| Description | [Diary Transcription]
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1828
May
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rent and taxes from £5 per acre (acre not dayswork I think) and then divide the remainder by 2 for what ought to be
allowed — but common with land to charge £5 a dayswork? for all ploughed up more than the tenant found ploughed up, and
to pay the same for all sown down more than he found sown down — Washington bargained with Mr. Armitage to pay him 5
(five) percent for all he laid out in building he giving his trouble and Mr. Armitage giving the leading, but Mr. Armitage had altered the plan so that the whole place complete except the house painting which might be £20 had
cost £600, and Mr. Washington’s payment would only be about 4 percent — for his rent (lease for 14 years) £50 per annum, including
16 dayswork of land at 40/. a dayswork — the barn 7 yards by 16 feet — thrashing floor 9 feet — 4 yards left for the bay which
would be ample for Hopkin, and if Washington had the sole management of this thinks he could do it for £50 or less —
a nice farm house at Hill Top (2 lower rooms and 2 chambers) for about £200 — speaking of Godley said £1800
was the utmost it was worth supposing there to be 20 dayswork of land — should run at 40/. per dayswork and 30 years purchase —
but said the land was good — worth something more than that, though he would not give his own for it, and he only paid 40/. per
dayswork — said his place was cheap — he believed he could let it any day for £70 — If I wanted such a place, said I,
I should not hesitate to give £70 — Good! then what ought Lower brea to be worth? [illegible] Told Mr. Washington
I had no idea of his being such a man for buildings, or I would have got him to see now and then how they did the repairs
at Northgate — said I should like to walk about a little with him over the estate when I came back again in the course of 2 or 3
months to see his valuation of some of the farms; for they were unequally let — he thinks the road by Lower brea very
likely to be done, but we could not do without having this road open — thought I to myself we can do very well
without it — came upstairs at 1 (after talking a little to my father) wrote the journal of today — the building George Robinson
|wants to be behind the house, 3 stories, 6 rooms — the 2 lowmost to be 9 feet 4 inches high — the highest uppermost, 9 |feet high —
|calculated 52 roods walling at 7/. or 8/. per rood, say £20.10.0 — 52 roods stone at 3/. (observe it takes
|as my father said, 2 roods stone for 1 rood walling — a rood of stones will only do a rood of single walling — double walling
|double thickness takes 2 roods) — 110 yards hewing work (door and window posts etc.) at 7 or 8d. per yard — wood
|about £30. Lime £4. Slate £4. Slater £2. Carpenter £10. Joiner (doors etc. [illegible]) £xx5. glass £8.
|Plasterer £2. Flags £3. windows £23. Blacksmith £2. — a cart could go nine times a day to Northowram
|and could bring (2 horses) a rood at 4 times — suppose 2 roods stones = 1 rood walling per day — then 26 days would
|require 2 2 horse carts at 10/. each = £13. — writing the above of today and settling my accounts, calculating the value of
the five trees given yesterday to the vicar (= £15.2.0) etc. took me till 2 1/2 — then went out — up the hill to George Naylor’s — walked
about with him — Mr. John Priestley’s land 18 dayswork opposite to George Naylor — let for £28 a good house (Norcliffe) and 3 cottages — Too cheap, and ill farmed —
then went to see the quarry Mr. Christopher Rawson's Takes of the trustees to the will of Jonathan Walsh, to loose his own stone — Then
to a quarry taken by one Green a butcher — at 3/. a yard — then walked round by Joseph Hall’s — a 3 dayswork work field and a 1 dayswork
ditto full of capital stone — then walked along the upper land — John Oates farms very ill — poor — could have a very good
tenant if I had a farm to let — should such a thing happen to let George Naylor know — Balmfirth’s farm run out, but not too dear
(told the rent) George durst take it as it is at the same rent, and leave his own farm — said I would not, in that case, let his
to any one under 40/. per dayswork — Asked if he had seen Southholm — yes — could not get him to say what it was worth a dayswork
I said 40/. — at last he owned that, take it at that price, it would not be so dear as some he knew of — He said Benjamin Bottomley's
farm was very cheap — thinks Thomas Greenwood cannot know much of farming — Dodgson has Dove house and Caldwell hill (together
50 dayswork) at 110 (7 cottages I think besides the house he lives in) — the man (Dodgson) says it is too dear — he cannot live upon it —
but when I said the rent was not too high, George Naylor owned I was right, and that the man did not know how to manage land —
did not know how to set out a field for potatoes — Had met Womersley — and speaking of the tithes he said let the vicar take what
he could get — I said I was for settling things without law if possible, and not being so angry in the business — this seemed to soften Womersley a
good deal — George Naylor left me on the top of Bairstow, and went to H-x [Halifax] I had given him to understand, I should not be hard upon him —
if he would but speak honestly he would not lose by his advice — then walked down by Benjamin Bottomley's, and along trough a bolland wood, and came
[margin text:] vide line 13 the last page
20. 10. 0
15. 12. 0
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145. 15. 4
302
1828
May
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in at 6 1/4. dinner at 6 1/2 — note from Mr. Parker with the rough draft of the Northgate lease altered to 'suit the views' of Mr.
