David Cragg 1804-1806

1804

1st month 17th - "Today we began to plough for the year. We having a good deal of ground to plough and so begun as soon as we could conveniently continually.”

The beginning of 1804 stormy times came in Timothy Cragg’s household at Greenbank. There were still three boys at home: David, Titus and Richard. Timothy was married and had his own farm at Welby Crag. Thomas had married Betty Kelsall and was living in a cottage on the land that his father Timothy had leased from Thomas Bateson but was supposed to be working along with the family but it appears he was always away and leaving the work to the others. They were thrashing and hauling meal and harrowing. Quarrels arose in which Betty entered with great gusto.

On the 30th of March David and Thomas hedged together but they both avoided a quarrel. In this entry he said that on the 18th he went walking at night just to get out of the house. He heard someone coming along the road so he lay down behind a dike to see who it was. It was Robert Clarkson, Robert Parker and another man, all very drunk. The other man slipped his shoe and Robert C., had to put it on again but being so drunk he was having a hard time at it. He finally declared he would have to cut the heal off to get the shoe on. They passed on down the road, the man protesting loudly all the way. A little farther on David met John Wagget, also very drunk, talking to himself. “Now Wagget,” he says, “Wagget, I’ll tell the what. Now, Wagget, hold thy din and I’ll tell thee a reet good funny story.” “Well, let’s hear it.” “Well, hold thy noise and I’ll tell thee.” “Wagget, Wagget”. All this to himself so that David thought there were two men coming. They met on the road and Waggett recognized David and teased him saying he was going courting. As he went down the road David could hear him still talking to himself. “He’s going a courting. I know he is, but he’ll do no good else he ride a good horse and then see - Aye then there will be some chance. Aye, Aye.” All this to himself.

At a meeting on the 8th of April there was some talk of establishing a Quaker school in Wyresdale. Many such local schools had been started but as masters were hard to come by, most of them failed after a few years.

On the 22nd of May - “Yesterday I was at Lancaster Club Walking. Fourteen clubs consisting of upwards of 2200 members for expenses last year in relieving the sick 837 pounds but few of the members walked and they made no good appearance swaggering about and drinking seemed to be the order of the day.”

In August I find the first mention of Mary Pye as she was mentioned as one who was in attendance at one of the meetings.

On August 13th, he was “scaling lime. A warm day and I have been content and not dissatisfied or displeased.” He and Titus talked a good deal about the difficulties of the spring over there brother, Thomas, and Betty, his wife. But things had been more peaceful of late. Their father had a long talk with them. David sort of blamed himself for the “skarabrash” in the spring because of his quick temper and bursting out first setting the whole family at odds.

On the 2nd of October - “The 29th of last month my father and brother, Thomas was at Lancaster for the purpose of taking a farm for Thomas situated in the Greenbank vaccary and known by the name of Damasgillside and now in the occupation of Peter Brammel as farmer thereof at the yearly rent of 52 pounds payable half-yearly to the landlord, Robert Butler. Peter Brammel’s term expiring at Candleman, 1805.”  No bargain was made at that time, however, but later in the month a bargain was struck.

There were the usual meetings and Richard Jackson was preaching more and more, sometimes saying ridiculous things and going for longer times.

23rd of the 11th month - "Today is Garstang fair and Richard and Titus, Thomas and Mary have gone there and I am only left at home with 45 geese to tend.”

We will hear more and more of Mary Pye. She was a servant girl working in the house for David’s mother.

On the 19th of December, David went to Lancaster “in consequence of an appeal day considering the abominable income duty and I appeared before the inquisition commissioners to appeal for my father he not choosing to go there, it often being a very tedious affair. However, for Wyresdale we gained admittance to these proud expositors of the law, the infernal contrivance of Billy Pitt, about 12 o’clock and I was one of the first that bot before them.”
Besides meetings, David employed himself at carpenter work making a neat ark for his brother. He also gives an account of his earnings in work and interest on money loaned out.

1805

There were the usual meetings at Lancaster and Preston and Wyresdale and collections for the poor and school and sufferings.

