William Goodwin of Street Farm, Earl Soham.

Diaries dated from 1785-1810. Vol. I.. HD 365/1.

Transcribed by Mrs. J. Rothery of Earl Soham, August 2001

The following Miscellany of Occurrences Persons and Curiosities was began in the Year 1785 by Wm. Goodwin of Earl Soham Surgeon and is intended as an Universal repository and Chronology.

Extract for 1790

(Weather for January 1790. Mostly mild. 12 - Hot and foggy. 27 heavy rain with flood. 30 heavy Rain - with flood)

1790 Jan’y 1^st Six Doz and a half of Port of the Year 1785 pack’d in Bin - 4 Gall’s of Coniac and 8 Do. Of H and Eng. Geneva in Case -

London Bill of Mortality…

Died at Borris, Queen’s County Mrs. Cath. Phelan aged 126 Years

Mark Lane

Stocks: 3 pr. Cent. Consol 76 (?) and a frac.

East India

The Revenue Increas’d last year…

Jan’y 1790 Under Physical Direction. Patients: Mrs Smith Bramfield, Mr Page Ashfield, Mr Fairs Framsden,Mr Boyce Harleston, Mary Took of Earl Soham, Mr Moor (surg) of Framlingham, Mr Barthrop Parham, Mr Palmer Laxfield, Mr. Fisk L.V., H’y Kersey Framsden, Mr Moore Bedingfield, Mr Wilson Stradbroke, Mr Buckingham Framlingham, Mrs. Borlden Kettleburgh, Mrs Hammond Ashf’d Mr Mullet Pettaugh, Mrs Carly Badingham, Mrs Woods Badingham Mrs Letherdale Kelsale, Mr. Matthews (surg) Debenham, Mr Hudson Easton, Mr Hart Cransford, Mr Fulcher Occold, Mr Johnson Redingf’d (or Kedingf’d) Mr Stearn - Ashfield.

Jan’y 10^th 1790 The warmth and fineness of the winter thus far has scarcely been equall’d - Roses - July - stocks - Primroses in blossom - Turnips shooting in their Tops and some blowen in the light Lands - Birds singing as they do in April - Letters from Russia - The Orkeny Islands and other Northern Countries speak of the mildness of the Winter and the freedom of Navigation -

The Mufti at Constantinople…

Feb’y 1791The above has not answer’d as the Russians have every where this Campaign, beaten the Serv’ts of the Prophet Mahammed,…

From the Antiquates of Hawsted. In 1682 the follow’g wages were settl’d at by the Justices at Bury Sessions…

In 1790 - a Bailiff has from 20£ to 30£ pr. Ann’m

A chief Husbandman 9 to 12

A 2d Do 5 to 6

A Dairy Maid 3-4

A Reaper in Harvest 1/6 pr. Day and Board

A good Man from Mic. To Lady (Michaelmas to Lady Day?) 1/ pr. Day and beer - from Lady to Mowing 1/2 and Do. After that 1/6 and beer till Harvest is over - Mowing an Acre of Grass or Clover 1/6 - Shearing Do of wheat 5 or 6/

Margin note: In the 14^th Century a Man could earn 4d a Day wh. enabled Him in a week to buy a Comb of Wheat and consequently were better paid Then than now for Labour -

Feb 1^st to ye 8^th Wind S.W. and weather as fine and mild as in April generally - Birds Singing - Flowers blowing and all Nature vegetating -

13^th C Collett buried (Cor. Collett of Ipswich?)

The remaining part of this month fine and Dry more like to May than any other -

Thursday the 18^th I was taken very Ill with a Vertigo or Dizziness in the Head wh. was extremely alarming - It is somewhat abated now (March ye 4^th) but prevents my Riding or even walking much -

April 5^th Dizziness almost gone but a general Lassitude and muscular relaxation remain -

Feb. 1790 By an accurate Calculation lately taken, It appears There are in England…

A Seisure was made last week in Monewden Church of nine Tubs of Spirits, secreted behind the Twelve Commandments - They belong’d to the Sexton -

Mond’y 8^th Died my old Friend Cor (?) Collett Esq’r of Westerfield - He left a fortune of upwards of 30-000£ - and me 260£

Candidates for the next Election for Suff’k are Sr. Jno Rous - Sr. Charles Bunbury and Sr. Gerard Vanneck - The Contest is very smart - The Two former unite in friendship and Interest against the latter and have the Church and administration at Their Backs - Sr. Gerard’s support is an amaible and Popular Character with The Dissenting Interest -

(Weather for month of March 1790. 1-7 Wind S.W. and W. Fine dry weather - Vegetation advancing - flowers blowing - birds singing like as in April -)

This month has been unusually pleasant and fine.

