Letter – George Liddell to Samuel Holden – 23 Oct 1735

23d Octor 1735

	The 7th instant the moment I had sent mine to you to the Post I recd an Accot that my only remaining Bror who was some Days before seized with a Palsy, was very dangerously ill, which occassion'd be [me?] to sett out the next Morning, and in the Afternoon I met an Express, with Melancholy News of his Death; and he having made his Younger Son (who is a Dragoon Officer and confined by Indisposition at Hereford) & his3 Daughters Execrs; I was obliged to stay to help them settle their Affairs, and got but home the 20th, where I met with your favour, and by last post one from Mr Corbett, with a copy of his Letter to Mr Aynesly, to cease all Proceedings against Joblin, which will make him a happy Man.

	When you have read over the Report at the Board, I hope you will lett me know their opinion of it, and if anything wants to be explained, or Enlarged, it shall on notice be done.

[Note in Margin:] Persons proposed for Agents for the Estates

	According to your Desire, I have sent you the Names of such Persons, as I think will make very good Agents for your Estates.

For Receivers:

	Mr Robert Ellison of Newcastle upon Tyne		

	Mr Nicholas Walton and Mr Hugh Boag of Ravensworth Castle in the County of Durham           

As Bailiffs:

	Mr Robert Johnson of Ebchester in the sd County to succeed R Readhead 

	Mr Abraham Bunting of Hexham in the County of Northumberland to succeed Jn Atkinson

and Jos Pearson to continue Bailiff at Keswick



[Note in Margin:] Salaries proposed for the Receivers, out of which, they to make an Increase of Salary to the Bailiffs, & pay the Court Keepers Salaries

	The Sallaries of the 3 Receivers I propose to be 12d pr pound as the late Receivers had; as is mine of the 7th Instant.

	Besides which you to pay them £24 for 3 Bailiffs Salaries.



Out of which they to pay Johnson and Bunting, Bailiffs, as 

  their salaries, £20 per Ann each (as they have no 

  Perquisites of Wood or Bark) so an addition of £12 each..	  £24

And to make Bailiff Pearson, £12 per Ann an addition of £4     4

And they to pay the Court Keepers Salaries; by which the 

  Hospl will save per Ann                                     45

The Money Collected I Reckon will be less than in 1733 and 

  1734, per Ann                                               37

                                                             110 

And also will save in your Woods I may say £200 per Ann, which the Bailiffs took as Perquisites.

	The Receivers are to Abate this by £110, out of their Salaries, which will not be so great by about £37 per Ann, as in the present Receivers times; for there will, I presume be no Wood sold this Year, and the Dues of the Mines will be very low; so that I question whether their Salaries will amount to (besides the £4 for each Aquittance, which were customarily paid) above 



                                                            £310

Out of which they are to Abate the above £100, or           £110

Remains for their 3 Salaries, but                           £200

Indeed I think they may save out of the Court Keepers 

  Salaries                                                   £20

Had I not pinn'd them down to this, from an Expectation that if the Estate be sold in Parcells, and the Mines better wrought, they may have better Encouragement, they would not have undertaken it on such Terms: And they hope, as they do not desire to have Money lye in their hands, that you will allow them something towards Returning the Money. Were the Estate my own, I should pitch upon the same Persons, and give them the same Salaries. They are Men of great Integrity, and of very good Capacities and Application, and in whom the Commrs may confide very safely: and there is another thing which I think will be of some Service if they are employ'd, and that is, that they live so near together, that they see each other almost daily, and I see them once or twice a Week, so that I shall advise and direct them often in whatever I think for the Service of the Hospital.

[Note in Margin:] Accot of the Men proposed for Bailiffs

	Mr Robert Johnson, who I propose to suceed Redhead as Bailiff, has an Estate in Land of £60 or £80 per Ann, and understands Improvement of Wood, as well as Land, exceeding well; and is a very honest Man and well affected.

	Mr Abraham Bunting was very zealous in making Discoveries of Abuses committed, even before it was settled upon the Hospital. He is not so well known to me, but your Commrs of Enquiry assure me, that he is a very honest Man; and well skill'd in the Management of Woods, and I believe he is so; and think that he has suffer'd a good deal on accot of the Discoveries he made to your Commissrs and myself.

[Note in Margin:] The Undertakers have suffer'd by a Flood in Devilswater

      The Undertakers have suffer'd by a Flood in Devilswater, which has made a great Hole about 4 Yards deep in that river, just against where they were repairing, which undermined the Piles, but tho' it turned them flat, they were so well wattled, that it could not separate them. They have however fitted and made good the Piles; so that it is securer than before.

