ANNALS OF OLDHAM No. XXVIII January 31st – The frost still continues with unabating severity, and yesterday it was an uncommon day of wind and snow, and this morning it was most tremendosley roof. The fustian trade continues very bad, and the frost and snow being so against the poor, it makes their situation the more deploreable; for, indeed, at this time they are the most miserable beings upon earth. It was within a decade of this time that Joseph Bently’s family were engaged in cotton fustian weaving by hand. The trade fluctuated a great deal, and was sometimes better and sometimes worse. He draws a pretty picture of the life of a child in those days:“ For more than a year”, says Joseph Bently, in his ‘Gems of Biography’, “my life was passed in …. Frequently taking granny’s position at the wheel in winding bobbins for father and mother. When I was nearly six and a half years old, however, all this was changed. A pair of looms was bought, and I was actually set to weave strong fustian at that early age – earlier than ever I knew any one put into the loom in any part of the country. My work at first was to weave a yard and a quarter of strong velveteen fustian daily. My little arms were so short that a long handle was screwed to the lathe for me to move it by, and big lumps of wood were nailed on the six traddles to compensate for the shortness of my legs. I was thus set to make cloth for other people’s garments, that I might earn my own bread. Though many persons expressed serious doubts whether I should be able to bear my work, it did not seem to injure me, as I continued growing pretty well and I was a tall boy for my age. Of course, few people took much notice of the neglected state of my mind, or thought of the wrong done to the moral and intellectual nature. These things were lightly esteemed among the rude, simple people who surrounded me during my youthful days. My first piece of cloth was 56 yards long, and it weighed 25lbs., and my finishing of it was quite an event. I was allowed to go with father five miles to the house of the employer, John Lees (‘John o’ Sally’s’), whose son “folded it up and marked it, while the father proceeded to pay for the work”, the sum being, if I recollect right, about £2”. This would include spinning the weft and weaving the piece. Joseph Bently lived somewhere in the neighbourhood of High Moor at that time.
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Speaking of his youth, he says: “On two occasions, for a small wager, I wove, in continuous day of 16 hours, three times the amount of cloth forming my regular day’s work, throwing my shuttle about 25,000 times”. February 1st – Yesterday the wind was very high, and at night it began to snow. February 2nd – Yesterday, the first of February, was one of the most tremendous roof days ever remembered. The wind was asstonishly high, and the air was darkened with snow, so that the valleys were soon filled, wich rendered the roads impasable. The mail from London to Manchester was stoped for several days. It froze with unabating fury, so that John Taylor, of Primrose Bank, Oldham, amongst others, had a mare froze to death on the Ripponden-road, and the carter very narrowly escaped. It continued all night of the first until this morning, Saturday, February 2nd, when both the wind and snow abated. This event of a mare being frozen to death on the road was talked of by the farmers for many years afterwards. This year was exceptional as regards the weather, as will be seen from the annals that follow:- February 2nd – Died, Anne, wife of Philip Buckley, of Burnley-lane. She was his 3rd wife; disorder, a consumption; age, 24 years. February 3rd – Died, Hannah, daughter of Paul Ogden, of Uin-nook; age 16 weeks. This is the poor infant wich was so miserably burnt on the 14th of last month. February 9th – Last night a most tremendous night of wind, frost, and snow. The wind was higher and more tirrifick than that on 1st and 2nd of this month. The mail from London to Manchester was again stoped, and the roads drifted full again, and carts and other carriages stoped. February 10th – This day (Sunday) the weather turned to very fine thaw. February 12th – On Sunday night, the 10th, betwixt nine and ten at night, the wind rose to a most astonishing degree, and continued for the space of 24 hours. It blew an entire hurricane, and was attended with a great deal of sleet and snow, so that the air was nearly darkened, and it was not possible for persons to stir about business, and it terminated again into severe freezing; and Sergeant Taylor, of the Norfolk Cavalry, with (31) recruits, passed down Burnley-lane, to join their regiment at Edinburgh. |
