#annwalker

7

11 3/4

hazy damp soft morning Fahrenheit 40° hanging outside my study window at 8 a.m. out at 8 10/.. – 

in and out till 9 – A– (Ann) not come down – unpacked the wine that came yesterday – breakfast at 9 1/2 in 20 minutes – then had John Booth taking furniture from out of Kitchen chamber into the red room and then cellaring the Claret 4 dozen and 2 dozen Burgundy (beaune) and Tidying the cellar till 2 – 

Mr Harper came at that moment – ordered him luncheon – Explained my plan for the hall stairs – he approved – to enter into the North room and thence into the red room etc – suggested blue-slating over – he objected; – or plastering as before the front gables – he approved as also taking out the sashes, and putting oak-framed two light windows in their place – Examined the Gable and near the garden door that has given way – he ordered it to be tied by an iron rod to the next large King-post timber in the library passage –

Talked over Mr Bull – his charges greater than Stephenson’s or Rhodes’s, but advised me to pay the bill – I had got into bad hands – Mr Bull had written to Mr Harper saying that as I had left the bill to him, H– (Harper), to settle, Mr Bull begged he would settle it forthwith read H– (Harper) the copy of the letter I wrote and the letter I received from Mr Bull in answer – 

with Mr Harper Till after 4 – then left him with Booth – had John Booth, and Sam, and George the farmer siding the granary (taking the things out) to make room for the York joiners to skirt it round with thin deal ready for horse corn – Our new Mrs Duffin-hired footman, John Dixon, arrived about 4 p.m. very respectable looking man – 

dinner at 6 1/4 – coffee about 8 172 – read newspaper A– (Ann) having previously read aloud 2 pages of French as yesterday evening –

came upstairs at 10 25/.. and till 10 40/.. wrote all the above of today – fine, soft, damp dark day – Fahrenheit 31 1/2° outside study window at 11 20/.. p.m.

left margin: cellared the French wine that came yesterday Mr Harper arrived John Dixon footman came

6 3/4

12 1/4

hard white frost – Fahrenheit 30 1/2° in my study at 8 a.m. and 23° at 9 hanging outside the window – very fine morning – at my desk at 8 5/.. to near 9 when had A– (Ann) – 

breakfast at 9 and came upstairs at 9 50/.. and had nearly finished my letter to Miss Ferral when Mr Johnson and another called to leave A– (Ann) a notice of the intended branch rail-road thro’ Throp’s land and Mr Parker came to me about my navigation stock – I signed away by 3 papers (to lessen stamp duty) the whole 3 1/12 shares sold at £430 (exclusive of dividend = £1344.3.7) to Mr Arthington quaker and merchant of Leeds – to be paid I suppose on Saturday – told P– (Parker) to pay the money into the Yorkshire District Bank –

he explained to A– (Ann) about the rail road – seems alarmed for her – says they will take almost all Throp’s land – spite of their power to take only one hundred yards on each side the centre of the road – for at a station they have power to agree for what they choose – the Embankment at Throp’s will be 18 feet high – If they build at all on the low side at Throp’s it must be on arches – I should think therefore they would keep on the upper side as much as possible and that A– (Ann) is therefore in no great danger – Mr Johnson left a paper on which for A– (Ann) to signify her assent or dissent or standing neuter – to be given in by the 12th of  next month – I said on the instant I would dissent to give me an opportunity of better making such stipulation as might seem good – at any rate I would not stand neuter – P– (Parker) seemed quite for dissent – this struck me, and while A– (Ann) went out of the room he said many people took no notice – returned no answer – but this was taken for assent – that there was a strong party against the rail road – Messieurs Waterhouse Briggs etc on account of the navigation – wanted to turn the line even from Sowerby-bridge – and thought we should have no rail-road at all – 

