Mr Darwin No 47 Hatton Street Newcas 12th Decr 1775
London
Sir
Inclosed is the best Answer which Mr Bell Sir Walter’s Agent for Hexham Estate can give to your several Queries respecting Nubbuck Encroachments. I think if you compare this answer with the State of the Case and the Answer which I sent you on the 24 April last to your several Queries then sent me you will be able to make a very full Case for Mr Wallace’
To John Ibbetson Esqr. Farnacres 12 Decemr 1775
Sir
By the Boards Minute of the 12th April last we are ordered to provide a good and sufficient Iron ‘Chest as soon as possible for the use of the Agent at Langley Lead Mill to deposit the Plates of Silver in during the time they shall be in his custody’. In thinking upon the proper way of executing this order, we considered that if the Chest was made so small as merely to hold a
To Mr John Holmes Farnacres 12th Decemr 1775
Sir .
Mr Walton being very much engaged in business, by his order I acquaint you that on Saturday last was sent by the London Carrier a Box directed to you containing Six Hundred and Eighty Eight Ounces of Silver Bullion.
I am Sir your most hble Sert
Chr Stevenson
To Messrs Plumb & Browne Goldsmiths Newcastle 13th Decemr. 1775
Foster Lane London
Gentn. I have this day drawn a Bill on you at Twenty Days date payable to Messrs Bell Cookson & Co or Order for Five hundred Pounds which I desire you will please to accept and place to the Account of Sir Walter Blackett Barot. I am etc Jno. E. Blackett
£500 . 0 . 0
14th Decemr 1775 Wrote to Mr Maughan, Mr Westgarth Forster and Mr Westgarth fixing the Pays to be on the 28th and 29th of Decemr instant HR
Dukesfd. 15 Decr: 1775
Mr. H Richmond N. Castle
Sir
Inclosed you have the Mills Month Accots: for November & also an Octobr. accot for Allanhds for Mr Sparke did not know that we keep a distinction between the Ld. made f’m Ore charged to the Mill & Ld. made f’m Grove Wast Ore or Ton Tail – so that you’ll please to burn the One sent before – the Quantity of Ld. delivd. this year f’m Dukesfd. & Allanhds. Mills (that the East hand Carriage is to be pai
Dukesfd. 15 Decr: 1775
Mr. Morrow Blaydon
Sir
Yours of the 13th. inst. I recd. last Night & was surprized to find by it that you had not Recd. mine of the 8th. wch. I sent that morn.g to N.Castle by one of Sir Wrs. Servts. wch. I hope will come to hand as I had there given you an Accot. of the Quantities of Ld. delivd. f’m the several Mills, but I find that Mr. Walton had made a mistake in the Accot. given me of the 8 Stone Lead & wch. I gave you of one Thousand ps. fo
A Copy of a Letter sent Mr Gragg Alston 15th Decr 1775
Sir,
By the Directions of my Father I send this to inform you he recd your esteemed Favour of the 5th Instant Yestarday which was as soon as it could come the most proper Time to send Letters here is on the Monday Evening in which we can have them at Alston on the next Saturday Morning or on the Fryday & we receive them on the Wednesday following the Proper Direction To Mr Jona Hilton Alston near Penrith Cumberland; you’ll
Mr. Mulcaster Farnacres 15 December 1775.
The two Cakes of Bullion last sent weighed as follows. That for Operation ending 4 Novr 824 Oz & 10 Dwt
That for Operation ending 30 Decr 688 Ounces
The Assays for the 4th Novr. Operation prod. 862 Ozs.8 Dwt. which is more than the real produce 37 Ozs & 18 Dwt. Silver left in the Lead after Refined is at the rate of 13 dwt. 11 4/10 Gr[ain]s. P[er]Fodder.
The Assays for the 30th December Operation prod. 749 Ozs. 14 Dw
Dukesfd: 21st. Decr: 1775
Mr. Richmond N.Castle
Sir
I have herewith sent you a plate of Silver weighing 901 Ounces just taken off wth. out an Accot. of the Lead &c as we had not time to get the Reduced Ld. weighd. to save this days Carrier & being informed that no Carriers will go f’m Hexham next Week being Chrismas, so shall bring the Accot. of the Lead &c with me on Monday & am Yrs. &c I:H: Jr:
Dukesfd: 21st. Decr: 1775
Mr. R. Morrow Blaydon
Sir
I have been with all the Westhand Carriers that Carried any Lead f’m Dukesfd. Mill this year since I saw you, & have had all the Places where ever Lead was known to been laid off examined again wth.out finding so much as a single pig. I find by yours (wch. I recd. last night) that the 47 ps. wanting are all of the short Lead. I am convinced now that there’s not a Pig of Lead in the Hands of any of the Westhand C
Mr. John Holmes Farnacres 27 Decemr. 1775.
Dear Sir
Yesterdays Post brought me the favour of your Letter of the 23d Inst: and this day I have drawn upon you for £200..9.. payable 30 days after date being the amount of 688 Ounces of Bullion at 5s/9/ 3/4d p[er] Ounce after Adding 10s short drawn for last Cake, & we are obliged by your taking notice of this Error.
I am &c N:Walton Junr:
Farnacres 27th December 1775.
