Monday 2nd June 1834
A day of labor & confusion. Removed our furniture into out Houses at Dilston, dispersed the Children to Lodgings & took up my abode in the Cottage preparing for the Bailiffs amid Workmen, wet Paint & raw plaster. Yet it is refreshing to escape from the atmosphere of Corbridge & look out upon trees & green fields, and in a short time, I trust we shall be all very comfortable. Mr Stott, the late Tenant of Buteland, called upon me to say that Mr S
Tuesday 3rd June 1834
Had to settle several accounts with Mr Parkin for poor Bates due upon Woodlands. I am of opinion that the Hospital’s Woodlands generally bear too high a proportion in the valuation for the Poors Rates, but as the other contributors, with few exceptions, are their own Tenants, it would do little good, & cause much discontent, to shift a part of the burden from the Hospital to them. Mr Storey of Wark sent me an account of £4 for work which I found it necessary t
Wednesday 4th June 1834
Rode through the Estates of Thornbrough & Newtonhall & thence to Whittle, my chief object in going there being to ascertain the success of an attempt to procure Water by boring in an old Grass Pasture the value of which has hitherto been much diminished by the want of it. It has been proposed to cut a road through the Wood to give the Cattle access to the stream in Whittle Dean, but this would have been expensive to make & steep & inconvenient to
Thursday 5th June
Sent Mr Hunt at five this morning with a warrant to seize the Stock upon the Mill & Grounds at Dilston, in occupation of Rochester of which he took an inventory, putting them in charge of our Hedger. He was just in time to detain the Horses & carts setting out with a loading g of flour. No attempt at compromise having been made by Rochester, a more detailed inventory was made in the evening by Mr Dickinson the Auctioneer and notice of Sale prepared. This Man en
Friday 6th June
Had interviews with Benson & Parkin respecting the several building & thinning of Woods etc, connected with their particular departments. Traversed the young Plantations to see that the fences are secure. This droughty season is very unfavourable for the striking of young Trees, yet I think they are coming sufficiently thick. We are now collecting the Bark into Barns, in convenient situations to sending to Newcastle. The building of the new House here goes on sat
Saturday 7th June
Left home at Six o’ clock, & drove to Throckley, taking Benson with me to examine the state of the a public house there & the repairs that are needful. It is surprizing that the back Building should have stood till now, bearing the weight of a tiled roof, as the wall are filled with nothing but Clay. I then proceeded to Newcastle, got my account examined at the Bank and directed £5000 to be paid to the Bank of England on the 16th Instant, of which I have giv
Monday 9th June
Mr Green the Architect from Newcastle came up to examine the Work of the new House which we went over together, & found it to be all very well executed. I was then engaged in Office business & looking after the various works going on upon this part of the Estate. The party building the Saw Mill waited upon me to inform me of their wish to rent a small piece of Ground cut off from Dilston North Farm in the shape of a triangle between the new Turnpike & the Rai
Tuesday 10th June
Received a Petition from the Tenants of Newlands & Whittonstall praying the Commissioners to encourage the proposed new road from thence to join the Newcastle road near Axwell Park, which Petition I herewith send. This is the road referred to in my Journal of the 23rd September last.
Mr Burnett called at the Office to receive payment for his portion of the Duty Ore arising from the Mines of the Hole Liberty which had been delivered at Langley Mills along with that
Wednesday 11th June 1834
A Post Office having this week been established at Corbridge, I ordered a private Bag for the Office, and the Blacksmith at Dilston who has a young family not able for much work, engages to have it carried back and forward daily for any consideration that I may think right to give. This will cost perhaps 1s/3d Per week, but then we shall be saved the charge of 1d upon each Letter as hitherto paid to the Mail Guards. Was engaged for some time in the Office. Rec
?Thursday 12th June
Received the Boards Minutes of the 31st May & the Secretaries Letter of the 10th June, informing me of the Admiralties approval of the appointment of Mr Fenwick & Mr Bainbridges as Court Keeper & Solicitors for the Hospital in their respective districts, to whom I communicated the particulars regarding their respective appointments. I instructed Mr Fenwick at the same time, to enquire into the Grounds of Mr Spencer’s claim to the Threshing Machine at Bute
Friday 13th June 1834 [sic]
Having written Letters & attended to accounts in the Office I went over the different works going on here, examined the new Road through a part of Dilston Hall Farm, which being now finished, we this day opened to the Public, who take it most willingly being a much shorter line & less steep than the old one, & as regards the situation of the new House an immense improvement. I have not yet got the expense of attending it put into one sum yet, but ho
Saturday 14th
Having got the Cash accounts, including the numerous receipts & payments of all the Rents, brought up to this date and sent off to Greenwich, I rode to Thornbrough Quarry Farm to see if any remedy could be found for the Tenants complaint of a want of water near the House & Offices. It is certainly ill off in that respect during the summer, & a promise had been made him of sinking for water & fixing a Pump, but the place stands upon a thick bed of Limestone, t
Monday 16th June
Was occupied all the day with business in the Office, examining various accounts for work in different parts of the property & preparing agreements etc. By the Moor Masters returns, it appears that the whole quantity of Ore raised in the Manor of Alston between Michaelmas 1832 & 1833, is as follows. Bouse Ore 12702 Bings 4Cwts. Cutting Ore 679 Bings 6 Cwts the Duty on which is 2197 Bings 1 10/21 Cwts of Bouse and 119 Bings 1 13/14 Cwts of Cutting Ore.
