1933

Life in Halifax in the Georgian Era

Tuesday 2nd February 1819, Halifax

At 3 ½, down the new bank to the library... Went... to the Greenwoods’, Cross-Hills, Staid Tea, as was my intention, thinking I ought to do as they would fancy from my never going, I was offended. Mrs Greenwood & all of the 5 young ladies at home. The 2 youngest scarce spoke a word. Mrs Browne called there this morning. A repetition of her conversation about cooking & eating, etc. An account of Miss Browne unbecoming dress at the assembly. A sort of quiz upon her excellence & practise in domestic matters, spoke of her in sort of general ridicule. Her assuming quietness & constant attention to propriety cannot be supposed to suit the greenwoods. Account of a party 10 days ago at Miss Pollard’s. Played “rural games”, French Blind man’s Bluff, etc. Mrs Pollard (of Greenhill) set as a forfeit, that Miss Greenwood should sit down on the floor with the man she liked best & and should kiss “wheelbarrow fashion”. All this was going on when the servants brought in wine & cakes!! The Greenwoods said they heard I was to be married to Mr George Priestley. They little know me. Talking afterwards of society, I said how very much I preferred ladies to gentlemen, when each of us was to choose a walking companion for each day in the week, I said Miss Browne should be my partner for at least six of the seven. Married ladies were to be named. The Greenwoods vulgar as ever. I felt thoroughly ashamed of my company and upon the whole. I know not when I have paid a visit that has displeased me so entirely. It was a few minutes after 10 by our clock when I got home. I could not resist saying I thought, without my mind changed, I should not drink tea again at the Greenwoods again in a hurry. I know not how it is, I can less than ever get over the vulgarity of all the set of them & shall waste few hours at cross-hills in future. Having had no dinner expect a little tea and muffins, had a couple of slices of cold veal & bread & butter just before I came upstairs. The Miss Greenwoods, while they were in town this afternoon met Mrs Mitchell in great distress about her son, Daniel concerning whom there had been a letter from London to say he was so much worse (of a fever caught in the dissecting room) that he could not survive the next few hours. 2 of the students were already dead of the same kind of fever caught in the same time & place.