Journal entry – John Grey – 27 Nov 1834

Thursday 27th

In the morning drove to Haydon Bridge, carrying all the necessary accompaniements of a Rent day, Stamps, Accounts, Valuations, Tenants Ledgers etc along with me and was engaged there the whole of the day and



Friday the 29th



till near six in the evening, when I got the Cash made up & transferred to the charge of the Banker in attendance.  The payments as will appear in the Rental Sheets, were generally good, though many stated & I fear with truth, that they were not all made from the Farms. 



The Tenants of Newlands & Whittonstall who formed a part of the first days company, will be all found to have left an arrear of Rent, arising from what I conceive to be an erroneous impression on their minds, that the reduction which was granted to them was to include the bygone year, the present rent being that due on the 12th of May 1834, whereas my understanding of the matter is, that the Commissrs only intended them to have the reduction for one year previous to their entering upon new Agreements.  [marginal note: ‘The Receiver is right – and the rent must be claimed’] Those new agreements commence at May day 1835, & the reduced Rent, I conclude, will take place from May day 1834 to that period, & not from May day 1833.  The ground that they go upon is, that is their Petition, they prayed for reduction to commence the next rent day, but then the rents are not paid till half a year after they become due, and though the Board complied with the Petition, or rather with Mr Hoopers promise previously given, to recommend it to the Board, they did not, I imagine contemplate that the reduction should revert to rents in Arrear, but to those arising from & after the May day previous to the next letting. I have looked over the Boards Minutes since my return, & find that those of the 13th January 1834, I am instructed to inform those tenants ‘that they will be allowed to hold their Farms for the present year at the Rents they may be let for the next year, provided they give early notice of their wish to surrender their Leases at May 1835.’  Now though this Minute bears date the 13th January & mentions the present year, everyone knows that the Farmer’s year begins & ends at May day, & I think it could not be intended to include any time previous to May Day in 1834 in the reduction.  Those tenants complained that they would have great difficulty in making up their Arrears, if the reduction should not include the former year, & begged me to refer the matter to the Board, as I now do, but with every regard to their unfavourable situation, I confess, having the promise of reduction, for one year & an allowance of Lime besides, I think to give them more, would be to act very unfairly by other tenants who petitioned for a reduction for one year previous to the new letting I have been refused.  It will [be?] seen that I made the allowance for Lime to those parties, because they are upon at this Season to pay for such as they have got through the summer.  Mr Hunt & myself had frequently examined the Lime as led to their Farms, we also had their Accounts from the Lime Kilns to compare with theirs.  Several had not exceeded the quantity to be allowed , but some had, in which case they were left to pay the surplus themselves    I wish they had been all in that list.  There will be no reduction on that head next rent day. 



Coulson of Coastley has managed to make up his Arrears, & has thus intitled himself to have a Lease on the terms of his new agreement.  He is a man who endeavours to do well, & I hope he may now succeed in getting through his term with some comfort.