Tuesday 1st I rode down to the parks in the morning. Tom and John Manton were ploughing in the First Dale , it is very rough and hard, I am afraid we cannot get it ready in time for sowing Turnips. The rest of the men were picking twitch in First Close.
Wednesday 2nd It rained very heavily all morning. The men gathered clots in the Feeding Close. I turned my horse out in the First Glebe. Mr Mitton came for tea on his way home from market.
Thursday 3rd They ploughed and picked twitch in First Close. Mr Drury and his son Thomas came to stay.
Friday 4th They drilled the lower side of the First Close with turnips, five coultas in the drill, 3 Cwt of Mangold manure per acre mixed with the same quantity of ashes. Mr Drury, Thomas and Willie drove to Wing in the afternoon and round by Uppingham. Mr Brown Senr, Mr Bentley Brown, Captain Brown and Mr Sowerby drove over in the afternoon to look at the Wind Engine and the Shorthorns. Miss Ingram and her two little brothers came for tea and supper, we played at cricket in the evening.
Saturday 5th It rained almost all day so we had to stay in the house all day.
Sunday 6th Mr Drury read prayers in the morning and Mr Hay preached. In the afternoon Mr D. took the whole service and gave us a very good sermon.
Monday 7th Miss McGregor came for breakfast, and she, Mrs Edward, Mrs Hilhouse and Mary went up to London by the first train. And Mr Drury and Thomas went with them as far as Syston and then they went on to Spondon in Derbyshire. Willie drove some of them in the trap and I drove the rest in Mr Hay’s carriage with Meye’s horse.
It is Preston feast today. There was a cricket match there between the Preston and Belton club, which terminated in favour of the latter with twenty runs to spare. The day was very unfavourable as it rained all afternoon. I rode to Allexton in the morning on Mr Wortley’s poney. The Shepherd sowed Common Turnips broadcast in White-hill. George Webb, Harry Meyes and William Barnes began to mow the Second Glebe this morning.
Tuesday 8th It was a beautiful day. They finished mowing the Second Glebe (which is six acres) about the middle of the day. They were Clod-crushing in the First Dale and ploughing
Wednesday 9th It rained all day. Mr Wortley went to Uppingham market and from thence he went to Beaumont Chase for tea and then on to Allexton to Mr Islips for supper.
Thursday 10th It rained a good deal in the morning and cleared up in the middle of the day; but it rained again in the evening. Tom and John Manton & Barfield ploughed in the First Dale, it is very rough; but it ploughs up better than I thought it would. We weaned the lambs today in the Middle Close, we sent the ewes to Martinsthorpe and brought the shearlings back and put them into Middle Close. Mr Wortley went to the bible meeting at Oakham in the afternoon.
Friday 11th I rode to Uppingham in the morning to get my horse with new shoes all round at Smith’s and also to get my hair cut. We are busily employed haymaking in the Second Glebe. Tom and John Manton and Barfield ploughing in Barn Close.
Saturday 12th It rained very fast the first part of the morning, but it cleared up about 11 oclock. I rode to Allexton in the morning. Mr Wortley went to Oakham to a tax meeting.
Sunday 13th Went to Ridlington Church twice. And Willie and I rode to Oakham in the evening to hear the Hon and Revd Baptist Noel preach in the Riding School, the service began at six oclock, he gave us a very good sermon from the Epistle General of St John, 2nd Chapter and 2nd verse “And he is the Propiation for our sins.”
Monday 14th I rode to Allexton in the Morning. We put the lambs out of the Middle Close into Park Close so that the shear hogs may get fat in the Middle Close. It is Uppingham feast today, and there is a cricket match being played, the eleven against the twenty two; which terminated in favour of the former. Willie went to spend the day at Ingram’s. and Mr Wortley went over in the afternoon to look at the match. We carried four waggon loads of hay out of the Second Glebe.
Tuesday 15th We finished carrying the Second Glebe. Willie and I drove to Uppingham in the afternoon to see a Cricket Match played between Hunt’s eleven and Wm Brown’s eleven, which terminated in favour of the latter. There was a Bible Meeting in the British School Room so we went to hear it, Mr Bowine was deputy from the parent Society and he told us very interesting anecdotes that had happened in different parts of the world. Mr Wales was in the chair. Mr Baptist Noel also spoke very nicely. It was the first Bible Meeting I had been to and I enjoyed it very much. Willie rode home on the poney, I walked home. Mr Wortley drove on the Manton station to meet Mrs Edward Mary and Miss McGregor on their return from London. Mrs Hilhouse staid at Mrs Smiths in Leicester.