	Mr Corbett, in his, says that your Directors desire I would treat and agree with an Able Surveyor, to survey the Inn Grounds of the Derwentwater Estate, and to map the same in a Folio Book, with Vellom Leaves, a Farm or a small Estate in a Sheet, or Leaf; with a copy of the same in Quarto; I have discoursed with Mr Thompson, who is the Person I proposed, and is the same Person that survey'd Scrimerston. The Price he has of Gentlemen for Surveying an Estate of One, 2 or 3000 Acres, and a single Map is 4d per Acre, and for larger ones 3d per Acre.

[Note in Margin:] Has agreed with a Surveyor to Survey the Inn Grounds of the Estate

	I have made an Agreement with him subject to the Approbation of the Directors to Survey the whole Inn Ground Estate, and Map in two Books as above, and to make a Field Book to each with the Value & Quantity (you finding the Books) in which Maps are to be contained the Buildings, Rivers, Brooks, Roads, Pitts, Quarries, and other Remarkable things at 2 ½ d per Acre.

Also the Commons with the Remarkables, & Map them in the same Books if Desired at 1½ d per Acre.

The whole to be Survey'd with the greatest Exactness, and Mapp'd after the best manner.

You are to find Persons to shew him the Bounder at your Expence.

To begin immediately to Survey Corbridge, which as it is interspersed in Common Fields, he is to have 3d per Acre, if the rest is not survey'd.

Or he will Survey the Inn Grounds and Commons at 2d per Acre, and Map as above.

	He you will observe is to make 2 Maps, and those by different Scales; which is a double Trouble, and to make 2 Field Books, and a Valuation, and that for 2½ d per Acre.

	Whereas he declares he never did any so cheap, that had but one Map and one Field Book, and that without a Valuation, Except Scremerston which he did for 2d per Acre Inn Ground and Common, with only One Map and One Field Book. And even that if I compute right he had 24s more for Mapping it only with one Map and One Field Book, than he would have had with two Maps and two Field Books, & the Valuation, by this Agreement.

	He says he really cannot afford to Value the Grounds lett in sevl parts; so that he may in some be under, and in others over Value; therefore he hopes I will not insist upon it – I really hope you will not, for he will have a hard Bargain of it.

	I hope he will begin to survey Corbridge next week.

[Note in Margin:] Should be glad to see the Counterparts of the Tenants Leases

	I think you should get in the Counterparts of the Tenants Leases expired, as well as unexpired from your Receivers, and should be glad to see some of them, to see their Covenants for Husbandry, and Cutting and Scouring Hedges etc., as the Season for such Work is at hand.

[Note in Margin:] Repairs etc. necessary to be done out of hand

	I also think it will be very proper to have the Woods Weeded and Dressed off hand, at your Expence; which I hope the Siplings that are taken out, where too thick, will more than pay for doing.

	The Stumps of Trees, and Siplings, which are left 2 or 3 foot above ground should not fail of being cutt down, in order to spring again, which will not do as they are, nor if not cut down this Winter.

	In Weeding and Dressing the Woods, you will have a great deal of Hedge Boot, with which I think you should make some new Hedges, and Plant Thornes at your own Expence: by doing of which this Winter and the next, your Farms will not only look much handsomer, but lett in my opinion better by treble the Expence. You should also Scour and Repair such old Hedges, as the Tennants are not bound to do, and which want it.

	Necessary Repairs, such as keeping the Houseing standing, and Water Free should be done before Winter.

[Note in Margin:] In new Leases, Tenants should be obliged to plant a Number of Trees Annually

	In your new Leases Tenants should have Regular Covenants, and be obliged to plant Annually such a Number of Trees (you finding the Trees) and to preserve them when planted.

	I have not yet drawn on Mr Maddox, tho' have been £240 out of Pocket for a long time, and they will call upon me in a few Days for £80 or £100 or more; so that I shall draw for £300 on him, this, or next Post, at Sight.

[Note in Margin:] Waifs & Estrays to be allow'd the Bailiffs

P.S. I have omitted one thing relating to the Bailiffs which I think I mentioned in a former Letter, And that is, that I think you should allow them the Waifs and Estrays taken within your Mannors. They will be of small Value, and yet I think it will be of Service; for it will make them look sharper out that no Strangers eat up the Grass on the Wastes, to the Prejudice of your Tennants, and it will make them examine (on their own Accounts) more narrowly into the Extents of your several Boundaries.