March 12th – Vestry meeting held relative to taking down chancel of Oldham Church. April 21st – Delph fair day. At night there was a terrible thunderstorm. The lightning set fire to Messrs. Mayall and Beckett’s Mill at Hey. There were a number of small firms at this mill, each owning one or more carding engines and spinning to follow. The mill was destroyed and many of these small firms ruined. April 27th – Dauntsey Hulme, of Salford, Esq., died, age 85. He obtained Lower New Earth by marriage, and was a benefactor of £20,000 to the Manchester Infirmary., and £4,000 to the House of Recovery. 25th May – James Lees of Higher Clarksfield, Esq., J.P., colliery owner, died. June 29th – Bill received Royal assent to rebuild the chancel and tower of Oldham Church. The former bill only referred to the nave. August 5th – A small stone coffin was found in removing the foundations of the old church. August 31st – The streets of Oldham were first lighted with gas. September 28th – Charles Dunkerley killed by fighting at Hollinwood. This fighting propensity was very great in Oldham. A tale was told me the other day illustrative of this. At one local wakes a man, who like Paddy was spoiling for a beating had gone round to the various public-houses to find a man prepared to fight him without success. At length he challenged his own friend, remarking, “There’s nowt going on, an’ awst ha’ to feight thee, John.” John was an old warrior of the fighting ring, and he put off his tormentor once, twice, or thrice, with a blank refusal. At length the man smacks John across the face, with the remark, “Neaw, then, wilt feight neaw?” “Aye,” said John, “awst feight neaw,” and he stripped, and the two deliberately fell into a rough-and-tumble fight, which lasted an incredible length of time. At length the challenger got so “pown” that he had to give in, and as he rose to his feet, he said, “Aw would’nt ha’ fought thi if awd thowt theawd a licked me John.” “Naw” said John, “nor aw would’nt ha’ fought thi if awd thowt it would a tain me so long to do it.” |
October 10th – John Duncuft, of Collier Hill, Hollinwood, collier and proprietor, and uncle to John Duncuft, afterwards M.P. for Oldham, died. October 25th – Joseph Wrigley killed at Derker by falling down a coalpit. November 14th – Nathan Buckley, of Sholver, found drowned in Wareing’s mill lodge. 1828. Parochial rates of Oldham were £3,788, Crompton £650, Chadderton £714, Royton £775. 1829 This year one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine, begun on a Thursday, wich was a boisterous day and rather cold, but the disstressedness of the times are such as was never known before. Poor people, very few that left off work at all at factorys. Some mills stopped, some one day, some two, and some few three days. Weaving of all descriptions is astonishingly bad, wages being so extreem low. Anything that can be wove on power looms is wove at factorys, to the manifest injury of the poor weaver. The demand for factory goods is at present very great; a deal of weaving is done on power looms. Handloom weaving is very bad, and wages low; good cords velveteens thicksets are wove at from 1s. to 1s. 5d. per pond. Tabbys are brisk, a piece with twelve ponds in of sixty hanks weft in will fetch 26s.; some makers will give it for 11lb. 12oz. Silk trade is growing very brisk, and wages are moderate. Provisions in general are dear. The following is an authentic statement of the prices of the following articles:- Rowbottom, seems to have given up the old industry as a bad job. He acknowledges that factory work is in the ascendant. Shortly after this time Parliament took up the cause of the hand-loom weavers, whose wages had been greatly reduced. The blame of this reduction was laid on the power looms, though wages had begun to fall before power looms were used. From Mr. Henderson’s report on the poor laws shortly after this time, we learn that some Lancashire families lived on 1s. 1d. per head per week, while others lived on little more than one penny per head per day. We can quite understand Rowbottom’s moan about the hand-weavers. What a fearful state Oldham would have been in had it not been for the factories! Meal, 2s. to 2s. 2d.; flour, 2s. 9d. to 3s. a peck, treacle, 4 pond for 1s.; chees, 7 1/2d. to 8d.; pork; 5d. to 6d.; beff, 5d. to 6d.; mutton, 6 1/2d. to 7d.; bacon, 7d. to 8d.; butter 8d. to 10d. per pond; pottatoes, 7d. to 8d. per score; malt, 2s. to 2s. 2d. a peck; hay, 7d. per stone; clover, 7d. per stone. Most kind of goods, eatables excepted, very cheap. |
