ANNALS OF OLDHAM No. XLVI 1804 On the 30th September Daniel Mellor, shoemaker and leather cutter, of Oldham, intered. This, I suppose, would be the Daniel Mellor mentioned in O’Neil in his history of Sunday schools as being one of the class leaders in the Wesleyan Chapel in Manchester-street. He, along with others, established the first Wesleyan school probably in England in which the teaching was voluntary. This was in 1785. The school met in the old chapel, and went to S. Peter’s Chapel to service. If I mistake not, this Daniel Mellor was the grandsire of a very illustrious progeny. October 13th – A lamentable misfortune happened to George Hardman, of Hollinwood, engineer at Thomas Roe’s factory. He fell amongst the wheels, and was torn too shocking to relate, and died in an instant; age, 55 years. October 25th – Died, wife of Mr. Kershaw, mercer and draper. November 4th– John, son of James Walker, of Nook, intered this day; disorder, appoplexy; age, 20 years. November 7th– Hannah, wife of Thomas Mellor, of Top-o’th’-Mooor, intered; disorder, consumption, age, 30 years. November 8th– Mrs. Mary Neild, mistress of the Anchor public-house, Oldham, intered; and wife of John Radcliffe, Coldhurst Hollow, intered. November 13th– Died James Knott, of Fog-lane; age, 52 years. November 5th– Walking match for £50 each, ten miles on the road, between Rochdale and Manchester. James Coates, of Royton, against Thomas Davies, of London: Coates beat his antagonist upwards of 300 yards, and performed it in 99 minutes. Betting at starting; 6 to 4 on Davies.
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Professor Leone Levi tells us that he is at present interesting himself in the question of “physique” among the working population. Some of our military men are of the opinion that some of our working people are retrograding in bodily physique. In the absence of efficient tests, perhaps these frequent walking matches may be a guide in forming an opinion of physical strength:- I find from “The Sporting Life Companion,” published in 1884 that J. W. Raby, at Lillie Bridge, August 20th, 1883 walked 6½ miles in 46 minutes and 58 seconds, and on Dec. 3rd, in the same year, at the same place, he walked 10 miles in 1 hour 14 minutes 45 seconds. Raby was a professional. From the same authority we have for amateurs H. Webster, at Lillie Bridge, April 7th 1879, 6 miles in 45 minutes 4 seconds, and J. Pritchard, at Birmingham, August 22nd, 1883, 10 miles in 1 hour 21 minutes 33 seconds. It will be seen from this annal that James Coates, of Royton, beat his London antagonist, Davies, doing 10 miles in 99 minutes. If we take the average time between Raby and Pritchard we get 78 minutes and 9 seconds, or 21 minutes 51 seconds quicker than Coates, being an increase in speed of a little over 20 per cent, in the 10 miles distance. With regard to 6½ miles distance in 1799, we find John Wood, of Northmoor, Oldham, “the celebrated pedestrian,” allowed 64 minutes for 6 ½ miles; he did the distance in 61 minutes and 35 seconds. Take this against Raby’s time for the same distance, namely 46 minutes 58 seconds, we find that Raby’s time is 14 minutes 37 seconds less than Wood’s time, or an increase in speed at the 6½ miles length of about 23 per cent. Of course, Lillie Bridge and Birmingham would be track walking, while Coates walked on the road between Manchester and Rochdale, and Wood walked mostly downhill on the then new road from Oldham to New Cross, Manchester. Meal and flour has risen most rapidly for several weeks past; meal 2s. 6d., flour 3s. 6d. November 13th– Died Thomas Ogden, of Burnley-lane; age 79 years. November 14th– Was intered at Oldham, Ann, wife of Thomas Grime, formerly Ann Woolstencroft, of Robin Hill; age about 60 years. Potatoes. – The crops of the valuable root this year were variable, and the farmers in general sold them 7s. to 8s. a load. Very warm open weather this month, but attended with a great deal of rain and large fogs. Dec. 11th – Last night Robt. Holt, R. Fenton, James Kenworthy, Abraham Bardsley, &c., under sentence of transportation, lodged in the New Bailey prison, and this morning sent off for the hulks. |
