| Description | Farming diary, no. 11.
This medium-sized hardback volume has a worn dark-brown cover containing the word 'Manuscripts' on the front. The diary's dates are written on a sticker on the front cover. The volume is faintly lined and the writing is generally neat and legible. Scots words, particularly farming-related terms, and idioms often appear in the text. The action of the diary is mostly limited to areas in and around Balmuir, Mr Mathieson's farm.
Most diary entries record agricultural or road building and maintainance tasks such as: digging, tharashing, casting peat, filling and breaking dung, fencing, driving out and covering in dung, caring for livestock and horses, sowing, driving, maintaining equipment and facilities, hoeing, cutting and coling hay, emptying the urine tank, winnowing, leading (conveying), cutting, raking, making ropes, thatching, ploughing, riddling, joiner work, quarrying and breaking stones, trenching, pulling, patching, coating, delving, holing, road blinding, lifting peats, quarrying. They tend to conclude with a summary of the day's weather. On Sundays Mr Mathieson usually worships at Church along with his wife Bella. Friends and relatives sometimes come to Balmuir for a visit.
Notable events from this diary: the young cow calves; engages with Craigie for the summer; attends Echt feeing market; Bella and Mary visit Aberdeen; attends Joseph Fowler's funeral; Mother unwell; sells calf to George Jeans for £2..15; attends Braigiewell roup; goes to singing practice at Church; pays £3..7 at Walkendale for the working of the croft; picnic at Dunecht with 'good band' in attendance; puts in new pump at Balmuir; John Cantlay and Uncle John visit Balmuir; attends 'splendid' Cattle Show in Aberdeen; Mrs Brown of New Wester Echt dies; Mr Mckay visits Balmuir; climbs the Hill of Fair and enjoys the view; delivers oats to grain merchant in Aberdeen and returns with coal; sells pig for £2..5; attends demonstration about the Franchise Bill at the Central School; attends demonstration in Aberdeen in favour of the Franchise Bill - 'a perfect success'; buys young pig for 13 shillings; glad of rain which ends dry spell in August 1884; Prince and Princess of Wales visit Aberdeen; reads from the life of Robert Annan; Auntie Wilson visits Balmuir; on 13 Setember 1884 Bella is taken ill and gives birth to a still-born son who is buried the next day in Kinnernie Churchyard; eclipse of the moon on 4 October; pays Doctor £1..10 for delivering Bella of the child; attends singing practice at Church; hurricane in late October; attends Aulton Market; attends Communion Sabbath at Church with Bella; sings in concert held at Echt Public School - 'a success'; gets kick on the leg from James Wilson's pony; receives £20 wages from Craigie; attends Janet Clark's funeral; has enjoyable evening at Balmuir with John Cantlay, Uncle John and George Leslie; Bella attends a concert at Waterton; visits Aberdeen and goes to a circus, an exhibition and an enjoyable performance of the Messiah at the Music Hall; visits Robert Smith in Aberdeen; has pig killed by James Cadenhead and George Milne - it weighs 9 stones 3 lbs; suffers from bad toothache; has concert at Free Church of Skene; pays Craigie £1..2 for 26 stones of straw; chimney takes fire - has 'terrible job' with it; Doctor Laing dies suddenly; attends social meeting at Echt with Bella; attends Doctor's funeral; sings at Midmar concert; assists at calving for W. Duthie; attends school board election meeting at the Central School; Mrs Ewen dies; votes in school board election; Andrew attends school for the first time; Andrew misses school due to sore eye; awoken from bed to calve a quey at Nether Corskie; snow showers in May; invited for tea at the Free Church Manse with Mr and Mrs Innes - has pleasant evening there with Bella; visits Aberdeen by parcel van with Bella and Andrew; spends evening in Angusfield; visits the Spittal Churchyard and Victoria Park in Aberdeen; Willie attends Robert Christie's funeral; the horned cow calves, but falls ill; goes to Glasgow with Willie and Robert Smith where they meet Alec; they enjoy a day trip to Rothsay on a steamboat; Willie takes a Glasgow ship to America; returns to Aberdeen with Robert Smith by train; the cow has to be slaughtered and the calf is sold to Robert Shepherd of Upper Corskie for £3; gets returns of £7.3.6 for the cow; buys a heifer for £17; his calf dies; buys two young pigs from Duncan's sale; attends Echt market and engages with Mr Black on Kinnernie for the harvest at 23 shillings per week. |