The Notebook of Thomas Shakshaft – Part Two

Thomas Shakeshaft

His Book

1751

His pockit book

Thos Thos

Thomas Bamptons Bill

(Entries all crossed out and repeated below)

Thomas Bamptons Bill

October the 19 I was a sawing – £ – s – d

At 14d a day — 0 – 1 – 2

& the 21 — 0 – 1 – 2

& the 22 — 0 – 1 – 2

and the 23 — 0 – 1 – 2

It Comes to — 0 – 4 – 8

The True Sum

Note: This page clearly belongs to the start of the notebook and yet it is found here near the middle. The next page is dated 11 years later. It is further evidence that the 1946 rebinding did not keep the pages in the correct order.

Thos bampton

The 14th of May 1762

My father and me Raling & Stomping 3 day

4 day more

Aprill the 26th 1762

On Monday We had

Little Samull Aldridge

To Nurss at 3s per week

1 – 0 = 3 = 0 —— 17 – 0 = 3 = 0
2 – 0 = 3 = 0 —— 18 – 0 = 3 = 0
3 – 0 = 3 = 0 —— 19 – 0 = 3 = 0
4 – 0 = 3 = 0 —— 20 – 0 = 3 = 0
5 – 0 = 3 = 0 —— 21 – 0 = 3 = 0
6 – 0 = 3 = 0 —— 22 – 0 = 3 = 0
7 – 0 = 3 = 0 —— 23 – 0 = 3 = 0
8 – 0 = 3 = 0 —— 24 – 0 = 3 = 0
9 – 0 = 3 = 0 —— 25 – 0 = 3 = 0
10 – 0 = 3 = 0
11 – 0 = 3 = 0 —– total 3 = 15 = 0
12 – 0 = 3 = 0
13 – 0 = 3 = 0
14 – 0 = 3 = 0
15 – 0 = 3 = 0
16 – 0 = 3 = 0

Note: In spite of their skills it seems that from time to time the Shakeshafts had to turn to anything to secure a living. It might be assumed that this was a Middleton Aldridge and not the one in Shenstone

What it Cost me Lately

September the 30 in a 1751

1 bought at Fasley (Fazeley?) Fair — s – d

A Shirt Cloth 3 yards & 3 quouters — 5 – 0

A hat — 2 – 0

A handkitcher — 1 – 10

And 3 stocks — 1 – 5

& a pair of bockels — 0 – 10

bought at Tamworth Fair

A Cote Cloth at 2s & 3d the yard — 9 – 0

Cloth for wastcot 1s& 9d the yard — 5 – 0

A Lode of Coles — 8 – 0

A Seal an pencel and ink — 0 – 7

Note: At this time Thomas was probably three months past his 20th birthday. He was baptised on 30th August 1731 but his birth date is unknown. Other Shakeshaft births recorded 6-weeks prior to baptism so we might guess the age of Thomas on that basis. That this page is near the middle of the book supports the view that the pages were rebound in the wrong order during the 1946 restoration.

There is a very similar entry on page 7

Benjamin Woodshaw

May the 7th, 1762

My father one day and

half mending the barn

Door — 0 = 1 = 6

both of us before Setting

Up the hovell – one day Each — 2 = 0

My Self one day and quarter

making a ladder — 0 = 1 = 3

one day & 2 half days both — 0 = 4 = 0

june ye 4th 1763 a Coffin for

benjamin Woodshaw. — 0 = 7 = 6

August the 23rd 1763 A Coffin ‘

for Joseph Woodshaw — 0 = 5 = 6

february the 7″” 1765 ‘

Oak box — 0 = 9 = 0

Work done by Benjamin Woodshaw

Coles = 12 hundred at 7 per hun — 0 = 7 = 0

& load of kids Left unpaid

the Carrage — 0 = 4 = 0

Load of Coals — 0 =12 = 0

Note: Was this a bill for work done for the Woodshaws, who then suffered bereavement before payment had been made while the Shakeshafts also owed them money for supplying coal etc? The coffin was probably not actually for Benjamin Woodshaw as he is recorded as supplying further coal to Shakeshafts in January, 1764. Possibly there was a father and son both named Benjamin. The coffin supplied for Joseph Woodshaw was probably smaller for a child as it costs less than the other coffin.

