1827

Date	Diary Entry for the year 1827	Accounts entry	Notes.
	January
1^st January 1827	Working upon the Bincombe Awd Maps	Received £0 0s 0d Paid Brot from last years Book £20 1s 0d	This entry is unusual for in all the other diaries there is always some positive balance brought forward from the previous year. This diary opens with a debit. Does Brot refer to his brother I wonder?
2^nd^–4^th January 1827	Do.
5^th January 1827	Do. – The Duke of York died		The diary notes that this was a “Holiday at the Bank, Exchequer, and S.Sea House.” Unlike today this was on a Friday.
6^th January 1827	Went to Symondsbury respg Mr Pitfield Plan	Expenses at Bridport 3s 6d	John Pitfield was Captain in the Symondsbury Company of the Dorset Voluntary Infantry or First Western Battalion. This was the company of infantry that John Martin had joined and promoted to ensign in 1807
7^th January 1827	At Home
8^th January 1827	Went to Wraxall with my Cows. Mrs Martin put to Bed of a Son ¼ past 8 o clock in the evening named Arthur	Paid Postage on Bincombe 2s 4d Pd Postage T Hinton 8d Do. my own 2s	A typically short entry recording ‘s birth. was the fourth and last child; only Caroline and Arthur ’s births appear in the diaries.
9^th January 1827	Went to Sydling respg my demand upon Devenish and Watts
10^th January 1827	Making Bincombe Award of Roads and Allotments [charge]
11^th January 1827	Attending Lord Ilchesters Rent day at the Acorn		It is not clear precisely what role Martin had under the Earl. Martin was the Steward of the Manor of Rampisham but the Earl’s estate was much, much larger and it is likely that Wm Jennings Jnr. was the Steward and Martin worked under him.
12^th January 1827	Bincombe Inclosure making award of Allotments – ½ day
13^th January 1827	Bincombe Inclosure making Award
14^th January 1827	At Home
15^th January 1827	Making Bincombe Award
16^th January 1827	Do.
17^th January 1827	Finished the Bincombe ^ Draft of Award of Allotments – charge 5 days	Paid Mr Martin £1
18^th January 1827	Went to Toller Coursing with Mr Thos Jest and dined at Mr E Popes	Purchased Errands at Yeovil 5s 6d	More Hare Coursing.
19^th January 1827	Bincombe Inclosure Went to Yeovil and Purchased 30,000 Thorn Plants of Male of Lambrook at 15/s to be delivered at Bincombe [charge]		East Lambrook in Somerset. Note the curious way he refers to the seller as ‘Male’ of Lambrook.
20^th January 1827	“Sturminster Inclosure” making Draft of Award of Roads [charge]		For some reason [not repeated] he decided to put quotation marks around “Sturminster Inclosure”. Why is not known but he did not do this for Bincombe or any of the other inclosures.
22^nd January 1827	“Sturminster Inclosure” making Award of Allotments OVERWRITTEN IN PENCIL Sold Andrew Groves Willow Bed at Wraxall at 55s Rope Yarn 33 yd at 7d	Pd Man 3s 6d IN PENCIL Enquire the boundaries of the Marsh
23^rd January 1827	Went to Ransom upon Mrs Daniels Business
24^th January 1827	“Sturminster Inclosure” making Award of Allotments
25^th January 1827	John Beater Hauling Dung Writing Ransom Fair Accts	Paid for Paper 1s 6d Paid for Paper 1s Pd Expenses at Dorchester 5s	More dung. Important in the days before artificial fertilisers.
26^th January 1827	“Sturminster Inclosure” making Award of Allotments
27^th January 1827	Went to Dorchester to meet Harpet Lane Men respg Hurdles &c for Bincombe		The only Harpet Lane I have come across was at Blandford- now disappeared.
28^th January 1827	At Home
29^th January 1827	“Sturminster Inclosure” making Draft of Award
30^th January 1827	Went to Ransom and Hook
31^st January	“Sturminster Inclosure” making Draft of Award ½ a day.		Another bank holiday on an odd day. This time a Wednesday.
	February
1^st February 1827	“Sturminster Inclosure” making Draft of award Numbering Allotments &c
2^nd February 1827	“Sturminster Inclosure” Allotting the small Allotments on the Map Proposed to be Stocked in Common		See notes on Sturminster Inclosure. At inclosure landowners would often retain some elements of the open field system. The tithe map of 1840 shows a number of these small allotments.
3^rd February 1827	“Sturminster Inclosure” completing award of Allotments ½ day Measuring Fences on Bincombe Map other half 8 days in the whole for award		If the scale of the map were sufficiently large accurate measurement could be taken from the map and did not need to be measured on the ground. Landowners were charged per foot per yard or per lug [ 5.5 yards] of length so accurate measurements were needed. 3 chains [66 yards] of real length represented by one inch of map length was deemed to be the smallest scale suitable.
4^th February 1827	At Home
5^th February 1827	“Sturminster Inclosure” making Schedule for repair of Private Roads £2 2s 0d
6^th February 1827	Went to Ransom and Wraxall and adding up Lord Hollands Accounts
7^th February 1827	Finished adding Lord Hollands Accounts IN PENCIL 2 Cows 5 weeks 1 Cow 8 weeks Cows when ### [? due]
8^th February 1827	Preparing for Tarrant Hinton Inclosure Award and writing to Mr Harvey on Sturminster Inclosure and sent his Draft of Allotments for award.
9^th February 1827	Scaling Allotments on Tarrant Hinton Bushes and Down and taking up New Roads
10^th February 1827	Do.