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February 13th – The frost was forced to give up its tyrannical and oppressive power to an agreeable and welcome thaw, wich commenced last night. February 14th – Joseph Starkey, Esquire, of Royton, High Sheriff for the county of Lancaster this year. Joseph Starky, marrying Miss Pickford, lived at Royton Hall in 1799. I do not know the year Joseph Pickford left Royton. It is but little I can learn of Mrs. Starky, but I have gleaned the following from L. and C. H. and G. N.:- Joseph Starky, of Royton, Esq., captain 16th Regiment, High Sheriff 1799, married Mary, daughter of Joseph Pickford, Esq. (afterwards Sir Joseph Radcliffe, Bart.), who married for her second husband, 1805, John David Macbride, L.L.D. Mr. Starky died without issue. Joseph Starky was a descendant of the Leigh branch of Starkys. His father was Joseph Starky, M.D., of Redvales, near Bury, born 1719, entered at Cambridge, but removed to Brazenose, Oxford, in 1740. His mother was Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of John Stoke, of Blackburn. His grandfather was John Starky, of Rochdale, attorney at law, 1692, of Heywood Hall, gentleman, 1740. Will dated 28th September, 1749. His grandmother was Mary, daughter of Joseph Gregg, of Chamber, Esq., and relict of Mr. Thomas Hindley, of Rochdale. Sir Rowland Wynne, Bart., of Nostel, near Wakefield, sheriff for Yorkshire this year. February 5th – This day James Collier, of Northmoor, was discharged from the New Bailey prison, he having lain there three months for embezzling his work, a fustian piece, and during the above period he has been sworn in a private of the Duke of Yorks Fenciables. February 11th – Three copies of the ‘Sun’ newspaper, published at London, was, by order of the Irish Parliament, burnt by the hands of the common hangsman on College Green, in that city, for publishing infamous lyes. Like a straw which indicates the course of a stream, this statement shows the current of Irish opinion at that time on the great Irish question, for there was a great Irish revolution going on then. Proposals for doing away with the Irish Parliament were discussed and about this time indignantly rejected. No doubt, burning the ‘Sun’ was one way of showing despite to the English.
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Pitt and some of his friends were at this time looking for a golden key to unlock the great Irish mystery. This key was shortly afterwards found, and Irishmen in more senses than one learned to pocket their insults. In this month died William Tatton, Esquire, of Wathinshaw, Cheshire, a gentleman well-known on the turf. Feb. 20th – Last night some daring villains broke into the house of Edmund Radcliff, Nathan Roe, Oldham, and completely robed it of everey thing portable, and left not the least trace of discovery. Feb. 21st – Died, Thomas Howard, of Cowill; he suddenly fell down at Rowbottom’s public house at Alder Root, and died soon after. Feb. 27th – Was observed a general fast throughout England and Wales; and, indeed, in consequence of the distressedness of the times the poor kept more fast days than the rich, although the rich strictly adhere to his Majesty’s proclamation. Perhaps there was never greater need of fast and prayer than at this time. Great Britain alone in a European war, an Irish rebellion on hand, and perhaps, worst of all, a famine at the door. February 28th – Never in the memory of the oldest person living was weaving at a lower ebb than at the present, especially fustians, for it is an absolute fact that goods within this last fortnight have lowered in Manchester market astonishingly, so that the masters have lowered the wages at least 5s. a piece. “Survival of the fittest” seems a cruel law, but it is one of the laws of nature. Here was an industry (weaving and spinning) which, from the creation of the world, had been carried on chiefly by the aid of human strength, which had, indeed, to a great extent been the making of Lancashire; and now it was being superseded by a new industry, or at least by a new way of working the old industry. The steam engine had begun to dance its mighty jig, and was already performing an amount of work which the strength of man could never do. Excellent fine weather, and has been for several days. March 3rd – The consternation of Oldham is very great, in consequence of so many houses being broke, and the perpetrators leaving no trace behind, for last night the dwelling-house of John Marsland, of Oldham, was broke open, and robed of a large quantity of shoes and stockings, with wich they made of. |
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William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard |
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