Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to John Trevelyan – 20 Jan 1783

Sir John Trevelyan  Barot .                                                     Newcastle  20th  Janry  1783

      Half Moon  Street   Piccadilly  

           London



Dear Sir    The Letter you inclosed me signed by a Committee of the Proprietors of the Fisheries on the River Tweed was answered by Mr. Turner to Mr. Willoughby their Secretary & we thought it would be right & proper for you to adopt the Plan proposed which he acquainted them with    I have heard nothing further from Mrs. Swinburn by Letter but am told she expects to have your Answer on the matter  _  Turner would acquaint you that he had made a Seizure of Strakers Effects which sold for £193.3s.6d ready Money     Your Debt was £295.10s.0d so it falls short £102.6s.4d      Straker refuses to give up the Farm immediately unless you Excuse him the remainder of the Debt and give him £20 or a House & Cows Grass for 8yrs the remainder of the Farm which I think is rather an unreasonable Demand    the poor Man has nothing left so you have no Prospect of getting any part of the Money  _  I believe he is honest & I am informed he has done Justice to the Farm and that it is worth about £30 a Year more than when he Entered upon it    his Son is a sober industrious Young Man and if some little Thing could be done for them it would be well     The old Man proposed that if you would Excuse him the £102.6s.4d he believes he could prevail on his Relations to join him in Security for the Payment of the Years Rent & he hopes to pay you in future but I doubt much of his Friends doing that for him  _  himself & Family are at present in great distress;  he has a good Character in the Neighbourhood & was very well remembered by Mr. Collingwood & Mr. Watson of No[rth] Seaton when he came to the Farm.    Inclosed I send you a Bill drawn by Bell Cookson & Co on Castell & Co dated 18th instant at 20 d[ays] date for £300 for which youll please to send me your Receipt.   Sir Thomas Blackett has at length agreed with the Bishop of Durham for putting in one Life in the Leases of Weardale Leadmines in the room of the late Sir Walter Blackett & as your Son Mr. Trevelyan is a Life in those Leases it will be necessary before the Renewal can take Place that a Certificate should be procured that Mr. Trevelyan is living & in good Health     I have acquainted Mr. Brooks the Bishops Secretary that you would be in Town about the 25th and would give such Certificate as I hoped would satisfy the Bishop but in case it should be necessary to send over to the place where Mr. Trevelyan is for a proper Certificate Sir Thomas Blackett requests the favour of you to do it.      I am etc J E B





                   £300 .  .                         Newcastle Bank  18th  January  1783

        Twenty Days after date Pay to the order of John Erasmus 

     Blackett Esqr.  Three Hundred Pounds      value received

                                                                        For Bell Cookson Carr Widdrington & Self 

To Messrs. Castell Powell & Sumner                               Jos. Saint

                     London                                     

  No. 1156