on A–‘s (Ann’s) coming in again, I said perhaps she might persuade me to be for her  giving her assent – speaking of different lines, I still thought the best was that which would bring the station to under St. James’s church in the Northgate land; but I was glad for my own taken to avoid it – P– (Parker) asked if I would sell any ground at Northgate – a Mr Howarth a corndealer would be glad of 10 or 11 yards x apparently about 17 on the North parade side (at the corner) and would give he thought £4 or £5 a yard – 11x17 = 187 yards at £5 = £935 – said I would not take less than a thousand pounds for that plot – Mr Parker staid till 11 50/.. – 

came upstairs at 11 55/.. and till 12 1/4 wrote all but the 1st 2 lines of today – A– (Ann) rode off to Cliff hill at 12 – shewed Mr Parker Mr Bull’s letter – he (Mr P– (Parker)) thought Mr Bull had better meet Mr Harper – 

then had Booth for an hour till 1 1/4 – told him how his account stood – Mr Pollatt of the firm of Timothy Bates and company had waited 1/2 hour – sent Booth down to him to say that Mr Harper was expected to say that I should pay no bills not signed by Mr Harper – Booth brought me plan and Estimate of Colliery things room and house above for Robert Mann at Listerwick price of everything and key I estimated £114.13.2 

then Till 1 3/4 finished my letter 3 pages and under the seal (of 1/2 sheet note paper) to Miss Ferral – 

‘Shibden hall. Monday 17 December 1838. my dear Sophie – In passing thro’ Paris to the Pyrenees last summer (Thursday 7 June) Madame de Bourke gave me your note of the 2nd of May 1837 – She had lost my English home-address, and had not heard of or from me for so long, that I myself had probably slipped out of her Embrace – on my part, the fact was, I had written, and, receiving no answer, (the letter seems to have been lost) went, or rather sent to the house to inquire if she was at home, not at the moment feeling certain whether that home was in this world or another – However, I was greeted with a cordial welcome, and my pleasure was not a little heightened by your note – That it was dated then a year back, abated nothing of its value – later accounts spared me the pain of being anxious for better; and I rejoiced at your sister’s safely, and that you were well and at Copenhagen – I intended writing to you from the Pyrenees; but, literally, I neither did write, nor had time to write to anybody – my days were passed in wanderings among the mountains, not merely a few days now and then, but every day we gave our guides and horses as much work as they could do – my great regret was the not being able to see more of Spain – but I tried the summer-swell of the bay of Biscay in a small boat from St. Jean de Luz to St. Sebastian, and walked over the town and carnage-ground of Hernani, – crept along the Spanish frontier-towns, and spent a day at Jaca on our way to Saragossa which we should have reached, but had not money enough – I had calculated for about 1/2 the actual Expense – my love of travelling is as great as ever; and I should have been 1/2 the world over by this time, but for the foolish potherations I have let myself be drawn into – I am now, however, sick to death of them, and determined to be at liberty again as soon as I can – I hope to see you all again at Copenhagen some time – Do give my love to Lady Harriet, and tell her, I found her letter on my return home about 3 months ago, – and that I shall treat myself to answer it as soon as the business of Xmas is over – I shall think of all your gayer doings, and long to be one of your party – Do not fancy I forget you, or any of you, or Copenhagen – Except that I look 20 years older, you will not find me changed at all – The little people will have grown out of my knowledge – How did Count Blucher like his visit to our queen? and what did he think of the chances of a Danish connection – I thought your brother (in Paris) much improved, – above par in point of information, and genteely and agreeable – Madame de Bourke all kindness, but like the rest of us, looking older – I am sure she will take charge of another little note; and direct it to me here, Shibden-hall, near Halifax, Yorkshire, and I shall receive it very directly – I hope the H–s (Hagemanns) have recovered themselves in society – How is she looking? I hear the children are much more improved than might have been Expected – and tell me how your children are going on – my love to you all, and believe me affectionately yours A Lister’ – 