October the 30 – 1751

I Come to James Colins on Wend

I bought a 3 peny Loaf — 0 – 0 – 3

I workt 3 days

I was 3 day the next week

& he found me with Vittels

my father receved 3s & I had 2s- 6d

Wee was 5 days the next week

I finished a pair of bedstids & made

another pair and setting up mangers

at the Swan my father receved 2s

and 4s and 1 had 2s of my father

I went on Wensday January the 29th

workt 3 days & _ father receved 4s & 2s

1 receved 1s at Litchfield fair

& 1 Shilling the 26 of February

Mrs. Barker’s 1762

May ye 4th My father

one day and half — 0 = 1 = 6

it was making Gates

2 peneyworth of Nails — 0 = 0 = 2

Note: The dates on this page seem to be very odd with the 1762 lower part being written eleven years after the upper part

To renew old worn letters

take of the best Galls (oak apples) beat

them grosly and lay them to steep one day

in good wite wine this don distil

them with wine & with the distild watter that comes of them wet

the Letters and thay’l seem fresh and new

A Rule to know thy fortune

When thou enterest out of thy house

the first that you meet if his or her name

begin with these Leters A,E,O,V,C,L that

doth betoken good fortune that day but if

their names or name begins with

S, D, T, J ill success

To know if a woman be with Child

of a boy or a girl take the Letters of

the proper names of its father & mother

add 25 then devide by 47 & if even tis a

male if odd a female by The same you

may know whether a sick person shall

live or die or one fled is return

A way to take fish

Get nettles and house leek, bruise `em

and take the juice and put in a pond so

the fish will gather thither and

if your hands be anointed therewith

you may take `em at pleasure

To Break bands

Take the heart of a mole or wart

Make powder thereof and therewith rub

The bands and they will break

To Lay Gold on Glass

Take chalk and red Lead of Each

alike Grind them together & temper

them with Linseed oyl lay it on

& when it is dry almost dry Lay

Leaf Gold upon it let it dry Then polish it.

What it lies me in

one 3d

—————-

An Agreement made between

my father & me august the 16th

1756 – I must Maintain the house

and receive and pay all and Every

day my father works at the Hall I must

Give him 10 pence and every day he

works at the farmers I must give him

6 pence and he will pay the Rent

out of his wages.

August the

Munday the 16

1756

Note: The last six lines are crossed out which makes reading them very difficult indeed. Even so these lines seem to be part of the document. The rather strange words at the top of the page have something to do with the cost of living as indicated on another page where some similar words do clearly refer to living costs. Thomas had married four weeks earlier on 15th July so presumably adjustments were being made to the housekeeping arrangements to take account of this.

August the 19 – 1756

We ware Both at Mr. Alldridges

20 my father at Mr. Gilberts

21 Both at Mr. Aldridges cost me 3s 3d

To lay Gold on Iron or other Mettels

Take liquid Varnish one pound

Oyl of Linseed & turpintine of each

one ounce mix them Well together

Strike this over any Metal & then

lay on the Gold or Silver & when it is

done polish it.

To Gild Wood or Stone

Bole armoniack oyl of Benjamin

beat & Grind them together with

this Smear the wood or Stone when

it is almost dry lay on the Leaf Gold

let it dry & then polish it

The Eldest Daughter of Thos and

Sarah Shakshaft Born

Friday August 19th

att half an hour past Eight

at Eight in the morning

in the 5th day of the Moon 1757

Chistned September the 21

on St. Matthews day – Mary –

on Wendesday

Note: There is no ‘e’ in the middle of Shakeshaft as written here. Mostly, but not entirely, parish records did not use a middle ‘e’ either at this time. Very few years later Thomas was signing his name with a middle ‘e’ and it became generally used. His grand-daughter used an ‘e’ about 70 years later in a tapestry dated 1826. By the end of the eighteenth century a middle ‘e’ was invariably used in parish records and tombstones and all records spell the name with a middle ‘e’ thereafter. By usage the adoption of a middle ‘e’ became correct. Indeed the spelling became quite exceptionally consistent It was also a reversion to an earlier practice as in the time Thomas’s father, Robert, and also his grandfather John, long before the birth of Thomas, the middle ‘e’ was also generally in use.

