Letter – Henry Richmond to William Darwin – 29 Mar 1769

To Mr Darwin  Greys Inn London                                                     Newca[stl]e 29th March 1769

Sir

What I wrote Sir Wr on the 5th instant about Mr Silvertop was as follows “That he has a freehold Estate in the Manor of Winlaton called Ash tree under which there is Coal which he Clains & has begun to work within these few days, tho’ it is apprehended he has no right to it. I see by an Abstract of the Writings of Winlaton which are in Mr Darwins hands that Sr Wm Blackett bought a Moiety of all the Coalmines in this Manor consequently a Moiety of what is under this Estate of Mr Silvertops should belong to you and Sir Edwd; unless Mr Silvertop can shew the Contrary: which is not probable. For tho’ the person that sold this Estate to his Ancestor might be of the Lords of the Manor & might have an intire property in some part of the Soil, as the Lords have at this day Yet he wo[ul]d only be intitled to an undivided Share of the Royalties, which at most is all Mr Silvertop can pretend to – what this Share is, it will perhaps, if you & the rest of the Lords think so, be proper to file a Bill to discover. Sir Edward Lord Widdrington & Mr Ridley will I expect be acquainted of this Matter; & in the mean time Mr Darwin may be examining the deeds & considering the Case. You & Sir Edwd have each a qua[rte]r Lord Widdington 3/8 ths & Mr Ridley Mr Simpson and others have the other 1/8 th” This is an Extract of my Letter to Sir Wr dated 5th instant, since w[hi]ch I am told Mr Silvertop has left of working; but whether upon Acco[un]t of any Difficulties he has met with or that he Is satisfied for the present with having done this Act of Ownership, I can’t tell.

As to Mr Ridley’s claim of Coalmines in Winlaton which you mention, & w[hi]ch by the by I sho[ul]d be glad to know he had explicitely given up, it related only to a small part of the Manor called Thornley, within which he claimed, not as Lord to have his 1/16 th which is his Share; but as proprietor of all the Coal within That particular district, by purchase from a  descendant of one Henry Selby, according to the Case I sent you in 1766. Since I sent Sir Wr the Case about Wallington Tithes I have got receipts for Green Leighton Modus in the same form and as old as 1737; but you say even those in 1735 for the other parts of the Estate, mentioned in the Case, will not be sufficient to establish a Modus which makes me wish the Nullum tempus priviledge was resrtained in Ecclesiastical rights also. For as to proofs by vouchers of the payments of Modus’s or any Thing else, before Mr Allgoods death it required greater regularity than was practised in this Office but I have found a Rental in 1695, which can be authenticated, wherein £1 5s 0d is charged paid to Laton Eden Vicar of Hartburn (the same who gave the receipt in 1735 for the £2 10s 0d for the Modus or Composition for Harwood) for his Modus of Tithes of Wallington Demesne Harterton Hall and Woods farm in Harterton Town for half a Year ended at Martin[ma]s 1695 but then in this same Rental £2 10s 0d is charged paid Laton Eden Vicar of Hartburn for half a yr Composition Money for the Tithes of Harwood due Martin[ma]s 1695 which I doubt wo[ul]d be prejudicial to our Cause. And indeed (inter nos) Sir Wm Blackett, as you will see in the inclosed Case, stated by him in 1695 was willing to give up this point about Harwood and to pay the Tithes in kind. I do apprehend you are right in your reasoning about the necessity of seeing the Vicars Endowment and that without knowing what it is Sir Wr may be only defending for the Vicar against the Commission[er]s of Greenwich Hospital & therefore I shall write to Dr Sharp for a Copy of his Endowment if he has one, as soon as I can learn where is residence is at present.

Sir Walter some time ago wrote me to remit you annually £50 for the int[e]r[es]t of a Bond he has given to Dr Dechairs oldest son. I should be glad to know the times of payment that I may prepare accordingly. And I think a new List of quart[er]ly payments should be made out, as there are several Alterations since the last. I am etc    HR