Wednesday, 3 September 2014

Transcription of John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1853

Small leatherbound notebook “Macdonald’s Commercial Pocket Book for 1853”

In the flyleaf is written in pencil, “The heart corrupted by evil arts could not easily forego the gratification of its vicious propensities”.  On the opposite page, in pencil “Ah quoties caneret petere....” Several lines, not easy to read, and with alterations.

He notes on the memorandum page before the diary begins, that he has purchased from Wildman:  Sallust, 6 copybooks, 1 quire paper, etc and the prices.  The Sallust cost 1/6d.

Folded in a pocket at the front of the diary is a piece of paper showing the marks of the boys in his school.  The school was the Free Grammar School, Giggleswick [cf Pigot’s Directory].

8 Sep 2020:  The eBook of A History of Giggleswick School, by Edward Allen Bell is now available and includes a biography of Dr Butterton
“Head Class” seems to consist of Lupton, Bramley, Heaton, Leeming, Greenwood and Doria.  “Second Class” was Walker, Robbins? 1, Rob - 2-, Stubbs, Harrison, Nidsdale, Tomlinson, Holt and Clapham. 
The subjects for Head Class were:  Weekly marks (out of 500); Geography (120); Hist of Jus (180); R Hist (140); G Hist (120); L Ex (?180); G Ex (180); Cicero (180); Horace & Vir (180); [illeg]; G Test (200); Horace Lat?; Antigone??; Homer (160). 
Second Class had:  D.M. (200); Geog (120); Ver. (140); R Hist (120); G Ex (120); ? L Ex (120); ?N. S Hist (160); [illeg]; Sallust (160); G Test (160); G ?Del (200); and ?G ex (160).
From which it may be seen that most of the subjects were classical.

The total marks of the boys in Second Class were between 1421 and 810.  A note against Holt and Clapham says “Not illeg trouble of putting their marks down”.  Stubbs had 950, making him fourth of the seven boys.  It is possible - and seems very likely from the diary itself - that he is new to the school, because while the others had 58, 58, 56, 10 and 27 marks for Vergil, he had 5.

In the Accounts pages for October, he notes “Marks at Christmas 1853”.  The First Class names appear as listed on the sheet, their total possible marks being 2860.    Under a line drawn across the page, appear: Jessop, Clay, Marriner, Copperthwaite, Ingram 2, Heelis, Ingram 1, Marriner 2, Stansfield, with a note that the first two are “to go into head”.  Their total possible marks being 2400. The names of Stubbs’ class are as above, but the writing being clearer it is apparent that there are two Robinsons in the class, and he lists Holt’s and Clapham’s marks (respectively 543 and 335). Their total possible marks were 1853.


Saturday January 1
Stayed at home in the morning & helped to clip the pony & had a ride in the evening on the pony

Sunday January 2
Went twice to the church at B.D. & once to Aldboro

Monday January 3
Rode the pony to Knaresboro to the Sessions dined at the Royal Oak & rode back at night & went to Uncle Hirst’s to supper

Tuesday January 4
Stayed at home all day & in the evening went to Church to the singing

Wednesday January 5
In the morning walked to Ouseburn  in the afternoon went to call on Mr Crosby & stayed tea there & returned to Aunt Picks

Thursday January 6
Had the steam threshing machine at Uncle Picks got wet through with going to see the sheep & we had a party small  to tea

Friday January 7
Went to dine with Mrs Crosby of roast illeg & plum pudding  stayed tea & stayed all night

Saturday January 8
Went to call on Aunt Henlock  went to Dunsforth to move some sheep & walked home in the evening to B.B.

Sunday January 9
Went twice to church at B.B. & 1 to Aldboro

Monday January 10
Stayed at home in the morning  in afternoon made a call on Mrs Smith & went to Uncle Hirsts in the evening

Tuesday January 11
Stayed at home all day read & wrote

Wednesday January 12
Stayed at home all day  wrote to Uncle Redmayne & went to watch the water rise

Thursday January 13
In the morning took the children to Ouseburn illeg stayed tea  there was a meeting in the evening about church rates

Friday January 14
A polling day concerning rates  in the evening had a riot & the poll was postponed  Pybus was kicked out turned out

Saturday January 15
In the morning it was wet  went & sat at Uncle Hirsts  in the afternoon rode to Dishforth stayed tea & rode home by moonlight

Sunday January 16
Went 2 to BB Church & 1 to Aldboro

Monday January 17
Went to Ouseburn called at Aunt Picks & then went to illeg in the illeg church rates  church illeg by 2 votes

Tuesday January 18
Was out shooting all day  shot 3 birds & 1 hare & had Crosbys neices & nephew after tea  nephew stayed all night

Wednesday January 19
In morning helpt to illeg   pigs had illeg called at Aunt Picks & walked home & went to the lecture at Aldboro

Thursday January 20
Stayed at home all day  in the evening we had a few friends as M & S Hirst  M & J ?L Sidgwick & Mrs Capes

Friday January 21
In the morning rode with L Sedgwick to Dishforth illeg went a coursing ran 3 hares killed one

Saturday January 22
Rode back from Dishforth with Cousin Mark went to Hirsts   John servant for 27 yrs left us today
[Cousin Mark Barroby of Dishforth]

Sunday January 23
Went twice to church at BB & 1 to Aldboro  Mr Jno Owen preached I think

Monday January 24
Stayed at home in the morning  snowed fast in afternoon  went to Ouseburn to fetch Alice and Lizzy

