Journal entry – John Grey – 3 Jan 1834

Friday 3rd January 



Engaged with settlement of Accounts in the office & with parties enquiring the particulars of farms. Afterwards went through the Dilston Estate to see the progress of the embankment & to try to teach some men cutting hedges, to adopt a better method than they are accustomed to. Mr Stokoe a Millwright who had formerly been employed by the Hospital, applied for payment of an account of £8.8.0 for valuing Threshing Machines, which he had presented to Mr Hooper, but who had declined paying it.  I happened to be present at the time that Stokoe waited on Mr Hooper, the day before he left the North, & considered that he was rather hardly dealt with. Mr Hooper was greatly, & I think justly dissatisfied with the arrangement by which the Hospital was made to incur the expense of purchasing & maintaining so many machines, but so far as I could see, Stokoe had only been accessory to it, by obeying instructions from the Receivers to put a value upon them. Mr Hooper doubted his authority for doing so, which he did not happen to have brought with him on that occation; although the fact of the valuations having been paid, seemed to me, sufficient proof of his having been authorized to make them.  Mr Hooper also entertained an opinion that Stokoe having done a great deal of work for the Hospital, ought to have done this for nothing.  Now I cannot see why a man is not intitled to remuneration for his time, when employed in making a valuation, as well as in any other way.  I have in former years paid a great deal of money to Millwrights, but I should not on that account consider myself at Liberty to call a Man from the superintendence of his workmen & employ him in calculations which he only was fitted for, by having spent time & money in learning his trade, without paying him for doing so.  I shall not pay Stokoe without orders from the Board, but send herewith his charge, with Mr Hoopers remarks upon the back of it, and letters authorizing him to make the valuations.