Saturday 6 April 1839
A little of the snow of yesterday left sprinkling over the ground - fair, dull morning Fahrenheit 38 inside and 36 1/2 outside at 9 a.m. breakfast at 9 1/4 to about near 10
Afterwards with Ann and about in the house ordered doorway breaking out from the entrance passage South door into the hall - had Booth who dined here and then went to Halifax, followed Mosey whom we had just had with his estimates of Ann's guards and the walk pallisading - Mosey said William Keighley had done nothing about the 50 larch posts ordered by Ann and it would be better to have them cut out of large stuff - therefore Booth went to see if William Keighley would have no objection to give up the order - (no! none at all, was afterwards the answer)
Ann had had before 12 her Lower Crownest tenant Mr Hirst - she said she would repair the barn doors, but thought he ought to pay a little more rent - no! he could not pay more rent - had applied to Mr. Jones to get Sir Joseph Radcliffe to lower the rent, and Mr. Jones had said he would mention it but did not know whether it would be done or not - no! he would leave the farm rather than pay more rent - I quietly observed that I thought each side had better think about it between this and the rent day - If he was in Ann's place, I thought he would probably think as she did that the farm might bear some advice - he owned that she might get tenants who would pay more
It was 12 1/2 when we had despatched Hirst Mosey and Booth - then sat with Ann while she had a little roast mutton from the servants hall table and a glass of wine, and left her to lie down - left her lying down - on the sofa in her sitting room
Off to Halifax about 1 down the Old Bank to Mr. Parker's office - 1/4 hour there - told Parker and Adam Miss Walker was quite satisfied about paying for Lee Lane 1 July, Marion to take the rent up to that time that is the rent paid at midsummer = £8, and no further agreement necessary - Parker would get the Water Lane mill rent this afternoon and send it this evening which he did - the front of Hinton's house in Hatter's Street not yet let - Casson's joiner's shop not to let, he still keeps possession and means to remain there in spite of all his valuing and talk of going - George Robinson's lease of the tanhouse not yet signed - 2 letters in answer about the navigation stock - one yesterday that they knew of no shares sold lately, but would look round the market - one this morning that they could perhaps sell at £432 that would be £430 into Pocket - I said Ann would sell at this price - Mr. Abbott's window blocking agreement in the hands of Mr. Abbott Parker had written him that he had no doubt he would be accommodated about the drain - I said again this afternoon I would take off my top water - Desired Shaw's lease to be as short as possible and got ready as soon as possible - Desired Mr. Day to say what his terms would be for plotting out the Northgate land before he was employed - I would not have another Bull-job - Parker said Day had said they sometimes charged nothing at the time but did all that was required in measuring off, and had a percentage when the ground was sold - I desired this per centage might be stated, and thought it would be better not to pay in this way - Day had also said that they charged 2 guineas a Day for the time they were employed - I desired it might be stated how long a time would be required
Then to Suter's for the camphorated spirit of wine for Ann and to Whitley's and ordered for her, en cadeau, Walker's Classical Pronouncing Dictionary octavo - then to Roper's to look at Milner's safety boxes for deeds and papers - then by Waterhouse Street to the St. Anne's Street Northgate new road - a good job - walked up the land - saw the top-court great doors broken down - and a window still looking into my ground that I understood had been blocked - (on getting home gave Booth orders to build a wall up against it immediately) - Greenwood came to me for a minute or 2 - I just told him I had some thought (my mind not quite made up) of levelling the ground up to the street Northgate ready for building - he said it would be very expensive and I should not sell it for any more - he would advise me not to do it - I merely said I should not do it, unless it suited my convenience
Returned up the Old Bank and ordered and was measured for by Matthew Booth pair of strong leather boots to be done by this day week - went straight to Listerwick and there at 2 1/2 - the engineer had been there and Joseph Mann had gone to seek Holt - Robert Mann and William Lord and Jack Green digging foundation (begun this morning) of Colliery lowside (against the road) wall
Home about 3 - Shaw's 2 men gone - had finished laying on the 1st. coat of plaster this morning on the bits they have had to do - Booth's 2 men (Edward and the other) and a lad here - at the doorway from the passage into the hall - Booth himself soon came - long talk about building at Northgate - he thinks 10 houses (shops) might be completed at £500 a piece - he would have no front entrance but thro' the shop, and would allow 7 yards of frontage per house - I mentioned my idea of doing all the carting at least with his one team and two of my own - would have George there with a boy under him - would buy all my own timber by the ship load at Hull - e.g. next back-end when the Baltic ships come in - would cut and lay up the wood to season and then build leisurely about 2 houses per annum to be let as soon as finished - Booth said they said the ground was worth £4 per yard 7 yards frontage x 20 = 140 x 4 = £460 at 5 per cent = £23 + 10 per cent on £500 of outlay or £50 = £73. If the houses would let at this rent they would pay, but they would not pay on any terms less good - the houses to be cellar-kitchened - double houses - shop and back parlour - 2 floors over these, and garret
Mrs. Carter of Landymere came wishing to speak to Ann she waited above an hour when I went into her - Samuel Washington had told she must give him an answer speedily whether she would pay £15 a year more rent or not - she had much to say - wondered what she had done to give offence I said I knew of nothing she had done to give offence but supposed captain and Mrs. Sutherland had merely been looking into things and thought her farm would bear raising - Ann by and by came, and spoke to her - I had asked her to drink tea with Oddy, and she did so
Then walked with Ann in front of the house 1/4 hour or 20 minutes - then about till after the 1/2 hour bell rang - dressed - dinner at 7 10/60 Ann read French
Looked into tonight’s paper - Coffee wrote the above of today till now 11 1/2 p.m. finish dullish day - Fahrenheit 36 1/2 inside and 29 1/2 outside
Mr. Ramsden of Jumples left Parker and Adam as I arrived there - had desired Parker to tell Ann his church was now done - she had talked of taking pews for her farms in that country - but it seems they are to be rented not purchased - I said I had not heard Ann say anything about it but hardly thought she would think of renting pews for her tenants who might after all prefer the Methodist meeting house - I think Parker said he fancied the rent would be 5/- per sitting
Note from Mr. Charles Norris, tonight, apology for requesting 'I would ascertain if the Waterhouse charity cup, belonging to the late Mr. Lister as governor for the township of Southowram be amongst the family Plate, as Mr. Charles Norris was requested at a late meeting of the trustees, to procure the cups for the different governors who were not in possession of them for the respective townships that same request made to Ann as the cup for the towns of Hipperholme is not to be found copy of clause in the will of the late Mr. Waterhouse relating to these cups' 'I give to the said my trustees and devisees each of them 20/- to buy a silver cup with for every one of them one, with these words engraven on each of them, to wit 'the legacy of Nathaniel Waterhouse' - and I will, that when any of the said trustees, or any hereafter to be by them named, die, his cup, so dying, shall be delivered forthwith after his death, to him that is chosen in his stead, so that the 16 trustees may for ever have the said cup' - I know of none of my family that ever had one of these cups except my great uncle Japhet from whom it descended to my uncle Joseph Lister et sequitur -
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