Wednesday 24 October 2012

A Farm Journal ~ from the 1st to the 15th May 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 :~
 
5th Mo[nth] 4 - 1st dull & moist morn[in]g fine aft[ernoo]n Heanor M[onthly] M[eeting] 
 
5 - 2 Fine drill[e]d N[ethe]r Intake twice over in two days with black tartar oats
 
7 day 4 Fine sow[e]d 1/2 ton to ac[re] in Heath[sic] piece  S.H. & harrow[e]d for seed[in]g down
 
1 - 5 Fine
 
6 - 2 ditto - finish[e]d Heathy piece
 
3 - 7 ditto roll[in]g N[ethe]r Intake fallow[in]g at S.H. Winkerley [?] for swedes
 
4 - 8 ditto ditto
 
5 - 9 Fine sow[e]d some swedes at S.H. 1/2 bone dust p[e]r ac[re]
 
6 - 10 Showery sow[e]d rem[ainde]r 2 ac[res] swedes S.H. etc
 
7 - 11 Very misty then heavy thunder rain till noon - fine aft[ernoo]n set potatoes S.H.
 
1 - 12 Fine but cold East wind
 
2 - 13 Ditto - fallow[in]g in Pewet Knobs for swedes - self & Eben[ezer] in gig to Chesterf[iel]d - got tea with Aunt - & onto Chas. Dysons bo[ugh]t 3 beasts of him 1 calved Heifer 12£ 1 to calve 13 - 1 d[itt]o 4 y[ear] old duck [next word indecipherable though it looks like 'bile' !] 14£

3 - 14 Ditto weather - went round looking for cows offered for 4 others back to Chesterf[iel]d got dinner at Fletchers bo[ugh]t 1/2 lb potatoes 16/- & 18/- p[e]r lb part Irish & part French - home by Ashford to tea looked at two or three but too dear home found all well

4 - 15 Fine but very cold sharp frosts at nights showery aft[ernoo]n Eben Howitt came yesterday with 2 young horses - sow[e]d 2 ac[res] swedes Pewet Knobs
 
   
 
 

4 comments:

  1. What is a 'heath piece' or heathy piece' ?

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    1. I think it's a field or a piece of ground. I would like to find out the names of the fields before I'm done as I think it would make things more interesting.

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  2. A four year old duck 14£ I don't think that can be right Charlie,perhaps he had a soft spot for the cow and called it duck.Ann

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will perhaps try and scan or photograph this and see what you think Ann.

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