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

									Newcastle 17th. Jany. 1804

Dear Madam

      I have the favour of your letter of the 13th. inst. & observe the contents.

      I shall in the name 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 p Ct. interest 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. Burdons interest in the Cotton 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, <Mr.&> Mrs.Burdon at present reside at the House of <Mrs.> W Surtees’s 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 know 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 Mess[r]s Walkers & Co. made purchases of a quantity of Welsh Lead at Chester & have been offering it at 27 p Ct. about £28. 7. 6 the Foder. sheet Lead & that in proportion: they have frequently made me offers at a much reduced price, & assured me that they could purchase a quantity at Hull at £28 the Foder. The Welsh Lead is of very inferior quality & will not answer for the White Lead Works; on Saturday last Messrs. Walkers & Co. made me an offer of £30 p. Foder. for Refined & Com.n which I declined accepting of, yesterday I agreed with them for 5000 Ps. one half refined with the usual quantity of Slag at £30. 10s p Fod payable in Bills due in six months, I am inclined to think that they will take 10,000 Ps. 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 Ps. more on the same terms which is 10s p Foder. 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 the offer; should the French on making any attempts 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 anxious to know how far you & Col. Beaumont approve of the Sale that I have made &tc.

      I enclose you the state of Coalcleugh Mines  that of Weardale shall be sent to you when I get it. I am with best respects to you & Col. Beaumont

      Dear Madam Your most Obedient &	Faithfull Humb. Servant

      John E. Blackett



Mr.Gray of the <South> has got the Vacant Stall in the Church of Durham – another is likely to be Vacant soon for Doctor Clark left this day at noon Doct. Bathurst very dangerously ill. The Bishop I have no doubt will give it to a <stranger> as has been his usual practice for takes no notice of the Clergy of his Diocese