April 8, being Sunday, 1688, my wife Katherine26 dyed; and was buryed in Egleston chapel under the comunion table the Tuesday following, and was carryed to church by Sir William Bowes, Mr. John Bowes, Mr. Edward Hudleston, Mr. John Dale, Mr. Thomas Watson, my sonne Mr. Thomas Wickeliffe, and my four sons, Cuthbert, William, Robert and James. And all had alamood scarfes, three yards apeece, and Mr. Chancellor Tully27 had likewise a scarfe, and all the gentry had sweet-meats. Wednesday, the 25 of July, 1688, Robert28 and James did rise out of bed and went and lay out. On Thursdayith evening Robert came in, and James came not in till Friday night, and they both gave their promise under their hands never to do the like but to abhorre drinking; which writing I shall keep as a recognission against them if ever they doe the like again. 26 She was the Diarist's third wife and apparently a daughter of William Fielding of Startforth and sister of Israel Fielding of that place. If this were so, father and son married sisters. See Fielding pedigree in Harrison's Yorkshire, p. 392. 27 Mr. Thomas Tullie, chancellor of Carlisle, 1683-1727, and also dean from 1716 to his death in January, 1726/7. 28 A youthful escapade of the future archaeologist and learned joint editor of Rymer's Foedera, already mentioned in the introduction. According to the Dictionary of National Biography, he married four times. He died, s.p., 25th Dec., 1741. By his will, dated the 5th Dec., 1741, and proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on the 29th of the same month, he gives the castle, manor and estate of Armathwaite, his lands at Whorlton and at Aldbrough, etc., to his wife for her life, and then to his great-nephew William Milburn of Lincoln's Inn. Cf. Mr. Beazley's paper on the Diary and Pedigree of Christopher Sanderson,' Genealogist, vol. xxii. p. 82. DIARY OF JACOB BEE OF DURHAM. INTRODUCTION. Jacob Bee, whose diary is printed in the following pages, was a native of the city of Durham and was baptized in the church of St. Margaret, Crossgate, on the 19th of June, 1636, as son of Nicholas Bee, whose marriage with Margaret Ussie, widow, had taken place in the same church on the 15th of June, 1624. Bred a skinner and glover, there are suggestions in the diary that at one period of his life he may have kept an ale-house at all events he did a little brewing, the 'grains' being sold by his wife after each brewing. possessed of a stable and loft which were let off to one William Drury. When about twenty-two years of age he married Elizabeth Rabbet, the banns of marriage being published in the market place at Durham on the 28 of January 1657/8. What is known of his family is set out in the accompanying pedigree. He was He did not prosper in business, and at the age of 65 he became an out-pensioner of the hospital of Sherburn-house. Dying in 1711, he was buried at St. Margaret's in Durham on the 11th of January of that year. It is not known whether the original diary exists, but happily a small edition consisting, it is said, of only twenty copies, was printed for private circulation by Sir Cuthbert Sharp. One of these copies is in the possession of the editor. It comprises only thirtythree octavo pages, issued in a plain paper cover. DIARY. 1681. 5 Sept. John Phillipson, taylor, and Katherin Rowell [married], with a lawles minister at Newcastle. 1682. 27 March. John Maddison's child Margaret went out of Durham to Newcastle for London to be toutcht for the evill. 1682. April. Two great floods of watter upon Wednesday and Thursday, being the 26th and 27th of April. The first day that men and women servants presented themselves to be hired in Durham markett was the 6th day of May, 1682. 1682. 31 May. Betwixt 11 and 12 at night, was a very fearfull thunder, with flalshes of fire, very tirrible. 1682. 28 July. Captain Thomas Featherston, of Stanhope hall, departed this life, being Friday, at night about 11 a clock.1 1682. 15 Aug. A blazing stare appeared. 1682. 