Not only was this want of weft caused by the dearness of cotton, but export yarn was an ever growing factor, and, though foreign ports were supposed to be closed, a large contraband trade spring up, and while our cotton yarns were smuggled abroad, by a strange irony of fate Napoleon’s army were actually clothed with great coats from Leeds and boots from Northampton, under the guise of foreign manufacture. October 30th -Was entered, at Royton, Mr. George Kitchen, late steward to Sir Watts Horton, Bart. Of Chadderton; age, 81 years. October 31st -Was entered, at Hollinwood, Alice Whittaker, a widow, late of Chadderton Mill; age 91 years. This month concluded with very seasonable weather, but nearly everything riseing, particularly soap is now 13d. a pond; candles, same; treacle, 5d.; butter, 14d. Meal, flour, and pottatoes keep gradually riseing. November 3rd -Died, Edmund Newton, of Bottom of Maygate lane, weaver; disorder, fever; age 57 years. Coal and cannal fell; coal to 10d. a load, and the latter 16d. November 9th -Mrs. Nancy Ogden entered as tennant to the Roe Buck public-house, Jackson Pit, Oldham (late Barlow’s), and a few weeks since Robert Whitehead entered on the new Navigation Inn public-house (late P. Barnet’s), and entered on Abraham Fletcher’s public house, late Whitehead. The times are the most wretched ever experienced, provisions rising, price of labour falling, and a deal with no work at all, especially those that worked at factories, and a deal of failures, and taking a deal to Lancaster never were such miserable times. This “taking” to Lancaster was not for crime but for debt. It was often in the debtor’s cell Lancaster Castle that our early manufacturers liquidated their obligations to their creditors. November 7th -John Robishaw, of Thorp, near Royton, committed to the Bayley to take his tryall on a charge of stealing a parcel of books from Lower Ship, Manchester. November 16th -Two unfortunate men lost their lives. They were father and son, and a third very much burned, by the firey damp at Werneth. November 21st – Edmund Tetlow opened a public house at Bottom of Bent, Oldham. It was formerly an ale-house. November 23rd – The man burned as above died, and was buried this day at Oldham. He was (the son was 16 years) old. These three unfortunates were father and sons by the name of Bough, and natives of Sropshire. November 27th -Died Betty, wife of Mr. James Lees, of Red Hall, Greenacres Moor. Where was Red Hall? This is the first time I have noticed its mention. Is it New Clarksfield? Thomas Drake and John Entwistle, two of His Majesty’s Justices of Peace, and Robert Gregg Hopwood, a deputy lieutenant, attended at Oldham, to swear in the local militia, when 516 from Ashton, and between 300 and 400 of the Oldham were attested.
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December 3rd -Died, Betty, daughter of Henry Clough, of Top o’th’Moor, disorder a fever, age 15 years. The latter end of last month, Dr. Bellot removed to a house, corner of Leather street, Oldham; and Doctor Taylor from New-road, to the house late Bellot’s. December 7th -Uncommon fine weather and as been so for some time, it is so warm that it much resembles a fine spring, and is so melch that a deal of flowers are in bloom; and died William Retford, keeper of the Weavers’ Arms public-house, Sugar-lane, Manchester; consumption, age 46 years. The word ‘melch’ used in the annal calls for some comment. I do not find it in any of my usual authorities on words. It is a genuine Oldham word though, and I have often heard it used by old people in describing a fine spring morning; it conveys the idea of mild, or balmy, or perhaps milky. Can it be derived from the old Saxon word melve, milk; Anglo-Saxon, meole; Durch, melk? Thus is Piers Plowman, Passus v. Buttermelke, and cheese. December 8th -The most wretched and miserable times ever experienced. Weaving never so low, and all sorts of provisions so high. Mr. Ralph Taylor, of Thorp, is now only giving 14s. a cut for 6 ponds of upwards of 50 hanks in the pond, and the cuts, 30 yeards long then, fell for the situation of the poor. Two shillings and fourpence a pound was the price paid then for weaving 50’s into tabby velvets probably. This would be for hand weaving. It is now woven by power loom weavers for little more than one-fifth of the price, which is the lowest I have seen. In October, this year, 3s. 4d. a pound was paid. In those days it was nothing thought of to reduce the price for weaving 1s. a pound it seems. December 10th -Candles last week 14d.; this week 12d. per pond. December 14th -Died, Betty, wife of Jacob Newton, shopkeeper, of Ashton-under-Lyne; disorder, dropsy; aged 46 years. December 17th -Last night, died Nanny, wife of James Fallous, shopkeeper; disorder, fever; age 24 years. December 17th -High wind and a deal of snow; at night it turned to freezing. The 8th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, it froze with great severity. December 22nd – An uncomon day for snow and wind, so that travelers were stoped on their journeys. December 28th -Died, John Cowper, cotton manufacturer, of Burnley-lane. His epitaph in the old churchyard is thus expressed:-
