| Description | [Diary Transcription]
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time but much engaged — going immediately — Emma Saltmarshe and I then called and sat a little with Mrs. Veitch — Then called with Emma Saltmarshe on Mrs. Wilcock
and inquired (and to inquire) after Miss Pickford — Then in returning called on Mrs. Kenny — left my name on Emma Saltmarshe’s card — parted with her
at her own door at 2 — Very glad to have had me talked confidentially about the misunderstanding between her mother in law and Mr. and Mrs.
Philips all right now it seems the old lady in fault hottish and capable of saying in any case what she
may be sorry for afterwards has often done it even to Emma ~ all living in the same house did not do the ser
vants first began the disagreeables I did right to go in fact I am so civil I seem getting popular
went to Mr. Parker’s — Explained about having been at the vicarage etc. etc. [illegible] perhaps 20 minutes there — to sign the agreement
at the vicarage at 12 on Saturday — up the old bank to the Willey hill pit — Holt had been in measuring about 4 hours and would
be 2 hours longer — looked about a little and walked leisurely to George Naylor’s — he was rolling a field of very nice just sown
down with seeds — walked up and down by the side of the roller perhaps near 1 1/2 hour — Womersley came up, and asked if I would
sell him the stone in the 3 days work field belonging to the little Marsh farm — what per yard — why 2/6 — no! must wait till it
was worth more — not inclined to sell more stone now — George went with me to look at the field — old Joseph Hall too old
to farm very well, but his son a hardworking man will do very well — Balmfirth’s farm a better than upper place
but he farms so ill — sold off a great deal of hay last year — will not work himself nor let anyone else work — The
son would do much better — talked about Southholm land — Hemingway had improved it very much, but made a deal
of money out of it — asked George to take a peep at it, and tell me honestly what he thought it was worth — He will go with me to
look at Northgate land on Friday — I to be at upper place at 3 p.m. — mentioned the circumstances (telling him not to tell)
of Lower brea — he agreed that especially after so much money (£1000) having been laid out it ought to be worth £3
per dayswork — speaking of Northgate land, Thomas Greenwood not a good farmer — if manure had been just laid on [illegible] customary to value
it at £5 per dayswork, if laid on a year called 1/2 tillage, and 50/. per dayswork, and 1/4 tillage if laid on 2 years, and in 3 years
the value said to be worn out — for lime if laid on one year customary to deduct one 3rd of the value, 2 years
two thirds — 3 years worn out — It seemed the tenants (especially Hemingway and Balmfirth) at laughed at their
good luck in getting my uncle to return to them so much during the late panic — Told George he had behaved handsomely
never to ask for anything, and I should not forget this — He knows he is in favour — he said he made bold to say he had heard
I was married (astonishing how current the report) — I said I knew nothing of it till I heard it, and had no intention
of marrying — returned down Barraclough lane — called at Mr. Samuel Washington’s, told his wife to tell him to be
at Northgate to measure off at 9 a.m. tomorrow — Then called at Lower brea for a moment told George Robinson to come
at 7 p.m. tomorrow returned along the walk and got home at 6 1/4 — dinner at 6 1/2 — Letter from Miss MacLean — Edinburgh
the sooner I go the better — After dinner told my father and Marian my history of the day, then wrote out the whole journal
of the day — fine day — went up to bed at 10 20/60 —
[margin text:] asked George Naylor what he thought Wormersley ought to give for
the stone 4/. per yard — Yes! Said I, but I can have 5/. (meaning for Freeman) -
May Thursday 1
6 1/2
12 55/60
breakfast at 8 40/60 — off with my father to Northgate at 9 10/60 — Messrs Washington Briggs and Thomas Greenwood there and the vicar and Mr.
Oates soon came measured off 2369 4/6 (as required) and 11 yards agreed to call the quantity 2370 yards — asked Mr. Musgrave
to what saint he meant to dedicate the church — indifferent to him — then said I, St. James, to which he handsomely consented —
8 trees on the ground — all agreed to take 3 down — said as the vicar had so handsomely consented to call the church after St. James
(my uncle’s name was James and on this account I wished it) I should certainly give him the 5 trees for which he seemed obliged —
Mr. Briggs suggested, that it should be mentioned in the lease to Mr. Scatchered that the rent should commence from next Whitsuntide
12 months in consideration of his putting the house into tenantable repair — Told Mr. Briggs he must tell Balmfirth, I would not
allow of selling off, and that Hemingway must really be raised — on looking into Northgate house found them putting down joists
not good enough for the purpose of the old wood taken from the floor above the cowhouse — my father and I walked down to Mr. Scatcherd’s — saw Mrs. Scatcherd
she came back with us — very civil — Mr. Scatcherd soon came — could not make them understand about the first 1/2 year’s rent being due next Whitsuntide —
referred them to Mr. Parker — Then saw Mr. Briggs at his house — told him to tell Mr. Oates to give a look now and then at how the workmen
were going on at Northgate — got home at 1 1/4 — had rather a bowel complaint before breakfast — felt my mouth very parched while at Mr.
