Wednesday 14th January 1835

No entry today.

[up at] 9 25/..

[to bed at] 11 3/4

no kiss ready at 10 8/.. and breakfast at 10 25/.. –  Adney had had Washington – Had Holt from 11 25/.. to 1 1/4 – told him gently he had too much to do to attend properly to my job – I was grieved about the pit having to stand and grieved about the drifts – feared that at John Bottomley’s would all fall in – oh! dear no – never –then took down in my rough book what he thought ought to be done as follows – Drift in John Bottomley’s land – tail end to be walled 2 feet high with good covers, and 6 inches of puddle at the bottom – for 40 yards length – then lay a threshold (or stopping) and dam the water back for a reservoir, in the bottom of which lay a pipe 1/2 inch bore, 40 yards long or up to the house – wall up the drift at the tail end, and cover over (with a good rag cover that can easily be lifted up if anything wanted to be done at the drift) the vent pit – soil may put on the top of the vent-pit cover – the walling at the tail end of the drift to be done with parpoints (dry walling) 2/. per rood for doing it – (for labour) enough – I to find the stones and carting – Holt had just been measuring off this drift – Length 120 1/2 yards at 3/6 =  [blank]    vent pit 18 1/2 yards at 5/. = [blank]  May and boy taking up level 3 weeks. should not charge more than 4/4 a day for himself and lad and candles then asked him to explain the Walker pit agreement, and desiring to have a written agreement given to me – Holt then explained the agreement to be understood by all parties as follows – Walker pit drift agreed 30 October 1834 to be driven at 4/. a yard worked night and day – to set their own vent, and to find all tools, scoops and picks – and Anne Lister to find flags and vent stones – to be 1 yard or 1 yard + 2 inches high, and to be driven as narrow as possible to set the air (the vent will take 9 inches) – the drift cannot be driven in less than 1 yard 6 inches wide – to wall and arch galls for 4/. a yard Anne Lister finding stone – then shewed him (Holt) the Walker pit agreement saying it was ill drawn up and I wanted to have it clearly explained – agreed 30th October 1834 for ‘the contractor to sink the said pit or shaft upon the soft bed coal, eight feet six inches long and five feet six inches wide, and find tools of every description and gunpowder (except a gin, ropes, tubs, bellows, materials for framing and sheeting, and stone for walling the pit top but the framing and sheeting and the walling to be done by the contractor and included in the price agreed upon that is, 23/. per yard that is to say that all manner of work is to be done by the contractor at the above named price, and a gin horse after the 1st fifty yards which are to be found by Miss Anne Lister) Banksman and gin driver, wimbles, one shift to be worked till the 21st day of March next, after which time 2 shifts per day to be worked till the completion of the said pit which is to be within 12 months from the date hereof, or forfeit the sum of twenty pounds to the said Miss Anne Lister for every month after such time, the 1st 50 yards to be pulled by hand – and the contractor to be paid every fortnight, reserving one third in hand for the 1st 60 yards, after which time the full rate per yard will be paid, should the contractor not proceed in a manner so as to ensure the completion of the work within the time limited, or not do the same in a workmanlike or satisfactory manner, the said Miss Anne Lister to be at liberty to relet the same, and such money as may be in hand to be forfeited to the said Miss Anne Lister and the whole to be done to the satisfaction of Mr James Holt’ – signed Joseph Mann, John Mann, Robert Mann – the above red-ink interlineation is copied from the interlineation written in pencil on the agreement itself from Holt’s explanation at the time – that is at the time he was with me and gave the explanation – (never named to Holt the failure of the well sunk at Whiskum cottage which is already almost filled up again) – Holt said the gin he believed was ready – shewed the Lowmoor prices, Hird Dawson and Hardy, dated 2nd December last – ie. ‘present price for cast iron gins is 12/. per hundredweight – wrought iron for ditto 6d per pound   thinks the gin will not cost £30 – but £22 + more or less – Rim of the wheel ordered 12 feet diameter by 2 feet deep – horse tree 16 feet – the balance beam will be the same length therefore leverage = 32 feet or 32 feet = diameter of circle the horse will go – Gin balk 38 feet long – axletree 10 feet long – will stand, gin balk and all, 12 feet high – then some general talk about coal – its north and south edges are called Ends and its east and west edges Boards thus

