Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Diana Beaumont – 26 Nov 1795

November 26th 1795



Dear Madam,

I have the honour of your letter of ...22nd Inst.which I postponed answering that I may have it in my power to give you some account of the County Meeting at Morpeth yesterday, which I hope to do before I close my letter.I observe that you propose setting off for Town with your little Boys on the 30thInst. as a frost is sett in.  I hope that you may have a good journey and a happy meeting with Col. Beaumont.  I wrote to him fully on the 21stand 23rd Inst. a copy of your letter.I inclose you The Bishop of Durham represented to Mr. Burbord “That your Miners were in a distressed state “earning only 3/-per week, and unassisted by the Proprietor Mr. B. “whom he is bound by every tie to protect; whereas the earnings of those men on an average is about £30per annum. some of them who have been the most clamorous make £60 per annum.  They have been and continue to be supplied with corn all this year (unasked for) at a reduced price by which Mr. B. will be a sufferer of about £400 and exclusive of this they have their monthly subsistance money. Mr. B. subscribed in the Spring,  £200 towards the supply of corn and the reduction of the price which certainly were the means of saving the parishes of Stanhope and Wolsingham from infinite distress, the loss on the subscription was.....neither The Lord Lieutenant, the Church of Durham nor the Rector of Stanhope contributed one shilling.  Is there is a tie  on the  Lessee(?) (whose profits from the mines are uncertain)to aid and protect the workmen employed by him?  The obligation on the Lessor  whose advantage arising from those mines is considerable and certain) should certainly be reciprocal.  I believe what you say as to the sales of lead, as well as the present price, and the demand at the time that I sold 25,000 No. lead 2/3 ..@17.10....(?)at .6 months credit at was thought to be a very advantageous sale and it became necessary to make it for the purpose of the pay in the Spring.  The Lead Company last Spring sold 20,000 ...of lead at the.... the heavy rains we have had has broke up the Lead Road, and will prevent the lead that is already sold being brought down to Blaydon till the end of next month,notwithstanding some advance on the carriage is given.  I believe that £19 10d  or possibly £20.... might be procured in case any quantity of lead was got down, but it cannot answer any good purpose to make a sale, with the appearance of a rising markitt, where I cannot deliver it.Mr. Straker has answered Mr. Skelton’s letter.  Lord Macdonald’s sudden death as well as the large fortune which he has amassed surprised me; I looked on him to be rich, but not in such a degree.  Mr. Biggs and his party have made use of every means to procure names to the petitions, after having them at a number of dirty Public Houses, he has been with them at the. Glass Houses,as several do the collieries...Haranguing the men, they even threatened some that were members of the Charitable Association and were dissenters that they should be excluded from both unless they signed the petitions.  In consequence of orders having been issued by the Bailiffs of the Duke of Northumberland for all histenants and dependants to attend at the County Meeting at Morpeth.  The Town Hall was taken possession of and few or none of the gentlemen at whose request the meeting was called could get admittance, the High Sheriff of course declined going to the Hall and opend the business of the meeting at Nelson’s where an address ...was signed by the the magistrates,and present Mr. Thomas Bigge, andSir John Swinburne harangued those assembled in the hall for a considerable time, the latter had very hastily resigned his commission in the Northumberland Militia just before for the purpose (I suppose) of abusing and insulting the King and his Ministers with a better grace.  I hear that Mr. W. Trevelyan was confined at home with the gout. My daughter joins with me in best compliments to you and I am

      Dear Madam. Your affectionate and very humble servant. 

      J.E.Blackett

Mrs.Beaumont