Journal entry – John Grey – 2 Dec 1834

Tuesday 2nd



The Lessee of Throckley Colliery instead of coming today to pay his rent, sent a Letter begging to be allowed till January next, to collect his Bills.   This request has so often repeated & his engagements so often broken that I wrote to say, if he did not make a settlement by the end of the year, I should be under the necessity of having recourse to some unpleasant proceeding. As there will be a good deal of planting this season, in the waste pieces of Land at Whittle, Hartburngrainge & the high part of Dilston New Town farm, besides replanting the ground cleared last year in the Dipton & Tyne Banks Plantations, I think it will be advisable to defer planting the old Pit Heaps on Burns’ Farm at Throckley, especially as another summer will give better proof of the success of those planted last winter on Mr Stephenson’s Farm, & show what kind of Trees take best in such situations.   Heard from my Son, with Proposals he had received for making the new Fences at Glororum & roads at Chesterhill.  Directed him to proceed in getting the Hedges planted, but to leave the other matters till a fortnight hence, when I shall probably be there myself to fill up agreements according to the rotations which I shall have to fix, for the new Leases, with the Tenants, & when I shall take a few days to decide upon everything to be arranged on the Northern Estates.   Having been much engaged in writing & Office Business, I had only time to take a round through the embankments to see whether any more damage had been done by a Flood the other day.  Some parts of the Shores, where the surface is yet tender, are apt to break a little, which requires constant attention, but a few days works will repair all the injury which is trifling.