This ordinary man was, in fact, extraordinary. A humble weaver, who rarely left his immediate home area, gives us a wonderful account of the day to day concerns of the population far away from the centre of power in London.
The diaries were serialised in weekly parts in the 'Oldham Standard' from the 4th of January 1887 (just a century after they were written) until the 23rd of March 1889. On the 30th March, 1889, an ammended note to the Annals was also printed. They were edited by Samuel Andrew, the Secretary of the Master Cotton Spinners’ and Manufacturers’ Association.
He also added his own comments and observations, not only putting the events into their historical context but also offering us, over 125 years later, another, invaluable 'voice' from an earlier century.
Spelling and punctuation are recorded, in these transcripts, as faithfully as possible to the original.
Corroborative evidence of the author's identity came to light with the following :
14th AUGUST 1929
Mr. Chas. E. Higson, of Lees, has shown me a copy of Edwin Butterworth’s “Statistical Sketch of Lancashire” formerly belonging to his father, and bearing his signature “John Higson, Droylsden, Dec. 1854”
Pasted in the front cover of the volume is a slip of paper, 4½ “ x 2½”, in Edwin Butterworth’s handwriting, worded as follows:-
“Purchased Sepr. 2 1837, from the widow of Wm. Rowbottom of Burnley Lane near Oldham the MSS books of Mr. Rowbottom recording events chiefly local from 1787 to 1830, for the sum of £1..2s / paid to Mrs Rowbottom same day –
Edwin Butterworth
Busk Oldham”
Mr. C. E. Higson also informs me that he showed this book, with the above receipt, to Mr. S. Andrew while he was reprinting the diaries; but the full text of the receipt has not been published. It proves the author of these diaries to be Wm. Rowbottom, as Mr. Andrew and others have suggested.
Frank J. [?] Stubbs
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