BC512/12

Notebook

Undated [1749 - 1835]

From: 1749 To: 1835

Weather in 1813, 1814, 1815, 1816, 1816, 1808 - 1812; Snow fall January 1776, especially at Houghton Conquest; "This year I christen'd 3 of one birth at H. Conquest; so says Master Arpin of Felmersham: who then lived there"; Floods 1808 - 1817; Storms in Bedfordshire; 1817. Podington Wold. Roman coins found, also clay and fragments of pot; "Campton. Superstition. An Elm Tree was supposed by the Common people to possess the virtue of curing the Ague. The person to be cured went by himself at 12 at Night to the spot where the Tree grew & cut from his head a lock of hair and nailed it to the Tree. 17 years ago it was almost covered with hair according to Mr. Wilkinson. Mrs. Webster saw some remaining 5 years ago"; Letter from Christopher Taylor of Shefford, at request of Mr. Williamson "Our worthy Rector". 23 October 1801. "This Gentleman is the Roman Catholic priest at Shefford"; Bedford "an ass drawn up to the Battlements of St. Johns Church. Why ?" "A man killed in St. Pauls church yard, by flying by means of a Rope fastened to the battlements of the church" "A number of persons killd at an Assizes held in the Chap.(el) near the School - an old Tradition when I was a Boy" "I think the old market house was pull'd down the year that Mr. Barton was Mayor - it was a good old Building supported by Pillars, and had a large Chamber over it where Grain used to be deposited; the Doctor will probably have abetter account of it from the recollection of some native"; Milton Erness "The mill which is about ¼ of a mile from the village, tho' not larger than some others on the River, was remarkable as a leather mill (being the only one in the County) one half of the stream served for this purpose; and the remainder turns a corn mill. The Skins dressed in Oil were called Chamoise Skins for Linings and the Cup being very large would carry 5 or 600 at once. This being more than the Country could supply regularly, the Master occasionally assisted the dressers of Hitchin, Newport and Northampton when their mills were overstock't. Mr Long the Master in 1794 dressed 189 Kipps - 18 dozen and 6 - about the usual Quantity on his own account. A Parchment manufactory was likewise carried on here, as an appendage to the leather mills. The shops for dressing which were on the same stream to the North West of the village. A Kipp is 30 skins. 4 Kipps 100 i.e. the great hundred"; Bromham. Woad cultivated here for several years about the beginning of the last century. Cabbin ground, close of 40 acres where huts of labourers employed in its cultivation formerly stood; Willington ... "A sping near Mogerhanger has a small stone building very ancient from which water was conveyed in pipes to supply Gostwicks Family"; Renhold "Tho' a considerable part of the parish is yet uninclosed every farm has all its lands in the 3 fields lying together in one plot or piece. This was done without Act of Parliament by the agreement of the proprietors about 40 years ago."; Wyboston "A Custom to provide a Dinner for Gypsies"; Milton Erness "in 1790 63 families 3 of them dissenters"; "In Bletsoe May 1794 were 138 males 145 females total: 283"; "We the undersigned inhabitants of .. Felmersham..agree to supply Government with the number of Waggons carts horses ..." 1803; Brass ?labels dug up in Market St., Bedford, presumed Roman; Account of Totternhoe stone and Potton stone, and iron stone at Sandy and Crawley; "Mrs. Jackson begs her compliments to Mr. Marsh and informs him Mr. Morgan the Gentleman who paints Miniatures is now at Bedford if Mr. Marsh would like to see him. Mr. Morgans price is from one guinea to three"; "October the 21st 1761 Mr. Marsh debtor to William Bithrey" Newspapers for 5 years; oak and ash and elm rails, cart, bacon, beef, gates, barley, oats, expences at Harborough fair; Original documents sewn in include: Letters and copy letters: Note by Richard Taylor (17th cent.) Note on All Souls College exemptions (17th cent.)

item

Bedford Corporation,
Marsh, Thomas Orlebar,
Goodhall, Henry Humphrey,
Arpin, Edward,
Wilkinson,
Webster,
Taylor, Christopher,
Williamson,
Barton,
Long,
Gostwick,
Jackson,
Morgan,
Bithrey, William,
Taylor, Richard,
All Souls College, Oxford

Bedford Corporation, writer, HISTORY, BEDFORDSHIRE, weather, snow, HOUGHTON CONQUEST, population statistics, FELMERSHAM, local flooding, storms, PODINGTON, Roman archaeology, CAMPTON, superstition, trees, ague, SHEFFORD, clergy, Roman Catholic priests, BEDFORD, asses, churches, Bedford St. John's, DEATH, Bedford St.Paul's, Assizes, Bedford School, chapels, buildings and land use, markets, Mayor, MILTON ERNEST, MILLS, leather, leatherdresser, corn, Hitchin, Newport Pagnell, Northampton, parchment maker, BROMHAM, woad, Bromham fields, agricultural labourer, springs, WILLINGTON, MOGERHANGER, water supply, RENHOLD, Renhold fields, Renhold farms, Inclosure, Wyboston, Gypsies, dinners, religion, BLETSOE, Napoleonic Wars, Bedford Market Street, ARCHAEOLOGY, stone, TOTTERNHOE, POTTON, ironstone, SANDY, HUSBORNE CRAWLEY, portrait painter, debt, wood, meat, grain, fairs and markets, Market Harborough, general correspondence, Oxford All Souls College