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Notebook of Thomas Beddoes, Moor Hall Farm, Aston Botterell
Thomas Beddoes was the son of Wm Beddoes and Susannah Hodgkiss and was born in Stoke St Milborough April 1801. By 1841, Thomas had married Mary Meredith, widow of the late William Meredith who had held Moorbrook Farm, Aston Botterell. Thomas took over the farm and remained there until his death. The farm was 169 ac.
Two notebooks belonging to Thomas survive, one from 1832-1847 and the second from 1844-61. Extracts from these are below.
No 1 Notebook
This notebook mainly deals with Thomas's career in the 1830s.
Flour Sales
[From the start of the notebook in April 1832 to July of the same year, there are a list of sales of flour "from the house", suggesting that Thomas may have worked as a miller at this time]
April 1832
2nd Robin Mullard ½ bush third 4/6
4th Nancy Beavan 1½ pecks @ 9/-, 3/4 ½
4th Old Beavon 1 peck @ 9/- 2/3
5th Tom Paris ½ bush thirds 4/6
7th Martha Pugh 1 peck @ 9/-, 2/3
Ed Beavan 1½ pecks @ 9/-, 3/4 ½
Thomas Beavan 1 peck @ 9/- 2/3
Mrs Morris 1 bushel thirds, 9/-
Rolings ½ bush 4/6
Mrs Hughes 1 peck, 2/3
July 1832 No more flour sold at the house
Farming entries
[There are a collection of entries relating to breeding animals and hiring of labourers]
1834 April 14th, 21st Black mare took young Rainbow
April 20th Sow took boar
April 22nd Gilt took boar
Sept 10th Sow took boar
1837 Nutty Daggers calf took Bishop’s bull Sept 12th Parson’s cow took Wm Nured’s old bull Sept 14th
1838 April 13th Thomas Jones cow took Uncle’s bull
April 17th Old Beauty took Uncle’s bull
April 21st Blind mare took Mr Bill’s horse
April 23rd Oarley took Mr Hall’s horse
The oldest Young Beauty took Uncle’s bull, May 20th, 2 year old heifer
1834 I hired William Hammond for £8-10-0 and he came to me 3rd May. I hired Ann Hartshorn on 14th May and her came to me 20th May. 11th August I hired Peter Humphries at the rate of 8 guineas a year and he came to me on the 12th.
Paid Mrs Tryson 7 days work for John at 1/2 per day, 8/2
Paid for the boy at 2/- per week for 2 weeks, 4/-
Paid Thomas Beavan 1/4 that was due him
Farm Valuation
[This valuation may relate to Stocking Farm, Stoke St Milborough, owned by the Beddoes Family. In 1847 the notebook records how John Hinton, the tenant, was given notice to quit by Thomas. The entries may be the valuation taken at his leaving sale. The notebook shows two valuations; it is not clear if they are the same farm]
Valuation taken by Mr Davies and Mr Bisham
Wheat on Court Leasow @ 15 bushels £32-6-3
4 yearlings @ £4/head £16-0-0
2 2 year ewes @ £6-10 each £13-0-0
18 dry sheep @ £1 each £18-0-0
Wheat rick, 47 bushels £24-0-0
Rye rick, 30 bushels £18-0-0
Sow £5-0-0
Anvil £2-10-0
Hay rick, 12 tons @ 50/- per ton £30-0-0
2 barren cows @ £9 each £18-0-0
5 dairy cows @ £9 each £45-0-0
2 old cows @ £6-10 each £13-0-0
2 bullocks @ £8 each £16-0-0
Old barley 8 bags, £4-16-0
Old beans 5 bags £5-0-0
Old oats 4 bags £2-8-0
Bedsteads and sundries £1-0-0
Clothes press 16/-
Old pony £2-0-0
No 1 tumbrill £4-0-0
No 2 tumbrill £4-0-0
Horse harness 13/-
Double plough £2-0-0
No 3 tumbrill £2-0-0
Drags and roll £3-10-0
