Ch. Ch. 25 July 1840
Dear Bull
Hudson has been with me this morning and represents the difficulty of getting the best Bath stone to be now so great that he can with difficulty get the smallest quantity. The reason is obviously one which will continue to operate during the whole of the next 12 months more forcibly than in any other year from the Creation to the general conflagration viz the construction of the Works of the Great Western Railway in the midst of the Country that supplies the Bath stone. The Railway Engineers sharp fellows and always on the spot will be sure to want and to select for their own use all the best stone that can be got out and if we buy this year we shall only get their leavings and at a price exaggerated for the present year only beyond the normal amount as was the last with [Young?] Barnes Building at Ardington. Is it not prudent therefore to postpone our [conjunction?] of 100 tons of Bath Stone or more, at least for one year? by the end of which the Rail Road will be finished [for?] the extraordinary demand of 1840-41 will have passed away.
Believe me
Truly yours
W. Buckland
You will hear from Barnes respecting Col. Wood's Agent who has been here today we told him the Chapter had long and duly considered the principle of valuing their renewal where [Commutation?] has taken place according to the scale of the [Commutation?] Tables and as they had resolved to make no exception from their Rule in the case of [Enstone?] Dr Barnes and I had no authority and saw no reason to open any discussion of the principle on which Col. Woods fine out to be estimated.
To the Revd Dr Bull
Staverton
Daventry
