Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Diana Beaumont – 21 Apr 1804

Mrs Beaumont under Cover to 					Newcastle 21st April 1804

Colonel Beaumont Portman Square, London



Dear Madam

      I refer you to my Letter of yesterday; I am this day favoured with your Letter of the 19th enclosing a Copy of Colonel Beaumont’s Letter to Mr Davison; my former would inform you that it was Mr Bowns & not Mr Davison that mentioned the Rap on the Knuckles,  which the Colonel had received: Mr Heron & Mr Crawhall got home at 12 O’Clock last Night; Nothing could be more civil than the three Commissioners were, they were I imagine much ashamed not only of their former Behaviour (as you may observe by a Copy of their Letter which I enclose you) but likewise of the Rate which they had made on the Profits of your Weardale Mines, which they have reduced from £100,000 per annum to £20,000 per annum: but I am far from being satisfied with this rate & am determined (by your leave) on appealing from the Rate, for by acquiescing with it, the Implication will of course be that the Return we made was not fair & equitable; the Comm[issioner]s swore Tho[mas] Emerson, & Mr Heron told them that T. Crawhall was ready to swear to the Truth of the Return we made, to the best of his Knowledge & belief; they did not give him the Oath, saying they were satisfied as to the Quantity of Ore raised but the Difference was in the Value of it, which was rated by them on an Average of the five years at £5 the Bing, whereas we had calculated it at £4-10-0 the utmost Price of it on an Average of the five years at Alston Moor, as can be certified by Mr Walton; this point must not be given up, not so much on Account of the increased Tax to Government, as the clearing up the Imputation on Colonel Beaumont & his Agents.	

      Mr Hall’s conduct has indeed been very Handsome, & there will not be the smallest Doubt, that, that with the Aid that has come forward, that we shall be enabled to make the Pay the End of next Month, which I [k]new would not have delayed on many Accounts. I beg that you & Colonel Beaumont would not give yourselves further uneasiness on this Account: The Bank of Sir W[ilia]m Loraine & Co. call on Monday to acquaint me with the Terms on which they will supply Notes for the Pay, which they expect to accomplish without the assistance of any other Bank at this Place, & on Monday I will acquaint you with the Sum that will be in their Hands towards it. It will I expect be the End of the next Week before I shall have it in my power to send you Bills on London at 3, 4 & 5 Months Date amounting to £30,000; amongst the Payments for Wood for the several Mines, there is £1,000 to Greenwich Hospital due this Month which was to be paid at the Time of the Lead Pay, Messrs N. Walton & Forster have very handsomely (on the present Occasion) consented to accept of my Bill on you at three Months Date to be dated the 23rd Inst which you can accept, payable at the Bank of Sir R[ichar]d Glyn, who I hope will not have any Objection to accept the Bills which I may draw at the Lead Pay etc which will be a Relief to us, as well as to the Bank at this Place.

      Mr Maude one of the Partners in the Bank of Sir W[ilia]m Loraine & Co. has just now been with me to acquaint me that they will engage to furnish Note for the Pay on Condition of having my Bill or Bills on London at the time, payable at sight for the Sum exceeding what they may have in their Hands on that Account; I shall have their answer on Monday as to their assisting you with the Loan of £5,000 for a Time.

      Inclosed as an Account of the Lead etc sold this Month. 	

      I am J.E.B.