Portrait of George Borrow

Mary Borrow’s Account Book July–November 1857

This is an on-going piece of work and is far from finished: it’s intended to produce better transcriptions in future.  The main aim at the moment is to identify the people and places mentioned.

In October 2018 the George Borrow Society held a very enjoyable weekend in Shrewsbury, where George, his wife Mary and step-daughter Henrietta stayed between July and November 1857 (George going off on long walks of course!)  In researching the weekend reference was made to Mary Borrow’s account book and this page comes out of that.

George didn’t write about this period so our main source of information is Mary’s household account book, which detailed what they purchased on a day to day basis.  The entire book is in Mary’s writing, which is sometime difficult to read, she often abbreviates words and is mainly concerned with watching where the money is going.

Whilst Mary presumably made a number of such books, only one extant copy is known: it’s held at Norfolk Record Office (catalogue reference MS 11328) and covers 1854 (when the Borrow’s were at Llangollen etc.) upto 1859 (just before they moved to London).

Photograph of the account book, July 1857

Mary used a pre-printed, ruled account book and so the pounds, shillings and pence are clearly written in the right hand columns, the day in the left (multiple lines come under one day usually), and between them Mary fits a brief description (usually including costs) of the items.  You can click on the image below to get a larger version to see the detail:

Photograph of the account book entry for 15th July 1857

Mary has a convention that above an amount in shillings she writes an inverted v, and over an amount in pence a half circle, so:

Photograph of Mary Borrow’s account book, 15th July 1857,
showing how she wrote shillings and pence

So on the whole line you have Loin Mutton 2s. 1d. Gooseberries 3d. Lettuces 1d. and you can confirm this because they add up to the 2s. 5d. shown in the right hand column.

Mary sometimes wrote a line in pencil, and then inked it in pen afterwards, creating a shadow and making it harder to read.  E.g. the entry for the 24nd August 1857:

Photograph of Mary Borrow’s account book, 24th July 1857,
showing how she wrote shillings and pence

Below is a very rough transcription of the Shrewsbury period.  The first page transcribed is headed July 20th 1857, which was a Monday.  Where something is difficult to read and known to be wrong it is in italics.  Any comments within the transcription are in square brackets, with the final column being used for notes explaining what’s going on.

£

s.

d.

Comments

July 1857

Note: the page is very hard to read and a lot of guessing is involved!

20th

Phoebe

2

Mrs Wales 1st week

3

7

Eliza the servant 5 Plument life

6

6

Phoebe for cleaning cottage

1

10

21st

Train from Yarmouth to Peterborough 3 fares

3

4

10

Do from Petboro to Shrewsbury 3 fares

4

3

Bill at Peterbro

1

4

Do at Crown at Shrewsbury

1

10

Flys Gerards Oliver basser, cakes

5

[Unreadable] + some home expenses

19

2

Mr. Borrow into Pocket

1

27th

Stanfer 1 fock [unreadable] 5 6

6

6

28th

Grocery

1

Goods Mrs. Tom delivery 26th

7

3

29th

Heavy feafer 4 soda water 1– Raof 5

2

3

30th

Cabman to Pear 4 for best pack

1

Bread and beer 9 buscuits & back 4

1

1

31th

Jily to B. Field 3 6 prescent to woman

4

6

August 1857

1st

Butcer Beef 1 2 lamb 3 4

4

6

Flowers 2 [unreadable] 8

10

Bread candlev cakes

1

3rd

Washing woman

2

3

24 July

Morley 15 6 meat 2 5 grocery 2 11

1

10

Mary writes a total of £15 at the bottom of page, so probably realised she’d missed this out and put it at the bottom

30th [July?]