To Make a Mehogane Stain

Get the Spirits of Wine and and

dragons blood & red alckany

root & boile them together

red sanders pound em altogether

For a Good black

Get Log Wood boyle it in Crab Urine*

Steel filings Mix them altogether

Let them stand for a Considarble

Wile Coller yor frame 2 or 3

Times then it will com a good

black

Dubble agafortis

Take wood soot old stale & boyl them together Littel aquafort

To Stain Walnut**

Malleber Rub’d on a Cock’s head

keeps another from mouthing

* This seems unlikely

** There is no text under this heading. What is written is a disconnected note which could have been written years later and seemingly has to do with poultry damaging each other. Although the notes written by Thomas were generally logically ordered, illogically placed jottings are also a feature of Thomas’s Notebook.

To Silver Luking Glas

Get quick Silver & tin file

——————

Quick silver in Sides of Globes

Take 2 ounces of quick silver – one

Ounce of bismuth of Lead and tin half

an Ounce Each First put the Lead and

tin into fusion then put in the bismuth

Let that infuse too Let it Stand till

all most Cold then pour in the

quick Silver then make a paper funnel

to power it in by

—————

Varnish

Spirrit of turpintine & gum

Shop Dore 3 foot by 5

Shop Dore 3 by 5

Closcet 5=4 by 2 foot 3

Chamber 3_ by 2 foot 2I[nches]

Street Door 5 foot by 2 – 101[nches]

Shop Door 4f 91[nches] by 2 – 10

Closit Door 5 – 3 by 2 – 3

Chamber 3 – 4 by 2 – 9

Lord Middletons

one day both helping the men in the

Upper plantation to keep a tree out

of the pit ——————– 0 – 2 – 6

both of us Mending ye fleakes

and helping the men 0 – 2 – 6

we put up 2 Rails below the pool

mended the fleaks & Maid

2 Spitting boxes 0*

july 25 1763 both of us Making

a Stile at the hungreen

Close 0 = 2 = 8

There is a note written vertically here which reads:

‘Here

the beetch pd for’

1757 November ye 30 at Robt. Aldridg

December ye 1 falling a tree Cleving

and hewing Crib `feet and bars

my father and me — 0 – 4 – 0

December 5 My father

and me one day Each

mending Cribs — 0 – 2 – 0

The7th 8th 9th Both — 0 – 6 – 0

june ye 12th 1762

Boards for Mrs Owin

popler at 2d per foot for Doors

at hill 55 foot for Doors

and the Ledges — 0 = 9 = 2

26 foot of Square Stuff

at one peney per foot — 0 = 2 = 2

8_ foot popler for Caseing

the Door Caseis — 0 = 1 = 5

Total* — 2 = 19 = 9

Receved — 0 = 10 = 6

Remains Due to me — 2 = 9 = 3

* Clearly this does not add up so Mrs. Owin may have already have owed £2-7-0. Mr. Owin was Overseer of the Poor in 1762 but the Overseer’s accounts prior to 1800 are lost so any connection cannot now be found.

October the 14th 1762

I bought a Pig at —– £ – s – d

Birmingham price — 1 = 4 = 0_

My Charges — 0 = 1 = 0

Bran — 0 = 0 = 3

3 Strik of Acorns of

My Aunt lety* — 0 = 3 = 0

1_ Strik of bran — 0 = 1 = 3

1 Strike of bran — 0 = 0 =10

12 Strike of Acorns of

our Own — 0 =12= 0

Bran — 0 = 0 = 2

2 Strike of peas — 0 = 9 = 0

* Aunt lety is Lettice, the sister of Thomas’s father Robert, who married Joseph Boyce of Birmingham in 1736 (see page 121). She is mentioned elsewhere in the notebook. The name Lettice is used in the next two generations finally becoming Letticia

Note: 1 Strike = 2 Bushells

1 Bushell = 4 Pecks

1 Peck = 2 Gallons (dry measure)

Mr. John Gillbard — december 6 – 1764

My father and me one day Each

mending Cribs — 0 – 2 – 0

My father & me Carraing in

the hungreen Close — 0 – 2 – 0

My father one day making

the Court Gate — 0 – 1 – 0

Both of us Caring Harvest home — 0 – 2 – 0

My self one day at the Cunne

berre barn — 0 – 1 – 0

Both of us 2 days mending

making Cribs — 0 – 4 – 0

Both of us 1 day making Cribs — 0 – 2 – 0

My father one day panting* the

Chamber — 0 – 1 – 0

1765 my father one day

Setting Stomps** & pales — 0 – 1 – 0

Mending the Jack*** against ye Road — 0 – 0 – 6

My Self 1 day & _ taking the

Wood out of the barn End and making

a pitchin hole — 0 – 1 – 3

* Perhaps ‘panting’ should read painting?

