Feb 1 SATURDAY [32-333]

Last night I went up to Boughton; they had no idea when to expect Aunt & Uncle home; they have now been above five weeks away, four of them in York. - Recd. notes & Queries, no 2 of Leigh Hunts Journal, Part 2 of Jerrolds Works, & Family Friend for the 1st - Long letter from Mother this morning which tells me that Uncle Henry started as far as Leeds on his journey was there taken ill again & now lies very bad indeed at Aunt Thackrays, mother having luckily escaped the infliction of waiting on a thankless invalid.- Yesterday morning I had letter from William Bacon enclosing copy of one from Mr. Wilkinson my old schoolmaster, written from New Orleans; he goes on Texas way. After breakfast walked up to John Fullwell and with him walked over Merrimans Hill, R'bow Hill, Gas Hill, Newtown, Ronkswood, and Virgins Tavern, looking out for a house likely to suit me for summer lodging; there are two, one on R'bow Hill & one at Ronkswood likely to suit, but are rather large.- Jones called on me just after I got back & I went to his house to dinner and tea, walking up to Wilsons between the meals; in the evening I wrote long letter home, correcting Mothers notion, that because I am thinking of going in the country for the summer I am therefore tired of my present lodgings, a very erroneous notion, also wrote to Wm Bacon.-
 
 
                                            ~~~4 TUESDAY [35-330]~~~

Yesterday (Monday) John Needham came to dinner with me, he has been at the office for 4 or 5 days past- assisting (?) me - Walked as far as Jones at breakfast, returning him pamphlets etc. Rec'd Yorkshireman with details of Wm Bellerbys work for the Exhibition, a cabinet with panels of his mezzotint woodengraving.-

                                           ~~~5 WEDNESDAY [36-329]~~~

Paid Stone & Marshall their account & am once more clear of the bugbear, Debt. Wrote last night to Miss Smith, who still remains at Stockton, spite of the strange rumours of which Mother speaks relative to her stay at Uncle Clephams.- Wrote to J.H. London as to "every information as to having your fortune told " signing "Walker" - Wrote in the evening long letter to Alfred Wood with news in general and preaching Vegetarianism.
                                          ~~~6 THURSDAY [37-328]~~~

Mr. Needham at Birmingham; I very busy all day at the office getting my books posted up and having a great influx of customers to pay a/c's- had a couple of clergymen- Mr. Sherwood and Mr. Tubbitt and Sir Charles Hastings down for sometime in the afternoon part.- Up to Boughton this evening and stayed all night there as Griffins are having a general clearing out after the alterations they have had done to the house.
                                            ~~~7 FRIDAY [38-327]~~~

Letter from Uncle Clepham announcing the death of his excellent and worthy Mother after a long illness, but as Uncle says, "She was a good mother we feel her loss", to lose a mother at all must be an irreparable loss whenever it may take place, & more especially when she possesses the mind, energies & talents that belonged to Mrs. Clepham.
                                           ~~8 SATURDAY [39-326]~~
                                                 Half quarter day

Letter from Father yesterday enclosing the scratcherout ( which I gave Mr Needham,) & pen-knife a present from Uncle Charles; Uncle Henry better. Received also a reply from a fellow called Herman alias Tradoe the Seer a reply to my application as to his vocation, a circular with scale of charges for telling fortunes and casting nativities; what a shame that authority should tolerate or allow the existence of such impudent charlatanry. Wrote to Wm. Dewse yesterday. Enjoyed the luxury of a warm bath this eve.
                                      9 Sunday -5 aft Epiph [40-325]

Received from William Dewse two numbers of a popular periodical called The Town, famous for its cleverness above the ordinary run of such things, for its sensuality and its well drawn illustration. Went up to Boughton to dinner, helping(?) and assisting (?) the young housekeepers, there, and as Jones came to the office to say he could not fulfil his part of our joint engagement to go to tea at Wilsons, I decided not to go also, and brought all the Walker family to my rooms to tea and talk, on literature- low and cheap- with Harry, on York with Jane- and desultory with the remainder, after they left wrote my "Weekly Dispatch" for home.-

                           ~~~10 MONDAY[41-324]~~~

Letter from Father this morning enclosed me a pair of Braces of Vulcanised Indian Rubber; added PS to my letter and sent if off; wrote also to Hicks the Bookseller.

