June 17th -Ale droped from 6d. to 5d. per quart this day at some of the ale-houses in Oldham. Last night some villans broke into the shop of Mr. Wilson, draper, in Yorkshire-street, Oldham. They stole a large quantity of goods and some money. They were detected early this morning, but they made their escape by leaving most of the goods. What is rather singular they entered the shop by making a break through the wall. Distress every day and every hour brings fresh distress to your knowledge. All kinds of weaving is in a most wretched state. Strong fustians are now no more than 16d. to 18d. a pond for good work in velveteens, and cords, and light goods are still worse, and a very large number are out of employ and factory buisness is daily growing worse and worse. Some factorys are entirely stoping, and some working some three days and some four days in the week, and the spinners have been lowered 1/4d. per score off their wages. The steam loom is evidently here making itself felt, judging by the prices of weaving. Cotton spinners were evidently suffering from fiscal rather than from other causes. The reduction of 1/4d. a score for spinning had been previously attempted, and caused a six weeks strike in 1815. June 28th - Died, James Ogden, son of Ashton Ogden, of Chadderton Walk Mill; his age, perhaps 23 years; disorder, consumption. The weather in general still continues extremely cold, and all kinds of vegetation late, although wheat and oats look very promising. June 27th -Eight transports from Lancaster on their rout to the Hulks stoped at the New Bayley, amongst whom was James Ogden, late of Northmoor. July 2nd -Died at Scoles Fold, Maygate-lane, George Woolstoncroft, a Chelsea pensioner; his age, 68 years. July 2nd -Ralph Mellor, of Magot-lane, attacted with a severe fever on his brain; hopes are entertained of his recovery. July 4th -Mr. Thomas Wroe, of Hollinwood, unfortunately killed by a fall from his gig near his own house at Hollinwood. He was a considerable manufacturer there. E. Butterworth says:- In 1803, Mr. Thomas Wroe, publican, of Hollinwood, son of Mr. Isaac Wroe, weaver, of Blackley, erected a cotton mill at Hollinwood. Mr. Wroe and his partner Mr. Duncuft, erected a cotton mill at West Houghton, near Bolton, in 1810, where, by introducing power looms, the manufactory became obnoxious to the populace, and on the 24th April, 1812, was attacked by a riotous mob, wilfully set on fire and destroyed. For this outrage three men were executed at Lancaster on the 11th June, 1812. This Mr. Wroe was father of the late Mr. Thomas Wroe, the respected comptroller of the Manchester Gasworks. |
July 6th -At Oldham, his day, new pottatoes sold 1d. a pond, gooseberrys 3d. a quart, bilberrys 1s. a quart. The weather still continues extremely wet and cold, and as been but very few hot day since last summer, and there as been but very little sun this summer. July 14th -Sunday, was intered at Oldham, Joseph Wood, of Chadderton Fold. He died far advanced in years. He was a Free Mason. His funeral was attended by a large number of that fraternity, with their badges and aprons. Freemasonry seems to have been well followed in Oldham for a long time. It will be remembered that James Butterworth, the Oldham historian, wrote a pamphlet on the use of the craft symbols. July 18th -Last night and this morning it fell a deal of rain, and was extremely cold, and still continues the same. There never was a colder spring and summer in memory of the oldest person living. July 17th -Thomas Chadwick, of Royton, manufacturer, in returning from Manchester market last night was attacted by two footpads near Werneth, and robbed of his pocket-book, containing bank notes and bills to a considerable amount, in wich they made clear off. And Taylor was brought to the Spread Eagle, before the Rev. Mr. Horden and Mr. Taylor on paying forged bank notes at Ashton-under-Lyne, and were commited to Lancaster for tryal. July 20th -The weather still continues extreem wet and cold, to the great detrement of vegetation. July 26th -The most alarming and distressing wet weather still continues. It as rained for the last six days to that degree as was seldom seen before. July 28th -The wet weather still continues, and is extreem cold. On the 24th of July Manchester Sessions comenced. There where 105 prisoners for tryal, of whom 18 was transported for seven yrs each. Arthur Gordon, of Hollinwood, was one, and James Shaw, sentence 18 months in Lancaster. The two where those concerned in stealing the beaver in Oldham. August 8th -Yesterday in the forenoon and part of the afternoon it rained excessively and is very cold. It rained for a long time, and is very bad hay time, as as been for a long time, and corn as the appearance of being extreemly late. Weaving of all kinds is dayley worse. August 17th -Thomas Mellor, of Sholver, near Oldham, was killed wilst at his work in a stone pit at Oldham Edge, by a quantity of stone falling on him. August 20th -Died, Batty Mills, of near Old Clarke’s, bottom of Maygate-lane; age, 83 years. |
