Wednesday 14 January 1874

December 31 1873 Dear Baby (Geo Philip) died after a few days illness from inflammation of the lungs. His loss was a great blow to us. We miss him still very much. He was so fair and fat and beautiful. His grave at the new cemetery (Derby) is number 5252.

3 December 73 Had a day’s shooting at Frinsey’s at Dale. Good sport. I shot Brace pheasants, rabbitt and partridge.

9 Dec 73 Laid down the back garden with grass for a chicken run.

Dec 15 1873 Annie and I went to London, I on business she to keep me company. We stayed for the first time at the Inns of Court, and liked it very much. Lizzie and Lang were there also. We all left London on Thursday. They returned home, and as I had a sharp attack of Rheumatism we went to Brighton. We enjoyed the visit very much. The weather was lovely and the aquarium a source of continued interest.

16 Dec 73 Introduced Annie to Oldham of the Union Insurance office and to Mr Lewis managing director. We lunched with Oldham afterwards. Was also introduced by Lang to ----- Mayor of Boston. Whilst in London we went to see Irving in Richelieu, at Lyceum and to Gaiety to see Phelps and Toole in “The Hypocrite”. The house was crowded. The Prince and Princess of Wales and suite being there.

On the 20^th coming in about 10.16pm and finding the sitting room fire gone out Annie said if it were winter time we should feel cold.

We returned to Derby on Monday the 22^nd December. I received great benefit from the change.

Tuesday 23 December 1873 Alice Spratt came to spend Xmas with us. We had a very quiet Xmas. The office was closed from Thursday to Monday and I was at work alone.

24 Dec 73 The Browns spent Xmas eve with us. Introduced them to spiced ale and cake a good old Lincolnshire fashion. Talking of Lincolnshire one of the seals at the Brighton aquarium was caught off the Lincs coast.

Monday 29 December 1873 I went alone to the Annual Xmas party at the County Asylum. Baby was so ill Annie did not like to leave him. Dolman, Turpie Dr Goode and I went in one cab. We enjoyed the evening much.

Tuesday 30 December 1873 I went (again alone) to a Dinner party at Tom Clarke’s (The Elms). Met nobody in particular. Found Baby very bad on my return and we were up all night.

January 3 1874 Buried dear baby at new Cemetery Derby. Mr Abney read the service.

January 10 Lottie Dolman confined of a girl. JO Bateman died.

January 12 Mr Abney called for the first time.

January 13 Beresford married to Miss Parker.

January 14 Date of entering up above notes (NB The entries were somewhat jumbled. I have put them back in order of date with the exception of the news of Baby’s death which Fred begins with - ed).

Sunday 18 January 1874

January 14 Annie Alice and I walked to see Baby’s grave. They have made it up very nicely and I like its situation. It seems very dreary to think of the tender little body so lonely and cold, whilst all our thoughts were to keep him warm and happy when he was with us. The thoughts of his present happiness and spiritual betterness do not alas supply the void. We have not yet settled what stone shall mark his resting place but we intend to have one.

Thursday 15 January 74 We had Fanny (Mason) to dinner and Dolman and the Browns came in the evening. Fanny is staying with the Dolmans. Commenced painting chicken picture - took likeness of “Black Spanish Cock” this afternoon.

Friday 16 January 74 Had Annie Alice Fanny (Mason) and Cooper to lunch in the office, and had good fun.

Sunday 18 Could not put my collar on this morning owing to a small boil on the back of my neck, so am at home. My London Chancery agent Mr Carter has been ill some time so I have to go to London tomorrow for 2 or 3 days to do his work.

Lord Chesterfield replied very kindly to our note to him reporting Baby’s death.

Tichborne case. Dr Kenealy finished his review of the evidence on Wednesday last (14^th inst) and Mr Hawkins commenced his reply on the whole case on Thursday. Friday was the 160^th day (see entry fior 27 July 1873).

Sunday Evening 25 January 1874

Monday 19 January Went to London by 8.35am train travelled with John Smith ex Mayor of Derby and his brother (Zachariah!) and curiously enough I went late to Drury Lane to see the Pantomime, and found only one seat in the dress circle vacant, and it turned out to be next to them. It was a nice piece “Jack in the Box” but I have seen better, there.

