ANNALS OF OLDHAM No.CXIV 1829 February 20th – Died, at Chadderton, Mally, wife of John Lord, of that place. February 20th – Died, at Manchester, Mrs. Richards of the White Bear public-house. February 21st – Last night the factory at Lees Hall, in the occupation of Watson, was discovered to be on fire, but by timely assistance and great exertions, was happily subdued. February 20th – Yesterday, at the sessions at the Angel Inn, Oldham - the Reverent Mr. Hulme and the Reverent Mr. Horden the majesterates - when several hush sellers where convicted in the penaltys, some in £50, some £25, and some £12 10s. each, and for non-payment will be imprisoned for the same. Heavy penalties, but quite called for, seeing that the law was so strongly defied. February 25th – A serious attack of sickness in our family. March 3rd – The coroner and jury meet at Greenacres Moor, on enquiring into the death of Abraham Clegg, who it appears. Was seriously hurt in a conflict he had with Jonathan Wrigley on the 27th instant, when a verdict of manslaughter was found against Wrigley, and he, of course, was committed to Lancaster for tryal. At the assize found not guilty, March 7th March 3rd – Died, at Top o’th’Northmoor, John Jackson, formerly in the Derbyshire Militia, a dealer in Wimberg hardware, &c., his age, 71 years. March 4th – Died, after a well spent life of 75 years. Ann, widdow of the late William Haywood, joyner and carpinter. She died at Top-o’th’-Northmoor. March 8th – A very fine spring day, and as been very fine of late. March 8th – This morning was found in the cannal near Islington, Manchester, Mathew Robinson, late of Street Bridge, Chadderton. He was dead and is supposed to have fallen in by accident. |
March 12th – Mr. Thomas Griffiths, master of the Spread Eagle, Oldham, gave his hand to the accomplished Miss Ellen Gregory, his maid servant, late from Manchester. March 11th – George Steeple, butcher, commenced selling ale, &c., at the Dog and Partridge public house, Oldham, late Robert Smethurst. March 15th – Last night was a most severe frost, and as been so for several nights past. March 16th – A few days since, died, at Oldham, Joseph Ward, shoemaker, and formerly a shopkeeper; his age, nearly 80 years. March 17th – Being St. Patrick’s Day, the soldiers of the 76th regiment, who are in barracks in Oldham, had a fracas with some of the inhabitants, when a terrible battle ensued, and several soldiers where lodged in the lockups on the ocation. March 13th – Several soldiers of the 76th regiment, in barracks in Oldham, persuant to sentence, where whiped this day in the Barracks, Barn Fold, Oldham. March 22nd – Died, at Gillatts, near Street Bridge, Chadderton, William Beswick, of that place, coal miner, age 42 years. March 22nd – Some exalent fine weather for several days past. March 22nd – Died at Busk, Sally, widdow of the late John Ogden, of that place, and formerly of Whittaker Fold, age 64 years; disorder, a fever. March 29th – Died, at Altricham, at scool there, William, son of John Winterbottom, of Fog-lane, Oldham, age 16 years; disorder, inflammation March 25th – This day died at the Hopwood Arms, Oldham, Jonathan Anderton, late of Chadderton, shopkeeper. He had taken a large quantity of opium, which put an end to his miserable existence; his age, 52 years. March 18th – A most serious attack in my head. March 30th – Died at Oldham Peter Whitehead, hat manufacturer; age, 69. April 8th – Died at Mills Hill, William Scoles, gentleman,; age 72 years. |
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April 12th – Died at Dam Head, near Busk, Northmoor, Betty, wife of John Taylor, of that place; her age, perhaps 40 years. April 13th – Died at St. Hellens, Maygate-lane, Maria, daughter of William Halliwell; disorder, consumtion; age, 18 years. April 19th – Oddfellows funeral passed down Burnley-lane for Middleton, attended with a large retinue of brothers of the Order of Oddfellows, with a large retinue of spectators. His name is Crossley, and he came from Greenacres Moor. April 23rd – Died at her resedence, near Werneth Mill, Elizabeth Smethurst, aged 18 years. She died awfully sudden, having dropped down in a fit and immediately expired. On the 27th a coroner’s jury sat uppon this business, when it appeared there was some reason to sopose she was