Old pensioners used to talk of “Corunna “races,” and not a few Oldhamers were in that battle. We are told that “General Soult having followed the British in their retreat from Spain came up with them near to the seaport town of Corunna, on the night of January 16th 1809. The English general, Sir John Moore, made preparations for the embarkation of the troops, but the transport ships had not arrived, and he was compelled to give battle. The action commenced at two in the afternoon, January 16th, and though the English were at first repulsed, by dint of great exertion they eventually defeated their opponents. Sir John Moore fell in the hour of victory, and Sir John Hope, on whom the command fell, embarked the troops during the night. The French army was 20,000, the English about 14,000; the French lost 2.000 and the English1,000 in killed and wounded. – Townsend. Moore was a man of high repute in the English Army, having served previously in the West Indies, Holland, and Egypt. His death has long been the theme of schoolboy recitations:
February 1st and 2nd – Wednesday, the remainder of the Ashton Local Militia swore in at Rochdale; and Thursday the Chaderton (92) men, the Cromton, Royton, Midleton, &c., swore in at Rochdale. February 8th.- Died, William Royle, of Bear-trees, farmer, and exalent plowman, age 53 years; disorder, a fever, and the same night died Daniel Knot, commonly cald Long Dan, of Uinnook, disorder consumption. February 8th – An uncomon keen frost, with high wind at east. February 9th. – Began to thaw. February 11th. – Died Mary, wife of Timothy Wood, of Chadderton-lane, age 36 years, disorder dropsy. February 8th. – Wednesday was observed as a general fast. February 14th. – Uncomon wet weather at this time, and has been so for several days past. February 19th. – James Newton, son of the late Edmund Newton, of Top-o’th’-Moor, intered this day, disorder a fever, age 24 years. February 15th. - Westwood Inn, Northmoor, sold by auction, and purchased by Mr.l Crallan, brewer, of Ardwick, price £560. February 10th.- Carles Booth, of Charles Town, Ashton-u-Lyne, apprehended on a charge of uttering forged Bank of England notes at Ashton-u-Lyne. Samuel Clowes of Broughton, High Sheriff for Lancashire.
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The Clowses, of Broughton Hall, were a great and good family. The Reverend John Clowes preached a remarkable sermon on the Battle of Trafalgar, rallying all the loyal spirits of Manchester. I suppose this Samuel Clowes was a relative of this Rev. John Clowes, of the same place, who, it appears, was elected fellow of the Collegiate Church in 1809. Were not these Clowses allied to the Cleggs, of Bent, Oldham? February 20th.- John Wamsly, of Burnley Yate, apprehended in Manchester, by Naden, the thief catcher, on a charge of notes, and taken to the New Baley. February 23rd.- Benjamin Murfit, of Oldham, taylor, intered at Oldham, age 72 years. The latter end of this month was never equaled for fine weather; it much resembled a fine April. March 1st.- Jacob Radcliffe begun of harrowing his oats this day, at Whitaker-fold. March 8th.- James Etherington, of Oldham, was found drowned in a pit, near Fog-lane; he was 16 or 17 years of age; he was a little insane. March 10th.- The departure of a party of recruits of the Royal Marines for Woolwich; they assembled at the sign of the Nelson, Samuel Fletcher’s, North Moor. There were three sergeants and forty-five recruits. We scarsley ever witnessed a finer set of yong men, and never saw men in higher spirits; they where, as usual, attended by a large number of spectators, and amongst them a deal of women, who testified their sorrow by a large flow of tears. The music played “Over the Hills and Far Away.” Amongst the number was Dan Woolstoncroft and David Holden, J. Jackson, John Rowbottom, Simon Taylor, James Ward, Thomas Bentley, all of this neighbourhood; the rest where all from Rochdale, Milnrow, Cromton, &c. Another bevy of Oldhamers who were willing to devote their lives to their country. All honour to these men. On them and such as them depended the future welfare of Great Britain. As already seen, the struggle was one for supremacy, and had our British hearts and hands then failed us we had been undone. Britain would not have been the Britain of to-day. March 17th.- Never finer weather seen, and has been so for a long time, so that the farmers in general have got in their seed. March 16th.- One William Ascroft killed in a coal-pit near Werneth. March 22th.- The weather still continues fine, so that it was never equaled. March 20th.- Monday, a very numerous meeting took place on Boardman Edge in order to petition for peace. |