Tuesday 20 January All day at 20 Bedford Row settling the Chesterfield costs. Mr Williams from the office dined with me, and we went to the Gaiety after, to see Toole in a kind of Pantomime “Guy Fawkes”.

Wednesday 21 January After running about in London a good deal, returned home by the 5pm train.

Landseer’s pictures being on view at the Royal Academy Rooms I went to see them and spent a very pleasant 2 hours. There were more than 500 pictures and sketches on view, and it was very encouraging to see the course through which he had gone.

Saturday 24 January Spent all the afternoon on my picture of a ‘Hare and young’ from a stuffed case lent me by T Worthington.

Parliament dissolved today, no reason has come out yet, I suppose we shall soon know, Gladstone has simultaneously issued a long address to the Greenwich Electors (see it in my Commonplace Book ref: Gladstone).

Sunday 25 January Been to Church twice today. Mr Abney very great, tonight he replied to the letter that appeared a week ago in the Mercury challenging his view of ‘conversion’. I agree with him that though the mind is turned (‘converted’) at once, the nature is only converted after years of struggle and prayer: the ‘converted’ man still carries a ‘body of death’ with him, which is only overcome at death. The letter only raised a quibble whether Mr Abney’s expression of ‘being converted from day to day until death’ should not have been ‘once converted then going on to perfect sanctification’. But supposing the ‘sanctification’ be so incomplete that Heaven be lost, what would be the worth of the ‘conversion’.

J.O. Bateman died last 10 January.

8 February 1874 Sunday Evening

24 January News first published of the dissolution of Parliament.

26 January Accepted retainer for Sir Henry Wilmot and Rowland Smith for Breaston District at £42 and expenses. This is the 2^nd time I have worked the same District. Last time for Sir Thomas Greasley (dead) and Rowland Smith.

February 1 Sunday Having been engaged all the week electioneering went up by 5.30pm train to London ready for work tomorrow.

2 February All day in London, settled Chesterfield costs, and engaged in Chancery matters. No time to spare, came down again by the 5pm train. Stayed for the first time at the ‘Midland Grand Hotel’ St Pancras. Had bedroom No 13. Mem: ask for it again. The place is luxuriously furnished.

3, 4, 5 February Electioneering.

February 6 Friday in the town - got appointment with Small & Co next week to go into the Horsley purchase.

February 7 Down to Horsley. Building progressing very well. Annie Alice and Ernest went with me.

We have had very foggy nights with sharp frosts for 3 nights. In coming home from Long Eaton last Wednesday night it was so foggy I got the dog cart off the road twice but had no accident.

8 February Wrote to congratulate Polly on her engagement with Soulby.

Harry went to school at Hull last week.

Sunday evening 15 March 1874

Today begins my second year alone in business. I trust it may go as well with me as the first one.

February 12 Polling day of Election. Sir Henry Wilmot 3934; Evans (TW) 3773; R Smith 3572 losing one seat from the Conservatives.

February 13 Edward Sutton (Shardlow Hall) came to lunch after the declaration of the Poll. Annie and I went to London chiefly to buy dining room furniture. Bought 9 chairs £14.8.0 price in Derby (new) £31.10.0.

George Russell the County Court judge went up with us, also John Tempest. Took Annie to Pantomime at Covent garden “Little Red Riding Hood”. It is the first she has seen.

February 14 Went over the exhibition of Landseer’s paintings at Burlington House. Returned home.

February 17 Dinner Party.

Revd and Mrs Beresford (curate and bride); Dr and Mrs Lindsay; Revd and Mrs Allison (Grammar School); Dolman and Fanny Mason; Revd and Mrs Alexander (Vicar Shelford Notts).

Could not come: Mr and Mrs Cox (Duffield); W Turpie; Dr Goode; John Smith; Mr and Mrs Smith (Park Fields).

Went off very well. Had Costin to cook.

