Saturday 24 May 1834

Fine morning goodish kiss last night and an hours play this morning i am really getting fond of her for the play was all my own bringing on - Fahrenheit 58 now at 7 1/2 a.m. - breakfast at 8 35/60

Out at 9 1/2 along the river to St. Martin's, and thence close by the water (no path - climbed over hedge and wall) to opposite Easby Abbey where we wanted to be yesterday afternoon - Miss Walker seated at her sketching at 10 1/2 - left the 2 servants with her, and at 11 sauntered back to Richmond getting into the path high for some fields length above the river - fine views of the town

Went into Bowman's the bookseller's and bought Tate's Horatius Restitutus and his 2 little works on the Greek metres and Greek prepositions - and bought the Richmond guide published by Bowman 2/- better than Robinson's at 4/6 with bad incorrectly drawn lithographs - Bought also Clarkson's History of Richmond - very few copies remaining - the author determined the work should not be depreciated in price burnt all the copies in sheets (because the booksellers offered him only 5/- a piece for them and he would not have them sold to the public for less than £2) and there were only a few copies in boards that the Clarkson (his son?) on leaving Richmond left with his attorney to be disposed of

Back with Miss Walker at 1 1/2 and sent home the servants to dinner - we soon changed our station and went to sketch St. Martin's till 4 1/2 - I reading my new guide book and asleep the while - then went to the parish church (St. Mary's) - good handsome neatly kept old church-stalls for the mayor and 12 aldermen in handsome oak carving brought from Easby Abbey at the Dissolution as also the handsome old font of Tees grey marble with beautifully oak carved top - the best pew in the church gone from the Yorkes of Beverley, sold by the present John who inherited the Richmond property from his uncle - the stables of their once handsome place now cottages, and the mansion pulled down and not a trace of it remaining - had tried to see the grounds chiefly bought by one person but could not get in - should have had leave and the keys from a Mr. Smirfit

Dinner at 5 1/2 - Mr. Brown dined with us, and sketched in Clarkson the St. Mary's font as it is as to the inscription and shields not as Clarkson represents it thro' his incorrectly drawing artist Mr. Robinson

I had asked Mrs. Stuart our hostess of the King's Head what she would take for 2 oval oak-carved frame pictures in our sitting room - outside of carved work 5 feet 7 inches by 4 feet and pictures 3 feet 7 inches by 2 feet 8 inches - dimensions as given by Mr. Robinson sent for by Mrs Stuart to set a price upon the pictures or rather frames for the former not worth much - he said they the 2 should £12 or £14 - a picture dealer had offered £10 for the 2 frames - Mrs. Stuart would let me have frames and pictures for £12 - and will wait my answer till the 10th. next month

Drove off from Richmond at 7 35/60 (Mr. Brown off at the same time in a gig to Darlington to meet coaches for York tomorrow), and alighted at Mr. Chambers's Inn at Greta Bridge at 9 5/60 - fine, rich, wooded beautiful hill-and-dale country

Tea - wrote all the above of today till 10 35/60 - went upstairs at 11 20/60 - very fine day tho' rather threatening rain at about 4 p.m. and afterwards but held off and continued fine - Fahrenheit 59 at 11 3/4 p.m.   

WYAS: SH:7/ML/E/17/0036

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Friday 23 May 1834

Fine morning Fahrenheit 58 at 9 - breakfast at 9 1/2 and reading a little till 10 20/60 All off to Easby Abbey at 10 1/2 - left Miss Walker and Mr. Brown comfortably seated at sketching having got table and chair from the old woman at the cottage, and left Eugenie and took Joseph and walked off to the grand stand on the race ground Got there in 50 minutes - 35 minutes at the top - the man who went with me a very intelligent sort of countryman - said the best hour for view was 5 a.m., and, next to that, sun set too hazy today - or could have seen York minster very plainly as also from sea to sea - and 'thousands of millions of acres' of ground - the hyperbole struck me - walked back in 40 minutes a better and nearer way - in going turned up the hill too soon and did not go by the great high road - the race ground a good turf and 2 1/4 mile course - the beacon about a mile beyond it - asleep 1/2 hour in in the wheelbarrow as yesterday then all adjourned to the old woman's
Read more

Tuesday 27 May 1834

Fine Fahrenheit 54 at 8 - p erfectly quiet last night - breakfast at 8 1/2 - found fault at being charged 1/4 per mile instead of 1/3, as elsewhere, except at Standrop, which, from inadvertence, I had not noticed there - dearer bill than at Staindrop - but we had been comfortable Off from the King's Head, Masham , at 9 1/2 and at Hackfall 3 miles at 10 5/60 - 3/4 hour in the grounds - much spoilt since I saw them 2 years ago, by the Marquess of Ailesbury's wood on the opposite bank of the Ure (river) being cut down - Miss Walker disappointed and much tired - brought away 3 cream cheeses the village (Gruelthorpe) far-famed for them Off again at 11 50/60 and at Brimham-rocks house at 2 1/4 (ten miles) - bad road, certainly, on the moor, but our horses worse - the old postboy meant to have left the carriage 1/4 mile the house, locked up, among the heather but I would not let him - on arriving ordered fried eggs and bacon, and with these and our cold roll of veal and bread and gi
Read more

Thursday 22 May 1834

Real playing and sqeezing [sic] and pressing for an hour and a half last night and almost as long this morning she says she gets fonder and of me and certainly seems to care enough for me now I think we shall get on very well nobody would care for me more or do more for me Very fine morning Fahrenheit 56 now at 9 a.m. - breakfast at 10 1/4 in an hour Off to the abbey of St. Agatha , (Easby Abbey) at 12 - walked slowly by the water side - above 1/2 hour in getting there - 1 before I could leave Miss Walker comfortably beginning her sketch - then left Eugenie with her and Mr. Brown, and took Joseph, and walked up to the village consisting of an hospital founded about a century ago by a reverend Mr. Smith for 4 poor old women, and 2 cottages and the hall, Mr. Jacques , a man of very low origin whose brother went to India made money and left it him, and who, independent of this brother, had done well for himself - has the lead mines in the dale and 'tries his hand at everything'
Read more