Item 116 - Surveyor's Bill and Legal Dispute at Horne Court Manor

2 items, paper, pinned.

Bill for surveyance work carried out between July 1869 and December 1871 regarding the new buildings at Horne Court Manor Farm.
Work includes journeying to Horne Court with Richard Freeman, builder, and looking over the buildings and arranging plans for new farm buildings and labourers' cottages. Also examined the qualities of the clay which could be brought to the estate for making bricks and pipe-tiles. Cost includes expenses.
Also interviewed and conferred with Richard Freeman and Robert Woodbine, brickmaster about the quality of bricks and tiles being made on the estate and their probable cost, and arranged terms with Mr Woodbine to burn bricks and tiles, and informing Dr Corrie of all these developments, including sending him the plans.
Dr Corrie then forwarded on a letter from Mr Haines with a long report about the new plans proposed by Mr Stenning for the farm buildings, including important alterations for the College to consider. Bidwell then had a meeting with Dr Corrie to discuss this, and they went down together to inspect the farm and the proposed site for the new buildings, as well as examining Woodbine's bricks and the farm more generally. After further correspondence with Mr Haines, Bidwell wrote to Mr Woodbine pointing out that his bricks and tiles were not made and burnt properly, and arranged for someone to go down to Horne Court to examine them.
Bidwell also wrote to Dr Corrie re, the General Land Drainage and Improvement Co. doing the work at so high a cost per acre, and forwarded this correspondence to Company and their engineers, Messrs Bailey Denton & Co.
Sent Lindall and Loft to Godstone for four weeks to sort the bricks and tiles.
In 1871, Bidwell engaged in long correspondence with Messrs Rickett Smith & Co., Godstone, re. the coals they supplied to Mr Woodbine for burning the bricks, and eventually managed to show them that they had no legal demand against the College. Much of this correspondence was forwarded to Dr Corrie.
Dispute with Woodbine and payment for poor bricks escalates into a legal case between Woodbine and the College. Correspondence between Bidwell and Mr Richardson, Woodbine's solicitor. Bidwell receives draft appointment of arbitration, and prepares statement for Messrs Francis Webster and Riches in defence of the college. Following many interviews and much correspondence, Woodbine abandoned the case.
Total cost of Bidwell's work, £38 16s.