31st of the 1st month, 1805 - "Last night I was reading the journal of Wm. Edmondson, and what rough times and disturbances was in his time in Ireland about the year 1691. He had all his cattle and horses driven away and his house burned down and himself and two sons murdered, but, however was released.”
At the month meeting on the 5th of February, there was a discussion about the overseer of the poor also being a church warden and army recruiting sergeant for the reserve and the members were warned that these offices may be misused. Also a quantity of books were sent out for the members to borrow and read.

"On the 15th of the 2nd month, as I began to plough, we had gone but six times, about, that is 12 times went through and then, the plough against a stone it ran so very hard. The still did girt against my ribs and ill I think they fared. One rib it broke for certain in my left side. The pain that followed was great and ill for to endure. However, I was loathe to yield and leave the field for pain. But e’er the loosing time at five o’clock came, the plough it seemed to shake me so I wished for to be free. As this is the first that e’er my ribs was ever broke. It is a serious thing and therefore not a joke. How soon it may be well again indeed I cannot tell.”

Another description of books bought.

13th of 3rd month, 1805 - "Today I have been at the plough. In the afternoon the rain descended apace and so e’er we loosed I was wet to the skin.”
All the month of March they were “throng” in ploughing and on the 28th, David writes: “This week we are throng harrowing, a very busy employment and pretty hard work. I was not calculated nor designed for very laborious employments. However, such doth not suit the contrast and invariable temper of my disposition. Though it is very probable that I should not approve of leading a life of much inactivity like a useless being in Society.
He goes on to say that he had read over much of his writing and of upwards of 700 sheets, he destroyed two or three hundred of them.

On the 29th, he wrote: “Today, I read the second book of the history of myself, formerly the tenth. My sentiments at that time were in some respects very different to what they now are. At that time I was deeply engaged in my mind concerning Mary Warbrick, That is, I suppose, now about twelve years ago. After that we had some further concern together and differed in our opinions and about 10 years since she got married to my cousin Thomas Ashburn of Lower Wyresdale and they lived there until the death of my uncle Richard Ashburn when the farm went out of lease, and then they lived some time at Catshaw with her uncle Josuah and Wm. Atchinson and then went to Bolton Le Moors and engaged in the Muslin trade but having lost a great part of the substance left the trade and engaged for America to sail for that country the beginning of this month but before they sailed, Mary died and was buried at Liverpool two hours before the ship sailed thence.”

In April, David continued reducing his writings, summarizing some, keeping some and destroying much.

He was troubled in his mind over his lack of progress in religion but continued striving to attain some progress and attended almost all of the meetings.

12th of 4th month, 1805 - "Yesterday, I arrived at completed 36 years of my age. Years roll on and years pass away but man, wicked man, remains the same and departs not from iniquity and time is of no use.”

The last week of April, father Timothy divided up the young heifers. Thomas seemed to be able to persuade his father to give him the best ones while David thought Timothy should have had some of the better ones too.

In May, there is more about Mary Pye.

4th of 5th month, 1805 - "Now in these days a report has taken place that I am engaged in paying my addresses to Mary Pye and that we are just going to be married. So I was informed that it is a common report in the country.

This goes on for pages and pages but this, in short, is the story that comes out. Mary Pye (often called Molly) was working in their house for the family and had become quite interested in learning about the Quaker religion, though her people were Methodists. David would often slip books to her to read. One of these times was on Cemplands Hill. They read and talked for some time. But they had been seen and the report started. Although David had never thought of her that way, he contrived meetings with her to decide what they should do about the rumour. On the 9th at eight o’clock at night, “when we was milking two cows in the back shippen, Mary and I - my mother being in the other shippen - I entered into conversation with Mary concerning the report.”
So with these meetings, they became good friends and did fall in love. His parents, especially his mother, were very much against it and many harsh words were said. He continued lending Mary books and discussing the Society of Friends. On the 21st he wrote: “It would be something unpleasant if I should marry outside the Society which may be the case except it so turn out that my dear Molly be convinced of our principles and be admitted as one of our Society. Let that be as it may I am certain and positive she is a better Christian than I am.”

By the 23rd “To marry now seems to be our intention. Who would have thought of it three or four months ago.”

