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Eliza Pigg\/Piggott\u00a0 born 1844 – died 1918.<\/p>\n
In October this year (2021) I had one of those WOW moments when I was contacted via this website by a lady living in the Midlands who\u00a0 informed me\u00a0 that about 20 years ago she had discovered a small almanack dated 1865 which had been lying in a Charity Shop and belonged to an Eliza Piggott and since then had been trying to find where Eliza may ‘belong’.\u00a0 And with the power of the internet she did!<\/p>\n
The information contained in the small book is an excerpt from the period in Eliza`s life (she was 21 years of age)where she met her future husband Frederic Bradley and gives a little insight into life at the time and their courtship over some months.\u00a0 They married two\u00a0 years later in 1867 in St Luke`s Church, Cannock.\u00a0 Eliza and Frederic are of course my great grandparents.\u00a0 With all the photos of those times (mostly unidentified) one gets the\u00a0 impression of very serious and sombre times – dark colours and not too many smiles.\u00a0 The words of the ‘diary’ bring these characters to life, particularly Eliza.\u00a0 Whether the dates in the book actually relate to the dates at the time I`m not sure as they are randomly covered.\u00a0 Occasionally the writing has been hard to decipher.<\/p>\n
I detail below the contents.<\/p>\n
Eliza Piggott January 1865<\/strong><\/p>\n Daily Bible reading by the Rev. J. Smith, Nelson and Sons, Peternoster Road.<\/p>\n A fond and loving spirit thou<\/em><\/p>\n Far far away from me art now<\/em><\/p>\n I miss the hand of friendship thine<\/em><\/p>\n The heart that all my feeling know.<\/em><\/p>\n This is a list of items for her personal account one assumes which range in price between 1 shilling and 5 shillings.\u00a0 In the received column is \u00a36 10s 0d.\u00a0 \u00a0Outgoings, 3 prs of gloves, veil, waistband, music, teapot stands, bear(?), pomatum, chocolat, scent, Sordham(?), Cook, cards, band, stamps.\u00a0 These items totalled \u00a31 18s 6d.chocolat, crackers, glass were then added at 4s, 1s and 6d respectively.<\/p>\n The dates start:<\/p>\n January<\/em><\/p>\n 12th Thursday – lent John* 50\/- to send to the Isle of Wight.<\/p>\n 13th Friday *i – Kate Tredwell went home.\u00a0 Mr Cahden came and he and Mary went to ?<\/p>\n 16th Monday *ii – Received photographs from Mr Bradley.\u00a0 We left Leigham Court for Norwood.<\/p>\n 17th Tuesday – Such a lovely day Mr Cahden ? He stayed all night but Sargent and Alice (*iii) dined at St John`s Lodge.<\/p>\n 18th Wednesday – Mr Cahden left.\u00a0 Had a dinner party ?\u00a0 and a bit of a dance afterwards.<\/p>\n 19th Thursday – Received a letter from Mr Bradley much pleased.\u00a0 Such a foggy (Cari would like to think it was happy!!) day.<\/p>\n 20th Friday – We went to see David Garrick ?\u00a0 We were so much pleased I cried awfully<\/p>\n 21st Saturday – Mama, Mary, John and I went to Nottingham saw old Mr and Mrs Jackson (*iv)<\/p>\n 22nd Sunday (*v) – Went to Christchurch in the morning.\u00a0 Some of them went up to Dale House after dinner.\u00a0 Left Norwood about nine was so glad to get to Birmingham.\u00a0 Saw Mr Bradley he promised to come to Cannock.\u00a0 Busy putting things\u00a0 managed to get down to Hednesford where they were skating.\u00a0 A very cold day.\u00a0 Lizzie and Edith Gilpin ? dined with us.<\/p>\n 28th Saturday – John and Mr Cahden went to Birmingham they came back alone.\u00a0 How sorry I felt but would\u00a0 not own.\u00a0 He came however by the eight train.<\/p>\n February<\/em><\/p>\n 11th Saturday – Bessie, Henry, Harry and Fred came by the train such a pleasant party.<\/p>\n 12th Sunday – We all went to church – such a party.<\/p>\n 13th Monday – Henry and Bessie left.\u00a0 John went with Fred to Kidderminster came back very fine.\u00a0 We all went to the Limes.<\/p>\n 14th Tuesday – not down very early went skating on the Hednesford Pool\u00a0 lunch at Mrs Paulis??<\/p>\n 15th Wednesday – went to the Pool again.\u00a0 \u00a0The Gilpins came to tea.\u00a0 Mr Bernard stayed so late.<\/p>\n 16th Thursday – Fred went by first train so miserable without him.<\/p>\n 17th Friday – Had a letter after all which enlivened me.<\/p>\n 18th Saturday – John went to Kidderminster.\u00a0 I wish I were with him.<\/p>\n 19th Sunday – Did not to to church as it was wet.<\/p>\n 20th Monday (*vi) – Mr Cahden left by first train.\u00a0 Rather surprised to see John come in about nine with Fred and Charlie.