Jeaned, thickset, and constitution cords are rose 5s. per piece, so that a piece which was 40s., is now 45s. But to prevent the poor for being over happy, every necessary of life rapidly increases. The following statement of a few articles may be depended on as a fact – viz., flour, 60s. per load, 3s. and 1d. per peck. Jonathan Jackson sells at 3½d per lb; inferior flour, 3s. per peck; meal is 2s. 1d.; cheese, 5½ d. and 6d. per lb; bacon, 8½ d. per lb.; old potatoes, 12s. a load, at Abraham Jackson’s Priest Hill, Oldham. He likewise sells his potatoes 13d. per score; new potatoes 3½ d. per lb.; gooseberries, 1½ d. per quart. Oldham, this day (Monday), June 29th, news arrived of Lord Bridport having on the 23rd, beat the Brest Fleet, and taken three sail. Ireland was the great asses’ bridge then as now. The “Peep o’day boys” on the one hand and the “Defenders” on the other, made Ireland, as one historian says, little better than a hell. In this trying period, when England was being left alone in the war, being deserted by her allies, Ireland, or at least one of its most powerful factions, was guilty of the grossest treachery by sending emissaries to France, who represented that nothing was wanting to secure the independence of Ireland but a regular army for a rallying point. France, hoping to give a fatal blow to her most formidable enemy and to gain a province for herself, readily promised the aid required, and at the earliest opportunity prepared to keep her word. The auxiliary force which the Irish delegates deemed sufficient was 15,000 men, but an army of at least 18,000 was provided, commanded by General Hoche. The armament put to sea, and it arrived in Bantry Bay. There, however, it came to grief without meeting any of the British fleet, which was on the look out for it. The elements were on our side, and when the French fleet arrived at its destined port half the ships were blown out to sea again before they could anchor, and the rest were driven from their anchors ere they could land any troops. In this expedition the French lost three ships of the line, and three frigates by stress of weather, but they had the good fortune to escape Lord Bridport and Admiral Colpoys, the former of whom with a British fleet under his command arrived in Bantry Bay immediately after the departure of the enemy. In this short annal the victory is credited to Lord Bridport and was no doubt popularly believed to be his. July 4th – It is an absolute fact that Thomas Buckley, of Burnley-lane, bought one peck of flour off Jos. Bradley, of Oldham, for which he gave 3s. 3d. Mary Scholes, an elderly gentlewoman, of Oldham, intered this day.
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July 10th – John Wood, of Northmoor, bought one 2d. load off John Mellor, the weight of which was 7¾ oz. July 9th – The house of George Scholes, a bankrupt, of Oldham, was sold by auction, and bought by James Smethurst, the landlord of Cotton Tree Tavern: price £383. July 10th – Flour sold in London 70s. per load, 240lbs. The quarter-peck load was 1s. Thomas Wroe, in opposition to truth and justice, refused to pay Thomas Buckley his wages, but being brought before the magistrates at Rochdale he was there compelled to pay Buckley’s demand. A cow of Simon Holden, of Holden Fold, was attacked with the hydrophobia, but was immediately shot. July 18th – Fine flour sold at Manchester this day, 75s. per load. New potatoes, 10s. 6d. per load at Oldham this day. New potatoes, 2lbs. 1d.; a fine sort, 1½ lbs, 1d. Cockfighting – This day a main of cocks was fought in the barn, Chadderton Hall, between Sir Watts Horton, bart., and Thomas Horton, Esq., of Hoyrood, which was won by the former. Joseph Milne, entered as tenant on Mr. Fawcett’s factory, Top o’th’Moor, May last. A REWARD PAID TO A FALSE TONGUE Miss Broderwick was tried at Chelmsford assizes, July, 1795. The jury brought her in insane. July 20th – At a time when every person’s wit is afloat to invent a substitute for flour, the following is recommended as a composition for a pudding:- Two pounds of potatoes, boiled, peeled, and mashed. Take a pint of milk, three eggs, two ounces of moist sugar; mix them well together, and send it to the oven for three-quarters of an hour. Bread is called the “staff of life”, and when a substitute had to be found for it we may imagine what the consequences would be. Within a few months of this time, say in February, 1796, we read in the “Monthly Magazine” that a spotted fever, attended with dangerous symptoms, rages now at Manchester. |
