Journal entry – John Grey – 7 Aug 1834

Thursday 7th August



Had accounts to settle in the Office with Parkin & Benson, in their respective departments, and held a long conference with old Thorburn, whose stupidity about his account, & unwillingness or incapacity to understand the Amount of Arrear upon his several Farms is excessively troublesome.  Our interview concluded by my telling him that unless he should bring some one to give security for the rent due for Bagraw in the course of this week, I should seize & sell the Crop by Auction in a few days.  As for that at Mirehouse which I examined a few days ago, it is so bad that I think it doubtful whether purchasers would come forward to take it, & therefore agreed to his having it cut, which will put that part of the expense of it upon him, in the first place, & then I should determine what to do with it. I then rode to Highwood to see the Tenant respecting his Arrear, which is large in comparison with his Rent.  He is one of the Applicants to be released, his Crop is poor & altogether, I fear he is not in a good way, though he is a sober & industrious man.   He promised to bring me some money within ten days.  I then went forward to Allerwash Mill, where I had sent a Milwright with directions to make only such repairs as was absolutely necessary to keep the Mill at Work, until it should be determined whether it is to stand or be taken down by the Railway.  The Water wheel which is of small size, will hardly hang together for another year, & will have to be made new, should the Mill be kept up.   I then rode to the top of Fourstones hill, to examine the state of Prudham Quarry & enquire into the number of men employed in it, but found that hitherto the Lessee has made very little use of it, his object in taking it having been to sell Stones to the Rail Way, which is not yet doing any thing in that quarter.  I then rode over the Farms in the Estate of Fourstones, & found the two occupied by the Heslops, bearing good Crops & in very creditable condition. The small Farm attached to the Colliery is likewise in good condition but I cannot say so much for Mr Snowball’s management, although he is a man of Property. The Farm however, is as well managed as his own Estate, where things are done very roughly.  The Railway is to be run along the low end of this farm, & will soon be commenced with.  During Snowballs occupation of it, he will I imagine, be compensated by the Company for the damage sustained, but in case of the a farm being taken off his hands & relet, they expect that they will be allowed to take the Land without payment, the Farm being Let with that understanding.  Having never seen any Agreement between the Commissioners & Railway Company, I am at a loss to know how those matters should be regulated & shall be obliged by being furnished with information respecting it. [Marginal pencil annotation: ‘If there was any such agreement it probably was prepared by Fenwick or his predecessor, it must be found & referred to’] I returned through the Farm of Westwood & reached home at nine o’clock.