Execution of Miria Auntoniette, late Queen of France, (wife of Louis XVI), at Paris, Oct. 16th. She was born Nov. 2nd, 1755. This event thrilled the hearts of Oldhamers with dread. Even yet tradition is hardly silent as to its effect on the public mind. I give an account of it, as drawn up by the master hand of Carlyle:- “Maria Auntoniette, in this her utter abandonment, and hour of extreme need, is not wanting to herself, the imperial woman. Her look, they say, as that hideous indictment was reading, continued calm, ‘she was sometimes observed moving her fingers, as when one plays on the piano’. You discern, not without interest, that dim revolutionary bulletin itself, how she bears herself queenlike. At four o’clock on Wednesday morning, after two days and two nights of interrogating, jury charging, and of darkening of counsel, the result comes out: Sentence of Death. ‘Have you anything to say?’ The accused shook her head, without speech. Night’s candles were burning out; and with her too, time is finishing, and it will be eternity and day. This Hall of Tinville’s is dark, ill-lighted, except where she stands. Silently she withdraws from it to die. Two processions, or royal progresses, three-and-twenty years apart, have always struck us with a strange feeling of contrast. The first is of a beautiful archduchess and Dauphiness, quitting her mother’s city (Vienna) at the age of fifteen, towards hopes such as no other daughter of Eve then had. The young imperial maiden of fifteen no became a wan discrowned widow of thirty-eight, gray before her time. This is the last procession. ‘Few minutes after the trial ended, the drums were beating to arms in all sections, at sunrise the armed force was on foot, cannons getting placed at the extremities of the bridges, in the squares, crossways, all along from the Palais de Justice to the Place de la Révolution. By ten o’clock numerous patrols were circulating in the streets, thirty thousand foot and horse drawn up under arms. At eleven, Marie Antoniette was brought out. She had on an undress of Pique blanc; she was led to the place of execution in the same manner as an ordinary criminal, bound on a cart, accompanied by a Constitutional priest in lay dress, escorted by numerous detachments of infantry and cavalry. These, and the double row of troops all along her road, she appeared to regard with indifference. On her countenance there was visible neither abashment nor pride. To the cries of ‘Vive la Republique’ and ‘Down with Tyranny’, which attended her all the way, she seemed to pay no heed. She spoke little to her confessor. The tricolor streamers on the housetops occupied her attention, in the Streets du Royle and Saint Honoré, she also noticed the inscriptions on the house-fronts.
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On reaching the Place de la Révolution, her looks turned toward the Jardin National, whilom Tuileries; her face at the moment gave signs of lively emotion. She mounted the scaffold with courage enough; at a quarter past twelve, her head fell. The executioner showed it to the people (Lifting it by the hair), amid universal long-continued cries of ‘Vive La Republique’.” Oldham, Nov. 6th – On Monday the 4th, at night, the house of James Potter, of Boggart Hole, was broke open, and this day Jos. Needham was commited to the New Bayley, to take his tryal for the same. Potters of Boggart Hole. Among those who were the earliest spinners of warp yarns on Dutch wheels, say from 1770 to 1780, was John Potter of Boggart Hole, probably father of the above-named James. The Potters are an ancient and respectable family in Oldham. “Potters” was an ancient dwelling, says E. Butterworth, near Lowermoor. In 1681 it was the abode of James Potter, yeoman, and in 1752 his descendant, Ralph Potter, resided here. “Potters Lordship” extended over a great portion of Hollinwood, and the land about Middleton Junction in 1677. In modern times honourable mention ought to be made of Mr. Charles Potter, an artist of great distinction, who is as proud of Oldham, as Oldham has need to be proud of him. Beginning his life as a factory lad, by dint of his own exertions he has forced himself into the front rank of Lancashire painters. His works, which are numerous and still increasing, will suitably decorate the interior of hall and cottage long after Mr. Potter has passed away. For some years Mr. Potter has resided at Llanbedr Lodge, near Conway, North Wales, and in 1887 he contributed to the Manchester Academy Exhibition of Paintings, two pictures, on which the following criticism appeared in the ‘Manchester Courier’:- “Mr. Charles Potter is still true to Cambria, and cherishes his affections through the medium of a loving and industrious brush. “A Cambrian Cwm Early Morning” and the “Last Blush of the Old Year”, are two large drawings over which much care and thought have been expended. They are both grand subjects, both having the snowclad mountains in contrast to the verdure of the lower latitude. In the latter large drawing, a well-known solitary Church with its quaint belfry, forms the centre of attraction, backed by the snow-peaked hills. Evening quiet is stealing over the scene, the moment seems solemn, and we must