11^th February 1827	At Home
12^th February 1827	Bincombe Inclosure Attending Sale at Cerne of Fir Poles when Bought 6 Lots and returned Home again	Paid at Expenses at Dorchester 4s 6d
13^th February	Preparing allotments for Tarrant Hinton Award.
14^th February 1827	Thos How fetched a Cart Load of Hay Working upon Tarrant Hinton award	Pd Thomas How in full for Carriage of Hay & Dutch oven Paint &c from Yeovil 6s
15^th February 1827	Went to Ransom with Mr Jesty and dined at Mr Willm Jennings
16^th February 1827	Tarrant Hinton Inclosure Finished award of Allotments charge 2 days for Award and 3 Scaling New Allotments and taking up Roads
17^th February 1827	Went to Ransom and Wraxall
18^th February 1827	At Home
19^th February 1827	David Childs and Son Wheeling Dung into my Garden and myself Pruning Bushes	Paid David Childs in full of all demand 5s 6d
20^th February 1827	making up the Ransom Accts	Paid Mr Norman 100 [sic] Poor Rates £1 0s 10d
21^st February 1827	Went to Ransom resptg arrears
22^nd February 1827	Bincombe Inclosure Attending Commnr reading Draft of Award		Bincombe parish was owned by the Master and Scholars of Caius College Cambridge. The inclosure commissioners were a local man – John Baverstock Knight, and a surveyor, all the way from Norwich, Robert Wright. He was also the valuer at the time of the tithe commutations. Martin was surveyor to both inclosure and commutation.
23^rd February 1827	Do. went to Bincombe with Mr Wright	Expenses at Bincombe Meeting £1 12s 0d
24^th February 1827	Dined at Dorchester with Commnr and returned Home
25^th February 1827	At Home
26^th February 1827	Bincombe Inclosure Putting Names Numbers and Measures in Rough Map and writing request for making old Inclosures allottable
27^th February 1827	Went to Frampton Cerne &c for a Summons for the Gundrys’ at Ransom for cutting down a Young ash Tree but Mr Brown was from Home		This was a serious matter. It was permissible to take fallen wood for firewood from the common but villagers were not allowed to cut ‘maiden’ trees i.e. those that had not been coppiced or pollarded.
28^th February 1827	Bincombe Making Rate for repair of Private Roads and Completing filling up Blanks in Award &c	Paid Man looking after Cows and Horse 4s 6d Pd Shoeing Horse at Ransom 2s
	March
1^st March 1827	Went Coursing with Mr J J Crew& Mr E Thompkins at Sydling	Paid MrsMartin £5 Paid Expenses my own 6s 6d Paid Mr Coombs for Warrant 11s Paid Expenses 6s	The warrant was to order the arrest of the Gundry’s.
2^nd March 1827	Went to Ransom and working upon Ransom Accounts
3^rd March 1827	Went to Dorchester and got Wm & Francis Gundry put into Gaol for cutting a Young Tree at Ransom slept at Waterson Mr Hardings		Martin was acting on behalf of the Ransom Estate. He was successful in his quest they spent two weeks in Dorchester Gaol before being released without charge.
4^th March 1827	At Waterson
5^th March 1827	“Bincombe Inclosure” Measuring Banks &c at Bincombe and looking over Works charge	Paid Men measuring banks at Bincombe 4s 6d	He put quotations around this one as well. He was not consistent.
6^th March 1827	Do. – went to Woodstreet in the Evening charge
7^th March 1827	Coursing at Woodstreet with Mr Robt Jesty
8^th March 1827	Took Bincombe in my way home returned Home in Evening	OVERWRITTEN IN PENCIL Agreed with Roper at 13/s per Lug for Wall Mr Read to allow 1s/ ###	The Lug is one of those archaic units of measure that seemed to vary from place to place and on which nobody seems to be able to say -”it was this”. The statute lug was the same length to a rod, which is to say 16 ½ feet, but anywhere between 3 and 8m long has been quoted.
9^th March 1827	Went to Yeovil respg Thorn Plants &c dined at Mr Thompkins’s	Paid for Errands at Yeovil 14s 6d
10^th March 1827	about various jobs in garden
11^th March 1827	At Home
12^th March 1827	Went to Symondsbury and reced orders from the Revd Mr Raymond to Measure and Map his Estate at Symondsbury	Expenses at Bridport 1s 6d
13^th March 1827	Finished the Ransom Accts
14^th March 1827	Taking off Tarrant Hinton Award Maps
15^th March 1827	Working upon T Hinton Award Maps	Pd for Veal 6s Tarrant Hinton Postage 1s 6d Sturminster 1s 6d Bincombe 3s 6d My own 1s 6d
16^th March 1827	Dorchester Assizes Working upon Tarrant Hinton award Maps
17^th March 1827	Bincombe Inclosure Went to Dorchester to Meet Hurdle Men paying Bankers and Hurdle Men	Paid Expenses at Dorchester 4s 6d	Presumably a reference to the men physically inclosing the land by throwing up banks and constructing temporary fences with hurdles.
18^th March 1827	At Home Mr Jesty of Woodstreet here
19^th March 1827	Went to Ransom Farmer Swaffield looking over Fences and John Beater weighing 18 Hundred of Hay from Mr Jestys Rick		The Beater family appear occasionally in the diaries. John’s wife was Maria.
20^th March 1827	Mr Watts came to Evershot this morning respg Symondsbury & working upon Tarrant Hinton award Maps		Based in Yeovil, Edward Watts was a land surveyor in his own right.
