4 December 1863

Thomas Keir diary - 4 December 1863 entry [National Library Micro-MS-0837]

Friday 4th Dec[embe]r 1863

A fine fair wind this morning the
ship going about 10 Knots all day about
35° north latitude. Weather mild & fine
the masts are all crowded with sail
sea smooth and we are all enjoying
the sail. Bouli & seapie[1] for dinner
to which we did apple pastie

STANDARDISED

Friday 4th December 1863

A fine fair wind this morning the ship going about 10 Knots all day, about 35° north latitude. Weather mild and fine, the masts are all crowded with sail. Sea smooth and we are all enjoying the sail. Bouli & seapie for dinner to which we did apple pastie.

HENRY SCHOFIELD DIARY

4th – fine

Got a cup of mountain flax tea off Mr Earnshaw. Opened my box tempted in found a spice loaf and some apples. For dinner potatoes and boulli. Hadfield[2] completed his captain of the mess. Saw 1 ship going about 10 knots. Borrowed Cassels book off Keers[3]. At night a spice cake. Snowden lot having one which they thought was drugged. Singing and dancing.

Notes

1. seapie: a layered meat pie made with meat or fish, and was served to British sailors during the 18th century [Wikipedia]

2. William Edward Hadfield was a 20 year old weaver from Derbyshire, and one of the assisted passengers.

3. Who was “Keers” and what was the book? In the Single Men’s accommodation there were James Kerr, a 20 year old farm labourer from Antrim, Ireland, and Thomas Keir and his three younger brothers. There were no known cabin passengers or crew with a similar name. It may be wishful thinking, but I like to think the booklender was Thomas Keir. Contender for the book might have been Cassel’s Popular Natural History except its first edition was published in 1865.