2 cribs 5/-
2 single ploughs £2-12-0
No 1 winnowing machine £2-0-0
Winnowing machine 5/-
Narrow wheel waggon £8-0-0
7 barrels and 2 tubs in the barn £4-10-0
Dulcie and gear £11-0-0
Dragon and gear £4-0-0
Sharper and gear £4-0-0
Bonnie and gear £10-10-0
Parlour household furniture
½ dozen old chairs £1-4-0
2 oak dining tables £3-10-0
Beanfet?? Oak £2-0-0
Bureau desk £2-0-0
Desk and 2 cupboards £2-0-0
Weather glass 10/-
Oak round table 8/-
Kitchen
8 chairs £3-0-0
Square cupboard 10/-
Small round oak table 5/-
Large dining table 7/-
4 chairs 5/-
Screen 2/-
Single barrel gun £2-0-0
4 acres oats and vetches seeds for sowing £3-0-0
6 acres vetches 10 bushels @ 7/- £3-13-6
1½ acres peas 4½ bushels @7/- £1-11-6
4 acres barley 4 bushels £2-8-0
Clover in ground £5-12-6
Brew house
Pails, tubs, kettles etc in brewhouse £3-10-0
Small bear, cellar
3 small barrels, cheese press £2-0-0
Dairy
Milk pans £1-10-0
Storehouse
Malt mill 10/-
Bag malt £1-4-0
½ bag linseed 15/-
Bag beans 5/-
Clover riddle and drills 10/-
Bacon £2-10-0
Cellar
6 hogsheads £6-0-0
2 hogshead cider £5-0-0
5 half hogshead £2-10-0
2 quarter barrels and sundries £1-0-0
½ hogshead £4-0-0
90lbs bacon £2-6-9
Room, top store
Hanging press 15/-
Trunk 5/-
Chest drawer 2/6
Stump bedstead 5/-
Bed £3-0-0
2nd bedroon
Chest drawers 1-0-0
Chest £1-0-0
Round oak table 15/-
Looking glass 12/-
Box 2/6
Best bedroom
9 bags of oats £5-8-0
Oak linen chest £2-0-0
Dressing table 2/6
Truckle bed £3-0-0
Mrs Dallows room
2 beds and bolster £4-0-0
Small chest 7/-
Bed and stump bedsteads £1-14-0
Linen chest 15/-
Bedsteads and hangings £1-15-0
Servants bedroom
Bed and bedstead £1-10-0
Bed and besdstead £1-10-0
Fender and clothes horse 5/-
[Next Page]
Dairy
Milk lend £3-0-0
Cheese tub 15/-
Mushing tub (2) 7/6
Milking B and pails 7/6
Milk vats and shauters
Butter mit and scales 5/-
Brewhouse
Curd milk 10/-
Churn press 5/-
Table and form 5/-
Butter 10/6
Kettle, saucepan, cleaver 4/-
Pot, kettle, frying pan 11/-
¼ barrel 5/-
Churn stand
Saddle 12/6
Warming pan 2/6
Parlour
Round table 16/-
Dining table £1-15-0
Cupboard 15/-
Knife box, knives and forks 12/-
Fender 5/-
Glass goblet 12/-
Wine and ale glass 5/-
Butter bunt 7/-
Kitchen
Dining table 5/-
Dresser and drawers 5/-
Clock £2-10-0
Chairs 7/-
Fire plate and smoothing iron 4/6
Candle stick 1/6
Stand 4/6
Tins 2/-
Fender 3/6
Earthenware 6/-
Upstairs
Bedstead and mattresses £1-15-0
Chest 10/-
Pair stump bedsteads 7/-
Pair stump bedsteads 10/-
Bed @ 6d per lb wt 50, £1-5-0
Bed @ 8d per lb wt 102 £3-8-0
2 pairs bedsteads 7/-
Bedsteads £1-15-0
Fender ¾
Table 2/-
Clothes horse 2/4
Clothes basket 8d
Bedquilt 2/6
Pair blankets 7/-, 2 pairs 6/-, 2 pairs 2/-, 2 pairs 5/-, 2 pairs 5/-
5 Pairs sheets £1-15-0, 1 pair 5/-, 1 pair 5/-, 2 pairs 8/-, 1 pair and cover 8/-
Total £37-13-6
William Beddoes to pay me, Thomas Beddoes, £35-0-0
Not sold; cooler, mashing tub, bed, berow, glass
9 thrave wheat £2-0-0
1½ acres beans 80 zds 14 rows £6-0-0
2 pairs harrows £1-7-0
Plow £1-0-0
Cart
Rick of hay £3-0-0
Ladder 2/-
Scythe 2/6
1 acre beans, 8 bags £4-10-0
12 thraves of wheat 5 bags, £3-15-0
Potatoes
Peas 10/-
5 thraves wheat, 5 bags £1-10-0
4 cows £28-0-0
Horse £7-0-0
Pig £2-10-0
