Life on the waggon - literally.
Richard faithfully recorded all the things he missed in the Cotswold village of Bourton-on-the-Water and which he had to buy from London and have sent down by carrier. The records cover the period 1792 to 1801, the year of his death. It is interesting to see the things ‘he couldn’t do without’ – it seems that you could take the man out of London, but not London out of the man! The records start with: 1792 Recd. by Mr. Ward’s Waggon July 14 a Quarter Cask of Port directed for Mrs Snooke. (She was his sister in law, who lived nearby in the Manor House). July 23 A paper parcel weighing 15lb. √ July 28th Returned an empty Cask which I had from Prig. & Thorn with Red Port (He always returned the empty casks – the contents seemed to last a matter of weeks!) A few months later he took delivery of A Piano Fort in a Case (delivery £1/2/4d) √ and 2 barrels Oysters (delivery two shillings) √
The piano forte had been bought a while earlier at a cost of £25 and it appears that Richard (and/or members of his family) were musical – he later had a flute sent down from Town.
The oysters were of two sorts – the best (to be given to people he liked or wished to impress) came from Pyfleet and cost four shillings and three pence a barrel, excluding delivery. The oysters from Colchester were for the 'lesser' friends – they only cost Three shillings and four pence a barrel and were usually given to the poor gout-ridden Baptist Minster, the Reverend Benjamin Beddome. They wouldn’t have done his gout much good...
1793 by Mr Ward’s Waggon
March 9 Sent up 8 Chair bottoms √
March 23 8 Chair bottoms Returned in a Crate together with a Small Hamper of Grocery & Biscuits etc √
In other words when Richard wanted the rush seating on his chairs repaired he sent them off to London and got them back a fortnight later (plus a hamper of goodies...).
April 12 sent as empty cask for Messrs Shone with S.H.O.N.E. upon it
June 19 a box with bonnet One shilling √ Aug 16 – Sent up a trunk – Empty √ Sep 1 -Recd the Trunk with Books etc etc 3s. 0 √ Oct. a box with stays 1s. 0 √
And what might the bonnet have looked like? Well, here is a print from the same year entitled "Summer"
Nov 17 Recd a small brown paper parcel with a watch etc 1s. 0 √
Dec 13 Returned an Empty Porter Cask √
Dec 20 Recd 4 barrels Oysters √
a bag of grocery 4s. √
a Hamper with a Dozen bottles of wine from Shone’s weight 1.0.7
at 5s per cwt. 5s. 0 √
It looks as if Mr Ward arrived just in time to bring the Christmas cheer!
1794 by Mr Ward’s Waggon
June 8 Sent a small box of Cloaths to London √
‘Lisbon’ was a reference to wine – Richard may have preferred French wine but for large parts of his lifetime the country was at war with France and Portuguese or ‘mountain wine’ was all that was available.
June 22 Recd. from London A Hair Trunk √
Ditto a Hamper 13 bottles of Lisbon – one broke √