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Dec. 22nd – Jos. Beeston entered as tenant to the Red Lion public-house, Oldham. Dec. 16th – Last night it commenced a keen frost. Dec 27th – Last night and yesterday was most tremendously rough for snow and wind, but it happily terminated about eight o’clock this morning; the wind north-east. Dec 21st – The first vessel went through the Rochdale Canal. There were a deal of company, a band of music, and other demonstrations of joy. The Act for this canal was obtained in 1794. It therefore took ten years to complete the work Many local capitalists took up shares in this canal, and had to wait a long time for a return. Baines says:- Contemporaneously with the passing of the Huddersfield Canal Act (1794), an act passed authorising the opening of a canal from the Duke of Bridgewater’s navigation at Manchester to the Calder navigation at Sowerby Bridge, near Halifax. Beginning from the south-west side of Manchester, this canal leaves that town at the north-east corner, and takes its course nearly parallel to the Oldham-road as far as Failsworth. Here it turns directly north, and proceeds through the tract of coal country about Fox Denton, Chadderton, Middleton, and Hopwood,, at a small distance to the east of Rochdale, whence it sends off a short branch to that town. Having passed Littleborough, it gains its head level about Deanhead. It was originally intended to enter a hill at this place by a tunnel, but this is now avoided. Hence it proceeds to Todmorden, where it turns north-east to Hebden Bridge, and then it bends somewhat to the south-east, till it reaches the Calder navigation at Sowerby Bridge, having during the latter part of its course closely accompanied the river Calder. Its whole length, from one extremity to the other, is 31 1/2 miles, exclusive of two short collateral branches of about a mile and a quarter. From its head level it falls 275 feet on the Halifax side, and 438 feet 7 inches on the Manchester side. Great reservoirs have been made in the hill country near different parts of the course of this canal, abundantly sufficient to supply all the waste of locks or leakage, without borrowing from any of the streams. December 24th – An unfortunate affray took place at Bottoms, near Hollinwood, between Thomas Taylor and George Wroe, when Taylor struck Wroe a violent blow on the head with half a brick that it fractured his scull. He languished till the 1st of January, 1805, then died. The coroner’s verdict, manslaughter. Taylor, of course, was committed to Lancaster Castle. The dispute originated about two cocks fighting. They lived very near neighbours.
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December 26th – A most tremendous roof day for wind and snow. The wind north-east, accompanied with a slight frost. December 2nd – Bonaparte was crowned emporer of Gaul. This coronation took place in Notre Dame, and was a gorgeous spectacle. The Pope himself was made to come to Paris to perform the ceremony. On the 21st April 1804, a motion was made in the Tribunate to confer the crown of France on Napoleon and his family for ever, and on the 18th May a senatus consultiene was passed. The nation was appealed to, with the result that 3,572,329 voted “aye,” the “noes” only numbering 2,569 out of the whole nation. Bonaparte had got what he wanted – a committee of “One.” He was not merely King, but Emperor, and he set himself to work to carry out his plans of ambition. Holland was to be no longer republican. The iron crown of Italy was to be placed on his head at Milan. Then there was the great blow to be struck at England for the mastership of the world. England was in a terrible state of excitement. The coasts were unprotected. Wilberforce gives a graphic description of some of the vessels used to defend the coast. In country places near Oldham, we are told if the housewives wished to frighten their children into quietness they only had to tell them, “Bony’s comin’.” That would have been a quietus when everything else had failed. 1805 The Annals for this year are unfortunately not to be found. I must therefore rely on Mr. John Higson to supply the deficiency. January – We have mention of Robert Buckley, surgeon, of Chadderton Heights. In February, petitions were sent from Oldham for the repeal of the Corn Laws. February 12 – Mr. James Winterbottom, of Oldham, fustian manufacturer, died. February 17 – A child was born in Oldham with two heads. March 24 - George Booth, of Cowhill, vocalist, died. April 12 – William Jackson of Manchester street, carding engine maker died. This man had a name and fame among our earlier cotton spinners. I know he made some of the carding engines at Rhodes Mill. |
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