1812 The year 1812 began on a Wednesday, wich was a dark, rainey, cloudy day, and little or no wind. In consequence of the badness of trade and the dearness of all sorts of Provisions, there is but little apearance of Cristmas, and indeed, the old English hospitality is nearly extinguished in every family; for at this very time the lower-class of people who have a family of small children are absolutely short of the comon necessaries of life, and a deal of familys have not left off work at all. Roast beef, pyes, and ale are not to be met with at the poor man’s table, but on the conterary, misery and want. Hatting is very lowe and scarce; weaving, there is plenty but little for doing it, and to all appearances, if there be an alteration in times it must be for the better, except there be comotions or civil wars, wich God grant may never happen in this country or kingdom. Rowbottom evidently saw that things were coming to a crisis, as indeed they did in this present year. We in these times experience nothing like the trials of our forefathers. Such a state of things at present would occasion little less than a revolution. Our factory system was at the same time the saviour and destroyer of the country. It was fast destroying the old systems of industry, and yet it was saving those who clung to it and followed out its various improvements. From French’s “Life of Samuel Crompton” I learn that at this time there were 4,600,000 mule spindles in operation in England, Scotland, and Ireland. The annual consumption of cotton on these mules was forty million pounds annually. Double the amount of wages was paid for spinning on Crompton’s mule to that paid on all other machines for the purpose put together. James Watt told a committee of the House of Commons in March, 1812, that two-thirds of the entire amount of steam power employed in cotton spinning was applied to turning Crompton’s mules. At least four-fifths of the cotton cloth bleached in the principal bleaching works in Lancashire was woven from yarn spun on Crompton’s mules. The value of the buildings, power, and machinery engaged on spinning on Crompton’s system was between three and four millions sterling. Seventy thousand persons were directly employed in spinning on mules, and 150,000 more in weaving the yarn thus spun, and at the usual computation of two others dependent on each worker, the aggregate number of people depending on the mule for their living amounted to 660,000, without including those engaged in machine making, cotton growing, bleaching, dying, carrying, and other subsidiary trades. January 1st - Last nignt some villains entered the loom house of James Taylor, junior, of Streetbridge, and stole two fustian pieces out of the looms, wich were nearly wove, and other articles with wich they made off, and no trace behind. And Peggy, wife of Joseph Lee, of Westwood, but formerly of the Ivi House, Burnley-lane, entered this day. January 4th - Last night it fell a quantity of snow, and commenced a frost. January 5th - Last night a child of James Greenwood’s, of Thorpe, died in consequence of being burned. January 6th - Died, at Oldham, Nathan Lee, ginger bread baker, age 57. January 7th - Last night very cold; it rained, snowed, and froze.
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An account of the prices of the following articles; Meal 2s. 5d. to 2s. 6d., flour 3s. 5d. to 3s. 6d. a peck, malt 2s. 10d., to 3s. a peck, treacle 6d., butter 1s. 2d. to 1s. 2 1/2d., new butter 1s. 4d., candles 11d., cheese 8 1/2d. to 9 1/2d., pork 6d. to 7d., beef 7d. to 9d., mutton 7d. to 8 ., bale cotton 1s. 3d. to 1s. 4d., bacon 9d. to 10d., hops 18d. to 20d., salt 4d., onions 1d., sugar 8d. to 10d., soap 9d. to 10d. a pond. Pottatoes 9d. per score, white boiling 6d. per quart, green 8d. Hay 9d. to 10d. per stone, straw 3½d to 4d. per stone. White cotton called boads 1s. 3d. a pond. January 6th - Portsmouth. The Edenburgh sailed for Medreteran. Bad silver. On the 16th of last month one John Whitehead, of Failsworth, was detected passing bad silver coin. He was taken before Rev. Mr. Horden, of Royton, and by him committed to the New Bayley for tryal. Money was so scarce as to tempt people to make counterfeit coin. As already stated, paper money was the chief means of currency. Trade of all sorts is bad, especially light goods and hatting. Crist Church, Manchester was built first year of Edward 6th, being in 1547. Bishop Oldham was born at Oldham. He founded a free school at Manchester, and endowed it. He died in 1520. Sir Ralph Langley, Knight of Edgecroft, near Manchester, who was minister at Prestwich, built Oldham Church in the year of our Lord, 1476, in the reign of Edward 4th. At that time a day labourer had 3d. a day, a horse sold for £2 4s., an ox £1 15s., a cow 13s. 6d., a colt 7s. 8d., sheep 5s., hog 5s., calf 4s. 1d., cock 3d., hen 2d., wheat 11s. 3d. per quarter, ales 2d. a gallon; £28 13s 4d. would have gone as far in purchasing goods as 272 pounds 6s. and 8d. at this time. These are evidently some statements picked up by Rowbottom, which must be taken for what they are worth. Oldham Church was rebuilt at this time, it having been built the first time about the end of the 13th or beginning of the 14th cenury. During this month the Hero, of 74 guns, Captain Newnam, was lost on Haaksand, near Texel, and every soul on board perished; and the Grasshopper sloop was lost at the same time and place, but the crew where saved. January 12th - Was intered at Oldham, George Clough, of Mumps, near Oldham. He had been a long time