Letter – Henry Richmond to Walter Blackett – 19 Aug 1762

To Sir Wr. Blackett Bart. MP

at Wallington                                                                         Newcastle 19th August 1762



Hond. Sir/ I was wth Mr Halhead this morning at the Mayor’s, but to little effect; for he told me he had been mistaken in making the profit by the Lease for 2 yrs only £500 a year, & that he now makes it £652 a yr. And what is worse, he told me the B[isho]p had now fixed the fine at £2500. Whereas if even Miss Shield’s field is allowed to belong to the Lease for 2 yrs still the fine ought not to be more than 5 or £600 because your profit has clearly been no more than £307 a yr during the 12 years & if the 307 was an income of certain nature, like the rent of Land estate, his Lo[rd]s[hi]p wo[ul]d have asked  you no more than 4 yrs rent or £1228 as a fine for renewing 14 yrs Elapsed. But as it is a profit to be made by a Leadmine wch tho’ flourishing today may be cut off tomorrow, his Lo[rd]s[hi]p ought not to have asked above ½ that sum, or 614 for the renewal and there is more reason for this moderation in this present instance, if it is considered that after Great Slitt Grove is wrought out of Miss Shield’s field wch by all ac[c]o[un]ts it will certainly be in 4 or 5 yrs, there will be nothing more under this Lease that you can make any thing of according to the present prospect. I am etc   HR