Letter – Henry Richmond to Walter Blackett – 3 Jan 1762

To Sir Wr. Blackett Bt. MP to be left at the Cocoa tree in Pall Mall London                                        Newcastle Sunday 3rd January 1762 

Hon[ou]rd Sir     

I am sorry we cannot at present remit any more money nor pay the the dra[ugh]ts you propose to Mr Bell without putting off the mills pay, wch I suppose you wo[ul]d not chuse. I wrote you sometime ago that this pay wch sho[ul]d be made in March, wo[ul]d come to £3000 but f[ro]m the acco[un]ts wch are now sent in I judge it will amo[un]t to £4000. Mr Maughan computes that there is above £7000 due to the Weardale miners at Xmas last. When we shall be able to pay this sum is impossible to say; since the demand for Lead appears to be quite over, f[ro]m the likelihood of a Spanish war. I am afraid this additional war will lay you under many difficulties: But of These you can judge as well as we.

I acquainted Mr H Wilkinson some time ago of what you wrote about Mrs Vasey. 

As to Mr. Featherston’s debt, I sho[ul]d have made the distress yesterday morn[in]g but was informed (by Mr Widdrington) that there were some niceties about the manner of doing it, on acco[un]t of the assign[en]t f[ro]m Mr Swinburn to him; & some other points. & therefore have taken Mr Fawcets opinion, wch tomorrow will be pursued.

Mr. Halhead has at last returned the copy of the depositions; But seems steady in his opinion that the stinted pastures must be deemed to be held under the Lease for Y[ea]rs unless you can prove the inclosure of them to have been made since the granting of Halls Lease. I find he knew nothing of the renewal of the Moor masters Lease in 1750, for he speaks of the present Lease as dated in 1732 tho’ it was renewed with B[isho]p Chandler in London upon an Exchange of Mrs Bruces Life in 1750 of wch I have informed him. If they have no acco[un]t of this renewal in their office, it must have been the Fault of B[isho]p Chandlers Secretary. I do not know of any thing that requires your coming into the North at this season, unless you think that your health will be benefited by the journey.

It was agreed upon as a preliminary, that the ore taken away f[ro]m your Grove called Lingybrow in the night time by Mr Davison’s order should be bro[ugh]t back. I am told this is not yet done; & therefore desire to know whether we are to insist upon its being done before the Referees meet  I am etc HR