Journal entry – John Grey – 13 Jul 1833

Saturday 13th July 1833

	I rode to Scremerston, having previously written to apprize Mr Hogarth of my intention of calling upon him, hoping to find him prepared to settle the arrear of Rent, which however he said it was not yet in his power to do – I also received a Note from Mrs Thomson of Glororum, asking for a longer time to pay the sum £100 left by her at the last rent day – I then went to Mr Pringle’s but found that he had gone to Tinmouth to look after a fishing concern which he has lately engaged in there.  I then called upon Major Johnson, who stated that he finds the greatest difficulty in persuading any workmen to go into the Drift which wants repair – It is so foul, that any man working in it, must absolutely be laying among mud, & wet to the skin – He has however some man in view who will be at liberty very soon, and who he thinks, may be induced to undertake it – With reference to the long pending arbitration between him and Pringle, I found that in the first day of meeting, Mr Pringle had gone from home, & that the Arbitrators would not proceed in his absence, they having no document from him, nor any one to set forth his claims – In consequence of which, Major Johnson had agreed, by endorsement of the Deed, to a prolongation of time – I then went to Berwick & saw Mr Pattison upon the business of the railway, & found that he had a few days before written to Mr Hooper on the subject. I left a Letter for Mr Pringle, saying that I had called hoping to find him inclined to reduce the amount of arrear standing against him for Rents – reminding him, that although he had withheld the payment on account of his unsettled claim for damage done by the Colliery, that it seemed now at least, to be his blame that those claims were not settled, & that at all events the fishing had nothing to do with such settlements & begged that he would shortly make me a remittance. If he is to hold back the rents until his claims against the Colliery are settled to his satisfaction, I fear they will not soon be paid. His prospects of a good crop this season are by no means flattering, & the new connection of a Salmon fishing at the mouth of the Tyne, is not likely to be very advantageous to his agricultural pursuits and operations at a distance of 60 miles.