Wednesday 1st Three men are mowing stubble in the Second Dale and three men are ploughing there. Two men are thatching the stacks. Mr Cuttingham rode over to Uppingham in the afternoon. Mr Wortley received a letter from Mr Nicholson saying that he was coming here on Friday. I began the arbour in the afternoon and Frank helped me.
Thursday 2nd It was a beautiful day. Mr Cutting and I worked at the arbour all day and Frank helped us. Mr Wortley went shooting in the evening and shot a hare.
Friday 3rd Mr Cutting and I worked at the arbour all day. Mr Wortley went to Stamford market and Mr Nicholson returned with him. We had a walk on the home farm in the evening.
Saturday 4th Mr Wortley and Mr Nicholson went out shooting and Mr Cutting and I went as markers. We had lunch at Tom Suters of Brook Lodge.
Sunday 5th Went to Ridlington Church twice. Mr Nicholson, Mr Cutting and I walked to Ayston in the evening and home by the Parks.
Monday 6th Mr xxx & Mr Chas Brown of Uppingham and Mr Foster came to shoot with Mr Wortley and Mr Nicholson.
Tuesday 7th Mr Wortley, Mr Cutting and Mr Nicholson and I went down to Gilbert Needhams field and brought up one of the beast that Mr W. bought of him, 5 at £15 per head. Mr Nicholson and I drove to Uppingham in the afternoon and from thence we went on to Mr Peaches of Stoke Dry and staid for tea and supper. Mr Islip, Miss Islip and Mr Thomas Islip, Mr and Miss Hawthorne were there.
Wednesday 8th We walked round the farm in the morning and Mr Nicholson, Mr Cutting and I drove to our land at Allexton in the afternoon.
Thursday 9th Mr Nicholson returned to his brothers in Cambridgeshire and I went with him. They were going to have the harvest supper tonight at Ridlington. Miss Hudson and Miss Morris came to call just as we started, so they did not stay long. We arrived at Maltmas House, Elm about 4.30 pm.
Friday 10th We all walked round Mr Wm Nicholsons farm in the morning. The land is very flat about there and the soil resembles that of the fens of Lincolnshire, but not quite so peaty. In the afternoon we drove to see the flood at Norfolk, we saw where the sluice had been swept away in to the Middle Level Drain and the great dam that they have made further up the Drain made of sacks of earth and piles driven into the ground, and they are going to drive 14 xxx xxx send an engine to exhaust the air to drain the middle level into the Ouse, we also saw where the Marsh-land fen sluice had been swept away. There were about 2000 acres of land under water. In going to it we saw a very curious church at Wijinton St Mary’s Lym? Norfolk, the church was a very old one and the roof of the nave was of thath (?). It is the first thatched Church in England that I have seen. Tom Nicholson bought a young brindled Grey Hound of a banker who was working at the Middle Level Drain.
Saturday 11th We all went to Wisbeck market. Mr and Mrs Palethorpe to stay at Mr N’s. Mrs P. got out at Pear Tree Hill and Mrs P. came on to Wisbech and we met him at the Station. Mr Palethorpe brought some Mustard Seed to sell, he made 15s per bushel for the best and 13s per bushel for the tailing. He had 30 qrs off of 8 acres and it is the third year he has had it on the same land. We dined at the White Lion.
Sunday 12th We all went to the Grainery Church at Friday Bridge. They have had service here for two years and they are going to build a church here . They have already built a vicarage. Mr Charlton is the minister here. The service was conducted very nicely, Miss Underxxx Mr Charltons sister in law presided at the Harmonium. The sermon was the worst part of the service, being thoroughly a high church and biggotted one and he harped very much on these words “one faith, one hope, one baptism” and he said that he thought there would not be anyone but churchmen in heaven. Mr Wm Nicholson and Mr Palethorpe went to the Wesleyan Chapel at Friday Bridge. Tom, Mrs Palethorpe , Miss Nicholson and I drove to Wisbech. Mrs P. and Miss N. went to the Independent Chapel and Tom and I went to the Church, Mr York formerly curate of Mr Belgrave of Preston read prayers. Mr Hopkins preached a very good sermon from the txxx, he that humbleth himself shall be exalted and he that exalteth himself shall be abased.
Monday 13th We went to see the Straw Elevator work at Mr Nicholsons and Cock’s farm it was invented Mr Campion a farmer in Lincolnshire . Mr and Mrs Palethorpe retuned home in the afternoon. We drove to Wisbech in the evening to hear Mr and Mrs Howard talk, but I was very much disappointed.
Tuesday 14th We walked round Mr Nicholson’s farm in the morning and we drove to Mr Cook’s farm in the afternoon.
Wednesday 15th Tom and I drove to March and took the train to Boston, being market day I saw a great many faces, we dined at the Queen’s Head. I returned to Stickney with Mr Palethorpe, Mr Nicholson’s brother-in law, he lives in a very nice little Cottage with a verander all round it.
Thursday 16th I drove Mr Palethorpe to the Corporation Farm in the morning and met Tom & Luke there, Mr Palethorpe is putting up at his farm there some new horse-works and has fixed to them Heywoods chaff-cutter, Bentalls pulper, and Pattersons mill. We all went on to East Ville for dinner, and I went with Tom and Luke in the afternoon to Friskney to finish up the Cricketing season, we had a good game and then we had a jolly good dinner at the Anchor Inn at 5.30 to which about 14 sat down, we had a capital dinner with plenty of beer, wine, speeches, songs etc. The party broke up about 9.30. Tom and I returned with the Palethorpes in the evening.