Scatcherd — that is fixing the rent days 1 May and 1 November, the 1st 1/2 year to be due 1 November 1829 — Annoyed at the moment
and doubting whether to agree but think I shall cool about it it was in fact my father led me into the thing I must mind anoth
er time ~ George Naylor came to speak to my father to say he had tendered his vicar’s dues as usual, but they would not take them, as
he was one of those in Southowram whom they intended to sue — wrote the last 20 lines — very fine day — Came to my room at
10 25/60 —
Saturday 3
7
11 40/60
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wrote the following note to Mr. Parker ‘Sir — In the present advanced state of the business, it would be an ‘useless difficulty’ to refuse signing the lease
as altered by Mr. Scatcherd — He will, of course, pay the rent on the days he has fixed — I am, Sir, your honourable servant Anne Lister' — returned
the lease, and sent with it this note by John at 7 50/60 — Somehow annoyed about it the tears even start to my eye then
and I say to myself I shall probably enter the house no more from this time eight years ~ Have doubted for the
last day or 2 (first to go immediatley then not to Miss MacLean) at last determine to go to the Duffins’ on Monday, and perhaps
not to Miss MacLean till after the 15th when the Hunter’s leave [illegible] Redford She can take the small lodging for
me she has in view or as she says I can meet her at the Hunter's when they get to Downham Then wrote 1 page to Mrs. Duffin
to say I would be there by the mail on Tuesday evening — would stay with them to the last minute but dared not promise for longer than a week —
would talk over what I was going to be about when we met — hoped to see them all at Winterslow before my return to the continent — then wrote 2 1/3 ppages to Miss MacLean to say I should be off from here on
Tuesday, but, attending to the sentence in her letter that a few weeks hence would suit her far better than now ('your cough frightens
me — I fear your being harassed') I had written to the Duffins to say I would be with them on Tuesday but dared not promise for
longer than a week - I had said nothing beyond this, and begged her to arrange my plans as she thought best — I could either stay
longer at the Duffins, go to Langton, into Durham — linger on the way, or travel with all speed — Take the sm
all lodging for me if she liked but she must positively be my guest Could meet Miss MacLean at Doonham [Downham] or any where
else — must some how get a peep at the Hunters — much obliged for all their kindness and attention for which deserved the
best return I should ever be able to make, and for which I begged my remembrances and thanks — asked if I ought to leave evening dresses
in York — if she would like to see me in the same garb as in days of yore — I fancied they had a great deal of rain
and mist in the highlands and islands — affectionate letter — Breakfast at 10 1/4 — sent off my letters to 'Mrs. Duffin Micklegate
York' and to 'Miss Maclean of Coll, 5 North Street David Street, Edinburgh' — At 11 20/60 wished Marian good morning,
asked my father to walk with me a little of the way, and set off to the vicarage — to be there at 12 — asked my father
seriously if he had any objection to let off the upper land — if I could please himself, said I had best do so — yes! but said I
have you any objection — no! I had best please myself — well! but I should like to have your opinion and advice — why, he
might not live so long as I, and if anything happened to him, if I pleased myself now, it would be ready — On this, it was
agreed to tell Washington to plan and estimate; and I said I would provide accordingly — I merely wanted 5 percent for the
money laid out in making a farmstead at the Cunnery — my father could see Washington when he (my father) returned
and let me know what he thought — I promised to write in 3 weeks — He had asked how long I should be in York saying
he might perhaps ssee me there but for fear of this I said I might be off on Thursday or any day but at late
st Monday would have my father call there for six pence — parted with my father about 11 40/60 and went down the old bank
not quite 12 so strolled into the church — did not see plates on my pew-doors — at 12 went to the vicarage — Mr. Parker
soon came — signed the agreement for the land for the new church — 2370 yards at 6/. = £710 to be paid 1 August next — Just saw Mr. Musgrave
for a minute or 2 — He came upon entering and shook hands — then and there said a few words about the Northgate lease — I should,
in fact, get the rent 2 months sooner it must be paid on the days fixed, and Mr. Scatcherd must now settle with
Mr. Briggs — Thomas Greenwood ought to pay next midsummer’s rent to me — but Mr. Briggs might agree as he liked —
sat a minute or 2 longer with the vicar — then to the Saltmarshes — Emma Saltmarshe out — had seen Mrs. Briggs at her own door —
She would tell Mr. Briggs I should now have the rent at the day, and he must in future settle all with Mr. Scatcherd said
as they had begun the repairs did not wish to refuse signing the lease — it was my own fault to have let them enter —
had it not been so, it would have been a very different thing — Saw the mail drive down Silver Street — turned down George Street, through the
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