6 Sept. Mr. William Witherington, one of the bead-men of Abby church [died].2 1682. 28 Sept. Sofly, sone to Richard Sofly, was borne, being Thursday: and Elizabeth Dobinson was her midwife and the first that ever she [had] laid.3 Anthony Fewster became not well the 1st of February, 1681/2 and was not well again the 23rd October, 1682. 1682. 20 Nov. blew one half of the 1682. 20 Nov. 1682/3. 5 Jan. [died].6 1682/3. 14 Jan. 1682/3. 25 Jan. eighteen or nineteen Being Munday this yeare and a great wind which Mr. Wilson commonly called Judge Wilson The watch gave over in Cross-gate. A sad cruel murther comitted by a boy about years of age, nere Ferryhill, nere Durham, being 11682. 30 July. Thomas Fetherstonehalgh, esquire of Stanhop-hall, buried in linnen. Stanhope Registers. 2 He was a knight of the shire for Durham, 1679 and 1680. 1682. 6 Sept. William Witherington of the Palace Greene, beadman, buried. Registers of St. Oswald's, Durham. 3 1682. 3 Oct. William son of Richard Softly baptized. Registers of St. Margaret's, Durham. 4 1 Cf. Longstaffe on 'The Stained Glass of Durham Cathedral.' Arch. Ael. 2 series, vol. vii. p. 125. 5 1682. 20 Nov. William Rose, bur. Registers of St. Margaret's, Durham. 6 1682/3. 7 Jan. Mr. George Wilson, attorney, buried. Registers of St. Oswald's, Durham. Thursday, at night. The maner is, by report:-When the parents were out of dores a young man, being sone to the house, and two daughters was kil'd by this boy with an axe, having knockt them in the head, afterwards cut ther throts: one of them being asleep in the bed, about ten or eleven yeares of age: the other daughter was to be married at Candlemas. After he had kil'd the sone and the eldest daughter, being above twenty yeares of age, a little lass, her sister, about the age of eleven yeares being in bed alone, he drag'd her out in bed and killed her alsoe. The same Andrew Millns alias Miles, was hang'd in irons upon a gybett nere Ferryhill upon the 15th day of August, being Wednesday, this year 1683.7 1682/3. 12 March. Mr. Anthony Smith, once a Member in Parliament, in Oliver's time [died].8 1683. 11 April. Francis Shaw,9 servant to Thomas Skinner [died] very suddenly, being very well the Munday before in my house. Jacob Bee. 1683. 6 June. Margaret Richardson, the midwife [died].10 William Fawcett, mow-maker [died] in the gaoll in Durham.11 1683. Two men fought a prize in the New Place, upon a stageSwainston and Wood-but Wood wounded Swainston with back sword, although Swainston got the better. 1683. 21 July. William, Lord Russel beheaded in Lincolns Infeilds, being guilty of a conspring (sic), against the king, as was supposed.12 The day before was hang'd, drawne, and quartered Captain Walcott, Mr. Hone, and Mr. Rouse, being Friday. 1683. 3 Aug. The assisses begun, and such an inundation of watter that the judges was forcet to come down Gillygate, and come in about 8 at night, and read their commission. Judges names, Jones and Strut.13 7 71682/3. 26 Jan. John Brasse, Jane Brasse and Elizabeth Brasse, the son and daughters of John Brasse of Ferryhill, all three murdered in their father's house, by one Andrew Mills, and were all three buryed. Kirk Merrington Registers. 8 1682/3. 13 March. Mr. Anthony Smith, mercer, templo, buried. of St. Nicholas', Durham. Registers He was member of parliament for the City of Durham in the parliaments of 1654 and 1656. Cf. Hutchinson, Durham, vol. ii. p. 45. 1683. 12 April. Durham. Frances Shaw, buried. Registers of St. Margaret's, 10 1683. 7 June. Margaret, wife of George Richardson, cordwainer, buried. Registers of St. Nicholas', Durham. 11 1683. 7 June. William Fawswett, buried. Registers of St. Oswald's, Durham. 12 Cf. Macaulay, England, vol. i. p. 268. Trevelyan, England Under the Stuarts, pp. 423, 424. 13 Query, Chief Justice Jones, who was dismissed by James II. in 1686, and Baron Street, who truckled to the king in the same year on the question of the Dispensing Power. Cf. Macaulay, England, vol. ii. pp. 81, 84. |