                          ~~~11 TUESDAY [42-323]~~~

Last night walked up to Wilsons and had tea there and long walk with Aunt on my taking a cottage for the summer, & which idea she approves highly of & advises to carry it into practice before Father & Mother come over, as she thinks they would be more comfortable than if at lodgings. I have been thinking that if I could make a small beginning in business for myself it would not be a bad idea for we know not "what great events from little causes may spring", so I wrote to Uncle Cox this afternoon to know at what rate p ton he could sell me Guano in L'Pool, as I could get it here by Canal, & by the aid of Mr. Needhams's connexion with the Farmers, & the fact of their being only one dealer here at present, I might thus be able to turn an honest penny!
                              ~~~12 WEDNESDAY [43-322]~~~

At Hilbourne's last night; no news of Eliza: lent Adelaide 1st volume of Monte Christo. Letter from Chas Geo Walker this morning, very pithy; also from Hicks with catalogue.- Wrote long letter to William Dewse on the books I have read latterly- on future intentions as to country residence, on his coming over here etc. Wrote also to Hicks.-
                              ~~~13 THURSDAY [44-321]~~~

Wrote this morning to Father enclosing 6/6 in payment of penmachine and scratcher out from Uncle Charles; repeating also my intention as to a country house for the summer, & asking Mother to help me to a servant. Finished Monte Christo, leaving this Book of Enchantment very reluctantly, almost as painful as the wakening to life of an opium-eater. - It is a most wonderful book.

                                    ~~~14 FRIDAY [45-320]~~~

Wrote last night to Uncle Clepham with all I could say on his bereavement. Wrote also to Mr. R. Watson of Mansfield with enquiries after my old friend Watson, not having heard from him for some time past.- Called on Uncle Wilson to order gloves & on Adelaide Hilbourne with 2nd volume of Monte Christo.- Letter from Uncle Clepham announcing the birth of a son on the day of his mother's interment; the poor child is very small & fears are held as to his living; but a life has been taken away & Beneficence means to replace it with another. This letter had been kept 2 days in Worcester, through some Post Office error.

                                                16 Septuages Sunday [47-318]

Letter from Uncle Cox in reply to my last quoting prices for Guano, and receiving my whole application very coolly & with the usual objections to my style of writing, treating the serious parts as jokes & the light parts seriously; letter also from Hicks with enclosures; also from William Bacon with enquiries as to Tyler who is exhibiting the Kaffirs here, he owning them a small debt, which I answered this (Sunday) morning, after which I walked up to Jones and after getting him out of bed, he, Fred, Mr Morris (Miss Emily Jones betrothed, a burley middle aged gentleman) and I went to Gregorys Mill Lane, to look at a house likely to suit me, then to Fearnhill Heath, Lady Wood Lane, Claines (having a glass of ale there) Northwick, reaching Jones again by 3 in good dining condition; afterwards Jones and I up to Wilsons to tea; I round by Perry Wood re. house by 10; having had a very agreeable & refreshing day, being bright & frosty; Letter from Father yesterday morning disapproving of my "summer house" scheme. Wrote to Uncle Cox and sent him a sample of Guano similar to that Webb is selling here at £12/10/-; made a short comment at his letter.- Up at Boughton; Aunt & Uncle at York yet, Fred poorly.

                                         ~~~18 TUESDAY [49-316]~~~

Letter from Watson's father in answer to my last, saying that last accounts of him are favorable and that he still remains at New York: received Yorkshireman with a/c of a very horrible affair in which our old neighbours of Dale St. are deeply concerned.- Wrote to Father in the evening as to his last letter & opinions on my summer house scheme & about the Guano speculation.-

                                     ~~~19 WEDNESDAY [50-315]~~~

At Hilbournes last night, & at Deightons. Reading a volume entitled The History of the Conspiracy of Maxamillian Robespierre, written in 1795 by a M. Mountjoy and bearing on it the impress of a mind shaken by the tremendous scenes it has witnessed into weakness & imbecility, so that he fancies he sees a huge conspiracy in the Reign of Terror the object where of was to create an Emperor Maximillian, he does not see that the very facts he narrates show how fearfully in earnest Robespierre was in doing right to his uttermost.-

                                       ~~~20 THURSDAY [51-314]~~~

Letter from William Bacon this morning enclosing a duplicate copy of his a/c against Tyler, the exhibitor of the Kaffirs; wrote to Edward Thackray to send me a "setting" of Bantam eggs for me to rear. Wrote also to Charles George in reply to his last. Fred and John came to the office and then to my lodgings to tea; up at the Railway Station expecting Aunt & Uncle Henry, but Harry came down and said he had received a letter stating they were not coming- with Harry at Deightons- Oastler from the Gas works there- a dress gent; Harry went to a good action, he said, by stealth, which I fancy he would blush if he found it fame.

