Journal entry – John Grey – 6 Dec 1834

Saturday 6th December



       Saw Mr Lee at Land Ends.  Examined the state of the House there, which is suffering for want of paint on the Windows & doors, & rough cast on the Walls which has fallen off in many places, leaving the Walls which are not good, pervious to the rain. This must now be deferred till Spring.  He wishes also to have a new Stable built & the present one converted into a Shed adjoining the Fold Yard, for Cattle - which had been formerly decided upon, but suspended.  He is certainly in want of more accommodation for Cattle, but I think a Shed may be contrived at a much cheaper rate than by dismantling the Stable, & building another, which I shall look to again before another Winter brings him to feel the want of it.  I talked to Mr Lee about the Esphill.  He said he would like it as a residence for his Son, who is about to be married, but would not give more than £250 which he considered a high rent for a farm so extensive to work from its awkward situation, containing so large a portion of very poor hill Land, & that Land only fit for pasture, so much exposed to have the Stock fed upon it, injured & at times destroyed by the Smoke from Langley Mills.  It must be admitted that the Farm has all those disadvantages, & I think Peacock has done wrong in converting a part of the high Land into Tillage, the reason he gave for which is, that being a stranger, he was not aware of the mischief done by the Mill Smoke till he experienced it in his Stock, & then he determined to try for Corn.   I showed Mr Lee my valuation of £278. From this 8 or £10 should be allowed for the Tithe of Turnip etc and said if he would offer £270 for a Lease, hard & fast, without abatement or hope of going up, & if Peacock would make up the difference between that & his present rent of £355 for this year, perhaps the Board might be inclined to consider the offer.  He would not however advance at all.   If he could have undertaken that a Chimney would be made to convey the Smoke out of the way, which I have some hopes of getting the Lessees of the Mills to engage for, I think he might have come up.    It is quite clear to me that the farm is exceedingly over rented at present.   I rode westward to Lees looked through the new House which the Tenant has got into.  It is comfortable & substantial. Went over the Farm & examined the Fences etc.  

       Crossed the Tyne at Lipwood examined the repairs making at the river side, where some breaches had been made by the late Floods. Came Eastward to Millhills where the same operation is going on & nearly finished.  Neither of these will cost much - four Men for a week, with help of the tenants Carts have done the latter.   Went out to Allerwash Alllotments to see the manner in which some Stone Fences had been rebuilt, the original of which had entirely fallen down, they look like standing now, being made lower than before, & the Cope laid on with lime.   Returned by Foustones & Westwood, through which Farms the Rail road is now in progress.  On reaching Dilston, found a person from the North of the County waiting for me, who had looked over the Dilston Farms.  He liked the Land & locality, but I fear will not give an offer, he is so disgusted with its condition, never having seen anything so bad before.

       Found a Letter which I forward from some of the principal inhabitants of Alston respecting the Crow Coal, declining to occupy it, or to pay for damage.  It seems very doubtful in this instance, whether the injury done to the House, was occasioned by the working of the coal or not, but it is clear that the Hospital must not give the Coal, bad as it is, for nothing, & be exposed to pay for damage done by working it too.  Closed this Journal & my Weeks work at 1/2 past 12 at night.