Journal entry – John Grey – 12 Dec 1834

Friday 12th December



       In my way to Newtonhall today, I rode to Stokoe the Millwrights & found him, not only that the fixtures & cross beams of the Threshing Machine at Mirehouse belong to the Hospital, but that he was paid by the Hospital for putting the Machine in repair, the original of which belonged to Thorburn, he imagines, was not worth more than £10.  It seems singular that such should be the case, & Thorburn be still allowed to claim the Machine all along as his property.  The fair thing seems to be, that the Hospital should take the Machine & allow him £10, or whatever sum, upon enquiry, the original works were worth.

       Proceeded to Newtonhall to see how the tenant is going on, who is likely to quit at May day.  No-one has as yet looked at the Farm, but Mr Peacock.   Mr Jobling the adjoining Proprietor there wishes to effect an exchange of a field of the Hospital which he asked me to look at & to report to the Commissioners. By a reference to the plan of Newtonhall Farm, it will be seen that Mr Jobling has 15 Acres of Land surrounded by that of the Hospital & close to their Farm Offices.  In lieu of this Mr Jobling would take a field, No. 32 in our Plan, of the same size, or nearly, by which he would have all the Land to the East of the road which is the drive to his House & so keep the hedges & Gates according to his mind.  In my opinion, the exchange would be a greater advantage to the Hospital than to him, except for the accommodation mentioned,  cause the land got from him is of excellent quality and close at hand, whereas the other, though good land too, is at a distance.   Should the Commissioners be willing to entertain his application Mr Jobling proposes that the respective fields should be valued by neutral Persons & the difference adjusted by cutting off a small piece on either side of the boundary Fence in some convenient part of the land, which the fence being in many parts very crooked, might be done with advantage - or if the Land that Mr Jobling wants, should be too much, he would not object to pay the difference in money.  I apprehend the difference would be very little.  The exchange would be an advantage to the occupier of the Hospitals Farm, which is also the opinion of the Tenant.  

       Went from there to Whittle to look over that Farm & see the filling of the plantation to be made & the young trees that have been sent from the Nursery.  I found that in measuring the Land for planting Mr Parkin had mistaken my directions, having taken in merely the Ground broken by old Quarries, whereas to save a good deal of fencing & make the Plantation into a good farm, he should have included two or three Acres more.  This led me to, a dilemma with the Tenant, as I had in letting the Farm, only stipulated for a smaller quantity, on pointing it out to him today, he readily admitted the propriety & saving on hedges, of planting the whole, & as it had originated in Mr Parkin’s mistake of my directions, he readily agreed to give up the extra Land without compensation.