1st week Mrs. T. + goods

1

4

11½

3rd

To Morley wine merchant by bill

10

10½

By prescription

2

Mutton Pie

11

4th

2 lbs sasauges at 10 for [unreadable]

2

Cakes 5 fruit 10

11

5th

Mutton pie 1 2 eggs co

1

8

6th

Suzat of Gough [unreadable]

2

10

6 botl soda water

2

[5]

Bottle stout porter

7

Bunns ea

6

6th

Grocery Bagnalls by bill

4

3

2nd week Thomas lodging + goods

1

11

3

Present to Sarah

2

7th

1 lb Salmon

1

3

8th

Pocket book

4

3

Veal

1

5

Salmon

1

6

Bacon

7

Grocery + sister

10

10th

½ lb buscuits 4 bread [unreadable]

10

Sunday sermon 1 meeting

2

1 beabe in Porter both [unreadable]

7

11th

Pickle 1 2 [unreadable] 1

2

2

½ dozen soda water [unreadable]

2

Morley by bill

10

This is at the top of a new page and is much more readable than the previous page

12th

Mutton pie 1 0  cotton 1

11

Goosberries + beans

1 lbe loaf sugar

Biscuits 4 glen 6 umbrella mend 6

1

4

13th

Mutton chops 10 news paper 1

11

3rd week Thomas + goods

1

9

3

14th

Meat 8 Gussi /1/2

Meeting London visiting Society

1

6

15th

Loin mutton 2 1 goosberries 3 lettuces 1

2

5

Porter 4 botl. [unreadable]

3

6

½ lb tea Bagnall [unreadable]

2

Vevit 1 3½ cakes 6

1

17th

Lettes stauihs 1 mutton 4

1

4

wash woman for past week

2

5

card paper 4 cambrie 5

9

18th

soda water 2 20 cross book soap 3

2

3

Riles tract 1½ grocery 1 9½

1

11

Morley by bill

10

19th

Butcher 4 lbs mutton 2 10 goosbery 3

3

1

20th

charity 2 veal pie 3

5

4th week Thomas Ladry goods

1

7

9

Present to Sarah

2

21st

Blond [unreadable] 1 0 cake 2½ ribbon 2½

1

9

Broach 3 6 carisihor 2

3

8

22

Ginger wine 1 4 cakes 9

2

1

Pears 8 meat 2 3

2

11

½ doz soda water 2 pd same time

2

eggs 7 apples 1 charity

9

24th

washwoman pd same time

Morley by bill

10

Rusks

25th

Grocery

4

3

mutton chops

1

6

sugar moist

26th

chicken 1 10 flowers 1

1

11

buns 3 rusks 2 pd order

11

sent hubd to Cardigan by PO order

5

27th

eggs 6 biscuits 4

10

5th week + goods 6 2

1

6

2

28

Ink 1 meat pies 6 biscuits 4

11

porter 2 4 pale ale 2 botl 1 4

3

8

29th

pears ¼ silk 8

8

admeston back 4 6 refresht 1

5

6

paper 2½ charity 1

[unreadable] morley by bill

6

9

chicken

1

10

30th

Holy sacrament

2

31st

[unreadable]

