Letter – Henry Richmond to Walter Blackett – 6 Feb 1765

To Sir Walter Blackett B[arone]t MP in                                    Newcas[tle] 6 February 1765 

Halfmoon Street Piccadilly London

 

Hon[ou]rd Sir       Inclosed is the Schedule of the Tolls that were proposed to be taken at Mr Jurins intended Bridge over the Tyne.

The Easter Sessions for Northumberland will be held at Morpeth on Wednesday the 17th April.

The Town clerk says he wrote to you on Fryday; and Mr Peareth says he will write to you to Night.

I wrote last night to Mr Robson about another farm or part of a farm to be parted with along with Slater’s and to reconsider his valuation which I sent Mr Darwin an exact copy of, without examining the original, I own.

I have sold 3000 p[iece]s of Lead lately, of the common sort, at £13.12s.6d. a fother; which I compute will answer all payments for six months. If there should be any trade in the spring, the money arising by any sales then may either go towards the great pays in Septem[be]r or be disposed of otherwise as you think proper.

Weardale mines continue much the same; and I suppose that Allanheads, Hackford and Coalcleugh afford nothing new as I have not heard of any change for the better or the worse since you left Newcastle.

We have a good deal of snow upon the ground; part of which the gardiners are now conveying into the Icehouse here, and I wrote about doing the same at Wallington.

As to some coals having been sold so low as £1.9s.0d. in the pool; I am told they must have been of an inferior sort; but the computation I sent the 9th Dec[embe]r 1763 was made upon the best sort. 2nd The freights were then 12s. a London Chald[ro]n but now I am told that the price of coals is so low nobody will engage ships upon freight at all: & that the Masters & Shipowners, who must employ their ships and take the chance of what they can get at market for the coals, cannot make above 8 or 9s. a cha[ldro]n for the carriage of them; and that at this time they are loosers by the trade. 3rdly The Coal buyers probably apprehending a parliamentary enquiry may not insist upon the discount and premium mentioned, with a <N 3> upon them, in my computation; and which come to about 1s.1d. a London chal[dro]n.4thly The metage which comes to 8d a chal[dro]n should have been deducted, as I am now told, out of the 1s.8d. charged in the said computation for the chal[dro]n given in, in every score, to the Buyer that being the general practice. When all these articles are put together they may amount to about 7s.od. a Lond[o]n Chal[dro]n and will account tolerably well for the inferior sort of coals having been sold at £1.9s.0d. I will observe your directions about Mr Leeke. I am etc   Hen Richmond