On Monday Dec. 27, 1852, I purchased a Table Piano from Mrs Haworth of Hawthorn House, for £5.0.0. and which I had for about seven years.

On the following Monday a friend of mine (Thomas Barnes, Blind Tom) from Haslingden, arrived at our house by 8.0 a.m. to tune the piano […] Tom was the organist at Haslingden Parish Church and of Accrington, but lived at Haslingden. Some wonderful things have been written about him in pamphlet form by William Lee, the Evangelist. […] Then at night we had a few invited friends in the house by way of footing. We sang several choruses, but in one chorus we several times got at variance with each other, and not knowing where it was, but Tom told the bar where we got across with each other, and all went smoothly after that. […] Tom was a very proficient player on the clarionet [sic], flute, or hand bells, as well as the organ or piano. […] He frequently stayed at our house all night, often asking if any new tunes were afoot. When I had played one over a few times, he would say - let me try now, and would play the piece right through, for he was quick in memorising anything that was new.