Journal entry – John Grey – 17 Dec 1833

Tuesday 17th December



Mr Brandling, I am informed by the Bank has paid in £50 to my Credit.  I suppose for the right of Shooting for the two years previous to this.  Mr Reay to whom I had offered the Corf Rods has examined all the woodlands on this part of the property.  Some of the rods are good & some of little value, he has however agreed to clear them all off at 6d per bundle of 60 rods, he incurring every expense of cutting and carriage - our Woodmen counting the bundles from time to time.  This is to be done in the following summer & payment to be made in November next.  This will not produce very much money, but it will clear the woods of a great deal of stuff, that is otherwise injurious and going to waste.  



Mr Lownds when here informs me of the drawback on account of the deficiency in the weight Lead sold to Bristol, showing me the correspondence on the subject.  This set him to examine the Beam which he had purchased from the Hospital, by which the Lead had been weighed & accepted by him.  It was found to have got a twist, & cost 21/s in adjusting. There is no doubt of the accuracy of his claim, the money having been kept off him by the Bristol Merchants, but as he had got a good bargain of the Lead, I advised him to say nothing about it.  It is fair enough that he should be paid however, & I have sent him a Cheque at the rate of £13 as he purchased the Lead from the Hospital and not at £14:6:0 according to the account from Bristol.  I am very glad to be able to report an improvement in the price of Lead, which will increase our average in the current quarter, Beaumont’s Agents having made a large sale at £15:0:0.  Would it move on to £18 we should see comfort & something like returning prosperity to the mining district.  On the other hand, corn in this County is nearly unsaleable at any price.  



Had another meeting with Dodd, the tenant of Thornbrough Limekilns and Farm, for which see my Journal of Saturday last.  His offer was £170.  I pressed him to give £180 but could only make £175 which is probably enough, there having been only one proposal above that, besides his own at the last letting.  He thinks it necessary to be at liberty at the end of three years which I consider reasonable, upon his giving notice of his intention in the October preceding, because it is not unlikely, when the rail Way comes into full operation, that the burning of lime will be very much transformed from many of the present Kilns, to others, that will be built upon the line of the Way, as at Allerwash. Dodd entered into an agreement to this effect, subject to the approbation of the Commissioners.  



Had also an appointment with Dodd, tenant of Staples, who agrees to take a lease of it at the rent of £88:0:0 being three pounds more than he would offer on Saturday & to give up the Stints on the Common. Prepared Advertizement for the Newspapers for such farms as are decidedly open to the public, & wrote to Mr Nairn informing him of the Boards Order respecting the repairs of Warren Mills etc.  In the evening, Curry, who occupies the small place called Eadsbush & the Allotments of miserable land on the hill came to make an offer of £40 for them.  I proposed to lay 60 of the Stints to this place reserving the remainder for Gairshield & wanted £50.  But as he is a man likely to pay the rent without trouble & to put us to no expense after the first year, being willing to keep it all in grass, I concluded a bargain at £47.  He paid for it £55:10 but previous to his taking four years ago the Rent was £47:10. I may here remark that the tenants one and all, protest against the expense of the Leases, declaring their willingness to trust every thing that regards their covenants & terms to the Commissioners but thinking it most oppressive to have to pay such a tax for Stamps, some of them having been charged about £20 for Leases three years ago, which now they are compelled to abandon.   If Agreements for Leases containing all the necessary covenants & penalties which might be stamped if necessity required, cannot be substituted, at any rate one would think that all the purposes of security would be answered by having one part on Stamp, to be deposited at Greenwich, & the two others on plain paper for the guidance of the Receiver & Tenant.   The Solicitor I know holds a different doctrine, but it grieves me to force money from the Tenants, contending with so many difficulties, which neither goes to improve the land nor enrich the Hospital.  The blanks could be filled up here, & the signatures attached, as well as in an Attorney’s Office, the trouble of which I would willingly take & with due vigilance to the observation of the covenants, as now arranged, I cannot see that the Hospital would incur any risk of their infringement.  I trust the Board will excuse my anxiety on this point, in which my only interest is to save any unnecessary expense to the Tenantry.