Journal entry – John Grey – 8 Sep 1834

Monday 8th September 



Another day of heavy & incessant rain, putting a stop to outdoor employments, protracting the Housing of the Corn, which now must sustain great injury & preventing my going over the Farms which are to be let this autumn to arrange their course of management.  Every thing this year has a tendency to depress the Rents of Corn Lands very much & unluckily a great deal of the Hospitals property will in all probability have to be relet. The choice however is between reducing Rents so as to meet the change of times and allowing Arrears to accumulate, to the discouragement of the Tenants & depreciation of the Land.  Had the Farms been generally in a good state of cultivation, it might have been advisable to let upon short terms, to secure the advantage of any rise of prices; but where the reverse is decidedly the case, a short Lease affords a Tenant no encouragement to apply his capital to the improvement of the Soil.  Nor is there anything in the present aspect of Affairs to lead me to anticipate a permanently high price of agricultural produce.  We may have seasons of occasional advance, arising from late Harvests & deficient Crops here or on the Continent, but I see no ground to reckon upon a higher Average than that if the last three years, & should a change be made in the Corn Laws, the probable effect would be to bring for a time at least, much lower Corn than at present.



I make these remarks, less with an intention of offering my own opinion, than to draw the attention of the Commissioners to the subject, that they may decide upon the length of Leases which in the new Lettings it may be best to grant.  During the advancing times, the most spirited improvements took place upon Lands which were let upon Leases of 21 Years, but in present circumstances & looking to the condition of much of the Hospitals Property, I should say that 15 Years would be the most suitable term for the generality of the Farms. [Marginal pencil note: ‘Terms regulated by circumstance & the Board will leave it to Mr. Grey to define the terms upon all lettings. He will recommend to the Board the terms which should be agreed upon.’] 

I wrote today to Mr Foster, informing him of the Boards approval of his visiting the Collieries quarterly, & making surveys & Plans of Stublick & Fourstones, sending him also two Offers for working the Coal in Hartburngrainge that I might obtain his opinion to forward it along with the Offers to the Board.  Received a communication from the Lessees of Stublick Colliery containing the following information.



‘After a long trial we have tapped the Water, & it is running off at a rate that keeps the Engine going 21 hours out of 24.  We are most thankful that the thing has been effected without accident.  The inaccuracy of Bells Plans is awful.’



There was great risk of much mischief being done to the Colliery from the load of Water that lay upon one quarter of the Works, the exact situation of which was not known, & from coming into it incautiously, or through a metal which would not resist the pressure.  This is a strong instance of the necessity of having a Viewer  to insist upon Plans being made, & look into their accuracy.



Not having found Mr Bones, the Tenant at Throckley when I went there lately, I desired that he would wait upon me, which he did today.  He pleads hard to be allowed till Christmas to get in his Coal accounts, stating the heavy expense that has been incurred; and promises to come down with the Rent of the Farm at the Rent Day.  He purchased Robsons Lease of the Farm for £515… and entered at May 1828, which sum the Hospital received in liquidation of Robsons Arrears.  There is no doubt that the Farm is too dear independent of the bonus given for the Lease, besides which, the farm contains a great many old Coal Pit Heaps & waggon ways, which are of no use, & which are included in the measurement, but which he says, he expected were not at the time of making his offer. I told him that I must lay the state of his Arrear before the Board,  and would accompany it with any explanation he might choose to send.  The Rent of the Farm is £485… and at the last Rent Day he stood £167..7..10 in Arrears.Another half Years Rent is now due.