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Boardman Edge was often the gathering ground of advanced politicians in former times. Even in Chartist times it kept up its reputation. Have we not seen at least one cot with its small plot of land on Boardman Edge, its inhabitant earnestly believing the land was the source of all wealth, till I suppose he was starved out of the place, finding, I suppose, that the division of labour as regards the factory system was to him a greater source of wealth. March 24th.- John Wamsley, of Burnley Yate, sete out to joyn his regiment of the 90th of foot, now in Ireland. March 29th.- Alice, wife of David Woolstencroft, of Whitaker-fold, died; disorder, consumption; age, 60 years. March 31st.- Was interred at Oldham Joseph Cook, cotton manufacturer. He died at Doctor Chew’s lunatic hospital, near Burnley. The weather within these few days as been extreemly cold , with the wind east and strong; frosts in the morning. In the last week of March extreme frosty cold weather. March 23rd.- The assizes commenced at Lancaster, where Charles Booth pleaded guilty to the indictment against him; sentence, fourteen years transportation. April 3rd.- Being Easter Monday, there was a very numerous meeting at Tandle Hills, and came to a resolution to petition for peace, and to return Collonal Wardle and St. Frances Burdet thanks for carying the charges up to the Duke of York. Tandle Hill was a famous political gathering ground of the advanced party. The charges against the Duke of York had been stated by Colonel Wardle in the House of Commons on the 27th of January as follows; That the power of disposing of commissions in the army had been exercised for the worst purposes. Mary Anne Clarke, who had lived under the protection of the Duke of York, with a splendid establishment, had been permitted by his royal highness to traffic in commissions. That she had the power of military promotions, and the Duke joined at the profits. “Mary Anne,” the wife of another man, came up for examination and created much amusement by her unblushing effrontery, and the smartness of her answers. Wilberforce describes her as “fascinating the House,” as “elegantly dressed, consummately impudent, and very clever.” The Duke of York had to resign. This meeting shows how intensely interested our old politicians were in such matters. Sir Francis Burdett even appeased the wrath of Cobbett by his manly bearing, and he and Colonel Wardle were the heroes of the hour all over the country. April 6th.- Henry, son of Wm. Hall, butcher and publican, of Royton, unfortunately killed by a cart, and a young woman shot by accident this week in Cromton. April 17th.- A boy had his arm taken off in the Old Methodist Chapel, Bent.
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April 20th.- For four days of last past uncomon severe weather ; a high wind, rain, snow, hail, and sleet, with an uncomon frost, and wind north, and north-east. A few days since, George Radcliffe entered as tenant at the public house, Streetbridge, late Moorton’s. April 24th.- Uncomon cold weather and very strong frosts, the wind uncomonly high at north-east. April 22nd.- Seven unfortunate men where executed at Lancaster for uttering forged Bank of England notes. Two of them went from Cromton, viz., John Richardson and Eli Lowe, who left two wives and two large families. This craze of making haste to be rich out of forging bank notes had to be met by very summary measures. Execution, which meant, I suppose, “hanging by the neck,” was the only remedy people thought of in those good old times. Some people might think this a rather savage way of dealing now-a-days. April 26th.- Dies, Betty, widow of the late Jonathan Chadwick, of Wood, age 64 years. April 30th.- Uncomon cold weather, wind north-east or east, with uncomon frosts, wich as nearly cut up all vegetation. May 2nd.- Oldham Fair: A cold day, but a deal of company. A deal of recruiting parties and genarly three nymphs to one swain. Oh, the beautiful effects of this acursed war. May 7th,- An uncommon fine day – one of the first wich has been for some time, it having been extremely cold, and the spring very late. May 9th.- Coton wich a short time since was selling at 3s 3d., is now selling at no more than 1s. 6d. a pond. America was not such a fool, after all, as to force its “embargo,” and even if it did, British vessels were prepared to take the risk of carrying cotton for the cotton mills of England. A great score was made at that time in our carrying trade, and we have kept our position ever since. America found this out when it was too late, and then repealed the embargo laws. A previous “Annal” explains that the cotton was withheld by the Americans, the English import being greatly reduced. But the Americans soon found they could not eat it, nor even spin it, and so it had to come to England, which it did this year in plenty, hence the reduction in price. Imports of cotton for three years as follows:-
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William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard |
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