Letter – Henry Richmond to William Darwin – 7 Jun 1761

To Mr Wm. Alvey Darwin Grays Inn London                  Newcastle 7 June 1761

Sir      My Father has rece[ieve]d Mr Vernons rec[eip]t: for Lady Mansels ann[ui]ty of £225, & Mr Savage’s for £495 being ½ y[ea]rs intr[es]t due 6 May last; wch two sums he has placed to your credit in that acco[un]t between you & him. Tho’ Mr <Coll[ingwoo]d> Forster is now concerned for L[or]d No[rthumber]land, yet Sr Wr employs him in the Kirkheaton cause as he thinks there is nothing in the dra[ugh]t of the answers improper for him to see. I met him at Walling[ton on Tuesday about them & he proposed some amendments wch Sr Wr agreed to, & other some he was to write to you about. One material amendm[en]t wch he proposed was that Sir Wr sho[ul]d demur to that part of the Bill wch requires his proving himself Lord of the manor of Anick grainge on wch Kirkhaton is dependant, & only answer that as the tenants have attorned to him as L[or]d of the s[ai]d Manor he hopes that by being in possession he has a right to hold the Estate until an heir or one that has a better right than himself appears. Sr Wr desired Mr Forster to send this amendm[en]t to you to consult council upon, whether the demur will be allow[e]d of, & whether if Sr Wr pleads only his possession, the Court will not probably appoint a receiver as prayd in the Bill to collect the Rents of Kirkheaton as well as the rest of Mrs Windsors Estates; & then whether by that Sir Wr will not be outed of possession so that if no heir appear, & if the right comes to be contested between the Crown L[or]d Nort[umber]land & Sir Wr, Sir Wr will not be on the same footing only with them, & obliged to prove himself Lord of the Manor etc & consequently lose all the advantage wch <we> expected he had obtained by the attornment. Sir Wr desires you will correspond with Mr Forster about these matters; who I make no doubt wrote to you by last frydays post; I have wrote to him today acquainting him that you have been called upon for the answers; & I have given him the names of 4 persons for comiss[ione]rs viz. himself, Mr Jno Brown of Kirkharle Mr Wm. Robson of Wall[ingto]n & Sir

your etc      HR

P.S. Since the above I have rece[ieve]d a Lre f[ro]m Sr Wr desiring that no time may be lost in putting in the answers; I have wrote accordingly to Mr Forster;

& desire of you of the points Mr Forster was to get you, as above, to consult council upon are not thought by you to be of so great consequence as to apply for more time that you will proceed without waiting for an opinion thereon, in such way as Mr Forster & you agree upon: for Sir Wr is apprehensive he shall be blamed for delay. .