Journal entry – John Grey – 7 Mar 1834

Friday 7th March 1834



I agreed this morning with Mr French on the part of the Governor & Co, for the Lot of Wood No 2, in the Hand Bill, at the price of £180 & £13 for some weedings in the Park Plantation.  The money to be paid & the wood removed by December next.  Some of this Wood standing by the Embankments, & some also so near the brink of the River to be in the way of sloping & securing the banks, has been cut down & sold since the Lot was valued.  And as the whole is within Water Mark, and therefore attended by some risk in case of a flood coming when the Trees are cut & laying on the Ground, I thought it adviseable to close with Mr French, as his is considerably better than any other offer I have had for it.  All the Lots of Wood proposed to be offered for Sale this Season are now disposed of, except those in Whittle Dean & Capons Cleugh.  The former I should wish to sell, because the Wood will make no more improvement & because there is no local circumstance likely to increase its value.  That at Capons Cleugh is likely to be more sought after, especially as it contains a quantity of excellent Oak, likely to be carried to the seaside, when the Railway is extended to the Wood in which it grows.  I should therefore be inclined to defer the Sale of that lot for another year, rather than sell it at a low price.  I have had other applications since that from Mr Wallis, for a Lease of the Allerwash Lime Stone, in anticipation of the Railway, but am of opinion that as Fourstones Colliery seems to be but little to depend upon for a continued supply, & the Lease of Brokenheugh Colliery which is almost as near to Allerwash as Fourstones, but in a different direction, will shortly have to be renewed, that it would be better not to let the Limestone till it & the Colliery could be united under the same party, which would make them independent of the Lessees of any other Colliery & probably secure to us more respectable Tenants.  After being released from the Office, I went up the Tyne Banks to see the effect of a late flood & found all our works uninjured, though a part of it left in an unfinished condition.  I then proceeded to Dilston & spent the day among the Workmen making the road there & those engaged in planting, which I have made a point of examining frequently, & trust that the success of the Trees will prove that the work has been efficiently done.  When in the Northern part of the County, I bought a quantity of perennial Ray Grass Seeds from the grower which I had long used & known to be of a kind much superior for pasture to any that I see  in this district.  I had it shipped found to Newcastle & Mr Hunt had undertaken to distribute it to such of the tenants as chuse to purchase it, at a charge to cover the original cost & carriage.  My sole object is to introduce a more valuable description of Grass among the Tenants & my only reason for noticing the matter now, is that I may stand clear of any imputation of making gain by the transaction.