Friday 17th Mr Palethorpe, Tom and I drove to Boston in the morning. And we went to the Corporation in the afternoon.
Saturday 18th I left Stickney and went to stay at East Ville. Mr Palethorpe drove us to the Corporation and then sent us on East Ville in the trap. June, Mr Nicholsons old grey hound, killed a hare on his farm, it was the first course I had seen. Luke, Tom and I drove to Wainfleet market in the evening and Tom and I went to call on Mr Booth. He returned from London while we were there.
Sunday 19th We all went to Friskney Church in the morning and in the afternoon we drove to Bennington Church, we sat up in the gallery. Luke took his cornet and accompanied the organ which was played by Miss Harrison. In the evening Tom and I went to call on Mr John Wortley.
We returned to East Ville for supper and arrived there about 10 oclock. It blew quite a hurricane as we were going home and I thought we should have all been blown into the drain.
Monday 20th We all went to Mr Cockins to course, we met Mr Rictsardoon, Mr Whitworth and Mr Upsall there. There were 6 horse men, 2 pedestrians and 5 Grey-hounds, we saw 5 hares and killed 3.
Tuesday 21st We went to Mr Samuel Taylors to course, Mr Richardson also went, we did not find a hare so of course it was very slow work.
Wednesday 22nd Luke went to Boston market. Mrs Nicholson, Tom and I went to Stickney Cottage to dine with Mrs Palethorpe.
Thursday 23rd We went to the Corporation farm in the morning. The wind was so high that we had to put some harrows on the stacks to keep the thatch on. They were drilling wheat on the home farm to day. We went coursing in the afternoon and killed one hare. Luke has 14 Grey-hounds, 4 old ones and 10 pups.
The Mangold Wurzel crop in Lincolnshire has been quite a failure, the leaves having been attacked by a grub, the bulb has come to no size. I saw a piece of cabbages that were drilled, and a splendid crop they were, such a size and so well hearted and such an even crop. Miss Nicholson, Mr W. Nicholson and house-keeper came to East Ville.
Friday 24th I left East Ville with much regret having spent a very happy visit. Tom drove me to the station. I met Criss Beakley and Kate at Peterboro, also Mr & Mrs Ed. Vise. I met Mr Wortley at Manton Station returning from Stamford market. We walked up to Wing and had tea there Mr and Mrs Berry were staying there, we had a game of cards in the evening.
I was very sorry to hear from Mr Wortley that six sails of the Wind Mill were blown down last Sunday night about 10 oclock. The chain from the fan that moves the sails into the wind, as the wind changes, was too loose and a sudden chop of the wind coming, blew the chain off the grooved wheel at the top, consequently the wind met the sails flat-ways and smashed them.
Since I have been away the judges of the root crop prize have been and have awarded a prize of £3 to Mr Wortley for 3 acres of Mangold Wurzel that grow in First Close.
Saturday 25th Mr Cutting and I rode down to the Parks, the sheep are on the Cole and Mustard in Colts Close. The men are also ploughing the bean land. They have ploughed Pease -hill since I have been away. I wrote to Mr Palethorpe.
Sunday 26th Went to Ridlington Church twice. Mr Freeman late curate of Lyndon officiated in the absence of Mr Hay who has gone to Epson.
Monday 27th Mr Islip came in the morning. The men were ploughing in Colts Close. I rode to Martinsthorpe in the afternoon. Mr Reeve of Uppingham died yesterday evening.
Tuesday 28th We thrashed the Wheat that came out of Pines Close, it is a very bad sample; but better than we thought it would be. The two Mr Baker’s came to shoot. They brought a quantity of dogs with them. They killed 1 brace of birds, 36 brace of hares and 11 couple of rabbits. Altogether we had a very good day’s sport, the Mr Baker’s came here for dinner at 5 oclock.
Wednesday 29th Tom and John Manton were ploughing in Colts Close, and Barfield was harrowing in the Second Dale. There was a lecture at Uppingham in the evening on the Atmosphere; but we did not go to hear it. Mr Wortley, Mr Cutting and I drove to hear it, it was very dry; but very clever.
Thursday 30th John Dunmore, Mr C. and I went down to the Parkes with a cart to bring home some larch poles to make the arbour of, we all worked at it all day, but did not get on with it very fast. Gilbert Needham came for supper.
Friday 31st I rode to Allexton in the morning. We drilled Wheat on the fallow piece in the First Dale and then they went to drill in the second Dale (after Oates). The seed is a mixture of Golden Drop and Clarke’s White a very good sample of bold seed, it was grown in Stone-pit Close last year on Red Land and yielded about 6 qrc per acre.
We penned 206 lambs on the Mustard in First Close this morning. We let them out on to the seeds sometimes as a change of food.
I worked at the arbour from about 12 oclock and George Webb and Mr Cutting helped me, we got on very well.
I heard from John this morning, he said he had been to a sale of Short Horns at Mr Harrison’s of Oxndon (?) and had bought a young Bull 11 months old for £23.