THE COTTENHAM ESTATE 151 



to 1892, was 616 9s. 6d. The gross rental received 

 at this date amounted to 116 4s. on the whole 

 estate. 



The original idea of the company was to resell 

 the land in small lots on the instalment system. 



None of the local men, however, who w r ere 

 anxious to get on to the land would buy at the 

 company's prices, which they considered above the 

 value of the land to them. There were, however, 

 a large number anxious to rent it. 



The only purchaser was a stranger to the district, 

 a North- Country man named Atkinson, who had 

 been a joiner and was fond of gardening. 



He arranged to buy on the deferred payment 

 system : 



s. d. 



9 acres of pasture land at ^70 ... 630 



2 acres of arable at ^50 100 



The house 80 



Making a total of ...^810 



He paid 180 Os. 8d. deposit, and the remaining 

 629 19s. 4d. was to be repaid, with interest at 

 4 per cent., in thirty years. This amounted to 

 36 5s. per year. 



In 1892, however, a fresh arrangement was made 

 with Atkinson. Up to that time he had paid off 

 34 8s. 10d., leaving 595 Os. 6d. of the principal 

 unpaid. 



He now undertook to pay a perpetual rent at 

 8 per cent, on 595 Os. 6d. instead of the half- 

 yearly instalments of 18 2s. 6d. (which included 



