24th August 1764

Spt. 6d & this day came on the Election for Corroner for the County of Nottingham betwixt Mr Allin of Ollerton and Mr Hodgkinson of Southwell o& the pole Ended this morning Saturday 25 Aug at 10 o'clock in the favour of Hodgkinson  and Mr Lowther of Retford & Mrs William Chapell took the poll. Spt. wth Mr Lowther 12d.

Did you know that County Coroners were elected?  I certainly didn't.  There is a brief mention of it here.

Presumably, Mr Lowther was Deputy Coroner?  Anyway, Thomas and he went out to celebrate!

3rd June 1764

Went to Belton at Lord Tryconnells and See the House. the Libery Room the Grand Dining Room & the Picture Room which was very Grand.
Gave the maid 12d the man 12d Gardner 12.

We can all follow in Thomas's footsteps and visit Belton House

Thomas's payment of 3/-, adjusted for inflation this is about £21.  Today you can vist the house for £11.50. It belongs to the National Trust.

10th May 1764

Went to Grantham to Mr Edward Newton's Funerall who was Buried this Day in Grantham Church he dyed Tuesday 8 May of a mortification in his Legg

(this must have been a first outing for the "Crape Hatt Band" Thomas bought in the previous post).

Then there is a note in the margin

Saturday 5 May my wife Returned from SumerHill and the 8 May my wife went to Grantham

Mr Edward Newton Left my wife a 50 pound in the Grantham Turnpike and 20 pounds to be paid her in one year after his Desease.

So Edward Newton is definitely a close relative but I know he is not her father.  An Uncle perhaps?

The Grantham Turnpike could refer to several Turnpike Trusts.  These maintained roads before government did. Of course, this was not out of charity and Toll gates  were placed across the roads to collect the fees (just like the M6 Toll). 

I can't find where this Trust's roads ran but here is a toll house from quite another place

P.S.  A quick Google tells me that Edward Newton's will was the business of the Lincoln Consistory Court and a copy of it is stored in the Lincolnshire Archives.  The index, which I can access online, tells me that he was a gunmaker.


P.P.S.  Edward Newton appears to have been an Irishman - one of his apprentices was John Fox Twigg . That link is particularly worthwhile as it shows guns made by Mr Twigg.  Another was Robert Wogdon.


P.P.S. From The Field 3rd April 2012
"Founding father, Joseph Manton, was born in April 1766, the son of a farmer and corn miller in Grantham, Lincolnshire. Manton was brought up in rural isolation, his family unsophisticated, his life unpromising and his future uncertain. Manton's one advantage was that he grew up in what firearms scholar Keith R Dill has labelled the Grantham Genesis.

Four great British gunmakers of the Georgian era, John Twigg, Robert Wogdon, Joseph Manton and his equally talented brother John Manton, all appear to have learnt something in Grantham. All were influenced in varying degrees by communing with the shadowy figure of Edward Newton, a provincial gunmaker whose only legacy appears to have been the workmen he trained who subsequently took his high standards with them to London."

New Clothes for Thomas 1764 (and some other stuff)

5th April Mr Hesketh Dyed & my wife went to Summerhill in Staffordshire 

This must be John Hesketh mentioned here as marrying Ann Newton. I still don't know what relation Ann is to Thomas's Elizabeth. 

10th April Bot. of Alleyne & Rose Mercesr Nottm 4 yds fine narrow Grey Cloth @7/6 - £1.10s 
4 yds fine Black Shalloon 20 - 6/8 
1 5/8 yds Fuston 22d, Buckram Canvas 12d - 2/10 
Thread 3d Silk 14d Twist 10d Tape 2d - 2/5 
a sdhand Crape Hatt Band 18d Apr Bla Gloves 14d - 2/8 
2 pair Black Stockings 7/- 
12th Spt 4 Black Ribbon 4d - 1/-

(Thomas's sums are off there - 4 times 4d is 1s4d!) 

13 Paid Mr Samuel Nightingale Taylor for makeing Coat & Waistcoat 9/-

1st April 1764

The Great aClipps in the Sun it being Sunday abt. 10 oClock in the Morning we did not goe to Church till half an hour past 11 oClock

The Eclipse itself is somewhat eclipsed by a racehorse born on that day and called Eclipse

 

He was a singularly successful horse and 80% of all Thoroughbreds  today can trace their ancestry back to him.  The portrait is by Stubbs.

This small map was published in the February 1764 edition of the "Gentleman's Magazine". It predicts the path of the solar eclipse that happend April 1st that year as it passes across south-east England and north-west France. Three diagrams show the change in the detailed aspect of the eclipse as would be seen at Boulogne, at Orleans and at London.

13th March 1764 Tuesday

Mr Williamson married Miss Pope  he 67 & she 20

(I don't think Thomas approves!)

March 19


The Bridge by the Lane was begun to be pulled down in order for a New one at the expense of the County

A book called "Old Nottingham: its streets, people & etc, by James Granger pub 1902 mentions this bridge

"In 1764-65 the old Leen Bridge was taken down, the county
magistrates having met and accepted a tender for its
demolition and re-erection, when it was expected to have
three additional arches and also to be of much greater width,
which was much needed- A Mr. Thompson, of Lichfield, is
understood to have been the contractor. Whilst this important
work was in hand advantage was taken of it to straighten the
northern end of the bridge by bringing it more eastwardly
and nearer tne centre of the open space, once called
"Bridge Foot" or "Bridge End " (now styled Plumptre-square)."

23rd February 1764

Mr Richard Lipptrot married Widow Collins - Thursday

Her name was Frances - I've found the marriage record. They were married in St Mary's
Nottingham