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January 1865
Hard frost and snow. February Frosty with snow; on the 10th it lay as well - most
snow we have had for many years. March Cold but fine weather near the end. April Nice
weather and dry until near the end then very cold. May came in very cold with east winds
until the middle then fine until the end. There was a flood, all low ground covered on
the Holme fair day and the day before.
These last few years I style them. Plague, pestilence, famine and woe and the next was
the worst I ever saw. That was 1864. The next year was rather better. That was 1865.
About seven bushels per acre on the average. Now 1865 our best land has about nine bushels
per acre. Success to fallow land.
In the Holme parish we had a sort of new value in Sept 1865. We were appointed to do it,
viz - Thomas Chambers, William Pape, William Sharp, George Holiday and John Ostle, Nook.
We made a great deal of alteration both on farms and cottages. Still farms are very uneven.
Yet wet clay land used to be of more value than green crop land. Now corn yields little and
pays less. Now green crop land is twice as much value. In Days of Yore still the wet land
is rated about 24 shillings per acre good and bad. The green crop land is valued at 18
shillings per acre good and bad. Now there are some greencrops land let for two to three
pounds per acre and some wet land for 15 shillings per acre. That shows that green crop
land is of more value by far.
This map of the area around the
Nook may have resulted from the survey.
Click here for larger version
Abbey Holme, Cumberland. Nook, Newtown, Feb 16/65
Sir
I think, as far as I can remember, it was about 1840 when Potatoe Disease was so bad in the
Holme, I may say Cumberland. Near all the potatoes went bad for a few years then the
disease abated. Still there are some bad yet. Then the Murain came among Cattle and Sheep.
Scores died for some years then it rather abated. Still there are some in this disease yet.
Then came the disease called Plurapumonia which destroyed cattle by hundreds for many years.
Still it rages yet but not with so much fury this few years. Now in 1865, May, the disease
called Rinderpest, a Russian word, a foreign disease which destroyed cattle by thousands.
It is raging with awful fury but I hope the Lord will stay it soon. This disease made its
appearance at Angerton in the Abbey Holme in January 1866.
Now about the 20th of February it made its appearance at Foulsike, Abbey Holme. If this
disease rages on it will beggar most of the farmers. (WRITTEN BETWEEN LINES:- But they got
some relief from government, two-thirds of their value) These few years have been very hard
on wet land farms where we are forced to fallow the land these last five years. I have had
from five to seven bushels of wheat per acre. It would do little more than pay for seed
and labour. Where is the rent to come from?
1865 June
This is a very fine month. At first very hot and dry until the 21 then rather dark with
showers. The Barnacle Goose has laid a few eggs this season. 22 years old.
July
Very droughty month, some showers but not too wet. The ground, potatoes and turnips
droughted. Stitches dried through. Turnips not half a crop in general. August very dry
the first week; next, heavy showers which will do much good to all things. Begun shearing
August 8. Beef and Mutton very dear 8d and 9d lb. Lambs very dear ; small Cheviot lambs
18 and 19 shillings per head. Lester lambs from 30 shillings to 40 shillings and choice
tups 3pounds to 5 pounds each. Cattle dear. Corn cheap. Good wheat 18 shillings per bushel
of 14 stones. Barley 12 shillings. Oats 9 to 10 shillings the bushel. Wheat good this year
on wet land. Barley and Oats middling. Hay good on wet land, some seven cart loads to the
acre.
September showery. October wet. November both wet and dry. December some showers, some
mild weather the latter end of December. Very wild showers and awful windy. A vessel came
on land near Bank End with three masts, loaden with bones for Silloth. They say she is a
foreign vessel.
1866
January came in very windy with some showers. The Cattle plague is spreading through the
county like a roaring lion seeking whom it may devour. Some say it is a Russian disease,
they call it the Renderpest. Some say it came from the heights of Siberia. It came
into Cumberland about the end of November by some men of trade. T Lawson of Campfield
brought it near Bowness in Cumberland. One Johnston brought it to Cardulees by some cattle
he bought at Carlisle. Not in the market in a field near.
