Extracts from the Diaries of Jeremiah Mosely 1826

Monday 20th February
Brother and Charles to St Ives market the worst market ever known in the memory of man owing to the depleted state of the money markets and the decision of ministers upon the Corn Laws. Myself at home. The day fine.

Tuesday 21st February
Breakfasted here after which himself (Henry Wiles of Pidley Lodge) and myself took each our horses and a petition drawn up at Huntingdon on Saturday 18th inst. By the County Agriculture Committee for the purpose of petitioning parliament not to alter the Corn Laws this sessions and travelled with it through the parishes of Colne, Bluntisham, Earith, Needingworth and Holywell for signatures and met with good success. The day was delightfully fine.

Friday June 23rd
Somersham fair day. Brother Charles after dinner returned from here to Littleport. A favourable change in brother Frederick this afternoon.

Tuesday October 24th
Brother out looking for Coleseed. Myself assisting in ploughing water furrows in Ploughfoot. In the afternoon I rode the chestnut mare and looked at Coleseed of George Chris’s in Colne fields and bid him £4 per acre for it for to shepherd the sheep. Did not buy. Brothers attended the sale of the late Mrs Russell’s land at the George Inn Somersham.

Friday 15th December
At this time we are expecting war between Spain and Portugal consequently we shall take the part of Portugal. Wet Weather.

Monday December 18th
Brother at market (St Ives?) Charles to St Ives early this morning to see Christmas show and fat cattle. William early started for St Neot’s fair to sell 2 mares.

Saturday December 23rd
Brothers Samuel and Edward came down from London by the midday coach for the Christmas holidays. Didn’t get here till ½ past 8 o’clock owing to the road being very heavy and coach heavy loaded. Mild day.

1827
Friday April 20th
Brother made a bargain with the man leading Mrs Robinson’s Grey Horse of Spalding Lincolnshire to cover 6 of our mares for 4 guineas and the mare to horse 6 half crowns. The horses name is Stretch.


1828
Wednesday 16th January
Brother returned from Huntingdon Quarter sessions yesterday. This evening I sent a trunk with my clothes for the March Ball tomorrow to the Griffin Inn. Mr Brown parson gave coal away to the poor.

Friday 25th January
2 men thrashing barley today. Some others getting Turnips home for Beasts. The day very mild, a shower in the afternoon. Mrs Royston dined and tea’d and left us about 8 o’clock.

Thursday February 7th
Brother in the Fens to see Coleseed sheep found they had done but insufficiently in the cause of winter which we attribute to the mildness of the winter.

Thursday May 1st
Brother to Cambridge to see the Bishop of Lincoln and make his settlement. Myself with some people on New Heath farm turning soil and burning. Finished our lambing. Most delightful day.

Tuesday May 6th
People busy hoeing on account of our not being able to burn our Heath it being too wet. The weather tetchy. Sowing Ploughfoot with short small oats seed from G Simms Warboys.

Tuesday June 24th
Brother farming, myself with them ploughing in thirty acres for turnips and finished for sweeds today. 3 lbs an acre sown. Very hot.


From the Diary for 1834

Frontispiece

This winter is remarkably mild and gooseberries are found in January and remarkably early harvest, wheat reaped 14 July and fine crops. Cottage built at Park Gate. R J Moseley bought two cottages at the end of Somersham.

Monday 6 January
Brother Charles up to Breakfast and with brother in Pony Gig to St Ives and Charles returned to New Barnes afterwards. I road the mare to market and stayed to raffle cakes at Mr Bannells, was unsuccessful. Brother Tom returned from new Barnes. Mr Burgess and others improving the coach road by carrying on some earth from the Brook Bank. The day very mild. Wind South.

Tuesday 7 January
Brother farming, in the evening attended the Book Club. Myself and farmer Gowler took in the last of the clover. Other hands improving the coach road. Mrs Bagshaw dined and spent the day. Tom shooting. The day very mild, wind from the South.

Monday 13 January
Brother and Tom to St Ives in the Pony Gig. Myself at home attending Mr Hodson with his machine threshing a cob of wheat in Home Stack Yard which we are compelled to do for the sake of fodder for the cattle which are in a horrible condition. In the evening brother, I and Tom smoked a Cigar at the George.
Lincoln horse taken very ill high inflammation, I took quarts of blood and I think saved his life by it.

Tuesday 16 January
At half past one I started on the grey mare to dine at Mr Hardy Johnsons, March, where with his family I attended the ball at the Griffen and passed a very pleasant evening. Kept up the spirit of dancing till half past three which with the young men who joined our party we retire to Mr Johnsons, take refreshments and chat till half past five in the morning. This ends the day spent very pleasantly. The ball gay and agreeable, not so numerously attended as I’ve been to but perhaps the better on that account. The day very fine and warm till three when it became a different air, cold though from the dawn the wind was South West by South.

Wednesday 22 January
Brother and myself with John Manning and others allotting the sheep onto the turnips, putting the Hoggets on to eat and check the tops (probably of turnips) which are growing remarkably fast and some heading to full blossom. Yesterday 195 Hoggets came from Colesend in Chatteris Fen having lost five out of two hundred. This winter so remarkably mild that in some places gooseberries are found the size of peas. Mr Thomas Grounds of March sent a sow to my Great Hog.
(note - a hogget is a yearling sheep)
My sister Susy? and her servant Sarah arrived by Post Chaise from Ely to dinner at five. Henry was to have been here but was prevented. The day very fair wind from the South.

Saturday 1 March
Brother and myself to Huntingdon, met the agricultural committee where a petition on the restricted state of this class of the community was drawn up, which we signed so it is also to be forwarded to the market towns of the county.
Meeting at the George. We dined there and got home for tea.
John Manning got his ewes down to the Lodge Ground today ready to begin on Cabbages on Monday for the lambing season.

Wednesday 28 May
Brother returned from Margate and London, Charles also, who went from Cambridge. Myself busy attending to business and Mr Burgess laying manure in Ploughfoot for cabbages.


These extracts are taken from the diaries of Jeremiah Moseley and are part of the collection stored at the County Record Office, Huntingdon.