Journal Entry – William Hooper – 27 Mar 1833

Wednesday March 27th 1833



Mr Dixon of Keswick came to me to settle his accounts, he having obtained the arrears due from the Keswick Property, with the Exception of £64.12.6 due from Hy Stoddart, and £5.10.0 from Jno. Dobson, which sums he cannot yet recover but thinks the latter sum may be obtained in a short time, and perhaps something from the former, altho his great poverty renders it doubtful – from Mr Dixon’s statement it would be utterly useless to pursue measures for its recovery.



Mr Dixon submitted his claim for consideration after eighteen years service, in consequence of his not being employed by Mr Marshall as Land Bailiff, but merely to superintend the Woods at a Salary of £40 a year, and for the first time, I now discovered that under the Hospital Mr Dixon had enjoyed a Salary of £71 a year, £21 of which had always been charged to the Castlerigg and Derwentwater Estate, so that it never appeared under the head of Salaries.  Mr Dixon had taken some trouble in collecting up the arrears, and he satisfied me that it had engaged much of his time to do so – I told him therefore that all I could feel authorized to do, was to admit his claim to one years’ gratuity from his discharge in September, and to deduct from that the amount he received from Mr Marshall for the year, and the quarter he had been already paid, which would leave a Balance of £13.5.0, and this I would allow him to take credit for in his account.  He then explained that he had not been paid up to the 31st of December, but only to the 22nd of November, and referred back to 1821 when the alteration in the date of his receipts took place, without his being paid for the interval.  Mr Dickenson vouched for the truth of this statement, and said Mr Dixon’s claim was perfectly just, so that I felt bound to admit and allow it.  Mr Dixon then urged his claim for some expenses incurred in the alteration of his dwelling house, and for much extra labour last year in consequence of the enfranchisements, and the sale of the Estate, but upon these points I told him I had no authority, and could only submit his claim to the Board, which I will do when he sends me his statement; and upon this, I finally closed the account with Mr Dixon.  



The only property belonging to the Hospital at Keswick is the Weights and Measures used at the Toll-house, and I wrote a letter to Mr Dixon for him to send to Mr Marshall, requesting he would purchase them, at a fair valuation, which I considered to be fourteen or fifteen pounds.



I was enabled today to make up the accounts of the Sale etc. at Elrington East Farm, and find that the total loss, including the rent up to May next, will be about £445 – I hope the loss at Westwood will not be so formidable, if I can make terms, but I am yet in doubt if I shall get that farm, so as to secure any benefit from the Away-going Crop, which is more valuable in this <Corn> farm.  Mr Hunt was engaged this day in an examination of it, to ascertain what spring seeds remain to be sown, and the general state of the tillage land to enable him to value the present years’ crop, but the unfavourable state of the weather prevented his completing it.



Received an acknowledgement from Messrs. Makepeace of the arrival of the Plate of Silver, and drew a Bill on them at forty days for the amount.



Mr Walton to whom I had applied for the payment of a bill for Wood, wrote to me to fix Tuesday the 9th of April for settling it.