E. Butterworth says: - At this period the use of greatly improved machinery enabled the manufacturer to produce his commodities with so small an expenditure of labour as gave him the power to undersell the manufacturers of other countries, and yet to command high profits for himself. With these high profits he extended his business, and accordingly paid high wages compared with general rate throughout the country. But these comparatively high wages soon attracted labour from other parts, and though the increase of population showed that there was a great extension of business, yet in a short time wages in them partook of the general decline. Mr. Ellison says:- “The important position held by cotton manufacturers in our foreign commerce shown by the fact that they figured for £7,000,000 (official value) against £18,000,000 of all other descriptions of produce exported in 1801, and the extent to which our shipping was employed in what may be termed the international trade of Europe is shown by the circumstance that of £31,000,000 of produce imported in 1801, £10,000,000 were re-exported.” This shows how the carrying trade of Europe was coming into our hands. May 16th – No material alteration in the price of provisions. May 19th – Manchester: This day the transports from Lancaster of their rout for Portsmouth passed through this town in order for Bottanny Bay, and amongst whom was Abraham Taylor late of Oldham. May 21st. – The company of Highlanders of the Regiment of the Iles, Col. Lord Macdonald, left Oldham, and where succeeded by a party of the East Norfolk Militia, and two pieces of artillery. May 30th.- No alteration in the price of provisions. May 29th.- Ended Kersal Moor races, wich, owing to the times, were thinly attended. June 3rd.- New potatoes 5d. per pond; goosberrys 1d. per quart. June 4th.- His Majesty’s birthday was observed, when the Oldham Loyeal Association and the East Norfolk Militia, with pieces of cannon (six pounder), fired a feu de joy near Northmoor. June 7th – Was entered at Oldham, in an advanced age, Ailce, wife of John Schofield, butcher, Oldham.
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June 8th – Yesterday, died Mark Neild, innkeeper, Oldham, age-; disorder, consumption. And John, son of Mary Wrigley, innkeeper, Oldham. June 10th – Oldham, new pottatoes 3d. per pond this day. June 13th – No material alteration in the price af provisions up to this day. June 14th – Last night and this morning a very strong frost, wich destroyed a deal of pottatoe wiseles, and other tender branches. June 15th – Rice 3 1/2d. per pound. June 20th – No material alteration in the price of provisions. June 23rd – Died Gervase Morton, carter to Messrs. Henshaw’s, a remarkable tall man; disorder, a fever. June 28th – Died this morning, Mary, wife of James Fitton, of Top o’th’-Moor; she died very suddenly. June 29th – The extreme drought still continues to the great dettrement of vegetation. June 25th – Died Abraham Taylor, late of Bughard Hole, Oldham. He died at Portsmouth, where he had lately arrived from Lancaster; disorder, dyserty. July 1st – Some very fine modest warm showers. July 3rd – Died Mr. William Brennand, of Oldham, a very emenent surgeon and physician, a man of the nicest tallents and strictest honour, a man respected by all ranks wile lyving, and universally lamented now dead; disorder, consumption; age, 43 years. We have had a previous note of this gentleman. Is he not canonised at S. Peter’s? The Brennands seem to have been connected with the Ashtons, of Chadderton Hall. One Christopher Brennand was attorney for sesein in 1671, and he is also described as a “gentleman” and “servant,” probably was attorney or steward for Edmund Ashton. July 4th – No material alteration in provisions, meal, wich rose one penny a peck this day. July 4th – Billberrys sold 7d., a quart this day; potatoes, 4 pond for 5d.; gooseberrys, 8d. a quart. |
