Friday 27 October 1837

Much rain in the night and rainy morning and rather windy and Fahrenheit 42 1/2 at 9 1/2 a.m. and breakfast in about 3/4 hour

Ann off on the older pony to Cliff hill before 11 in spite of the rain

Neither Robert Mann nor any of his men here - nor did I see any masons but Booth's - Booth here some time both in the morning and afternoon - out in the stabling and outbuildings all the day - siding posthouse (2 stall) stable and piling bricks (George Naylor's cart brought 3 loads = 1500 and my own cart, Sam Booth, 350) and siding hay shed and putting in old wainscotting from the posthouse stable - had John and Sam Booth in the morning and Jack Green, who happened to come, and Sam in the afternoon - difficulty in getting the corn winnowing machine into the hayshed - Robert Sharpe took one of the door jambs down and Robert Wharton helped him, at 4 10/60 p.m., and gave the former 9d for the thought and the latter 8d of the shilling for helping and afterwards gave Sam and Jack 6d a piece for hard working

Ann returned about 5 20/60 - I did not come in till 6 20/60 - 10 minutes with Ann then dressed

Felix had his knee swelled - humours coming out - had him turned out into the Park this afternoon for a couple of hours to straighten his legs he has been regularly taken up the last 10 days - Mr. Robert Swallow sent his groom this morning soon after Ann was gone with his creamed coloured pony, about 13 1/2 hands high, ætis between 5 and 6 for Ann to look at - said I would keep the pony till Monday and then communicate with Mr. Swallow

Mr. MacAulay came this evening about 6 3/4 and waited till I had finished dressing he was surprised at a letter he had had from Mr. Wheatley - shewed it me - Wheatley said the cough the brown colt had when purchased was worse, and if not better, the horse would be returned - MacAulay said Wheatley had said before him (MacAulay) and his mother that the horse had no cough when I bought him - and it would take a great deal to persuade him (MacAulay) that the horse had a cough at the time - I very calmly, said I had understood Wheatley that the horse had a cough at the time he was purchased and MacAulay’s groom had likewise mentioned the cough - MacAulay said Wheatley said one thing at Sledhall and another at Shibden hall - I begged MacAulay to let the matter be put entirely to Wheatley to settle - it should not fall at all upon MacAulay and me to settle it - I considered Wheatley to have bought the horse for me, and was professionally paid for the purchase I would not on any account do anything unhandsome about the horse - but would MacAulay give me £23 and take the horse back and lastly said would he buy him of me for £22 - as I thought it would be most comfortable for us to settle the matter that way - MacAulay would rather I sold the horse to someone else - I told him my opinion, that the horse is consumptive, he asked if that was Wheatley's opinion - said I could not tell - but I had told Wheatley that such was my opinion - I said I had put the matter into Wheatley's hands as a professional man (regularly bred veterinary surgeon) and as MacAulay and I could not settle it as I had proposed, I hoped there would be no unpleasant feeling about it - I should be satisfied with Wheatley's arrangement - if MacAulay left the horse with me, I should consider it under Wheatley's medical treatment - if the horse recovered, he was mine - if not he would be proved to be unsound, and I should consider him Mr. MacAulay’s - MacAulay made an attempt to lead me into saying the horse did not suit me - but I said he would suit if he was sound

Dinner at 7 35/60 on MacAulay’s going coffee at 9. Ann read French and then the principal news - came upstairs at 10 50/60 at which hour Fahrenheit 37 1/2 - very rainy day.

It struck me MacAulay had seen his attorney - brother partner with Mr. Stocks and that he would so be off taking the horse back if possible - he said he should have a very different of Wheatley in future  MacAulay looked very pale and nervous on his errand; and it seemed as if my especial calmness and civility of manner had perforce kept off what even might have been disagreeable - I told him the horse had been bought against my own judgment but mentioned Mark Hepworth's high opinion and praise of the horse and valuing him at £30 - I could only hope I myself was mistaken but if I was not, the horse would prove unsound - MacAulay said he would never warrant another - I mentioned my purchase of Felix and said I would never buy a horse without his being warranted - It was not gentlemanly in MacAulay to come here about the selling of the horse, to surfaire and get 1/2 Wheatley's premium on purchase - MacAulay gave Wheatley 10/- I as Wheatley had told me should have paid 20/-, it was not gentlemanly to come to me about the horse being returnable the matter being left to Wheatley Mr. MacAulay is an apothecary - this horse business would not incline me to employ him in preference to all others of his brotherhood - till 11 25/60 wrote all the above of today.

WYAS: SH:7/ML/E/20/0151 & SH:7/ML/E/20/0152