The Goodliffe Family of Nottingham

The Story of My Life - The original, handwritten version of the Memoirs of Arnold Goodliffe

Page 63

rather hopeful disciple with the class my real good aunt was a member of. I wrote letters home inspiring hope and promise in my good mother’s mind that I might grow to be useful in the world. The bad times in and about 1818, pressed so heavily, that my parents felt obliged to cut down all outlay to the lowest point. My chief vocation for a while was to scare birds. I was allowed the use of the old fire-lock, a piece of fire-arms that adorned the beam in the house-place and which had been unused many a year. I may recall a remarkable preservation of my life. I was only allowed powder to make a flash and report, to frighten away crows etc, but having no shot I picked up very small pebbles, loaded my gun ready for a shoot at any bird I could. Some boys in a field near with whom I was talking got hold of my gun, expecting to be loaded only with powder, pointed it direct

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Last updated: 10/09/2017