Briggs’s, and as if rather feverish, and tired, and not well — at 1 1/2 lay down fell asleep and did not get up till 5 — Then read over Miss MacLean’s
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last letter — hesitating what to do — when to go — changed my dress — dinner at 6 5/60 — Mr. Parker’s partner Mr. Adam
came about 7 — Mr. and Mrs. Scatcherd could not understand about the rent — [illegible] Mr. Parker thought I had better see them — said very civilly
and calmly, but perhaps as if not quite pleased, I could not make them understand this morning and was therefore hopeless of succeeding better tomorrow —
it was unfortunate that they could not understand my solicitor, and did not like to treat with my steward — I had had more trouble than
I wished on this account to oblige them and should be as I said at Mr. Parker’s office at 12 1/2 on Saturday. The lease to be ready
to be signed if they wished, if not it was not too late and I had no objection to their changing their mind altogether — The term was for 8 years — 1 year allowed
for repairs, left 7 years to pay — what difference so long as 7 years were to be paid whether (according to the custom of
the country and of my own tenants) to commence from next Whitsuntide or later — Then wrote in pencil on the
back of Mr. Parker’s note to me 1 May 1828 1 November 1828, and so on for 8 years shewing that the last 1/2 years rent would
be due 1 November 1835 and they would stay till 1 May 1836 — think of writing an explanatory note in the morning — had I thought
more or better about it, I should have said I would give an answer tomorrow — I see their objection is to the seeming to pay 1/2 year in advance —
George Robinson came about 8 — said I would wave the matter of a lease for the present — would make no change so long as my
father lived — Thought the land ought to be worth £3 per dayswork — I let land for that (meaning Godley) without any buildings —
He planned making a room here and another there for what he wanted — I said it would be better to build then; for I did not
much like his plan — I should consider myself as paying for the whole, and upon the amount of all he brought me in to pay should charge him
as agreed 7 1/2 percent — I then said he might take the bit of ground he asked for the other day adjoining his garden and the new foot
path but he was to plant out the trees in the wood — he mentioned a little bit of steep ground adjoining Lower brea lane in
his own ground which he should like to plant for a bit of shelter, and because the ground produced nothing but thorns, and I consented —
He seemed much pleased to have got off so well, said if there was anything he could do that I wished he should be happy, and
that when I returned I should not find the land less well farmed — I then sent for my father and we sat talking till 10 —
I tired enough but not liking in such a case to leave them — mentioned the 5 crops of hay in a year off some land in Switzerland (meaning
at Hofwyl near Berne) George Robinson is here trench ploughing — his done so in the Hipperholme fields for Lucerne, and is going to
do ditto at Lower brea — Went into the dining room Marian reading the Leeds Intelligencer (she warns against the Bishop of Chester
and the present Lord Chancellor for what she called disrespect to Lord Eldon about the abolition of the test act) and I
writing the first 27 lines of today — Came to my room at 11 — An hour thinking of and writing note to Mr. Parker
about Mr. Scatcherds lease ~ fine day —
[margin text:] (vid. line 12 the other side)
Friday 2
7 1/4
11 3/4
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somehow do not feel well this morning anymore than yesterday. Wrote and copied and sent at 9 Note to Mr. Parker respecting
Mr. Scatcherd’s lease — If there was no land to the house, it would be different — the custom here to enter at Candlemas
and have the 1st 1/2 year’s rent due the Whitsuntide — the rent days 1st Wednesday in July, and ditto January — from Candlemas to the 1st Wednesday
in July next about 5 months so that there will 1 month paid in advance for the land — from 1 May to the 1st Wednesday in July about 2
months so that there will be 4 months in advance for the house — if they think there is something unhandsome in demanding being called
upon to pay for this time in advance, it is merely according to my own custom, and the custom of the country — if the interest of the
money paid in advance is calculated supposing the land at one 1/2 the rent and the buildings at the other 1/2 and then (at 5 per cent) £21 for one month
= 1/9 and £21 for 4 months = 7/. — feel very biliously inclined this morning — dressed — breakfast at 10 1/4 — Staid down talking
to Marian till 11 3/4 — Speaking of Hampstead, she said my father meant to sell the property there, without even telling my aunt and
myself — because he thought I had my hands full enough already — said if my father could get £600 for it, I should be glad; for I would
not give so much — Then talked of Marian and myself being so opposite in character etc. it seemed to me ‘a pity’ — but could not
quite get her to acknowledge this — she thought individual comfort the only thing to be studied — Mr. Samuel Washington
called at 11 50/60 for my copy of the coal-plan — They seem to have got about 1/2 an acre — Mr. Washington sat talking and taking
his beer in the drawing room for about an hour — speaking of Northgate land Thomas Greenwood should have 15/. per acre for the seed oats
and 15/. per acre for the ploughing and labour — after potatoes, it was hardly so much as 1/2 tillage — one should deduct last year’s
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