The Imports of Cotton in 1789 were…

A Foot Race on Epsom Race ground was run this month between two Men, Six miles in 33 Minutes

Manchester pays Annualy for Postage…

March 1790 The Dissenters have been forming Committees - Meetings and Resolutions all over England - asserting (not in the most decent language) "Their right to share in the Power and Emoluments of Government" wh. has rous’d the Establishment in Church and State to the forming counter Resolutions - The Test Act is the object to get rid of and great debates on that subject took place in the H. of C. on the 2d of this Instant when Mr. Fox moved for Its Abolition - There apear’d

Against the Question 293

For It 104

Presbiterians defeat 189 (Pencil note: repealed in 1828)

It appears there are in England not more than Three Hundred and twenty five Thousand Dissenters of every denomination - or about 1 to 12 of the establish’d Church

April 3^rd Southwell postmaster of Saxmundham and Smith a Dragoon for Sodomy and Mills for Horse-stealing were Hang’d at Rushmere - 7 to be Hang’d at Bury and 4 repreiv’d -

(Weather for April 1790 Hard and cold until 12^th of the month. -)

The above days have been the Coldest since last Nov’r.

1790 April 5^th Mark Lane

Stocks

3 pr. Cent. Consol - 79 and a frac.

The Herefordshire Ox killed at Wantage this month measured…

Four Quarters weigh’d 100 Score and 8 lbs…

Lottery for 1790…

The above Bankers sold the whole to Mess’rs Pope & Co for 10-000£ profit -

At a Nobleman’s Table this Spring - Peas at 3 G’s pr. Quart

Cherries at 3 Do. Pr. lb

(Weather for May 1790. Mostly fine, pleasant and towards the end of the month - hot.)

May 11^th Wind N.E. Fine - open’d our Bowling green

1790 May 8^th 3 pr. Cents Consols are fallen from 80 to 74 and a fract. From the breaking out of a very Hot Pressing for Seamen in consequence of Spain having Captur’d 4 Vessels of our in Nootka Sound wh. ‘tis fear’d may occasion a War

The Prince of W.’s Traveller beat Ld. Grosvenor’s Meteor B.C. for 1000 G’s only 9 yards - 200-000 Gs were depending on this Match -

A Million is voted for fitting a Fleet to sail against the Spanyards wh. has lower’d the 3 pr. Cents to 71

Augu’st 20^th Lord Howe sail’d from Torbay on a cruise to face the Spanish Fleet with 31 of the line, 10 frigates and two fire-ships man’d with upwards of 20-000 Seamen - notwithstanding this and all other warlike appearances the Issue for peace or war is doubtfull - N. 3 pr. Cents got up to 77 -

The Dutch squadron of Men of War commanded by admiral Kingsbergen remains at Torbay waiting the orders of our Ministry -

May 1790 Two Norfolk bred Sheep only 2 yrs. Old this Spring were kill’d in this parish one weigh’d upwards of 36 lb pr. Quarter, or 10 Stones - The other more than 30 lb pr Quarter - They were both remarkably fat and were fed at Eye

23^rd A new Bridge for Carriages was finish’d over our River - The Brick-work and Coping cost 55£ The Carpenters work for Posts, Rails Foundation and painting etc. cost 53£10s. 0d. - It took about 13.000 Bricks and 70 bus. Of Lime -

The Soham Gent’n Subscrib’d 15£15s. 0d

The County allow’d us 30£.0.0.