January 15
The cattle plague has got into the Holme a few days or a week ago. W Mark of
Angerton has nine died in two days. Named Rinderpest. The magistrates are stopping all
the sales of cattle that is within two miles of a diseased stock. There was a plague among
cattle about one hundred years ago much like this by accounts. Some say it raged about for
twelve years. So if this Rinderpest rages on as fast as it has lately, I think it will clear
the county of all the cattle in much less time than that.
March 24
W Carson, Foulsike, has not one of his stock left alive. They are all either dead or
destroyed. Sir R Brisco and Captain James insists on destroying all the cattle where the
disease breaks out whether they are healthy and weal or ailing or recovering. I doubt they
are taking the power out of the Almighty hands. I think the Lord will have some compassion
on us and leave some alive but Sir R Brisco and Captain James will leave none alive.
April 13
William Sharp and Joseph McFarren, New Cooper have got the plague among their stock.
They are destroying them fast. McFarren has none left on the 20th April 1866. Sharp has
some left yet. Three Sterks, one cow, one calf.
May 31
It has been very droughty this month. So dry turnips cannot grow.
Till today. Rain has come today it is very cold wind east and some heavy showers.
Still the ground is very dry.
June 8
Some heavy showers, still the ground is very dry. June 16 Some showers and one hail
shower very heavy. Then cold and dry. 20 Terrible hot until the 30th rather colder and
a very heavy shower.
July 1
No rain of any moment. Very hot some thunder. One crack of thunder was so near it came
before the lightning was out of sight. The nearest I ever heard. There were hailstones
in Carlisle half an ounce in weight and tremendous heavy rain then fine weather. August
commenced rather showery. I saw the cuckoo August 1st. I never saw it so late before.
August 3
William Ruben Little, son of Isabella Little of Bank Mill, an illigitimate child, was killed by
an arm of the Wind Mill when in motion. He was hit on the neck and side of the head.
One mortal blow. He was found dead. Inquest was held on Monday 6th of August by the
Deputy Coroner and a respectable jury and buried at Beckfoot 1866.
August
An Irishman drowned at Silloth. Another between Anthorn and Newton Arlosh.
Aug 24
A terrible thunder storm and hail shower which did little damage to anything but corn. The
hail battered about a feed out of some near Brayton Gilcrux. No damage in the Holme. We
have had a very wet, slattery harvest up to Sept 8. I think the weather is going to take up
now much better if it does.
Sept
The land that was sold at New Cooper in 1865 by Barwise or Dawson in the occupation of Wm
Sharp Junr sold to Wigon Brough of Goody Hills. Will be offered for sale on Wednesday 12
September 1866. Brough had not enough money to pay for it and he could not borrow enough
either. It was sold for £4,000. He borrowed £400 to pay deposit when he bought it. He
lost £400 if not near £100 more for deeds and expences that was prepared.
September 12
There was a public sale of the New Cooper estate. It was not sold so I went to
Whitehaven about a fortnight after the sale and bought the estate for £3,625.
The weather is very wet and slattery. A very soft harvest.
Much soft corn has been housed, in fact none hard. Maryport on Friday Sept 28 was very full.
80 cart loads of potatoes, 38 tainples of wheat 2 of oats 6 barley. Wheat from 15s to
24s per bu Oats 9s9d bu, Barley 14s per bu.
October
Some very fine weather at first. The latter end very slattery and cold.
November 3
Joseph Saul of Newhouse died aged 38 years. Leaves a wife and two sons. O Drink Drink.
Nov 12
A few days ago part of a man cast upon the shore near Dub Mill without head, arms or legs.
He was picked up by John Osborne commonly called Jockey John and Robert Studholme.
They made a hole on the bank and buried him. He was lifted again and an Inquest held over
him. Verdict: found drowned. Some will try to make a living out of dead if they cannot
make one out of the living and near all got Drunk.
Nov
A little sloop came on shore near the Howbrough hill near the windmill. She soon got off
again with the help of a steam tug. No worse. Dec wet and showery.
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