Letter – Benjamin Johnson to Christopher Bird – 8 May 1825

Mr Bird		May 8th 1825

… offer you my most sincere thanks for your very friendly information respecting the payment in arrears to Mrs Beaumont out of the Bywell Estate. ... the deposit pd, was £2300 which it would have been impossible for me to have met had I paid Mrs Beaumont the £1500 paid half-yearly to her out of this Estate.  I am now determined to have my accounts <....> from first to last which I have often urged Mr Beaumont to do … I am now convinced that Mr Beaumont has never examined my accounts I have been regularly sent to him or he would have been able to have explained the matter at once to Mrs Beaumont and that in giving orders for the building upon the estate and payments to his servants etc he has never taken into calculation what funds I had to meet the demand. … I can assure you I feel very much hurt to be for a moment subject to Mrs Beaumonts unwarranted accusations and had it occurred after the approaching Election I should have instantly resigned my situation but until that is passed I will endeavour to meet it with that indifference it deserves concious of my own integrity.  I am really at a loss what to say respecting Thos Strutt as I am in no way acquainted with his attributes.