The Weather Diary of Sir John Wittewronge, August 1686

Herfordshire Archives and Local History

Read by Geoff Cordingley

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August. 1686.

The 16th of this instant August I cut & eat the first mellon this summer; tho there were 2 cut & sent the week before to my Lady Nappier when I was at Stanton: one more wee eat the :

The 17th: 18th. & 19th instant, brought in all my Oates & all my pease except 5 or 6 Load

The 21th. Inned all my thetches*, & made an end of harvest

And the same day (viz the 21th) were brought up three black cowes (or heyfers) as strayes

Aug 23th drawn off 8 dozen & 4 of qte bottles of mingled wine

And 2 dozen of clear clarrett

And 2 dozen & 3 pint bottles of clear white wine

And five dozen of bottles of smalbear:

1st A fair day with a very high wind W:S

8 A very fair clear day & warm W:SW

15 A clear morn, & a cloudy afternoon, about 5 a clock it began to rain& rained most pt of the night W:SW

22 th A delicate clear warm day W:S

29 A close cloudy fornoon with several showers fair afternoon W:SW

* thetch was possibly vetch, an agricultural crop grown as forage; also a name for pea straw