August 13th and 14th As usual, been continued rain, and the grass that is cut is in a spoyling state, and all sorts of business out of doors nearly at a stand, such as brickmaking, bricksetting, building, and repairing, and the roads for dirt and mire resemble a wet November. August 15th and 16th Very wet days. August 17th A little rain, but sun shined, and although it was Sunday a deal of farmers were buisily employed in there hay. August 18th A fine morning, and continued so until 5 about o’clock, when it begun to rain as usial. August 19th Last night the workshop of Thomas Nield, of Lees Hall, was broken open and a large quantity of hats stolen there from. August 22nd Last night one Samuel Slaney, a brickmolder, decamped from Betty Fallows, at Burnley Gate, where he lodged, and carried off with him a large quantity of wearing apperil belonging to Mariah Butterworth, with wich he made clear off. August 24th Died at Rhodes Hill, Lees, Mr. Thomas Taylor; disorder consumption; age, 29 years. August 31st Was intered at Middleton, William Dyson, formerly of Burnley-lane; was lame of a foot; his age, upwards of 75 years. August 5th Died, in America, Ann, wife of William Hall, late of Chadderton Heights, cow doctor; her age, 63 years. August 30th Was Oldham Rushcart Sauterday, when there two rushcarts, one from Northmoor, one from Nimble Nook. The shows, flying horses, were very numerous, and a deal of company. It is interesting to notice in these annals the names of those who had left Oldham for America. Ann Hall is another to the number already mentioned. September 4th The wet weather still continues. Every day it rains less or more, wich retards the ripening of corn, and the roads are very dirty and unpleasant. September 2nd Missfortune. As Joseph Whitworth of Deanshutt, in Ashton parish, was returning from Oldham with his horse and milk cans he road over one Mary Ogden, and she was killed on the spot. The jury set on the buissness on the 3rd and 4th, and brought in a verdict kild by furious riding. Whitworth, of course, was commited to Lancaster. I only pause to notice the place-name “Deanshu”. A shut or shoot was evidently a narrow steep passage or lane. We have the word preserved in coal shoot or corn shoot. The original name of what is now Horsedge-street was Little-shut or shoot, and the coalpit which was on the left hand going up to the Theatre Royal was Shut or Shoot Pit. Deanshut was once the habitation of one of the Sandifords. September 5th This day the weather inclined more favourable to harvest weather, and seems more promising for fine weather. It as genarly rained less or more since the beginning of July. |
6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th Exalent fine days. The sun shone with the greatest splendor, and a deal of hay was got in. September 13th An extreem wet day. September 14th and 15th the same. September 11th Thursday was the day for granting licenses at Oldham. There were none turned without. The new ones where William Stoppard for one near the Ranters’ Chappel, one to Benjamen Newton, near King-street; one to Joseph Mellor, in Manchester-street, all in Oldham; one to Mathew Robinson, near Highgate, within Royton. September 30th The weather in general continues very wet, and is much against the corn harvest in this part of the kingdom. October 8th A lamentable missfortune happened at the colliery near Edge-lane. As three men were going down the coalpit some wicked unfeling wretch had stolen a brass step from the machinery wich lets the men down, and in consequence the men fell a distance of 40 yards, when, shocking to relate, they were so bruised that there lives are dispaired of. Chadderton and his son have several limbs broken, and Wild, the third person, very much brused. A few day since the wife of one Whitehead was commited to Lancaster on a charge of murdering her own child. The poor woman is insane. It was a false report; she was not commited. The jury acquited of murder, as she was insane. She resided in Glodwick. October 13th Died, Robert Leees, of Mumps, one of the firm of Lees and Jones, manufacturers; his age 74 years. October 18th Died very sudden at Oldham, Abraham Hodson, staymaker; age near 65 years. October 19th Was intered at Royton, Isabella Cotes, widdow of the late John Cotes, cutter and dyer and manufacturer, of Royton; her age 80 years. October 20th Manchester Sessions commenced, when Samuel Slaney was fined 6d and pased to his own parish, it appearing to the court that Slaney was seriously attacted with a very dangerous disease was the cause of this lenient sentence. November 9th Died at Holden Fald, Rachel wife of William Robinson, of Holden Fold. She was formerly wife of Abraham Baron, of Holden Fold, her age, 51 years. November 18th The prize ringing at Middleton, when the first prize, six guineas, was won by the Prestwich ringers, the second prize, three guineas, was won by the Saddleworth ringers, and the third prize, one guinea, won by a second sett of ringers from Prestwich. November 23rd Died at Brohill, near Fox Denton, Alice, wife of John Whitehead, of that place, carpenter, her age 29 years; disorder child birth. November 25th Died at Oldham Edge or Lowermoor, Thomas Whitehead, bassoon player, wich music he played in Oldham Church 55 years, his age 77 years. On the 30th he was intered at Saint Peter’s Chapel, and was attended by an emence number of people, and a large number of musick, vocal, and Intrumental. The funeral was attended by four different bands of musick. |