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July 5th – Early this morning John Wamsley and Samuel Newton, two flameing patriots of the times, felloneously broke into the house of Edmund Wild, and carried away the belt and side arms belonging to one of the Oldham Loyal Association, wich in the height of their zeal they completely destroyed. “Two flaming patriots of the times.” These were evidently two Jacobins who were so much opposed to the war that they gave effect to their opinions by taking away a portion of one of their neighbours’ armour and destroying it. Many evidences exist of the great opposition shown to the advocates of war, but in this case zeal evidently overcame prudence, and I suppose the “flaming patriots” would have to atone for their indiscretion by submitting to the power of the law. Perhaps this is putting it too mildly. Was it not old Sam Johnson who exclaimed, “Patriotism! Patriotism, sir, is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” July 10th – Was entered at Oldham William Shepley, hatter, of Lees Hall, disorder Fever; and a few days since died, Josuah France of Walwork Fold Oldham, disorder, fever. July 12th – For the last seven or eight dais it as been some fine refreshing rain wich as pushed vegetation to a degre of observation. July 15th – The earth smiles, for everey day their falls plenty of rain wich is visabely warm when it falls, yet it does not please everey one for those that are in Hay call out loudly for fine wheather. July 16th – Oldham, this day pottatoes sold 1s. per score at Manchester at one time in the morning 7s. a load and they rose to 12s. a load. July 18th – Manchester, this day, meal rather harder in price then last Saturday, and flour is likewise rising in price. At London it as risen in the last thre weeks 30s. per quarter, I mean wheat. July 20th – Yesterday died Thomas Madocks, master of the Cheshire Cheese Publick House, Oldham. On the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st, exalent hay days. July 25th – Oldham, this day, meal sells 2s. 10d. to 3s. 2d. Cabbages are extreemly plentyful and cheap, the bigist sort being sold 1d. per piece. Beef and mutton 8 1/2d per pond, sugar, the very best of brown is selling 8d. per pond, and there is very good at 6d. a pond. In the last week of this month died Bennion Smethurst, Hatter, Oldham, disorder fever, and wife of Daniel Mellor, shoemaker, Oldham, disorder fever.
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August 1st – Oldham, this day, meal sells 2d. a peck lower than last week, this is from 2s. 8d. to 3s. a peck. Flower, the very best, 4s. a peck. Pottatoes in general, 2 pond a penny. August 3rd – As the greatest blessing the Almighty can bestow on us by sending us plenty it as pleased him to send is Harbinger fine weather wich is so uncomon fine and seasonable as was never known before, so that it has a visable effect upon the corn market wich is now coming down a pace. August 8th – Manchester: This day there was the fullest market ever remembered, particularly meal and pottatoes, the former of which fell 10s. and the latter 6s. a load, wich put a cheeerful countenance on the faces of the poor. At Oldham meal sells from 2s. 4d. to 2s. 7d. a peck; pottatoes, 7 1/2d. per score. August 12th – Wednesday This day, to the unspeakable joy of the poor, meal of the best quality sold at 2s. 2d. a peck. And John Kershaw, of Mumps, died; disorder, an ulcer on the bladder; age, 39 years. On Wednesday, July 29th, the estate, called Millfield, the property of James Hardy, was sold to Joseph Parr for £712. August 13th – This afternoon one of the heariest showers ever remembered by the oldest person living. It caused the water courses to rise to a great eight, but happily the shower was of short duration, otherwise it would have caused a flood, wich might have been detrimental at this time. August 15th – This day meal sells, a very good article, 2s. a peck, flour 3s., American flour 3s. 6d., pottatoes 8d. a score. August 17th – Through the blessings of God there is greatest prospect of plenty ever remembered by the oldest person living, the fields being so completely covered as equally to astonish and delight the beholder, for cast your eyes anywhere they are gratified with beholding the golden-collored fields, deckt with the greatest crop of weat, oats, and barley, wich in jenaral are now droping ripe, and whole fields of pottatoes with their green verdure, a double crop, fill the mass of this earthly happiness. The gardens are so over-croped with cabbages, peas and beans, and other vegetables so that they will never be dispensed with. Peas, in fact, are over, but fine beans are selling 4d. a peck; cabbages, two very fine ones for 1d., and the pastures have been very abundant, so that cattle have not been able to keep down the grass, and the most seasonable weather ever known, although at this time verey droughty. |
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