#[have to send some follow-up requests on monday tho which may change that] | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

timehasbeenbusy · 4 years

Text

17 & 18 November 1828

Monday 17 November 1828

5¾

11 25/60

From 6 40/60 to 8 read from page 30 – 42 of the Brief History of Christ Hospital and wrote the whole of the above today – Breakfast at 8 20/60 – off to Halifax at 8 50/60 down the old bank to Mr Briggs – said I had seen Holt, and what I had said to him – Mr Briggs thought I had better give away the coals - getting them would be expensive – must have an engine – did not think they would pay – giving them away would not, said it was my present mind to get them at all rates – Mr Briggs said he would see Holt, and go with him to plan the ground, Mr Briggs shewed me an oak-root round table made at Brighhouse priced £20 – one not so handsome sold to Mr Stead for £25 - About 20 minutes there – then sat 25 minutes with Mrs Veitch (poorly in a bad cold), then at 9 ¾ got to Savile hill –the breakfast things not removed Mrs and 2 Miss Wilcocks – Miss Pickford much better for the baths of St Gervais, to spend the winter at Roma – to write there poste restante – Mrs Wilcocks going to write to her today – begged a little of her paper and wrote ⅓ of the first page small and close, hoping my letter to Genoa was received, giving my address in Paris – observing she could be complacent in writing full letters, all crossed, as I had just seen, to Mrs Wilcocks - to write to me before expecting to hear of or from me again – uncertain as to my stay here, but would not exceed 10 days or a fortnight – asked what beauties she most admired and what thought of this place and that – should not at this moment say of what use her information might be to me – thought that by hook and by crook, I should see her before the twelvemonth’s end –

½ hour at Savile hill –then went to Throps – not at home – could learn nothing – my job was but a small one – would think about it – Throp most likely to be at home between 12 and 2 – returned along the canal – the new lodge to Stonyroyde, nearly roofed gable-end, labells windows, little building expensively hewed – got home up the old bank at 12 – Letter from Mariana Scarbro’on my desk – 3 hurried pages 2½ pm yesterday, ‘great change – cannot last much longer – ‘the struggles are dreadfully severe, and it is indeed a trying scene to us all’ – Mariana sat up on Friday night, but says she bore it well – ‘as to myself, have no fears on my account – I am honestly and in truth the best of the set’ would ‘like me to write something more than a mere statement that life was no more ….to appear in the York paper ……..’some little tribute to his merits would be gratifying to us all’ will write tomorrow (ie today) if any thing happens – if not on Tuesday (ie tomorrow) – offers to bring my father cod, sounds as she passes through – Had just begun to write when (at 12 20/60) Miss Hudson of Hipperholme called for ½ an hour – going to send off a parcel from Whitleys tomorrow by the van in 3 or 4 days to Miss MacLean if I had any letter to send Whitley would enclose it in time tomorrow afternoon – said I was much obliged etc etc but a very bad correspondent abomined letter-writing only said what I had to say – did not believe I could make up my mind to write – thought I, no, I wont send in her parcel, I do not understand all this, they shall have it to themselves Miss Hudson Miss Maclean had asked many questions about the place – it was not very beautiful country and she had said so – I abused the house – said much wanted doing at it – it was a doghole of a place as I always told people – I certainly never said much in its favour -

Came upstairs again at 12 50/60 – from 1 to 3, wrote 3 pages to Mariana including the following ‘as to the request that I should write something more than a common obituary notice, be it remembered Mary, that I am not an advocate for long paragraphs of this kind in newspapers, and, above all, that it is Steph, not I who can do this best – when I am serious, you know my repugnance to speak or write strongly in praise or dispraise – all that I need add is, that, were my own father in the circumstances of yours, and I heard I persuaded myself to write any thing more than a mere ‘announcement of the death, it would probably be something like the following’ –