March 3 Annie went with me to London. Chief business taxing costs in Langham and Gamble. Chancery summonses etc. Called on Hall (our landlord) but he asks £5000 for this place. I will not go beyond my offer of £4000, and he will not take less so we do not seem likely to buy.

Took “Dead Thrush” and Markeaton Bridge (“Quiet Autumn”) to Suffolk Street exhibition.

Went to see ‘Mackileyne and Cook’ Box and Cord tricks very clever. In the evening to see “The Wandering Heir” at the Queens.

Lang was at the Inns of Court (where we went).

March 4 T Peacock called upon us and dined with us, we then went to see ‘Guy Fawkes’ at the Gaiety (Toole, Lionel Brough etc). The piece is a continued jingle of puns.

Purchased wedding present for Polly.

March 5 Finished business at 2. Went to see Holman Hunt’s picture of “The Shadow of Death” again. I still remain in the same opinion that I first formed on seeing it last time we were in London, viz, that the treatment is too realistic for such a subject.

Home again by the 5pm train.

March 6 Mr and Mrs Gamble, Mr and Mrs Cox (Duffield) and Dolman dined with us. Gamble looks much greyer and older. Mrs G looks remarkably well.

March 7 Drove to Horsley. The building goes on very slowly. The men went over from Derby on Monday morning and spent all the day drinking and I don’t think they have done much good since.

March 7/8 to 14 At home at work in the office. Have not been well but am better today. Went to Nottingham (14^th) settled with Aldred’s Trustees about the road, by dividing the £100 between us.

March 15 The Tichborne case was concluded on the ------- and the claimant sent to penal servitude for 14 years. Gladstone has retired and Disraeli has completed his government. Parliament is to sit for business on the 17^th inst (about). Lord Chesterfield has not turned up although Lord Carnarvon is Foreign Secretary.

George Russell (County Court judge) exchanged yesterday to the Cinque Ports Circuit. I could not attend his farewell being at Nottingham, Sam Leech gave him the ‘parting benediction’.

We are hoping to spend Easter at Father’s with both the Boys, and are trying to teach Bernard to say ‘Grandma’. I hope he will succeed.

Sunday evening 19 April 74

March 18 Drove Annie and Ernest to Mickleover to call on Dr Lindsay. Went over the Farmyard with him. Ernest said he saw “a man squeezing the milk out of the cows” (They were milking them.) Mrs Lindsay was ill in bed.

March 19 Finished getting in Smalls 2 trucks of coal 12ton 8cwt.

March 30 Attended J Richardson’s land sale at Heanor. 4.a 1.r - (4 acres, 1 rood -ed) land at Horsley Woodhouse with minerals (but without Lord’s Licence) made £900.

March 31 Put up Tan Yard but did not sell - last bid £710 for house and land materials added = £1270.

April 2 Annie the two Boys Maria the nursemaid and I went to Lincs to Father’s.

April 3 Good Friday

April 4 Went with Father round the Woodthorpe shooting and Woods.

April 7 To the sea, Sutton, and made an oil sketch. Appointed churchwarden.

April 8 To John Cooks to tea and supper.

April 9 Returned to Derby.

April 11 Returned to Alford.

April 13 Spent the day at Rigsby Annie Fanny the Boys and I. Met Tomlinson of Stenson there; he bought a bull of Will.

April 14 All day on the sofa with Rheumatism.

April 15 Polly married to Edward Soulby. Fanny C and Iley Bradley Bridesmaids with little May Walker and Constance Brackenbury. Harry Wood and Ferguson Groom’s men. George Walker gave the Bride away. The ceremony at 11 o’clock am, a large number of people collected to see it. Breakfast at 12 and they left for London at 3pm. Present at Breakfast Polly and Edward, Rev Aldred, Mother, Mrs Brackenbury, the bridesmaids and groomsmen, Annie and self, Mr and Mrs George Walker, Mr and Mrs Fred Soulby, Mr and Mrs Dauber, Mr D Bradley in all 20. It all went off very well. May they be happy.

April 16 We all returned to Derby, leaving Maria for her holiday. We came by Lincoln for a change, and dined at the Saracen’s Head.