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January 2nd – The weather very warm in consequence of so much rain having fallen. The roads where dirty, spongy, but must repeat, never such a misserable Cristmas before. January 3rd – The weather fine and pleasant, but rather inclined to wet. January 5th – Last night the house of Wood, at Bottom of Hollinwood, was broke open, and a quantity of shoes and a sum of money. January 7th – Thomas Dyson, of near Chadderton Mill, lodged at the New Bayley for three months for having in his posseion a quantity of nets for the destruction of game. January 10th – Yesterday died James Woolstoncroft, of Jacob’s Roe, Northmoor; disorder, stone; his age upwards of 40 years. A man of quiet or peaceable disposition. January 12th – Last night the house of Edwin Chadwick, at Tanner’s, Edge-lane, near Royton, was broke open and robbed of a deal of valuable property, and no trace left. January 13th – A daughter of Thomas Ogden so misserable burned that it died soon after; of Maygot-lane. January 14th – An unfortunate collier, of name of James Riddle, lost his life in a coalpit near the Horse Shoes, Ashton parrish. January 10th – Died, Mr. John Scoles, of Vineyard Mill, cotton spinner, near Oldham; age 63 years. E. Butterworth says:- Messrs. Benjamin Taylor, John Scholes, and Daniel Broadbent erected the cotton mill, called Vineyard Mill, about 1813. January 13th – Died, at West-street, Oldham, Mrs. Telford, wife of Richard Telford, publican. January 18th – A few days since it commenced a very severe frost. January 29th – The frost still continues extreem cold, and severe freezing. January 23rd – A short time since was intered at Liverpool, James Ogden, son of the late Joseph, and brother to Thomas Ogden, of Maygate-lane. January 22nd – Died, Betty, wife of Mr. Booth, of Whittaker-fold, overlooker of the coal works in Hunt Clough Fields. January 25th – For several days past it as froze with unabating fury and snowed a little, Uppon the whole it has been uncomon cold. January 26th – Uncomon cold last night, and a little snow. |
January 26d. James Fitton, of St. Hellens, Northmoor; and Clough, near Glodwick; and several others apprehended on a charge of robbing the house of Edmund Chadwick. January 27th – Last night, the shop of William Raynor, of Northmoor was broke open and several valuable articles stolen, and not a trace left. January 29th – Ralph Whitehead, of Whitegate-end, constable, being in Oldham and locked to a prissoner, dropt down in a fit. He was conveyed to the Red Lion public-house, and died on the morning of the 30th. January 25th – Was intered at Oldham, Mary, widow of the late James Lees, of Top o’th’Northmoor. January 31st – The frost still continues with unabating severity. February 1st – It still continues most severe freezing. Feb 3rd – This day, James Fitton, Potter, Clough, Bardsley, Siddal, had their final examination before Mr. Hulme, when Fitton and another were discharged, and Clough, Siddel, and two others where commited to the New Bailey for tryal.. (see Jan. 26th.) Feb. 4th – Last night it commenced a fine thaw. Feb 5th – The thaw still continues. Feb. 5th – Was intered at Middleton, William, son of James Dyson, of Chadderton; age about 23 years. Feb 5th – This day Charles Ogden and his assistance aprehended John Bardsley, otherwise Briskham, on a charge of assaulting and rioting at Streetbridge. His companions where tried at the last Manchester Sessions, and where sentenced 12 months in Lancaster Castle. Feb 7th – Last night died, after a well-spent life of upwards of 90 years old, Patience Lord, of Mill Lane-end, Chadderton. She was 94 years of age last March. Feb. 8th – Died suddenly in Chadderton Workhouse, David Atkinson, formerly of Chadderton Springs; age 76 years. Feb 10th – Died near Streetbridge, old Richard Kent, much famed as a country doctor; his age 84 years. February 12th – There was a sessions at Angel Inn, in Oldham - Mr. Hulme and Mr. Horden, the majesterates-when 17 hush sellers were summoned for selling drink, conterary to law, when most of them were convicted. February 15th – Died a few days since, Moorhouse, of Chamber Hall, brother to Moorhouse, butchers in Oldham; age, 50 years. Henry Bold Houghton, of Bold Hall, sheriff for Lancashire this year. February 19th – Was intered, at Oldham, Charles Stott, formerly of Fir-lane, near Royton, and a cotton manufacturer. |
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William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard |
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