Tuesday 31 October 1837

Rainy morning Fahrenheit 40 at 9 5/60 and breakfast in about 1/2 hour

Out in the outbuildings - Culpan's son and another bricklayer and a lad or 2 began walling off the coach house from the present cowhouse

A gleam and rode her pony to Cliff hill at 10 1/2 or near 11

About 11 had Mr. Wheatley - shewed me Mr. MacAulay’s answer to his letter respecting the horse - Wheatley agreed with me Mr. MacAulay seemed to have consulted with his attorney brother - Wheatley said the horse had not coughed during the 10 minutes or 1/4 hour he rode him on trial - I explained what had passed on MacAulay’s calling here on Friday - Wheatley said I had him too much - Wheatley thought MacAulay’s letter to him ungentlemanly - Wheatley to come this evening or tomorrow about 8 when he would hear the horse cough - if he thought him not  sound, to give me a certificate of his unsoundness and I to send the horse back by George - if the horse not taken in, to be left at an adjoining public house and sold by auction in a week from that time I bringing an action against MacAulay to recover the remainder of the purchase money - said I should consult Mr. Parker as my attorney in the business

Had Booth (David) in the little breakfast room at the time Washington came looking over Engine Holt's plan of Engine house - returned to Booth and had him till 2 calculating about this and worsted mill according to Engine Holts plan - Engine Holt sent while David Booth was with me a sort of written agreement (not an estimate such as I expected) to be signed by both parties - £100 to be paid on delivery of the engine - and the rest on its commencing working - of course I shall agree to this excessive promptitude of payment

On calculating and estimating for the worsted mill (20 frames - 3 floors and about 1/2 a floor partly below ground - building 29 yards 1 foot long and 12 yards wide within) it appeared that allowing £150 for shafting and gearing, the outlay will be £1000

David Booth mentioned Mr. Isaac Haley of Northowram as a person likely to take the mill - I said if it was not let for £20 per frame (20 x 20 = £400 per annum) it would not pay me

Then had Joseph Mann - ordered Booth cold meat &c., dinner, in the servants hall, and left him and Joseph Mann to settle some little charges due to Hainsworth, and Dobson for the stone

Then out - about - during the few minutes of gleam that occurred 2 or 3 times

Came in at 4 - dressed - Ann returned soon afterwards - a few minutes with her - then till 7 looking over bureau-drawers in the blue room, and arranging my leases &c. - mean to look into Hainsworth stone agreement and add up what quantity of stone he has got before paying his bill on Saturday

Dinner at 7 10/60 - coffee at 8 - Ann reads French and looked over the Halifax paper while I read the London then wrote (downstairs) all the above of today till now 9 50/60

About 4 1/2 p.m. Ann and I and the servants all saw Mrs. Graham in her balloon, was to ascend at 3 p.m. from the Piece hall, over Hipperholm - might be 400 or 500 yards high? the parachute like a black speck

At the mention of the mill just before dinner she again had nothing to say and I went upstairs and was silent all dinnertime but all tolerably right by degrees afterwards

Ann pulled off the pitch plaster from her stomach in bed last night having worn it about a fortnight to her great discomfort - but perhaps it has done her good?

Then read from page 158 to 201 volume 6 Indian Antiquities - sat talking about going abroad about 20 January

Letter tonight from Mr. Clough - declines giving William Rennie any character at all as he left Mr. Clough of his own accord to go abroad with a gentleman as valet therefore Mr. Clough refers me to this nameless gentleman

Ann thought that if we got rid of the 2 new horses, we might take George and do without footman till the time mentioned

Rainy day - very rainy and windy all last night - calm and fair now at 11 40/60 p.m. and Fahrenheit 38

WYAS: SH:7/ML/E/20/0153

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