21^st March 1827	Went to Bridport and Symondsbury	Expenses at Bridport 2s 6d
22^nd March 1827	Gardening
23^rd March 1827	Went to Ransom and settled with Mr Duke his Rent	Pd for Veal 6s	There were several members of the Duke family. We do not know which this was.
24^th March 1827	Working upon Tarrant Hinton Award Maps
25^th March 1827	at Home
26^th March 1827	Sowing Seeds 7c in the Garden
27^th March 1827	Tarrant Hinton Inclosure attending Commnr at Evershot settling draft of award
28^th March 1827	Do.
29^th March 1827	Went to Ransom & working upon T Hinton award Maps
30^th March 1827	Making out Measurements of Lewell Farm for Mr Moyle		Higher Lewell farm was the inspiration for Thomas Hardy’s “Talbothays” dairy in Tess of the d’Urbevilles.
31^st March 1827	Do. and working in Garden	Paid Mr Cave for Gin £1 5s Pd Gardening 15s 6d
	April
1^st April 1827	At Home
2^nd April 1827	making Sketch of Lewell for Mr Moyle
3^rd April 1827	Do. and went to Ransom
4^th April 1827	Do. —- Do.
5^th April 1827	Doing a Job for Mr Wm Jennings Diagram of the Prices of Corn		It is not clear what this refers to but it may be that he was demonstrating how to calculate a corn rent. That is a rent that varies with the price of wheat.
6^th April 1827	Bincombe Inclosure Went to Bincombe respecting the Fences
7^th April 1827	At 6/9 Do. – and Purchased 40 Doz Hurdles of a Man of Dince [sic] and 2 Loads of Ayers of Piddletown		Note the way he refers refers to the nurserymen as “Man of Dince” much as he did “Male of Lambrook”.
8^th April 1827	At Home
9^th April 1827	Journey to West Coker to Value some Lands for Mr Tilby of Devizes	Paid for Paper 2s 6d	West Coker in Somerset. Martin was also to buy land there.
10^th April 1827	Making valuation of the above &c	7s Received for a Calf Paid for 18 Hundred of Hay £4 10s 0d
11^th April 1827	Taking up David Child’s Banking on Map and went to Ransom with Mr Trenchard respg the Leigh Estate	£10 10s 0d Received ½ yrs Salary from Ransom due Lady Day 1827
12^th April 1827	Working upon Award Maps	Paid Man Looking after Horse & Cows 8s
13^th April 1827	Good Friday
14^th April 1827	Doing a Little to Allington Map		On occasions we find an entry with no antecedent entries. In this case he was acting as a tithe valuer to the Rector, Henry Fox. Probably a relation of the Earl of Ilchester.
15^th April 1827	At Home
16^th April Holiday at the Bank Exchequer and S Sea House	Writing in Names of Fields in Allington Map	Paid for Paper 1s 6d Paid Man cleaving wood 2s 6d
17^th April 1827	Making out Fair Valuation of Allington Tithes	Pd Dorchester Paper 13s 6d
18^th – 21^stApril 1827	Do.	Paid for a Pig £1 9s
22^nd April 1827	At Home
23^rd April 1827	Finished Allington Tithes
24^th April 1827	Receiving Tithes at Allington for Mr Fox
25^th April 1827	Do. and returned Home	Expenses at Bridport 5s
26^th April 1827	Went to Ransom and Doing some Jobs in Garden	£3 3s 0d Received of Mr Nicholetts for Measuring boundaries at Bridport Harbour	Edwin Nicholetts was a local “attorney at law” or in other words a solicitor. Martin may have been acting for him personally or commissioned by Nicholetts for one of his clients.
27^th April 1827	Working upon Bincombe Award Maps
28^th April 1827	Do.
29^th April 1827	At Home
30^th April 1827	Working upon Bincombe Award Maps and Dined at Association Meeting at the Acorn	Paid Clothing at the Association which I paid twice before 5s	This probably refers to the ‘Western Association for the Protection of Property & Prosecution of Offences’. This association protected some sixty parishes and regularly held its meetings at the acorn.
	May
1^st May 1827	Finished Bincombe award Maps
2^nd May 1827	Bincombe Inclosure Journey to Bincombe respecting Fences	Paid Expenses 2s 6d Paid ½ Years Taxes £2 19s 5 ½ d
3^rd May 1827	Writing Letters to Messrs Knight Coombs & Wright respecting Meeting to sign award		Mr Coombs was the clerk to the inclosure.
4^th May 1827	Making out Tithe Receipts for Mr Fox – Bill &c
5^th May 1827	Working upon Tarrant Hinton Award Maps
6^th May 1827	Turned my Cows to Grass
7^th May 1827	Working upon Tarrant Hinton Award Maps	Paid Farmer Ellis’s Bill for Cheese &c £2 5s 7d
8^th -12^th May 1827	Do.	Paid Selwood & Co for Coals £2 3s 4d Paid Mr Richards for New Door in Front New Lock &c £2 16s 5d Pd Mr Ways Bill for mending windows 2s
13^th May 1827	At home
14^th May 1827	Evershot Fair	Paid Farmer Squibb of Melbury for apples 12s Pd Mr Rawlings of Hook for Oats £1 16s 0d
15^th May 1827	Receiving Rents and Tithes at Rampisham	Pd Farmer Ellis for a sack of Potatoes 5s Paid Andrew Groves Bill up to 15^th May £1 8s 7d
16^th May 1827	Working upon T Hinton Award Maps	Paid John Davis for Straw 19s 6d
17^th -18^th May 1827	Do.
