Letter – Henry Richmond to William Darwin – 24 Aug 1764

To Mr Will[ia]m Alvey Darwin Gray’s Inn                            Newcas[tle] 24th August 1764

London



Sir      I rec[eive]d your Letter of the 18th instant inclosing me a copy of the account between us signed by you and in return you here receive one signed by me. As to the balance of £4.18s.2d due to me, and which agrees exactly with my book, I have carried it to our new account.

Your letter also inclosed me extracts of the Grants you have met with at the Rolls, none of which seem to convey any mines. Must not those mines then remain with the Lord of the Manor; who hath an express Grant of them from the Crown? It is a pity you could not meet with the Lease to George Whitfield, as that would explain the right the Crown had to work in inclosures. But pray will not the Auditors Constat, of wch I sent you a copy, be of some use? As to the presumption that may arise against the Lords of this Manor by ocason of their not having wrought the mines in the inclosed freeholds during the space of 100 years, it may be removed by answering that they were not wrought because not discovered, for if any veins of the ore or seams of coal had even made their appearance in the inclosed freeholds they would soon have been wrought by the Lord or the Tenants and the right would not have been dispatched at this day. As to Aldum Shields alias Aydon Shields, it was in the 1 Edw[ard] : 6, in the tenure of George Ogle p[er] copy of Court Roll at the Rent of £4.19s.8d a year. But not being in the survey of the copyholds in Hexham Moor in the 6 James 1 it must have been sold in that Interval.

I shall make you a remittance soon on acco[un]t of the quarterly payments.

I am sorry that I am not to have the pleasure of seeing you at Newcastle this year.

I am obliged to you for receiving my half year’s dividend.  P.S. pray is Mr Hill paid for the Bams  he sent  Sir Walter. I am etc                           H R