Thursday, January 22, 1835

1835

January

Thursday 22

7 3/4

11 40/..

No kiss.

Fine winter’s morning. F 33° at 8 40/.. .

Matthew brought word that Mr. Sunderland is dead – I and the whole house are heartily sorry – I know not any man in his rank of life whose loss will be a greater public loss –

Breakfast from 8 3/4 to 9 35/.., when left Ann with Mr. Washington, and came upstairs – Reading – Then down to S.W- –

Greenwood came at 10 1/2 – Out with him, shewing him the intended Walker Pit road – Very well satisfied – Afraid I should think him presumptuous, or would have said before that he should like to take Northgate house, house and land – Would take boarders – Sure he could make it answer – Could let his shop for 50 guineas a year and get £30 a year for his workshops, and pays £12 per annum for his Shew-rooms = £94.10.0; and he would give me for Northgate house and land £100 a year –

I said could he not give me £110 per annum – No! he would give me £100; but if I could make more of it, begged I would do so – If he had it, would give it up or any part of it whenever I wanted it – He would secure 3 blue votes in letting his own property; these and his own vote and one we might make as I myself observed of his foreman = 5 + Dinniston, Hopwood Lane fields tenant, and John Bottomley = 7 good blue votes –

Mentioned what had passed the other day with Mr. Sutcliffe – If he would give what I had asked the house was let for one year; if not, I would think about his (Greenwood’s) proposal –

Then came home for Ann, and she and I off in 5 or 6 minutes at 11 35/.. Down the new bank – left Ann to go to Whitley’s while I went to Mr. Parker’s – Had met his boy with a note in the new bank to say he Mr. P- would come up to Shibden any time tomorrow if I was not going to Halifax today – Desired the boy to make haste to say I was on the road –

Then met Walton, 1 of the £120 bidders for the Stump Cross Inn – Annoyed, he said, at Crampton (Miss Jenkinson’s James Crampton), who was here (as himself had told Walton) on Monday and told Walton what he had bid etc. etc. Wondered at all this being told to him – I said it had not come from me, and as nobody else knew but Mr. Parker, I thought Crampton must have been merely trying to get out of Walton what he could – I had only to say, that the answer would be given by Mr. Parker tomorrow –

Mentioned all this to Mr. P-, who explained that there had been a sort of juggle on the part of Walton, to get over the head of Crampton – Crampton could not bid more than £110 – said I thought he would be better without the place – Mr. P- to tell him so and console him – Better save his money with Miss Jenkinson a little longer till he could take a better place and better suited to him – Northgate itself would suit him better –

The juggle determined me against Walton, and told Mr. P- I had made up my mind, and gave my answer in favor of Mawson – Mr. P- thought if Grieves should hold out, Ann could eject and get rid of him in a year –

Then joined Ann at Whitley’s – She bought Townsend’s bible arranged chronologically –

Poor Mr. Sunderland died a little before 12 last night –

Home at 1 1/2 – Sat with Ann a little while till William Oates came – I had told Samuel Washington this morning (he saying Oates could not do without the privilege), he might have the 70 square yards for 3 months to lay the soil upon for the consideration of 20/. – To be a written agreement – The man came to say it was too much – Hoped I would take 10/. – Then talked about his carting the soil here for 1/6 per square yard – If he would do this, he should have the privilege for 1/. and I would give him that back again – No! But he would do it for 1/8 per square yard.  I said he might go and see if his carting man would do the job at this price (1/6) and if he would, Oates to call here again in the evening –

He did come again between 5 and 6 – and brought ____ Shepherd with him – After some talking, agreed to let him (Oates) have the privilege for 1/., which I would give him back again on condition of his delivering me the soil at the Low end of the little field at 1/7 1/2 per square yard –Shepherd had come about the Stump Cross Inn – had bid £105 – Said that was like nothing – He was in fact too late – I had already given the answer to Mr. Parker –

Between 2 and 5 1/2 p.m. had been some time with my aunt, much grieved to hear of the death of poor Mr. Sunderland – and Ann and I some time with my father and Marian.. She (Marian) would not be surprised at Rawson’s failure any day –

Then out with Charles Howarth and John Booth –

During the day, read from page xxiv to page 5 of  De la Beche’s Geological notes –

Dinner at 6 – Coffee –

Had Joseph Mann at 7 1/2 (had met him this morning and told him to come) for about (near) an hour – Said I had sent for him to consult him whether, if I stopt the Spiggs Loose, I could bottom the Walker pit – Yes! Thinks I can – I shall get vent from Rawsons –

Asked if it was true that Rawsons had got my coal skirting along to Banksclough Lane head – Yes! Thought it true – Could I turn all the Shibden water upon them – i.e. round the nook of their coal – Yes!  He thought I could – But his brother knew better than he did and he would get him (his brother) to come down here with him – Charged him not to name a word of all this to anyone but his brother –

He says, Keighley has said John Oates and Jack Green have a paper given by my uncle conveying the Spiggs Loose and acknowledging the receipt of £150 – Said I did not believe any such thing – And that if  John Oates knew anything of such a paper he would produce it now, and not wait to let me stop the Loose 1st –

Joseph Mann says there is not above 1/2 DW. of coal loose that we can get at  Walker Pit – 1/2 DW. instead of 2 acres, and that all small from the great weight always lying on all sides by the coal being got all round about it –

Told him my plan of sinking another pit about 60 yards forwards from Walker Pit, and driving 2 drifts up to it, and setting water wheel at Tillyholme stile – He thought the plan very good – Nobody could hinder me of that and when I asked if my coal road would not be almost as good as Rawson’s that is near the bottom of the old bank – Yes! as good almost for the town in general, and better for this end of the town –

Then wrote till 11 40/.., before and after going to my aunt for 1/2 hour till 10 10/.. Wrote all the above of today –

Letter tonight from Mr. Robert Walker, 1 Jones Street Berkely Square. London – The morning Herald always sent punctually from his office – Bill from 1 February to  December 31, 1834 = £8.19.3 –

Very fine winter’s day – F 37° at 10 10/.. p.m. –  

{Joseph Mann said Rawsons had 70 yards to pump their water into the level that disembogues into the dam near Thief bridge, H-x Halifax – their Engine is of 4 horse-power --

On leaving Mr. P-’s office, he said with no small confusion, he had something he thought he ought to tell me etc. etc. It turned out to be that he had a letter of apology from the Editor of the Guardian to be presented to me for the paragraph of last Saturday – Said we (Ann and I) had not annoyed ourselves about it – but did not expect seeing it in the Guardian – Should be satisfied with an apology through Mr. Parker addressed more directly to ourselves –

WYAS Finding Numbers SH:7/ML/E/17/0150 and SH:7/ML/E/17/0151