The remainder will be rais’d by annual savings from the Surveyor’s 6d Rate of last Year, this Do. And next - The whole cost (exclusive of the Old Materials and carting 600 Loads of mending) about 114£. 0s. 0d. including Painting etc etc -N.B. might have been built for less money -

May 1790 Wheat being 30/ Pr. Comb The Gentlemen of this parish Subscrib’d 26£ of wh. with 7£ from the Trustees, we purchas’d Wheat and Sold to all the Poor belonging to Soham at 5/ pr. Bus. Allowing ½ a peck pr. Week for ye consumption of every individual They took off 5 Combs pr. Week and it lasted till Septem’r

June 18^th Ipswich Election comes on to Day - Candidates Middleton and Cricket, old Mem’rs ag’st Sr Jno Doyly and Major Rochfort Sr. Jno. Doyly poll’d 323 - Cricket 312 W. Middleton 299 - Rochfort 243

19^th Eye Election - Candidates Commodore Cornwallis and General Phillipson - old Members, ag’st Bridges Henniker Esq’r - The two former return’d

It is computed there are in the Kingdom 410-000 Voters…

June 11^th 1790 The Parliament was this Day Dissolv’d and a new one commanded to meet the 10^th of Aug’st next - A war with Spain being expected is one cause of the Dissolution -

16^th The Election for Suff’k is order’d by the Sherrif to begin at Ipswich on the 29^th and no nomination day. Candidates Sr. Jno Rous and Sr. Ch. Bunbury in union, against Sr. W. Girod Vanneck - the present state of the Votes, given by the former is for

Bunbury 3283

Rous 2975

Vanneck 1095

The number of Voters is suppos’d to be about 5000

In 1710 - Voters - 5310

Hanmer poll’d 3440

Davers Do. 3220

Parker Do. 2009

8669

In 1727 - Voters 5228 -

Barker poll’d 2963

Davers Do. 3077

Holt Do 2365

8405

Holt Poll’d 1944 Plumpers -

June 1^st to 26^th The wind has been S. & S.W. very Hot and chiefly dry - uncommonly fine for making our Clovers, Trefoils etc etc -

July has had as many wet Days as dry, wh. has retarded the Hay as well as Corn Harvest

July 23^rd Soham Fair was not full of People - 5 different parties beat up for Volunteers and were suppos’d to intimidate the Countrymen - There were about 2000 Lambs wh. all sold at high prices -

Docd (?) Franklin’s Will to ye Americans 1000 £ to let out in small sums at 5 pr. Cent - in 100 years It will produce…

1790 Suffolk Election Began at Ipswich Tuesday ye 29 of June - After nominating the Candidates Sr. T. Char. Bunbury - Sr. Jno Rous and Sr. Gerard W. Venneck (the Poll commenc’d at 14 or 15 Booths mark’d with the names of the Hundreds, at 11 o’clock and continu’d till near 8, on wh. day were poll’d for Sr. Charles 1623 Sr. Jno 1539 - Sr. Gerard 1495 - It commenc’d at ten next Morning and finally ended at five, when there apear’d

For Sr. Charles in Toto 3049

Sr. Jno Rous 2761

Sr. Gerrard Vanneck 2080

Whereupon the two former were Chair’d by The combination of the principle Landed Gentlemen and the Clergy, and forming Committees, to persuade and compel Votes against Sr. Gerrard. He lost his Election al(t)ho’ by much the greatest favorite with the People - Had Sr. Charles and his foxite friends stood neuter and not join’d Sr. Jno Rous, He would have been beaten - The Two latter had 700 Voters unpoll’d and Sr. Gerrard about 300 Votes - The latter Poll’d 1199 Plumpers -

Margin note: The No. of freeholders Poll’d at this Election was 4846 and about 850 suppos’d to remain unpoll’d in Ipswich and the neighbourhood - c/o Tumult happen’d nor but few accidents (doesn’t seem to make sense).

1790 The number of Inhabitants on the face of the Globe…

July Mark Lane

27^th Stocks

Bank 174

3 pr. Cent Cons 73 ½

India 150

Lot. Tickets - 15 - 9s -

A Salmon was caught at Warrington…

August 22^nd Ipswich Fair was very full of Lambs, suppos’d near 200-000 - They all went off in 3 Days - prices from 8£ to 15£ 10s. pr Score - Sr. Char. Davers bore the Bell -

The national Debt of France is said to be two Hund. And six millions - Sterling

Aug’st 1790 The national assembly in France has agreed to abide by the Family Compact and have fitted a Fleet to join the Spainyards against England -

It is generally thought a Counter-Revolution will take place in France the popular party having carried matters too far in divesting Their Nobility of all Their Titles; and taken from the Princes of the Blood their large domains - Imprison’d the King and Queen and are daily acting with a democratic Tyranny that will finally overturn the fair Liberties They otherwise might have Establish’d.