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This is a fine drawing, and characteristic of that poetic feeling which is always present in Mr. Potter’s efforts to transcribe nature. Nov. 17th – Sir Watts Horton’ birthday, age 40 years. Mary, daughter of Edmund Mellor, of Top oth Moor, died, Nov. 22nd, aged 21 years. Annie, wife of Jonathan Wolstencroft, died, Nov. 25th, Bottom of Maygate Lane. Nov. 29th – Exalent fine wheather, and has been so for some time. Nov. 29th – This day Sir Watts and Lady Horton, with a grand retinue, left Chadderton Hall for London. Dec. 8th – Uncomon fine, thus far having been neither gleams of frost or snow. Dec. 8th – We find that the price of labour daily decreases. The hatters are dropt one half of there wages. Callicoes are wove for 3s. a cut, 26 check at 7s. per pees. In the Fustian branch their misereys is inconceivable, velveretts being worked with 18 or 19 lbs. Of weft in for 18, and so on in proportion, which caused a deal of heads of family’s to enlist this country. The weavers of calicoes would have warp and weft found them by a piece master, and would weave the pieces in their own loom-houses at home on hand-looms. The cuts were generally thirty to forty yards long, and a diligent weaver would hardly weave two cuts a week, though the shuttle was kept going sometimes nearly day and night. Narrow checks, say 26in. wide, would have coloured warp and weft found in the same way. The warp was generally about ninety yards long, and the earnings of a weaver would be about 6s. a week. Velveretts with eighteen or nineteen lbs. of weft, at 18s. per piece, would include the carding and spinning of the yarn, as well as the weaving. Referring to my old grand-father’s business books, an account of which I published in the ‘Oldham Chronicle’ some years ago, I find that he made a piece of Jean back velverett in 1795 for Mr. Dyson, of Lees, and that he paid 19s. 6d. for spinning the weft alone. It will be seen by these annals that 18s. only was paid for making a velverett, carding, spinning and weaving included, so that if this was paid ordinarily for carding and spinning, the weaving would have to be done for nothing. Work appears to have been scarce and irregular, and the poor hand-loom weavers preferred fighting for their country to starving at home, especially as large bounties were given to recruits. “Jone o’ Grinfilt” hits the condition of the people off as follows:-
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Joseph Lees, one of these hand-loom weavers, resided at Glodwick, and gave his experience in this song, which was written within this decade. Dec. 13th – This morning James Rowbottom died, aged 18 years, he had been sick for upwards of 5 years, wich sickness he bore with the greatest patience and Cristian fortitude, wich was never much surpast. From the particulars of this entry I judge this James Rowbottom was son of the writer, William Rowbottom.. I only mention this to identify the writer as far as possible. – There is now no doubt as to the authorship of these “Annals”, as will appear by the following copy of entry found among Mr. Higson’s papers copied by him probably from E. Butterworth’s papers:- ‘Purchased, September 2nd, 1837, from the widow of William Rowbottom, of Burnley-lane, near Oldham, the MSS books of Mr. Rowbottom, recording events, chiefly local, from 1787 to 1830, for the sum of £1 (20s.) paid to Mrs. Rowbottom, same day. Edwin Butterworth, Busk, Oldham.’ Dec. 19th – Last evening was attended with loud cracks of thunder and vivid flashes of lightning. Dec. 23rd – Butchers meat at this time is thought reasonable. The very best of beef is sold at 4d. per lb., inferior pices at 3d. per lb. Mutton at 4½ d., and some at 4d. per lb. Onnions 1½ d. per lb. Apples 1s. 4d. to 1s. 8d. per peck. Treacle 4½ d. per lb. Dec. 29th – The fine wheather wich has been so fine as never was known, terminated last night by a very keen frost. Fine Winter, Dec. 28th– To this time the wheather has been so open and fine as much to resemble spring, the air continually warm, and all sorts of vegetation approaching very fast. Polianthus, primrose, white-rock, spice gillflower, &c., in full bloom. Dec. 31st – The year concludes with a cold boisteress day, and the callamity’s and misereys of the poor too heavey to bear, and when it will mend human wisdom cannot tell. Manchester, Dec. 28th – This day meal dropt a few shillings per load, as it did on the 21st. The recruiting business goes on with the greatest alacrity. The 12th Regiment of Foot, the 93rd of Foot have picked up a great deal of both young and middle aged men in Oldham and its envirions. The year 1793 is now concluded, and I hope for more happiness and less miserey in the next year. |
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William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard |
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