my letter to Madame de Bourke also dated Monday – 

‘Shibden hall – Monday 17 December 1838. my dear Madame de Bourke I make no apology for writing in my vernacular tongue, because you can read it as well as your own, and I can write it, at least, readily, and intelligently – It is a month since my leaving Paris, and yet, after all your kindness, you have not heard from me – I should take shame to myself, had I not better excuse than you would think or wish me to have – we were delayed twice (at Amiens and Abbeville) for repairs to the carriage – we had rough crossing, and were two days on the road from Dover to London where your letter was left by my servant at General Ramsay’s on Saturday the 24th ultimo – After all, we had the pother of a repacking, being obliged to leave my unhappy carriage at the coach makers, and come down in one of his, a discomfort which taught me the value of my own body, as good as ever, but vexed by the craziness of its wheels which ought certainly not to have been so broken by going to the waters of Baiège, – I found myself in sad potheration on reaching home – my people had done what they ought not to have done, and left undone what they ought to have done – I shall take your good advice, and set myself at liberty as soon as I can – but some further sacrifice of mind, and time, etc is still necessary – I wish myself back again in Paris – but I must have patience – I have delayed my letter a few days, on account of some other little business with Quillacq who, I think, will manage better than the honorable gentleman the conveyance of a shawl – but if our friend Quillacq fails, I will try again, and in the higher quarter – the parcel is sent off by today’s mail, to Mr Birmingham, the commissioner at the Ship Inn, Dover, who can do much, and will do all he can – I have little doubt the Shawl (I wish it was better worth your acceptance) will reach Quillacq in safety; and if he is as good for Shawls as fish, my Alpacca-lama-hair remembrance will reach yourself before the day that ushers in another year – May this other year be full of good to you, and all you take an interest in! nothing will give me greater pleasure than to hear of it – Ever very truly yours A Lister’ I am sure you will be so good as forward my note to Miss Ferrall – my Kind remembrances to Miss Gassie – 

had first written so far at 2 1/2 – at 2 a man on horseback said Oddy brought the hamper of wine from Quillacq – in As [Ann’s] letter form [from] her sister last night she said little Ewan talked of Aunty Walker and ditto Lister – Sealed my letter to ‘Miss Ferrall’ and put in the cover with my letter to ‘The, countess of Bourke, Rue du faubourg St. Honoré no. number 53, Paris, and put this packet under cover to ‘The honorable Frederick Byng, 5 Cleveland Court, St. James’s Place, London’– had my packet to Madame de B– (Bourke) to open again twice – the P.S. forgotten the 1st and the seal too bad the 2nd – therefore 3 had struck before the whole packet was ready for the Letter bag put it in and went out at 3 20/..  

no Mr Harper as Expected – the ground white with a sprinkling of snow – with John Booth siding flags in the laundry court, and about till came in at 5 27/.. – with A– (Ann) – dressed – dinner at 6 10/.. to 8 – then asleep on the sofa in A– ‘s (Ann’s) sitting room – she read aloud 2 pages 8vo (octavo) French Thierry’s letters on history – 1st time of reading French aloud since our return

Kind letter 2 3/4 pages from Mrs Duffin – has hired as a footman – John Dixon – leave York at 8 a.m. tomorrow for here – coffee at 10 – read a very little of the newspaper – came upstairs at 10 50/..

find hard frosty day – very cold – but Fahrenheit 31° at 6 p.m. and 32° at midnight outside study window –

left margin: Messieurs Parker and Johnson. sale of rest of navigation stock Rail-road notice to A– (Ann) Application for ground at Northgate – wine from Quillacq

6 35/..

