Kendal, Westmorland, England, Jacob Stubbs, Oddfellows Ball, written in vernacular, 1844

Kendal Mercury, Saturday, 06 Jan 1844, page 3

HODD FELLOW'S BAWL
To t' Hededitur o't' Kendal Merkery.

Mr Hedditur,

As ye like ta git o t'news ets fleen aboot cuntry ta put intul't Merkery, I've taen the libberty of tellen ye what mity grand wark thar was et Hodd Fello's Bawl et Applebe, ev nu year day et neet. Aboot six o'clock t'lasses began t'gether up, en foke come fra o' arts en parts,en for o' it was freesen, yan was like to burst it was sae scumfishin. They hed three fiddels, en yan o' them was a gert big 'un, et mayde t'room o' shak agayn, en then for ther dancen it capt o', -- they flu aboot ev o' direcshuns, en I thout many a time they wad ha been lost, but I beleeve they had it o' off be hart, as they niver mayde any mistaks. T'lasses war terrubel fine, en I thout they had left nine ev ther best duds et yam, but sec o' lot o' sweet creeters I never saw in o' my life befoure, -- en for o' I hed me Sunda claes on, I dursnt speek to yan ev them, they war sae grand.

I wish ye hed been theer, Mr Hedditur, ye mite hev ritten a hal buke en niver stopt. O, man, it was a fine seet. Et twea o'clok t'bawl brak up. Theer was nea fun wev feighten, es we hev et our merry neets, for they wer o' as quiet es lams. Noo, I hed a thout in gangen aman thur Hodd Fellos, as they seemed a set o' varra respectabl luking chaps, but when I went up to yan o' them, en began to ax questens iv him, he put on sec a misterus luke, en tell'd me he was sworn secret; noo, if ye kna out aboot them, en I've nea doot but ye'll hev sum kind of a kenning, for fouk sa that ye kna summet aboot every bodies consarn, I was be muckle obleeged if ye wad tell me what t'entry is, en hoo lang et'el be befoure I can git any brass oot again. If I see hout worth senden, at any time, al always let ye hev't we plisure.

I remaine, yer obedent sarvant,
JACOB STUBBS
Fra t'Dale.