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Two hundred patients are now in the physicians’ books at the Infirmary. Besides food there was another use to which fine flour was put, and that was the sizing of warps for weaving purposes. This had generally to be done by the weavers at home while the warp was in the loom. We may form some idea of the hardships of the poor weavers when we consider that not only was their food affected, but the means of getting that food were seriously hindered on account of the scarcity and dearness of flour. In the “Monthly Magazine” for February, 1796, we read, “Many of the weaving manufacturers in this county (Lancashire) have lately substituted potatoes for fine flour in the process of deeting their pieces”. – Note: “Deeting” here is preserved, a fine old English word; literally means smearing. July 27th – It is with heartfelt pleasure I announce that nankeens keep rapidly increasing; they are now 30s. per piece at Mr. Lees’s Church-lane, Oldham. At Manchester this day provisions rose so as to be nearly out of reach of the poor. The following is a true statement: - Meal, 47s. to 49s. per load; potatoes, 12s. to 18s. per load. At Oldham July 27th, meal sells 2s. 6d. for 12lbs., flour, 3s. 6d. to 4s. for 12lbs; potatoes, 1¼ lbs. 1d. July 27th – Mad dog – In consequence of a dog of John Leans, of Royley Coalpits, a Shropshire man, its going mad as consequently thrown this neighbourhood into the greatest consternation, for it appears this dog has done a great deal of damage in biting cows, horses, pigs. &c. A fine milch cow of John Taylor’s, of Holden Fold, was under the necessity of being shot. This morning a horse was shot at Cinderhill, a few days since that was attacked with the same malady, besides Simon Holden’s cow, which was shot July 20th. July 28th – Richard Broom, bread maker, Oldham conveying his loaves to Delph, was met by a gang of tumultuous women, who emptied his carivan of the bread, and sold it at 2d. per lb., and returned Broom the womey. July 30th – Thomas Ogden, muffin baker, Oldham, gave £4. 10s. for a load of fine flour to Thomas Andrew, of Edge-lane. July 22nd – A treaty of peace concluded between the King of Spain and the Republic of France. This was the treaty of Basel. Says Green, “Prussia had become a friend and Spain an ally in 1795”. England was shortly alone in the war. Godoy, the Spanish minister, received the title of the “Prince of Peace” for the share he took in effecting this treaty.
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May 11th – Ann, wife of Philip Buckley, died; disorder child bed; aged 27 years. They lived at Win Nook, and had only been married 5 weeksAnd Mrs. Ann Taylor, relect of the late Mr. Samuel Taylor of Bottom of Northmoor. May 14th – James Lees, late keeper of the Ring-o’Bells alehouse, Oldham died. May 29th – Samuel, son of Samuel Elson, of Coldhurst, died. He had some time back been attacked with palsey. E. Butterworth says: - The first machine makers in the neighbourhood of Oldham were Messrs. Edmund and Samuel Elson, of Tetlow-fold, Northmoor. They constructed numerous jennies of 14 or 20 spindles. The room in which these ingenious men pursued their useful labours at Tetlow-fold forms a wonderful contrast to the cast and admirable machine-making works of the present day. As will be seen from “Old Homesteads – Coldhurst”, the Elsons for many years farmed Coldhurst estate. May 5th – Died off Farnworth, Isle of Wight, James Needham, grenadier, of the 57th Regiment of Foot. He formerly resided in Maggot-lane; enlisted Jan. 1794; was in Flanders in that ever-memorable campaign that year; he had the misfortune to have his leg broke in the retreat of the combined armies, and, lying a long time without assistance, was frost bit, and was never well after. His age 28 years. In 1794 the Duke of York arrived in Holland with an English force for the defence of the country from the French, but withdrew without accomplishing any great results. In the previous year the French National Convention had declared war against England, and the Stadtholder sent an army into Holland. The combined armies alluded to would be the Dutch and the English. Died, Mary, wife of Joseph Travis, of Top-o’-th’-Moor. The distresses of this man’s mind are behind comprehension, having two of his dearest connections taken off this month. Disorder, a fever. Age 40 years. May 21st – James Whitehead, son of Thomas Whitehead, of Maggot-lane, private in the 12th Regiment of Foot; died at Port Chester Barracks, Hampshire. |
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William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard |
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