Wednesday 1st Mr Wortley and I walked around the farm. Two men are draining in Colts Close. Mr Wortley and Mr Burdett went to Uppingham market and stayed for dinner. The first market at Uppingham after Christmas Day is called Roast Beef Wednesday. I exercised my horse in the afternoon.
Thursday 2nd Mr Wortley and I walked round the farm. The white Cow calved this morning and has a white cow-calf. Mr W. rode over to Uppingham before dinner. Mr Bansom came to call. The two Miss Godfrey came to spend the day and Mr Burdett drove them home at night. Young Islip of Allexton came for tea and stayed all night.
Friday 3rd Mr Wortley & Mr B. drove to Cottesmore to see Mr H. Noel to settle about Mr Bs farm. I rode to Allexton in the morning. Whillie and Islip rode to Allexton to ask his brother if he might stay another night with us, so he returned with Whillie and stayed all night.
Saturday 4th Mr B. and I rode to look over his farm that he has taken near Exton under the Earl of Gainsborough. I like the farm very much, but it is sadly out of order and the farm buildings are very much out of repair. Young Islip returned home.
Sunday 5th Went to Ridlington Church twice. It froze very sharp during the night.
Monday 6th Walked all round the farm with Whillie, he shot 5 larks. Mr Nicholson returned in the afternoon. It continued freezing all day.
Tuesday 7th I went to Belton in the morning on my horse. The frost has quite disappeared. I sent all my bills to Mr Parkes, I also wrote to Afred and John.
Wednesday 8th Mr Nicholson and I rode round the farm together in the morning. Willie went to stay at Mr Islip’s at Allexton.
Thursday 9th Mr B. & Mr N. went hunting to Hambleton. Mr N. went on my horse. I rode Mr N‘s mare to Lyndon to call on Mr Brown, and stayed for dinner. I heard from Alfred this morning.
Friday 10th Mr N. and I rode round the farm together in the afternoon. Miss Gibbs & Miss Tomblin came for tea and supper.
Saturday 11th It was very showery all day. Mr N. went hunting to Allexton, but they had no sport. Mr Sheffield called and had some dinner here. Willie came home from Allexton.
Sunday 12th Went to Ridlington Church twice. I allso went to the meeting in the evening.
Monday 13th I rode to Allexton and home by East Norton and Loddington. Mr N. & Mr B. went went to Oakham fair. Mr N. rode my horse to Uppingham in the afternoon to get him shod. Mr B went to a party at Mr Peach’s of Dry Stoke.
Tuesday 14th Islip came here yesterday to stay. We all went to Mr Hay’s to see some Missionary Scenes in all parts of the world. We all stayed for supper there.
Wednesday 15th Mr W. & Mr B. went to the opening dinner at the The Falcon Inn, Uppingham, there were about 70 people there, Mr W was the chairman. Mr Nicholson and I went hunting to Stonesby a distance of about 15 miles. Mr N. went on my horse and I went on his mare. We had a good run of about 4 miles in the direction of home and then we left them. We baited our horses at Wymondom and got home about 5 oclock. I saw Mr Fabling Mr Kirkby and Mr Burbridge there.
Thursday 16th Mr N. rode down to the station on his mare and sent her off into Lincolnshire, he also received another horse from his brother. The two Mr Bakers their two men nine dogs, the two Mr Barnes’s, Mr Samuel Book Mr Walton & Mr Frisby all came shooting here, they killed ten couple of Rabbits and four Hares. They all stayed for dinner and tea. The Mr Barnes’s stayed all night. Mr Burdett went to spend the day at Mr Berry’s of Stanion and stayed all night.
Friday 17th The two Mr Barnes’s Mr W. Mr N. & I walked round the farm to try if we could get a snipe, but we were unsucessful. The Mr Barnes’s drove home again after dinner. Mr Nicholson and I rode down to the Parks after dinner. It froze very sharp during the night.
Saturday 18th My horses leg is a good deal swelled this morning so I led him out a little way. They manure carted in First Close from the heap there. The weather we now have is just what the farmer wants to manure cart or for cleaning out of his yards &C. Mr Burges’s pond will bear for Willie went on it.
Sunday 19th Went to Ridlington Church twice. It still continues to freeze.
Monday 20th Mr N. Willie and I were skating all morning on Mr Burgess’s pond. Mr Mitton came to spend the day and stayed all night. Mr N. rode to Middleton to enquire after Mr Burdett as he had been away so long. I went with him as far as Horninghold and when I got back Mr B. had been back about an hour. Mr N. stayed at Middleton for tea and got home about seven oclock.
