William Goodwin of Street Farm, Earl Soham.

Diaries dated from 1785-1810. Vol. 3.. HD 365/3.

Transcribed by Mrs. J. Rothery of Earl Soham, August 2001

The following Miscellany of Occurrences Persons and Curiosities was began in the Year 1785 by Wm. Goodwin of Earl Soham Surgeon and is intended as an Universal repository and Chronology.

Extract for 1795 (Jul - Dec)

(2 pages omitted)

Aug’st 17^th 1795 Mark Lane

The Quartern Loaf from 1/2 to 1/3

Mr Hart of Letheringham Mill gave 3-5-0 pr Comb for old wheat.

The scarcity of old wheat was partly occasion’d by ye avaricious holding it from market.

Augst 24^th

New Wheat has sold for 56/ pr comb, is now down to 42/ Mr Ayton had 7 Combs pr acre, thresh’d and sold this week at two Guineas a Comb, making about 90£s off 6 acres and a half - Mr Collett of Woodbridge sold 60 combs for 152.10.0

Aug’st 1795 British Navy

Officers and Seamen on board the above…

Louis the 17^th Son of Louis who was beheaded at Paris since the Revolution, died in Prison in June last in consequence of his confinement and cruel treatment - He was a nominal King…

Aug 22 1795 Ipswich Lamb Fair was not so full of Lambs as on former Years, and were poor condition - Ld Bristol as usual bore the bell having sold His half bred Leicesters and His best Norfolks as high as a Guinea. South Downs were in great request and sold high - Almost all the Pens, were clear’d the first day - prices from a Guinea down to 5/ - many flocks sold from 14/ to 18/. They never were so scrambl’d for or sold so high.

National Debt…

July In 1795 it amounts to 331m679-329£

Interest on Do. Pr Annum 12m127 488£

Including the Loan to the Emperor of Germany

Corn exported and imported to etc from England the last 14 years

Pounds Sterling

Total loss by importing Wheat Oats Rye Beans and Barly in the last 14 years amount to the enormous sum of 4-616-849£s or 330-000 pr. Annum

Mackeril caught and sold at Lowestoff in 7 weeks this summer amounted to the astonishing sum of 5000£s. they were sent to London and most parts of England and sold from 2d to 4d a piece

A Cottage Puding Take 2 lb of Potatoes - peel’d boil’d and mash’d - one pint of milk - 3 eggs - two oz of soft sugar, mix well together, and bake an hour.

24 East Indiamen richly laden, arriv’d in one fleet under a strong Convoy.

July The French since their last contest with Ld Bridport in wh. they lost 3 ships of the Line, allows us to be Masters at Sea.

A single Louis d’or in gold is worth at Paris 1125 Livers in paper, or 50£s.

Mr Barringtons Herefordshire ox weigh’d one Ton 14 Hund’d and 20 lbs.

August 1795 Invasion of France. Our ministers after a long and expensive preparation landed at Quiberon on the coast of France, about 10-000 men, these were chiefly emigrants, consisting of … (one page)

The new tax of a Guinea for powdering wigs and Hair produc’d the follow’g Lines from Peter Pindar

To W. Pitt - ye Prime Minister

Oh mighty master of ye ways and means

To slake ye Golden Thirst of Kings and Queens…

The Philosopher’s Stone:

Long have ye Learned sought without success to find what you alone o’Pitt possess. Thou only hast the power to Draw A Guinea from a Head not worth a Straw

Aug’st 14^th 1795 The most violent storm attended with the most awfull Thunder and lightning ever known, extended all over England several Houses and Trees burnt; a Stable and 2 coach Horses of Fuller’s burnt at Kelsale.

In the Island of Jamaica there are about 238-000 negroes…

Oct. 20^th 1795 A very large body of men and women assembled at Diss, complaining of the dearness of Provisions and their urgent necessities. The Magistrates assembled and call’d out Cap’tn Maynard’s troop of Yeomanry Cavalry, read the riot Act and dispers’d them, with fair, but empty words - no mischief of any kind ensu’d.

We had uninterrupted fine weather to get in a very plentifull Harvest particularly of Beans and Barly, Wheat was the least productive of any grain.

Fine Rains have since fallen, together with charming weather for sowing and planting wheat

Lands Cultivated and Uncultivated.

England and Wales

Uncultivated 7-888-777

Cultivated 39-027-156

Extent Total 46-715-933

Scotland

Uncultivated 14-228-224

Cultivated 12-151-471

Total: Uncultivated: 22-107-001

Cultivated 51-178-627

The number of Acres in England Wales and Scotland 73-255628

Died in Prussia aged 116…

A Lawyer in Town was discarded by a Lady after waiting on Her sometime as a Lover; presented His bill to Her Father charging £91.13.4 for attendance, advising etc.

