Journal entry – John Grey – 27 Sep 1834

Saturday 27th



Attended the great Sheep Fair of St Ninians, where there was a large show of Stock, which though the sale was not brisk, was mostly disposed of to Dealers from Yorkshire, at fair prices.    Mr Thomson the late Tenant of Chesterhill, gave me an order upon Mr Nairn for £100, the balance unpaid, of this last half years Rent, and promised to meet me at Belford on Tuesday the 21st October, on which day, I have fixed to receive the Rents of the Northern Estates, being a few days after the Fair at Wooler, where several of the Tenants may have Stock to sell.  At that time, I hope to have a final settlement with him, & previously to which, I shall be glad to have the Boards directions as to the allowance which he petitioned for, of £35 & odds, which he had expended in new Plates & work for the Boiler of his Steam Machine shortly before quitting the Farm. I examined the Boiler when at Chesterhill & saw that it was newly & substantially repaired. And as it is now to be purchased at a valuation by the new Tenant, it does seem reasonable that some allowance should be made to Mr Thomson, for the new work, of which by quitting the Farm, he has derived little benefit, especially as he held the Farm at a high rent.   Probably it might be a fair thing to allow him £25 leaving him to pay the remainder in return for the wear & tear he has had of the Boiler.  I appointed to examine Mr Thomsons Farm at Scremerston on Monday & Mr Hogarths on tuesday next, having met those Gentlemen, & indeed all the Northern Tenants, save Pringle, at the Fair.  Mr Nairn asked permission to burn about 100 Loads of Lime on his own account at the Spindleston Kiln.  I told him that as the Kiln was reserved for the use of the Estates & not for public Sale, I could only comply with his request as a matter of favor to him, as a Tenant and on condition of his paying a rental of 6d Per Load for the Stone & using the Kiln at a time when it should not be wanted by any Tenant for the use of his Farm.  To this he consented as it would save him going to a greater distance for it.   In the evening I prepared a list of Fields in the Scremerston Farms with their contents to be ready for an early start on monday.