On the 26th, an unexpected opportunity to go to Lancaster with Mary came their way. On this trip they definitely decided to marry even if it meant going to the little Welch Bishop because they would need parents consent to marry at the meeting.

There were many objections to the marriage, first, she was from a Methodist family and not a Quaker, although she really wanted to be a member.
His mother, Jennett, said she had been “some wild.”
His father would rather she had some “substance” to bring to the marriage, but she was just a poor servant girl.
Then there was the greatest objection of all: the difference in their ages. He was 36 and she but 20.
After that trip they met as often as they could, “to talk in a courting way.” But the family was catching on to this and there was usually someone set to watch them.

On the 2nd of June the parents went to Welby Crag and Titus and Richard were at the potatoes, leaving just Dickie, a little nephew, was left to stay with them. There was a great affection between David and Dickie, so it was easy to send him on errands and to get him not to tattle on them.

On the 3rd of June the whole family went to Lancaster. Mary was along too. Another stumbling block was introduced. His younger brother, Richard decided to take a chance at courting Mary himself. He got her to himself for a while but she later joined David.

This contest went on all summer and it really troubled David because Richard was younger and more Mary’s age. He did not think Richard had any idea or intention of marrying his dear Molly nor did he know if his parents had been the instigators or if Richard was doing it just out of spite.

Titus also had his hand in the affair, either watching or scolding them. At the Tarnbrook clipping Titus took it upon himself to have it out with David. He scolded and pleaded saying it was breaking their parents hearts and finally was going to fight. He took a few swings at David, but David backed away observing that Titus was very drunk indeed.

On the 21st of July, Molly intended to go to see her mother, Ann Pye, at the top of the Emmots but she met her brother, Lawrence and Ellen Pye and so she turned back with the, They stopped at the house for dinner then set off for Starbank for sand. David and Lawrence had some talk on the affair and Lawrence said his family was not against the marriage. So they had some friends on their side.

Mary continued to go to meetings whenever she could manage to get away and reading as many books as David could get for her. She was becoming more and more desirous of becoming a member of the Society. And so the year went - a very bitter-sweet year drought with many difficulties.

1806

The beginning of 1806 we still find Richad trying to get Mary Pye for himself. Mary received notice that she must leave Greenbank. When Richard asked Mary if he could come to the Top of the Emmote courting her she said no. “Well, he said, God bless thee wherever thou goes.” But he put a different face on things when he talked to David trying to make David believe that Mary had been free and easy with him. This Mary denied saying though Richard tried hard enough even to being very rough with her.

The time was drawing near for Mary to leave so she and David made the most of the time left meeting as often as possible. On February 3rd, they met in the shippen and cried in each others arms. He could not stay to watch her leave so he went to Lancaster and stayed long enough that he thought she would be at her home and he went there before going home - through a driving snow storm.

On the 7th of February David wrote, “Mary Pye, my dear Molly, completed the 21st year of her age and I am upwards of 37.” David had caught a bad cold that day and could not see Molly for two days. When he did go he found them all at home at the Top of Emmots: Ann Pye, Mary’s mother, her brothers Barthol and Lawrence and her sister, Agnes. Anne Pye made him some supper. When David and Mary were alone she told him of her parting from Greenbank. David wrote, “When Barthol came my mother blushed red as fire and as she assisted Mary in getting down her box, she cried and said it was like taking a coffin downstairs. She took her agait apiece and told her not to be long before she came again to see us. My father cried when she left. They had paid her full wages and gave her 10d over and my mother gave her a new pair of scissors and a knife.”

David went a-courting about twice a week. They talked of being wed at Easter but they decided they had to wait until they had a house to go to. At first he would slip out the back door to go to see her but by the 18th he gave that up, going boldly out the front door, making no excuses to cover where he was going. Let them say what they will.

On the 19th, he wrote, “When I got to the Top of Emmets, the Methodists was there and Christopher Gates was praying. I could hear him, I dare say, 10 rood before I reached the house. So I went forward and got into the turf house and hear all very well. Christopher had a very long and windy prayer like as if he was calling a sale. One person groaned must diabolically. No doubt he could see hell opened up before him or some such dread as that. I rather thought, but I could not tell, that those lamentable groans had some influence on the imagination of Christopher and as it were encouraged him to proceed with redoubled vehemence and this furious praying acting upon the mind. The more outrageous the prayer the more loud and miserable the groans.”

