Letter – Robert Hayton – 14 Apr 1808

								Nenthead 14th. April 1808

Hon. Masters,

      I am under the painful necessity of addressing you at this time, respecting a disagreement betwixt Mr. Dodd & me. I will fairly & truly relate this circumstance and leave it to you to judge whether I am deserving of being dismissed from your employ for such a trifle. The old Day-Book that I enter’d the Gunpowder & Candles into when I deliver’d them to the Workmen at Your Magazine, being filled up, I asked Mr. Dodd for another; but their being none in his Office proper for the business, he gave consent for one to be ordered of the Stationer at Alston. I accordingly order’d one, & gave him a ruled paper to make it by. Whether he misunderstood my meaning, or he wilfully transgress’d his orders, I don’t know; but when the Book came it turn’d out to be twice as large as was intended. The first time I went to the Office after it came, Mr. Dodd fell upon me and called me all the scurrilous & awkward names he cou’d possibly invent, as if I had been solely to blame in the matter. I was very much hurt by such abuse & ill treatment, and knowing myself clear of the charge, I begun in a very cool way to prove myself innocent: But he wou’d hear no reason, and kept calling me worse & worse, till I began to reply to some of his expressions with some degree of warmth. At length he got into such a rage that he took up the Book about which he quarrel’d, toss’d it with great vengeance at [me], and hit me on the head with it. He then order’d me out of the office, and as I was opening the Door he laid hold of me and dashed me against the Door post with great violence, & then setting his hand against my back, sent me with all the force he was possessed of down stairs, shouting after me, ye dog, if I get at you I will knock (strike) that short arm off you. Very fine expressions for a man professing religion to make use of. Then in a Letter sent me soon after he said I was for ever discharged from your employ. You no doubt will think it a strange expression for him to say he wou’d strike my short Arm off, but I will relate this matter to you, & leave you to say whether it was christian behaviour to call after me in such language as this. I had a fall from a Horse when young, in consequence of which my arm was both broken & put out of Joint. The Doctor through bad management, suffered the arm to contract, & the bones are also out of their proper situation. On this acct. my Father, though in narrow circumstances, (having a very small family) dispensed with my small help in the way of working, and put me to School 2 or 3 Years, in order to make me fit for some kind of business, as he thought my misfortune wou’d render me incapable of working for a living. I was very thankful to providence & you, for the place I have had under you, for these four years past, and permit me to say I have made it my study to render myself worthy of the favour. I don’t like to speak much in vindication of my conduct, except in cases of necessity: I only say that I defy any man to come forward & prove that I ever neglected your business entrusted to me, to otherwise injure you, or any man, in your concerns in this place. I refer you to the Mr. Stagg & Mr. Friend with whom I have had to do, respecting the Ore when it goes to the Mills, & business on other accounts: Also Mr. Smith at Whitfield Mill, who will also inform you of my conduct respecting the Ore, & Ore accts. I would here observe, my Father has served you near forty Years, and in a little time will be unable to work, & when that takes place, his dependence will be on me.

      My Father, myself, & many others have long thought that Mr. Dodd wants my situation for his Son Thos., as he proffered to get me a situation in the East Indies last Year. His Son has got married & being very gay & extravagant, takes a great deal of supporting: And yet his income must be considerable as he has share of a Shop at Nenthead, shares of Mines & Gunpowder business with his uncle Jno. Dodd: &c. I could make your ears tingle of if I had room to mention the things of this nature I know. Every body knows if young Mr. Dodd is appointed to my place, it will be solely for the emolument arising from it, as every person knows very well, he will never attend to it at all, & in fact, knows nothing about it. I understand he has so much a year for attending the delivery of the Wood at the Mines & he never attends it at any times. I could have said a great deal more respecting the ill treatment I have met with from time to time from Mr. Dodd’s self & family, & about things that seriously affect your concerns in this place; but on the acct. of Mr. Dodd being instrumental of my getting a situation under you I forbore. I encourage myself in the hope that you will continue me in your employ, not being conscious of doing any thing to render me deserving of a discharge from the place I hold.

      I am Hon. Mast[ers] Your Hble Servt.

      R. Hayton



[Written in the margin of the final page:]

NB: I should thank you kindly for an answer hoping you will continue me in my place ‘till you enquire into my conduct of impartial men. Please to inclose the answer to this under cover to Mr. Stagg.