December 30th -It yesterday turned to a very fine thaw. Ended the year 1808. |
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ANNALS OF OLDHAM No. LIII 1809 The year 1809 comenced on a Sunday, wich was cold, roff, boisterous day, and in respect of Cristmas there was not the least appearance of it, for there was no poor family wich had power to brew, such are the distredness of the times, work so low and scarce, for there are hundreds in Oldham parish who are entirely without work; weaving is at the lowest ebb ever remembered, for a deal of masters give no more than twelf shillings a cut for weaving tabby, and from 18d. to 21d. for 21 hanks. Then let futurity judge of our lamentable situation. The following is an accurate statement – namely: “Let futurity judge.” The twelve shillings was for weaving tabby velvets, containing each 6 pounds of 50’s weft, being 2s. per pound. This is the lowest point yet mentioned in these annals. This was for hand weaving. I knew of an old man who was being paid 2s. 6d., and his master told him he would have to reduce the price to 2s. 3d. “Nay!” said the old weaver, “before that aw’l give o’er,” and he did “give o’er” and never wove again. Meal, 2s. 6d. to 2s. 8d.; flour, 3s. 6d. to 3s. 8d.; malt, 31s. to 33s. a peck; treacle, 5 1/2d. to 6d.; butter, 14d.; new butter, 15d. to 16d.; candles, 13d. to 14d.; cheese, 8 1/2d. to 9d.; pork, 7 1/2d. to 7 1/2d.; beef, 7d. to 8d.; bale cotton, 3s. 1d. to 3s. 2d.; mutton, 7d. to 7 1/2d.; bacon, 9d.; hops, 14d. to 16d.; salt, 4d.; onions, 1d.; sugar, 9d. to 10d.; Soap (white or brown), 12d. per pond; potatoes, 8d. per score; green boiling peas, 10d. per quart; hay, 8d. to 9d. per stone; white cotton wool, 2s. to 2s. 8d. a pond. Hatting very tedious to be worked on account of the stuff being so bad. Out work very scarce; all sorts of timber very dear; pitch pine deal at nearly 7s. per foot. The price of timber has not been before mentioned in these annals. Every kind of article which had to come from abroad was terribly dear on account of the Milan decrees. Pitch pine at 7s. a foot must have been very dear. In the beginning of this month have died Samuel Newton, son of the late Edmund Newton, of Top-o’th’-Moor; Martha Lees, a remarkable little woman, of Busk; Mary, wife of Thomas Warburton, Maygate-lane, hatter.
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The Newtons, of Top-o’th’-Moor, meaning the top of Northmoor, were evidently old inhabitants, probably descending from the John Newton, who gave evidence in 1620, and previously of the Bounds and Metes of Oldham. January 3rd. – Snow and severe wind. January 4th. – Snow and wind. January 5th.- Snow. January 15th.- Died at Ashton Workhouse, Edward Duckworth, blacksmith. January 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th,- Severe frost and snow. January 25th. – Last night an uncomon night of rain and frost, so that the earth was covered with ice, and the trees and hedges had a very grand appearance, being entirely weighted down with ice, and bows broke off a deal of valuable trees. January 27th.- Commenced a fine thaw. In the beginning of this month subscriptions were opened in different parts of the country for the relief of the starving poor at Oldham. There where pottatoes and bacon, beef or mutton, given to the poor in quantities according to the necessetys and number of mouths in a family, insomuch that fifty sheep and seventy loads of pottatoes where distributed in one day. Either the poor law was badly administered or the town was too poor to keep its own poor, or – this is most likely – the people were too independent to throw themselves on the parish. Hence the necessity for relief from outside quarters, which was bestowed both liberally and bountifully at this time. As showing the spirit of the people, I know of people who would rather die of starvation than make themselves into paupers. It seems it was so of old. January 20th. – John Rowbottom enlisted into the 4th. or Woolwich division of Royal Marines. January 16th. – The British Army, after performing prodigies of valour, and their commander, Sir John Moore, killed, embarked at Corunna for their native land. |
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