In March 1806, David attended meetings but was getting more and more apprehensive that some friend would take him to task about his courtship of Mary Pye, who was not a member and so he made plans on how he should answer. He would tell them of her living at his home and how he fought himself over his attraction for her. He would tell them what a good Christian she was and that she had attended meetings and he was trying to persuade her to become a member if allowed.

He was still having difficulties with his family at home and his ever affectionate Dickie kept him informed on happenings in his absence.
His meetings with his dear Molly were often sad and tearful because of the obstacle they faced. He had come to the conclusion to rent the cottage from Matthew Butler at Heversomesyke, where Alice Wright had lived but last of all Robert Titterington. He thought they could live there and he could keep working for his father or do day-labour until such time as an opportunity came to take a suitable farm.

On the 13th of the 4th month there is a burial note: “To John Procter, grave maker:
Make a grave on or before next 7th day in the Friends burial ground at or near Wyresdale and therein lay the body of one Joseph Kelsall of Wyresdale in the parish of Lancaster, husbandman, aged about 72 years who died 12th of 4th month, 1806.”

On the 20th April, he ran into the Methodists at Top of Emmets again. He had to hang about until the parson went to then he went in. But he met with disappointment as Mary was not home. She was at Joseph Kelsall’s of the Meeting house. He was pleased about this as she would be among good Quakers who may have a good influence. He decided to go around that way on his way home, and see if they were up as many still held to the custom to stay up all night with the dead and keep a light burning.

“So I came by the Lee and Lappet barn and almost to Length Barn. Then seeing a light at Christopher Gayes I went up thither and so onto the road to Abbeystead fell and supposed to strike right across the Chapelhouse ground to the meeting house. So when I got a piece up the fell I crossed over and got over the wann onto Chapelhouse farm and considered I should travel nearly west as the wind was there. It is to be observed that it was very misty and dark and I took the wind for my guide all I could have so I walked away across the fields and along the side of dikes, etc. I suppose the distance was not more than a quarter of a mile and I met with soft places and I was afraid of being laid in bogged and so backed up at times and so at length I thought I went much too far north and so should be too high and seeing high ground more south I turned towards it, got over some rough fences and onto it and found it covered with short ling so I thought I was got onto the fell again and this was ____ hill and I was concerned that I fell not into the gravel pit and so I returned more south again and paddled along apiece and at length saw something before me which I thought was the trees around the meeting house. Presently I came near and found it was a house and a barn but no trees and where it could be I could not imagine. I thought it looked like Joseph Frances of the long Moor but was certain it could not be it. Then I thought it must be James Till’s but soon argued myself out of that opinion as the house and barn stood different to what I knew they did here. So I walked slowly about for fear of disturbing some dogs or others. As I was afraid of being heard I thought I would examine about and see if I could find out where I was. When I got between the house and the barn I found out it was Dick Bleazards Foxes on the Hill. Which made me wonder how I had missed the mark so far. But twice as far off as where I got over the wall into the Chapelhouse fields of the fell. So instead of steering due west, I had I suppose gone west a piece and then had gone south and south-east so I was fairly muddled to all intents and purposed. Then I went to Joseph Kelsall’s and saw no light nor anything up so I came home and laid in the hay mow until one o’clock.”

On the 21st of April, he attended the funeral of Joseph Kelsall. There were about 50 people there. William Jepson preached. Molly was also there.
David didn’t see Molly for some two weeks as she was nursing Joseph Pye’s wife at the Tarnbrook. She told him all about it on the 13th of May. She said her brother Lawrenc e had brought her home and they talked much about the general gossip about them but he was nothing against the marriage.
About the middle of May David started making plans for making furniture and buying things for the cottage at Heversomesyke.

On the 14th he and Richard had words again but nothing Richard could say could turn David’s mind from Mary.
He had already arranged to take the house of Matthew Butler in March. He had gone to see it and found it a fine cottage, garden and stable and had made a bargain for two pounds for one year. He wrote: “There is on the house parlour and buttery and a place under the stairs for bottles as a cellar, etc. Upstairs there are two rooms and the stable has two stalls and will be very useful for a turf house and shop for a dogright. The garden is about five falls of land, is clear of weeds but seems not deep of soil.”

