#draft saved April 3rd. not that I have ANY recollection of it

[bramblequeer]

My gender is a little girl making crafts in the sun, every man I’ve ever admired, being a horsegirl in my formative years, faggotry, and hugs.

[anne-lister-adventures]

Thursday, 25 April 1839

8 1/4

12 50/’’ 

Had our hair dressed (Shackleton) A-[Ann] and I from 8 3/4 to 9 35/’’ – Fine but dull morning – At 9 1/4 sent off by George note to ‘Mr. Gray junior Petergate’ written last night, as follows:

“Mrs. Lister will be glad to see Mr. Gray at eleven tomorrow morning – George Hotel. Wednesday evening 24 April 1839”

Breakfast at 10 1/2 to 11 – Then had Mr. Gray till 1 and Mrs. Duffin from 11 3/4 or before to 1 40/’’ – Had only just settled other matters before Mrs. Duffin came respecting will of Eliza Raine

While I went for our wills A[Ann] mentioned signing over her estate to me Mr. Gray to consider about it – what follows wass said in the evening: 

Mr Gray is of opinion A[Ann] cannot sign over to me it would be a voluntary act and might be revoked set aside   and if I bought the property she would have the money to dispose of         

Mrs Sutherlands giving all to her husband a different thing the law considered value received from a husband! 

In short Mr. Gray said the thing he thought could not be done by A[Ann] to me My impression is that he does not wish it to be done or does not wish to do it

I fancy he doubts me a little in this matter    very well it was to be let alone      

Mr. G-[Gray] read over rought draft of codicil to my will giving himself and A-[Ann] a power to sell my property in the township of H-x[Halifax] to liquidate debts mortgage or otherwise – Added a sentence to the colliery letting agreement paper enabling me to send my agents down into the pits, but could devise no means of getting rid of the tenants if they held over, but by ejectment –

Mrs. Duffin brought the letter from me to Mr. Duffin, in 1816, giving a copy of E.[Eliza] R-‘s[Raine’s] will saying it was useless to put Mr. D-[Duffin] to the expense of double postage by sending the original – Mrs. D-[Duffin] also brought some other letters relative to the subject all which we agreed she should now take back with her, and send in a parcel to Mr. Gray another day with a note from herself purporting that she committed these letters to his care, that they might be brought forward if necessary in the event of E.[Eliza] R-‘s[Raine’s] death during my lifetime, to substantiate as far as might be the evidene in favour of the will in my favour –

It was agreed also that I should send Mr. G-[Gray] a copy of my Diary of 28 June 1826 relating to the subject of my giving up the will to Mr. D-[Duffin] and that I should add to my letter the mention of any other circumstances or notes related to the subject that I might find on looking over my papers – I begged Mr. G-[Gray] not to let me according to the vulgar saying ‘throw good money after bad’ but as he agreed and had some chance of success and that I certainly had a leg to stand on”, in fact, a tolerably good chance, I had determined to try the the thing –

It seemed Mr. Jonathan Gray (on his taking the depositions which I am to send to his son and successor the present Mr. William G-[Gray] junior) thought I had some chance of success – I therefore authorized Mr. G-[Gray] to act for me, and in the event of E.[Eliza] R-‘s[Raine’s] death to begin by applying for letters of administration for me, whether I happened to be in England or not –

The income is £220 per annum of which £160 is paid to Dr. Belcombe for board and lodging and attendance at Clifton and £40 to Mrs. Duffin for clothes and any little extra indulgences, and there is a saving of £20 a year which remains in the bank where is now an accumulation of £300 – Mrs. D-[Duffin] seeming to begrudge this annual £20 unaccounted for to the bank out of which however is taken Mr. G-‘s[Gray’s] charge of £1.16.0 per annum for law expenses I proposed that 2 guineas a year should be paid to Mr. G-[Gray] and five pounds to the bank, and the rest to Mrs. Duffin, and that, nobody objecting, I should write to Mr. Robert Swann saying what I meant to do in the event of E.[Eliza] R-‘s[Raine’s] death and that thinking myself likely to come in for the property I proposed the above regulation – Mrs. D-[Duffin] asked what should be done with the surplus £300 – G-[Gray] and I agreed it should remain as it was and nothing be said about it –

Mr. G-[Gray] left us at 1 to come again in the evening at 5 1/2 and Mrs. D-[Duffin] took a glass of wine and biscuit and then walked with us, A-[Ann] and me, to Clifton to see E.[Eliza] R-[Raine] - walked there in 25 minutes (from 2 to 2 25/’’) and staid 1/2 hour – E.[Eliza] R.[Raine] looking fat and well and tidy – better dressed and better looking than I have ever seen her before since her derangement – She was in good humour – Knew me perfectly and drank my health, and seemed, too, as if she recollected A-[Ann] by name when I mentioned her as of Crownest –

