Journal entry – John Grey – 20 Sep 1833

Friday 20th September 1833



Received Mr Jays Letter respecting Sir Thos Haggerstons Claim of Tythes on Scremerston Estates, & wrote to Mr Fenwick accordingly. 



Small fields

Rode to Haydon Bridge & examined minutely the small fields adjoining, to see how they could be best arranged for the accommodation of the several tenants of the hospital- the two held by Mr Couts ought unquestionably to be attached to the Inn, for the reasons I have before mentioned.  But I found  Mr Couts as tenacious of them as if he had the prospect of living of living for twenty years to come.  As his only object is to keep a couple of Cows, he might have that accommodation by transferring to him one of the fields occupied by Mr Reed, which fields perhaps might be offered to publick letting, that other tenants of the Hospital might have the chance of their accommodation as well as Mr Reed, who lives upon his own property.  In this case it will be necessary to give Mr Reed notice to quit them as well as the yard and workshop, which Mr Hooper had decided upon using as a depot for the wood wanted for building in that district. These matters should be determined upon, so as to give the requisite notices by the 11th November.   



Mr Routledges Tenement 

I cannot find any Cowhouse for Mrs Routledge, in lieu of that which she now has in the Inn Yard, and which ought to be made in to a Stable, but believe that she might find one in the Village, nor can I see any good reason for the unequal accommodation given to her house and the adjoining one occupied by Dr Hutchinson: they are equal in size & value, yet she has both Gardens & the whole of the field which I think might be divided between them, the rents of both tenements being made alike.  Should Mrs R decline such an arrangement, I have no doubt of finding a suitable tenant.



Farms to be let this year

I here met Mr Hunt by appointment and we set out together to examine particularly the farms to the West of Haydon Bridge that are to be let, with the double object of ascertaining by their course of tillage, the land intended for the away going Crops, so as to correspond with their respective covenants & prevent injury to, or disputes with the succeeding tenants; and also to consider of the Covenants and management which ought to be prescribed in future.  To examine minutely so many small inclosures & get conveniently over the fences we decided to walk & proceeded by the Deanraw, Harsondale, the Vauce, Lough & Sillywray.  In some instances, I found fields that have been improved and are now in cultivation, which are not shown to be so in the tillage Books, up to this year.  But of all these places, I must state that they are in very credible condition, and with one exception, in strict accordance with their covenants.  The situations are high and exposed and have suffered much loss of grain by the stormy weather but it is due to the occupiers, who all seem to be industrious & respectable men, to say, that their manner of Harvesting their Corn might put to shame the farmers on the richer lands on the Tyne, whose slovenly habits are quite inexcusable. 



Mr Bell Sillywray

The exception I refer to, is the case of Mr Bell, late Agent of the Colliery & tenant of West Deanraw and Sillywray.   On the latter small Farm he is intitled to a Crop of Corn upon 40 acres.  He has this year 50 Acres and part of it is the second Crop in succession upon the same land.  In consequence of the excess of his year, he is put to it, to make up his quantity of 40 Acres for the next, & to do so, contemplates sowing the best of the land now under Corn, over again, to the injury of course to the land & the entry of the succeeding tenant.  When fields are unequal, a trifling excess ought not to be noticed if the Fields are taken in their usual course, but in this case, where the farms & fields are alike small, the design is evident; for an intire field has been cropped a second time, out of course.  In all my intercourse with Mr Bell he has repeated with constant and most suspicious earnestness, the assurance that he would do everything honestly, & had always done so by the Hospital, and that he could see no reason why he should not have a pension.  I hitherto have not yielded to any impression made upon my mind respecting a character of which I had no previous knowledge but am now constrained to say that in every transaction which I have had with Mr Bell there has been manifest, a design & obliquity of conduct, by no means compatible with the spirit of integrity which he claims credit for, on account of which I trust the Board will hold me warranted in retaining the gratuity promised to him , until all matters between him & the Hospital shall be brought to a fair settlement.  [added in pencil in margin: ‘by all mean retain it’]



We reached Haydon Bridge at eight o’clock after a constant walk of nine hours. Met Mr Benson whom I had sent for, to ascertain the kind & quantity of Wood wanted for the Stables at Grindon and certain repairs at Brokenheugh etc. Gave directions to the Woodman at Haydon Bridge as to their employment,  Mr Parker not being able to go so far from home and returned to Corbridge at eleven at night.