The Diaries of Josiah Chater – 1850

Excerpts from Josiah Chater's Diaries 1850

Excerpts:

1850

March 14th – Josiah and brother have secret plan to start a business together

Mansfield gone to take stock for Mudd of Beach Blumson gone to Chesterton about a contract Went to E E Foster’s office & received a cheque for £225 being ¾ of two legacies of Mr Adam’s William has received his & Eliza will have hers in a day or two Mr Basham has been recommending William & me to begin business as soon as we can he says there is an opening & we ought to try

Saw Agnes this evening & told her all about the affair I told her I knew I could trust her & that I had nothing I wish’d to keep from her as secret I also bought [to will?] papers one for me & one for William On questioning the affair of our business to Mansfield he agrees with us & says he should not hesitate at all in making the attempt if he had the means we have I don’t know what to do with my moneyt now I’ve got it Expect I shall put it in Fosters’ Bank at 2 pcent interest

March 25th – Mr Lilley is to marry and takes house on Hills Road

Mr Lilley took possession of his house on the Hills Road this morning & I hear he is to be married on the 11th of April

Mr Blumson is gone the Bourn & Caxton journey My cold does not seem much better William tells me Mr Basham seems to be a little coming round

April 5th – Fire at Cottenham

Have felt rather queer all this day went to John Johnsons after tea & bought of him two french books 2/-. Tom is not quite so well today last night there was at Cottenham a very dreadful fire between 30 & 100 houses burnt down it was burning at eight & I saw it distinctly at eleven Poor Mansfield is very poorly he is now suffering from hernia & under Johnson

April 13th – Public executions

Blumson & those living off the premises had a large piece of cake each sent them so we divided that sent here between the four & mine I gave to Agnes took it in in the evening  saw Harriet & asked her to give me some more of that compot for my fingers which she willingly did my heart has been very bad all day & after supper Miss Aikin put on a mustard poultice for me on my side which I kept on more than half an hour William went home this evening to stay until Monday with Tom I went up at nine to see the gallows prepared for the two poor being condemned to die at twelve they were hung at that time & thousands of people to witness the sight the Town has been full all day & hundreds have been rolling down the street drunk proving what a demoralizing effect public executions have upon the people

July 3rd – Josiah worries about Agnes

At seven Oclock this morning I & W went to Mr Swan’s & look’d over the old place to view the fixtures &c I have been examining invoices all morning took the last number of Copperfield to Miss Barrett for her to read I have not been very well today I have been very dull thinking a good deal about the course I ought to pursue respecting Agnes I cannot make her older by any artificial means but I should much like to be able to see her & speak to her without all the horrible restraint I am forced to endure now I do not know what to do I determine one minute to do this thing & the next I resolve on something quite contrary so that I feel in a perfect bewilderment occasionally I do not mind its being known I love her for I do sincerely & I fully believe there is a reciprocity of affection but the thing is she is so young & she advises me not to say anything about it at present to wait a year or so but then to wait is purgatory to me, or worse, however I shall be glad when I am away & have more business on my hands so that my mind will be more occupied I would not mind letting her sisters know how the matter stands between us but she wishes me not

July 19th – Josiah climbs a ladder to reach Agnes

Mr Blumson has been out all the week on the Bedfordshire journey I saw Agnes in the evening who told me her Father & Sisters were gone to dine at Mr R Barrett’s at Cherryhinton & would not be home till 12 or 1 Oclock so I offer’d to go & stay with her accordingly about ½ past nine I went round to the warehouse window & saw her but I could only speak from one window to the other. That did not very well please me, accordingly I put my wits to work to divise an improvement upon that mode of courtship I could not manage to get the key of the gate as I did last time & how to accomplish my end was the difficulty at last, an idea struck me (love is a famous prompter) I got the ladder out of the warehouse planted it against the wall scaled the same drew the ladder up after me & placed it on the other side as luck would have it, it was the length to a T down it I went & soon found myself with my beloved Agnes we could not stay outside it being so wet so we went into the Parlour & there we sat till past the clock had struck quarter to twelve I never was more happy in my life we freely opened each others hearts & exchanged the contents I now fully believe she is ready to devote her life to me we had a very long chat noone to disturb us I was very plain she told me how she opened the ball to her sisters they said I ought to have mentioned it to her Father but she replied it was her fault for she would not let me then they told her they had no objection nor did they think their Father would next year but she very young must wait till then so that she might see how I got on in business &c & I told her plainly I should not think of marrying untill I had a home of my own to take a wife to I also said I should like to ask her sisters to tea & to come & see me when we get into Sidney Street but that we should not have more furniture than was positively necessary & that we could not afford to keep company she readily accquiesced (sic) in those sentiments & said we were quite right & in fact I well weighed all her words (& actions as well) & I do believe she is one of the most sensible, intelligent & affectionate girls I ever met with I do not in the least regret having given up myself to her I trust I shall ever be to her (as I know she deserves) an honest upright & earnest lover  I am exceedingly glad she has told her sisters it is a great relief to me & also I am content to wait yet I must seize every opportunity of seeing her that lays in my power that I may understand her more thoroughly & that she may study my character more I may be wrong in seeing her thus, but confound it what am I to do? I cannot say to her what I want to say before any one else, then I must see her alone, & as other people will not give me the opportunity, what must I do but seek it as best I may? We are now lovers in every s