| Description | [Diary Transcription]
88
1837
April Saturday 22
7 1/2
12 25/..
Slept in the Kitchen chamber as since the 11th instant — ready in an hour — finish morning but dull —
breakfast at 8 3/4 — A- [Ann] read French — out — about — drizzling — with Robert Mann about the cesspool and
with Ingham about the Laundry Court wall — Mr. Harper here about 10 or soon after — determined
to the final setting out of the laundry court till Mr. Gray’s coming — Messrs Holt and Samuel Washington
came — about 11 — Robert’s Byewash 4 inches below the sill of the clow where the
water is taken into the Meer, and 12 inches lower than the weir — just heard this from Samuel Washington and then left
Mr. Harper with them — backwards and forwards with A- [Ann] in the North parlour — Mr. Harper came to
us about 12 — Explained — It seems that, leaving the Bywash as it is, I can draw 3 feet 6 inches
of water — with an 11 inch plank across the bywash — or rather a 12 inch plank (raising the byewash
to the level of the weir) I could draw, supposing the banks sufficient, 4 feet 6 inches — but the mistake
in in the Meer-drift — the bottom of the level pit (in John Oates’s field) is right — and the fall
from there to the wheelrace 1 foot 4 inches is right but the fall from the level pit to the Meer-drift
head is 1 foot 5 inches instead of 8 inches ∴ [therefore] there is a mistake a loss of fall of 9 inches in this
part of the drift —
Present draw 3. 6 1/2
With plank }
at the byewash } 4. 6 1/2 + 9 inches lost in the drift = 5 feet 3 1/2 inches possible draw.
So it seems the fault is in Joseph Mann’s driving — Mr. Harper calculates
that if I took up the nine inches of level lost that, at that depth in the Meer, I should not
gain an area = 1/2 the superficies of the Meer — taking the superficies at
2 acres say 10,000 superficial square yards 10,000/2 ÷ 4 (that by quarter of a yard in depth) = 1250
but Mr. Harper said I should not gain more than about 500 yards cube of water —
But he thought the level might be taken up by slipping the bottom stone 1 by 1
from the under the arch walls and under-pinning — This should be done for 5/. a rood or
less — from Meer-drift head to level pit = 160 yards long all walled and arched —
Saw Joseph Mann — told him where the mistake was — he declared he worked according
to order — Messrs Husband and Oates had fixed the peg for the level for him to drive to — Mr. Harper thought
he had levels given him — but that at all rates he knew he was only to have 2 feet
of fall in the whole line (one foot on each side of the level pit as he said — It
should have been 1.4 from level pit to wheel race and 8 inches in the other part) and that he ought to have
taken care not to have more — Holt told Mr. Harper he (Holt) had given Joseph Mann a
paper of levels to work by — Joseph Mann declared he had never had any such paper — I told Mr. Harper
after he had seen Joseph Mann this morning that I myself believed he Joseph Mann had not any such paper of levels —
Mr. Harper had told Mr. Husband he ought to have seen to the proper driving of this drift —
No! said Mr. Husband ‘Indeed he would not dirty his clothes for no thanks’. I merely observed that he
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1837
April
V
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might have desired Holt to see it properly levelled — But Mr. Harper himself must have been
struck with Mr. Husband’s impertinence as he was yesterday morning when Mr. Husband told him he ‘Should be glad
to work for him but would not for £500 a year work for me!’ Holt’s remark some time ago, that
set a a beggar on horseback etc. might have escaped him perhaps this morning more directly
applied than before — what a pother all this has been to all sides! I told Mr. Harper I was glad
the matter was no worse — I should say no more about it — I told Joseph Mann I felt sure he had done as
well as he could and I should find no fault — paid Mr. Harper £3.10.0 being the balance of his private
account for commissions done for A- [Ann] and me — he will come over about next Tuesday week for an afternoon
on his way to Lancashire if Mr. Gray can come with him, or of he can find Mr. Gray here —
He had Holt the Engineer just before going away with another estimate of the Steam Engine —
would do it for £10 less for me than anybody else — for £10 less than he had done one for anybody
but Mr. Harper could not come at his having done for Holt for £30 less than for A- [Ann]. I said I would
get Holt to let me copy the agreement he had made for his engine, and have Mr. Harper
to settle the matter — Holt the Engineer made very fair proposals for doing the Corn-mill
Machinery — Mr. Harper to choose a foreman for the work and Holt to pay him — Bligh
received from Mr. Harper all orders for the house work and is to keep an account of the time and work
of the joiners — Booth to keep the time and work account or Edward for him of the masons —
Mr. Harper went away between 3 and 4 — Joseph Mann still here — had come to speak to me about his
wife’s nephew as a labouring man — said I would give 15/. per week and cottage to a good steady man
who suited me, but no more — and if he did not live in my cottage I should still give only 15/. per
week unless it should be some little additional for something extra as going to the post — time should be mine
from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. — John Booth here at all hours and always was — wrote 2 hurried ppages
to M- [Mariana] — had sat down twice before in the morning but called — sorely grieved not to have been
able to write sooner — would give her books the best security here I could during my absence — That is
I would take them in and answer for them as well as I could considering that I should probably be so much absent —
advised her calling a meeting of the Subscribers to her projected School of Industry at
Leamington, stating her case, and taking the opinion of the subscribers as to what to do —
when not independent, prudent to avoid as much as possible all unnecessary responsibility —
Sent off George about 4 with my Letter to ‘Mrs. Lawton Claremont house Leamington Warwickshire’
and with the Quarto volume account (sent to me the other day) of the Glasgow Peel-dinner directed to
‘Copley Brown Esquire West Field with Mrs. Lister’s compliments and thanks’ — then out about
a little and then sat cozing with A- [Ann] till after 6 — dressed dinner at 6 1/2 — tea — read the newspaper —
wrote the whole of the above of today till 10 20/.. at which hour Fahrenheit 38° Spring light showers frequently during the day —
wet and disagreeable day for stirring out; and A- [Ann] staid quietly at home —
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