RAMSBOTTOM HERITAGE SOCIETY
AFTER news and refreshments, thanks went to Kathy Fishwick from Rossendale Civic Trust for standing in at short notice to present a talk on Henry Hargreaves – Local Lad Grows Up.
A schoolboy’s diary was found in the 1950s, dated from 1760, belonging to Henry Hargreaves, living in Newchurch aged 18.
The diary is small, about the size of a mobile phone and each double page spans a week, with notes on the left and an expenses sheet on the right.
Kathy was given the opportunity, several years ago, to photograph pages of the diary and this was pre-digital, so the quality is not as good as it would be if she managed to locate the diary and retake photographs.
Each daily entry was usually one line, but this can explain a great deal.
The Hargreaves family had three sons, one in Water, one in Goodshaw Bridge and one in Newchurch.
The village was built around a 16th century church and Kathy showed a picture of Henry’s house, built around 1750, called Mansion House. The house was demolished in the 1960s to make way for new housing.
A diary entry says ‘lost at cards’ and ‘Mr Welch leant me Virgil’.
This shows that Henry was learning Latin and Mr Welch was an important man in the Burnley area.
Henry went to Burnley Grammar School and was a boarder as it was impossible to commute, just returning at weekends.
On Wednesday, March 5: ‘Drank tea at Dr Holt’s’.
This would have been a special occasion as tea was a rare commodity at the time and having tea with a doctor would not have been a daily event, so shows that Henry had status.
Another entry was ‘starting taking black powders,’ which were laxatives.
Kathy and other local historians in Rossendale have spent a great deal of time researching what the phrases meant and Kathy hopes to publish a book based on the diary at some stage.
On May 19 Henry went to Blackburn to be confirmed and on July 6 went to Quakers meeting house and also Goodshaw Baptist, which was newly built.
In July he went on a holiday to York with his family and from the expenses page it was clear that Henry was in charge of organising the finances.
Later on he paid the workmen at the lead mine, so showed he was taking an interest in the family business.
In September he went to Edenfield to pay the poor at Edenfield church.
Henry lived until the age of 88 and there is a monument to him in Newchurch church.
Kathy then answered questions on this most informative subject.
The next meeting is the AGM and update on the yearly activities evening on Wednesday, May 16, at 7.30pm at Ramsbottom Civic Hall.
Non-members are welcome to attend to learn about our activities.