John Ostle's Journal
1877 - 1886
Several Sudden Deaths,
Farming matters
John Ostle's Journal
Front Page
Detailed entries:-
1877-86
Index to other families mentioned in the journal
Other pages:-
John Ostle -- Neglect to write for some time.
1877
Dark, dull summer. Lea hay time very tedious. Meadow hay I may say worse.
Aug 19 hay cocks in the meadows near half way up with water. I never saw
more water in the meadows neither summer nor winter. This is the tenth summer
at New Cooper for me John Ostle.
1879
Mar 14 Jonathan Pape of Langrigg, formally of Goody Hills, drowned himself
in Ranigal Beck near Langrigg. Isaac Fletcher. M.P, one of the Society of
Friends shot himself in April. Robert Edgar died at Mawbray, April. Silloth
dock rushed its walls gates and near all the water got out of it (April
1879). Richard Mordant Ostle, son of Dan Glaister Ostle, Newtown died May
27, Scarlet fever.
December
Tay Bridge went down and train. About 100 lives lost.
1880 July 12
I was at the Royal Agricultural Show at Carlisle. Near all kinds of steam
power for thrashing, plowing, grinding near everything. You could mention
hatching eggs chickens. Some very good horses of all breeds, strong and
slender, and all kinds of cattle, sheep and swine. I saw no donkeys but
many asses.
July 18th
Sunday forenoon a shocking affair took place at Mawbray Cote near Allonby.
John Ostle, Yeoman aged 76 years. After breakfast he went out of the house.
His housekeeper, Mary Holliday, saw him last about half past eight, he
being subject to dizzy fits. His son, Joseph, went in search of him and
found him hanging by the neck with a rope to a spindle of the threshing
machine. Quite dead. Inquest on Tuesday, buried on Wednesday, Beckfoot. R
B Brockbanks, Crosby spoke.
Sarah Little, Newtown, found in the yard, her arm having fallen in the swine trough. Part of arm and hand eaten with the swine.
Aug 28
John Holliday Biglands shot himself in a field. Shot and ramrod one side
of a stake and rice fence and gun on the other. Whether done on purpose
or not no one can tell. John Ostle, Mawbray Cote, hanged himself near
the threshing machine in the year 1880. Great tide in December 1881 got
into Maryport New Dock, nearly filled it with water.
1882
Joseph Peel left Mealrigg Farm. He wanted £50 for wheat and seeds.
He had a sale of crops. Tommy Atkinson sent Burns so Mr Peel paid him
his rent but Tommy had £50 borrowed of Peel then arbitration. Tommy
had Beaty Bleckleword, Peel had Pat Hayton, they had Mr Wood, Carlisle third
man. Beaty laid damage £70, Peel wanted £50, however Peel got
£36. Peel expenses £15, Tommy £7. John Stockdale entered
on the farm, some malice.
1883 July 4
Ann Armstrong, Moss ends, died aged 82. She went by the name of Nanny Noekie.
1884
Bad times now comes on farmers and poor people scarce of work. 1885 no better
hundreds out of employ. My beloved wife, Rachel Ostle, died on the 21st
of December 1884 aged 49 years, a great loss to me. My brother Thomas Ostle
died January 27 1886.
In March 1886 there was a great fall of snow and on the 2nd and 3rd there was a heavy wind it blew the snow into drifts six and seven feet thick on the road. Traffic stopped. Railways blocked. Sheep had no feed on the land. We have three ewes with two lambs a piece. We feed them in a house with turnips and corn and hay. Winter yet (April 9) Ground covered with snow.
John Ostle died on May 7th., 1890 at New Cowper
EPILOGUE
SALES BY AUCTION
FARM AT NEW COWPER, ASPATRIA, FOR SALE
TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION, in the Market Hall, Aspatria, on Thursday,
the 4th day of July 1895, at Three o'clock in the Afternoon, a Freehold and
Copyhold ESTATE, consisting of a Dwelling-house, Farm buildings, Yard, Gardens,
Orchard, and several Closes of Fertile, Arable, Meadow, and Pasture Land,
containing about 123 Acres, situate at New Cowper, in the Township of Holm
St. Cuthbert, in the Parish of Holm Cultram, Cumberland. Also three stints
or Cattle Grassings on Skinburness or Calva Marsh, and a Right in rotation
to Crop of a Meadow. All occupied by Mr John Ostle.
The Land is very productive, well watered, drained, and fenced,
and has
received good management, having been for many years in owner's own occupation.
The situation of the property is very convenient for cultivation and working
purposes, and lays nearly in a ring fence.
The Buildings comprise Dwelling-House containing Sitting-rooms
and 6
bedrooms, Kitchens, Milk-house, &c., Byre for about 25 cattle, Four-stalled
stable, Five Loose Boxes, Large Barn and Hay Lofts, Granary, Blacksmith's
Shop, Coach-house, Bull-house, Calf-house, Piggeries, Poultry and Coal-houses,
&c., all built of the best freestone, in capital repair, of modern construction,
and well adapted to the Estate. Healthy situation, and easy distances from
Aspatria, Maryport, Cockermouth, Wigton, Silloth, Abbey Town, and other market
towns and railway stations.
Entry at Candlemass next.
For plans and further particulars apply to Mr JOHN OSTLE,
New Cowper; Mr JOSEPH OSBORN, Cowgate, Silloth, the Auctioneer; or to Mr
BULMAN, Solicitor, 15a, Abbey Street, Carlisle.
SALES BY AUCTION
FARM AT NEW COWPER, ASPATRIA, FOR SALE TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION, in the Market Hall, Aspatria, on Thursday, the 4th day of July 1895, at Three o'clock in the Afternoon, a Freehold and Copyhold ESTATE, consisting of a Dwelling-house, Farm buildings, Yard, Gardens, Orchard, and several Closes of Fertile, Arable, Meadow, and Pasture Land, containing about 123 Acres, situate at New Cowper, in the Township of Holm St. Cuthbert, in the Parish of Holm Cultram, Cumberland. Also three stints or Cattle Grassings on Skinburness or Calva Marsh, and a Right in rotation to Crop of a Meadow. All occupied by Mr John Ostle. The Land is very productive, well watered, drained, and fenced,
and has The Buildings comprise Dwelling-House containing Sitting-rooms
and 6 Entry at Candlemass next. For plans and further particulars apply to Mr JOHN OSTLE, New Cowper; Mr JOSEPH OSBORN, Cowgate, Silloth, the Auctioneer; or to Mr BULMAN, Solicitor, 15a, Abbey Street, Carlisle. |