Entries from Anne Lister's Journals

Rainy morning and windy - fair about 9 - had Ann then with Robert Norton the joiner - till Fahrenheit 44 1/2 inside and 40 outside at 7 3/4 - moving books till breakfast at 8 5/60 in about 1/2 hour Mr Horner came about 8 40/60 - then till nine and a half preparing linen for cousin and sewing up one stocking for ditto Ann would be bad as ever but as I told her I would make no more inquiries and take the least possible notice From 9 35/60 to about 10 1/2 at accounts &c. then went down (Ann came for me to see her drawing) to Mr. Horner till 10 50/60 - then gave Ann her Brodie tonic 1 teaspoonful in 3 ditto of water and she lay down by me for a few minutes till 11 10/60 - then had her with me dusting and moving books till luncheon at 12 for about 3/4 hour or more - She had a Cup of sago with a glass of sherry in it - stood talking said I would ask her to trust but was decidedly of opinion she had better do it she says she will and we are to go to York on Saturday for the purpose of see...

Rainy morning Fahrenheit 46 inside and 41 outside at 7 35/60 a.m. and loudish wind - breakfast at 8 50/60 in about 1/2 hour Before and afterwards till 3 (except a little while backwards and forwards with Mr. Harper who was here before 10) dusting books in the drawing Ann with me and John footman carrying them up into the tower study till after 12 Ann rode off to Cliff hill at 3 I wished Mr. Harper good afternoon and walked by the side of Ann as far as Listerwick - there sometime Robert Mann and William Lord walling against the road - William Mallinson at the roof of the blacksmith's shop - Baldwin preparing slate for this and David Mann's cottage - Edward Waddington cornering stone for David Mann's chimney - the engine chimney finished yesterday i.e. topped up like a cluster of 4 house chimneys Then at the water wheel - the first Engine pit covered over yesterday Joseph Mann + 3 digging up and righting the ground - then at the meer - the water within a foot of running into ...

Fine but dull morning Fahrenheit 45 1/2 inside and 42 outside at 7 3/4 - looking over drawings of Shibden before dressing by way of helping me to determine about the drawing room and red room windows - had Ann a few minutes - crying prayers saying and low as ever Went out at 8 - to the meer Jack Green and David Mann puddling George and my own 3 horses bringing clay from the hall (above laundry court road) and George Naylor's 2 horses bringing scale from Airgate pit - begun this morning Robert Mann + 2 filling the two one-horse carts - all down hill, can keep 3 fillers employed - Thomas Sharpe following after the carts Home to breakfast and breakfast at 9 5/60 in 3/4 hour Then with Robert Norton and Robert junior in the tower study putting the newly - plateglass-glazed windows - glazed on Saturday Walked with Ann from 10 10/60 to 11 10/60 down to the meer and a little in front of the house - lowering - a few drizzling small drops of misty rain sent us in At 11 10/60 came to my room ...

Fine but dull morning Fahrenheit 48 inside and 46 1/2 outside - had Ann to say her prayers at eight and talked and tried to cheer her poor soul I wish she was better but she is sadly low Wrote to Mrs. C. Gross and to Mrs. Hawkins - breakfast at 9 in 1/2 hour then wrote note to Mrs. Devoeux to inquire the character of Mr. & Mrs. C. Gross who had lived with her and been on the Continent with her as travelling servant and lady's maid - ask if they are 'perfectly honest, sober, obliging, and trustworthy - if Mrs. Gross is a good dress-maker, milliner, hairdresser, and packer, - and if Mr. Gross is an attentive, active 'servant, who thoroughly understands carriages, and the business of a travelling servant - Mrs. Lister hopes that neither of the 2 servants left Mrs. Devoeux for any fault' - wrote to Mr. and Mrs. Gross to call on Mrs. Hawkins, saying I had sent her a note to Mrs. Deveux which she Mrs. Hawkins would send if she thought them likely to suit me - wrote to Mrs...

