Oldham Historical Research Group

William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard

1827

June 15th – This day Mr. Green took a flight in his balloon from Ashton-under-Line. It was a windi day.

He had a friend acompanied him. They alighted near Doncaster.

June 9th – At Oldham, mutton, 8d.; beef, 8d. per pond; gooseberrys, 3d. a quart; new pottatoes, 3d. and 4d. per pond; old ones, 10d. per score.

June 11th – The weather has been the most favourable to all kinds of vegetation ever remembered. All kinds of flowers and blossoms have been abundand and the most luxuriant, and Robert Smith, of Beartrees, comenced his hay harvest this morning.

June 16th – Goosberys are so very plentifull that they are selling this day in Oldham 2d. per quart, or 2 quarts for 3 ½d.

June 20th – Thomas Mills, of Cockhouse Fold, Oldham, in a fit of despair, hung himself ; his age 71 years.

June 24th – Early this morning a young woman of the name of Fitton, whose parents reside in Middleton, was found drowned in the canal near the Lancashire Rose, in the township of Chadderton. It is supposed she commited this rash deed in a fit of dispair.

June 21st – This day, one Gartside, a woman of 30 years of age, having had a quarel with her sweetheart, is supposed to have flung herself into a pit of water and drowned herself, near Glodwick. She was found on the 27th.

June 30th – The appearance of all kinds of crops is the most gratafying. Hay is the most abundant ever remembered, and exalent weather for the hay harvest. The wheat, the oats, barley, and pottatoes have the most promising appearances. Indeed, it seems as if the earth was making a double effort at this most disstressed time.

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July 4th – One --------, of Greenacres Moor, who had been in the lock-ups at Oldham, on the charge of being the father of a child, the offspring of his daughter, which child was found concealed in a soot loft, was investigated, when the surgeon, Mr. Cocks, was of an oppinion that the child was not born alive. Of course, the coroner and the jury dismissed the parties. The man fell into the hands of an infuriated mob, who nearly took his life.

July 7th – Gooseberrys sold at Oldham, two quarts for 3 1/2d., and som 1 1/2d. a quart.

Hay harvest has been such as was scarcely ever seen before, both for the quantity and quality, and the weather such for good as was seldom seen before, and the farmers in general have finished hay harvest.

July 16th – The weather still continues excessive hot, and no appearance of rain, and nearly all the hay in this part of the country well housed.

July 16th – Pottatoes of an exalent quality 10d. a score.

July 18th – Died, at Hollinwood, Mally, wife of Robert Whitehead, of that place, lately an innkeeper there.

July 19th – A lamentable missfortune happened at the factory at Lees Hall. One William Williams, a workman there, got intangled in the machinery, which nearly cut him in two. He was a native of Wales, but lately resided in Oldham.

July 25th – Pottatoes 8d. per score.

July 25th – Died, at Cheetham Hill, Mary, wife of Henry Lowe. She was daughter of the late John Clegg, of Wood; her age, 68 years.

July 26th – The weather is exalent, and all sorts of grain have promising apearance. Pottatoes, cabbages, and all sorts of garden products are double crop.

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ANNALS OF OLDHAM

No. CXII

1827

July 27th – Mr. Green, accompanied by his son and a ship carpinter, acended in his balloon at Warrinton, and alighted at Greehead, near Lees. It passed over Oldham, and atracted the attention of the inhabitants to a great degree.

This place was near Bank Mill, Springhead, Lees, called, I believe, from this circumstance, “Newfoundland.”

July 31st – Cow stolen from Alice Hilton’s, of Further Wood, by one John Lawton, whose residence was near Hollinwood. He stole her out of a pasture in Birchinlee, about mid-day, and was detected in Manchester offering the cow for sale the same day. He was commited to Lancaster for tryal.

July 29th - Was the last Sunday of performing divine service in Oldham Church.

July 30th – Yesterday was an uncomon hot day, and at night it commenced the most frightful and terrefic flashes of lightning ever remembered, and this morning two most tremendous cracks of thunder.

August 6th – Died at Oldham, Samuel Wild, a collior and a pensioner, and was a soldier at the memorable seighe of Gibraltar in 1781; his age, 70 years.

August 9th – John Rowbottom and his wife Betty set off for America.

August 10th – Mr. Green took a flight in his baloon from Tinker’s Gardens, Manchester, and alighted at -------------.

August 9th – Died at London, the Right Honorable George Canning, Chanselor of the Exchequer and First Lord of the Treasury; age, 56 years.

George Canning began life as a disciple of Pitt, and was one of the few Tories who preserved the progressive instincts of the party. He was sadly hampered, however, what with the King on the one hand, and the “old followers of the stupid”,” Castleragh on the other. No wonder that he should seek the support of the Whigs, and, to a great extent, inoculate them with the progressive measures of his ancient leader.

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August 15th – A lamentable misfortune happened at the Methodist Chappel, Manchester-street, Oldham. A man had his thigh broke and his head severely bruised.

August 16th – The workmen are busily employed at this time taking down Oldham Church, and several coffins have been removed from inside the church and deposited in other places previous to their setting out the new foundation.

August 14th – James Dyson, son of Thomas Dyson, of Chadderton Mill, set out for London to join his regement, the foot guards in London.

August 17th – Thomas Ogden, son of the late James Ogden, Bottom of Northmoor, intered this day at Oldham.

August 18th A lamentable misfortune happened at Stalybridge. John Whitaker, whilst at his labour in a factory there, had the misfortune to be so much injured that he died a few hours after.

August 23rd – Died at Little Town, Hollinwood, Edmund Andrew, of that place, age 81 years.

August 27th – Died at Greenacres Moor, Abraham Hilton, cotton manufacturer. He died suddenly; was much respected; age 66.

E. Butterworth says: Mr. Abraham Hilton, the descendant of an ancient Oldham family, erected the first portion of Croftbank from 1807 to 1810, and such was his rapid prosperity that about 1812 he built a new mill adjacent to the former one.

August 28th – The master hatters who had given notice to their workmen for a reduction of wages, when the men struck, and have been out for about six weeks. The masters have given up the contest, and the men are returned to their labour.

August 25th – Oldham Rushbearing Sauterday. A fine day and a deal of company. There wher a rushcart from Chappelcroft, and a waggon from Millbottom; and on Sunday a fine day and a deal of company, especially a deal of foreigners.

On Monday a fine day, and an emense deal of company. A deal of shows and flying boxes. Rushcarts, one from Bankside, one from Priesthill, one from Bardsley Brow, one cart laden with coals from Dryclough, one coal cart from High Barn, with 3 tons of coal in it.

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William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard
Transcribed by Mary Pendlbury & Elaine Sykes
Courtesy of Oldham Local Studies & Archives
Not to be reproduced without permission of Oldham Local Studies & Archives.
Header photograph © Copyright David Dixon and licensed for re-use under the C.C. Licence.'Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0'

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