a musicnian in the Derbyshire Militia, but had retired from the above regement on pension. He was buried with military honours, and a vast concourse of spectators assembled; his age, 66 years. January 13th - A lamentable misfortune happened at the cotton factory, Church-lane. Thomas, son of Wm. Brierley, of Pig-street, Oldham, was taken by the strap while at work in the above-named factory, and so much bruised that he died a few hours after; his age, 14 years. December 24th 1811 – The Saint George, of 98 guns, Admiral Reynolds and Cap. Guion, and the Defence, of 74 guns Cap. Ekins, where lost off Jutland, and it is feared every soul as perished. At the Colledgegate Church, Manchester, during the year 1811, there as been marriages, 1,309, babtisms 2,923, burials 658. January 12th - Last night one Hanson, in a state of intoxication, so much burned by sleeping on a hearthstone, that he died a few days after at Foul Leach. Saint George and Defence – Only 5 seamen and 1 marine were saved of the Defence, and the St. George 12. |
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ANNALS OF OLDHAM No. LXVI 1812 THE COMET OF 1811 Mr. William Robinson, of Greenhill, has kindly sent me the following note on the above comet:- Guillemin in his “World of Comets.” edited by Jas. Gashier F.R.S., says “The great comet of 1811 was also observed in 1812, and which is so well remembered in Europe - in the west on account of the excellent wine attributed to it, and generally known as “Comet Wine,” and in the east because it was regarded as a presage of the great and fatal war of the first Napoleon against Russia.” Again, this famous author referred to it on page 219, where he says, “The two tails of the comet of 1807 were curved in opposite directions, and a drawing of the same comet of 1811 represents a similar phenomenon,” also its physical effects as shown in Chamber’s astronomy, and Keith Johnstone’s atlas. The account given by Hone on climatic influences of this comet, also its physical effects in producing epidemics, extraordinary warm and dry summers, inundations, fogs, and abnormal births, &c. &c. is simply an extract from a letter which appeared in the “Gentleman’s Magazine” for 1813 p.432), and signed J.B., and which has had the distinction of being quoted by Arago and Guillemin.” Since receiving his note I have consulted the authorities named, G. F. Chambers gives the best account of it. M. Flaugergues discovered this comet at Viviers, March 26 1811, and it was last seen August 17th 1812. In the autumnal months of 1811 it shone very conspicuously. Sir W. Herschel paid particular attention to this comet. He states that the nucleus measured 428 miles in diameter, it was of a ruddy hue, although the surrounding nebulosity had a bluish green tinge. Agrelander assigns it to a period of 3,065 years subject to an uncertainty of only 43 years. The Aphelion distance is 14 times that of Neptune, or more exactly it is 40,121,000,000 miles. Guillemin says the head measured 112.000 miles in diameter, and the tail attained the prodigious length of 112,000,000 miles. This comet must not be confounded with Pon’s comet of 1812. – S.A. _________________ January 17th - The San Domingo sailed from the Downs for Sheerness.
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Population of England, Scotland, and Wales was given in to the House of Commons this month, when the number of people were 11,910,000. In 1801 a like return was made to Parliament when the number were 10,171,000. Ships in the Downs:- Monmouth, Egmont, Bellerophon, Elephant, Defiance, Bedford, Warrior, Erebus, Cordilla, Mosquito, Caesar Forward, Strenious, Rinido, Diligence, and Furious. January 18th - Last night died John Jackson, of Red Tom Nook, hatter, age 25 years. Disorder, a violent pain in his head. January 21st - Robert Bently, Joseph Marsland, both of Pig-street, and J. Priestly, of Oldham, were taken before Mr. Horden on a charge of stealing a piece of ham at James Fletcher’s, innkeeper. Greenacres-moor, and were committed to the New Bailey. January 24th - An unfortunate man was killed in a coalpit at Birchen Bower. He was going down to his work, and was trown out of the tub by accident. He was an unfortunate Yorkshire man. January 27th - Monday was one of the roofest days that has happened in a long time in this country; the wind at south-west was astonishingly high, accompanied with a vast quantity of rain. The waters rose astonishingly, but don’t hear of any material damage. January 21st - The San Domingo arrived at Portsmouth. February 1st - James Greaves entered as tenant on the King’s Head public-house Oldham (late Rhodes). Friday, January 31st – The grand ploughing match in a field belonging to John Horrocks, innkeeper, Cheshire Cheese, Oldham – the field was situate at Broadway-lane – betwixt John Smith of Beartrees, within Chadderton, with his father’s team, and driven by his father, Robert Smith, and Isaac Bayley, of Broadway-lane, whose team was drove by Saxon. The wager was given in favour of Smith, who is confesedly a good ploughman. The days when ploughing matches were waged in Oldham have long since departed. From the “Duties of a Ploughman,” in the 17th century, we learn that a days’ ploughing extended to seven or eight hours, beginning at 7 a.m., and ending at two or three o’clock p.m. “Then he shall unyoke and bring home his cattle, and having rubbed them, dressed them, and cleaned them from all dirt and filth, he shall fodder them and give them meat.” |
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