Journal entry – John Grey – 27 Aug 1833

Tuesday 27th August 1833



       Robert Bell, tenant of Lough Farm and Lime Kiln came to inform me this morning that the Lessees of Langley Mills had left off taking their Lime from him & began to burn it for themselves at the Kiln kept for the use of certain of the Farms there, but to which he expected the Smelt Mills had no right, as he had explained to Mr Hooper that they were his best customers & that he could not pay his rent if their trade should be removed.  I consequently looked over the draft of the Lease of the Smelt Mills without finding any permission for the use of the private Kiln - and in Mr Hoopers Journal of the 6th of March, I find it noticed, that the Lessees had applied for such permission, & that he had given them reason to expect it only, in case it should be found not to interfere with the convenience of the tenants for whose use it had been made, or with the interest of any Lessee of a Limekiln on the Hospital Estates.

       This reservation is equally judicious as regards the Lessee of the sale lime kilns & the tenants who make use of the private kiln.  Having found nothing to lead me to believe that the Lessees of the Smelt Mills had any such title, I wrote to Mr George Lee, informing him of the complaint made by Bell, understanding as he did, that the private kiln was not open to the use of the Mills, and expressing a hope, that unless he and the company held an especial sanction for doing so, they would see the propriety of immediately desisting.



Newtonhall Building

Having heard from the Mason who was employed to make a Cow House, turnip house and fold yard walls at Newtonhall, that the work was nearly finished as far as it could be proceeded with at present, I rode there to examine it.  The walling is very good.  The old Cowhouses have been converted at little cost into Cattle sheds, for which their situation at the north side of the fold yard, was exactly suited, & the new Cowhouses stand most conveniently.  It may be in the recollection of the Board, that I purpose laying some coarse Wood and straw over these for the winter, or getting the Tenant to build Corn upon them, until our own Wood shall be seasoned for roofing.  In this way the expense of building the gables & putting on the slate roof, will not take place till next summer.



Whittle

I then proceeded to Whittle.  The Farm house has been raised and the new blue slate roof is nearly finished.  The other buildings are in progress - returned by Whittle Mill and Ovingham.  The harvest is going briskly on today, but I regret to learn that the high winds have shaken a good deal of Corn in exposed situations , and that the Vance, Lough & Deanraw have suffered.  I walked in the evening up the Banks as far as Widehaugh, to see what progress had been made at the Wears.