Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Diana Beaumont – 4 Mar 1804

Mrs Beaumont under Cover to				Newcastle 4th March 1804

Colonel Beaumont Portman Square, London

				

Dear Madam

      I am favoured with your Letter of the 2nd Inst. & observe that some Business in which Mr Bowns is engaged will prevent him from being at this Place until some Time later than was expected. I have good reason to think from the Enquiry that I have made, that the Surtees’s have not had any Concern whatever in the Iron Works in Scotland, & that the Person who gave me the Information had made a Mistake in the Name of the Persons.

	I should be happy to have had it in my Power to inform you that I have made a large Sale of Lead. Particularly at this time , but Mr Ellill (by his Agent) has not made any further Application; had he done it for a pretty large Quantity on the Terms of Credit that I mentioned, I would eagerly have embraced them.

	The London Houses (knowing that the only large Quantity of Lead is in your hands) are using every Endeavour to induce you to reduce, for by Letters that I have a few Days since received both from Derbyshire & Scotland, I am informed that Mr Ellill & the Walkers have purchased about 1700 p[iece]s of Lead of the former in London, & some small Quantities in Scotland at a price something higher than I offered your Lead to them; about 1,200 p[iece]s more of Derbyshire Lead has been sent to Hull & part sold there at about the same Price, very little more is on hand thereat Hull, Stockton & Scotland at present; the Quantity at London must be small, & the Buyers there must soon be under a necessity of coming to this Market, where the Stocks in other Hands is trifling at present. I am informed that some of Lord Grosvenor’s Mines in Wales etc. are very productive, & that his Agent by Letter offers his Lead at £27- the Fo[dder] whereas he might obtain 328 OR £29 (altho’ it is rather an inferior Quality) this has a great effect on the Market; If Colonel Beaumont by himself or any Friends of his, could acquaint Lord Grosvenor with the Price at which Lead is selling, it might have a good Effect on this Market.

	I observe that for the future you shall not keep an Account with any other Bank than Davison & Co but I understand from the Bank of Loraine & Co that they decline doing the  Business for the Lead Pay in May on the Terms proposed to them by Davison & Co. I have not yet heard that any other Arrangement has been made. 

	I neither know Mr Sheffield nor have I heard anything of him, I can not say that I have any Opinion of having an Agent from Derbyshire, I should prefer having one from Alstone Moor, or from Scotland; but from whatever part of the Country he may come from a Person of Character, Knowledge & Experience will expect a larger Salary than you at present give your Agents.

	I made the Return of your Income Tax for the Mines, Mills, & the Lead Trade to the Commissioners at Hexham on an Average of five years as the Act directs & as was done on the former Occasion; the Durham Commissioners insist on the Weardale Mines being under their jurisdiction etc and I understand that the other Commissioners expect the like, which it will be impossible to complete with any Degree of Accuracy, as in that case there will be 7 or 8 returns to be made, on which Acco[un]t I shall take the Opinion of Mr Williamson whether it may not be advisable to make Application to the Commissioners to be assisted by referries.

	In the present situation of the Country I do not think that the London Buyers would engage for a large Quantity of Lead, & that even dropping the Price would not induce them.

	The Writings at the Office with the Tin Boxes for those of the Manor of Hexham, will be sent in a Cart of Mr Thomas’s providing, to the Manor Office Tomorrow Morning of which Mr J. Bell is advised. I am much obliged to you for your Indulgence in permitting me sometimes the Use of an Amanuensis.		

      I am etc. J.E.B.