ANNALS OF OLDHAM No. VII July 17 1791 – An uncommon hot day; the heat nearly unsupportable; has been very hot for several days, attended with uncommon fall of honey, so that the leaves of the oak were cemented together. July 20th - John and Thomas Ogden liberated from the New Bailey, on condition of paying £10 for fishing. Siah Buckley, son of Ben Buckley, of Chadderton Heights, died July 23rd, in the prime of life; disorder, a consumption. July 25th - at the conclusion of the Quarter Sessions, James Walton was discharged, Gibbons having brought no bill. July 14th - a most dangerous riot broke out at Birmingham, owing to some gentlemen celebrating the French Revolution. It was celebrated in Manchester, London, and most of great towns on the above day. This was the anniversary of the fall of the Bastille in Paris. “How much?” cried Charles James Fox in a burst of enthusiasm; “is this the greatest event that ever happened in the world? How much the best?” Perhaps Fox lived to modify his opinions somewhat, but the Jacobins were always considered the advanced guard of the old Whig party. July 26th – The Bishop of Chester held a confirmation at Manchester for that town and the neighbouring parishes. July 26th – The Bishop of Chester confirmed at Rochdale 3,000 upwards. Owing to the crowding one of the gallereys gave way, whereby one girl was killed. August 2nd – Richard Hornby, clock maker and hardware man, died in an advanced age. August 4th – Bilberries sold at Oldham at 5 pence per quart, owing to the frost, which destroyed the crops.
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July 7th – Mr. Pickford, carrier, from Manchester, obtained a verdict of £200 against W. Jawbett, of Stony Strafford, for having reported he was become a bankrupt. A most dangerous riot at Sheffield, owing to the enclosing some common or waste lands, July 16th. Sheffielders would not quietly submit to have the common stolen from the goose, thereby setting a good example to the rest of England, but all too late to have any effect on Oldhamers. A lamentable misfortune – Benjamin Woolstencroft, carter to Mr. John Clegg, Bent, returning from Manchester, fell off his cart, which was loaded with wool, the wheel going over his body; he died next morning, August 13th. The fortunate have years, and those they choose, The unfortunate have days, and those they lose. August 16th – uncommon hot for some days past, and last night loud cracks of thunder and vivid flashes of lightning, and a cow of Sir. W. Horton’s, Bart’s, killed in the park nearby. August 16th – A scaffold of the new factory, Stock-lane, broke down, whereby some of the workmen were much bruised. On account of Sir Richard Arkwright’s second patent expiring in 1789, Oldham enjoyed a great revival of trade. E. Butterworth says that eight new cotton mills were established in Oldham from 1788 to 1791, but he does not include this in the number. August 19th – Last night, died at Oldham, George Scholes, long time servant to Mr. Whittaker, chandler, Oldham. Disorder, a dropsy. August 28th – Being Oldham rushbearing Sunday, it was an uncommon wet day, and very few strangers attended. On Wednesday, August 31st, a wetter day was seldom seen. John Smethurst, a man famous in casting waters, died at Oldham, August 29th. August 7th – Two houses, late property of Mr. Hornby, Oldham, were sold by auction, and bought by Thomas Ogden, Failsworth, for Mr. John Wright, for £900. |
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August 5th – Some villians broke into the house of the late George Scholes, and stole four guineas and a half. September 9th – The Assizes ended at Lancaster, where James Ashurst and James Silcock, the two Street Bridge colliers, were acquitted. September 15th – The mail was robbed, and the boy inhumanly murdered, between Manchester and Warrington, and no traces left to discover the offenders. September 19th.– The Bull Bait at the New Bailey, Maggot-lane. Higson says:- “About this period bull-baiting was usual on Northmoor and other commons. Cockfighting, football playing, &c., served for the sport of the domestic spinners and weavers and youth of the early days of the cotton manufacture, when two days of the week were often spent in play and dissipation by the improvident.” September 26th – A boy about 9 years old, his hand blown off and miserably torn and bruisedly a powder horn taking fire in his hand, by imprudent by trailing some on the fire at a coalpit, caught fire near Little Green. Uncommon fine weather for two months past, and has been uncommon hot, even more than it was ever known at this time, October 7th. New market at Middleton, September 30th. The first market commenced, and owing to the fineness of the day was uncommonly crowded. Meal sold 32s. per load, flour 34s., potatoes 5d. and 6d., cheese 5d. per lb., and old butter 8½ d., mutton 4d. per lb., beef 4d., apples 2d. per peck, damson plums 6d. per quart. A man painting top of Ashton Church (inside) had the misfortune to fall and was killed, October 1st. John Smith, a Yorkshireman, was killed in sinking a pit in Sour-road, Oldham, by a large stone falling on to him, October 8th. Few people know where Sour-road or Sour-lane was. It was a lane leading to a place on the Horsedge estate, anciently called Sour Lande. As this road goes directly past Rhodes Bank Colliery, the pit would be near this place. Mr. James Dronsfield tells me that the footbridge across the railway at this place takes the place of Sour-road or Sour-lane, and that the Medlock at this place took the name of Sour-lane Brook.
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October 1st - This day Charles Williamson, for burglary in the dwelling-house of Richard Wareing, at Greenacres (see 1790) was executed at Lancaster. James Pearson for a wager of 20 guineas, walked from Manchester to Middleton and back (12 miles) in 30 seconds under 2 hours. Two hours was the given time. October 18th - being the yearly feast of the sick clubs, Oldham, Mr. Fawcett preached from 2nd of Thes. 3 chap. 10 verse. On Sunday, October 23rd, T. Buckley, T. Ogden, and B. Ogden, of Northmoor, took up a buck and sold him to Mr. Pickford for £1. 2s. John Brearley Taylor, of Chapel Croft, Oldham, died in a fit of apoplexy, October 28th. Betty, wife of John Taylor, of Broughton, formerly of Northmoor, died November 1st. Uncommon crops of potatoes this season, so that they were uncommon plentifull, and sold from 5d. to 6d. per load. Mary Nicholls, formerly an innkeeper in Oldham, died at a great age, Nov. 2nd. November 6th – This day 6 pounds of cotton burnt by catching fire at our own house. Charles Schofield, of Alderoot, formerly in the Manchester Volunteers, died November 9th. Disorder, a consumption. James Hilton, of Hopkin-fold, died at Greeenacres Moor in a fit of apoplexy, November 11th. One Moors, of Alkrington, returning home with a cart, and riding therein, the horses drew near a stand of water. The cart flew over, and Moors found drowned, and the horses nearly starved to death. November 12th. November 19th – This day one Hall for a trifling wager undertook to go from Stalybridge to a mill about a mile and a half off during the storm, and through the severity of the cold dropt down and died immediately. November 23rd – Last night some men broke in the house of Mr. Hopwood, of Hopwood, and stole a quantity of wearing apparel, and got off undiscovered. |
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William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard |
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