19th Oct 1761

Sent a box to Nottingham Directed for me. Carriage 3/6 Box 2/-

Is Thomas finally getting ready to set up home with Elizabeth?

A New Meeting House in Nottingham

15 Aprill Tuesday
Dr Eatons son Layd the first Brick of New Meeting House in Mr Dales yard



Sunday 17 August
Dr Eatons New meeting House was opened for the first Time up Mr Richd Dales Yard

Richard Dale was a Councillor and a druggist and by 1784 he had died. He was also Thomas's landlord at this date. I'm trying to find something more about this, presumably Society of Friends Meeting house. I'll edit this when I do.

But isn't that quick work? 4 months for a whole new building!

9 August 1754 Fryday
Judge Burchell Sett Patt Goodall at Liberty. About Rioting in the Election of Member of Parliament tho the Prebiterents was worse then they they took care that non of their side Gang was presicuted. The Grand Jury found no bill against Patt Goodall which mortified the Presbiterents greatly.

Thomas doesn't sound like a dispassionate observer of these riots, does he? Online I can find little about what happened except that a Dissenters' chapel was destroyed and, by way of retaliation, many church windows were broken and "only two men were killed." Thomas calls the Dissenters Presbyterians which is not necessarily an accurate description, but I don't think he approves of them one bit!

15th April 1752
His Hon. Rothwell Willoughby Dyed - Wednesday

Oh, don't unusual names make research easier? Rothwell Willoughby was an interesting person. The house he built in Nottingham is still called Willoughby House and is a store owned by the designer, Paul Smith who hails from Nottingham.


22nd April
Went to Mr Cripps of Ilkinston and this Day stud Godfather to his Daugher with Miss Jane Eccles of Tidsey in Darbyshire & Miss Cripps it being the first time I stud in my life.

A parish register entry for Ilkeston (click here if you are interested in buying the transcripts) tells me that the baby girl was Elizabeth and Mr & Mrs Cripps were Francis and Frances.

I haven't yet managed to find out where Thomas means by "Tidsey".

Thomas celebrates his Birthday, a Mystery entry & a Rebellion

21st February 1744/5
Spent My Birth Day Punch 2/9

11th March
gave to see the Seenography 12d

(the what?)

3 December 1745
Mr Gibson & all the people was very Busey in hideing all their Effects and plate for fear the Reblells should come here and take them a way. Banker Smiths family With all their Cash Left Nottingham besides Numbers of the best Familey and in particular the prespiterent Sett
4 Dec the Rebells got to Derby and Stayed their till the 6 Decem and went Back again abt 12 oClock at noon to Ashborn & so to Scotland.

You remember from your history lessons that the Young Pretender and his army marched as far south as Derby? Well, here you see the effect it had on the City of Nottingham, just 15 miles away (a day's march).

Thomas's spelling is a dodgy at the best of times but I assume he means that the Presbyterians were nervous of the Catholic Charles Edward Stuart.

A Long Journey Home

Went to see the Concious Lovers 2/6
Paid Carriage of my Box to Retford 3/4

The Conscious Lovers is a play by Sir Richard Steele, first performed in the 1720s. It is of a type of comedy which is distinct from "Restoration Comedy" in that it dwells on feelings rather than bawdy action.

It seems really odd that he should travel over Christmas and without any comment at all, however there are lots of things to say about the journey and the route. However, here is the first plate of Hogarth's Harlot's Progress which shows the wagon she arrived in London on. It seems likely that Thomas's transport to Mansfield would have very similar.



18 December
Left Mr Byard and Gave his maid 2/6
19 December
Went to Mr Halls to Lye with him for three nights and spent their in Takeing leave of all my Friends 6s
21 December
Paid Mrs Landers for Shaveing Eight Months and it is in full of all Demand 14s
Gave her Boy a Shilling 1s
Bout Gingerbread & plum Cake 12d
A Bottle of Wine to Drink on the Road 20d
A French Roll 3d, Butter 7d
Spent at the Inn with Mr Hall before I sett off a Hott pot 12d
Paid to go In the waggon to Mansfield 12s
21 December
Spent at St Alborns 2s2d

There are several pubs still in existence in St Albans where Thomas's wagon may have stopped. I have no way of knowing which one he visited, But he cannot have failed to notice the Abbey.


22 December
Spend at Hooborn 2s4d

There seem to be two candidates for this location Houghton Regis and Husborne Crawley. I think it is Husborne Crawley but I need to look at maps from the right date

23 December
Spent at Northampton 2s6d

Northampton has been comprehensively redeveloped and Thomas wouldn't recognise much of what remains - This would be a good place for a rant about over-enthusiastic town planners but this isn't that sort of blog. This engraving is dated 1770 and most of what you can see would have been there when Thomas visited. The "modern" church in the centre of the picture was completed in 1701 with the addition of a portico to the seventeenth century church.




24 December
Bricksworth 2s

This must be Brixworth, though it is a bit close to Northampton. Most of the stops seem to be around 20 mile intervals and that is only 7.
Brixworth has a magnificent Saxon church which is larger and more magnificent than almost any other church of such age in England. Here, by kind permission of greentool2002, is a picture of the church today.

Perhaps the drainpipes are new but everything else looks much as it would have done when Thomas was there.

25 December
Bradmoor 2s2d

Bradmore is in Nottinghamshire.

The village was destroyed by fire in 1705 leaving perhaps one stone house and the church spire.
The church was not rebuilt but the village was.
This photograph, reproduced here by kind permission of ben-s (click the picture to visit his Flickr photostream), shows the 14th century spire.


26 December
Spent at Nottingham & Manfield 4s6d

Here is a panorama of Nottingham. I knew in my head that towns and cities were smaller but each time I see an 18th century picture of a place that I know, I am astonished.

I can't find anything suitable of Mansfield to show you. This is partly because I've never been there which makes knowing what to google rather difficult. I'll keep trying, but I'd appreciate any suggestions.



27 December
Walked from Mansfield to Retford & Spent 1s6d

That's around 19 miles and it is quite remote in places, even today.







There is still more to be added to this post!