Wednesday 16th First day of the Northamptonshire Agricultural Society’s Show at Stamford. We have sent Red Rover & Norval, but they have not got a prize. Mr Wortley went and brought back Wm Pickering for supper and Mr Lythal to stay all night.
Thursday 17th We all went to the Stamford Show by the first train. Willie returned with Mr Barnes to Toft. It was a very large show. Mr Callis and I walked to see the horse and steam ploughing which was about two miles from Stamford. I went into the flower show and saw Fanny and Criss Beakley there, they had driven there from Toneham for the day. We dined on the ground. Lord Burghley was in the chair, The Marquis of Exetor, Lord Lyveden, Lord Rob Cecil, Lord Dalkeith and several other noblemen and gentlemen were also present, there was some very good speaking after dinner Mr Callis came home with us.
Friday 18th Mr Wortley , Mr Callis & I rode to Martinsthorpe in the morning and to Allexton in the afternoon, from the latter place Mr C. went home.
Saturday 19th I rode to Wing in the morning and rode round the farm with Nathaniel. Sir Thomas Fowell and Lady Baxton returned to Exton after their wedding tour this afternoon, Lord Gainsborough’s tenantry including Mr Wortley, numbering about seventy, all mounted, went to meet them on the stamford road and waited their arrival about three miles from Exton, when the carriage appeared, half of them rode before and half behind the carriage, when they arrived at the entrance of the village of Exton, the villagers unloosed the horses, fastened a rope to the carriage and pulled it to the Hall amid shouts and cheers. Then Mr William Baker acting as Captain to the procession, dismounted, and read the address signed by all the tenents which was duly responded to by Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton. I drove Mrs Edward, Mary & Ellen to Beaumoret Chase to drink tea at William Pickering’s. Mr Wortley & W. Pickering joined us when we were at supper.
Sunday 20th Went to Ridlington church twice, and we walked round the Parks in the evening.
Monday 21st I was all the day making a verse in scripture made of leaves tacked on a board to be hung up in the barn tomorrow evening. (Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.)
Tuesday 22nd I was all morning in finishing the text and in helping to prepare the barn. We had a great many people for tea all of which went to the lecture. There were about 200 people there and there was between £4 and £5 collected. Miss Walker and Miss Pegg staid all night.
Wednesday 23rd I rode to Allexton in the morning. Mr John and Mr Samuel Rooke came home from market with Mr Wortley to look at the Wind Engine, as the former is having one put up at his farm at Weldon.
Thursday 24th It was very showery all morning; but it cleared up in the middle of the day and we had a very fine afternoon. John Manton horse-hoed the mangolds, and Tom Manton horse-hoed the Golden -globe Turnips. The rest of the men set out the Turnips. Mr Wortley went to the rent-day at Langham. I rode to the Parkes in the afternoon.
Friday 25th I rode to Wing and then on to Lyndon to call on Mr Brown, he showed me several heifers of his, got by bulls belonging to the late Mr Baker, Mr Chapman etc
Saturday 26th We sent the six Irish Beasts out Chapel Close. Beaumont Beauty & Chapman’s Roan up to London by Mr Hare for Monday’s market. I rode to Allexton in the morning .
Sunday 27th Ridlington Feast. Went to Ridlington church twice and walked to Colts Close in the evening.
Monday 28th Mr Barnes and his brother Thomas came to stay a few days for the feast. The men off Mr Wortley’s farm including Mr Wortley and the two Mr Barnes‘ played a cricket match against eleven players out of the village which terminated in favour of My Wortley’s Eleven.
Tuesday 29th Eleven plays out of the village played against 22 other men including Mr Wortley , Mr Thomas Barnes and myself, and which terminated in favour of the eleven.
Wednesday 30th Mr Wortley and Mr Wilson Barnes walked round the farm together. Mr Thomas Barnes, Willie and I walked to Preston. We all went and had our likenesses taken in a group. The two Mr Barnes‘ went away in the afternoon.
Thursday 31st The Judges including the Hon Henry Noel and Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton came to inspect the Alotment Gardens so as to award prizes to those whose gardens were managed the best. I rode to Allexton and staid at Mr Isips for tea, Mrs W. Pickering and Miss P. were there.