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Excellent Thomas Whitehead, bassoon player at Oldham Church for 55 years. The authorities of the church ought to cause his epitaph to be carved and placed in such a position that it may be seen and known of all men. December 1st Lamentable missfortune happened this day (Monday). As Mr. John Radcliffe, of Bank, Oldham, was on his way home he fell down a large precipice into a stone quarry near Hole Bottom, Oldham; had his leg broke and otherwise so much bruised that he died on the 4th, to the great grief of his family and friends. December 4th Last night was a most tremendous roof night. It commenced about ten o’clock last night, and continued until three o’clock this morning. It blew an entire hurricane, the wind nearly west; it blew down a deal of factories, blew down a deal of houses, and blew out a deal of windows; and did an emence deal of damage all over the country. It was similar to that tornado wich happened in December, 1822. The factories here mentioned as being blown down must have been in course of erection. December 4th Was interred at Oldham, John Mills, commonly cald John Dot. December 29th One Mayal, so much burned on the 25th, that he died on January 13th, 1824. He was drunk, and fell asleep by the fire, and when he awoke he was all in flames. It happened at Horsedge Fold. December 30th Died at Cowhill, John Taylor, formerly of Busk; his age 82. He genarly went by the name of Jack of Georges. The weather still continues very wet and as been so for a long time, and the roads in such a bad state that traveling for both foot and horse is attended with the greatest difficulty. 1824 The year one thousand eight hundred and twenty four begun on Thursday, wich was a wet, windy day, and people in genaral left off working for a few days, and the factorys in genaral stoped. Factory work is the best for a poor family at this time; weaving is very poor. Tabbys are wove at 2s. 9d. a pond, velveteens and cords at 16d. to 18d. per pond. A deal is wove two in a breadth, and when wove the two pieces are cut up the middle and then the weaver as two pieces to carry home. There is some who weave three in breadth. |
The factory system seems to be getting generally established, as we notice here its influence on the Christmas holidays, and the expression of opinion that factory work was best for a poor family at this time. The old handloom makes a shift for itself by weaving two in a breadth – a thing evidently unknown up to that time. It would seem from an entry which follows that this applies to light cords and velveteens, the heavy goods being woven in one breadth, and commanding a better price for weaving. E. Butterworth says:- The manufacturers of houses and mills were as eager speculators as those of goods and yarns. During the ascendancy of such a spirit streets were in many instances run up on every side as fast if not faster than tenants cold be found, hence the sudden enlargement of the town on every hand, owing to the abode of speculating builders, clever lawyers, and money-making bankers, who were of course anxious to make 5 per cent. of their credit. The growth of the manufactures exceeded the growth in the numbers of the people, and if the inquiry was made in 1823-4 – at what place in the county of Lancaster in proportion to its size were cotton mills rising most rapidly? the answer was at Oldham. January 2nd Yesterday, a very roof day for wind and rain. January 2nd This morning two yong men where found in a stone pit at Oldham Edge. One was dead and the other in a very distressed state from the bruses he had received. It apeared they where on the road and had a lantern, and the night being wet, dark and stormy, the candle was blown out and they lost their road and met with this lamentable misfortune. The man dead was John Taylor, a native of Greenacres Moor. January 4th Died very suddenly, Alice, wife of Thomas Ashton, of Bank Mill. January 8th Died of a few days sickness, James Fitton, of near Chadderton Mill, shoemaker. January 12th Was interred at Middleton, William Greenwood, of Royton-lane. He genarly went by the name of Billy at Naylor’s and formerly lived at Thorp Clough. January 13th Died at Busk, Anna, widdow of the late Thomas Bloomoly, of that place; disorder – a cancer; her age 64 years. January 6th Last night it was a fine frost. |
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William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard |
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