Journal entry – John Grey – 15 Jul 1834

Tuesday 15th July



Attended a Meeting of the Alston Road Trustees at Hexham, called chiefly for the purpose of coming to an Agreement respecting the branch road to Bellingham & the Bridge proposed to be created over the Tyne there.  The completion of this Line of Road formerly abandoned for want of Funds, although included in the Alston Turnpike Act, & now that the proprietors in this District have agreed to build the Bridge by Subscription the only thing which I thought it necessary to do in the matter, was to see that the entries in the Minute Book of the Trustees, should be made so as to guard the general funds of the Trust against the liability to any deficiency that might arise upon that particular branch.  As the Subscription is considered to be adequate to the undertaking, I trust it may be completed and afterwards adopted by the Trust, as I think it would be likely to in case the Toll at the Chain Bridge, & to benefit the Sale of Coal and Lime at Fourstones.   I took occasion to urge upon the Trustees the necessity of providing for the stipulated repayment to the Hospital, the promised instalments of which had been so long suspended.  Upon an examination of their Funds & expenditure, they agreed that in six weeks hence, they would discharge the Interest, & divide the residue of the sum into such portions as to enable them to liquidate the Debt within the given period.  I had conferences with several of the Tenants at Hexham on different matters connected with their farms, & received from Mr Errington an application to be released from his at Lipwood at May Day next.  [marginal annotation in pencil: ‘Mr Gray will be attentive to this, and pin them to their Engagements which have too often been broken’]