12 20/..

fine morning – hard frost Fahrenheit 33 1/2° in my study at 7 1/2 just light enough to grope about one’s work out of doors – the joiners had been at work in the hall by candle light since 7 10/.. – 

out at 7 35/.. – to Robert Mann and company siding Till breakfast at 9 in 1/2 hour – from then to 5 1/2 /except for 1/2 hour till 11 1/2 when I came in and sealed my letter and did up the box) – out with Robert and company and should have finished but for having all hands taken off to help George Naylor joiner and his 2 Irish sawyers with a piece of oak tree on to the saw pit, to be sawn up for Listerwick pit head gear concern – George N– (Naylor) and his sawyers came this morning – 

at 11 1/2 sent off John Booth with the box containing the Alpacca lama hair shawl for Madame de Bourke directed to ‘Mr John Birmingham Ship hotel, Dover – per mail 18 December 1838’ and with note enclosed to ‘Mr John Birmingham, Ship hotel, Dover’ explaining that he was to send the shawl carriage paid to Quillacq, and let me know what he B– (Birmingham) paid for carriage, and I would repay by an order on the post office – and sent also my letter to ‘Mr Quillacq, Hotel Quillacq, Calais, France. Affranchie’ saying I should be much obliged to him to forward the shawl to Madame de Bourke as soon as possible carriage and duty paid, and to let me know what he had paid, and I would add it to the amount of his wine bill – the wine not yet arrived – asked him to give the address of his man of business in London that I might write and inquire by what conveyance he had forwarded the wine from London here – Immediately on its receipt I would remit the money by an order on Hammersleys and company London – 

stowed away today stone window-frame, mullions, scoured fire-place taken from library passage, short pieces of old oak in the turret-landing and moved more old oak into the Kitchen besides putting there the fire wood in a stack –  

Came in at 5 3/4 – Robert the joiner had finished fixing up (at it yesterday and today) the North Parlour window shutters – dressed – 

dinner at 6 – 1/2 asleep as we sat after dinner – not from sleepiness but because Ann was out of sorts perhaps because I had forgotten the wine at dinner. I took no notice and she came right again coffee between 8 and 9 – 

Firth the glazier and his man here this morning mending the farm yard windows – blacksmith’s shop and wood room –

Mr Samuel Washington here all the day doing A–‘s (Ann’s) accounts – I did not see him – cannot bear the sight of him – his making no agreement about the Engine had left me at the mercy of Messieurs Hird and company – and Extras come every day – which + the Engine will = I know not what – I cannot bear to think of it –

very fine very cold day – hard frost Fahrenheit 35° in my study at 9 1/4 p.m. – had just written so far at 9 40/.. p.m. – having read the newspaper after coffee – Came upstairs at 10 3/4

8 20/..

11 55/..

Hard frost – fine but rather hazy morning Fahrenheit 33° in my study at 9 10/.. a.m. breakfast at 9 1/4

Mark Hepworth waited about 20 minutes till we had breakfasted – going to walk 1/2 way today and the rest tomorrow to York fair to buy 2 horses for himself and two for me – I thought he ought to get 2 good ones for £50 and gave him check to this amount on the Yorkshire District Bank at H–x (Halifax) – he would go immediately and Exchange it for a check on their bank in York – 

out from 9 3/4 to 5 1/4 with Robert Mann + 3 (as on Saturday siding – moving wood into the kitchen court and shade adjoining, and remainder of coal pit gin into the coal shade in Kitchen court, and moving 2 pair and one (odd post) large good gateposts and 4 good large stone posts for diamond rails all under the great lime tree near Kitchen court outside shade

Had had Holt for a minute or 2 between 11 and 12 about a fire man and to tell A– (Ann) little coal got at Bouldshaw 1/2d (pence) 1/2 year – not worth measuring off at present – but more coal to get there he expected – could not leave the men – while they dined had John Booth – George had been helping till 12 when soon after George Naylor joiner came for the cart to go to Bradley’s at H–x (Halifax) for Listerwick pit head gear – when the cart got back between 3 and 4, had it to move the great gateposts – 

came in at 5 1/2 – dressed – could not get the Shawl and letters off tonight – dinner at 6 – coffee at 8 in the little dining room and sat there till 9, then A– (Ann) and I came and wrote our Journals in the blue room and I copied into business letter book my letter written last night to Quillacq and to Mr John Birmingham – 

the York joiners all today (will finish tomorrow) fitting window shutters in the North Parlour – 

fine hard frosty day Fahrenheit 34 1/2° in my study now at 10 1/2 p.m. –

left margin: Siding Bouldshaw’s coal. North Parlour window shutters

8

1 55/..