By this time his mother had another girl helper called Alice, who wasn’t much help to him to find out what was happening around home.
David and Mary real plans, making things, buying things ready for housekeeping. His family continued their objections, bringing up marriages that were not favourable and had failed. “Such as Wm. Swindlehurst who got married to Bella Reynolds and the next week old John Winder, the blacksmith is to wed Miss Eccles of Dolphinholme. Even their own families are against these marriages.” So all David’s family was in the “mulligrubs”.

On the 30th of March he had talked with his brother, Timothy at Welby Crag about how to go about being wed in the church as Timothy had done. The one big difficulty with that was, that being a Quaker, he had never been baptized. He dreaded telling his father and mother that he and Mary were determined to wed. He finally told his father on April 6th. It wasn’t as bad as he had feared but his father asked him to put it off for a while while he thought on it. He and Mary had decided on the 12th.

On the way home from a meeting Thomas Kelsall tapped him on the shoulder and asked to speak to him. Poor David, the time had come for him to be taken to task by the meeting. But even that was not as bad as he expected. The biggest blast came from his mother. There were family conferences and many trips to the Top of Emmets. Finally they were persuaded by Friends “that all may be brought about to my own satisfaction if we will but have patience and good conduct sufficient to enable us to enter into the haven of rest and peace.”

Acting upon the advice of Friends and urging by David, Mary Pye was striving hard to be accepted into membership in the Society of Friends. She attended meetings and adopted the plain Quaker dress. She said, “Not only for thy sake, dear David, but for mine own as well.” Her mother, Ann Pye, offered no hindrance but said, “There is no religion in clothes - none.”

At the Tarnbrook clipping that year there had been some sort of party in the barn with fiddlers and dancing. To the Quaker, this was scandalous but Ann Pye had asked David and Mary to go into the barn and bring Mary’s sister, Agnes, out of there, as the Methodists also rejected such revelry. They did so but it took them a while and they were seen there. This started gossip and David was terrified that “all was lost”. He went to talk to Ellen Kelsall and explained what had happened. Old Ellen evidently had much influence as the matter was dropped very quickly.

During the last couple of weeks in July Mary was away at haying and David was disconsolate. He even had a fight with young Dickie and roughed the lad up some. Afterwards David felt even worse than ever and he went to Dickie and gave him some money to “perhaps, in part, heal thy wounded heart.”

Mary came back August 12th. David said it seemed longer than five years since he saw her. She had received 36d for a month at the hay. She went away soon again “to nurse Thomas Gornat’s wife now laying in. She will be at meeting next first day and from thence to my brother Thomas Cragg at Damasgillside and I am to meet her there and take her agait home.

On the 13th of August, David had been at the funeral of a Alice Cragg of Abbeystead who was tried at our meeting - aged 30 years - who died two hours after being delivered of a male bastard child. He called at Ellen Kelsall’s and they talked about the funeral and the affair at Tarnbrook clippings. After the conversation he was much encouraged and in a much happier frame of mind.

In September, he copied the whole book on Quaker worship and practice with comments on each as it affected Mary and himself. He talked with many friends about taking a farm and asked advice. His brother Timothy was talking of giving up Welby Crag and David was considering taking it himself. On the 22nd, he wrote “David Cragg of Abbeystead and Alice Kelsall of the Tarnbrook were wed in a church” and since she was a Quaker and he was not, she was under “consideration” at the meeting. “She is but 18 years. Her parents and family are much against the marriage and talk much against her. But they found out not till yesterday that the banns of matrimony had been published and the storms was fast a-brewing and she expected that would be turned out doors and she cried and was much distressed yesterday afternoon. Poor Alice, I am sorry for her. I very well know what her situation is by experience.”

There are only a few torn pages of the rest of 1806; but I gather from them that things became somewhat easier on both of them. His parents had pretty well accepted the affair. Richard had given up his efforts to separate them and more friendly. Only Titus still held a grudge.