AT the last meeting of the Lancashire Family History and Heraldry Society members heard a talk on "Henry Hargreaves Diary" given by Kathy Fishwick.

We began our meeting with congratulations to Kevin Mulley, the Bury archivist, on his new job as archive and inspection officer based at the National Archive Office at Kew and thanked him for his help in the past.

Mrs Fishwick was lent Henry Hargreaves diary by a member of her local history class in Rawtenstall. It was written in 1760 when Henry was 18 years old and he had used an old account book for this purpose. He lived in Newchurch and his family was one of the richer ones in the valley. We saw a photograph of one of their properties. His father, a Quaker was in the lead industry which had been in the area since 1300.

When at Newchurch Grammar School, Mr Welch who taught and preached, gave him a copy of Virgil. He visited the lead mines with his father and began as a weekly boarder at Burnley Grammar School. Visiting a cousin in Preston they drank tea (a new drink). His father was in charge of the local militia. He went to Haslingden, an important town with a market, trades, wig makers, corn merchants, dancing master and tailors. He had to help with the cost of coals for Burnley Grammar School.

He did some horse trading in the spring, and was confirmed at Blackburn. He went to Haslingden Fair where he bought parkin and spanish juice. He wrote a will for a friend for a shilling. Henry was a Solicitor later. He went to a Quaker meeting house and heard Dr Leigh preaching at Ackroyd in Yorkshire where he had gone on a family holiday. During this holiday he went to York where "they looked around in curiosity".

While his father was on business in Liverpool, Henry gave the workmen ale and wages. He went to Haslingden where there was dancing. When George II died he bought black breeches for the period of mourning. During school in December the boys barred the master out of school and he had to pay to get back in. Henry also watched travelling players in a new play Babes in the Wood. At Christmas he went to Preston and bought a Virgil translation.

Mrs Fishwick believes there is much more to discover about this family and the age in which they lived.

The next meeting is the annual general meeting followed by Members Evening on Wednesday March 9 at 7.30pm in the Blackburne Hall, The Wylde, Bury. E.R.