Wheelbarrow 8/-
Sow and pigs £3-10-0
2 carts, broad wheels £5-0-0
Rick of hay £8-0-0
4 ladders 8/-
Spring cart £6-0-0
9 Oak planks
Pan and riddle, pikes, rakes etc 10/-
Set of gears £1-5-0
Cider tub and hairs £1-0-0
1 pipe 10/-
2 hogsheads £1-5-0
3 hogsheads £1-5-0
4 hogsheads, cider casks £2-15-0
5 hogsheads £1-5-0
Cider mill £2-15-0
3 empty casks £4-0-0
Casks and cider £2-15-0
4 old tubs
5 Hampers 2/-
34 bags wheat £3-3-0
2 casks cider £6-0-0
6 empty casks £6-0-0
6 Hogsheads cider and 2 empty casks £19-10-0
7 casks cider £23-0-0
8 hogsheads and casks, half hogshead, 6 empty hogshead £14-0-0
Other farming entries
[These occur next to each other. Only one is dated, 1846, but it is likely the others are contemporary]
Seeds to go to Dinthill
3 bushels of ryegrass 8/-
32lbs white clover £1-2-10
28lbs of trefoil @ 4d 9/4
Pd Mr Wyer for 2 bushels of peas 10/-
Pd William Beddoes for clover
June 3rd 1846 Rec’d of Mr W for 20 bags of wh, £24-9-0
Stolen or strayed on Thursday night or early Friday morning 5 or 6:
Black gelding, 7 years old, 3 black legs, thick mane and long tail, 15½ hands
Aged gelding, half bred, 14½ hands, long mane, underswish tail, light aby saddle, narrow strip, white down the forehead
Tilley, 4 year old, brown colour, white star in the forehead, a simpe on the near leg behind, a thick mane, underswish tail, not shoed
No 2 Diary
This covers the period 1844-61. It opens with a farm valuation but is mainly concerned with sales of sheep.
Farm Valuation
[This valuation may have been from the farm occupied by William Beddoes, the father of Thomas and his brother William. Other entries in the notebook show the two settling their late fathers affairs]
Boter £28-0-0
Suit of gearing 17/-
Snip £27-0-0
Suit of gearing £1-5-0
Diamond £32-0-0
Suit of gearing £1-4-0
Bowler £28-0-0
Suits of gearing £2-10-0, £1-5-0
Sundry gearing 6/-
Nan Suilille £2-18-0
Primrose and calf £15-0-0
Bowdy £16-5-0
Fillpail £12-5-0
Browney £17-0-0
Canley £13-0-0
Bull £11-10-0
Yearling bullock £5-10-0
Yearling heifers £6-5-0, £5-5-0
Sow £2-0-0
Hilt in pig £2-12-0
2 store pigs £1-5-0
3 pairs of store pigs £1-6-0 to £1-10-0
Four ewes and lambs £1-13-0
Four ewes and lambs £1-10-0
Four ewes and lambs £1-2-6
Two weathers 17/6
Ram £2-2-0
Ram £1-7-0
Narrow wheel waggon £19-0-0
Broad wheel cart £11-10-0
Broad wheel cart £3-0-0
Ground car £1-1-0
Dobbin cart £1-4-0
Dobbin cart £2-0-0
Wheel barrows 9/-, 11/-
Double furrow plough £2-10-0
Summas plough £1-10-0
Wheel plough 8/-
Sowing plough 5/-
Barley roll £1-10-0
Drags £2-2-0, £1-16-0
Horse harrow £1-10-0
Band and traces 3/-
Winnow machine £2-0-0
Straw engine 7/6
Hay knife 4/-
Sowing hopper £1-0-0
Millers pad £1-0-0
Ladders 3/6, 4/-
Two ladders
Grindle stone and frame 7/6
Six cow ties 3/6
Six cow ties 3/6
Two waggon ropes 1/-
Timber chain 2/6
Hay rakes 3/6
Pikes, 3/6, 1/6
Making up riddle and sieve, clover riddle and sieve 5/6
Heal rake 1/6
Bar and hammer 2/6
Scrapper and hammer
Mattock and sundries 5/6, 2/6
Axe caff 1/6
Bettle and wedges 4/-
Spade and shovel 4/6
2 spades and shovel 2/-
Scythe, brind scythe 1/6
2 scythes 3/-
Weeding hoes, brind grubbers 1/6
Bushing bills, hedging bill 3/6
Moles takes, clod breaker 1/9