Fine but dull morning Fahrenheit 47 3/4 inside and 43 3/4 outside at 8 50/60 and breakfast in 1/2 hour Then came upstairs and sat reading 'Every Man his Own Butler' good till 10 35/60 when Ann came to me - worse than ever this morning what shall I do with her we must get off  Walked with Ann in front of the house from 10 40/60 to 11 20/60 and she then lay down on my bed beside me Had Robert Mann while we were walking - came for orders for tomorrow - to be off the scale carting for a couple of hours in the morning to get stone (from Jonathan Mallinson's) for pitching the inside of the meer-embankment breach While Ann lay down wrote copies of letters in answer to the one of last night and wrote copy of letter for Ann or much altered what she had written to her sister before and after her luncheon With Ann at luncheon at 12 3/4 - wrote the last 3 lines now at 1 40/60 Ann sitting by me writing to her sister - at colliery accounts till 2 25/60 Mr. Horsfall did all the duty - pre...

Fine morning Fahrenheit 48 1/4 inside and 48 1/2 outside at 8 55/60 and breakfast in about 1/2 hour - then with Ann and walked with her in front of the house till about 10 1/2 Then out - to Listerwick - Robert + 3 filling carts as yesterday but the heap of better stuff close to the orchard - some time talking to Joseph Mann - got his and Roberts bills to be ready for settling this evening A flow of water into the pit that Joseph Mann did not like - thought the pumps shook the tubbing but hoped it would be of no consequence - paid Robert Fielding his last fortnight's wages - a minute or 2 at the waterwheel - Alfred Mann and Charles Carter levelling and trenching there Returned by the meer - Jack Green and David Mann at the puddling and Thomas Sharpe following after the carts, but the men were at dinner Home by the walk at 12 1/2 - with Ann at her luncheon - at my desk at 1, and she lay on the bed by me for 1/2 hour or more - I was at accounts She rode off to Cliff hill about 2 1/2 o...

An hour reading last night's paper and writing copy of letter to foreign advertising maid  at 7 1/4 to 8 1/4 dressed latterly with Ann fine but dull morning Fahrenheit 46 1/2 inside and 45 1/2 outside at 8 1/4 a.m. Went to Listerwick - Booth's cart had been there and was gone to Halifax for boiler for the kitchen - sent George Naylor off after the cart, to choose at Greenwoods or elsewhere 10 or 11 21 posts and 3 six foot deals and to tell Booth's man to bring them back Home again at 8 3/4 - Edward Waddington and a lad pulling up the kitchen fire-place - no mason at Listerwick Breakfast at 8 50/60 in about 1/2 hour when Matthew Booth brought me a pair of strong iron-nailed boots - good comfortable fit - 12/- cut my nails  out a few minutes At my desk at 10 wrote and sent off by George at 11 letter inquiring the name, age, native country, wages, address of Lady with whom she lived last, - of foreign Lady's maid advertised in last night’s Morning Herald - directed to Mr. ...

Fine morning Fahrenheit 43 1/2 inside and 41 1/2 outside at 8 40/60 Holt just gone - had waited 20 minutes - told him to be sure to see one of the partners as well as the engineer Mr. Lowrie at Low moor - to say that now the latter was civil we were all satisfied but that we really could not wait, and it would be best to get Garforth to set us right Breakfast at 8 55/60 Mr. Horner come - Ann hurried off to him after merely taking a cup of tea - and I after I had breakfasted was some time with Ann and Mr. Horner And then came upstairs about 9 3/4 and copied my letter written before breakfast to O.Y. a native of Germany who offers himself (vide last night's Herald) as travelling servant and his wife (together or separate) as lady's maid - wrote to ask age - wages - address of people with whom they lived last - directed my letter to 'Mr. Bamford tailor 6 Dorset Street Manchester Square London Postage Paid' Had just written so far at 10 - then at Ann's rent lists and sl...