Corn Imported by Government at an immense expense in the course of last Summer after using the greatest exercions was only 82-483 quarters of Wheat

2256 barrels of flour

1900 qtr’s pf Rye

Taken from neutral ships 104-760 qtr’s of Wheat…

The above small quantity shows the necessity of improving and cultivating our own waste Lands, as it is plain England must depend on herself, for supplying Her People with Corn, and not on foreign nations.

Oct 29^th 1795The King this day open’d the Session of Parliament with a Speech…

He was most grossly Insulted going to the House by at least 150-000 people; crying out - No War - No Pitt - Peace - Peace … (2 pages)

Frid. Nov 6^th The most tremendous Gale of wind happen’d ever known since 1703 - It commenc’d about mid-night, but its principal fury was between 3 & 4 in the morn’g - It blew in the most horrid gusts, tearing up large Trees by the roots, breaking many off about man’s height, of near a load, particularly oaks - a great number of Mills are down all over the Country and some of the Sails off - Houses until’d every where, Chimnies blown off - out houses and Stacks universally uncover’d and some wholly down - one mill at Wood’ge was blown off the stocks and catch’d on ye Legs and was found standing - Ld Dysart’s Park had near 100 Lds of wood blown down - The rookery at Kettleburgh 50 Do. The Country is every where impress’d with marks of its devastation and such as were hardly ever seen before.

Oct 1795 49 Sail of rich Ships laden chiefly with Silk and other valuable Merchandise were taken by a French squadron in the Mediterranean…

Dec’r 10^th 1796 (1795?) left E. Soham on a visit to Mr Chenery of Eye, who was taken dangerously Ill at Mr Broome’s near Manchester; arriv’d at Manchester by the way of London on ye 13^th at 8 in the Even’g. visited my Patient next day at Didsbury. Cost to Manchester for Coach hire, Servants, eating etc. for Mrs Goodwin and myself 11.2.6. - We left Manch’tr at 5 on Wed’y the 16^th and arriv’d safe and well at home on Sat’y ye 19^th to breakf’t having perform’d a journey of 550 miles (backward and forward) in about 9 days and night, staying two Days and nights in London. Cost in Toto about 23£ for both - W Goodwin -

The French Convention finally clos’d its Functions the 27^th of October 1795…

The new Legislative Assembly commenc’d… (2 pages)

Nov 16^th 1795 An immense Fleet of Store Ships Transports etc…

25^th Cape of Good Hope. A Gazzette…

Nov 16^th 1795 In consequence of Two Tyrannical bills now before Parliament to abridge the Establish’d Liberty… (1 page)

Dec’r 1795 The above obnoxious Bills were pass’d into Laws to continue in force 3 years.

Three fat sheep were sold at Smithfield, for the enormous sum of fifty two pounds ten shillings

One million of the Human Species are already said to have been Kill’d…

Excepting two smart frosty mornings in November, the Weather has been very mild and open. Primroses being fully blowen in many hedge rows - pretty much

Rain and wind has prevail’d.

The French have totally routed the Austrian Army…

Dec’r 7^th 1795 The Budget (details of army, navy, ordnance, plantations etc)

New Taxes. All Legacies to first Cousins to pay 2 pr Cent - To Second Do. Etc 4 pr. Do. To Strangers 6 pr Do.

All real Property, 2 pr Cent on Devises to those in he first degree of collateral consanguinity - To first Cousins 3 pr. Cent. - To strangers 6 pr. Do.

To double the whole Tax of Horses and double again above six kept for pleasure - Horses us’d in agriculture to be tax’d 2/ each, after being set to work - Billy calen-lates working farmers’ Horses at 1-000-000 N (note) Colts not out to work are exempted

Dec’r 1795 Amount of all the new Taxes (includes saddle a coach horses, tobacco, printed cottons and linens etc)

Another Loan for the Emperor of Germany is announced -

A Great mob assembled in the park to salute the King on his going to the house…

Dec’r 23^rd 1795Mark Lane

Wheat has kept constantly rising in price for several weeks; on the best information, there is not enough in England ‘till next Harvest by one quarter - Barly is now bought every where at 5/ pr Bush’l to grind and mix with Wheat to make it hold out - Parliament proposes 20/ pr Quarter on the Importation, but little is expected to arrive from abroad as all Euripe and even America are short of Wheat - Beef Mutton and Pork, are at 7d pr lb in Smithfield - Soap 10d pr Do. Candles 10d - our poor are in the most shocking distress absolutely in a starving condition

London Bill of Mortality for a year ending Dec’r 8^th 1795…

More than once third of the Human Species die in a state of Childhood and a great part without ever speaking a single word -

Dec’r 1795 Few battles of any account have been fought in the last years Campaign excepting the affair at Quiberon…