19^th May 1827	Do. Rook Shooting at Woolcombe dined at Mr Wm Jennings with Mr Jesty & Brown	Powder and Shot 4s Paid a Years Tithe due Ly Dy 1827 £1 14s 0d Pd Man Gardening & cleaning out Pond 8s
20^th May 1827	At Home Mr Jesty & Brown dined with us
21^st May 1827	Working upon Tarrant Hinton Awards Plans	Paid John Sibley Shearing my Hedges 1s
22^nd^–23^rd May 1827	Do.
24^th May 1827	Making out Bills &c
25^th May 1827	Do. Do. OVERWRITTEN IN PENCIL a Quarter of Veal this day of Mr J 18lb at 5d 7/6d
26^th May 1827	Do. and went to Holway Rook Shooting	Paid Gardening 2s 6d Shot Copper Caps 1s	Holway farm is near Chalmington
27^th May 1827	At Home
28^th May 1827	Writing out Bincombe Bill	Paid Thos Staples Bill for Coping Stone and Hearth Stone £2 11s 2d
29^th May 1827	Do. and Tarrant Hinton
30^th May 1827	Bincombe Meeting to ### award Went to Dorchester to see Mr Wright but the Meeting was put off Slept at Mr Knights at Piddlehinton Heifer to Mrs Smiths B	Pd expenses at Dorchester 3s 6d
31^st May	Returned Home
	June
1^st June 1827	Writing & Examining Sturminster Bill of Inclosure
2^nd June 1827	Preparing to take of Mr Pitfields Map & went to Ransom	Pd John Beaters Bill for Coals Carriage of Dung &c £6 16s 0d	This must have been an important commission for Martin as John Pitfield owned over 500 acres freehold in Symondsbury.
3^rd June 1827	At Home
4^th June 1827	Working upon Mr Pitfields Fair Map at Symondsbury	Pd for Two Pigs £2 18s 0d Pd Gardening 3s 6d
5^th– 6^th June 1827	Do.
7^th June 1827	Went to Bridport and Allington and received Bills	£3 3s 0d Reced of Mr Templer for Measuring at Bradpole £25 12s 0d Do. Roberts N Groves £18 16s 0d Do. Down Hall Paid expenses 3s 6d £33 10s 0d Reced of the Revd. Mr Fox for Valuing and making Map of Allington Tithes	For valuing the Down Hall estate he earned the modest fee of £18 which in today’s terms is only about £1200.00p
8^th June 1827	Working upon Mr Pitfields Fair Map of Symondsbury	Paid for Silk HandK 5s 6d
9^th June 1827	Do.
10^th June 1827	At Home
11^th June 1827	Working upon Mr Pitfields Map	Paid Mr Stocker for Mr Brown mendg Lock of Gun 5s Bincombe Inclosure postage 3s Postage T Hinton 10d On business 1s 2d
12^th June 1827	Do.	17s 4d Received of Mr Knight what I paid for him at Blandford Pd Mr Chubb Acorn for lamb 4s 10d
13^th June 1827	Tarrant Hinton Inclosure Attending Commnr at Evershot when Fair Draft of award was Read over	Pd Church Rates 2s 1d Pd at Yeovil for receipt stamp 1s 6d Pd Mr Hanhaines Bills £2 9s 11d Paid Mr Edwards Do. £3 19s 6d Pd Price Pendry & Co £1 1s 11d Pd for a cheese 15s
14^th June 1827	Working upon Symondsbury Map	Pencil 1s Savoy Plants 9d New Hat £1 5s 0d
15^th June 1827	Went to Yeovil respg Mr Raymond’s Map & paid all I owed at Yeovil
16^th June 1827	Doing Various Jobs in Garden and went to Ransom respg Dukes cutting down Trees
17^th June 1827	At Home
18^th June 1827	Begun Mowing Working upon Mr Pitfields Plan
19^th June 1827	Do. and Haymaking
20^{th –}22^nd June 1827	Do.
23^rd June 1827	Met Mr Batten at Ransom respg Dukes cutting down Young trees		Mr Batten was a solicitor at Yeovil and we might presume solicitor to the Rampisham estate. Cutting down trees was a serious business as we saw previously with the Gundry’s.
24^th June 1827	At Home
25^th June 1827	Ricked part of my Hay	Pd Haymakers 5s 6d
26^th June 1827	Finished Ricking
27^th June 1827	Went to Winterbourne and Valued Mrs Lisles Farm occupied by Mr John Davis after which I went to Bincombe and Slept at Mr Reads at Upwey	Expenses at Bincombe and Winterbourne 4s 6d Pd for a New Measuring chain 14s	Chains could stretch for a variety of reasons. They had to be replaced regularly and it was recommended that they were calibrated against two fixed marks each time they were used.
28^th June 1827	Bincombe Inclosure Letting Roper more Walls and other Matters relating to the inclosure and returned home charge
29^th June 1827	Working upon Mr Pitfields Map and went to Ransom
30^th June 1827	Tipping Rick and Working upon Mr Pitfields Map	Pd Haymakers 16s Pd Mrs Martin 3s Pd Isaac Frampton Hauling Dirt &c to make Rick Staddle 4s 6d	Having discussed this with a professional thatcher we believe Tipping means thatching the rick. Staddle stones were used to keep buildings or in this case a hay rick off the ground.
