|
January 1870
Deep snow. 12 in deep, awful cold. February cold and frosty. March came in like a lion, wild
and rough. A boy cast up near Beckfoot on the sea shore, belonging to Carlisle.
Mar 4
A young man (Thomas Dobson) was killed at the Gill near Bromfield by a threshing machine.
His head split, his teeth knocked out. Instant death, crushed in the Gin Case between the
wall and the gin arm. Gill Farm in the occupation of Wm Sharp. April cold and dry.
May cold and dry until 13th. Very nice rain for a few days. The Barnacle Goose is still
alive at Newtown. I caught it in 1843. It is now 27 years old and it looks no older now
than when I caught it. June nice weather with showers. July very dry with easterly winds.
As dry as last summer and in much less time.
Aug 20
Very nice shower last night, it laid the dust. Then very droughty. (Aug 28) More rain,
nice showers. This summer has been as droughty as last while it lasted. It was longer
starting and sooner over but awful severe. Grass done on dry land. No fog Clover or Meadow.
Aug 1870
We commenced cutting corn on the 11th August and done on the 24th but we only had five days
work. We cut it with a machine of my brother Thomas (Maker: Thomas Riay, Abbeytown).
September fine. October very wet and wild. November cold and frosty. Ground all
covered with snow before Martinmas. Nov 18 Sarah Sharp died aged 69 years at
New Cooper. The first death in New Cooper since I came in '68.
Nov 19
There is a vessel floundered below Mawbray. She was lying on her broadside, now a total wreck.
December hard frost and snow
1871, January 4th
William Hurst of Aldoth, farmer. While cutting branches of a tree, the hatchet hit his
knee joint inside which caused it to swell. He was attended a few days by Dr Robinson of
Aikshaw and, not satisfied, he sent for James Simpson, a Quack or Coffinite, Maryport.
He laid five weeks then they sent for Dr Brown, Carlisle. When he came, he lanced the
leg in three places and it was mortified. About four quarts of matter came out of it.
He lived two days and then Died on the 12th day of February.
March Frosty. April showery. May very cold, east winds. Hard frost May 17th, Ice as thick
as a penny piece. Potato tops all frozen. Oats frozen. Joshua Bigland's barn at Saltcoats
burned down in April. June Very dry weather. Grass and everything nearly burned up and
cold east winds. Turnips very poor.
June 23rd
Hard frost, potato tops frozen to the ground in moss land, then some rain, heavy showers
until July. First of July very showery. Slow hay weather and hay very light. The Barnacle
Goose is still alive, caught in 1843.
August wet and showery and then about ten days very fine. 18th Thunder and rain. Corn
cutting 18th. Wheat very light, oats and barley fair average. September fine.
October showery. November stormy. December frosty then wet and wild.
January 1872
came in very wild, blew a fair hurricane. T Atkinson's house end at New Cooper was blown
down. It blew hard to 3 O'clock pm then the wind settled. February showery. March very
fine. Isaac Creighton, Causeway Head, has a cow with three calves, all doing well.
Simon Smith's wife, Westnewton, had three children all at one birth, one boy and two girls.
Esther Holiday, Highlaws has a mare with two foals, both doing well. John Huddart, Abbey,
stable burned down.
April very cold, frosty nights. Cain and Abel, two steam engines, were going to cultivate
land at Parkhead. They both stuck fast in beside the Dubstrangs beck. Both were in abreast.
They remained two or three days before they could be removed. May fine with showers.
June and July wet and thundery. The most thunder we have heard for many years. A very
middling hay time. Hay plentiful. Harvest is very wet, corn grown in the stook green.
Two wet days for one dry. September rain near every day, beck and gutters near brim full.
Robert Bell died, Alice Bell died and Mary (Ostle) Bell died, all within two months.
October very wet. November wet and stormy. December wet.
January 1873
Wild and wet on the third day of January there was thunder and lightning and hail. Awful day.
I sold rock potatoes at 14d and 15d per stone. Rough whites and Victorias 17d and 18d per
stone of 14 lbs. February mild with frost. March fine with showers. April cold. May cold
and a poor grass time. June dry, hay crops light, about half a crop. July showery.
August very wet at first then fine. September dry at first. A good harvest, no growing corn
this season. Until October then the weather was wet near every day. Cattle and sheep awfully
down in price.
1874
Coals 1s per cwt. There was a trial between John Steel and others, Southerfield, and Thomas
Williamson of Allonby about a right of pasturing on Beckfoot and Wolsty banks. Several tenants
claim a right on that bank below the road to Blitterlees. T Williamson owns Wolsty Hall,
Beeby's place and some bank and he wanted to have it all but Steel won the trial at the
assizes at Carlisle in 1874.
The Barnacle Goose that belongs to Thomas Ostle, Newtown died April 1874. He had it in his
possession for thirty-one years. It laid six eggs in 1861 and four eggs in 1862 and how old
when caught.
John Ostle -- Neglect to write for some time.
|