Letter – Henry Richmond to William Darwin – 15 May 1761

To Mr. Wm. Alvey Darwin                                                  Newcastle 15 May 1761               

Grays Inn London

Sir      Sr Wr Blackett has sent me f[ro]m Walling[to]n a list of the sums you have to pay in London in each qua[rte]r on his acco[un]t. The last time we talked of this matter Sr Wr ordered my fa[the]r to make remittances to you half yearly to enable you to make these payments, & he will endeavour to make the first of them the latter end of next month; But if that won’t do, pray let me know, & I shall take Sr Wrs further directions herein.

I have looked over the copies you have sent of the records relating to the moor mas[te]rs & Sandersons Leases; & I think the moorm[aste]rs right to all the mines in the two parishes is very fully proved; & only am afraid that as the Lease for years has been kept on foot ever since Bulmer’s time & renewed & enjoyed by Sr Wr & his ancestors along with the moorma[ster]s Lease, it will be some impeach[en]t of the present Moorma[ste]rs right to the whole, & a sort of acknowledgement that something had been granted to Bulmer. But I have given them all to Mr Widdrington to state the case for Councils opinion. Pray who wo[ul]d be the properest to lay this long affair before, if Sr Wr sho[ul]d not be satisfied with Mr Widdringtons judgement on it? He sho[ul]d be a man of ability, Integrity, patience & Leisure. I wish you could find that Mr Wharton obtained a decree consonant to his Bill ag[ain]st the B[isho]p & Mr Hall in 1664, even tho’ it sho[ul]d only be a general one to quiet him in the profession of his property as therein claimed; if so,, & you can obtain It, pray send some Extract thereof. As Sir Walter has been at this great Expence in supporting the moormasters office, it will be very proper, as you propose, to put up the original copies of these records along with the title deeds in your profession; that those who come after may see how careful he has been to transmit the Trust Estate to them as entire as possible.

I suppose the decree obtained by Mr Wharton against Nicholson in 1633, & wch you say is enrolled, contains nothing more than the dismission of Nicholsons bill, with costs; as you do not take notice of any further particulars I am etc                      HR

P.S. Yo[u]r Lre advising the receipts of the bills had neither a date nor your name at it.