	July
1^st July 1827	At Home
2^nd July 1827	Working upon Mr Pitfields Map
3^rd July 1827	Finished Mr Pitfields Plan and making out Valuation of Winterbourne Farm
4^th July 1827	Do. and doing Various Jobs in Garden	Pd for 16 cwt of Coals £1 6s 1d
5^th July 1827	Working upon Sturminster Award Maps
6^th July 1827	Working upon Sturminster award Maps &c IN PENCIL Sow early York from this time to the 12th		Early Yorks were cabbages.
7^th July 1827	Working upon Sturminster award Maps	Paid for 16 cwt coals £1 5s 8d
8^th July 1827	At Home
9^th July 1827	Working upon Sturminster award Maps	Paid Man Cracking Stones 13s
10^th – 14^th July 1827	Do.
15^th July 1827	At Home
16^th July 1827	Working upon Sturminster award Maps
17^th July 1827	Cerne Turnpike Met Mr Berjue at Lions Gate to Measure & Value Lands taken for New Road -we could not agree.		Mr Berjue was a land surveyor at Sherborne. Lyons Gate [as it is today] was near the terminal part of the turnpike.
18^th July 1827	Went to Symondsbury with Mr Pitfields Map	£42 Received of Mr Pitfield for Map Paid Mr Wain of Beaminster for paper £2 19s 0d
19^th July 1827	Working upon Sturminster Award Maps	Paid Mrs Martin on Acct of House £5
20^th July 1827	Went to Yeovil respg Eleanor’s going to school &c	Pd for dessent [sic] Spoon Knife & Fork &c for Eleanor to take to School 15s	Eleanor was baptised on 4th April 1818 and in July 1827 she was 9 years old and ready to go to school. Mrs Fry’s school was in the Kingston area of Yeovil.
21^st July 1827	Working upon Sturminster Award Maps	Pd other Errands at Yeovil 5s 6d Pd for a new Tap 2s Pd weeding garden &c 4s
22^nd July 1827	At Home
23^rd July 1827	Working upon Sturminster Award Maps &c	Paid John Beater for Coals and Carriage and in full of all demand £4 13s 6d Paid small Sums to make up Accts 6s 6d
24^th^–25^th July 1827	Do.	Pd Haymakers 5s 6d
26^th July 1827	Do. and went to Ransom	Expenses at Bincombe and Winterbourne 4s 6d
27^th July 1827	Do. Do.
28^th July 1827	Making up my Accounts &c
29^th July 1827	Went to Wood Street respg Wraxall At Home
30^th July 1827	Returned from Woodstreet	5s Reced of Mr Brown for Gun Lock £3 2s 0d J Martin reced of Mr Whittle on the Chilfrome Inclosure for ploughing &c which same must be paid to Noake and Bunch £2 1 0 to Noake & £1 1 0 to Bunch
31^st July 1827	Looking over Wraxall Farms with Mr J Jesty
	August
1^st August 1827	Making out Valuation of Wraxalls	Paid Mr Norman 100 Poor Rates £1 0 10d
2^nd August 1827	Making out Fair Valuation of Winterbourne Farm – Mr Claytons Sale	Paid Skimming Poor Close 3s Pd Lots Bought at Mrs Claytons Sale 9s Paid for Seeds 3s
3^rd August 1827	making out Fair Valuation of Winterbourne Farm
4^th August 1827	Went to Dorchester Assizes
5^th August 1827	At Home
6^th August 1827	Went to Ransom resp repairs Eleanor went to Yeovil School Mrs Frys	Paid Eleanor’s Coach Hire to Yeovil 7s £7 0 3d Reced of Mr Enson for Butter Pd Mr Enson his Bill for Goods £26 19 2d Paid for Shot 1s	Clearly he wanted Eleanor to arrive at school in style.
7^th August 1827	Went over Wraxall Farm with Mr B & J Jesty
8^th August 1827	Working upon Ransom Accounts	Received £142 2s 4d Paid £112 19s 4d	In week 32 he records the income received and the expenditure. By this time he was just over £30 in profit for the year. Doesn’t sound a lot but equivalent to a years wages for an agricultural labourer.
9^th August 1827	Do.
10^th August 1827	Went to Sturminster respg draft of award
11^th August 1827	At Sturminster reading over Rough Draft of award & returned Home
12^th August 1827	At Home
13^th August 1827	Went to Melpash [sic] to take plan of Fields near the Half Moon Inn		Melplash today
14^th August 1827	Making Plan of the above
15^th August 1827	Making advertisement of Sturminster Private Road	OVERWRITTEN IN PENCIL Sow Lettuce Seeds from this to 24^th Blandford Races	It is unlikely that he attended Blandford Races on this occasion as it was a fair distance away. The race course was founded in 1630 and the last race was run in 1844. It was situated where the modern army base now is.
16^th August 1827	Do. Maps of Roads charge
17^th August 1827	Sturminster Finished Maps of Private Roads Charge 3 Guineas
18^th August 1827	Making up Accounts &c
19^th August 1827	At Home Mr Cooper the Master of Evershot School died aged 55		Dangerously close to Martin’s own age.
