Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Diana Beaumont – 5 Jan 1804

Mrs Beaumont Under cover to					Newcastle 5 Jan[uar]y 1804

      Col Beaumont MP Portman Square London

		

Dear Madam

      I wrote to you the 25th Ult. since which I have delayed writing in hopes of making a Sale of Lead which has not yet been in my power; I am now informed that the London Houses have entered into an agreement not to make any purchases of WB Lead but at a reduced price & as there is no considerable stock in any other hands they expect that you will be under a necessity of coming to their terms; in the year 1795 they made the like attempt when a person of Credit in Town who was well recommended & had proper Wharfs etc made me an offer of disposing of a quantity of Lead on Commission, which on being communicated to the London Houses they in a short time came to the terms offered them I should be sorry to be drove to the expedient of sending on your own Account if it could be avoided, at the same time something of the kind thrown out to the London Buyers may have the similar good effect, which I have put in practice & hope that it may succeed. I enclose {you} under another Cover the Valuation of the Wood on Steel Hall Estate & likewise a Letter from Mr Heron, an answer to which will be necessary to enable him to draw the intended Conveyance. I send you enclosed a Bill drawn by the Committee of the Creditors of Easterby Halls & Co on Messrs Forsters Labbock & Co dated 27 Dec 1803 at Two Mo[noths] date for £4347-10-4 being for the first Instalment of their Debt, the Bill being made payable to the order of Mr Beaumont it will be necessary that he should endorse it before it be placed in the Bank of Messrs Davidson & Co. The Balance at present in the Bank of Sir W[illia]m Loraine is about £5000 – the Subsistence money for the Workman, the Lead Carriage Pay the 23rd Inst: the Quarterly Candle Bills with payments to the Bishop & Rector this month & other Casualties will amount to near that Sum which renders it unnecessary to have it transferred to the bank of Davidson & Co. The second Instalment from Easterby Hall & Co will be due the end of April next. 

      Mr Dawson a partner with Jarratt & Hardy in the Iron Works at Low Moor near Bradford was lately at the Arkendale Mines & has made a report that they are in a very promising state, that he has no doubt of their enabling the Proprietors of the Works to fulfil their engagements & to put them on a very respectable footing, that Company are Creditors for about £3000. The Leadmines at Allenheads in general are at present very promising.

				I am etc. 	JEB