Carpenters vice and bench 1/6
Timber 12/-
Ash and other boards 16/-
2 Pig troughs 14/-
Two wood troughs
Surge corn bill 10/-
Two flat irons, Italian iron and heater
Cheese tourter and sundry 1/6
Meat tourter and dripping pan 1/9
Tin dripping pan and spit sundry 5/6
Pair brass candle sticks with copper coffee pot 4/6
Brass pestle and mortar
Chopping block and knife 1/-
Set of fire irons 2/-
Grate sway and hoofes 8/-
Ash grate 2/6
Six ash chairs 6/-
Oblong dining table 5/-
Two forms
Oak round table 1/-
Clock £1-12-0
Shelves 4/3
Two sides of bacon 8½d each
Cupboard 2/3
Gun
Cups and saucers
Pewter @ 53/4 per lb, 33 lbs
Pestle and Mortar 1/-
Furnace door and grate 17/-
Mashng tubs, 16/- and 6/6
Oval cooler 5/-
Kneeding skeel 2/9
Two round tubs 3/3
Two round wash tubs 5/-
Pail and gawn 2/-
Two pails 1/9
Two harvest bottles 2/6; two do 2.6, three do, 1/-
Tun pail and sundries
6 empty hogsheads 6/- to £1-3-0
Two sets of empty cask and eighty gallons, 5/- each
½ Hogshead 5/-
Two quarter barrels 8/6
Two small barrels 3/-
Muslin kettle 5/-
Pot with lid 4/-
Furnace 9/-
Milk kettle with lid 11/-
Milk tin, watering pan 5/-
Curd milk and upright churn 2/6
Barrel churn 12/6
Cheese bats and sundries 4/-
Cheese press
Salting stone
Butter mitt board, scales and weights 4/6
Earthenware 1/6
Pail and washing pan 2/3
Chafing dish and frying pan 4/-
Two benches 9d
Two benches and sundries 5/-
Three sets sundry earthenware; 1/6, 4/6, -
Malt mill 8/-
Beam scales and weights 17/-
Surge carved oak cupboard 3/6
Screen with seats 2/-
Dresser with drawers 4/6
Cider hairs 2/-
Spinning wheela
Cooper staves
Old iron 5/6
Clothes horse 1/9
Bedstead with hanging 15/-
Bed and bolster @ 5½d
Half tester bedsteads 10/-
Bed and bolster @ 10¼d
Two pairs of blankets 3/9 and 2/-
Chest with drawers 10/6
Oak coffer 3/6
Hanging press 5/6
Pillow and cover 9d
Two cover lids 2/6
Tent bedsteads 6/6
Feather bed and bolster @ 5½d
Pack work and sundries 1/6
Bills paid by Thos Beddes and Wm Beddoes, executors of our late father deceased are as follows;
Mr Russell £33-10-0; Mr Davis surgeon £7-7-0; Mr Thompson surgeon £1-0-0
Money made from sheep
[These entries presumably relate to sheep kept by Thomas at Moor Hall farm. It was an extensive flock and must have contributed a substantial amount to his income. The entries show that sheep were moved to and from Moor Hall to Stocking Farm, on the northern flank of the Titterstone Clee].
1844
Brought forward £84-11-0
2 ewes 129@ 5 ½d £2-19-1
1 ewe @ 5¾d
798lbs of wool @ 1/3 £49-17-1
77lbs of lambs wool @1/- £3-17-0
49lbs breechen wool @ 7½d £1-10-7
10 sheep @ £1-9-0 per sheep £14-10-0
Total £157-5-2
1845
10 lambs £8-7-6
14 lambs @ 15/2 £10-12-4
8 sheep £9-15-0
20 sheep £20-10-0
1 ram £1-16-8
24 sheep @ £1-6-6 £31-16-0
12 sheep @ 1-6-0 £15-12-0
779 lbs sheep wool @ 1/ 2½d £47-1-0
63 lbs lamb wood £3-3-9
89 lbs breechen wool @ 6d £2-4-6
4 sheep @ £1-9-6
Total £156-15-7
1846
Sept 28th Leicester ram turned to the ewes, about the 10th Oct they where takeing the ram very fast. This is the time the h’ill rams were turned to the ewes. The 18th the Leicester was radled. Nov 13th the ram turned to the ewe lambs. Dec 10th the ram taken from the ewe lambs.