20^th August 1827	Went to Mintern to meet Mr Percy the 3^rd Man between Mr Berjue and myself upon Cerne Turnpike and went to Cerne to get Mr Cockeram to sign notice of Meeting on Sturminster	Paid Alex Wellman for Gardening 9s9d Pd Richd How going to Dorchester with Cow 1s 6d
21^st August 1827	Making out Fair Bill on T Hinton Inclosure Mrs Martin went to Woodstreet	OVERWRITTEN Weymouth Regatta
22^nd August 1827	Preparing to go to Blandford
23^rd August 1827	Tarrant Hinton Inclosure to sign award at Blandford making up Accounts
24^th August 1827	At Blandford reading the Award when the same was signed
25^th August 1827	Returning home slept at Woodstreet
26^th August 1827	at Woodstreet and slept at Mr Robt Jesty’s at Fordington	Pd for a Waistcoat piece 7s Pd Expenses at Blandford £1 10s Paid Servants at Woodstreet & Fordington 3s
27^th August 1827	Returned home
28^th August 1827	Went to Ransom on Mrs Daniells business
29^th August 1827	Doing various jobs at Home
30^th August 1827	Went to Ninehead respg Wraxall with Mr Robt Jesty Slept at Mrs Baileys		Not Known.
31^st August 1827	At Ninehead and Dined with Mr Bindon at Gunden Farm
	September
1^st September 1827	Mr Jesty took Wraxall Farm this Morning for Term of 12 Yrs from next Mic at £840 the Tenant paying the Land Tax &c
2^nd September 1827	At Home dined with Mr Thos Jesty at Oiley Well
3^rd September 1827	Out Shooting	Paid Postage on my own Acct 2s Do. Bincombe 1s 6d Do. Businesses 1s
4^th September 1827	Doing Various jobs at Home and Went to Ransom in Afternoon.	Sturminster Inclosure Paid Expenses when read over drafting award 10^th 11^th Aug 12s 6d
5^th September 1827	Went to Weymouth Races	Paid Mr Pouncey for a New Horse Brush 4s 6d	He attended the races both here and at Dorchester on several occasions. No race course survives in Dorset today.
6^th September 1827	At Bincombe respg Walls charge	Paid last Dorchester assizes 3s 6d Paid small sums not recollected 9s
7^th September 1827	Went to Ransom	£12 8s Reced ½ yrs interest in 4% Cents 600£}	See text for discussion of his investments.
8^th September 1827	Working upon Ransom	Pd for Grass seed 3s Expenses at the Races 4s 6d Slept at Stinsford Pd Thos Cox’s Bill £2 14 4
9^th September 1827	At Home
10^th September 1827	Begun Lord Ilchesters accounts
11^th September 1827	Writing Lord Ilchesters Accounts
12^th September 1827	Do.	Paid for Silk Handkerchief and Rhubarb [sic] 6s	An unusual combination of purchases.
13^th September 1827	Do. and Went to Ransom	Paid for Eleanor 4s Pd Cooper J Chubb for Laths 2s
14^th – 15^th September 1827	Do.
16^th September 1827	At Home
17^th September 1827	Sturminster Inclosure attendg Commnr hearing objections to private Roads
18^th September 1827	Do. Do. Making Draft of Award	Expenses at Sturminster 18s
19^th September 1827	Returning Home slept at Woodstreet
20^th September 1827	At Woodstreet went to Woodbury Hill Fair	Expenses at Woodbury Hill Fair 5s 6d	Near Bere Regis. Day 1 was for wholesale traders, Day 2 was for Gentlefolk devoted to entertainment and oyster eating, Day 3 Allfolks day, Day 4 Sheep Fair day and Day 5 Pack and Penny Day when all unsold goods were sold off cheap. More information may be found at http://www.bereregis.org/woodbury-hill-fair
21^st September 1827	At Woodstreet went coursing with Mr Jesty
22^nd September 1827	Returned Home	Expenses at Woodstreet and Dorchester on my way Home 2s 6d Paid Gardening 4s
23^rd September 1827	At Home
24^th September 1827	Writing Lord Ilchesters Accts	Paid Richard How going to Dorchester with Car[riage] 6s
25^th September 1827	Went to Mr Noakes Sale Went to Dorchester races	Paid for Lots at Mr John Petty’s sale 18s 8d
26^th September 1827	Writing Notices to quit at Ransom and went there in the afternoon Went to Dorchester Races	Paid at the Races 3s
27^th September 1827	Writing Notices to quit at Ransom and went there in the afternoon	Paid Mr Watts on Acct Surveying £20 0 0	This is the first reference to Edward Watts a surveyor in Yeovil.
28^th September 1827	Writing Lord Ilchesters Accounts
29^th September 1827	Went to Ransom
30^th September 1827	At Home White began looking after my horse.
	October
1^st October 1827	Writing Lord Ilchesters Accounts and went with Mr Batten to Ransom in the afternoon
2^nd October 1827	Writing Lord Ilchesters Accounts
3^rd October 1827	Do. and went to Ransom
4^th October 1827	Writing Lord Ilchesters Accounts	Pd Mrs Martin on Acct £2 Paid Mr Fish of Beaminster for wine £2 13s
5^th October 1827	Do. and went to Ransom
6^th October 1827	Taking of Symondsbury on Sketch Paper – Thos How fetched Hay from Courtlands	IN PENCIL I.O. T How 2s Paid White on Acct 2s 6d	Occasionally he borrowed from the local work men. In this case 2s.
7^th October 1827	At Home
8^th October 1827	Making Sketch of Symondsbury Evershot Court	Paid my Lords Rent 3s 6d	Martin was not Steward at Evershot as he was at Rampisham. One of the duties of a tenant of the Manor of Evershot was to attend the annual court which was what he was Doing.