2

September 1857

1st

½ lb biscuits 4 [unreadable] 9

1

1

Band petticoat 1 cakes 7½

1

2nd

Meat 1 5 1 pt ale 2½

1

Soda water 1 doz pd

3

3rd

Leg mutton 28 beef 2

2

10

Brace Partridge

2

6

Grocery to same time Bagnall

4

9

Present to Sarah

2

4th

Cakes 4 Sept Moses ½ bread 1

5th

Apples + [unreadable] 4½

Bread 4 cakes 2

6

Bill to Morley Beer 2½

13

7th

wash woman pd

2

Brace Partridges

2

6

Tape & cotton 4½ paper 4

Mish meeting 1 gift to Serot 1

2

8th

Charity 1 cakes 6 biscuits 4

11

Meat 1 6

1

6

9th

1 lb ½ salmon 2 spa water

2

6

Lavender water 1

1

Porter 5 bottled soda water 4 to Sarah

5

4

Shrewsbury cakes 10 glae 10

1

Cream cheese 6

6

There’s a word after this which looks crossed out, possibly aphlar 3½

Tracts 1 by Ryle

1

10th

Hoose 3 salmon 1 6

4

6

Candles 1 lb sugar 8 Bagnall

1

8

Pork salt

10½

Goldbetzer skin to czaeca heed

Cannot make this out at all

11th

Thomas 7th week + goods

1

8

1

12

Biscuits 4 jelly + cakes 1

1

4

Tailor by bill

6

6

Braid 4 apples 3½

Chick 1 9 sausages 5

2

2

13 + 14

Train 3 tickets 8 3 fly to Wrekin 3

11

3

George, Mary and Henrietta visited the Wrekin, and took train part way

Luncheon for 3 4s

4

1lb loaf sugar 8. ½ lb sausages 6

1

2

1 Box night lights 7

7

15th

wash woman

1

5

meat 1 4 callicos 7½

1

11½

1 Brace Partridges

2

6

16

Biscuits 4 shoes mending by bill 4 10

5

2

Letter stampes 1 paper 3

1

3

Callico 7½ bacon 1 7½

2

3

Buns 4 sugar 6

10

Morley by bill

13

Soda water 1 doz

17th

Meat to Sarah

1

7

Haze 3

3

Shrewsbury cakes 6 biscuits 4

10

18th

Thomas 8th week+ goods

1

9

3

Present to Sarah

2

6

Red currant jelly 6 paper 1

7

Grocery

3

Mutton for broth

19th

Chicken 1 9 apples 3 charity 1

2

1

Brace of Partridges 2 6 whisky 2 6

5

Honey 1 Bacon 2 2

3

2

21st

wash woman last week

3

Library book

8

22nd

Biscuits 4 trip to Haughmond Hill 2 6

2

10

½ dozen of Porter

3

6

23rd

Chick 1 8 mustard 1

1

9

Brace of Partridges

2

3

Max for Hen 1 cakes 1½

2

Cafe Crown 4 Border 1

1

4

1lb Composite Candles pd same time

1

Meat to Sarah 22nd chops

1

4

24th

Jozaines to specticles

3

6

Grocery 3 3 sugar 1lb 6

3

9

Thomas 9th week + goods

1

13

4

Pd for Pelisse + shawl [unreadable]

6

25th

Chops to Sarah  2lbs 1 8

1

8

Towel wash 1 cheese 9

10

Almanac maps tracts

8

Medicine 3 6

3

6

Cake 3 Biscuits 4 Pears 2½

Morley by bill

17

6

26th

Chick 1 9 sausages 1 mutton 1 2

3

11

1 brace birds 2 3 paper 1

2

4

Husband into Pocket

2

27th

Missionary sermon 1 meetings 2

2

3

28th

Beef to Sarah 25 pears 2

2

7

wash woman

2

7

Cam Sh loiue 6 soap 6 G. drops

1

3

Candles 6 Shrewsy cakes 6

1

29th

Chick 1 9 partriges 2

3

9

Hall by bill

7

8

Grocery

2

3

Soda water 1 doz Blout

3

½ doz Barclays Porter

3

6

Cotton 1½ Biscuits 4

30th

1 Bott Plae ale 8 Ginger essence 1

1

8

October 1857

1st

Mr. B... Journey to Donington

2

6

Partridge 1 pears 2

1

2

Brown loaf 3 pears 2

5

Thomas 10th week + goods

1

10

4

Present to Sarah our Housemaid

2

Sugar 8 tea 1 charity ½ envelope ½

1

9

3rd

Hare 3 Pefelinints

3

Chick 1 9 sausages 1 mushrooms 1 6

3

3

Red Curt Jelly

6

Presumably red currant jelly

Seed cake 6 roll 1½

Mutton omitted in weeks account 10½

10½

5th

Quilting Petticoat

6

4

Wash woman

2

2

Part leg Mutton

2

4

Brace of Partridges

2

6

Grocery at Bagnalls

4

10½

This is John Bagnall, tea dealer & grocer, Pride hill [Post Office Directory 1856].  He also appears to have had another shop in High Street: Bagnall & Gittins, grocers & dealers [Post Office Directory 1856]

2 Tickets Vincent

2

Hus. for walk in search of Gronway Owen

5

6th

Plumb cake 8 buns 4 wallnuts Pe

1

6

Pocket book Hus 26 paper 1 fund

2

7

7th

Indian Sculpture eadersa

4

6

8th

Morley by bill

13

Probably Henry Morley, wine and spirit merchant, of Castle Street

Beef to Sarah 2 lbs. & 3

1

3

Veal 2 l candid peal /1/2

2

Sugar 8 biscuits /1/2

9th

Thomas 11th week & goods

1

11½

Cakes & at Crumpets

1

3

10th

Chick 1s 9d Bacon 1s 6d

3

3

Noticed that Mary writes marks above double figure numbers and in this case they must mean shillings and pence as they add to the total.  The shilling mark is a bit like a “w” and the pence a bit like a “p”

Hare 2s 6d Candles 1s

3

6

Celery & Blond 4 Ribbon 6

11

The & looks like a 7 and is a pure guess, I think it cost a penny though!

