George Newton, of Bent, had his foot nearly crushed off by a great quantity of earth falling on him as he was getting sand near Leeshall, on June 2nd 1788. June 1st, 1788 – A person very much disturbed the congregation at Oldham Church this day, but on strict examination it prov’d he was affected with the hydrophobia. June 1788 – Onnions sold at 3 pence per pound, and hops 3 shillings per pound. Chadwick Jonathan, millwright, died at Burnly Yatte, June 9th, 1788. Newton John, stonemason, of Oldham died June 13th, 1788, age – disorder, a vilent fever. June 17th, 1788 – An uncommon hot day, and on the 18th an uncommon crack of thunder; the thunderbolt fell at Hargreaves, near Oldham, but happily did no damage. Taylor James, died at Hollinwood, June 18th, 1788, age 87 A lamentable misfortune on the 27th of June, 1788. As John Morris and Joseph Booth were in winding out of a coalpit, at Broadway-lane, a stone fell out of the side of the pit and kild Booth dead in the tub. Morris was taken home alive, but died that night. Morris lived in Nathan roe, and left a wife and a large family to bemoan there loss. He, wile living, was an honest, industrus, sober man. Booth was a Yorkshire man, and married the widow of one Roscow, who was killed in a coalpit on the 23rd November, 1785. They were both universally lamented. From the beginning of April to the latter end of June, 1788, there was a severe drought, attended with uncommon heat. James Barlow, clock maker, of Oldham, was interred at Oldham, June 22nd, 1788. A child of Simson Holdings, of Holden Fold, much bruised on its head by the kick of a horse, July 5th, 1788. Thorp Thomas, commonly called Tom of Jammeys, of Hollinwood, was buried at Oldham July 21st, 1788 The Thorpes are an old Chadderton family. In 1334 “Ricus Thorpe” was a tenant-at-will under Thomas Radcliffe, of Foxdenton. Thorpe Hill, in Oldham, no doubt took its name from the family. Thorpes, on Highmoor, was also called after its owner. We find the name of Thorpe in the Church records almost from the beginning in 1558.
|
A child of James Horsfalls, of Oldham, was unfortunately killed by a cart wheel going over its head, July 22nd, 1788. Oldham John, Mr., of Stakil, died suddenly in advanced age, July 21st. 1788. The Oldhams were perhaps the oldest family in Oldham; indeed they took their name from the place at the time when surnames were adopted, and were seated at Werneth in the twelfth century, or earlier. The original stock at Werneth ended in female heirs in the 14th century, Margery, daughter of Richard Oldham, marrying John Cudworth, into which family the estates followed. Branches of the Oldham family were lopped from the parent tree, and planted in various parts of the district at a very early period. That branch which gave us Hugh Oldham is variously stated as taking root near Blakely, and at Goulburn in Oldham, both of which places claim to be his birthplace. There can be no doubt, however, that Hugh Oldham’s family were originally of Oldham, and we may sing our “Gaudeamus” with as much propriety as the boys of his school at Manchester.
For the benefit of those who, like me, have forgotten how to construe, I give a rough guess at the meaning of this song:-
Pace, ye Grammar School boys, if I have made a howler it is because I have not been admonished per bubonem. A child of William Beswick’s, joynor, of Oldham, died raving mad through having the misfortune of being bitten by a made dog; age, four years old, July 31st, 1788. Whittaker Ralph, died suddenly at Scolesfold, Maggot-lane, August 6th, 1788. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Burkit Thomas, of Horsedge Fold, was buried at Oldham, August 6th, 1788. July 31st, 1788, a man run from Blakeley to Knotsford, and once round the racecourse and back again in seven hours, one halph, and a few minutes, for halph a guinea; he ran naked, and afforded a deal of deversion. The Bishop of Chester passed through Burnley-lane, on his way to Liddyate, where he consecrated the chapel at Liddyate, August 15th, 1788. Whitehead, Nicollas, of Brook, near Bullsteak, died at an early age of a disorder that was then very prevalent all over the country, August 19th 1788. (Bullstake probably the scene of the ancient bullfights). Stock, wife of the late Adam Stock, of Stakell (see page 5), died after languishing since February last, died August 23rd 1788. Rodes, William, of Brow, near Cowhill, after being tortered for five years with a sore disease, died in the greatest aggonis, August 21st, 1788. Lees, John, leg broke and much bruzed in a marlpit of Mr. Abraham Clegg, of Lane End, August 28th, 1788.
|
Heap, Thomas, collier, of Oldham, much bruzed in a coalpit at Edge-lane, August 28th, 1783. Jackson, James, formorally an Oxford Blue, died after a long and tedious illness at Chaderton Workhouse, September 2nd, 1788. Ogden, Alice, wife of James Ogden, shoemaker, of Busk, died after a long illness in an advanced age, September 6th, 1788, aged 66. Duckworth, Joseph, formerly of Burnly-lane, died at Chaderton Workhouse, age 82, September 13rd, 1788. Michael Rowbottom and James Rowland had the misfortin to be much bruzed in returning from Manchester, the later by falling off his horse, and the former in assisting him to mount was thrown from his horse and very dangerously bruzed, August 26th, 1788. According to E. Butterworth, Michael Rowbottom was one of the principal cotton spinners engaged in business in Oldham from 1750 to 1770. He died December 10th, 1809, aged 75. He was of Oldham-lane, and belonged to the Hunt-lane family. “James Rowland was father of Joseph Rowland, who erected a cotton mill near Rochdale-road in 1805, afterwards called Orleans Mill. James Rowland was once house steward for Sir William Horton, Bart, of Chadderton Hall.” It will be seen that the Rowlands were among those who laid the foundation of the commercial greatness of Oldham. |
Page 7
William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard |
 |
 |
 |
