| Description | Farming diary, no. 9.
This medium-sized volume has a worn dark-green cover with a black design, featuring birds, a floral branch, and containing the word 'Manuscripts', on the front. The diary's dates are written on a white sticker in the middle of the front cover. The volume is faintly lined and the writing is generally neat and legible. Scots words and idioms frequently appear in the text.
Most diary entries record agricultural or road building and maintainance tasks such as: driving, breaking stones, coating, covering crops, emptying the urine tank, caring for horses and livestock, thatching, thrashing, winnowing, breaking metal, drain work, delving, sowing, driving out and spreading dung, road cleaning, harrowing, planting, drilling, casting peats, trenching, cleaning, patching. 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.
The action of the diary is mostly limited to areas in and around Balmuir, Mr Mathieson's farm: Balmuir, Lyne of Skene, Westhills, Waterton, Easter Feddie, Craigiedarg, Bervie, Affloch, Dunecht, Hillhead of Midmar, Broomhill, Nether Affloch, Bogentory, Westerfornet, Gask, Echt, Bishop-dames, the Red Smiddy, Kingsford of Kingswells, Auchenclech, Inverurie, Aberdeen, Slackalung, Nether Corskie, Nether Terryvale, Carnie, Brodiach, Cairdhillock, Corskie, Walkendale, Kinnernie. But in this dairy, Mr Mathieson and Bella also attend a wedding in Glasgow.
Notable events from this diary: Isa goes away to Whitehills then returns from Banff; receives 18/ per week for road work; six to eight inches of snow falls on 7 December; pays tailor for Willie Lovie's clothes and takes them to him at Hillhead of Midmar; Benjamin Emslie of Cairnton visits Balmuir; has news with David Adam; John Brodie brings linseed cake from Aberdeen; buys new Sabbath boots from R. Durward, shoemaker; Mary severely burns her hand; Grandfather ill and very weak; Grandfather dies on 10 January 1883 and is buried in Chapel of Garioch churchyard on 13 January; visits Aberdeen; Auntie Wilson visits Balmuir; buys new shoes for Bella; gets medicine for Johnie - he being unwell; J. Cadenhead repairs a clock at Balmuir; James dies in Kimberley on 18 January; heavy snow and storms in March; enjoys pleasant evening with the Duthie family; Bella visits Aberdeen; Mrs Wilson gives birth to a son; Miss Sharp brings Bella's dress to Balmuir; journeys with Bella to Aberdeen, then they take the train to Glasgow for Alec's wedding; the wedding is held on 29 March and they return the next day; kept from sleep by calving cow; sells the calf to the parcel van man; sits upon the Drum Stone for a few seconds; engages Willie Lovie to Robert Christie, Kirktown of Echt; buys a bicycle; buys a table at James Booth's roup; the young cow calves; works on the Bishop-dames road; pays D. Adam for working the croft; John Lawson gets married; gets hit on the eye by a stone from a hammer in Gask quarry - this is 'rather sore' and incapacitates Mr Mathieson for a few days; has annual holiday on 21 July and enjoyes pleasant evening in Nether Corskie; attends funeral of Mrs Shepherd of Upper Corskie; engages with Mr Black of Kinnernie for the harvest at 26/ per week, then engages Tom Hunter to go with him; buys a young pig for 14/; leads the singing at a sermon at the Lyne; discovers the quarry iron has been lifted from Gask quarry; Mrs Henry tells him of John's accident with a bus and he visits John.
Scots words and idioms used in the volume: lowsing time, holing (digging up), hackit, faired (became fine), redd up, midden, tirring, lowsed, piece (area of land), travice, byre, whin, forestalls, tramp pick, puckle, midses, neepreet, grieve (farm overseer), sowing haper, feeing market, engages, drouth, quey, roup day, creeper (grappling iron), kail, yok (yoke), coled, found (base for haystack). |