then asked what chance Holt had of buying Mr. Walker Priestley’s coal – had the large plan down and Holt shewed me what Mr. Rawson could get – Walker Priestley asks £80 per acre 

for each bed (hard and soft i.e. upper and lower) = £160 per acre for both beds – to be paid in instalments of £80 per annum or more if more got – but will allow a year before beginning to pay – Holt bade £140 per acre – Walker Priestley gave him ten days to consider about it – but Holt told me he would give £160 rather than miss the coal – well! then, said I, if you are so determined, I will take Mrs. Machin’s coal – Holt had told me just before that he had been applied to about it – that they said, they (meaning Mrs. Machin) had 2 applicants Mr. Rawson and myself but he Holt might have a chance – he said he would only buy it for himself and would see about it – but, said he, you shall have it if you like – and that I had better give £40 per acre than miss it – I said I did not want to do anything unhandsome to him – did not want to take it from him – but would take it of him if he liked; and as he would take Walker Priestley’s coal, I would not Mrs. Machin’s for £50 per acre – to be paid (as he had said) by annual instalments – he said he would do nothing without letting me know – very well! said I, but I’ll have the coal – He said Mr. Rawson was determined to get Sammy Hall’s coal – would go upon the 1st agreement and Mr. Hall might sue him if he liked – oh! oh! said I, then Mr. Lewis Alexander on seeing the papers found Mr. Hall could give a power to get the coal during his life, and Mr. Rawson is going upon this and will get all he can – yes! said Holt but if you have Mrs. Machin’s coal and I Walker Priestley’s Mr. Rawson a limited distance below Mr. Hall’s house, and can get no more loose than he has at present – Is it that he cannot get more than about 20 dayworks of Mr. Hall’s coal? – Mr. Hall aetatis about 40 drinks too much (spirits) to live long – but, said I, he  may live 10 years – ‘why, yes! perhaps he may’ – so Rawson will have time for getting more coal than will pay him abundantly – is now making preparations for getting into it as soon as possible – told Holt I hoped he would look better after my job and then I should be satisfied but that I had asked Hinscliffe to come and look after it – so they must both look after it – I cared not who knew all about this job – of course, the rest (about Walker Priestley’s coal and Mrs. Machins) I should not breathe a syllable about – said I joked Hinscliffe and said he was the man Mr. Rawson wanted to buy my coal for him (Rawson) but Hinscliffe always denied it – Holt smiled and said nothing but that he would come regularly every Friday in the morning about or between 10 and 11 as he goes to Binns bottom – Poor Holt! I wish he did not drink – but after all I like him better and trust him more than Hinscliffe – mais nous verrons – Had had Holt from 11 25/..  to 1 1/4 – sat talking to Adney till off to Halifax at 1 50/.. – down the new bank (afraid of ice and slippings down the old bank – but no! good walking that way back) to Mr. Parker’s office – not at home – went to Whitley’s for a little while – met the sexton of the old church – ordered a plan of the pews including the gallery, to be 7/. – walked round by the back lane (George street) by Waterhouse street and Northgate again to Mr Parker’s – paid him £100 Bank of England no. 4345 dated 6 May Leeds 1834 signed J. Butler – Mr. Parker thinks Mr. Sutcliffe would like to stay in Northgate house if we could agree about rent – explained that the house might be let at £80 and I valued the land at £6 per daywork – at any rate wished to reserve the upper field for another Raff yard for Greenwood with a thorough fare into Orange street and a temporary cottage for his foreman – explained why I wished to be very particular in reserving coal etc. and looses in the Staups land – the pews belonging to Staups are mine – Adney’s administration money not yet paid – Mr. Alexander perhaps wishing to plague Adney and her sister as they had plagued the administratrix – ‘and perhaps’ said Mr. Parker ‘the money is not forthcoming’ – I made no particular reply but this observation struck me a good deal – home at 4 1/4 – sat talking to Adney then sealing my letters written last night – dinner at 6 1/4 in 1/2 hour – then came upstairs to do up the shawls in the box directed on the box lid itself and also on a direction card (the card ‘Mr. Wortley’ left) ‘the honourable Lady Stuart Whitehall London carriage paid per Hope coach 14 January 1835.’ – the box off by John at 7 50/.. containing 4 white Alpacca Lama shawls with a pattern  (pointed dark lengths of 4 or 5 inches long) upon them and one darker, the latter and one white for Lady Stuart, 2 white for Lady Stuart de Rothesay and one white for Lady Vere and my letter written on Monday and Tuesday night (2 half sheets full and 1 page and ends of envelope) to ‘the honourable Lady Stuart Whitehall’ and under cover with that 3 pages and under the seal of 1/2 sheet to ‘the Lady Vere Cameron’ and 3 pages and under seal (very small and close) of 1/2 sheet to ‘the Lady Harriet de Hagemann Copenhagen’ the passage respecting Adney written under the seal to Lady Harriet de Hagemann I scratched out entirely, so that no one could make out what it had been  this seemed to give A– [Adney] great satisfaction   she said she should have been canvassed over and she did not like it   ‘my kind regard to Monsieur de Hagemman, and love the children, in all which to yourself and to them, my aunt begs to join me – she often talks of you, and the painless hours she used to spend in Paris – alas! these can never return – but you and I may meet there happily again – [You used to wonder who would be my companion – I think I have provided one whom you will like – she is little and very amiable with a great deal of good sense and good feeling – she is now with me here, and I have never before [been] so comfortable at home.] – Here, or in Paris, or somewhere, I hope you will one day see, I have not forgotten all your kindness at Copenhagen – Adieu! Ever very truly and affectionately yours A Lister’ – the lines between brackets were entirely scratched out – said my aunt suffered very much but as well or better than this time last year and I thought might still continue another twelvemonth that tho’ I still hoped to see her (Lady Harriet) again even if she remained at Copenhagen, I had no idea of the time when – concluded my letter to Lady Vere with ‘tell me if by any chance, Mr. Cameron ever passes by Long Acre – I have sent a pair of shawls to each of the Ladies Stuart fancying I can guess to whom one of each pair will be given – I have sent you but one shawl, not meaning you to think that because Benjamin’s mess was 5 times greater etc. etc. If the weather be not very warm in April, perhaps you may wear me at a breakfast in bed – Ever very affectionately yours AL’ – Sent in the letter bag (would be too late for the post tonight at 8) my letter written last night or rather this morning one 1/2 sheet full, and 1 page of envelope to ‘the honourable Lady Stuart Whitehall’ and enclosed with it my letter 3 pages and under seal of 1/2 sheet to ‘the Lady Stuart de Rothesay’ but under cover to ‘Lord Stuart de Rothesay 3 Carlton house terrace London’ – this last my letter to Lady Stuart was in answer to 3 pages received tonight of common sized letter paper (very kind letter – fearing I was annoyed at her being so long in writing – giving a very indifferent account of herself – spends 1/2 her time in bed with the worst cough she ever had) franked by Lord Stuart de Rothesay together with kind note from Vere thanking me for my letter of Thursday and note from Miss Tate dated 16 November 1835 thanking me for the barrel of little fish sent from Copenhagen last October but one – concluded my letter to Lady Stuart de Rothesay with ‘Lady Stuart told me, the sort of warm shawl I sent her last winter was so useful, and admired, I am venturing to send you one for yourself, if, on some cold day, you will wear it, and one to dispose of as you like best – the inventor and manufacturer of these Alpacca Lama shawls has sent some to London this winter for the 1st time – he is an ingenious man, and one of the tenants of my little friend who travelled with me, in the summer, and who makes no objection to my longer travels that I think of for some time hence – Are the books arranged at Highcliffe? Ever, my dear Lady Stuart, very truly yours A Lister’ – got the box and letter bag off at 7 50/.. – then coffee – then 1/2 hour with my father and Marian – I with my aunt from 9 3/4 to 10 10/.. – thaw (rapid) but fine day overhead – Fahrenheit 43 1/2° at 10 1/4 p.m. – rearranging Adney‘s books taken out of the bookcase this morning – 2 of Greenwoods men here from 10 a.m. to about 3 1/2 p.m. raising the middle part, the floor underneath it having yielded a little from the superincumbent weight of case and books – rubbed her back with spirits of wine and camphor for thirteen minutes till thirty-seven minutes past ten –

[In margin:]

what should be done at John Bottomley’s drift, according to Holt.

cost of the drift 

Walker pit drift agreement – 

Walker pit agreement for sinking

Dimensions of gin.

Walker Priestley’s coal

Mr. Rawson will get Samuel Hall’s coal

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale & SH:7/ML/E/17/0144, SH:7/ML/E/17/0145 & SH:7/ML/E/17/0146