Tuesday 21th Mr B. rode to Exton then on to Seaton and stayed all night. Mr Mitten returned home in the morning. Mr N., Willie and I skated on the pond both in the morning and afternoon. I exercised my horse before dinner. They are carting manure from the heap in First Close into Shellikers Close on the clover brush for oates. Mr N. and I drove to Uppingham in the evening to hear a lecture by the Revd T. B. Brown on our Navy and our Sailors. it was a very ordinary lecture, being a written one and all got from history.
Wednesday 22nd Mr Burdett came home and rode my horse to Uppingham market. It thawed all morning but began to freeze towards evening.
Thursday 23rd The pond would bear in the morning, but it began to thaw about noon. Mr B. rode to Exton in the morning and to Middleton in the afternoon where he stayed all night. Mr N. & I rode to Allexton in the morning. They are carting manure on to Barn Close for a fallow crop next summer.
Friday 24th Mr Burdett returned from Middleton. It was very windy and boisterous all day. Mr N. & I rode around the Parks together.
Saturday 25th Mr Burdett went to London by the first train from Seaton Station. William Pickering called at half past nine for Mr Nicholson and I to go hunting to Leesthorpe, we went by Brook Oakham Barleythorpe & Langham. I saw Mr Fabling and Willie Kirkby there. I followed the hounds untill after they had killed the first fox and then rode to Brentingby to call on the Huttons and stayed for dinner. Willie Hutton was staying there brother to Windham and Harry, he wishes to emigrate to Canada as a farmer, but his parents do not like the idea, I think the Huttons wanted me to join him, he is a very nice intelligent young man, but he says he would rather work with his hands rather than his brains. I rode my horse and Willie walked with me to Wyfordby to call on the Kettles and the Oakleys. Henry had gone back to College the day before ane Jocelyn was gone out so I saw neither of them. I said good by to the Oakleys and to Willie and started off home by Stapleford Whissendine Langham &C. and got to Ridlington about six oclock. I heard from Miss Hutton today for the first time of the meloncholy and premature death of Mrs Alderson. What a lesson this is for all of us, what little power we have of ourselves, and how unexpectedly we are cut off in our youth without any warning. I also heard some good news, the Oakleys of Wyfordby had come for a large fortune from an old Mr Fenton who used to live in Ireland who was no relation at all of theirs.
Sunday 26th It was a very sharp frost this morning. Went to church twice.
Monday 27th Mr Nicholson and I rode together in the afternoon to Uppingham. Wrote to Lizzie in the morning. Heard from Mr Wortley in the evening that Mr John Seaton had died that morning. We killed a large pig in the morning that weighed about 22 stones.
Tuesday 28th Mr Nicholson went hunting to Coles Lodge and had a very long run, to Melton and then back to Burton Lazars, he sold his horse to Mr Fabling for £35 and he went home to Burley and dined with him.
Wednesday 29th They sent over from Uppingham for my horse to be singed and sent him home again. We thrashed our last stack of Talevera Wheat at the Top-Yard. It is a very good bold wheat but it is spoilt for seed because it has so much barley in it. This wheat may be sown as late in the spring as April and it ripens sooner than any other wheat, the ear is a very long one, but the corns are four apart, some people think it a bad yielder; but it demands a higher price in the market. The highest we have made of our this year is 68/- per quarter. Mr Burdett came home from market with Mr W., he and his Uncle have been over to Exton to day, nothing can be settled untill two months time so Mr B does not know if he shall take the farm or not.
Thursday 30th I rode to Allexton in the morning and I put my horse in harness in the afternoon and drove to Preston and round by Ayston. Mr and Mrs Healey came for tea and supper, the former is a very intelligent and amusing man. He is a great politition.
Friday 31st I heard from Fanny this morning, she is staying at Mr Brown’s of Lyndon now and they have asked me to go and spend Sunday there. Mr Burdett rode my horse to Exton to see Mr H’y Noel, but he was not at home. Mr Nicholson, Willie and I drove to Uppingham to hear a lecture delivered by Mr E Thring head master of the Uppingham school on Ancient Painting, he showed us a great many copies of paintings of the Ancient Masters. And told us anecdotes of almost every Artist and where they were based, altogether it was a very interesting lecture.