fine sunny frosty morning Fahrenheit 38 1/2 in my study at 9 1/4 and breakfast till about 10 – 

A– (Ann) poorly – very unfit as she herself owns for all this harass and backwards and forwards at Cliff hill –

came upstairs about 10 and from then to 1 1/2 at Booth’s (mason) accounts – and find he is paid in advance of all the bills given in  including the Hipper quarry account and Repairs at Mitham farm house (no Northgate hotel, Repairs at Stamps, shade at the Stump X Inn and Steam Engine house) £158+ – 

A– (Ann) off to Cliff hill about 11 1/2 – could not prevail upon her to stay at home and go to bed – 

read my letter a 1/2 sheet full from Lady Stuart de R– (Rothesay) which I did not open till I had settled Booth’s account

off to church about 1 40/.. – waited 1/4 hour with A– (Ann) at the school – she seemed roused up and better at church a few minutes before service began – Mr Holroyde (Mr Wilkinson’s curate) did all the duty – preached 1/2 hour from Hosea XIV. 1, 2, 3. very fairly good sermon – 

6 minutes with Mrs Anne Walker at Cliff hill – quite long enough – the 1st time of her being downstairs since her illness – looks pale, and shrunk, and very feeble – talked apparently with effort but all the time of who was at church and who not – and again told the story of the white satin waistcoats in which Mr Walker who married, during our absence Miss Holroyde of Priestley Green, and his bride groom’s man appeared at church – Poor Mrs (Ann Walker) she makes an effort to talk this little village newsiness as usual, and perhaps will do so to the last – 

home at 4 1/2 – with A– (Ann) in her bedroom standing over the fire till  5 1/4 – she was low and crying but I contrived to talk her better – dawdling over 1 thing or other till dinner at 6 – coffee at 8 – read the newspaper – slumbered a few minutes on the sofa – 

A– (Ann) writing to her sister – if anything should happen to Mrs Ann Walker no necessity for Captain and Mrs Sutherland to come down A–‘s (Ann’s) account – she could do all that would be required – but she should like Captain S– (Sutherland) to come if but for a day – would come here without stopping anywhere else – no difficulty, in delaying the funeral to the 10th day – would give more particulars about Landymere by and by – Samuel Washington had shuttled more than we expected but this pother would fall rather on the tenants than on Captain and Mrs – A– (Ann) had ordered a little boring to the amount of about 30/. the result of which would doubtless enable us to give explicit information and advice – I wrote for Ann the copy of these two last paragraphs she well satisfied with them came upstairs at 10 10/.. at which hour Fahrenheit 37 1/2° in my study –  left A– Ann writing to her sister – stood musing in the kitchen chamber Till 10 40/..

kind letter per post 1 page from Lady Stuart (Whitehall) tonight – she has her young niece the daughter of the reverend Augustus Hobart with her and hopes she will be a comfort to her –

very fine day for December – rather thick and hazy – then went down to A– (Ann) who came upstairs at 11 – read over and stopped her letter – with A– (Ann) in her room till 11 1/2 – then till 1 1/2 wrote a 1/2 sheet full to Madame de Bourke, and to Quillacq about the non-arrival of the wine and to him and Mr Birmingham about the Alpaca lama shawl for Madame de B– (Bourke) then wrote 1 1/2 pages of 1/2 sheet to Miss Ferral, and then feeling heavy and sleepy prepared for bed –