In returning, called on Mrs. Henry Robinson – Not at home – Met her afterwards – Called also on Miss Best her sister – At Croft Rectory – Mrs. Duffin left us after having called on Miss Best – We examined the old Saxon arched (dogs tooth?) bordered doorway at Alms Houses near where Mr. Norcliffe’s garden used to be, and then spent above 1/2 hour looking at the exterior of the Minster till 4 –

Then 1/2 hour at Simter’s late Todd’s bookseller Stonegate – Bought two 2d.[2nd] nos.[numbers] of views of York – And handbook of South of Germany and handbook of Athens taken from Stuart’s Athens very nice useful little manual – Then to Bacchus the nursery and seedsman, in Tanner’s row, to inquire about for a gardener – Good kitchen gardener who understands fruit trees – No stoves nor greenhouse nor flowers to attend to – Said he would send a man to speak to me at 10 a.m. tomorrow – Ordered 250 scotch firs at 2/6 per hundred one hundred for A-[Ann] and the rest for myself – 1 ft.[foot] high plants – The man to bring them in the morning ready to go with us – Home at 5 25/’’-

Mr. Gray from 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 – Brought with him Mr. Watson and another who witnessed my signing 3d.[3rd] codicil to my will (vide line 19 of last p.[page] but one) empowering A.[Ann] and G.[Gray] to sell my Northgate property if necessary to pay off mortgage or oth[er debts –

G-[Gray] had looked into A-‘s[Ann’s] will and my own this morning, and saw that A-[Ann] had made me sole executor and trustee with a power to appoint whom I pleased to succeed me in the trust, but failing such appointment Mr. Jonathan G-[Gray] now deceased or his son William G-[Gray] to succeed me – Power to sell certain parts of the estate (in Stainland) given to me – I, too, had not bound A-[Ann], as she had imagined, to live at Shibden Hall but merely to keep it in repair – A-[Ann] and the G-s[Grays] (in succession) appointed co-trustees with A-[Ann] under my will –

A-[Ann] having in the morning while I was out of the room (gone for our wills) mentioned to Mr. G-[Gray] her wish to sign over to me,  he was to consider about it – I had not expected her mentioning and had advised against it for the present persuaded she would rummage herself up and do very well – But as she did mention it, I told G-[Gray] my opinion on the subject very honestly – It might be very well, supposing I had not the power to do mischief – The dispositions of A-‘s[Ann’s] present will to stand good, unless she herself altered them by will – Anxious for her to take all the power left except just so much as would prevent all possibility of interference, in any possible case, from Lord Chancellor or anybody – G-‘s[Gray’s] opinion this evening is, that A-[Ann] cannot sign over – It being a voluntary act, it would be revocable, and \[therefore] would do no good – If it was a deed of sale, she would have to dispose of the purchase money – Thinks the thing cannot be done –

Advises my not writing to Mr. Robert Swann – Thinks I have a pretty good chance –

A-[Ann] and I sat talking – Dinner at 7 – Afterwards A-[Ann] read aloud handbook of Southern Germany article Munich then 1/2 asleep a little while till after 9 – Wrote and gave to George note to go early in the morning to:

“Mr. Gray junior Minster Yard

Mrs. Lister is sorry she inadvertently omitted to ask Mr. Gray what she was indebted‘to him, and also if Miss Walker was at all in his debt – Mrs. Lister will send for Mr.‘Gray’s answer early tomorrow – 

George Inn. Thursday evening 25 April 1839”

At 10 sent George with the hand book to Miss Charlotte Norcliffe to be returned by 11 a.m. tomorrow – We had met her yesterday after leaving Todd’s, and promised to send her the book to look at – I put a paper in at the word Munich with several pencil marks of reference to observe to be particularly noticed –

Dr. Belcombe came at 9 3/4 and staid till 10 1/2 A-[Ann] must live well – But must not over fatigue herself – She will do very well with care – Her constitution weak – Laughed and said I would prescribe for Dr. B-[Belcombe] himself tomorrow – He is to come in the morning As[Ann’s] constitution scrofulous Had tea and sat over it talking till 11 1/4 fine day –

[symbols in the left margin of the page:]      N         ✓c       ✓c       ✓c       +          ✓          ✓         +          N         ✓

[in the left margin:]    this crypt belongs to the evening

[in the left margin:]    Sunday 28 April vide Kearsley’s Tax Tables of this year p.[page] 79 Act passed 10 August last for recovering possession of tenements

Page References:  SH:7/ML/E/23/0028 and  SH:7/ML/E/23/0029