Tuesday 11 September 2012

A Farm Journal ~ from the 1st to the 28th February 1867

My great great great uncle John Bayliff Bowman lived at Summer Hill, near Monyash in the County of Derby.
The Bowman family, who were Quakers, had three farms, One Ash Grange [which John Bayliff Bowman often referred to as O.A.], Cales and Summer Hill [which he usually referred to as S.Hill or S.H.]

In this photo John is fourth from the left. My great great grandparents, Ebenezer and Hannah Bowman, are the third and fourth adults from the right. John and Ebenezer were brothers and their parents are the elderly couple in the middle, Henry and Mary Bowman.

The Bowman family

"A Farm Journal" continues :~

6 day 1st Fine day Thrash[e]d Cales - & grinding

7 - 2 Fine - grinding at Cales fetch[e]d bl[ac]k tartar seed oats fr[om] Bakewell 27/6

1 - 3 Fine 

2 - 4 Wet day morn[in]g fine aft[ernoo]n B[akewe]ll market & on to Ashford [in the Water] to d[ine] & t[ea]

3 - 5 Showery

4 - 6 M[onthly] M[eeting] B[akewe]ll - very wet morning - on to Middleton aft[ernoo]n Snow & blow - home at night

5 - 7 Stormy

6 - 8 Very wet morn[in]g fine aft[ernoo]n Thrash[e]d at Cales

7 - 9 Fine & spring like

1 - 10 Showery Bowman & Fanny Blore to dine Bowman & I to Chelmorton to visit W.Dawson by appointment

2 - 11 Fine at Cales cleaned boiler etc

3 - 12 Ditto finish[e]d plough[in]g fallow in Pewet Knobs & began ley in Kiln Close S.H.

4 - 13 Fine & spring like Bentley here mending carts

5 - 14 Raw S.E. misty rep[airin]g carts etc stack in S.H.

6 - 15 Ditto - wet evening S.E. - stacks in at Cales could not thrash boiler not in order - to Sheldon in evening to see R. Brocklehurst * - ewe dead at Cales - M.A.Bagshaw died yesterday

7 - 16 Fine did the engine at Cales to 5th day 28 most fine last two days frosty - finish[e]d plough[in]g ley Kiln Close S.H. began Far Piece - Irish Bullock choked with a turnip at Cales - we tried to force it down & so injured the throat - it died  - in future put a stick in the mouth & turn out - dried & ground oats at Cales


 * 'R.Brocklehurst' could well be Richard Brocklehurst who would have been aged 37 or 38 in 1867. According to the 1861 Census Return he was an "Engine Driver also Lead Miner".

  

6 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. It's rather sad ... especially with them trying to force the turnip down. That would probably have made things worse.

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  2. Perhaps he should have tried the Heimlich Manoeuvre on the Bullock.Ann

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    Replies
    1. That would have been something to see Ann ...

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  3. Considering it is February he is getting a lot of outside jobs done. There would still be snow here but calving would have begun for early arrivals who may be kept in a heated stall for a few days.

    The top picture makes me think of Watership Down.

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    1. The weather in this area can vary a lot in February Karyn. As you can tell from John's journal.

      Yes, I can see what you mean about the photograph.

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