poisoned, and that it was an act of her own. The jury's verdict was she died from poison. The jury sat about eight hours. April 27th – Died, very suddenly, at the Cornwallis, in Bent, Richard Tilford, of the above inn. April 28th – This day was such as was seldom seen before for wind and rain. It blew an entire hurrycane, with wind due west, and an emence quantity of rain fell. April 29th – The cold winds still continue, and last night it froze most severely, and there is not the least appearance of spring. April – In February last Frances Rowbottom seriously attacted with a fit of sickness which baffles the skill of doctors. Morley and Taylor, of Oldham, and Mary Rowbottom has been seriously sick during the same period: in fact, they have been in a bad state of health previous to the comencement of this year. May 2nd – Was Oldham fair. A wet, cold day, and not so much company. May 2nd – Died Ann, widdow of the late Alexander Barns, formerly of Daub House, Northmoor, but she died at her son’s, William Barns, near Coldhurst, in her 80th year of age. William Barnes here mentioned, would, I suppose, be William Barnes, the musician, of whom Parker says (History of Oldham, 1856) that he was for many years a member of the orchestra at the Concert Hall, Manchester. He was born at Oldham, in 1792. When a mere boy he had learned to play the violin, and he made his debut at a concert at Shaw, when only eleven years of age, and forty years afterwards he played his last notes at the same place. He was much esteemed in Lancashire, Cheshire, and the West Riding of Yorkshire, and for a period of twenty years he led more oratorios and concerts than any other man in these counties. He took a prominent part in the establishment of the Oldham Borough Choral Society, in 1842. He died in 1843, and was buried at St. Paul’s Chapel, Royton. |
Higson says that “Billy Barnes” of Northmoor, died March 13th, 1843, aged 51 years, and that his funeral was attended by 250 fiddlers.! An elegy was written on his death, from which I quote the following:-
May 14th – One Thomas Dealtry, a Carter, being a little intoxicated, unfortunately fell and the cart wheel going over him killed him on the spot, at Hole Bottom, Oldham. May 5th – Died another of the family of Harrison, of Redtom Nook, Oldham. This family as for some time been seriously attacked with a fever, and during the short period of a few weeks five of the family have died. May 5th – A very large mob assembled at Manchester for the avowed purpose of destroying all power looms, when they gutted several factorys of those sort of looms and one factory they burned down. At Rochdale the same; a mob of several thousands assembled for the avowed purpose of destroying power looms, when the 67th Regiment was called, and the mob pelted them with stones. The soldiers fired on the ill-fated mob, when, horred to relate, five where killed, and a large number wounded. Report says that several have since died of there wounds. Wheeler says: The year 1829 is unfortunately remarkable only for the distress endured by the working classes and the disquietudes of which that distress was, as usual, the cause. Early in the year, the spinners in Stockport turned out against the alteration of prices, and were soon followed by the operatives in Manchester. At the same time the weavers not only in Manchester, but in all the manufacturing districts were in a state of great suffering. In the month of May serious riots occurred. The weaving factories of Mr. T. Hurbottle, Messrs. Twiss, and James Guest were attacked and gutted; that of Messrs. Parker was burnt down. Eventually the military were called out. During the week riots occurred at Stockport and Rochdale; in the latter town six persons were killed. The spinners’ turnout did not terminate till the month of October, when the hands resumed work. Oldham spinners had evidently not forgotten the riots of 1826, and some of the offenders could not have been very long out of prison for this offence. No wonder that these ignorant hand weavers should look on power looms as the cause of their distress. Mr. John Fielden, M.P., for Oldham stated in the House of Commons, in 1833, that the hand weaver had his wages reduced from 4s. 6d. to 1s. 3d. between 1815 and 1832. |
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