The sorrows and trials of poor parish apprentices form a melancholy feature in the early history of the cotton trade and also of the woollen trade. Joseph Fielding in his rural historical gleanings tells us that Heyside and Crompton were noted very much for having parish apprentices. Some were from the Duke of York’s Hospital. Of course, others were from the Workhouse. The masters had a premium of £5 for each apprentice. Handloom fustian weaving was at that period called a good business, especially by those who had parish apprentices. But alas for the experiences of these poor creatures. Tradition is not yet silent as to the tyranny of those who employed them. Their food was scanty and poor, their clothing of the coarsest, their hours of labour unlimited, and their general treatment worse than that of a galley slave. There were ignominiously termed “Chitty weavers” or “Chitties”. The orthodox workman would not associate with them forsooth, because they had been paupers. The wages they earned in addition to “bed and board”, amounted to 6d., or sometimes 1s. per week, and if one happened to die on his master’s hands, he was not carried to the grave along the ordinary highway, but hurried along through the fields and buried more like a dog than a Christian. I wonder if this poor apprentice, who no longer could the “fardels bear”, lies still buried in the “lane near his master’s house”? I wonder that the Christian people of that age did not find a resting place for him at some “four lane ends”, and drive a stake through his dead body “after their manner”.

December 28th – Manchester, meal 69s. to 72s.; flour, 72s. to 75s. a load. The 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. 29, and 30, it froze keenly, with a very small quantity of snow, but the air was quite calm.

December 30th – Oldham, meal 3s. 7d. to 3s. 9d.; flour, 3s. 10d. to 4s. a peck. During this month subscriptions were opened in most of places in England for relieving the poor with bread, &c. In Oldham the poor received tickets, which entitled them to a quantity of beff and pottatoes on paying one-half of value, wich was given on Wednesdays. The frost is verey mild, but still continues.

On Friday , the 31st, it froze verey keenly, and ended the miserable year of 1799, wich year will ever be remembered as the most distressing miserable times ever experienced by the oldest person living. Nay, history does not produce an instance of such times.

1800

January 4th – Manchester: This day meal sold 77s. a load; flour about the same.

January 6th – Oldham meal sold from 3s. 10d. to 4s. a peck; flour about the same.

January 3rd – Died, Jonathan Hall, of Top-o’th’-Moor. Disorder, consumption.

January 8th – Was interred at Oldham, Mrs. Ogden, relect of the late Jonathan Ogden, jenney maker.

Jonathan Ogden was not only a jenny maker, but a cotton spinner. The family seems to have got into a good position, and some of its descendants lived at Oak House, Hollins

January 11th – Manchester: This day meal sold at 68s. to 70s. a load; flour about the same

January 12th – Died Esther, wife of Thomas Greaves, bricklayer, of Top-o’th’-Moor. Disorder, a palse stroke.

January 18th – At Manchester meal and flour the same as last week.

January 19th – This morning it commenced a keen frost.

January 20th – Last night a slight fall of snow, with the frost very keen.

January 17th – Died Daniel Wright, dyer, Goldburn, Oldham. Disorder, consumption. He was famed for his unshaken integrity in the cause of true patriotism.

Daniel Wright’s name appears in the schedule published in 1799, and he was then 47 years of age, and is described as being “infirm but willing to enter” the volunteers, the town being then under fear of a French invasion.

January 22nd – Died at Oldham Workhouse, Joseph Clegg, taylor. He was far advanced in years.

January 24th – Yesterday was an uncommon day for snow, wind and rain, and last night it terminated in a fine thaw.

January 25th – Manchester, this day, meal sold 68s. to 70s. a load, and flour 70s. to 75s. a load; potatoes, 9s. to 11s. a load.

January 27th – At Oldham, meal 3s. 6d. to 3s. 8d. per peck; flour, 3s. 8d. to 3s. 11d. a peck; barley flour, 2s. 2d. to 2s. 3d. a peck; potatoes, 9d. to 11d. a score. At Rochdale this day meal sold 72s. a load; potatoes, 13s. 6d. a load.

January 22nd – Felloney. Last night, or early this morning, some daring villain or villains broke into the house of John Wood, of Northmoor, and stole thereout a flitch of bacon, with which they made clear off.

Felloney. ‘Made clear off’. Where was the constable? I have no apology to make for the thief. I rejoice that the public mind was so evidently shocked at this felony of stealing a flitch of bacon, but we must remember that at that time, as Carlyle puts it somewhere, ten fingers would not keep one mouth.

On the 14th December, 1799, died the great George Washington in America. He was born February 11th, 1732.

James Ackers, Esquire, Larkhill, near Manchester, high sheriff for Lancashire this year.

The Ackers, or Acres, were an old county family. Mr. Rylands gives an account of them in vol. 33 of the Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Historical Society. Larkhill House and grounds were purchased for a public park in 1845, from William Garnett, Esq. The house contained more than forty rooms and the grounds over eleven acres, to which additions were made and it is now known as Peel Park. It is situate opposite the Crescent, on the banks of the Irwell, in Salford. The house was built about 1790, and in the year 1800 it was the residence of James Ackers, Esq. Mr. Rylands seems to throw a doubt on this, but the fact seems to be well established from this entry, and also from a similar statement by Baines.

The winter is very favourable, for it is uncommon fine yet. Notwithstanding yet it may be easyley be seen what a distressed state the country is in consequence of the dearness of all sorts of provisions, nor does it rest on the human alone. The poor horses feel its effects by the dearness and badness of oats, for it is a fact that a deal of horses have droped down dead on the roads.

February 3rd – Wife of Standering, of Royley, apprehended on a charge of robbing the tenters of Adam Whitworth, of Royton Walk Mills, and stealing a quantity of cloth, his property. She was commited to the New Bailey to take her tryall. She is upwards of sixty years of age.

Croft-breaking was then punishable with death. Walk mills, or fulling mills, were used for the purpose of cleansing, scouring, and pressing woollen manufactures to make them strong and firm. Fulling mills were established in England at an early period. It is probable this mill would be in existence from the 15th century.