The Diary of John Carrington - December 1805

Geoff Cordingley

To listen to the audio clip, click play on the bar below the image on the right.

December

Wednesday 25th Christmas Day

To Bramfield Church, had the poor to Dinner, after in the Evening to West End Farm (late Hunsdons) Spent the evening with the newcomers, Mr Stapleton and Mr Bell and his wife till 10 o’clock.

End of year Notes

Thus ends this year, the most plentiest in corn, turnips and hay as ever known. Plenty of hops at £5 per 100. Still at war with France and Dutch and taxes increasing, though we have gained a glorious victory by sea…..

On Monday 21 st (October) was fought that great battle by sea off Trafalgar near the straits of Gibraltar, by Admiral Lord Nelson with 27 ships of the line English, against 33 Ships, French and Spaniards. Which Admiral Nelson took and destroyed 23 of them and took 2 Admirals: though Nelson was killed by a musket shot, supposed to be levelled at him as he was in full dress on the quarter deck of the Victory.

January 1806

Lord Nelson was brought home and landed at Greenwich Hospital and there lay in state some days and on Wednesday 8 th January 1806 was brought by water to the admiralty and lay in state all night and next day the 9 th (he) was buried at St. Paul’s London with great solemnity indeed.

[Carrington died in May 1810: therefore he never knew the outcome of the long war. Napoleon was defeated at the battle of Waterloo and was banished to St Helena in 1815.

In his own way, Carrington actually made two important inputs into the war effort: as a farmer, he had helped to keep up the supply of home grown food and as a tax collector he had helped to take in money needed for the government’s war funds.]