** Stomps (or stumps) were vertical posts i.e. gate-stomp = gate-posts and fencepost = fence stomp. More information on page 104

*** A jack was for lifting heavy vehicles (as now) but seemed to be part of the road equipment rather than be carried by a vehicle at John hickmans

Axes = 2 Sawes = Squares= 3

Chisels = Mallit gouge hammers

Gageis = Smoothing planes =

Jack planes = fore planes =

jointers = Moulding planes =

Line Rub-Stones = Gluepot =

November ye 16th 1762

both of us about the Scruto

two days Each — 0 = 4 = 0

Next Week 5 days Each — 0 = 10 = 0

1 day More Each — 0 = 2 = 0

Glew 1 pound, Spriges

200, Oyle 3d , Nails 6d — 0 = 1 = 9

Note: Above is a list of woodworkers’ tools apparently a t the house of John Hickinan It seems to be a list made before visiting Hickman’s premises perhaps as a check that items were found and counted and not overlooked.

What or where is the scruto?

Mr Gilbird — March ye 23

2 days Each

Cleeving Gate Bars & hewing

24 Setting up a Stile & hewing

Rails both of us — 0 = 4 = 0

June the 15th 1763 Railing

hungreen* close

Stumping & pailing 5 days — 0 = 10 = 0

20th 4 days Each — 0 = 8 = 0

28 all day 29 half day 30 My Self — = 3 = 0

All day father half day — 0 = 1 = 6

july ye 1 st both of us 2 days — 0 = 4 = 0

4th My Self 6 days

My father 5 days — 0 = 11 = 0

Left unpaid — 0 = 3 = 6

Totall — 2 = 1 = 0

* Hunts Green

November ye 15th 1762

William booths junear

both of us Setting up Cribs

one day — 0 = 2 = 0

ye 29th both of us Mending

the Chamber floor making

a Stile Setting up posts in

the garden — 0 = 2 = 0

February the 23rd 1764

both of us one day & t/4

Making a Cirb for the Well — = 2 = 6

August ye 11th both of Us

2 days taking a hovel down

and Setting it Up again — 0 = 3 = 9

I was off 3 hours

Note: In this, as in other entries, is to be found evidence of scrupulous honesty. Above Thomas states he was off for three hours so the bill is reduced by 3d. That is 3s 9d and not 4s. Above that is a reference to a quarter day and a charge to reflect that. Taking three hours off might not even be recorded nowadays

Yallow Ink

Mix a little allum to Some Saffron

and Water Another of the Same

the Leaves of yallow cowslips Squeeze

out the juice and mix with allum

Blue Ink

Take elder berries, press the juice

there-of into a Glass and put powdered allum to it add to it about its forth part

of Vinegar and a little Urine then dip

a rag into it and try Whether the

Colour is to your Liking you may if it

is too pale add a Little more of the juice

and if too dark of the vinagar to it.

Ebony Wood Imitateed

Take cleane and Smooth Box boil it in

oil until it turns black ———————– or

Strike your wood over with Spirit of vitriol hold it over a Cole fire and again till it is black anough then polish it or iron filings steeped in beer and urine will make a good black —–

polish with wax

For Staining Wood Black

put 2 ounces of iron filings into a new

earthen pan add to it one ounce of Sal-armoniac dissolved in a quart of vinegar and Let it stand 12 days the Longer the Better then take

Rasped logwood and three ounces of gallnuts pounded fine infuse this in a quail of Lee made

of Lime Let this also Stand the same time as

the above When you have occasion to

use it Warm both these liquors over a

Slow fire and with the Lee first Strike the Wood over you desire to dye and then

with vinegar: repeat this untill you

see the Wood Black enough to your Liking after witch wax and rub it with a wolen

rag and it will Look brite and fine

Bees Wax for all*

To Marble Wood

Whites of eggs beat them and draw where

you will When dry mix quick lime Well

With Wine With a brush or pencil paint

the wood over rub with a linnin rag Smooth

then Varnish

* Does this mean that bees wax should be applied to all the stained wood described on this and the previous page?

