Events in the Life of the Rev. Leonard Jenyns

[RichardB]

http://www.rogerco.freeserve.co.uk/page6.htm

Extract :

25 August 1830 (Wednesday)

Time was now short as he intended to set off for Sheffield at noon, so he gave up the hope of visiting the Blue John mines called The Tray Cliff & Water Hull mines. Instead he went over the church at Castleton, but found little of interest except a mural tablet on the north wall with the following eccentric epitaph

"To the memory of Micah Hall, Gent. Attorney at law, who died on the 14th of May 1804, aged 79 years"

This Mr Hall was thought to be a strange person "remarkable for his universal doubt on religious subjects" and he had wanted his epitaph to be written in english, but because the text was considered "hardly proper" it was written in latin (so that few could read it). Jenyns translated it as:

What I was you know not; What I am you know not;

Whither I am gone you know not;

Go about your business.

Leaving the church he set off up through a narrow defile between two lofty limestone rocks that opened into a valley enclosed by rocks called Cave Valley, he stopped at this romantic spot examining the many lichens and plants that grew in this favoured spot. About half-way up the valley was a layer of basalt, in one area showing up as hexagonal columns. At 12 o'clock he left Castleton on foot for Sheffield, he found the road interesting most of the way. After five miles he came to the "small but prettily situate" village of Hathersage at the "foot of a lofty but extensive hill" and went to see the "supposed burial place of Little John the companion of Robin Hood".

The guide pointed out the two stones at about twelve foot apart that marked the place and was told that it had been opened some years before and that it had contained a "gigantic" thigh bone and some other bones.

The next five miles were over dreary moor covered with heath with blocks of shale and gritstone "from underneath the coal". The last few mile were cultivated with crops of corn, many of these crops were still uncut. Finally he got to Sheffield "which stands on the Coal Measures" at seven in the evening, found it "a large & populous town surrounded by iron factories; which cause dense volumes of smoke & fill the houses with blacks as in London".

He looked at the many excellent shops and was struck by some of the odd combination of trades: A.B. Confectioner. - Funerals completely furnished.

He stayed the night at the Old King's Head and found the accommodation moderately good.