Journal entry – John Grey – 5 Sep 1833

Thursday 5th September 1833



Received a message by Mr Hunt from the tenant of Hartburngrainge west Farm respecting the Thrashing Machine which belongs to the Hospital, it has been in a bad state & never repaired since he came to the farm,  & now will not do any work till put in order.  I have sent my Son to him to endeavour to induce him to purchase the machine, promising that he shall have it at a moderate valuation & then he can have it made up in his own way & that it should be repurchased at the end of his term. If he will not agree to this, it will be necessary to have it inspected & repaired & to bind him to keep & leave it so.  I hear also that some ladders for reaching to the roofs of the housing, & tools for quarrying & boring etc belonging to the Hospital, have been kept possession of by the Tenants of Meldon, as a transfer with the property.   I have sent directions to the Woodman on the estate, to claim & recover them in spite of any pretext to the contrary.   



I have received a Letter from the Clerk of the Trustees of Haydon Bridge Charity, stating that my letter, applying for leave to lay a Lead pipe through their gardens, to convey water to the Inn, had been laid before the Trustees at their meeting on the 2nd Instant ‘who signed an order consenting thereto, upon the condition that the Corn is at their own expense, fix a trough & a pipe in the Grounds of the Trustees behind the Almshouses for the convenience of the Almspeople’.   This is imposing a tax as payment for wayleave .   It will not cost much, as a short branch of pipe to fill the trough from the main pipe is all that can be wanted, and as they stipulate nothing for future repairs, it will be left for them to keep in order, I shall however await the Board’s directions respecting it.   This will still be much the cheapest way of effecting the purpose.  Engaged in the Office & at the river embankments.