letter – Isaac Hunter to John Erasmus Blackett – 29 Sep 1792

Mr Blackett 							Dukesfield 29th Sept 1792



      Att the meeting yesterday the Commitee & Surveyor produced a Plan & estimate of the intended Road pointing out the improvements to be made & the Expence of each which amounted on the whole to £6500 & 0d, its to go by Marley Hill, with a Branch to pont Burn . A Subscription was opened & £4000 subscribed (as on the other side) another meeting was fix'd on the 25th Octob'r at Wolsingham at which the Commitee are to acquaint the Meeting with the additional Subscriptions, being desired to apply by Lre [Letter] to those they thought wished the Road well, & the Subscribers then to settle the places for the Toll Gates and other clauses of the Bill & choose their Solicitor, which they may do by Lre [Letter] in proportion to the sum Sub[scribe]d none under £50 to vote. Mr Ornby of Darlington & Mr Peter Hunter of Durham are the Candidates there's not a doubt a Bill will be carried in to Parliment & if Mr Beaumont does not Subscribe at the next Meeting his Agents cannot with any propriety propose any clause to be inserted in the intended Act. That a good Road through that Country to Alstone will undoubtedly be a great advantage to the Country in geniral & to Mr B Works there, by provisions &c coming cheaper. The Trustees ought to be limeted in their Power in the Act, or the Road will be long of being finished for it appeared at the Meeting that several of the Gentlemen that attended were very shy in having it any further than the Chapel [St.John’s Chapel] & there's not more than 5 or 6 above Wolsingham thats qualified to be Commiss[ioner]s so that the whole of the Business will be directed by the Gentlemen on the other end of the Road that with out a provition in the Act be made for the other part between Wolsingham & Alston the Country will have the disadvantages of Pay Gates with out good Roads made as has ben the case of several Turnpikes. Mr Peter Hunter begs (in case Mr B Subscribes) that youll name him as a candidate for Solicitor hoping as acquantence of his Brother the Cap[tai]n whose now in India that he'll favour him with his Intrest.   I am 

      Sir yr mo Hble Servt 

      IH



To Jon Erasmus Blackett Esqr  Newcastle 



R Fenwick for Mr Scafe  100    Mr Clavring        400

D[itt]o for Do Huntley  100    Revd Mr Dent       100 

Do for Revd Mr Ellison  100    Mr Burdon          100 

Do for H Swinburn       200    Mr Greenwell       100 

Thos. Rowell             50    Mr Ornsby          100

Jos.e Watson             50    Mr Hardinge        200

Chris'r. Emerson        100    Revd Mr Wilson     100

Thos. Chapman Jun'r  	50    Mr Harvey          200

Jno. Emerson             50    Mr Wren            100

Jno. Wallas              50    Mr Wilson          100 

Alstone Moor            550    Mr Jackson & Smith 100 

Mr Tweddell &c          300    Mr Dighton         100 

Mr Curry                300    Mr Hall            100 

Mr Wright               200