Journal entry – John Grey – 7 Nov 1834

?Friday 7th November



This was the day I had appointed for receiving the Rents in this district & for settling various matters of business.  Was prevented by the most intense rain from riding to Gallygill in the morning, to examine some Houses, belonging to Mrs Couper, which have been rent and rendered dangerous by the improper working of a thin seam of Coal, called Crow Coal, which has been let for a Pepper Corn, to the Overseer of the Poor in Alston, for the supply of the Poor.  I sent for the Overseer & some Members of the Select Vestry, & though I found that no conditions had been imposed in the permission to them to work this poor Coal, I insisted that it must be considered that they must avoid doing damage, or bringing the Lords of the Manor into trouble & expense.  They engaged to hold a Meeting to try to satisfy the Owner on the present occasion, of which they would send me a report.  If the right to work that Coal is to remain under the present arrangement, it would be proper, I think, that an Agreement should be entered into with conditions to protect the Hospital against damage.   



Had a very long interview with Mr Bainbridge who gave me the draft of a Lease of the Nursery Ground which he had prepared, & which I perused, remarked upon & returned to him, on leaving Alston.  Mr Burnett having purchased his small Tithes at Tynehead, Mr Bainbridge proposes on the part of the Lead Company to give £10 for the purchase of those of Eshgill Estate, amounting to 5s/. or 6s/. a year , as will be seen by the accompanying statement, by which, we would be rid of that trifling & troublesome property altogether.  



We went over also the matter of the disputed piece of Ground on the top of a Mountain, called Scraith head, a Plan of which Mr Bainbridge had, & which the Duke of Cleveland, being so confident that it belonged to him, had included in a Lease to the Lead Company.  Boundaries marked by certain water runs, become very undefined on the tops of Mountains, where the Water is too small in quantity to make for itself a distinct Channel.  It was proposed I believe, & consented to, that rather than go to Law for the purpose of deciding this doubtful point of right, the Ground in dispute should be divided & a large Ditch made through it, to mark the Division.  Fortunately for the Hospital, this arrangement was not carried into effect, for the only thing that renders it of any value, is the prospect of a Vein of Ore pointing that way, which if it exists at all, is on the side which would have fallen to the Duke of Cleveland, whereas the surface of the whole, is not worth a Shilling a year. Mr Bainbridge has made a proposal, a Copy of which I herewith forward, which will give each party claiming the Royalty a share in the proceeds, should Ore be found in the Premises.   The Duke & Mr Burnett having signified their consent, it remains for the Commissioners to decide whether the Plan should be adopted or not.  



When paying his Rent the Tenant of Alston Mill complained of the Public encroaching upon a Field of his, at the times of holding the Alston Fairs, which hitherto had not been given to them for that purpose.  I find on enquiring into the matter that in Awarding that Ground to the Hospital it is a condition that it is to be used for holding two Fairs, in May and November. It is divided into two Fields, the lower Field having in former times been sufficient for the accommodation of the Cattle, the higher one was used as a Meadow by the Tenants of the Mill, who have always occupied them under the Hospital.   The Fairs having increased in extent, the lower Field is no longer adequate to the accommodation of the public, & knowing their right to the whole, they have taken also the high Field, rendering it unfit for growing Hay, one of the Fairs being held in the month of May, for the loss of which the Miller asks a compensation of £6.0.0.   Besides the two old accustomed Fairs, held in May & November, as specified in the Award, another was instituted about 20 years ago, which takes place in the month of September & is held only by sufferance.  Had the matter been considered at the time this last mentioned Fair was established, a Toll should have been collected, to indemnify the Tenant for the Trespass, but I fear it might be difficult to enforce the payment of such a Toll now.  Should the Board think it proper to make the attempt, it would be right to advertize it before hand in the District, & place Constables at the outlets of the Fair, to collect the Toll fixed upon.  



I had many complaints from the Tenants of the District, of the bad condition of their Houses and Stone Fences on the Mountains.   Many of both I know to be very bad.  And unhappily many lines of Fence are so extensive compared with the small value of the Land, that it becomes a hopeless matter to think of rebuilding them.   The Houses must be preserved in a habitable condition.  But as the whole district will be out of Lease in May 1836 I generally got them passed by for the present, with a promise, & in the hope, that I should find leisure in the ensuing Spring to spend more time among them, so as to make an accurate examination of the whole & decide upon what is absolutely necessary & what may be dispensed with.  At this season it is hardly possible to see through all those small Farms.  The weather is so boisterous. 



[separate sheet bound in overleaf:]



As to the disputed ground at Scraith Head

       Proposed, That the Duke of Cleveland, Commrs of Greenwich Hospital and James Burnett Esq. convey disputed ground by ffeofment to a Trustee, To uses, one half to Duke of Cleveland, one fourth to Commrs of Greenwich Hospital and one fourth to James Burnett Esq.

       That the said three portions then lease the minerals within & under the same to the Govr & co at 1/5 th duty, one half to Duke of Cleveland, one fourth to Commrs of Greenwich Hospital and one fourth to James Burnett Esq. with liberty for the Govr & Co to try the same from the Eshgill head workings and bring out ore on that side – rendering the duty ore abovementioned and to employ not fewer than 4 workmen.

       

NB The Duke & Mr Burnett agree to this proposal <J.G.>



[another separate sheet bound in overleaf:]



Tithes paid for Eshgill Estate belonging to the Govr & Company

                                 S  d

1830 Thomas Currah               3  5

     Mary Currah                 -  4

     Joseph Elliot               -  4

     Isaac Armstrong             -  4

     Anthony Siddle              -  4

                                        4  9

1831 Thomas Currah               3  5

       2 1/2 fleeces of wool 3/1

       2 cows 4d viz 2d each for 

       milk of each cow

     Mary Hetherington 2 cows    -  4

     Mary Currah                 -  4

     Joseph Elliot               -  4

     Isaac Armstrong             -  4

     Anthony Siddle              -  6

                                        5  3

1832 Thomas Currah               3  5

     Mary Hetherington 2 cows    -  4

     Mary Currah  do             -  4

     Joseph Elliot 3 cows        -  6

     Isaac Armstrong 2 do        -  4

     Anthony Siddle  3 do        -  6

                                        5  5



Memo: The Governor & Co offer Ten pounds for the purchase of the said Tythes. J.G