                                      ~~~21 FRIDAY [52-313]~~~

Wrote to Uncle Cox last night for a few rules as to judging Guanoes. Mr. Needham returned yesterday from Leominster & Ludlow where he has been since Monday.-

                                      ~~~22 SATURDAY [53-312]~~~

Up last night at Wilsons and had tea there; talking of Mother & Father's proposed visit & my Summer house scheme.- Letter this morning from Uncle Clepham by which I learn that Miss Helen Clepham is very seriously ill, her health having been much injured by watching at her mother's death-bed; my little cousin thrives and strong hopes are now entertained that he will live & do well.

                                                      23 Sexagesima Sunday [54-311]

Letter from Uncle Cox this morning in reply to my last about Guanoes. Walked after breakfast round by Perry Wood to Wilsons where all the Wilsons jaunt (except Mary) and the 3 Wild-Roses and I set off in the fields in which daisies and primroses are now springing up; up to Crookbarrow, Whittington, finding dirt & tiring the young ones; back to Wilsons to dinner, and afterwards Uncle, Mary, Rich, Emily and I set off round by Perry Wood, Mushroom Hill, Gas Hill and Virgins Tavern Road to my lodgings where Aunt & Eliza joined us and all had tea together, talk & books afterwards, giving Richard an insight into drawing, making scrap books etc.

                                      ~~~24 MONDAY [55-310]~~~

Letter from Father this morning; Uncle Henry continues to improve but is not yet able to follow up his journey.- At Deightons, etc at Hilbournes in the evening: Agnes Cropper, who has come from Malvern, there's no news whatever of Eliza.

                                        ~~~25 TUESDAY [56-309]~~~

Received Yorkshireman from home, Fanny Holmes's marriage is there announced to a Mr. Mason of London; I now have my letters delivered to the office, thereby receiving them an hour earlier & assuring more regular delivery. 

                                         ~~~26 WEDNESDAY [57-308]~~~
                                         Cambridge Term divides at Noon

Named to Mr. Needham a proposal for me to go over to L'pool on Saturday night and back on Tuesday morning next, for the purpose of buying Guano; he will see about it when he returns from Bristol, whither he goes on Thursday; hopes & fears; At Wilsons last night to tea, talking over Mothers proposed visit at Easter; Mother hopes Mrs. Eagle will accompany her: I hope so too.- At Morgans this evening. Wrote to Father, replying to his last and talking about Mothers visit, now only 5 or 6 weeks distant and on matters in general. Wrote also to Wm Dewse.- At Post Office.- Reading Dumas' Three Musqueteers, which does not seize in ones imagination as Monte Christo did is yet a very talented work.-

                                       ~~~27 THURSDAY [58-307]~~~

Mr.Needham off to Bristol, spoke of L'Pool trip before going, saying that at any rate expenses might be saved so hope is strengthened; Wrote to Lindsay for a L'pool paper & giving him my reasons for hoping to see him soon; Ordered "shiny" boots at Weavers (Up at Wilsons in evening, talking of my hoped for trip, and giving lessons to Richard in drawing, whereof I am only in the A.B.C.'s; I may be though, like Byron's governess who by teaching, learnt herself to spell.-

                                       ~~~28 FRIDAY [59-306]~~~

Jones came down in evening, at Railway station with him, told me that Uncle Henry & Aunt had come home so he and I walked up to Boughton he leaving me at the door; Aunt & Uncle out - giving the Galvanic treatment to a person suffering the same as Uncle; met them as I returned, told them of my hopes of going to Liverpool, hopes which were crushed by Mr. Needham this morning, having returned from Bristol and purchased 30 Tons of Guano as a starting point, so that he will not require any more for some time to come; in the market he had very little demand after it & though the first day, that has disheartened him, & he begins to doubt & fear the results, though no loss in any case can arise.

Footnotes for February

¹³  John Fulwell- fellow employee of Mr. Needham

¹⁴  John Needham, son of the diarist's employer

¹⁵  see accounts for his clothing bill

¹⁶  Richard Wilson, aged 42, Glover

¹⁷  Mary, aged 15, Richard 11, Emily, 7, Aunt Elizabeth, 38, and Eliza 13