Wednesday, January 20, 1836

1836

January

Wednesday 20

8

12 50/..

No kiss.

F 35 1/2° at 8 50/.. and fine morning, and went to Mr. Husband and shewed him Booth’s Estimate of doing up Mytholm Cottages, and gave Mr. H- back his own plan of the cottages and proposed alterations – He to meet Booth and Mallinson and Joseph Mann on the spot at 8 1/2 a.m. tomorrow and settle with them –

Breakfast and talking to Ann till 10 3/4, then out till 5 40/.. – With Mallinson and his boy at farmyard gates fitting and hanging and with Robert Mann + 3, who began again at the Lower fish pond – excavating in continuance of the walk (on the South side) through the old road, across the valley, into the Little field and upper Land – The stuff barrowed on to the Lower fish pond north embankment so as to bring the slope down to the water’s edge and leave no walk as I at 1st intended – Wanted another man, the barrow run so long, so had Robert + 4 in the afternoon –

Mark Hepworth carting stuff from Whiskum quarry and Frank carting back the wall stone from there that had fallen down from the field above –

Had Joseph Mann before 12 on his return from Low moor, where he had been this morning to order 5 tons of iron rails (tram rails).  The people asked £10 per ton, but Joseph got them down to (for ready money) £8.15.6 per ton at the foundry – A ton to be ready tomorrow afternoon and Mark Hepworth to fetch them for 3/6 – The Low Moor company would have charged 5/. per ton for carting to here –

With Robert Mann and company till noon – then, Holt being gone down to Listerwick cabin, went to him there – Talked over the Walker Pit stopping business – Holt agreed that boring 3 or 4 whimble holes on the rise side the Godley engine pit would take all the water and dry the pit (Walker Pit) again, so that we could go on pheying to the face of the coal – Very well, said I (as we walked along), then I will bring no action.  I had rather have the water come in the Godley field than not –

Looked at the Spiggs loose – Then walked to Salterley mill – Great deal of dead water in the dam, and still loses a little into the old coal works below it, but will make itself up in time – Had not stuff enough to fill up the dam to its proper level, so that there should not be so much dead water, which is now 3 feet deep and more in places – The tail goit driven dead level, and the water sinks through into the old works – Cannot be helped but by carrying it through in pen-troughs of wood or iron (wood surely on account of the chalybeate of the water) –

Went into the mill and the pie-man shewed us the wheel just put up (began going on Monday afternoon) by Messers Henry Bates and son – 27 foot drain with 6 feet of breast – Steam on at present, which made it run so steadily – If water enough, the wheel would have 20 horse power – The steam engine a very nice little one of 5 horse powe.

In returning, Holt explained to me the best way for Samuel Holdsworth to loose his coal – but will do nothing till he can get all the Spiggs concern into his own hands – The company at present ‘thrang, quarrelling, and cheating one another’ – They talk of driving under the road and through a corner of what they call new land (more recently than the rest taken in from the waste) belonging to Staups in virtue of a sale by somebody to Woodheads (before Stocks had anything to do with them) and from the Woodheads to Greenwoods and from them now in the hands of Mr. Hodgson of the 4 mills – Yes! said I, but I shall look into this – They must prove their title good before I let them drive in that way –

But it would be a straighter line to drive through a corner of Emmett’s land (for which Emmett would charge £500 Holt told me some time ago) or still better to agree with me and drive through a corner of mine – Yes! said I, but I shall want £500 too – Said Holt ‘If it was mine, I would have an acreage – Mr. Waddington makes us pay £10 per acre for all we loose – This loose here would loose 200 D.W.  I made no particular answer – But, thought I, 200 X 10 (even supposing me to get £10 per D.W. instead of only £10 per acre) 200 X 10 = £2000 which getting 2 DW per annum would be paid after the rate of £20 a year for 100 years and if I had £500 down I could make at least 10 per cent of it in building at Northgate – ⸫ no comparison between £500 down and £2000 paid in 100 years or in 1/2 that time –

Walked back with Holt as far as the Lodge – He is to come to see Ann at 4 p.m. tomorrow –

Then went up to Whiskum quarry – Frank there – Then a little while with Booth at the Lodge – then at the Lower fish pond again till came in at 5 40/.. –

Dressed – Dinner at 6 1/4 – Coffee – 1/2 hour with my aunt till 9 25/.. – Then with Ann –

F 39 1/2° at 10 40/.. p.m.  Fine day.

 

WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/E/18/0164