ANNALS OF OLDHAM No. LXXIV 1814 The year 1814 began on a Satuerday, wich was an extreme fine day, the sky being serene and clear, and as warm as in April. By the recent victories of the Allies over the French, the trade of this country as happily taken a favourable turn for the better, and meal, flour and pottatoes being much reduced in price, renders the situation of the poor more comfortable. Cristmas, which as been lost for several years, as holden up its delightful visage to thousands, who – 12 months since – where in a deplorable situation. Very few families, though ever so poor, but what raised a brew of malt this Cristmas, and the poor in general are in a more enviable situation than they have been for some time. The turn of the tide had set in, though great events were yet looming in the distance. Napoleon, if checked for a time, had yet other designs to accomplish. We see by this annal what an effect on our trade and on the condition of the people the news from abroad had. We see also something in this annal of the habits of the Oldham people. “Very few families, though ever so poor, but what raised a brew of malt.” Who has read Old Cobbett on brewing? Though written nine years after this date, his remarks refer to this period. He tells of a farmer who began farming about 1780, who gave evidence before a committee of the House of Commons to the effect that when he began farming there was not a labourer’s family in the parish that did not brew their own beer and enjoy it by their own firesides, and that now not one single family did it, from want of the ability to get the malt. Cobbett tells us that people had taken to tea drinking, and this is what he says of it:- “I view the tea drinking as a destroyer of health, an enfeebler of the frame, an engenderer of effeminacy and laziness, a debaucher of youth, and a maker of misery for old age. He says it is notorious that tea has no useful strength in it, that it contains nothing nutritious, that it, besides being good for nothing, has badness in it.“ To shut poor young creatures up in manufactories is bad enough, but there, at any rate, they do something that is useful, but the girl who had been brought up merely to boil the tea kettle and to assist in the gossip inseparable from the practice, is a mere consumer of food, a pest to her employer, and a curse to her husband if any man be so unfortunate as to affix his affections on her.
|
What may seem to us in this age of temperance most singular is that Cobbett advocates the brewing of beer on temperance principles, for, says he, “many tradesmen who now spend their evenings at the public-house, amidst tobacco smoke and empty noise, may be induced by the finding of better beer at home, at a quarter of the price, to perceive that home is by far the pleasantest place wherein to pass their hours of relaxation.” According to Cobbett the tea-kettle has been the cause of many an Englishman’s woes, and the only remedy is to learn to brew according to his instructions.
January 3rd - William Taylor of Burnley-brow, for cursing his Majesty in the presence of two of the royal artillery on January 1st, committed to the New Bayley. A few days later since, Hall entered as tenant at the public house, Streetbridge, late Mrs. Radcliffe, and a short time since, Charles Holt entered as tenant Horton Arms, late Mathew Robson’s. The following is the price of the following articles:- Meal 2s. 3d. to 2s. 6d., flour 3s. 3d. to 3s. 5d., malt 2s. 10d. to 3s. a peck, treacle 7d., butter 13d. to 14d., new butter 16d., candles 13 1/2d. to 14d., cheese 8 1/2d. to 9d., pork 8d. to 9d., beff 8d. to 9d., mutton 9d., bacon 1s., hops 2s. 4d., bale cotton 3s. 1d., salt 4d., onions 4d., sugar 11d., to 13d., soap (white or brown) 11d. to 1s. a pound, pottatoes 7 1/2d. to 8d. a score, peas 6d. to 7d. per quart, hay 7d. to 8d., straw 2 3/4d. a stone, white cotton (called boads) 2s. 7d. to 2s. 8d. a pond, coals at the pit 1s. to 1s. 4d. a load. At the Collegiate Church at Manchester last year christenings 2,657, marriages 1,174, burials 929. The wide gathering ground enjoyed by the Collegiate Church yielded a large crop of events every year, sufficient to keep old Joshua Brooks’ hands full, but the numbers are not to be relied on as a criterion of the number of inhabitants of Manchester, and can only be compared year by year as an indication of general prosperity. Bernadot, now Crown Prince of Sweden, born at Pau, the capital of Bearn, January 26th, 1763. A few days since died the wife of Richard Kent, of near Street Bridge. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 12th - Died, Standering, widow of the late James Standering, late of Fields, within Chadderton. The frost wich comenced on the 26th of last month for about a week of the first was never equiled for fineness. On the 4th it commenced freezing, severely, and has continued to this day, the 13th, and seems likely for continuing. January 13th - Was a day of general thanksgiving for the success of the allied armies. And the same day the Orange Society walked in procession to St. Peter’s Chapel, Oldham, where a sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Winter. January 18th - For several days past uncomon cold. It froze so as was scarcely equaled inthe memory of the oldest person living. January 20th - Yesterday morning uncomon roff; snowing and high wind at north-east. It continued all day and this morning the roads were drifted up, and carts and carriages were stopped. January 22nd – The frost continues with unabating fury, and the roads stoped in several parts by the snow. The mails from London to Manchester have not arived for the last three days. Jan. 23rd - The frost is the most severe – supposed to be the severest of any since the year of 1795. Water is become very scarse, and coals are risen 3d. a load, and hay is got up to 1s. per stone. This was the commencement of the great frost, famous in history for its great extent. This annal states that it began on the 26th December in the previous year. Hone gives the date as December 27th, but this is near enough taking into account the geographical positions of Oldham and London, where the Thames was frozen over, and a fair held on the ice. He says for a month following December 27th there had been a strong frost in England. According to Higson the thermometer sank to five degrees below zero in Lancashire. It is interesting to note the progress of this great frost. In addition to the ordinary inconveniences Oldham would seem to have been threatened with a scarcity of coals and water.
|
January 22nd - Last night died Joel Halliwell, of Hollins, late of Millfield, North Moor; disorder on the lungs; age 69 years. January 23rd - Died, Sally Tanner, of Busk, age 23 years. January 25th - The storm still continues the most severe of any in the memory of man. It has frozen to that degree as to be seldom eaqelled in the annals of freezing. In the western parts it as fallen vast quantities of snow, so that the mail coaches in all directions have been stoped. The mail from London to Manchester as been stoped for 4 days successively, and the same from Manchester to London, and a deal of persons have been froze to death in different parts of the country. Those beautiful sketches by Hugh Thomson bring to vivid view the inconvenience of coach travelling, and remind one what it would be to wait at a meeting of crossroads for the arrival of the coach, knee deep sometimes in snow, and often far away in country places from any means of shelter or hospitality. January 26th - Last night it began to thaw. January 19th - The Quarter Sessions begun at Manchester the 20th [sic]. The apeal of William Butterworth of Nod-within-Chadderton, against a conviction made against him by Mr. Drake and Mr. Horton, two magistrates at Rochdale. Butterworth was late surveyor of the highway for Burnley-lane Division, and refusing to deliver up tools, books and money was convicted in two penaltys of £5 each, wich order was firmed. Council for Butterworth, Mr. Coulton and Mr. Fell; against him, Mr. Cross and Mr. Williams. January 25th - George, son of Matthew Robson, of Streetbridge, unfortunately killed. He was riding upon a loaden cart and fell, and one of the wheels run over his head, near the sign of the Cock Inn, Tonge. Age, 5 years. January 30th - Yesterday morning comenced one of the most tremendous roof mornings for snow and wind ever remembered. The roads were emediately drifted up and carriages stoped. The wind due east. At night it turned to rain a little, but this morning it turned again to freezing. |
Page 112
William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard |
 |
 |
 |