Whisky

2

6

11th

Pew opener at St Giles

6

This would be St. Giles’ church, around a mile east of Shrewsbury, near Lord Hill’s column

12th

Wash woman

2

7

Red Jelly to Buns 3

9

Bagnall 3sd new shawl

3

Prob. John Bagnell, although he’s down as a grocer

Porter ½ doz

3

6

13th

Pd 1 doz soda water Mr Blout

3

13th

Biscuits 4

4

This is the top of the next page and is headed Octr 1857

14th

Coach to Welsh pool coach & Guard 8

1

8

15th

Bill & Servants

1

10

6

Tluv into Pocket 3

2

6

This line is written in pencil and almost rubbed out at end

Pictures

1

16th

Leg mutton

3

Paper 1 shoes mending Mr T 2s 6d

2

7

Thomas 12 week goods & coals

1

11

10

Present to Hand Maid Sarah

2

17th

Chick 1s 10d Celery 1d

1

11

Cakes & at Crmpts

1

Wine & Brandy by bill

13

Grocery at Bagnalls

4

3

2 Herrings 3d

Mary hasn’t carried the amount into the money columns

19th

Veal

2

6

Pd wash woman 23 pleeces

1

11

20th

Dinner bills

1

Bacon 1s 10½ cakes & hearv 5

2

21st

Herrings 2½ Chick 1s 10d

2

½

Mutton

3

6

22nd

Lavender water 1 camphor /1/2

1

Ginger drops 3d 1 lb candles 1s

1

3

Not sure about lb which is superscript and clearly a unit

Partridges & 2 Herrring

This has no money amount and is crossed out, there’s also a cross in the margin next to it

23rd

Thomas 13 week coal & goods

1

14

11½

½ doz Porter 3 lb Candls 9

3

7

Cakes 1s 1d Mr Star 9

1

2

22nd

Brace of Birds  & Herrings

2

6

This is top of page and is clearly dated 22nd Octr 1857: quite why this duplicates I don’t know

Cheese 1s 7d Post Office order 3

1

10

Don’t see it can be order but cannot make it much else: what cost 3d?

Charity Poor Girl

1

Grocery Bagnal

2

24th

New Purse

1

6

Fly to concert 3s prospectus 6

3

6

Would be a Saturday.  There was a Grand Miscellanous Concert on the 21st at Music Hall, lots of patrons, major performers etc.

26th

Chicken Her 1s 10d Brace Birds 2s 3d

4

1

Mary had written 24th and crossed it out writing 26th instead.  Presumably she didn’t always write things down on the day they occurred.  Also presumably 2 chickens?

Mutton 3s 1d

3

1

25th

Blessed sacrament

2

26th

Soda water 10 oz f2d

3

Flaze Privishall

2

3

Bists 2 Pears 2 Pork pie 2 Herngs 2 Power bey 1/2

Abbreviation for Biscuits?

1 lb Candles 1s 1 pattern of work 8

1

8

27th

Chick 1s 9d Mutton 1s 6 Biscuit 4

3

7

28th

Cakes 1s 1d news paper 1

1

2

Fly to Jacob

This is crossed out in book

2 fels Sherry 4s 6d Brandy 8s 6d

13

½ doz Porter

This is crossed out in book

Dinner Pills

1

29th

Library Book 2 Prints 3 Biscuits 1

6

Sub Bible Society Isle of Man

1

Partridges 3s 4½d news paper 1

3

30th

Sausages 5 Herrings 4

9

Thomas 14 week & goods

1

10

8

Goods looks more like Gaods

½ doz Porter hd to Sarah

3

6

Present to Sarah

2

British & Bible, Shroupsby Whilem

1

Octr 1857 Mutton

1

1

This is the top of the page and Mary has written this as a single line

Commission to BankeorS

5

Not sure about the bit after Bank

Bagnall grocery by bill

2

31st

Fly to Dr Kennedys fid

2

6

Is this the Rev. Benjamin Hall Kennedy, D.D., headmaster of Shrewsbury School?  Cannot find a medical Dr. Kennedy in Shrewsbury in Slater’s.

