Journal entry – John Grey – 19 Nov 1833

Tuesday 19th November 



Received from Mr Pringle of Borewell a Bill at 21 days for £286 in part of Rent, & a promise that the remainder should be paid very soon.  He had engaged to pay me at this time the whole of the £319 which he would receive on Saturday last, on account of the award, from Johnson.  



Traversed all the Dilston Park Woods which we have been engaged in thinning & clearing of the brushwood, so as to give liberty to a fine Spring of Oak & Larch; by which it is much improved & likely to become a flourishing plantation.  A quantity of Corf Rods are obtained in this operation, & though they do not bring much at this distance from the Collieries, they will produce something to pay the expense.  I have consequently written to some parties that are likely to buy them.  Returned by the workmen at the embankment in Wide Haugh, with which they are proceeding rapidly, & for which the weather is favourable.  I have directed that their wages should be reduced 2/- per week for the three months, on account of the shortness of the days. Examined the Wears, which are all unmoved, though we have had some heavy waters. With regard to an allowance of lime, to the tenants of Newlands & Whittonstall, if it is made to them, it ought to be made to those in Hexhamshire also, which is to the full as poor a district & as unfavourably situated in respect of lime as the other.   In both districts the leading from the Kilns to the farms will cost something more than double the price of the lime & though it would take thirty shillings worth of lime at the Kiln to cover an Acre as I should like it done, I fear very few of the tenants could manage to lead in one season to the extent of 20/- an Acre to their fallow quarter.  To this extent however, they ought to be allowed, if at all, and though they could not go over their whole fallow in one season they ought to do it well, as far as they could, leaving the other for another occasion. To prevent fraud, they should leave a pass book to the Kilns, which could be called for at any time, & also produce the receipt of payment for the whole, previous to obtaining the allowance at the rent days.  They ought to be required besides, to lay it down in heaps of four fathoms each, which Mr Hunt could easily see before laid on the land, & compare with the account.   A per centage upon the rental might at first sight seem to be the simplest mode of regulating the allowance, but that would not be equal because the proportions of grass & tillage land in all farms are not alike.  The amount of land in fallow each year in Newlands & Whittonstall is 502 Acres, & that in Hexhamshire 253 making in all 755 Acres, and that ought to be reduced by one fifth, in the new arrangements, by changing the rotation from a four to a five course.