‘Died on ------- at his house in Scarborough, in the ----- year of his age, after a long and ‘severe illness, William Belcombe Esquire, ---- years a resident physician in this city ‘where his talent soon established him at the head of his profession, where by his mild ‘and gentlemany manners, and active and useful benevolence, he was soon and lastingly endeared to all who knew him well – He was eminently successful in his practice which ‘was very extensive ‘to the last of his professional career, he devoted a considerable ‘portion of every day to his numerous poor and‘gratis patients; and it does not fall to the ‘lot of every one to be more sincerely lamented, or to leave behind him a good name ‘better deserved – But Mary, do you not think, it would be best for Steph to draw up a ‘proper memoir to be inserted in the Genteman’s Magazine? To do this, no-one is better fitted than your brother – As a professional man, he might give a brief and comprehensive sketch which, in doing credit to his father, might reflect some credit upon himself – your father’s practice which laid the foundation-stone ‘of his reputation in York, was, at that time new in England? His services in the navy, experience in the ‘West Indies, studies and intimacies with the man of letters on the continent, mild treatment of insanity cases,‘not to forget (if thought proper) descent from an old and respectable Lancashire family, and his marriage with‘whom, - might, if well handled by his son, do some dutiful honour, and some practical good – give‘my best regards to Steph, and tell him so – Then write the following to Mr Birmingham ‘Shibden hall Monday 17 November‘1828 – Sir – Being domiciliated in Paris, I wish to take over with me, on my return, a small box of plate viz ‘1 tea-pot, a couple of dozen folks, dozen spoons, cream jug and sugar, - basin, snuffers and tray, and a couple of ‘waiters – I know, some particular permit is required for this from the French chef de douanes – I shall be much obliged to‘you to take the earliest opportunity of giving me all necessary information on this subject, direct to Mrs Lister,‘Shibden hall, Halifax, Yorkshire – on my arrival at Dover, I will pay you any expense that may have been ‘incurred on my account – I am, Sir etc etc A Lister’ – all which took me till 5 – then skimming over again Cronhelms Book-keeping – dressed – dined at 6 25/60 – at 7 sent off to the post by John, my letter to Mariana ‘Doctor Belcombe’s Scarborough’ and to Mr John Birmingham, Commissioner, Old Ship Hotel, Dover, Post paid’ then Sat talking till after 9 – wrote the last 3 lines – went up to bed ay 10 5/60 – very fine day not so damp and thick as these last few days – rather inclined to be a little frosty – reading the rules in Hutton’s Book-keeping, till 10 ¾

Tuesday 18 November 1828

5 50/60

11 10/60

Read the 1st 45 lines Saturday 2 I went out at 7½ - went to Cowgate wood – took the wallers from walling and stayed there to right the set started against the wood in Pearson’s great brow – stayed with them and did not get home till 10¼ - sent John to make holes for planting in Pump Lane – find on my desk letter from Mariana Scarbro’, 11 hurried lines dated yesterday 17th instant ‘at 5 minutes before 1 today my precious father breathed his last without a groan, tho’ from 11 yesterday to the same hour at night his sufferings were very severe, after that he became calm and composed until 5 this morning, when difficulty of breathing returned and continued till within a few minutes of his death - Steph was with us - my mother at this minute bears ‘up tolerably, and we all do our best – I will write again in a day or 2 – God bless you – always yours Mariana’ –Will she get my letter of yesterday today? What will she think of what I wrote to announce Dr Belcombe’s death? It will seem cold, praiseless, spiritless, heartless – how different our feelings! Her expression precious father –shocks me – dear father – or simply father - It smites me best to think of those I love when gone as if they were still here – I never yet could say my poor uncle and Mr Sunderland’s exclamation on first seeing him a corpse ‘poor thing!’ shocked me more than I could describe - Letter also from Isabella Norcliffe, Langton, they had heard a bad account of Dr Belcombe’ think it will be a happy release but I dread the effect it will produce upon Mariana, whose nerves are little able to bear such a shock – I fear there is no chance of our meeting at Lawton, as of course she will not leave Scarbro’ just at present’ – they leave Langton for Bath on the 2nd of December -

1 note · View note