Cake 8 Jelly 6

1

2

Leaaes for Pocket book 10 Sausages & Herring 11

1

9

Tea Bagnold ¼ lb

1

Chick 1s 9d Pears 5d

2

2

Not sure about pears, and other two cases they were only 2d

November 1857

2th

Essence of Ginger 6 news paper 1

7

Hus into Pocket St Asaph

3

4

2

Wash woman

2

4th

Mutton 10 Buttons 1

11

1 lb corn fe candles

1

5th

Cakes & bread

1

¼

6th

Thomas 15th week & goods

1

9

Watch cleaning 3s 6d chain 1s

4

6

Last piece of mutton 8

8

Soda water sausages 5

3

5

Bagnall Grocery 3s 3d

3

½ doz hooler came on the 5th

3

6

Mr B boots healed

1

7th

Brace of Partridges

3

Mutton 1s 4d Chick 1s 9d Herrings 2½

3

Wool leggins

10½

Toueard drawing lessons

4

6

9th

Morley by bill

13

Cakes 11 & Baker 1

1

2

This is the top line of the page

½ lb sausages 5d shoe 1d

6

Haven’t really noted it but Mary puts a halve curve above pence figures, like the top half of the letter O but more curving in.  It’s actually a deformed letter d!

Hickman by bill

6

10½

Mutton 3s 5d

3

5

11th

Portugal Onions 3½d Cotton 1d

Chick 1s 7d whisky 1s 3d

2

10

Grocery Bagnall by bill

3

Oakly by bill 11 news paper 1

1

1

The 1 in the shillings column looks more like a 9

12th

Repair watches

3

6

Cakes & Crumpets

1

Pencil sharper to Blond m 1s 9d

2

3

Paper 1 warrir shoes 1s 6d

1

7

 

Satin stock

3

6

Wash woman

2

10

13th

Thomas close + 16th week & goods

1

9

10½

Mutton to Sarah 3¼ lbs 2mye

2

11

Hire of matrass by bill

10

Note case te.... 9 + 6

6

6

Luaorin sleaes 2s Blake 2d

2

2

Gauntlets 3s 6d

3

6

Small tooth comb

8

14th

For Boots stfo Mr Thomas

8

6

Charity 2s 6d Teppet 4d

2

10

Shrewsbury cakes 4s & 10

4

10

Deves old books

2

6

Possibly this is George Deaves, bookseller of  Pride Hill [Slater’s 1856 Directory]

B2acon 2 lbs ¾ at 2s 1de  pollo

6

6

3 sheets tinted paper

1

6

This is the top line of the page

Washing & eggs

Chick & finesrjacct ggs

 

1

The chick line is cross out

17th

Present to Sarah 2s do 6d Elizab

3

Thomas 17 week + goods

1

12

16th

Hand f— 4s 6d wool liphed 4d

4

10

17th

To Train at Shrewsbury

3

3 Fares to Peterboro

4

1

Bill at Peterboro

1

9

9

18th

3 Fares from P... to Yarmouth

3

4

6

Ely Porter to from Train 1s 6d

2

19th

Husb into Pocket 3s 3d

3

3

20th

Sharman Buns Bisc Gingerbread

1

21st

Bellamy by bill

5

8

Pheasant

3

Bill at Royal

2

5

6

Presumably The Royal Hotel, Great Yarmouth, built 1840 as The Victoria, then renamed

½ ton of coal

10

2

Goods to Mrs Dineg

8

8

Boxes from Jepson + bank

1

2

22nd

Presnt to Mrs Ding’s daughter 1 Lighting serv to

1

6

24th

Poor man 2d gingerbread 3d

5

Writing paper 7d Ponions 5d

1

25th

Cake 8½d Goosebry Tarts 6d

1

Chick 2s Bzaid 2½d paper 1d

2

26th

Cafilet 1s 1d sugar cakes 1d

1

2

Swanborow Remoong books & laudry

10

Husbands Hair cut

1