\u00a0 We had such a game snowballing brought((?) several windows.\u00a0 Fred and Charlie went.<\/p>\n 23rd Tuesday – Papa took Nellie\/Lillie(?) home\u00a0 we were so sorry to part with her.<\/p>\n 24th Wednesday – Missed the child so much.<\/p>\n 25th Thursday (*vii) – Mary and I went to Cannock met the train only Sam came.\u00a0 Fred missed the train did not get here til nine.<\/p>\n 26th Friday – Such a wet morning we none of us went to Church.\u00a0 Mama poorly in bed.\u00a0 Fred and I went a long walk.<\/p>\n 27th Saturday – Fred drove down to the Limes.\u00a0 I went with him and then to the colliery.\u00a0 Sam and Fred went by the one o’clock train.\u00a0 John with them.\u00a0 A busy day being washing day.<\/p>\n March<\/em><\/p>\n 1st Wednesday (Ash) – I did a little ironing (Cari`s note – ironing really!!)\u00a0 Quite an April day so showery.<\/p>\n 2nd Thursday – Mama and I went to Birmingham such a wretched day.<\/p>\n 3rd Friday – Capt. Gilpin called we went a long walk.<\/p>\n 4th Saturday – Mary and I went into Cannock we went to meet the train.\u00a0 Fred came I was so glad.<\/p>\n 5th Sunday – We went to Cannock Church all but Mary who had a bad cold.<\/p>\n 6th Monday – Fred and Charlie had to leave very early.\u00a0 They drove to Wolverhampton.<\/p>\n 7th Tuesday – I went into Birmingham by the first train met Marianne Harris did some shopping.<\/p>\n 8th Wednesday – Got home at five.\u00a0 We went into Cannock went to Mrs Adams saw Capt. Gilpin called on the Woods?<\/p>\n 9th Thursday (*viii) – Mama, Mary and Marianne went to Rugeley.\u00a0 I was at home alone.\u00a0 The Paulis(?) and Hoptons came to dinner.\u00a0 Such a miserable day we did not go out.<\/p>\n 11th Saturday – Tom ?? coming over to dinner. Marianne and I walked to Cannock called on Mrs Hopton saw Capt. Gilpin.\u00a0 It was so miserable not to see Fred.\u00a0 ?came.<\/p>\n 12th Sunday – I went up to the Hednesford school early all the others came t ? service.<\/p>\n 13th Monday – Mama and the others went up to Cannock.\u00a0 John`s first drill it was rather wet.<\/p>\n 14th Tuesday – We did not go out all day.\u00a0 I was very naughty am afraid. Dr Hopton came to dinner in bed at eight.<\/p>\n 15th Wednesday – Went to morning prayers at Cannock.\u00a0 Saw the Woods and Gilpins.<\/p>\n 16th Thursday – Marianne left by the first train.\u00a0 Papa went with her to Birmingham.<\/p>\n 17th Friday – Very busy evening Mrs Stephens and Mrs Joseph came over to dinner with us.<\/p>\n 18th Saturday – Such a very cold day.\u00a0 Fred came by the five o`clock train was so glad to see him.<\/p>\n 19th Sunday – Fred took me up to the Sunday School.\u00a0 He and Mary came to the service had a very cold walk.\u00a0 Fred went by the one o`clock.\u00a0 Felt as usual very dull without him.\u00a0 It is very silly when I know how he loves me.<\/p>\n 1865<\/p>\n April 19th Marianne Harris married.<\/p>\n August 15th Went to Colinsburgh<\/p>\n September 13th Came home from Scotland<\/p>\n September 19th John Bradley married.<\/p>\n Cari`s notes.<\/p>\n 1865 According to the 1861 census Eliza is living in Hednesford Lane, Cannock with father Francis (papa) and mother (mama) Sophia (nee Tredwell).\u00a0 Also brother John.<\/p>\n *i Kate Tredwell – daughter of\u00a0 William and Martha Tredwell – Eliza`s cousin.\u00a0 Kate married William Henry Dawes in 1866.\u00a0 These Tredwells lived in Handsworth in 1861.<\/p>\n Is is Cahden or Cohden?<\/p>\n *ii – Leigham Court is Uncle John Tredwell`s above.\u00a0 Norwood, St John’ s Lodge is Uncle Thomas’ abode. Thomas` daughter Alice married John Neptune Sargent in 1863.\u00a0 Alice cousin to Eliza.<\/p>\n *iii – see ii.<\/p>\n *iv – Jacksons? Possibly parents of Thomas Jackson who married Eliza`s cousin Louisa (daughter of Thomas Tredwell and Anne)<\/p>\n *v. – Lizzie and Edith Gipin in 1861 lived with widowed father Frederick at Chapel House, Cannock.\u00a0 There is a Captain Norcliffe Gilpin on ancestry married Louisa Maria Clarke in 1868?\u00a0 \u00a01871 Frederick and family (not Lizzie) are at High Green, Cannock.<\/p>\n *vi – Charlie?\u00a0 Fred Bradley`s younger brother<\/p>\n *vii – Sam? Fred Bradley`s brother<\/p>\n *viii – Dr Hopton – found an Abney C Hopton 1871 London.\u00a0 He had children born in Cannock 1864 and 1867.\u00a0 Med. Pract.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I love how ‘Mr Bradley’ very soon becomes ‘Fred’.\u00a0 Was Capt. Gilpin a suitor maybe??<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"