Cragg Diaries - Comparison

The first entry mentioned comes from the Cragg Family Memorandum. The indented “equivalent” is taken from David Cragg’s diary transcribed by G. Fandrey.

1791
January 3rd. Thomas Bamber took a large deal back from Ortner for the long bridge above Corn mill?. It was 53 1/2 feet long & above a foot square.
January 3rd - "Today Thomas Bamber took a large deal balk having bought it last year for the bridge above the Corn Mill."
Great Side. On Thursday the 6th of January was the greatest and highest tide ever remembered. It came a great height upon the Dykes in Cockerham, and at Lancaster it run through the higher set of arches of the new Bridge. It is said the great arches were quite filled. It covered the Quay & washed many boats on but did no material damage the people being aware of it, it having run very high the 2 tides before. At Pilling Lane end it had washed a fine new dyke down and a great many sheep were drowned. It is perhaps the greatest tide that has been since the 18th & 19th December 1720 when it washed down several houses & parts of houses & drowned 7 or 8 persons and about 20 Beasts & Horses & many sheep. Some people were forced to get on to the rautle? trees and staid there 2 days and 2 nights.
"On Thursday the 6th of this month was the greatest tide ever remembered in the memory of man at Lancaster. It ran through the higher set of arches of the New bridge at Pilling Lane. It washed a fine new dyke down and a great many sheep were drowned. It was the highest tide since the 18th of December 1720."
Canal. 7th . All the talk hearabouts is of the making a navigable canal from Kendal to Preston to go by Lancaster which has been in agitation some time. They are for getting an Act of Parliament as soon as possible next session. It is 44 miles from Kendal to Preston and it is said the canal will cost £1000 per mile only.
"All the talk hereabouts is about making a navigable canal canal from Kendal to Preston which has been on agitation for some time now. They are getting an act of Parliament as soon as ever they can next session. It is 44 miles from Kendal to Preston. It is said that it will cost £1,000 a mile. But I think they are mistaken."
October. Execution. On Saturday the 1st there were 2 men hanged viz Robert Davis for Horse stealing & another for House breaking. They were very hardened & seemed to have no sense of their deplorable situation. There should have been another hanged but he cheated them, for in the morning when they had knocked his irons off, they left him to his devotions by himself and he tore a blanket into strips & plaited a rope & so hanged himself with it and was quite dead when found. The fourth that was condemned was reprieved.
October 1 - "Lancaster Market today. Two men were hung at Lancaster today: Robert David and Charles Williamson."
Mr Grimshaw. On Sunday the 2nd October, Mr Grimshaw preached to a crowded congregation at Forton Chapel.
October 2 - "It is exceedingly dry weather now and a great scarcity of water in many places. I was at Forton Chapel today to hear Mr. Grimshaw preach. There was a crowd congregation, part of which was obliged to stand in the alleys or sit on forms placed there."
1792
Lancaster Canal. June 22nd. The Proprietors of the Canal are taking a new survey and are for bringing it on a higher level. They were levelling today on Ellel moor. They went a little below Henry Simpsons and across Wyre at Dolphinholme Factory.
June 22 - "The proprietors of the canal are taking a new survey and are bringing it on a higher level. They went across the Wyre at Dolphinsholme factory."
July 9th. The great flood in the Wyre on Monday night, the 9th, was occasioned by a cloud bursting which burst in three places, one on the Hinde Hill, another beside the slate quarry above the townbrook and the third somewhere on the High Fells. Where the cloud burst it is said it has beat holes into the hand bent hill. At the Townbrook it came down in a flood 6ft deep in a breast & came into houses and barns but I do not hear that it washed anything away except some potatoes out of a barn. All the grass was flooded, fences washed down and the road washed up and it is said to have done £40 worth of damage about the Townbrook. At Marshaw it was a terrible flood, the greatest ever known and came into the public house there which is a long way from the Wyre and at the gate into Marshaw Green the water was as high as the topmost bar but one. At Dolphinholme Factory it came down in a breast upwards of 4 feet deep. It is said that it brought down with it Tubs, Barrels, Butter Basins, dishes, stools & other such like things. At the street it was near as deep & came faster than a person could walk. It has done a great deal of damage in hay, grass, fences and roads.
July 9 - "The flood in the Wyre last night was seen at Dolphinsholme factory to come down in a breast four feet deep. It is said it brought down with it tubs, barrels, butter basins, dishes, stools, and other such things. The parson at Orthner saw the flood and saw several great trees come down. The flood was occasioned by a cloud bursting."
On the 22nd came on Cawthorne's trial with the proprietors of Dolphinholmes Factory about water courses.
August 22 - "I was at Lancaster today at the assizes for a witness for F.J. Cawthorne. His trial about water courses with the proprietors of Dolphinsholme factory."

1800
May. On the 15th was married at Lancaster Meeting Thomas Cragg to Betty Kelsall daughter of Wm Kelsall of Dunishaw in Wyresdale. There was 16 invited guests at the marriage and the marriage certificate was signed by 36 witnesses. We dined at the Bear & Staff and paid 18d each for dinner. At night the new married couple went to a cottage house at Greenbank to reside these some time.
20th of 6th month 1800 - "On the 15th day of the 5th month, 1800, my brother Thomas was married at Lancaster meeting. We was all present and all sat in the gallery with him.” “Wm. Jepson preached. Then Thomas stood with Betty Kelsall and said his hominy very well but she was very small and abashed and all the words that we heard by anybody was ten degrees below whispering.” “William Jepson asked her to repeat it louder and many heard her.” “Then the marriage certificate was signed by about 36 people.”
1801
January. On the night between the 9th and 10th of this month a barn at the Yatehouse in Ellel was burnt down and 24 head of cattle consumed therein. It is supposed to have been wilfully set on fire by some person or persons yet unknown. A large quantity of hay and corn was reduced to ashes. The damage to William Gardner the Tenant is estimated at £350. The Yatehouse Barn was still on fire on the 11th. It is supposed that there was 3000 persons to view the ruins this day.
“ 21st of 1st month, 1801 - "Dreadful Fire”.
"On the night between the 9th and 10th day of this month a large barn at the Yate house was set on fire. It is supposedly wilfully by person or persons unknown. The barn was entirely burnt down and everything contained therein consumed except a little corn. There was 24 head of cattle, 12 of which were heifers in calf and the others younger bease. 200 yards of hay and about 190 thrave of corn gone. The damage to Wm. Garner, the tenant, is estimated 350 pounds. The fire was not discovered until it was too late to save the bease. About one o’clock in the morning Wm. Garner was alarmed by some person hollering at the house door. Some reports say that person said the barn was on fire. However, William saw nothing amiss as he looked out the window and thought the person hollering for nonsense or else had an intention of plundering the house so he got in bed again. But in about half an hour the person hollered again at the window and said the heath was on fire and they must get up and let the bease out. Whereupon they got up and found it was too true. When William got to the barn the roof was falling in. The bease, all 24, burnt to death. The hay and the corn burning with the greatest imaginable fury. He went into the shippen and loosed two bease but they were dead. The other shippen the scaffolds was fallen in upon the bease. There appears to be no doubt but the barn was maliciously set on fire. The night before there was a sack stolen out of the same barn which had some corn in it. The same sack was found the morning after the fire, ripped open top to bottom.”