwaring, his wife, Mrs Kenrick, Jackson & his wife went to Chester; I with my daughters, Biddolph & Mainwaring to Peover; we dranck at Sandway Head (was not in the house) we light at Northwich; eate & dranck there; came to Peover about 6.

12. Satorday, Mr Lee of Boore, his wife & another man dined with us; went away past four; there came 2 men (one name was Griffith) they supt with us.

13. Sonday, Lord Delamer & his brother came to Peover; went twice to to church; Mr Jenkinson preached; dined with us; went away past 4.

14. Monday, Crew & Nat; Lee came about 12; Robert Lee came in the morning; I & my company came away 1/2 houer past 12 (onely Mainwaring stayd behinde) we called at John Dods (Biddolph with us) eate & dranck, styed ½ hour; came home to Peele past 6; Wood from Flints came to borrow money.

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15. Tuesday, spoke with Wood about the money he would borrow; dined at home, no strangers but Kate Hardware; at night Mainwaring & Morgan retorned.

16, Wednesday, Robinson of Wallacy spoke with me about money Roger owed him & Strong came with him about the money he is to pay on Lady Bunbery's account; they came to Peele overnight but I saw them not till this morning; they went about 12; Mr Lloyd came before dinner; dined with us; parted about 4; Biddolph, Mainwaring & Morgan went a setting.

17. Thursday, Biddolph, Mainwaring, Morgan dined with us; after dinner came one Robinson from Chester to buy an oxe hide; he came to me to the Compasse; dranck a bottle of wine &c; I went with Biddolph, Mainwaring & Morgan a setting & to see the horses at the forest stables; we called at Ned Bromley's; stayd 1/2 houer; came home to supper, went to bed past 10.

18. Friday, Mr Hardware, his sonne & daughter with us; also Mrs Dicas & her sonne; they all parted betwixt 4 & 5; Biddolph, Mainwaring & Morgan went abroad; came back to supper &c; there was some disturbance & quarrelling betwixt the 2 French men; Mainwaring was displeased with his; discharged him.

19. Satorday, I went to Chester with my daughters & sisters; Biddolph wife &c went on horseback; Mainwaring & Morgan went before; we light at Mr Anderson's, apothecary; dined at the Sunne with Mainwaring, his wife, Mrs Anderson, Minshall, Angell & his wife &c; Streete came to us about 3, Biddolph & I went to the Bishop; found Sir John Arderne & Oldfeild with him; dranck a bottle of hock & claret in his closet; he discoursed about Mr Calais lease; the disturbance at Hoomes Chappell by the church wardens &c; we went with the Bishop into the church; left him by his stall; went again to the Sunne; Darrow spoke to me about Rogers debt; we removed to Jacksons; thither came most of the same company (of men) with Farington; Taylor came to speake with me but stayd not; then came the Recorder; about 7 my daughters called, we went home, Biddolph in the coach with me; Mainwaring & Morgan stayd at Chester all night; soe did Eywart.

20. Sonday, went to church in the afternoone; thither came Mainwaring, Morgan & Minshall from Chester; they came to Peele (with Traverse) about 6; supt, stayd all night; I left them past 10.

21. Monday, I sent Hughson to Chester about paying 500 li. to St John Hanmer & Houseman to Aston & Vale Royall to present our respects &c; Biddolph, Mainwaring, Minshall &c; went a coursing about 11. retorned agen past 1 with Sir John Crew, Mr Llee, Manley of Namptwich, Kelsall, Hough, Traverse &c; they dined, Lee went about 5; the rest past 7; Farington, Minshall, Traverse stayd all night.

22. Tuesday, I went to Chester with Biddolph, Mainwaring &c to waite on Lord Clarendon; we light at Alderman Wrights; Warmingham trimmed me; we had a tankerd of ale; then went to the Deanes; there was Lord Clarendon, Arderne, 2 Chomeleys, 2 Egertons, 2 Shakerleys, the Mayor & Aldermen & severall others; his Lordship dined at the Castle; I, Biddolph; & Mainwaring at Dr Angells; Massey went some part of the way in my coach; we went to the Quire about 4; walked awhile with the Bishop & Prebendes; after prayers went to Jacksons; there was Robert Lloyd, Morgan, Traverse, Farington, G. Mainwaring;, Nat; Lee & Minshall; they went home with us. Minshall in the coach & Llee on horseback; that day I gave order to dismiss a ratcatcher because he used poison; he was sent away.

23. Wednesday, Biddolph;, Mainwaring, Llee, Minshall & Hardware, Traverse dined with us in the after [fo. 70v] 23. noone I went to Chester (with the men) light at Alderman Wrights; had a tankerd of ale; went to Lord Clarendon, Lord Derby with him & a great many company; spoke with Mr Price, his gentleman, his chaplaine &c; there were also the Bishope of Chester & St Asaph, the Deane &c; when they went to supper we left them; went to the Sunne; there was Biddolph, Mainwaring, Llee, Minshall, Traverse, Morgan &c; we parted about 11; I & Biddolph went to Angells, lay there.

24. Thursday, went with Biddolph & Mainwaring to the Deans (G.Mainwaring came to us before we went out) we stayd there till Lord Clarendon took coach; the Governor & I had discourse about the fellow that was imprisond, about to be talke up & downe the contrey; we took leave of his Lordship; brought him to Chiselton lane end; came home to dinner with Nat; Llee; after dinner came Minshall; stayd all night.

25. Friday, Mr Kendrick & his wife; G.Mainwaring & his, Mrs. Hanley, Hardware & his daughters, Lee, Minshall &c dined with us; Mrs Hardware came after dinnerr; they all parted about 4 & 5; onely Minshall, Lee, Morgan, Kate Hardware stayd all night.

26. Satorday, I went to Chester with my daughters, sisters, Biddolph, Kate Hardware &c; Elland, Lee & Minshall & Morgan went before; we dined at Jacksons & Mrs Mainwaring with our sister Angell & Rogers wife came to us but did not dine; past 9 the men went to Minshalls; by the way Captaine Garner saluted me in the streete; Mr Lloyd brought an Irish gentleman to me at Minshalls doore about taking a house & land in the contrey; also Williams the shop keeper came to me about the same businesse; there was Streete, G.Mainwaring & Brett with us at Minshalls; about 5 the woemen called on us; Biddolph & I went with them, called at Lady Bellots, saw her & her daughters; stayd but a while; went home; that evening Melborne came home with Hughson, supt in the buttry; also Mainwaring, Lee & Morgan came home after supper; I left them past 8; the cosen Brereton came to Peele in our absence; stayd.

27. Sonday, went to church with Biddolph & his wife in the afternoone; after sermon went with Bruen, Traverse, Biddolph, Mainwaring, Lee, Bruen's 2 unckles to the Inne; dranck some ale, went home past 5; Traverse with us; supt, stayd up till neare 11; Malborne dined in the buttry with Morgan & Ewart, went away in the aftrnoone.

28. Monday, Mr Lloyd & one Ward came in the morning to see the house & some Lands in Molesworth; Minshall came from Chester; after dinner Biddolph, my daughter, &c went homewards; Mainwaring , Lee, Minshall to bring them on theire way; about 4 my daughters & I went to Hardwares, K; Hardware with us; we retorned before 6; Minshall came back that night & Traverse; supt, sate up till neare 11; Lloyd & Morgan with us.