Letter – John Brakenridge to Christopher Bird – 3 Sep 1849

										3rd Sept 1849



      With regard to a Settlement betwixt Mr. Beaumont and myself nothing whatever has been done since I heard from you last. – Mr. Rodgers called upon me and said Mr. Edward Beaumont wished me (he intimated that he would <demand>) to give up all Mr Beaumonts letters to you. I told him I had no letters of the late Mr. Beaumonts except such as were more or less private betwixt him & myself, and these I should never part with, nor had he any right to demand them. Mr. Edward soon after wrote me to say that Mr. Beaumont wished me to send him such of his fathers letters (or Copies) as I founded my claim upon. I told him that I had already sent him & also Mr. <Hurst> Copies of the letters on which I made my Claim for <removing> at the time I did. – I however sent him another Copy or rather extract from the letter and informed him that the Chief part of my Claim did not depend upon Mr. Beaumonts letters, but on my rights as a Tenant – Stating also that I should be happy to give any explanation in my power to Mr. Beaumont if he wished it upon his signifying to me the points upon which he wished explanation. – Sometime afterwards I had a letter from Mr. Edward Beaumont to inform me he had forwarded my letters to Mr. Beaumont who had expressed a wish that the matter altogether should stand over till he was of age and could do legal acts, & then he would if I wished it, see me and take my Statements himself. – with this I of course complied – there the matter stands & latterly I have thought nothing about it.

      There is still something most mysterious about the 759£ of which you are probably aware. I have never had any other means of being satisfied except the assurance of <Prest> & Mr. Edward himself that it does not appear on the <Books> in any form whatever – on the day I discovered the omission I had no time as it was <within …ing,> to <search> the Books and as the day following was the first Rent day and I was called off to London before I had any further opportunity of <searching> I was forbid  the office, - It occurred to me that probably it was not entered at all & would stand as if the Company – the <Barnsley> Canal Company – had paid it with Leathams without it ever <going> into my hands at all. – I wrote to Mr. Beaumont referring to his former assurance & <Prests>, upon which I paid the Money, asking if he was quite sure that this was correct & that it did not appear on the Books in any way. – In one of his letters he repeats the assurance & states that the Books had been again carefully <searched> and it was not to be found <........> Now had Mr Beaumont not <………> it in any <…> I went to the Bank & have their acknowledgement that on that very day I received it I paid it to Mr. B[eaumon]ts Credit with them and it is entered ‘by <Barnsley> Canal as Cheque 759£’ & that if it does not appear in the Books at all, I shall be entitled to have the Money returned & I hope that Mr. Beaumont will not refuse me the satisfaction of seeing whether it is or is not entered. -  I am prepared to shew him – notwithstanding Mr. Edwards assertions – that I paid it to his fathers Credit at Leathams Bank on the day I received it. – 

	I shall be happy to give Mr. Beaumont every explanation in my <power> & to shew him any letters that can with propriety be shewn – but there are many of them of such a character as I cannot shew them him and indeed such as he would not wish to see. – There are indeed connected with this business many things of such a nature as to make every reference to them more painful than I can describe to you even, and much less to anyone else.

	I was interrupted on Saturday till too late for the post. – I have a letter from <William> this Morn[in]g & am happy to say that they are all well. – Are you not coming into Yorkshire soon – I hope you are & that we shall see you & I shall shew all letters that <have passed> on Mr. Beaumonts business & be happy to receive & act on your advice.

	My kind regards to Mrs Bird yourself & family & believe me very sincerely Yours,

      John Brakenridge 



Revd C Bird

[addressed on cover to:] Revd. C Bird, Chollerton, Nr. Hexham