Letter – Henry Richmond to Isaac Hunter – 25 Feb 1765

To Mr Isaac Hunter Jun[io]r at                                Newcas[tle] 25th Febr[ua]ry 1765

Dukesfield 

Sir                You will see by the newspapers that there is a meeting advertised to be held on the 7th of next month at Stanhope on acco[un]t of Bollihope Comon; I desire you will attend it and let me know what is done at it. I suppose the Bill will be produced to be signed; if so, pray read it over and let me have your observations upon it. It is an unusual way of proceeding in the Gentlemen, that manage this affair, not to let Sir W[alte]r Blackett have a copy of the intended Bill, nor even the perusal of it, either by himself or his Agents. They can never suppose a general cursory reading, at such a meeting as is now advertised, can satisfy those who are so much int[e]rested as Sir W[alte]r Blackett is in this Comon: not as a freeholder only, but as Moormaster by Lease for Lives under the B[isho]p by which office he has a right to work the Leadmines without paying for damage done thereby and that priviledge he cannot give up. But I have wrote to Mr Maughan about this point and he will no doubt be at the meeting.

Fra[nci]s Jacques rented Stanhope hope Mill and the Ground  belonging to it for many years as you know or must have heard, but no rent could ever be got of him by reason not only of his poverty but by a perswasion we had that this mill and ground was held of Lord Carlisle for a term of years granted to Mr Hump Wharton and that being expired it was never imagined Sir W[alte]r had any further right thereto: my Father never undetsood otherwise neither could I ever find any writings, till about a month ago, to clear up this matter; but now I have met with a surrender of it which shews that Sir William Blackett’s Trustees bought it of Lord Carlisle in 1707 and it is described as follows

Two acres of Land parcel of 20 acres leading from a certain place called Hall pasture Nook and descending towards a place called White ridge and from thence to a place called Brownley hills and so on the south of Hall burn and a parcel of Land called Holburn Sheels down to Stanhope burn with a Lead Mill commonly called Stanhope hope Mill and all Edifices etc thereto belonging.

Who is now in possession and by what right he is so of this Mill etc is the thing I want you to enquire after and inform me: for Jacques I suppose is dead. I think I have heard that he sold it to one Hopper of Stanhope, But nevertheless Mr Hopper or whoever has it must take a Lease of it of Sir Walter Blackett or quit it or expect an Ejectment. Therefore when you go over to Stanhope about Bollihope I desire you will bestow a little time in examining into this matter, I hope all are well at Dukesfield. P.S. Mr Reynaldson will find you the Ticketts for Allanheads and Dukesfield Lead. But as to a pay I do not see how it can be made, or what purpose it would answer to make one, till we can take in all the Rookhope Lead into the acco[un]t- Above 1000 p[i]gs of that Lead are in Joblings Yard and at Hedley; and none of the people that have used that yard can safely be paid till all is got in.

Will it not therefore occasion clamour as much as to pay those who have brought their Lead quite thro[ugh] and leave the others out, as to postpone the whole pay till it is all got in? And how can we without confusion deliver more lead from that Mill till what was delivered last year from it is all brought in? You will consider of this. & am etc Hen Richmond