To etch Figures upon Wood

Take Melted tallow, Form there-

with flowers or What else you pleas

upon it then a Coloured Water

boyled With Vittrol, Saltpetre and allum

in Standing Mist Water, With Witch

Cover the board over with tallow and let

it Stand or Repeat it till the Collour

pleases you in this manner you may

Marble or Cloud your Wood as you

please your Self

Walnut tree Colour

Take the barks of Walnuts trees or the

green shells of Wallnuts dry them in

the Sun Mix as much as you have

Occasion for with Nut oil, boil it up

And rub the Wood over therewith

A Violet Colour for Wood

Take 4 ounces of brazil, and one

ounce of indigo infuse them together

in a quart of Water and boil your

Wood therein

Glue

Common glue Mix’d up with linseed

oil or varnish Will Stand Water

or isinglass Common Glue soakd in

brandy over night and mixt with a

little fine powder & chalk

Note: The break through of ink from the other side of the page is particularly bad here.

Chuse any number & set it down & the

number of the day under it then take

the number you Shall find under the

first letter of your Christen name add

them all together in one Sum

continues on next page

My Lord Middletons

thursday Aprill ye 8th 1762

My self and father

Wating on the Surveyor –

3 days Each — £0 – 8s – 0d

the 12th My Self all day

My father half day — 0 – 2 – 0

the 19th & 20th My Self — 0 – 2 – 8

the 22d, 23d, 24th both of Us — 0 – 8 – 0

My Self half day and both of us

one day of old Making baicons — 0 – 3 – 4

Monday ye 26

both of us Cleving & hewing

fleakes two days — 0 – 5 – 4

My father one day Mending the Reals against the

Cuningro pool — 0 – 1 – 4

July 12, 8 foot of dale

to make a box for the

Surveyors at 2d per foot — 0 – 1 – 4

half day Making it

& going to tamworth

for hinges — 0 – 0 – 8

Note: The Middleton estate accounts for 7th August, 1762 show Thomas being paid 1s. Od. for two boxes for the surveyor’s maps. The rate of pay here is Is. 4d. per day as it is for all extant entries in the estate accounts. Most estate accounts for this period are lost. Middleton papers that survive are at the University of Nottingham., Mostly there is no mention of the cost of materials for work done anywhere in the notebook -just cost of labour

presumably this follows on from the previous page

19th My self Mending the — — s – d

Watter Lagg by ye plantation — 0 = 8

And 29th Making Up

tow packing boxis for

Wollerton* — 0 = 0 = 8

for Mending beecons

and Staffs for the Surveyors

Sprigs Glue & WorkmariShip

and Shueing them — 0 = 1 = 4

father one quarter of

A day Mending Gates — 0 = 0 = 4

august 7th 10 foot

of dale to Make another

Box for the Surveyors — 0 = 1 = 8

half day Making it — 0 = 0 = 8

august the 22d 1763

both of us Making Up the Little

bridle Gate att Gilbirds pound

and Sawing posts another gate

in the Common one day — 0 = 2 = 8

* The Willugby (otherwise Willoughby) family came to Middleton from Wollaton in Nottingham where they had their principal estate at Wollaton Hall. Although they never left Wollaton their main home for some time in the 18th century seems to have become Middleton Hall before reverting again to Wollaton. Clearly Thomas did not know how to spell Wollaton. Thomas worked a great deal for Lord Middleton at Middleton but no evidence has been found that he ever went to Wollaton and this is the only mention of it to be found in his notebook.

july ye 25th 1763 both of Us

Making a Stile at the — — £ – s – d

hungreen Close — — — 0 = 2 = 8

august ye 22d both of Us

Making up the Little bridle

gate in the pound and

sawing posts for Another

gate in the Corner one day — 0 = 2 = 8

Septr ye 5th both of us Mending the boat Next day

finising the boat & Setting up Some Rails & Stomps at the

top of ye Upper plantation

2 days — 0 = 5 = 4

Sept the 20th both Sawing

4 Orris Rails — 0 = 2 = 8

and half day Sawing

pales — 0 = 1 = 4

— — — 0 =14= 8

Receved the full

Contents of this bill the 5th day

Septr 1763 – – I Say Receved by me

Thos Shakeshaft

Note: This must all be work on Lord Middleton’s estate. It is noticed that Thomas by this time was spelling his name with the middle’e’ and does so here in one of very few signatures we have. He was a few weeks past his 32nd birthday.