April 19 Rheumatism has nearly left me, and I hope to resume full work tomorrow.

My sketches are refused by the Society of British Artists!

Sunday 25 October 1874 6pm

Staying at home from Church I avail myself of the opportunity to continue this diary. Although to my surprise I find it is six months since I last made any entry here, yet it seems to have gone like a day.

On 4^th May Annie and I went to London for a few days. The Dolmans also went, we all stayed at the Inns of Court Hotel. The first night we went to see Toole at the Globe, he played in “Off the line”, “Seeing Toole” and --------.

5 May Went over the Academy, and the Suffolk Street Gallery; and at night to the opera Puritani; Albani; Prinsa.

6 May to the Crystal Palace, Donkey Show, and at night to “Madame Aiyot at the ‘Opera Comique’.

7 May To Academy a short time and to Chancery Courts re Gamble etc. The Brackenburys came up today.

8 May To Kensington International Exhibition and to Criterion Theatre at night Mrs John Wood in the “American Lady”.

9 May Returned home.

In the academy Miss Thompson a young painter has made a great hit with a picture “The Roll Call”. It is an officer on horseback in front of part of his regiment hearing the sergeant calling out the roll after one of the Battles in the Crimea. The ground is covered with snow and the sky dark and leaden. The front row of soldiers contains about 10 figures and on them and on the officer the whole attention of the piece centres. The various expressions are excellent, and the texture working of the grey overcoats is also very good, but taking it as a whole I greatly question if it would have made so much stir had not the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh made such pointed remarks about it at the Academy dinner. It has been obtained by the Queen.

Frith had some good pictures and Leighton also; Millais had two large landscapes, one Scotch Firs, and the other ‘Winter Fuel’, but they are not in some ways fully to my taste. On the whole it was a very good exhibition.

We enjoyed our visit very much. Holman Hunt was exhibiting a picture “The Shadow of death”, but although marvellously painted as to detail, the treatment to my mind shows great want of taste. The Saviour is represented in his carpenter’s workshop, under a glaring noon-day sun; he has just left off sawing a piece of timber and has thrown up his arms in a yawn, his figure being thus made to throw on the wall a shadow in the form of a cross, which is noted by his mother who is kneeling by him at an open box of jewels etc. Some enthusiastically admire it but the greater number of opinions which I have heard are unfavourable. Doré has added a fine piece to his collection “The dream of Pilate’s wife”. I think it one of his finest conceptions.

May 19 I went to Newport to complete the purchase of Bryn Rhos and returned same day. It is a very fine train ride, and as the day was clear I enjoyed the views very much.

May 30 W.N. Mason Fanny Cooke with us, all went to Chatsworth and Haddon Hall, Dolmans joined us.

June 3 I offered the houses at Horsley for sale, and although some were not completed, sold all but the front houses and shop and the two adjoining houses; Peel the contractor not having half completed the two former greatly to my disgust.

June 4 To London by myself to meet Mr Mosley. Went to see Girofle Girofla but did not like it so well as Madame Aiyol (both are by Le Coq).

June 6 Returned home.

June 11 Annie Fanny (Cooke) and I all went to Shelford to spend the day at the Alexanders and enjoyed it very much.

June 16 To London again alone on business. Met Capt Garland etc.

June 18 Returned home.

June 20 Took Annie Maria and the two Boys to Rigsby to stay.

June 24 Returned to Derby alone, then back to Rigsby for Sunday and so each week.

June 30 Met Lang at Horncastle on business. Saw Clem Conington, Adcock Westoby, Chas Bell and lots more. I have not been to Horncastle for several years.

July 4 Went to Rigsby for the week. We did not go out visiting, but one day made a picnic to the sea (Sutton) and had a dinner party at home. I made a nice sketch or two and a very good likeness of old “Bob”.

July 11 Returned home. It has done us all good, particularly the boys.

July 29 Went to the laying of the memorial stone of the classrooms and chapel of the grammar school by the Duke of Devonshire., and to the “speeches” etc after.

July 30 To London re Earl Chesterfield attending Foster, Williams etc.

July 31 Returned.

