Mon 2nd April 1759. Ploughing the ley. John Robinson, Pardshow, here helping us. Moderate weather; wind southerly. Mercury 29.2.
The Farming Year: April
Commentary:
With the arrival of Spring, the pace of the farming year quickened: April was the month for ploughing and sowing oats and, in hill farming areas, it was also lambing time. In 1759, the year from which this month’s diary extracts are taken, April was largely warm and dry, with a settled easterly wind, allowing farmers an early seed-time.
April was also the month when the Easter sittings of manorial courts took place. Fletcher attended two courts this month. At Loweswater on 21st he was acting for John Burnyeat to have his inheritance of property from the recently-deceased Hannah Pearson registered in the court records. Four days later, Fletcher went to Egremont, to attend the court for Egremont Lordship, to which Mosser, as one of the townships within the court’s jurisdiction, sent a representative (a ‘turnsman’) each year.
As always, the month was punctuated by attendance at Quaker meetings for worship at Pardshaw Hall, not only on Sundays but mid-week, on Thursday mornings, as well. Isaac Fletcher and his wife Susanna (‘Susie’) were in their early 40s in 1759, with two young sons. Their visitor, Sarah Hudson, was Susie’s elder sister, who lived in Cockermouth.
Fletcher’s reading this month was Charles Rollin’s The Ancient History of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes & Persians, Macedonians and Grecians, a multi-volume work first published in French in 1730-38.
'Ley' refers to land which is generally down to grass, but which is occasionally ploughed and sown with a crop such as oats.
The illustration shows the Quaker Meeting House at Pardshaw, less than a kilometre across the fields from his home at Underwood, which Fletcher attended every week.
The entry 'Mercury 29.2' refers to the reading of his barometer - 29.2 inches of Mercury, equal to 989mbar, which is low, so it was perhaps no great surprise when snow fell five days later!
Diary
Mon 2nd April 1759. Ploughing the ley. John Robinson, Pardshow, here helping us. Moderate weather; wind southerly. Mercury 29.2.
Tue 3rd. Ploughing. Sarah Hudson here. Fine day; mercury 29.
Wed 4th. About cutting hedge in the forenoon. Rainy in the afternoon. A very forward season. Reading Rolin's "Antient History".
Thu 5th. Was at Meeting in the morning. About cutting out the hedge in Middle Close. S. Hudson went home this afternoon. Very pleasant weather.
Fri 6th. Nothing remarkable. Was at Pardshow smithey geting a crook made for Hill gate stulp. Wet in a.m. Wind northerly. Mercury 29.
Sat 7th. A thick snow this morning but came on rain in the afternoon. Threshing this day. Wind SW. Mercury 29.
Sun 8th. At Meeting in the morning. Was at Jeremy Nicholson's burial in the afternoon. A fine, warm day; mercury 29.2.
Mon 9th. At Cockermouth. Showry weather; wind easterly. Mercury 29.
Thu 12th. At Meeting in the morning. Joseph Fawcett here leading wood. Pretty moderate weather. Mercury 29.
Fri 13th. Killed the swine in the morning. It proved very well. Sew about 7 pecks of oats in the afternoon in Middle Close. A fine day.
Sat 14th. Went with wife to High Cross to the burial of Hannah Pearson. She was carried to Cockermouth meeting house.
Sun 15th. Was at Meeting; Preparative Meeting after. Cold weather.
Wed 18th. At plow in the forenoon. Went to Cragend in the afternoon about viewing wood. Fine weather.
Sat 21st. Was at the court at Lowswater. Got John Burnyeat [admitted] tennant of the estate late Hannah Pearson's. Fine weather; wind SW. Mercury 29.4.
Sun 22nd. At Meeting in the morning. Sew all the oats yesterday: in all 11 bushels. Very fine warm weather.
Mon 23rd. At Cockermouth. Fine weather & warm showers. Mercury 29.4.
Wed 25th. Was at Egermont court. Robert Baynes, new steward, keept the court. A very warm day.
Sat 28th. About preparing the ground for potatoes. A very dry season & a settled easterly wind. Mercury 29.2.
Sun 29th. Was at Meeting in the morning. Wife gone to the General Meeting at Cockermouth. Very dry weather.
Extracts from The Diary of Isaac Fletcher of Underwood, Cumberland, 1756-1781, edited by Angus J L Winchester (Kendal, 1994).
