Entries from Anne Lister's Journals

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...

Fine morning Fahrenheit 41 inside and 42 1/2 outside at 9 a.m. Ann had a motion on getting up and seems rather better  Ann got up a little before 8 - backwards and forwards with Ann breakfast at 9 in 1/2 about 1/2 hour - with Ann about Out at 10 3/4 - to Listerwick - all seemed going tolerably - Robert Mann and William Lord and Ben and Thomas Sharp began this morning filling for my own carts and George Naylor (my 3 horses and his 2) stuff from reservoir water drift in John Oates's field down to the meer embankment-breach - Jack Green following after the carts Then to Sunwood - the frost had been so severe they had not been working - one man there dressing wall stone about nearly 2 roods done and about 2 roods to dress Then across the fields from the quarry to Langley's farm (Booth's) at Hipperholme - Booth and his family slept there last night 1st. time - Mrs. shewed me over the house - she takes pride in it; and all will be very nice - told Booth to see about the bit more ...

The roofs covered with white frost almost like snow - lighted the 2 fires - went back to Ann in 1/4 hour for a minute or 2 - then washed and 1/2 dressed and went back to her again and gave her her saline mixture - finished dressing Downstairs at 7 1/2 one of the masons having come at 7 20/60 - some time with them - then with Ann a minute or 2 till 8 and her medicine began to operate  - Fahrenheit 39 inside and 36 outside at 8 a.m. made and gave Ann a cup of tea then out a little about Then with Ann she came down to breakfast at 9 1/4 in about 20 minutes but merely took a cup of tea - sickish and poorly - she then came and sat in the blue room and I was in and out about seeing after bricks to finish out the entrance passage &c. &c. Had Booth between 9 and 10 - sent him to help to flit (moving from Wood Nook to Langley's farm house at Hipperholme) taking down beds &c. Edward waiting for a wheel-barrow of bricks from Listerwick, set him to mend the setting of the upper Kit...

Fine morning - frosty Fahrenheit 40 inside and 38 outside at 8 1/4 a.m. - breakfast at 8 3/4 in about 1/2 hour Then about and looking over tax papers &c. till 11 3/4 then wrote as follows to 'Mr. Jubb, Lord Street' - 'Mrs. Lister will be glad to see Mr. Jubb anytime today after half past four in the afternoon Shibden hall. Monday morning 8 April 1839' - and sent off George the groom with it immediately and with the Waterhouse charity cup, and note to 'Charles Norris Esquire Halifax' Compliments - sorry I did not before know that the cup ought to be returned - it was a Halifax cup descending from one of my great uncles to my uncle late of Northgate house since whose death, upwards of 21 years ago, the cup had never been used except as a sacramental cup - 'Miss Walker begs Mrs Lister to inform Mr. Norris she has no remembrance of having even seen a Waterhouse cup either at Crownest or Cliff hill' Ann and I filled up our Assessed taxes returns to send t...

Fine sunny morning highish wind Fahrenheit 50 inside and 47 outside at 9 a.m. breakfast at 9 1/4 and sat talking then till from 10 10/60 to 11 10/60 Ann and I walked in front of the house talking of our getting off She seems resolved to sign all over to me to go to York and get it done as soon as we can talked this morning and yesterday of going to Saint Petersburg by sea in June or July  - then from 11 10/60 had Ann with me in the blue room reading I wrote letter to go tonight to Hutton with order on Messrs. Hammersley and note to Mr. Charles Norris to go tomorrow with the Waterhouse charity cup - and then Ann and I put away the morning Herald newspapers, last year's to go to be bound Poor Ann we shall be obliged to hurry off - she is getting all low again I shall enough to do to keep her up  Tis now 2 20/60 - have just made rough draft of index for this volume up to the second instant Dressed - off to church at 2 40/60 - the children gone so stopt at the school 2 or 3 minute...

A little of the snow of yesterday left sprinkling over the ground - fair, dull morning Fahrenheit 38 inside and 36 1/2 outside at 9 a.m. breakfast at 9 1/4 to about near 10 Afterwards with Ann and about in the house ordered doorway breaking out from the entrance passage South door into the hall - had Booth who dined here and then went to Halifax, followed Mosey whom we had just had with his estimates of Ann's guards and the walk pallisading - Mosey said William Keighley had done nothing about the 50 larch posts ordered by Ann and it would be better to have them cut out of large stuff - therefore Booth went to see if William Keighley would have no objection to give up the order - (no! none at all, was afterwards the answer) Ann had had before 12 her Lower Crownest tenant Mr Hirst - she said she would repair the barn doors, but thought he ought to pay a little more rent - no! he could not pay more rent - had applied to Mr. Jones to get Sir Joseph Radcliffe to lower the rent, and Mr. ...

Wild windy snowy morning the ground white Fahrenheit 34 inside and 31 1/2 outside at 9 a.m. breakfast at 9 1/4 and sat talking till about near 10 Then about in the house - Edward Waddington and another mason at the passage laying it with brick - 3 bricks laid flat one upon another and an air vent all along each side in the middle course - the plaster here as yesterday and finished lathing this afternoon Out about 11 - at Listerwick - nobody for Lowmoor at the drum - then at the water wheel - Robert Mann + 2 filling and carts as yesterday but could not go on in the afternoon the snow made it too soft therefore sent George Naylor's man to Lane ends for stones, and sent George to Wilson's for a load of coals - I waited at Listerwick till Jack Green had got his dinner then sent Joseph Mann to fill in his place (but they soon gave over and Robert and William Lord to help in getting up trees and Ben went to Lane ends) and took David Mann and went to Lower brea wood and shewed them wh...