Monday, January 19, 1835

 

1835

January

Monday 19

9 10/..

11 3/4

No kiss.

Ready in an hour – Fine morning.  A good deal of snow fell during the night, that we are, as it were, in  Lapland again – F 33 3/4° in my study now at 10 10/.. a.m., at which hour, breakfast in an hour –

Then looking at the pedigree and setting Ann to copy the arms till 11 5/.. –

Then had Miss Jenkinson’s James (James Crompton) about the Stump Cross Inn for about an hour till 12 1/4 –

Told him I should not send answer to Mr. Parker till Thursday night – But that his (James Crompton’s) ticket was not among the number I was considering about – His bid was not high enough –

He put £10 to it making £111 per annum – Said if he made is bid £120 per annum I would take it into consideration, but could not say more –

He hoped I would not think merely of the highest bidder – No! said I, if I take the highest I shall not take £120 – There is something considerable bid more than that –

Asked what side of politics he took – Blue, he and all his family, and if he had had 100 votes, would have given them all to Wortley – Said I did not wish to influence anyone unfairly, but was anxious to have all my people conscientiously of my own way of thinking in politics –

Could only say, he had better think the thing over and give his answer to Mr. Parker in time –

Then at 12 1/4 had Hinscliffe – He came to say he could make nothing of the Keighleys – they said they were secured by their papers for looses and everything – Well! said Hinscliffe, then you must come upon those you purchased the coal of to make all good – You must come upon them for damages – Keighleys said they would sell me the coal – Hinscliffe told them he thought I had enough of my own – But if they heard from me that I was willing to treat for it, he would meet them tomorrow – If they heard nothing from me by tomorrow they were to conclude, I did not want to purchase – And he would see them on Saturday –

He is for my stopping the loose – They say, if I do, I shall stop myself (Walker Pit) too – Hinscliffe thinks not – Walker Pit will be on the upper level – The water will not reach it, and I shall be able to get the 1 1/2 to 2 acres of coal if I do stop the Spiggs Loose – Impossible to drive the level so dead but that there will be 10 yards gained between Ship-in Pit and Walker Pit – But if the worst comes, I can carry down my vent from the drift the Manns are now driving in pipes to the bottom of Walker Pit – Will have to carry down about 60 yards –

Asked if I could do it for 5/. per yard – Yes! and less – Perhaps for 3/. per yard and the boards (inch boards would do) would be worth something afterwards – Besides, said he, you may keep the water up for 6 months, and then lower it a little afterwards if you like – and if Rawsons have made a trespass, it is sure to find them – This body of water, he said, lying up against my coal, would be a protection to it – and if Rawsons had made a trespass, or had even got the coal in the waste, and thus taken away the barrier, the water would reach them and they would have it all to pump – They would find it out by and by – It would incommode them very much – I then said, they would have incommoded me if they could, and I did not see why I might not incommode them –

Now that he (Hinscliffe) had put this idea into my head of protecting my own coal by the barrier of water, I was glad the Keighleys would not agree – Begged him not to say anything more to tempt them to agree – Well, he thought I had given them every fair opportunity and he would therefore tell them on Saturday that whatever happened they had not me or him (Hinscliffe) to blame – They asked for the paper (vide p. 269) I gave him, and he left it with them –

He said Samuel Holdsworth would do nothing (that is, would agree to pay nothing to me) – While speaking of Mr. Rawson’s  having all this Shibden water against him, said I heard he was going to get Mr. Samuel Hall’s coal immediately – And asked if this water would not be against him – Yes! Very much –

Said I knew nothing but from common report – But I sometimes went to the top of the hill, for the farm where Joseph Hall lived was mine – What was that farm mine?  Hinscliffe did not know that –

He then asked if Mrs. Machin had not some land there – And somehow (not at all bunglingly), contrived to ask me if I was about buying the coal – Thought I – This is good – Surely this is well done for Rawson – Said (apparently very off hand), I think I have coal enough – But one of Mrs. Machin’s daughters came to me about it, to ask if I would buy it, and I told her – Very well! I would think about it – I would bid for the farm itself if it was for sale – but I would let them know – I had therefore sent Washington, to bid what I thought the coal worth, but they thought it so much too little, I had not troubled my head about it since – I wonder what Holt had done about it – What Hinscliffe said about throwing all the Shibden water onto  Rawsons, seemed against them –

This inquiry about Mrs. Machin’s coal makes me think of the several other very little things which have led me to fancy he was fishing for information for Rawsons –

Joseph Mann came in to say they should want rails – Theirs would be done tonight – Hinscliffe said he would lend us a few, and have 2 tons of new ones ready – Said Farrer has about as many ready cast but asks £9 per ton – Stocks pays him this price – Rather heavier rails than some, and will not reach not quite, so told Hinscliffe that even if I did stop myself, I had only to sink another pit nearer this way about 1/2 way between Walker Pit  and the Allen car and leave a sufficient barrier of coal, and then I could loose myself without trouble –but told him I thought £16 ready money would tempt Farrer;  if not, to give him a few shillings more –

Hinscliffe staid till 1 50/.. though he was to dine at 2 at Ann’s Shibden Mill rent day.

Then a little while with Ann – poorlyish – And siding letters back into letter drawer when Mr. Sutcliffe and his daughter and little granddaughter came about Northgate house –

Had kept him waiting 10 minutes to speak to William Oates of Crossfield, Albion Street, who wants the privilege to lay soil and stones on my Northgate land adjoining for 2 months while he builds 6 cottages to back up  against my land – Would pay any reasonable damages and give me the soil for letting him lay it on my ground – Will want about 60 or 70 square yards to lay his stuff on – Wanted an answer tomorrow – Said I would give it as soon as I could, but could not so soon as tomorrow – Said he should have let me know sooner – If the land to let would take it – talked of £4 per DW. – I said that was no price –

But would I sell any – No! He could get me 6/. a yard for it though his was bought of Mr. Kershaw at 5/. per yard for Hird and Company’s (Low moor Company) Coal Staith – Very civil to Mr. Sutcliffe and his daughter – He said he did not want the land – I said that would suit me very well – Said the house and buildings were valued at £85 per annum but I had mentioned to Mr. Parker that I would take £80 – and set the land at £6 per DW – If I let the place on lease for  some years would not take less than £120 per annum – But not anxious about letting – My plans about the house uncertain – Then said if a good Inn was wanted I would rather make the house into one than dispose of it in any other way – Mr. Sutcliffe to talk with and make his proposals to Mr. Parker –

Told Mr. Sutcliffe I was glad he had given Mr. Wortley a plumper – Mr. Sutcliffe left me at 4 20/.. after having had wine and biscuits and gingerbread –

Then a little while with Ann, then finished arranging letter drawer –

Dinner at 6 10/60 – Coffee – 1/4 hour with my father and Marian and we came upstairs at 7 25/.. – Then till 8 3/4 wrote the all but the first 2 1/2 lines of today –

Cordingley who had been ill this fortnight went to her sister’s this afternoon for change of air – Matthew drove her in my father’s phaeton –

1/2 hour with my aunt till 9 50/..

Fine winter’s day till about between 12 and 1.  Afterwards, small snow flying about a few light snow showers, and wildish wintry cold day – F 35° now at 9 50/.. p.m. –

WYAS Finding Numbers SH:7/ML/E/17/0148 and SH:7/ML/E/17/0149