Tuesday January 25
Packed for school & went to Mrs M L Smiths to teadance till half past one  came home & went to bed

Wednesday January 26
Set off for school went with Uncle H to Starbeck  stayed at Leeds 2 hours & ¼  arrived at Settle at 5

Thursday January 27
Went to school twice & in the evening went to see how Old Aunt was  she was a little better
[Old Aunt is Mary Redmayne, his great aunt]

Friday January 28
Went twice to school & went to church at Giggleswick in the afternoon

Saturday January 29
Went to Taitlands Aunt was poorly  rode the horses came home with Uncle & went to see Old Aunt  she was very poorly  brought Aunt Bell in the illeg for something & then took her back
[The Taitlands aunt & uncle are Thomas & Jane Redmayne.  Aunt Bell is Isabella Henlock of Boroughbridge]

Sunday January 30
Went to Settle church  gas first lit at church  had tea with Aunt Bell at Townhead

Monday January 31
Went twice to school & did my lessons in the evening

Tuesday February 1
Went twice to school & did  illeg in evening & took Aunt Bell to town illeg

Wednesday February 2
Went to school do & got into the Doctor’s end  went to a lecture on metals & had supper for 1st time at school

Thursday February 3
Went to school twice as usual

Friday February 4
Do Went to church in the morning  had prayers at school for M of P M

Saturday February 5
Went to Taitlands  came down to Settle in the large carriage with Cousin Jane & went back & then came down again with Cousin Jane

Sunday February 6
Went 1 to Settle church & 1 to Langcliff  & stayed at home in the evening

Monday February 7
Went twice to school  said our first lesson & then was with Mr Langhorne for rest of day  Kelton let off illeg
[John Langhorne, mathematical master at the Free Grammar School, Giggleswick]

Tuesday February 8 (Shrove Tuesday)
Went to school twice  had holiday in the PM  & went to play football

Wednesday February 9
Went twice to school & went to see Old Aunt Redmayne

Thursday February 10
Do & called at Mrs Roberts  there was a fall of snow in the evening

Friday February 11
Went to school  went to church in the morning

Saturday February 12
Had a walk there was a deal of snow I had a good slide

Sunday February 13
Went 2 times to Settle & 1 to Giggleswick

Monday February 14
Went to school in the morning had holiday in the afternoon & went to slide below the railway bridge

Tuesday February 15
Twice to school  Had a valentine  Maria came to see Aunt  I was at Town Head

Wednesday February 16
Twice to school  had walk before tea  went to bed before supper  was not quite well

Thursday February 17
Stayed at home all day was rather poorly but was better in the evening

Friday February 18
Twice to school  went to church in the morning  had a slide on the river

Saturday February 19
Went to Taitlands  had a ride & came to settle with Uncle R in the pony carriage

Sunday February 20
Went twice to Settle church  had a walk in the afternoon

Monday February 21
Twice to school  wrote Uncle Pick at noon

Tuesday February 22
Twice to school  went to see Mama at Townhead
[Townhead was the home of his great aunt Mary Redmayne]

Wednesday February 23
Twice to school  it snowed very fast in the afternoon

Sunday March 6
cousin M. A. S . B. D.

Wednesday March 23
To tell Uncle Henlock the flower at Aunts is done & Aunt Pick that she wants a ham

Thursday May 19
Had a bath Benbecks weer
[ie bathe]

Friday May 20
Had a bath do
[ie bathe ditto]

Monday May 23
Had a bath do

Tuesday May 24
Old Aunt Redmaynes sale Town Head
[Mary Redmayne died aged nearly 87, on 6 May 1853]

Wednesday May 25
Had a bath, do

Thursday May 26
Had a bath, do

Saturday May 28
Had a bath at the back of Taitlands

Wednesday June 8
Had a bath at Stainforth Foss.  D Tomlinson jumped in off the Foss

Friday September 23
School

Saturday September 24
Spent the d at Taitlands  Mr & Mrs Giles were there  went out shooting  pm  shot 3 head of game

Sunday September 25
Twice to Settle Church   should have gone to Taitlands it it had been fine

Monday September 26
School

Tuesday September 27
School

Wednesday September 28
School

Thursday September 29
School

Friday September 30
School   In the evening walked with T Bramley to Taitlands on the sly   Mrs Stubbs & Co knew not
[Bramley is listed by him in the Head Class.]

Saturday October 1
Spent the day at Taitlands  it was very wet  went to Stainforth

Sunday October 2
My birthday   went to Taitlands  [illeg]  Church  had an invitation from C Brown to go greyhound coursing next Saturday  wrote a note to decline  we expected to see Jane on the Saturday  - had a letter from Home and 1 from Henry  walked up with Postman

Wednesday October 5
Had half Holiday  went to Taitlands to dine  drove Aunt B  Cousin Jane & Miss Nixon to Settle & returned in the evening

Thursday October 6
School

Friday October 14
Went to see Miss Nixon off by 1st train

Saturday October 15
Went to Taitlands    Henry was there   [illeg] was there

Sunday October 16
Spent the day at Taitlands

Tuesday October 18
Had half Holiday  went to Taitlands  Jane was there  [illeg]

Wednesday October 19
Jane left Taitlands for home

Saturday October 22
Spent the day at Taitlands  H & Mr Lee came

Sunday October 23
Stayed at Settle all day

December accounts

Receipts

Miss Nixon
Woodlands
3 Clarence Grove
Everton
Nr Liverpool

Recommended me to read Frank Fairley

No comments:

Post a Comment