Saturday 10th May 1834
Went to Haydon Bridge to attend a Meeting for letting the Tolls of the Suspension Bridge over the Tyne and other business. The Tolls of this Bridge have fallen off in consequence of the unproductive state of Fourstones Colliery. The Lessees of that Colliery & Lime Works having been accustomed to pay £120 a year of the £280 for which the Gate was met, but now offer only £60. It seems to me matter of regret that when so large a sum as £2500 was subscr
Monday 12th May 1834
Received from Mr Hunt the account & expenses of the Sale of the Millers goods at Allerwash, which left after paying for printed Notices & Auctioneers Charge £15.4.6 leaving a balance of £82.11.7 due to the Hospital at the present term, for which there is only a small patch of growing Corn of very little value. So much for converting an old Huntsman into a Miller. He has some claim, I think to be allowed the rental for two years of a Cottage amounting to five o
?Tuesday 13th
Had an unlooked for visit from Mr Thomson of Scremerston who paid up his balance of Rent, £150 & spoke in despair of the condition of Farmers & the hopelessness of redeeming the large Capital he had invested. He was anxious to know if no reduction of Rent could be made to him, but I hold out no prospect of an exception being made in his favor to all those who have already petitioned on the same ground - & only recommended that against next autumn, if his prospec
Wednesday 14th May 1834
William Hind paid his half years Rent but persisting in retaining the House, I wrote to Mr Fenwick, directing him to proceed by ejectment. Heard from Mr Hogarth of Scremerston, acknowledging my letter informing him that he could have no present abatement, but might surrender his Lease & try to agree for a new one. He proposed to come over and see me respecting it, but I wrote saying that no surrender could now be accepted before May 1835, & no valuation c
Thursday 15th
Received from the Clerk of the Hexham Road Trustees £70, being the annual payment which they engaged to make to the Commissioners, due in the 13th instant. Having heard from Mr Morton that he had seen Mr Forster who had expressed his willingness to undertake the inspection of the Hospital Collieries I wrote to him describing the local situation & character of the various Collieries & asking him to inform me as to the terms upon which he would come to examine them.
Friday 16th
I enclosed to Mrs Grey of Whickham her half years payment of £25. Wrote to Mr Fenwick regarding the arrears due by Robinson of Needlesshall which should be now paid. Settled several accounts with Mr Parkin & Mr Hunt respecting the Woodlands, & with references to allowances for repairs, draining etc to be repaid to the Tenants at the receipt of their rents. My present distance from the Office is an inconvenience & waste of time, affording proof of the advantage o
Saturday 17th May 1834
This being the Great Fair of Stagshaw Bank about a mile from Corbridge, with reference to which I deferred the Rent days in this part till the following Week, a suspension is put to all other business than what takes place there, where all the County is assembled. Prices for Stock were rather upon the decline, yet a great many Sales were effected. I had conversations with several Tenants, respecting matters connected with their Farms and the payment of their Rents,
Monday 19th May
Went to Dilston in the morning to arrange some matters in the Office & look after the Work people, returned to Corbridge to breakfast & write Letters - afterwards went to Shaw House to receive the Rents for the Estates to the East of Corbridge. We had a good muster of Tenants & a receipt quite equal to my expectations, though of course there are many deficiencies. Two of the Hartburn Tenants, Thos. Brewis & Wm Davison, gave in written resignations of th
Tuesday 20th May
Went to the Office at Dilston & was engaged in various accounts respecting Rents, buildings etc and in looking to the repairs going on in Teasdales House, which is in a sad state of filth & disrepair & will hardly be made habitable by the time I shall require it. Returned by the Banks of the Tyne, where I am taking advantage of a great quantity of branches cut from the Lot of Wood that was sold there & with which I am filling up some holes in the plantatio
Thursday 22nd
Began to business in the morning & did not get the Books closed till six in the evening, when I paid over to the Banker in attendance from Newcastle £8141.19.3. There are considerable arrears, as will be seen by the Rental Sheets, but not more than I anticipated. These times render it a distressing duty to have to exact rents. Those Tenants who do pay them, declaring that they do so from other sources than their farms. And those who have no other resource, not
Saturday 24th
Finding myself considerably better, & being most anxious to give a meeting to my 60 Trustees under the Will of my late friend Mr Cully, respecting matters which threatened to involve us in a Suit in Chancery, I set out at five in the morning & proceeded to join their meeting at Whittingham. Afterwards proceeded to Milfield Hill & rested there till
Monday 26th
Having heard from the Spindleston Tenants that they were very desirous to have the use of t
Tuesday 27th
Reached Corbridge at nine. Went to the Office at Dilston to look over the accounts & numerous papers which Mr Dickinson is engaged with, from the late rent receipts, and to obtain such as are necessary for me to carry to Alston. Went through the different Works going on there & returned by the levelling in the Tyne side Woods, which is nearly completed. Received Messrs Parkin & Waltons valuation of Wood in Capons Cleugh, to be removed on account of the railw
Wednesday 28th May 1834
