Peaceful days and funs of a village head in 19th century, part 13（千葉県流山の名主日記）

Daughter contracted smallpox (October to December, 1804)、疱瘡にかかった娘（文化元年10~12月）

Thrifty farmers' wives heading barley by pulling it through iron combs, near Iwakuni, Japan（1904）、脱穀、https://www.loc.gov/item/2020637864/

 

October, 1804

1^st, the rice harvest began. The seedlings planted in May could now be harvested as rice. It was a joyous time.

9^th, the harvest was finished. 13^th, the rice was dried. 14^th, the threshing was completed.

The busy time of rice cultivation had been overcome.

 

19^th, Hyōemon, who wrote this diary, went to Naritasan Temple with Shiba-Kyu and prayed in the evening. He returned home the next day.

Was it a trip to give thanks for the harvest, a pleasure trip, or both? The purpose was not written.

 

25^th, a circular arrived regarding preparations for sukegō (providing assistance for transporting official luggage such as samurai's one).

"Due to a major disturbance in Ushiku-juku (post-town, about 30km north), there will be a lot of traffic. Therefore, when we request horses and men, please provide them without delay."

Hyōemon's village was assigned to provide assistance for Kogane-juku (post-town).

27^th, Magosuke went out with a horse, and Kiemon went out as a laborer.

 

When society was in turmoil and samurai took action, peasants were also called upon. 1864, the end of the Edo period, was a very difficult time.
Reference: Yoshino’s daily life 53（Oct. to Dec. in 1864）
The major disturbance was named “Ushiku Sukegō Rebellion”. According to WiKi, approximately 1500 peasants participated. The heavy burden of the sukegō system led to the peasant uprising, and peasants from other regions were called upon to provide sukegō to help the samurai who went to suppress it. It's ironic.
Peace is best!

 

 

November

4^th, the horses in the shogunate's pasture were captured. This was a regular event.

Hyōemon provided laborers from the village. The diary records the horse capture until the 7^th.

 

5^th, Shun-chan (probably Hyōemon's daughter) contracted smallpox. She seems to have recovered.

15^th, the villagers were called in for a hot water pouring ritual, which was held to pray for the disease to leave.

However, her recovery was not good, and Shun-chan required medication for a long time.

 

21^st, Nayo-chan also contracted the disease, but recovered happily. "chan" is added when calling a child's name. ("chan" was not written in the diary. I just added for your understanding.)

 

The diary also records the death of Denshichi's 9-year-old daughter (December 2^nd) and Hanzaemon's 3-year-old daughter (December 12^th).

Infectious diseases were frightening. There was nothing to do but pray and perform incantations.

 

18^th, at a meeting of the 55 village heads, it was decided that the replacement of the well in Kogane owned by Chūemon would be handled through a mutual aid system; it was probably a critical issue. Money was contributed according to the village's assessed crop yield. It was estimated that the total amount was around 2 million yen. It wasn't a huge sum.

Wells were subject to mutual aid. At that time, mutual aid was the basic method of doing things. Large-scale construction projects such as flood control were carried out by the government.

 

 

December

Shun-chan's condition worsened. The pharmacist was changed from Genshu in Ichinoya to Gentatsu in Nagareyama on 11^th.

12^th, Ishikawa Sazen, a surgeon in Nagareyama, was called. He made frequent house calls thereafter.

Shun-chan's condition did not seem good, but she survived. That was a relief.

 

Even with a sick family member, the usual year-end rituals continued.

11^th, a thorough cleaning.

21^st, Hyōemon and Sonichi traveled to Edo with buckwheat flour and approximately 3 million yen. It was the year-end gift-giving and paying season. They returned to the village on the 26^th.

27^th, mochi pounding. 28^th, a barrel of sake was brought from Kogane. 29^th, paper goods were purchased. The paper was likely for New Year's decorations and the paper given as New Year's gifts. Hyōemon went to the barber shop on the day.

30^th, they put up pine decorations (photo below), completing their New Year's preparations (since it was the lunar calendar, the 30^th was New Year's Eve). 1804 was coming to an end.