Capt. Aldridge

April the 25 – 1764

My Self and father 2 days

Each Making 2 gates and — — £ — s — d

hanging and mending more — 0 = 4 = 0

for Leenseed Oil — 0 = 0 = 6

for one quarter of a day Each — 0 = 0 = 6

july ye 24th 1765 falling

timber for a barn floor — 0 = 1 = 6

we have had 2 Strike of Weat

at 5 Shillings per Strike — 0 =10 = 0

he has Drawd 2 Load

of turf — 0 = 5 = 0

Note: This entry for 1764 is one of the last and suggests that pay rates may have gone back to Is. Od. per day whereas earlier dates in the notebook and the Middleton estate papers consistently give a rate of 1s. 4d. Also Captain Aldridge was in Shenstone so a long journey must have been made to get this work. Maybe times were rather harder in 1764 than they had been a short while earlier

The Desire to Know

How many heads & tails are

There in 30 thrave* of Dogs &

A Cut tail’d bitch

Solution

– 721 heads

– 720 tails

– 1441 total

If 20 dogs for 30 groats go one

Whole year to grass

How many hounds for 60 Pounds** May be Winterd in that place

Solution – – 2400 dogs

* By deduction a thrave must be 24. The term was used for

quantities of thatching materials where one thrave equaled 24 sheaves and one half a thrave equalled one kiver.

* * The word pounds used here is simply guesswork

A piece of Clock Work Shewing

Minits & Seconds – 8 days

the watch part — — — — the Clock part

8) 96 — — 8) 78

8) 60 – 48) 48 – 6) 72 — 6) 48 8 pins

7) 56 — — — — — — 6) 48

30 — — — — — — — 6) 48

Or — — — Another Way

4) 48 (12— — — — 4) 28 (7

4) 30 (7_ — — — — 5) 55 (11

4) 32 (8 — — — — 5) 45 (9

— — — — — — 5) 40 (8

(30)— Crown Wheel — (17)

an Old 12 hours Clock

4) 48 — — — 48

7) 56 — — or — 56-4

6) 54 — — — 54-7

Crown (19) — — — 19-6

Note: Thomas was clearly fascinated by clocks and clock mechanisms. Mavbe this has its roots in the fact that fellow carpenter John Harrison (1693- 1776) was at this time working on his chronometer aiming to win the Board of Longitudes £25,000 prize and in 1763 was awarded the part prize of 5,000. Harrison was made to wait until 1773 when intervention by George III led to the full prize being awarded. Harrison had earlier used wood for cog teeth and this may have encouraged Thomas’s interest.

A piece of 32 days With 16 or 12 turns

the Watch-part

With 16 turns —- – With 12 turns

16) 96 —- —- —- 12) 96

9) 72 —- —- —- 9) 72

8) 60-48) 48-6) 72 —- 8) 60-48) 48-6) 72

7) 56 —- —- —- 7) 56

30 —- —- —- 30

or

thus – 16 – turns —– 2 Months

12) 72 —- — 9) 90

8) 54 —- —- 8) 76

8) 60 — — 8) 60-48) 48-6)

7) 56 —- —- 7) 56

30 —- —- 30

To prepare a black Colour

for Staining Wood

put 2 Ounces of Iron filings into

a new Earthen pan – 1 Ounce of

Sal-armoniac Dissolved in a quart

of Vinegar & Let it Stand 12 days

the Longer the better; then take

Rasped Logwood & 3 Ounces of

Gallnuts pounded fine Infuse this

in a quart of Lee Maid of Lime;

Let this also Stand the same as above

When Usered Warm both those

liquors over a Slow fire and with

the Lee first Strike the Wood over

& then With Vinegar; Repeat

this till the Wood is black Enough

to your Likeing; then Wax it

over & Rub With a Woolen Rag

or

Iron filings Steeped in beer and

Urine Will Make a Good black

Note: Another page (74) is almost identical to this but why it is repeated is not clear. The use or capital letters is particularly random and apparently meaningless.