9^{th –}11^thOctober 1827	Do.	Paid for Carpet Purchased at Mrs Coopers Sale £2 12s 6d
12^th October 1827	Making reference Book for Symondsbury
13^th October 1827	Went Coursing at Sydling
14^th October 1827	At home
15^th October 1827	Writing Symondsbury reference Book rough copy	Paid White for work 3s Paid washing 2s Paid Mrs Martin 2s 6d
16^th October 1827	Do. Mr & Mrs Jesty at Evershot Arthur Christened		Martin never recorded or celebrated any birthday in the early diaries.
17^th October 1827	Writing Symondsbury Reference	Paid Mr Penny for Loudens Agriculture £2 10s 0d
18^th October 1827	Rampisham Court
19^th October 1827	Measuring Land at Chalmington
20^th October 1827	Casting the above charge 3£
21^st October 1827	At Home
22^nd October 1827	Writing Symondsbury reference
23^rd October 1827	Do. finished the same
24^th October 1827	Went to Ransom and Doing various Jobs at Home	Paid Mr Hoskins ½ year Tithe 12s 9d
25^th October 1827	Working upon Sturminster Award Maps	Pd Mrs Martin on Account £3
26^th October 1827	Went to Symondsbury with Mr Raymonds Map	£80 Received of the Revd. Mr Raymond for Symondsbury Map
27^th October 1827	Went to Ransom and Wraxall	£6 6s 0d Reced of Mr Tucker Beaminster Himself against Steel
28^th October 1827	At Home	Expenses at Bridport 2s
29^th October 1827	Working upon Sturminster Award Maps	Reced 1yrs Ints on Bishopstone due 29^th Sept last £39 18s 6d Paid White looking after Horse 4s Paid small sums not recollected £1
30^th October 1827	Went to Ransom to prepare for Mr Knights viewing Dukes Cutting trees		It is not clear what this refers to. Mr Knight was presumably John Baverstock Knight. Thomas Duke was a tenant of Mrs Daniell’s of Rampisham. It is clearly in a different category to the Gundry’s cutting down a tree. No magistrates or gaol involved here.
31^st October 1827	Completed the Sturminster Award Maps
	November
1^st November 1827	Went to Ransom with Mr Knight to View Dukes Delinquencies		Another bank holiday at the Bank, Exchequer and South Seas House. Another reference to John Baverstock Knight.
2^nd November 1827	Went to Yeovil to Buy Thorn Plants &c but none in the Market	Paid Errands at Yeovil 5s 6d Paid for Shot 1s
3^rd November 1827	Went Coursing with Mr J J & Mr Coxwell and looked over the School Estate at Kingcombe		In 1825 John Jennings was involved in the rental of a farm at Toller Porcorum ‘known as School Lands’. It appears that the freehold of the land was held by the Evershot School. Today the site is occupied by the Dorset Wildlife Trust.
4^th November 1827	At Home
5^th November 1827	Went Rabbit Shooting at Wraxall	Paid for Rabbit Nets 3s Paid half a years assessed tax [servts] 5s Do. Composition £2 12s 4 ½ d Land Tax 2s 7d Game Certificate £3 14 6d	From 1777-1852 a tax was levied on the roughly 25,000 gentlemen employing about 50,000 male servants, although those engaged in husbandry, trade or manufacture were exempted. The rates varied from year to year. Without the Game Certificate Martin could have been transported for possessing Rabbit nets.
6^th November 1827	Doing Jobs in the Garden &c	Paid Mr Yeatman 2 Galls Gin £1 6s Paid White digging Pots 3s Expenses at Yeovil 3s 3d	Potatoes.
7^th November 1827	Working out Rampisham Rentals	Pd Barrett Shoemaker 10s 4d Paid Mr Chubbs Bill for Hay &c £3 4 4d Paid Mr Cave for Gin £1 12s Pd John Beater Bill for Coals £4 6 6d
8^th November 1827	Thos How fetched in Hay I O him 3s & 2s
9^th November 1827	Went to Yeovil to Purchase Thorn Plants for Bincombe but could not as Male of Lambrook was not at the Market		Another reference to Male of Lambrook.
10^th November 1827	Making out Potatoe Acct for last year – Lord Ilchesters small tenants purchased 30,000 Thorn Plants of Male at 17/6 d
11^th November 1827	At Home
12^th November 1827	Rent day at Ransom
13^th November 1827	Went to Beaminster respg Turnpike and Viewing intended alteration with {? Esq} Cox		This was an extension of the Maiden Newton turnpike through Evershot to Beaminster.
14^th November 1827	At Beaminster for Measuring and Map[ping] Roads done but little on Acct of Rain
15^th November 1827	At Beaminster Measuring Roads &c
16^th November 1827	Do. returned Home in the Evening
17^th November 1827	Went to Dorchester also and saw Horn & Roper on Bincombe Waited on Mr Brown at Frampton where he gave me orders to Plan Forston House		Forston House was owned by a local magistrate Mr Francis John Browne. He donated the house to the county and it was to become first County Asylum. In the early 1820’s it was occupied by Surgeon George Peach who Martin was to encounter again when he worked at Child Okeford.
18^th November 1827	At Home
19^th November 1827	At Beaminster upon the New intended Road	£47 10 0d Received of Mr Wm Jennings a years salary due Mich 1826	The suggestion is that this represents a salary for his work for the Earl of Ilchester.
10^th – 22^nd November 1827	Do.	Paid Yrs Insurance £1 9 8d Do. for Carriage of Cider £1 5s Paid for a New Tape 9s 6d	Measuring Tapes gradually replaced the Gunter Chain but they were not in widespread production until the 1840’s.