Sir Thirty days after Date Pay
Mr Ralph Heron Attorney at Law Hexham Newcas 2nd Janry 1776
Sir
The Lease of Hackford Mine to the late Mr Baker’s Exors was not carried into Execn so that now the young Gentleman being of Age and desirous to have the Lease granted to himself I have spoke to Sir Walter about it who has consented and you will please to prepare and send to me directly a Lease from Sir Walter to George Baker of Elemore hall in the Co: of Durham Esqr that it may be
Messrs Plumb & Browns Goldsmiths in Foster Lane London Newcas 3rd Janry 1776
Gentlemen
I sent you on Saturday last the 30th ulto by Robt Cave the London Carrier a piece of fine Silver containing Six Hundred and Twenty nine Ounces which I desire you’ll place to Accot with Sir Walter Blackett as usual at the Market price and advise me on the Receipt of it
P.S. Mr Blackett will draw a Bill on you in a few days for six hundred Pounds I am etc HR
A Copy of a Letter sent Mr Atkinson 4th Jany 1776
Sir,
By my Fathers desire I send this to acquaint you that we are now here & have examined the several Bills which we intend to pay on Lord Carlisles Account as soon as we can get Money for that purpose as such we beg you will so soon as you think you can properly do so dispose of what Lead remains unsold when that is done we shall be enabled to know what further sum will be wanting to compleat the Pays.
We have recd a
To Messrs Plumb & Browne Newcas Janry 4th 1776
Goldsmiths in Foster Lane London
Gentn. I have this day drawn a Bill on you at Thirty days date payable to Messrs Bell Cookson & Co or Order for Six Hundred Pounds which I desire you will please to accept and place to the Accot of Sir Walter Blackett Bart. I am etc J E. Blackett
£600 . - . -
Mr Darwin Newcas Janry 4th 1776
Hatton Street London
Sir Inclosed you will receive three Bills of this date drawn by Messrs. Bell Cookson & Co on Messrs. Castell Whately & Powell One at 30 days Date for Two Hundred and seventy Pounds to make good your quarterly and other paym[en]ts on Sir Walter Blacketts Accot. from the 31st Decemr. to the 31st March next A Bill at tw
To Mr John Holmes Farnacres 5th January 1776
Dear Sir
This Weeks Carrier will bring you a Box containing 608 ¾ Ounces of Bullion I am &c
NW Junr
Mr Mulcaster Farnacres 5th Jany. 1776
I have just now received your Letter of the 2d inst, and think we should rather be put to a very great Inconvenience than recieve assistance from either Mr Wm. J - - n or Wm B - - n the latter in particular, and I do desire that he Brown may be made to understand, that his even coming about the Place I mean Langly Mill, can never be understood as either of the least use or considered as a Civility – when, Mr Mulcaster, we are under a Diff
Dukesfd: 10th. Jany: 1776
Mr Richmond N.Castle
Sir
You would see by th Pay Bills that I recd: 4£..8s .3d for Fewal of Allanhds. Mill for the Ton Tail Lead of Coalcleugh & Allanhds. Mines; the fewal for the Weardale Mines I find by Mr. Maughan was always accounted for in his General Accot. the Fewel for Coalcleugh & Allhds Mines was always recd. at the Mines Pays by the Clerk at Allds. Mill and deducted f’m his Salary as you may see by examining that Mills Decr.
Dukesfd. 11 Jany: 1776
Mr. R. Morrow Blaydon
Dr Sr.
I cannot tell what course we can now take to find the Lead wanting, the calling of it has made no discovery as yet. I have examined the Stock wth. the Smelting & Delivery & find them to agree exactly. can you have made any mistake in placing the Dukesfd. Lead & Rookhope Mill’s Lead? as that Mills Ld. has been led I suppose by several that let Dukesfd. and there’s a part of that Lead not got of[f] the Roads
A Copy of a Letter sent Mr Gragg Farnacres 14th Jany 76
Sir,
I make no doubt you have thought my Father long in sending Answers to the several remarks which you had inclosed 5th Ult & indeed I can only a Pologise for its not being done sooner by acquainting you that from the Time of your Letter arriving till the 6th Inst we were kept very Busy on attending the several Lead Mine Pays &ca in Alston moor so that till after that Time it was impossable to do any thing by way of Ans
Walter Trevelyan Esqr Netherwitton Newcas 15th Janry 1776
Sir
I received your favour of the 14th instt - Mr Blackett is abroad but the Balance of your quarterly paymt at £72. 10s. 6d according to the inclosed Note is sent by your Servt - As to the Interest it is not due till the 25th instt but inclosed is a rect dated that day which you will please to sign and the Money will be paid to the person by whom you then send it - I hope you Mrs T
A Copy of a Letter sent Mr Gragg Alston 24th Jany 1776
Sir,
It would have given me the greatest Pleasure to have answered yours of the 5th Decr immediately but I was very desirous of having my Son along with me to Join in giving proper Answers to your remarks upon the arrival of your Letter the Pays in this Country were coming on which confined us some Time & after we got the Alston moor Pays made & other Necessary Business the several Bargains finished my son had a call
Memo
Sir Walter Blackett, several years ago, purchased a moiety of an undivided pasture at Middlehope Shield, near Westgate in Weardale in the County of Durham of one Featherstone or some such name for £30. His motive for the purchase of it, was on account of the Lead contained in it; which has long been exhausted – That moiety of Pasture is held with Mr. Challoner, which, Mr. C is desirous of purchasing as the present undivided state subjects his Tenant to great inconvenience and has inju