 

It wasn't all smooth sailing, but they harvested rice and enjoyed traveling. It was a good year overall.

 

 

New year decoration in front of a hot spring facility

 

10月

１日、稲刈り開始。5月に植えた苗を、米として収穫できる。

９日、刈り仕舞い、13日、稲揚げ、14日、稲こき仕舞い。米づくりの山を越えた。

 

19日、この日記を書いた兵右衛門は、芝久と成田山に行き、夕方参詣。翌日帰宅。

収穫を感謝したのか、慰安旅行か、その両方か。

 

25日、助郷準備の回状が来た。彼の村は小金宿の助郷を割り当てられている。

「牛久宿で起こった大騒動のため、御通行が多くなる。ついては、人馬の依頼をしたら、遅れず差し出してくれ」とのこと。

27日に孫助が馬を連れ、喜右衛門が人足として出た。

 

世の中が乱れて武士が動くと、百姓もかり出される。幕末の1864年は大変だった。
参考：Yoshino’s daily life 53（Oct. to Dec. in 1864、文久4年10～12月）
「牛久宿の大騒動」は「牛久助郷一揆」のことで、WiKiには百姓約1500人が加わったとある。助郷負担の重さから百姓が一揆を起こし、鎮圧に向かう武士のために他地域の百姓が助郷にかり出された。皮肉なことだ。
平和が一番！

 

 

11月

４日、幕府の牧場・高田台牧と上野牧の野馬捕りが行われた。定例行事だ。

兵右衛門は村から人足を出す。日記には、７日まで野馬捕りが記されている。

 

５日、しゅんちゃん（多分、兵右衛門の娘）が疱瘡を発病。回復したようで、15日に村人を呼んで湯掛けをした。病魔が去ることを願うのだ。

しかしながら、病後が良くなく、しゅんちゃんへの施薬が長く続く。

 

21日、なよちゃんも発症したが、回復。良かった。

 

日記には、傳七の９歳の娘の死亡（12月2日）と、半左衛門の３歳の娘の死亡（12月12日）が書かれている。伝染病は怖い。しかし、彼ら彼女らは、お祈りやまじないをするしかなかった。

 

ところで、18日の55ヶ村寄合で、小金の忠右衛門の井戸堀替を無尽とし、村高100石に付き拾匁を出すことを決めた。一村平均200石とすれば合計で20両ぐらい。巨額ではないが、井戸は互助の対象になるようだ。

 

 

12月

しゅんちゃんの病状が思わしくなく、薬師をこれまでの市野谷の元秀から流山の玄達に変えた（11日）。

12日、流山の外科・石川左膳を呼び、以降、たびたび往診してもらう。

体調は良くなさそうだが、しゅんちゃんはこの後も生きるので、ご心配なきように。

 

家族に病人がいても、お決まりの行事は行われる。

11日、煤掃き、21日、兵右衛門は、蕎麦粉と30両を持って孫市とともに出府。お歳暮シーズンだ。26日に帰村。

27日、餅つき、28日、小金の松屋から酒一樽を取り寄せ、29日、紙諸品を買い、髪結床へ行く。紙は、正月飾りや、お年始として配る半紙だろう。

30日、松飾りをして正月準備終了（旧暦なので30日が大晦日、31日はなし）。1804（文化１）年も暮れる。

いいことばかりではなかったが、米もとれたし旅もしたし、上出来だ。

 

Previous post  (Peaceful days and funs of a village head in 19th century, part 12（千葉県流山の名主日記): Bon and Autumn Festivals (July to September, 1804)、盆と秋祭り（文化元年7~9月）

Next post (museum in central Japan): Iiduna history museum、いいづな歴史ふれあい館（長野県）(coming soon)

 

 

The first article in this series (from 1802 to 1848)、シリーズ（1802年から1848年）最初の記事 : Peaceful days and funs of a village head in 19th century, part 1（千葉県流山の名主日記）

 

The first article of the diary from 1849 to 1864, fifty-three articles in total、1849年から1864年の日記（53記事）の最初の記事： Yoshino’s daily life 01, About Yoshino and background 吉野家とその頃