23^rd November 1827	Do. returned Home	Pd two pair of Stocking 6s 6d Pd Man with Level from Evershot 1s Pd Man looking after Horse 3s Paid Alex Wellmans Bill 6s 9d Paid J[oseph] Groves for Straw 5s Pd J Lake for Oats 12s 6d
24^th November 1827	Went to Ransom and receiving Potatoe Rents at the Fox
25^th November 1827	At Home
26^th November 1827	Went Shooting at Holway with Major Wilson &c dined at Mr Hennings
27^th November 1827	At Beaminster upon the New intended Road
28^th -30^th November 1827	Do.
	December
1^st December 1827	Do. and returned home
2^nd December 1827	At Home
3^rd December 1827	Doing Various Jobs at Home
4^th December 1827	Plotting Beaminster Roads Plan
5^th December 1827	Do. went to Sydling in the Morning	Paid Postage on my own 3s Do. on Business 1s 6d Do. Sturminster per Incl 1s Do. Bincombe 2s
6^th December 1827	Plotting Beaminster Roads Plan
7^th December 1827	Do. making Section		Not only was he responsible for surveying the course of the new extension but also for drawing a cross section indicating how it was to be constructed.
8^th December1827	Do.
9^th December1827	At Home
10^th December 1827	Beaminster for Roads making Section	Pd for drawing Paper 5s
11^th December 1827	Do.	Pd Mrs Martin £2 Pd for Brooms 2s
12^th December 1827	Do. ½ a day making Fair Plan
13^th December 1827	Do. Do.
14^th December 1827	Went to Bincombe respecting Fences	Pd for more Drawing Paper 7s6d Pd expenses at Dorchester 7s 6d
15^th December 1827	At Bincombe and returned Home charge one day
16^th December 1827	Working this day made two Sketches for Sir Wm Oglander and Dr Chaffey charge 2 guineas
17^th December 1827	Went to Beaminster on the Road Estimate
18^th December 1827	At Beaminster on the Estimate	Paid for Two Pairs of Shoes at Beaminster 19s 6d
19^th December 1827	Do. and returned home in the evening
20^th December 1827	Completing Plans and Sections
21^st December 1827	Do.
22^nd December 1827	Ascertaining Expense of Tunnel &c	Lent John Beater £6 Pd White looking after Horse 4s	We met the Beater family earlier in the year. John was of sufficient stature for Martin to lend him what was a substantial some in those days.
23^rd December 1827	At Home working all day on the Beaminster Turnpike
24^th December 1827	At Beaminster with Benj Cox on the Estimate	IN PENCIL Mr Trenchard over due for a Calf
25^th December 1827	Working the whole of this day Beaminster with Benj Cox on the Estimate
26^th December 1827	At Home making out Fair Estimate and preparing for the Meeting	Paid my Bill at the White Hart Beaminster for self Benj Cox &c see Back for Servants £8 Paid Rent of Poor Close 6s 6d Paid Mr Eaton for Garden Seeds 6s 6d Paid small sums not before entered £1 7s 10d Paid Ch Man at Forston 2s 6d Do. other Expenses 2s Pd T How in full 7s 6d Pd for New Knife 5s 6d Pd Stevens of Bridport Painting Front Doors 10s
27^th December 1827	Attending at Beaminster where Estimate and Plans were laid before the Commissioners
28^th December 1827	Working upon Lord Ilchesters Accts
29^th December 1827	Do.
30^th December 1827	Do. all the day
31^st December 1827	Went to Forston to take Plan of Forston House for Mr Brown but the Rain came on so much could not proceed returned Home.	£12 Receipts for Mr Browns Forston Plan £12 8s Reced ½ yrs dividend on £600 in 4 p cents Pd Gilbert Shoemaker £4 2 9 Paid Edward Chubb £1 5 2 Paid Mrs Martin £5 Pd Mr Dams Shop Bill £11 8 11 Pd Mr Pounceys Bill Sadler £1 3 9 Pd Bo Glazier 12s 4d Pd Richard Roberts Bill £2 Pd Eleanor’s School Bills £17 15s 6d Pd Mr Stones Bill £16 7 9d Pd Mr Trenchard Do. [no amount shown] Pd Washing 3s Pd Thos Cox’s Bill £2 1 5 £6 John Beater a/ what leant Pd Mr Sprake for Iron Rick Handles £3 7 3 £10 10s Reced ½ yrs Salary Ransom due Mic 1827	Forston House was eventually converted from a private dwelling to the first Dorset County mental asylum in 1832. Martin was not responsible for the internal alterations. Previously mental ill patients had been sent to the “Madhouse” [their word] at Halstock.

The following account entries are included at the back of the diary where each page is divided into three “monthly abstracts”. These are entered under January and February although the payments and receipts were made in December 1827. His income for the year to this point was £376 3 1d and his expenditure £313 15 11d. With the additional expenditure in this section his expenses reached £397 1 9d. Curiously he includes a payment that he had not yet received in the 1827 accounts to ensure a positive balance of £129 1 4d was carried forward.

Paid 100 Poor rates £1 0 10

Paid Mr Watts of Yeovil for Survey £52 5 6d

Pd Edwards and Dean of Yeovil £2 7 3

Paid Mr St Quintin £5 19 3

Paid Mr Trenchard Bill for Meat £20 15 0

Paid for Cheese at Ransom 18s

£150 Reced 30^th April 1828

on Acct of Bincombe Inclosure

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John Martin of Evershot

The Life and Times of a 19th Century Land Surveyor.

1827