Journal entry – John Grey – 18 Aug 1834

Monday 18th August



A rainy day throughout & unfavourable for the Harvest, most of the Corn is still in the Fields hereabouts.  Went over the Plans of several of the Farms with Mr Hunt which have been intersected by Roads & Railways to try to make out the measurements of the Fields as they are now left, & arrange the course of rotation to be prescribed in a new letting, also marking out new pieces of Land which might be planted without lessening the value of the Farms in which they are situated.  Examined all the Hospitals transactions with the Railway, & the Boards Minutes which refer to it, that I could find, but discovered nothing to lead me to the conclusion which I understand the Directors expect to act upon , Viz.t that after the determination of the existing Leases of Farms through which the Way is laid, they shall not be required to pay any further compensation, but occupy the Land free of charge, until the company shall be in a state to pay a certain per centage upon their Capital.  It is a common practise, where such Work is undertaken, to pay the occupying Tenant double the rent of the Land taken from him, on account of the loss & inconvenience he sustains.  But when a Farm comes to be let after the Work is completed & the Fields have been arranged & other matters accommodated to it, the Tenant takes it as it is, & can have no claim for compensation.  Still the owner of the Soil, has a right to the value of the Land, either at once, if sold, or by annual Rents according to its value, unless some Agreement has been made to the contrary.  Land is frequently given up to public Works, on account of the benefit they otherwise confer upon the Property, but in this case, I find no Agreement between the Board & the Railway Co or any document to guide me respecting it.  I therefore with a view of bringing the matter to a settlement, wrote today to the Directors, informing them that several of the Hospitals Farms through which the Way passed, would be relet in the ensuing Autumn, and asking them whether, as their present mode of settling the compensation with the Tenants occasions great trouble & dissatisfaction, they would be inclined to adopt a different one, by which they should settle all demands with the Hospital at once, & leave them to let the Farms in which the Land occupied, or to be occupied by the Railway is ascertained, to their Tenants, with the understanding that they will have no claims for compensation from the Company.