Walnut tree Colour

Take the bark of Wallnutt

trees or the Green Shells dry

them in the sun Mix as much

as you have occation for

Nut Oyl boil it Up and Rub

the Wood therewith

An Exceeding fine Cement to

to Mend broken China or Glasses

Garlick Stamped in a Stone

Morter and the juice aplide

to the broken places

A Water Cement

Take Mastick, incense, resin, & fine

Cut Cotton of Each alike Melt

& with Some powderd quick-lime

Mix them into a Mass

A Cement as hard as Iron

Melt pitch then take Ground

Sand Worn off from Grindstones

Stir them well together boil it up

and it is fit for Use

The

Laboratory of School of Arts

by G. Smith*

*Note: This book was first published in 1738 and went through several editions during the next 50 years. Copies of a number of the editions including those of 1750 and 1755 which are those most likely to be relevant are at the British Library. Was this a book Thomas owned or had access to? If so, was it a book Thomas used for some of his recipe for wood stains, cements etc?

May the 31st 1763

an Agreement Maid With

Mr Dakin before Mr Brown

For the Use of My Ld Middleton

fleaks, oak heads Sawd, bars Cloven

of one shilling per fleak = 1 = 0

Dito heads Sawd of Oak

and bars Sawd of ash at

one Shilling and four pence = 1 = 4

Each fleak —————-

Note: A fleak is a hurdle or a short element of a fence

july the 26th 1763

We begun to Cleeve fleakes

Cleeving, hewing & sawing 9 Days

half day More

Sept 21 both of Us 2 days Making fleakes

We Maid 8 fleaks Each day that is 16 fleaks

father one day More

both of Us one day More Maid 9 fleaks

both of us one day More Maid 10 fleaks

We Maid 19 fleaks the two days Each

both half day more Sawing heads for fleaks

both 1 day & half Each Sawing heads

we have maid 76 fleaks the

bars Cloven & the heads Sawd all paid

at one Shilling Each

Benjamin Woodshaw

brought us a Load of Coles

in January 1764 price 0 = 10 = 0

february the 9th we maid 2

Ladders We finding Rounds

at one halfpeney apice and

flatons 1 peney Each

1 of 18 Rounds

the other 22 0 = 6 = 2_

june ye 16

I Maid a Ladder

of 28 Rounds I found them

6 flatons 22 Roundons 0 = 4 = 4

Sam,l Hilton

May the 23d 1764

I maid a Grotto

£0 = 5s = 0d

Note: Most of this page has been cut out and we shall never know why. Was it perhaps a bill given to a customer?

“I had of William Booth Jnr 1765

13 foot & _ half Inch Oake board*

At 3d _ per foot______ 0 = 3 = 11_

to Make a box for, Benjamin

Woodshaw

* Note: The half inch refers to the thickness of the wood but no indication is given here of its width. However, this would be unnecessary if the board was a standard width. A board was 9″” wide whereas a plank was 10″” or more wide and 2″” or more thick. A board was 1_ inch thick or thinner such as _ inch in this case.

March the 18th 1765

My father 2 days 0 = 3 = 0

My Self 3 days 0 = 4 = 6

getting Windings &

Diging Clay Winding

Walls & Daubing them

For a Dresser

the Leaf 13 foot 0 = 4 = 4

Drawer faces,

End pannils 0 = 2 = 4

13 foot for framing 0 = 4 = 4

Note: It is not stated who the customer was in this case but reasonably it was almost certainly Lord Middleton. The charge per day here is Is/6d. Two months later the charge to Lord Middleton was back to Is/4d.Every payment made to Thomas Shakeshaft and his father Robert found in the Middleton Estate papers was at the rate of Is/4d per day but much of the estate records is lost Even so it seems odd that the estate papers never show any variation in the rate of payment whereas Thomas does show variations in money received. We do not know for whom the dresser was being made. Possibly Lord Middleton.

Mrs Gilbird 1765

My father one day Setting Setting

Stumps & pales against ye Road* 0 = 1 = 0

Mending the jack 0 = 0 = 6

My Self one day and quarter

taking the Wood out of the

barn End and Making a pitchen**

hole 0 = 1 = 3

july

My Self and father one day Each Mending Gates and Making

a pitchen hole Door 0 = 2 = 0

* In “”Historical & Descriptive Notices of Droylsden”” by John Higson, published 1859, reference is made to road repairing and he quotes ‘ “” the town’s book of a century ago [c1750] reveals the following curious items – viz.—filling, leading & setting up stumps””, then deemed indispensibe in road affairs’. Droysden is now part of Manchester.