1847
Sheep shore at the Stocking
226
Sheep come from the Stocking 43
Remains 183
Come away 34
Total 149
Lambs 156
Come from the Stocking 1
Remains 155
Come away 65
Total 90
June 14th Money made of Sheep
10 lambs @ £1-4-0 £12-0-0
3 weathers £1-10-0 £4-10-0
Aug 3rd 12 lambs £13-13-0
4 sheep £5-19-0
Aug 9th 1 sheep to Mr Bytheway, 111lbs @ 6½d per lb
Ram to Mr Bytheway @ 6½d per lb
September Lamb, do 1 sheep.
Sept 23rd 30 ewes to My Wyer @£1-1-0 per sheep £31-10-0
Oct 19th Recd Edwd Bytheway for sheep and lambs £8-17-0
Sheep to Edwd Bytheway ? 57lb @ 6½d per lb £1-10-0
55 sheep @ £1-5-0 per sheep £68-15-0
Made of sheep £147-8-10½
Made of wool £47-8-2½
Total £194-17-1
June 19th 1848 the wt of the wool 982lbs sheep, lambs 82lbs. 3 bed fleeces, 3 black ones, breechen wool.
1850
July 19th 20 sheep @ £1-6-0 £26-0-0
13 to do, £13-0-0
2 lambs @ 17/- £1-14-0
Aug 12th 20 sheep £18-10-0
Sept 20th 50 sheep @17/- £42-10-0
Oct 1st 12 sheep @17/- £10-4-0
Nov 7th 32 weathers £32-0-0
Nov 14th 4 ewes £4-0-0
Subtotal £147-18-0
1168lbs wool @ 14d per lb; 64 lbs breechen wool; 4 sheep skins. Subtotal £68-2-4
Total £216-0-4
Mr Haycox Dr to late Wm Meredith
To a bill Delivd £16-14-0
Cart and clover seed £8-0-0
Remains due £8-14-0
1840 Oct 27th Cart £2-0-0
1841 Lime £3-8-0
Total £5-8-0
Remains due £3-6-0
Money from sheep and wool
1843 £100-0-7
1844 £157-5-2
1845 £156-15-7
1846 £124-16-6
1847 £194-17-1
1848 £142-1-0
1849 £93-5-0 + £56-17-0 wool
1850 £216-0-4
1851 £155-2-3
1852 £199-2-8
1853 £121 –7-6 + £64-16-7½ wool
1854 £146-18-6
1855 £232-16-9
1856 £150-0-5
1857 £101-5-0
1858 £127-10-8
1859 £172-14-9½
1860 £54-6-4
1861 £129-17-1
Other farming entries
[These include taxation assessments on the Beddoe lands; Moor Hall in Aston Botterell, land in Stottesdon, Warthill in Bitterley and Stocking in Stoke St Milborough. There are also payments for wheat from Mr Wheeler]
1851 Mr Wheeler, Delivered to Thos Beddoes
April 25th 20 bags of wheat @18/- per bag, £18-0-0
April 27th 20 bags of wheat @18/- per bag, £18-0-0
April 29th 10 bags of wheat @18/- per bag, £9-0-0
June 21st 15 bags of wheat @ 7/- per bag, £4-5-0
Rent and tithe for Aston and Stottesdon (Duke of Cleveland)
Rated to the poor, Aston £55-5-0 :- £1-7-9 land tax £1-6-11 paid by landlord
Rated to the poor Stottesdon £57-0-0:- £1-8-6 land tax redeemed tithe £3-12-6 pai by tenant
Tithe for Moorbrook £13 paid by landlord.
Stocking Farm (Stoke St Milborough)
Proprietors Rev W Bates £36-0-0, land tax redeemed; Rev James Powell £16-8-7, rated to the poor; Sir Wm Boughton, Bart., 2/6, tithe to Rev G Morgan by tenant £3-15-0.
Total £50-1-1
Warthill (Bitterley)
Rent 73-9-3, composition £8-12-9; total £82-2-0. Half years rent to Mr Walcot £41-1-0. Rated to the poor £62-0-0.