Journal entry – John Grey – 19 Feb 1835

Thursday 19th



       A fall of Snow caused me to keep indoors & attend to Office business.  Had conferences with Benson & Parker & Hunt on their respective departments & wrote to some parties who are inclined to take longer Credit than I intended for their Wood accounts.  

       At noon Mr Crawhall came as he had appointed, but I found him inclined to give very little for Eadsbush on the score of accommodation.   He offers to rent it without the Allotments at £25 a year, to purchase it at £700, or to leave the Price to be determined by persons mutually appointed by the Commissioners & himself.  It was let last year to Curry at a Rent of £47, altogether & at that time I valued the infield Land No.1 on the Plan at £30 and the poor Allotments, No. 2 at £17, the same as offered for them now by two of the Hospitals tenants, see my Journal of yesterday.  I am not sure that the plot No. 1 will let this year for £30 because the smaller occupiers in that district depended much for their rents upon their earnings in carrying Ore on Ponies from Mines in the Moors to Mr Beaumont’s Mill at Dukesfield, which is about to be laid in & the Ore to be conveyed in a direction coming more in the line of the Railway, & entirely out of their reach.  As it would be an accommodation to the poor Farms of Rawgreen & Turfhouse to have those Allotments and the Tenants are willing to give the value of them, though I fear their farms will prove too dear, under this change of Ore carriage, it would be a pity that they should not have them.  And it would be open to the Com.rs to have a valuation made of Eadsbush, for the purpose of treating with Mr Crawhall, as was proposed, or to take in offers for it, & then treat with him upon the basis of the best tender, if they should be inclined to dispose of it.   I am aware that it is difficult for any Land valuer to form a correct opinion of the actual worth of such a Property, if not well acquainted with the district, on which account I shall not incur the expense of employing one till the Board shall have an opportunity of considering the matter & giving me further directions.  

       Mr Wilson the managing Partner of the Lessees of Langley Mills came here today, & as the price of Lead is improving, gave me reason to hope that they will go on with my view of erecting a horizontal or rather a subterranean flue to convey the Smoke to the top of the nearest hill & prevent the injury done by it to the adjoining Farms - the deposit of the fine particles of Lead in its passage, will likely pay interest upon the outlay & in the end, the Smoke becomes innocuous.  The Lessees still owe an Account of about £70 for Fume, as this deposit is called, left at the Mills when they entered - but they have a claim for the new Water Wheel which is nearly completed.  After having it examined & proved good & sufficient in all its parts, by a Millwright, we shall strike a Balance.