In the context of Thomas’s notebook (of about the same date) the phrase “”setting up stumps””, which occurs several times, seems to relate to fencing. Perhaps the two views are not in conflict as fencing may be used to define the edges of roads in some places.

** A pitchen is presumably a pigeon

Lord Middleton

May the 11 – 1765 £ s d

5 days 0 = 6 = 8

16th 9 days 0 = 12 = 0

july 2nd 3 days 0 = 4 = 0

Septr 25th 2 days Mending

the Wood gates 0 = 2 = 8

8 Dozn & half of floats

at 9d the Dozn Comes to 0 = 6 = 4_ 4_ 41/2

Nov the 4th for Cleaning

the Clock & putting a Sucker

on the pump 0 = 2 = 8

December ye 16th half Day

falling a tree for Rails

Next day Loading them &

falling a tree for Stomps

Next day herding & Mortising 0 = 6 = 8

A New buckit for the

Cellor plump 0 = 1 = 4

settled this Account the

31 of December

Note: Payment was made nearly 8 months after the start of this series of jobs which seems an unfairly long time for a working man to have to wait for payment. Perhaps he survived by payments for work done for other customers in this period.

For any Sprain Swelling or

Stretching of Sinews or Nerves

Cummin Seeds 3 ounces boil them

in a point of Oil of Cammomile

yellow bees Wax _ pound let them

boil to the thickness of a Sare-Cloth Spread it on Sheeps Leather Very hot apply it to the place Repeat till

it be Well

For the Scab or itch in Sheep Camelian noir and the herb

bears foot boiled in Water and applied Warm to the places

For the itch and Maggots in Sheep Brimstone & tar Well Stirred together over a slow fire is an Exelent Remedy when the Wool is Sheared off anoint

the sore place. Likewise powder of brimstone Mixt With Wax is

good for the Scab

Nancy Livsey

To William Stringer Maltster

at Shackson* Neer Bosoth

. Licestershire

To

John Stringer at

Nobut in the parrish

of Lee** Neer Utssitter or Utoxeter

. Staffordshire

* Presumably Shackerstone near Market Bosworth

** Now known as Leigh

Note: Nobut is an area to the east of the hamlet of Leigh near Uttoxeter in Staffordshire containing a few farms. There is a Nobut Hall still existing and lived in. Was this the home of the Stringers? It seems possible, perhaps probable, that as the next two pages show designs for furniture, the two Stringers were customers for whom these designs were produced. This view is supported by the book being turned on its side to offer a larger page area. The top of this larger area contains the names and addresses and the lower part the designs for furniture. The quality of Thomas’s extant work is far too high for him to have just been a local village carpenter. He would have attracted customers from a much wider area. Note the breakthrough from the other side of the paper of the bureau.

The side view of a four drawer

Bureau. The front view is on

the next page. The two views

are projected one from the other

by third angle projection.

The left side of the page seems

to be a drawing of the wooden

inlays proposed for use on the

Bureau

Front view and dimensions of the

bureau referred to on the previous

page.

3 foot 3 inches high – 10 inches wide

at the top Slope 13 In

3 foot wide

19 inches backward

front 2 foot 6 In high

drawer depths, 6 _ , 5 _ , 4 _ , 3 _ in

bought of peeter brown

at 2 pence per pound

2 bee hives Weaighing 52 pound

the honey Weaighing 24 pound

the wax Weaighing 2 pound & _

Sold of honey 22 pound £ s d

at 3d _ per pound Coming to 0 = 6 = 5

the Wax sold for 0 = 2 = 7_

0 = 0 = 9_

I gave 0 = 8 = 0

I gain 0 = 1 = 0_

3 pound of honey

we kept besides

Note: The drawing on the other side of the notebook page has shown through. Perhaps the ink was too thin. The transaction described here shows that Thomas had an eye to business

Designs for a Gate

Design for a Hatch.

Design for a Gate.

Note: At 6 feet this is far too high and ornate for a field gate. Possibly the design was for Middleton Hall.

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