Letter – Charles Staples to John Erasmus Blackett – 9 Oct 1783

John Erasmus Blackett Esq, Newcastle

Sir

      Should you have any thoughts of sending Sir Tho[mas] Blacketts Lead to London I beg leave to offer you my service to dispose of the same on commission.

      I flatter myself it will be in my Power to render you such account of sales as will fully convince both you & Sir Thomas that it will be Greatly to his Intrest to dispose of his Lead in this manner in preference to selling it at Newcastle to the Agents of Lancaster Trueman & Preston. I apprehend the only objection either you or Sir Thomas can have to this mode of doing his business is the responsibility of the person to whom he consigns it On that Head I can fully satisfy you By giving you security to any amount you may think sufficient or by referring you to Houses of credit here. Mssrs Staples Baron Dimsdale & Sons & Co are my Bankers, indeed I am brother to the first Partner, who will satisfie you respecting me. It may not be amiss to inform you I shall have a person connected w[i]th me who is perfectly acquainted with the Lead trade him having been in it all his life & we have every conveniency to Land & ship Lead, the charges attending it will not be more than it costs the Houses here in the Lead Trade, & respecting the commisions I will do it on as reasonable Terms as possible to make it worth attending to Should you on making the necessary inquiries be inclinable to favour me with the selling Sir Thomas's Lead it may not be improper to mention to you that by having a stock here it will always be at a market and constantly going off for [if] it is not here [but] with you sold by Ten or Twenty Thousand Pigs at a time but goes off by 1,2 or 300 p[iece]s or more as orders come in excepet w[he]n a contract is made with the East India Company Then indeed they agreed for what they want for the Season in one Bargain this is necessary to convince you of the necessity of always having a supply here.

      Your favoring me with a reply as convenients will oblige.

      Sir your most Humble Ser[van]t

      Chas Staples

Saint Mary Axe No. 41

      P:S: By consigning all your Litharge to our House you will have the Market to yourself

London Oct 9th 83

[annotated in JEB’s hand:] ans[wered] Nov 19 copy sent Sir Thomas Blackett 15th Oct 1783