Journal Entry – William Hooper – 15 Mar 1833

Friday 15th March 1833



Had a long conference with Mr Fenwick, and read over and instructed him relative to the several matters of agreement entered into with the Hudgill Company, to enable him to prepare a Lease, which Mr Fenwick assured me was the only satisfactory instrument – I had wished to have confined it to an Agreement Stamp, but this could not be done, for as it contained a demise of premises, an agreement to be binding must have an ad-valorein stamp, which could make it as expensive as a Lease.



On settling my accounts at the Bank, I ordered £1000 to be paid into the Bank of England on the 23rd Instant.  In my Journal of the 15th of February I stated the result of my interview with Mr Leadbitter relative to the sale of the Manor of Wark, and the proposal I made for including the Bellingham tolls, and the Close at Wark.  A few days afterwards I received a letter from Mr Leadbitter, saying that Mr Taylor was desirous of seeing me whenever I would afford him an opportunity, and desiring to know when I should be again at Newcastle.  To this I replied that I was ready to see Mr Taylor at anytime, but that I had no expectation of visiting Newcastle for some time.  There the matter rested till a few days since when I found my duties could lead me to Newcastle as on this day, and I wrote to Mr Leadbitter accordingly.



On going to my appointment I found Mr Taylor and Mr Leadbitter together, when the latter said that the object for which they desired to see me related to the Bellingham tolls – He regretted that it had wholly escaped his memory in our last conference, but when he communicated to Mr Taylor the purport of that conference, Mr T. reminded him that Mr Wailes had specifically included these tolls in his offer, and on referring to his day-book for the 12th of Novr. Last, he found an entry in these words ‘Attending with Mr Wailes this day, when he stated that he omitted in the particulars of the Barony of Wark to insert Bellingham Fair and the tolls arising therefrom, and conferring with him thereon.’  This book he immediately shewed me, the entry was clear, legible, and too regular to be doubted for an instant, and I could only request a copy to submit to the Commissioners, and take their pleasure upon it.  The extraordinary conduct of Mr Wailes, first in volunteering these tolls to the Duke without alluding to them in any way in his correspondence with the Hospital, and secondly when I spoke to him about them, and read over to him the draft agreement in which they were reserved, not to mention his having included therein, can only be accounted for by that impaired intellect under which he appears to have suffered.  I called on him immediately on leaving Mr Leadbitter’s and found he had a perfect recollection of having offered them and excused his not mentioning them to the Hospital as they were unprofitable and worthless, but I observed that might have been a good argument for not buying them, but none for giving them away.  However, it is to little purpose to dwell upon the subject, I enclose the Extract from Mr Leadbitter’s Day-book, and I presume the Board will instruct me to surrender the claim to them.



In the evening returned to Haydon Bridge.