Six north country diaries - The MAN & Other Families

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his
30
Our countrey man, Dr. Dod,^^ is deane thereof. This to^vne is famous
for spurs : the best woorkeman now is one Harman, and two brothers
called Portars. One Warwick was accounted the best woorkman,
but hee is now remooved to Burroughbrigge.
This night I lodged at Ripley.
[June] 26. The 26, Wednesday, I came to Bradford, a towne
that makes great store of Turkey cushions and carpetts ; heere I lay
all night in pravate man's house, a tanner, who sometimes gave
entertainement to travellers. The wett weather kept mee heere all
this day and a good part of the next.
[June] 27. The 27, Thursday, I came to Hallifax, a pretty well
built towne of stone, and consists much of clothiers, to encourage
whose trade was graunted that priviledge of heading, by the towne law,
any malefactour taken (as they say) hand-napping,^^ back bearing, or
confessing the felony. Theire heading blocke is a little out of towne
Avestward : it is raised upon a little forced asoent of some halfe a
dozen stepps and is made in forme of a narrow gallowes, having two
ribbs downe either side post, and a great waightie block with
riggallds'50 for those ribbs to shoote in, in the bottome of which blocke
is fastned a keene edged hatchet ; then the block is drawne up by a
pulley and a cord to the crosse on the topp and the malefactor layes
head on the block below ;
then they let runne the stock with the
hatchet in, and dispatch him immediately.
Heere is one of the fairest innes in England called the Crosse,
because it stands right against the Crosse (I think), now kept by a
widdow woeman, one
[June] 28. The 28, beeing Friday, I came to Mr. Holywell's, in
Manchester.
[June] 29. The 29, Saturda}^, I came to Aston. Laus Deo.
There is a prettie church at Hallifax, wherein I found this epitaph
on their quondam parson. Dr. Favor
Jo. Favor, LL.Doct. medici peritiss. et hujus ecclesice pastoris
vigilantissimi epitaphiiini
Corpora et cegrotant animce, fremit undique rixa.
Scilicet orha suo turha Favore jacet
En pastor medicusque ohiit, jurisque peritus.
I neqiiere in coelis qui mod6 saJvus erix.
''^
Thomas Dod, D.D., dean of the collegiate church of Ripon, was chaplain
of Charles I., and successively held the preferments of rector of Astbury and
of Malpas, prebendary of Chester and archdeacon of Richmond. He was
buried at Malpas 10th Feb., 1647/8.
^°
The proper phrase is handhabend and backberand, i.e., carrying in the
hand or on the back.
""
Riggot = a narrow channel. Wright, EmjIUh Dialect Dictionary.