The Harvest of 1790 has been Housed in fine Condition and was very abundant - The Showers that fell the latter end of Aug’st benefited the soft Corns very much -

1790 The Empress of Russia…

An Iron Bridge case in England for America consists of One Arch 90 feet wide weighs only 13 Tons -

Mr Mellish has a contract for 60 Sail of the Line and 30 Frigates to supply with Beef - consumption a thousand Oxen a Week -

Oct 1^st 1790 Mr Spink Banker at Bury on being chosen a second time Alderman gave a Dinner to 300 of the nobility and Gentry consisting of four large Turtles, 4 Bucks, fish Game Growse etc etc in the greatest abundance.

Oct. 1790 The Supplies granted since the Revolution…16 Paid 16s for Two Sacks of Apples

Mark Lane

Stocks

Bank 168

3 pr. Cent Con 73

Lott. Tick 15/8

Hops very fine Kent 1/ pr. lb pr. Pocket

Suff’k Butter and Flet Cheese from 32 to 34 and 35 pr wey and Firk’n

18^th 150 Lasts were receiv’d at Yarmouth on Thursday wh. at a farthing each came to 2062£

1790 The average price of Wheat from Oct. 11 to Do 16. 1790 was as under pr Bushel … (various counties given including)

Suffolk and Lincoln 5/8

Norfolk and Cornwall 5/7

Cambridge, Huntingdon & Essex 6/5…

Oct 28^th Wheat in July sold at - 3.0.0. pr. Quarter - sells now at 2.0.0. pr. Do.

For Generating Yeast the following Recipe obtain’d a premium of 20£ from the Society of Arts - Procure 3 earthen vessels (or wooden) the 1^st to hold two Quarts…

Nov. 1^st The Season has been unusually Dry and fine since the middle of Harvest - many Farmers have not began sowing Wheat for want of Rain and very few have made an End -

Oct 1790 Mr Bakewell of Leicestershire in 1780 began letting Rams for a season at 10 Gs each, from that time to 1786 his price arose to 100 Gs since wh. four hundred Guineas have been repeatedly given for the hire of a single Ram for one season - He this year letts out 3 Rams for twelve Hund. Guineas his whole letting of 10 Rams amounts to three Thousand Guin’s - The whole amount produc’d in the midland Counties by letting Rams for 1789 came to Ten thousand Pounds -

Margin note: N. The very first Letting a Ram for a season was by Bakewell 40 years since at Leicester fair for 16 Shill’gs

Corn Trade Government has made a standing Law that when the aggregate general average of England publis’d in ye London Gazette falls under the following prices the importation is prohibited from ye six Days following

Nov 2^nd 1790 The greatest Preparations ever known, have been made by us both by Sea and Land since the Capture of our Ships by ye Spania’ds in Nootka…

21^st The 3 pr. Cents are up to 79 and 1/2

30^th Wind N.E. the first fall of Snow

1790 Dec. The Whole Expence of arming against Spain was upwards of 3,000,000£…(taxes given on sugar, rum, brandy, british spirits, malt etc)

Dec’r 22^nd So mild has been the Season that a HedgeSparrow’s nest with two new laid Eggs was found to Day in my Stable -

Dec’r 23^rd 1790 A Severe Storm of Rain Hail and Thunder with very vivid and long flashes of Lightning - It extended over the greatest part of England and Ireland and was suppos’d and said to be a slight shock of an Earthquake - much damage was done to the Shiping and Houses at London - Windsor - Colchester etc etc - It was very awful indeed

Debates in the House lasted 3 days on the question "of Impeachment by the Commons continuing in full force notwithstanding the dissolution or natural Death of the Parliament"…

From Dec’r 1789 to Do. 1790

Christnings and Burials - London

Died under 5 years old 7825

Do. Under 2 Yrs about one third of those born

29^th Mark Lane

Stocks

3 pr. Cent. Cons 81 and a fract

Bank 186

India 170

Hops

Kent 115 pr. Cwt

Bought at Ipswich from Dec’r 18^th to ye 25^th