Journal entry – John Grey – 14 Oct 1833

Monday 14th October 1833



Engaged in the Office writing several letters and arranging accounts and plans wanted to carry with me to the northern Estates.  Afterwards went to Thornton Quarry Farm to inspect its condition with reference to the away going Crop & covenants.  Found some part of it in foul condition and some not of course, but that is not to be altogether imputed to the present tenant, who has only been in it three years, & found it in a very deranged state.  Nothing can be more injurious to farms than the habit of frequent changing, for every contemplated change is preceded by a scheme for taking advantage of the land, which it requires greater vigilance than has been hitherto exercised to counteract & defeat.  I find the tillage books of former years to be very unsafe guides by which to discover the actual state of the crops.  They seem to have been fitted up, rather by report than examination & to state the crops as they should have been, but not always as they were.   Mr Hunt has detected some attempted to impose upon him in that way, which will teach him to see with his own eyes, before he puts upon paper, the state of cropping.  This subject reminds me that I wrote to Bell of Sillywrae & West Deanraw this morning, warning him against the course he seemed to be pursuing respecting his away going crop, as both by that & his neglect in not having sown grass seeds, he was injuring the entry for another tenant & prejudicing the Hospitals interest.  I have found an agreement for his farm in the Office, but Mr Dickinson has not been able to find a Lease, though there ought to be one.  If penalties can be exacted, he is deserving, should he proceed, of being made an example of.  [annotated in pencil in the margin: ‘I quite agree to strong measures against this man’]. I also wrote to Mr Benson of Dilston who seems to be preparing to sow Wheat after a Crop of Oats, reminding him that such practise was contrary to his covenants & injurious to the land, already too much worn out by Corn, & that however such management might have been ever looked formerly, it could not be done now; & that any attempt at it, would put it out of my power to recommend him at any time to the consideration of the Board or to my preference as a tenant in future.



I was engaged in the evening in writing out with Mr Hunt from Notes I had made during my inspection of the farms that are able to be let, the covenants which I conceive might to be prescribed for each, endeavouring to meet any peculiarity of circumstances that may attend them.  And as the farms ought very shortly to be advertized, I request the information of the Board at their earliest convenience as to the mode of letting & form of covenants & agreements which they may have determined to adopt.   



[marginal pencil annotation: ‘This is a very <..re> question and to enable the Board to decide they must <know> the plan in detail which we look for from the Receiver <..ing> the relief to be <given> to each farm as reductions of Rent <…> the Covenants <for> future lettings. No time must be lost in doing this & it would <…> will if Mr Gray were immediately apprized that the Board are looking for this from him. <GHB>’- possibly Bicknell in view of entry dated 28 October]