Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Diana Beaumont – 17 Jan 1804

Mrs Beaumont Under cover to				Newcastle 17th Jan[uar]y 1804

      Col Beaumont MP Portman Square London

				

D[ea]r Madam 

      I have the favor of your Letter of the 13th Inst. & observe the Contents.

	I shall (in the Names of Col Beaumont & yourself) make Application to the Committee for the conducting the Affairs of Surtees’ Burdon & Co to know what Sum you may depend on being paid you, on or before the middle of May next; I fear little or none; the first Payments they make I imagine will be the taking up of their Notes which are at 5 per Cent Int[erest] from July last, I shall however represent to them the very great Inconvenience which must naturally attend your Concerns, in case a considerable Payment be not made before your Lead Pay. __ Mr Burdon’s Interest in the Catton Works at Durham lately destroyed by fire, I am told amounted to £14,000 – & £3000 only being insured in the Phoenix Fire Office, so he must be a great Sufferer; he & Mrs Burdon at present reside at the House of Mr W. Surtees in Saville Place, see little or no Company & make no visits. –

	The Lead Houses in London have used every endeavour to reduce the Price of Lead & as they knew that you only had a large Stock, they stood off in Hopes of putting you under a Necessity of selling at a reduced Price; for this Purpose Messrs Walkers & Co made Purchases of a Quantity of Welch Lead at Chester, & have been offering it at 27/- per Cwt about £28-7-6 the Fo{dder], Sheet Lead & Shot in Proportions; they have frequently made me Offers at a much reduced Price & assured me that they could purchase a Quantity at Hull at £28 the Fo[dder]; tho Welch Lead is of very inferior Quality & will not answer for the White Lead Works: on Saturday last Messrs Walkers & Co made an Offer of £30 per Fo[dder] for refined & Common – which I declined accepting of; yesterday I agreed with them for 5000 p[iece]s one half refined, with the usual Quantity of Slag, at £30-10- per Fo[dder] payable in Bills due in six Months, I am inclined to think that they will take 10,000 p[iece]s as they wished to know if I was willing to sell them that Quantity, which as a matter of Favour I consented to do: I have no Doubt that the other London Houses will follow their Example & that in a few Days I may advise you of having sold 15 or 20,000 p[iece]s more on the same terms, which is 10s/-p per Fo[dder] more than the Lead Company sold for, & I shall be happy should it meet with your approbation.—With the very large Stock of Lead that you have at Market, I thought that it was highly advisable to accept of the Offer: Should the French on making any attempt, meet with a Repulse. (which I trust in God they may) we may expect a brisk Demand for Lead in the spring & of course an advanced Price; I shall be a[n]xious to know how far you & Col Beaumont approve of the Sale that I have made etc. 

	I enclose you the state of Coalcleugh Mines, that of Weardale shall be sent you when I get it.			I am etc. J.E.B.