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August 21st -Last night some villans broke into the shop of Peter Barnet, shoemaker, Oldham, and stole a large quantity of shoes, in which they made clear off. August 23rd -The wife of James Marsland, of Cowhill, on a fit of dispair, drowned herself in a pit called Hamer pit, near Chadderton Park wall. Trade of all denominations is daily growing worse and worse, weaving and hatting, in particularly hatting, there is very little business going on, and very great numbers in Oldham parrish have nothing at all to do. Weaving of all descriptions is very bad – never known worse. Good velveteens and cords are wove for 14d. to 16d. a pond, 24 hanks; tabbis, 7 pond, or nearly 60 hanks weft, for 21s. Light goods are very bad; 50 shirting, 39 yards, wich in spring, 1814, was 35s., is now 15s., and some 14s.; check tape formerly 16s., now 5s.; gingham formerly 22s., now 6s. to 7s.; calico, 28 yards for 1s. 6d. This is what is called roff calico. Factory buisness wages not much reduced. The factory system was the great boon of Oldham. Even in these times it was helping to maintain the start which Oldham had already made. The great reduction in weaving prices was evidently the result of introducing steam looms, though M. Kennedy only estimates the number of power looms at 14,000 to 15,000 in 1819. While the number of hand-looms was 240,000. It is painfully interesting to see the fall in the prices for weaving – though, again, I say thank God for our factories. August 31st -was Oldham Rushbearing Sauterday. It rained in the afternoon. There were three rushcarts, viz., one from Northmoor, one from Cowhill, one from Fog-lane. In consequence of the distressedness of the times, the company was few, and on Sunday a fine day, but very few company. On Monday very few company. On the whole it as been a very misserable Wakes. September 2nd - Oldham Wakes Monday. Last night it froze most severely, and it is feared it as done considerable damage to the pottatoe crops, as the wisles are much damaged. September 3rd - Last night it froze again very keenly. The potato crop, chiefly through this frost and damp weather, was a failure throughout the country this year. September 5th - One William Taylor, a poor weaver with a large family at Mumps, near Oldham, in a fit of despair hung himself. People in these days know nothing of poverty like William Taylor and others like him knew it. What a many suicides are recorded as the result of these bad times. Nor were they confined to one class. I am not extenuating the offence, but I recall the fate of poor Castleragh, the Prime Minister, who this year rushed unbidden into eternity. September 6th -Was opened the Babtist Chappel in Manchester-street, Oldham, when the congregation went from their chappel to the great reservoir at Hollinwood, when 13 men and one woman where, according to custom, babtized or diped in the water. |
Mr. Higson says:- The chapel originally built by the New Connexion Methodists in Manchester-street, was opened by Baptists as a meeting house September, 6th 1816, and the same day 14 persons were baptized in Hollinwood reservoir. Fine weather on the 15th , on the 16th, 17th, and 18th extremely fine, to the joy of all ranks of people, and it is sincerely to be hoped it will continue to ripen the corn, wich is very late, for this summer has been the wettest and coldest ever remembered by the oldest person living. All accounts agree as to the wetness of the year 1816. September 13th – Friday was the day for granting licenses at the Spread Eagle, Oldham, for the townships of Oldham, Royton, and Cromton, when John Holden of the Spread Eagle, Royton, the Hortons Arms, Heyside, Cromton, the Labour in Vain, or more comonly caled Downham’s, within Cromton, were turned (formerly Simon Mellor’s) for Chadderton. They were granted at Rochdale on the 6th. September 21st – Died at Oldham, John Nicholls, of Oldham, formerly a hatter and a purchaser of wool for the hat manufacturers of Oldham. His age upwards of 80 years. September 23rd – At a very numerous meeting assembled at Bent, Oldham, it was resolved to petition Parliament for a reform of Parliament, and on the distressedness of trade. Similar meetings were holden in most of the towns in the country. The meeting on Bent Green was the first public meeting held in Oldham under the influence of the new party of reform, which held that the evils we were suffering from could be remedied by an improved representation of the people in Parliament. The old Jacobin party had been resuscitated, and was now strengthened by increased numbers, who saw that the country was subject to bad legislation. And though no remedy was likely to be effective immediately on account of the fearful condition into which the country had fallen through war, these reformers began a very laudable effort to improve the constitution of the House of Commons. Mr. John Earnshaw, surgeon, was in the chair, and Messrs. John Haigh (an old Jacobin) and Wm. Brough, of Oldham, and Robert Pilkington, of Bury, were speakers. After voting resolutions favourable to radical reform, says E. Butterworth, the multitude separated in an orderly manner. This appears to be one of the first of a series of meetings held in this district, which culminated in Peterloo. September 31st – Yesterday and to-day uncomon wet day, and very little corn cut in this part of the country. September 30th – Wife of Thomas Broadley, a staymaker, of Middleton, was found dead near Chadderton Fould in a hedge, where she attempted to go through in order to avoid a dirty lane, where it is supposed she got fast and was not able to extracate herself. |
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