Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Diana Beaumont – 19 Oct 1801

Mrs. Beaumont under Cover				Newcastle 19th. Octr. 1801

to Coln. Beaumont, M.P. Bretton, Wakefield Yorkshire				



Dear Madam

      This I hope may find you, Colonel Beaumont & Family perfectly well, that Master Wentworth did not suffer from the Journey & that he daily gains Strength &c.-

      I had the Honor of your Letter from Bishop Auckland enclosing the Observations that you made when you were at the Mines &c. they appear to me to be very judicious & proper, you & Coln. Beaumont may depend that I shall pay every Attention to them that is in my Power & I am very sensible of the Confidence which you are pleased to place in me.   I observe what you say respecting Mrs. Robinson, her Behaviour to me has not been very proper but I excuse her, after having by her Servant applied to me for a large Cake of Silver which came from Blaydon & which I entended for Mr. Makepeace, she called on me & on my acquainting her that I could not let her have it, she told me that I would be the Occasion of her shutting up her Shop, & that in Case I refused her having it, she would immediately complain of me to you, I told her that she was perfectly at Liberty to do so; on which she left me, but I did not imagine that she would have given you this Trouble.   I have not sold Mrs. Robinson any Silver since her Husband’s Death, not being perfectly satisfied as to her Circumstances, & she did not say anything to me as to the Payment; on her return she called on me again, but was much more moderate, which I attributed to the Answer that you had given her, I then told her that she should have the first small Cake of Silver which I expected in about a Fortnight from Dukesfield, at the same time I acquainted her that it was more than her Behaviour merited.   I expect that Thomas Crawhall would get to Bretton on Saturday, by whom I sent Mr. Wakefields Letters: Mr. C. Blackett assures me that Messrs. Andrews & Cos.  overcharge of 10s/.d the Barrel of Gunpowder shall be deducted, that he has wrote to them, & has no Doubt of their conforming to the Price at which Mr. Wakefield makes an Offer, in which Case I imagine that you will prefer having the Gunpowder from Andrews & Co. by Mr. C. Blackett.-

      I observe the Contents of Mr. Ruddock’s Letter; At the next Meeting of the Trustees of the new road, should the Duke of Northumberland as well as the Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital come into the Measure of advancing 30 p[er] Cent on their Subscription I would recommend it to you & Coln. Beaumont to do the like, for altho’ the Expence of making this new Branch will far exceed the Estimate, yet should it not be compleated, what you have already subscribed for the Purpose (which will be of Benefit to the Lead Car[ria]ge.) will be thrown away.-

      You could not well have avoided accepting Mrs. Barrington’s obliging Invitation, & I am glad that you did; the Bishop would have some Conversation with you respecting the Chapel which he proposes building.   I hope you convinced him of the Impropriety of its being built for the Purpose which he wished, at the part which Mr. Mowbray pointed out, as well as the great Loss, as well as the Inconvenience that it would be to your Mine Concerns in Weardale.   I am &c. J.E.B.-



      I have this Moment received your Favour of the 16th. inst. & am happy to hear that you found your young Folks in good Health & Spirits, & that Master Wentworth bore the Journey so well; I am much pleased to hear of your gracious Reception at the Castle, and that every thing respecting the Chapel passed off very well; I don’t wonder at his Lordship admiring your excellent Letter and being likewise flattered by the Compliment that you paid him; in Consequence of his Lordship’s Acquiescence in this Business, I shall without Loss of time <make> Application for a renewal of the Lease of Kilhope & Welhope with Lintzgarth, by putting in a new Life, & by the Exchange of another in the room of Robson; the sort of Persons that you mention will certainly be the most proper, I have no Lives at present in View. – As you are pleased to say that you would look out for two good Lives, I wish that you would do so, & when you have done it, please to inform me of their Names &c. the Health as well as the Longevity of their Parents should be attended to.

      I observe what the Bishop said respecting having the Concurrence of yourself & Coln. Beaumont for the enclosing of Bollyhope Common, I do not at present see that you can make any well grounded Objection to it, but you shall very soon hear further from me on the Subject, it would have been included in the former Bill, had not Mr. Tweddale at that timne opposed it; Division of Commons in that Quarter are certainly rather Disadvantageous to your Mine Concerns, you cannot well oppose them, but any Injury to your Concerns arising from such Division must be guarded against as much as possible.-

      The Lead and Lead Fume shall be got ready as soon as possible and sent to Hull, of which your Steward shall be advised.-