When engaged in attending to Cash transactions and other matters in the Office at Dilston, was waited upon, not by the Miller of Dilston, who had not appeared at the Rent day, but by his Wife, manifesting great distress & saying that they had no money for me. That they had no trade & could make nothing by the Mill, and the price they had given for the growing Corn on coming to the place last spring was double of what it had produced. All this, I was oblig
Tuesday 29th
Viewing the Nursery Ground, The House & fences of which are in bad repair. It would have been an advantage in letting it to have annexed to it a Pasture field for keep of a Cow & Horse, but at present that cannot be had. I shall now advertize it, directing all Tenders to be sent to Greenwich by the 6th day of August. My attention was called to the state of Pound Fold at Alston, which it is the duty of the Hospital to maintain, & I found it necessary to give Mr
Friday 30th May 1834
Went across the Tyne in the morning to examine the Buildings at Mark Close of which the Tenant complained & found them like too many others in bad condition. It will be necessary to put in a new Window or two, as the Wood is so thoroughly rotten, that it will not admit of the Glass being removed, which is nearly all gone. And to build a small toofall Shed, which will not cost much. Besides this other things are wanted, but they must remain until a new Lease is
Saturday 31st May
Made up my accounts and settled some matters, respecting repairs at the Inn & farm places with the Moor Master. Walked up the Nent to examine a Bridge which is without parapet Walls & in other respects in bad repair, as well as the Path along the River side at both ends of it. On which account it becomes dangerous, especially to the Miners who pass it generally in the dark. It is not exactly upon the Hospitals Property, though connected with it. The persons
Monday 2nd June 1834
A day of labor & confusion. Removed our furniture into out Houses at Dilston, dispersed the Children to Lodgings & took up my abode in the Cottage preparing for the Bailiffs amid Workmen, wet Paint & raw plaster. Yet it is refreshing to escape from the atmosphere of Corbridge & look out upon trees & green fields, and in a short time, I trust we shall be all very comfortable. Mr Stott, the late Tenant of Buteland, called upon me to say that Mr S
Tuesday 3rd June 1834
Had to settle several accounts with Mr Parkin for poor Bates due upon Woodlands. I am of opinion that the Hospital’s Woodlands generally bear too high a proportion in the valuation for the Poors Rates, but as the other contributors, with few exceptions, are their own Tenants, it would do little good, & cause much discontent, to shift a part of the burden from the Hospital to them. Mr Storey of Wark sent me an account of £4 for work which I found it necessary t
Wednesday 4th June 1834
Rode through the Estates of Thornbrough & Newtonhall & thence to Whittle, my chief object in going there being to ascertain the success of an attempt to procure Water by boring in an old Grass Pasture the value of which has hitherto been much diminished by the want of it. It has been proposed to cut a road through the Wood to give the Cattle access to the stream in Whittle Dean, but this would have been expensive to make & steep & inconvenient to
Thursday 5th June
Sent Mr Hunt at five this morning with a warrant to seize the Stock upon the Mill & Grounds at Dilston, in occupation of Rochester of which he took an inventory, putting them in charge of our Hedger. He was just in time to detain the Horses & carts setting out with a loading g of flour. No attempt at compromise having been made by Rochester, a more detailed inventory was made in the evening by Mr Dickinson the Auctioneer and notice of Sale prepared. This Man en
Friday 6th June
Had interviews with Benson & Parkin respecting the several building & thinning of Woods etc, connected with their particular departments. Traversed the young Plantations to see that the fences are secure. This droughty season is very unfavourable for the striking of young Trees, yet I think they are coming sufficiently thick. We are now collecting the Bark into Barns, in convenient situations to sending to Newcastle. The building of the new House here goes on sat
Saturday 7th June
Left home at Six o’ clock, & drove to Throckley, taking Benson with me to examine the state of the a public house there & the repairs that are needful. It is surprizing that the back Building should have stood till now, bearing the weight of a tiled roof, as the wall are filled with nothing but Clay. I then proceeded to Newcastle, got my account examined at the Bank and directed £5000 to be paid to the Bank of England on the 16th Instant, of which I have giv
Monday 9th June
Mr Green the Architect from Newcastle came up to examine the Work of the new House which we went over together, & found it to be all very well executed. I was then engaged in Office business & looking after the various works going on upon this part of the Estate. The party building the Saw Mill waited upon me to inform me of their wish to rent a small piece of Ground cut off from Dilston North Farm in the shape of a triangle between the new Turnpike & the Rai
Tuesday 10th June
Received a Petition from the Tenants of Newlands & Whittonstall praying the Commissioners to encourage the proposed new road from thence to join the Newcastle road near Axwell Park, which Petition I herewith send. This is the road referred to in my Journal of the 23rd September last.
Mr Burnett called at the Office to receive payment for his portion of the Duty Ore arising from the Mines of the Hole Liberty which had been delivered at Langley Mills along with that
Wednesday 11th June 1834
A Post Office having this week been established at Corbridge, I ordered a private Bag for the Office, and the Blacksmith at Dilston who has a young family not able for much work, engages to have it carried back and forward daily for any consideration that I may think right to give. This will cost perhaps 1s/3d Per week, but then we shall be saved the charge of 1d upon each Letter as hitherto paid to the Mail Guards. Was engaged for some time in the Office. Rec