Tuesday 17th June
Went to Hexham - settled the Nursery mans Acct amounting to £57.8. for young Trees & Thorns used in planting during the last Season. Being Market day, saw several Tenants, who have generally some applications to make, but who are universally complaining of the Drought & bad prospect for a Crop, & stating the impossibility of holding their Farms at the present rents. I regret to learn that Mr Fenwick has found it necessary to resort to a sale of Robinson
Wednesday 18th June
I rode to Haydon Bridge - saw the building of a Cow House and Coach House in the Inn Yard. Got agreements executed by the Rev George Richmond for the fields called Priests Pasture, & by J. Corbet, Blacksmith for the House & Shop he occupies. Proceeded to the Works in Langley Barony & was caught in a heavy rain, my only regret about which was, that so little of it came Eastward to Dilston.
Thursday 19th June
Wrote to Mr Lethbridge, enclosing Letters from Messrs Fenwick & Bainbridge, accepting their appointments as Court Keepers & Solicitors in their respective districts. Also sending for the Commissioners’ Signature, the Agreements for the Blacksmith’s premises at West Boat & Haydon Bridge & Mr Richmonds, for Fields at the latter. No Lease or written Agreement of any kind was ever made, I believe for the Inn at Haydon Bridge, entered to in May 1833 by Ma
Friday 20th June 1834
The subscription for building a School House & Dwelling House for the Teacher, in the Township of Lipwood, for which the Board granted a site & Wood for the Building, not having been found sufficient, application was made by a neighbouring Clergyman, to the national School society for aid. Their committee have subscribed £30 which will fully answer the purpose, but one of the conditions which must be completed with before the money can be had, is, that a con
Saturday 21st June
Paid the second Instalment of £200 to the Contractors for the new House, due upon the joists of the second Story being laid. Wrote to the Agent of the Railway Company, requesting a settlement of the claims due to the Dilston Tenants & allowed to them on the last rent day. I find this Company very dilatory in their transactions & troublesome to deal with. Informed Mr Beaumont’s Agent of the Boards decision respecting the letting of Blagill Mills. Rode t
Monday 23rd June
Having settled some matters in the Office & sent Mr Hunt to look after draining & the state of Tillage in the Coastley district, & having no particular engagement, I took an excursion through the Woods on Snokoe & Dipton Fells & those of Dilston Park, observing such as is sold & being cleared away, such as is in want of thinning, the state of the fences etc. There is always something to be looked after in this department,& commonly a good deal
Tuesday 24th June 1834
Rode to Throckley, where I found for the first time the Lessee of the extensive Quarry there, to whom I had written without effect, demanding payment of the Rent, & also an account of the number of Blocking Men employed by him, that I might know whether or not it agreed with the account which Mr Stephenson, our tenant at Throckley, was so good as to keep for me. He owned that this year he had employed a greater number than formerly, but complained, that he had l
Wednesday 25th June
Went over the Draft Lease for Farms, as directed to be adopted, with Mr Fenwick, who has undertaken to have copies printed upon plain paper, attending to the prints himself, to see that sufficient blanks are left in the proper places. These Copies of each Lease will serve as records & for reference in the Office here, & generally will satisfy the Tenants, they holding them for the same purpose. While it will be necessary to have one Copy on Stamp duty executed
T?hursday 26th June 1834
Had a meeting with one of the Rail way Agents respecting the claims of the Dilston Tenants, the amount of which is promised to be remitted in a few days. Went along the line towards Hexham to see the point at which they could be allowed to break into the bank for gravel, with the least injury. The Sheriffs Officer arrived & I sent some people with him to turn old Hind & his effects out of the House and let Teasdales family into it, who have lived since M
Friday 27th
I rode as far as Wark for the first time, saw the work which had been done under Mr Storey’s obliging direction, to secure the foundation of the Pound fold wall which had been undermined by the adjoining Brook, & the wall itself rebuilt. Called upon the Rev Mr Baggs to inquire into the nature of a complaint he had made to me by Letter respecting an encroachment he imagined had been made by persons using a part of the field.
Monday 30th June 1834
Being Quarter day, inclosed the several claimants Cheques for their Salaries & Pensions. A discovery was made some days ago that about 28 outside Deals which had been sawn from the Trees cut in Whittle Dean for flooring in the Public House at Throckley, had been stolen. There seemed some reason to suspect a Person call Bell at Ovington, & I even heard that they would be found in a certain out House belonging to him. I sent Mr Parkin early on Friday
Tuesday 1st July
Received a Memorial from Westgarth Forster, Author of a Treatise on Mining which I have heard is a useful Work, but proved an unprofitable one to him. I was introduced to the author at Alston, whose appearance indicates poverty. I forward the Petition to the Board.
[marginal pencil note:] I think the Hosp.l subscribed for several copies, which were doubtless charged in the Receiver’s account so can give no pension and I doubt whether we can give any sub