Journal entry – John Grey – 13 May 1834

?Tuesday 13th



Had an unlooked for visit from Mr Thomson of Scremerston who paid up his balance of Rent, £150 & spoke in despair of the condition of Farmers & the hopelessness of redeeming the large Capital he had invested.  He was anxious to know if no reduction of Rent could be made to him, but I hold out no prospect of an exception being made in his favor to all those who have already petitioned on the same ground - & only recommended that against next autumn, if his prospects should be in no way improved he might apply to be released from his engagement.    Mr Thomson is not only the most extensive, but beyond all question the best farmer upon the Hospital’s Property, & this case deserves consideration if any one does. Mr Howden also came bringing me a Memorial in writing which I herewith send, relating to a fact which I was before aware of, that his predecessor in the farm had obtained permission from Mr Hooper to sow 11 or 12 Acres for away going Crop, more than by his Lease, he was intitled to.   I never could learn upon what ground Mr Hooper made this grant, & I think it possible, that at the time, he was so little of an agriculturalist as not to consider that what he bestowed upon the one, he took from the other.  Because Mr Howden should have had those 12 Acres in Pasture during his first Summer & then have ploughed them out for his Crop in the ensuing Spring, whereas being in Corn the first year, & left for him to fallow the second, he gets no produce from them for more than two years. Mr Howden is unquestionably entitled to compensation, & it would, I think, be better to make it by pecuniary allowance at once, than to allow it to go on & be a constant plea for over cropping & infringement of covenants.  Sent the Cash in hand to the Bank Agent in Hexhamshire, by Mr Hunt, on his way westward, who is much engaged at present in measuring draining & other work, that allowances may be made at the rent day.  Went out myself to see after the arrangement of the Office pro tempore, met Benson & went with him over all the works going on there.