July 27th- Oldham, flour 5s. to 5s. 3d., meal 3s. 9d. to 3s. 11d., pottatoes 1d. a pond. Hay harvest, the crops have in general been abundantly heavey, and a deal well housed, but about the 20th of this month, the weather turned very wet, and this day, the 31st, it is begun rather to amend. On the 12th of August, 1812, a review of the different regiments on Kersal Moor. August 1st- Joseph Taylor alias Titter, killed in a coal pit in Edge-lane this day. August 3rd- Three hundred of the 1st Norfolk militia arrived in Oldham to do duty during these troublesome times. August 3rd- Sally, wife of Jonathan Marsland, of Fog-lane, Oldham, died this morning, brain fever, aged 32. August 2nd- A woman of the name of Taylor was shot in her house in Glodwick. They fired through the window, three slugs went through her cap, but fortunately done no damage, the rest of the shot light upon the wall. A few days since some persons at Hollinwood shooting at a mark with pistols, one of them being but an indifferent shot, the ball missed the door or board they were firing at, went through a collier’s cap, and wound him on the head, but not dangerously. He was returning from his work. August 4th- Meal selling as high as 4s. 3d.; flour 1s. a peck more. August 4th- Misfortune. Abraham Baron of Holden-fold, was jammed betwixt a cart and a wall near Little Green, and so much crushed that he died emediately. August 2nd- Was intered at Oldham, Ann Taylor, of Couldhurst, High Barn; white swelling. Age 24.
|
August 9th- Yesterday died wife of William Tipling, of Holden-fold. Disorder, a violant cramp. August 8th- Provisions took a rapid rise at Manchester. At one time in the morning pottatoes sold 11s. a load; it then rose to 15s. and to 17s., and lastly to 19s. a load; flour £4 15s., meal £4 6s. a load. August 9th- Last night died Anna, wife of James Derbyshire. She died at Beartrees, and was daughter of the late William Royle, of Beartrees. Consumtion. Age 26 years. August 9th- This day was intered at Oldham, wife of Doctor John Taylor. Disorder, consumption. August 18th- Was intered at Oldham, Thomas Woolstencroft, of Oldham, joyner and house carpenter; age 52 years. August 20th- James Wrigley, of Treacle-street, near Waterhead Mill, for breaking into the factory of Wm. Waring, on the night of the 18th, commited to the New Bayley for tryal. On the 30th of last month Samuel Crabtree was found murdered on Newton Moor, near Ashton-under-Line. It is supposed that it was done to prevent him being an evidence against some of the Ludites. The result, no doubt, of the terrible oath which we have seen was binding on every follower of “General Ludd, ” an imaginary individual, the supposed head centre of the conspiracy, sometimes called “Ned Ludd.” August 21st- Dennis Timms left the Fire Engine public-house, Street Bridge, and entered as tennant on the Masons Arms, Church-lane, late John Whitehead. August 17th- Oldham flour, 5s. 10d. to 6s. 6d.; meal, 5s. to 5s. 2d.; potatoes, 14d. a score. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANNALS OF OLDHAM No. LXX 1812 Referring to my note on Middleton fight, Mr. Joseph Wrigley, of Southport, writes:- Mr. James Wolfenden, who died at Whams, Hey, was at the fight and got shot in the knee and was crippled for life. Some thirty years after he had to have the leg amputated. July 22nd - Was fought the great battle betwixt the French, commanded by Marshal Marmont, and the English, Portuguese, and Spanish, commanded by the gallant Earl of Wellington, wich was fought near Sallamanca, in Spain, in which the French were totally defeated, with the loss of 7,000 prisoners, 1 genaral, 3 col., 3 lieu col., 130 officers of inferior rank prisoners, 2 eagles, 6 collors, and 11 pieces of cannon. Marmont lost an arm, and had 4 genarals killed, and the French Genaral Carrier was taken prisoner in a skirmish on the 18th of July. The loss of the allies was – British, 338 killed, 2,714 wounded, 74 mising; Portugues, 394 killed, 1552 wounded, 182 missing; Spanish, 2 killed, 4 wounded. Total killed, wounded, and missing, 5,220. In the action on the 18th – British, 61 killed, 297 wounded, 27 mising; Portugues, 34 killed, 96 wounded, 27 mising. Major-Genaral le Marchant killed Lieutenant-genarals Sir Stapleton Cotton severely, Leith severely, Cole severely, Major-General Victor Allen severely. The strength of the armies is not stated. Green says:- After a series of masterly movements on both sides, Marmont, with the French army of the North, attacked the English on the hills in the neighbourhood of Salamanca, July 22. While marching round the right of the English position, the French wing was left isolated, and with a sudden exclamation of “Marmont is Lost,” Wellington flung on it the bulk of his force, crushed it, and drove the whole army from the field. But few local records remain to us of those who fought in these Peninsular battles. Many there are in Oldham who,. Reading these annals, will be proud to feel that a grandfather or other relative rendered his country signal service in these campaigns. Few there were who seem to have risen to high positions in the army or navy. Oldham seems to have been rather famous for those common qualities which go to make good common soldiers or marines. Even the graven pavements in our churchyards furnish but very sparse notices of those who fought and bled for their fatherland under Wellington, though there were scores of Peninsular heroes in Oldham who perhaps outlived their reputation in this respect, and their relatives perhaps forgot to mention in their epitaphs that so-and-so was at such a battle.
|
It is thus that we have lost the fame which rightly belongs to our town and district, though even yet, in many a country homestead, many a relic still remains as a cherished heirloom – as, for instance, as I have seen, the brass figure from grandfather’s hat, or the buttons from his coat, or, occasionally, a rusty firelock which he brought back as a spoil of war. Among the papers of an ancient family who once lived at Shelderslow, I find an interesting piece of heroic verse, as follows:-
This was written by Robert Radcliffe, brother of the late Mr. Samuel Radcliffe, the elder, of Lower House Mills, and great uncle of the present Mayor of Oldham, S. R. Platt, Esq., and of the ex-Mayor, J. W. Radcliffe, Esq. Robert Radcliffe was born at Shelderslow in 1777, before the family came to Oldham. He was buried at Hey Chapel, and his gravestone states that he was the “Son of James Radcliffe, and was buried September 28th, 1817, aged 40 years.” It also states that "He fought in sixteen different engagements during the Peninsular war, and ended his martial career at Waterloo.” August 24th - Monday, Oldham, flour 5s. 10d. to 6s., meal 4s. 10d. to 5s., pottatoes 1s. a score. It appears that Marmont's army on the 22nd of July was 50,000, the allies under Earl Wellington 45,000, but 15,000 Spaniards where never brought into action. August 24th - This morning the Norfolk militia marched out of Oldham on their rout for Huddersfiield, &c., and a party of the Stirling came into Oldham the same day. August 29th - Was rushbearing Sauterday at Oldham. A very fine day; two rushcarts from Nimble Nook and Denton-lane. None from Cowhill. |
Page 105
William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard |
 |
 |
 |
