29th May 1761 Bout of Mr Venables at the Sign of the Beaver Piccadilly a Fine Beaver Hatt 21/- A Hatt Turning ..18d
Paid him for it before young Wade of Retford his apprentice.

I've found mention of a Mr Venables of Piccadilly - he was a subscriber towards a 1795 edition of Pilgrim's Progress.

Beaver hats were made initially from European Beaver but by this time most seem to have been made from pelts imported from North America. More here.

This hat seems likely to have been a tricorn - Some eighteenth century men's fashion is displayed here.


Thomas seems almost always very concerned that it is clear that he has paid. I find it interesting that he buys from a hatter whose apprentice is from his own home town. So often we seem to think that people didn't move much in the past but Thomas has many contacts who are spread over the country.

For nearly four pages, Thomas records the money he spends in pursuit of a court case against his sisters, Mary & Ann, spending a huge sum of money on lawyers and court fees. At the moment it doesn't make much sense to me but I will, sometime, acquire a copy of his brother John's will which is the cause of it all.

12 April 1755
a pair Dog Skin Pumps Barnett 6/6

UGH!

17 June
Paid Mr John Bright Attorney at Retford for Drawing Abstracts of the Writings that belongs to me & three Sisters Estate at Pinkston alias Pinxton in Derbyshire and his attendence at Sisters Tyes for a bout two Hours £5

27 June
Paid Sisters for 5 Weeks Board £1.10s

At the same time that Thomas is fighting with his sisters for control of various properties, he is staying with them. How odd is that?
John Bright is Thomas's sister Dorothy's brother-in-law.

28 June
Left Retford and Walked from their to Nottingham and Spent at Red Hill in Eating & Drinking 2/-


It is a long time since Thomas has recorded one of his long walks. This one is a total of 30miles with the stop at what is now called Redhill 10 miles from home.

Thomas spent the next few months in Retford, travelling to collect money due to him and his sisters, that bond that is mentioned in the last post, in particular.

So much of Thomas's life is totally different from today but some things have not changed

29 Jan 1743/4
Paid for Carriage of my Trunk from Hull to Retford which was nearly 4 months in the comeing 3/-

(Thomas paid for the trunk to go from London to Hull in early September!)

Food must have been poor in London (unless you were very rich, of course) as this next entry shows

6 Aprill 1744
Sent Tim Mitchell of London a pott Butter and Cariage as a present 5/9

That's a huge sum of money for butter, don't you think?

Spent from March 10 to Aprill 22 in Ale 9s 3d

Thomas drinks "Bear" when in London.

12 May
Went to Market Rasin & staid at Mr Scotts to 15 May & gave maids and spent their 5/6
Mr Camplin Came over and Paid me in part of Bond for Self & Sister 5.0.0
Went that Day to Caster to see his Uncle Scott and stayed to 17 May and gave Man and Maid
2/0
and went to Hull the same day 17th and got home to Retford from Hull 22 May and Cost me in Expences at Hull & Comeing Back again for my share 6/4
had Brothers Horse so Cost nothing in Horse Hire --- They Grumbled at the Expences and said I had Spent a Deal.

What ungrateful sisters Thomas has!

Thomas Contracts the Ague

13 September 1743
Lay at Mr Smiths and Spent their 2/9
Gave a man for Two Horses to goe with me to Gainsbrough and spent their 6s
And got to Retford a futt that night

The journey on horseback was 32miles, but, after that, Thomas walked almost 12 miles.
He must have stayed with family as he spends very small amounts of money for the 10 days he stays in Retford and doesn’t mention what he bought.

24 September
Sett Forwards to Market Rasin to see my master that I was apprentice with.
Spent at Gainsbrough 12d
Spent at Rasin from 24 sept to 30th 3/6


(he’s staying with his master.. he must be!)

and went to Caster to see his Uncle and staid till the 18th October Cost me 7/6
went from Thence to Louth and from Louth to Marsh Chappell to Mr Camplins & Received 5 pounds for Self & 3 Sisters in part of a Bond he owed he owed to my Grandmother & She left it to me & 3 Sisters 2 days & went to Alford to see Mr Bennet & staid till 24th Oct Spt 8/-
& Returned to Market Rasin 25 October and fell Ill of the Fenn Ague and was Ill at Mr Scotts till 3 November and Cost me in wine and nurse 12/-
Paid Mr Hubbert the Apothecary for Physick Blister etc, etc 16/-
Paid Mrs Byfield for washing my Linen the Time I stayed their 3/6
Gave Mr Scotts 2 maids & man 7/6
And Got to Retford 4 Nov
Spent at Gainsbrough 1/8
Had my Brothers Horse with me all the Time which cost me nothing 0.0.0

(that’s the first time Thomas has recorded spending nothing!)
Fenn Ague is malaria – Thomas has something in common with that famous diarist Samuel Pepys, who also contracted the Ague. It killed Oliver Cromwell.
More about Fenn Ague here.

Catching up with Friends, Family & Business

Having arrived in Retford, Thomas then embarks on a round of visits. He dines each night with a different friend or member of his family. He stayed with his sister, Dorothy, and her husband Joseph Bright, who was an apothecary in Retford.

Without any idea who most of these people were, it isn't really very interesting. I may add to this post if I find out anything about them.

However, he didn't forget his friends in London

20 February 1741/2
Sent a Turkey To Mr Byard and Sent one to Miss Hodgson Which Cost 10/6
Carriage to London 2/-

He then visited his family estates at "Pinkston", returned to his sister's house and set off "a Futt" to Mansfield, thence to retrace his journey by "waggon".

This time the stops were Nottingham, Leicester, Northampton, "Hooborn" and "St Holbourn".

This, again took about a week, and Thomas must have been relieved to get off the "waggon" and return to "my Lodgeings in Charles Street, Westminster"

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!