August 12 Drove Annie Alice and Ernest and Bernard to Dr Lindsay’s to call.

August 22 Drove same to Weston Cliff and spent the day. Made a sketch of the cliff and house. Very hot.

September 1 Drove and called on Woodward at Trusby.

September 3 Drove same in the afternoon to Swarkeston, commenced a sketch but it began to rain and continued nearly all night very heavy. We drove home in the rain much to the delight of the Boys.

September 5 All spent the day at Swarkeston again. Enjoyed it very much and worked at sketch.

September 12 Went shooting with W Ault. To Burmaston had very nice afternoon.

September 14 To Lincs shooting.

September 23 Agricultural show. Will Mason came over. Dined at the pub. Dinner Lord Scarsdale chairman.

September 24 Will Annie Alice and I drove to Matlock, went through great cave etc. Had very pleasant day.

September 26 Will and I went to Buxton Cheedale etc and enjoyed our day very much.

October 3 James Tonge and his daughter (Mary) staid all night on the way to Liverpool.

October 8 Went for a walk and made sketch of waterfall at the end of Kedleston Park.

October 21 To Leeds to the Incorporated Law Society’s first meeting in the Country since the amalgamation with the Metropolitan and Provincial. We discussed registration and titles etc from 10 to 4. Dined at the Great Northern Hotel by invitation from Leeds Incorporated Society. A splendid banquet.

October 22 Continued meeting. Dined at Mr Henry Nelson’s, a very pleasant evening and excellent dinner.

The meeting was a great success, and I hope will continue to do a great deal of good. I made the acquaintance of T Marshall (Secretary of Leeds Society) Wilkins of Wakefield; Nelson and Barr; Marigold Johnson and Sanders (Birmingham). We also had a meeting of the benevolent association.

October 10 Settled sale of Bryn Rhos. Sold at £50 profit, and paid Evans off today.

Sunday evening 13 December 74

13 October Gamble came over. I saw him for about an hour, but though he remained three weeks after this I saw him no more.

27 October To London to meet Captain Garland, Elliott and others.

Sothern, went to see him at Haymarket, the first time since his return from America in “Lord Dandicary” (?) He has scarcely altered it at all, and I soon felt tired of it and left after the second scene.

29 October Returned from London.

3 November Baby born at 1.10pm. Arthur too late. Much consideration has resulted in our naming her ‘Rosa Marion’ and so she has been duly registered.

6 November Fanny came.

7 November To Lincolnshire shooting.

14 November Returned from Lincolnshire.

17 November Mayor’s dinner. Holmes manufacturer elastic-web, and eke a cobbler, is now mayor; a large number at the dinner, but quality meagre.

24 November Choral Union, first concert, performed St Paul, I do not like it so well as the better known ones. Fanny went with me.

There have been the thickest fogs ever known in Derby (by the oldest inhabitant) during the last two or three days, and I think they eclipsed themselves last night.

12 December To London by the 8.35 am train and Mosley and I returned by the 5pm arriving home 8.30pm. Fanny went home today accompanying me as far as Trent.

Mr Sowter completed balancing the Books last week and on Friday last reported that only about £50 net profit had been made and that our drawings and losses had reduced the capital to £500 or thereabouts. On Saturday after considering the matter the conviction of the seriousness of the matter fully overcame me, and I almost broke down. I had informed Annie and Fanny and was much sustained by their kind sympathy but my whole mind seemed overwhelmed, my heart sinking and my brain on fire. Horrible dreams oppressed me all night and I was really ill.

On Sunday I found much comfort from the services and felt much refreshed in mind. Arthur gave me some medicine but I have not recovered yet. I have been hard at work all the past week making up a new balance sheet from 15 March to 1 Dec and think it will come out better. We are prepared to make all necessary retrenchments and I hope to pull through without loss of my position or connection.

The greatest good has however been done me spiritually in all my trouble I have at last been able to “return to God” from whom I now see how far I had wandered, and this is “peace indeed”. I know not what may be the end, nor what the measure of the punishment but “I will trust in him though he slay me”, is now my prevailing frame of mind.