Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to John Trevelyan – 8 Dec 1778

Sir Jno. Trevelyan   Baro[ne]t   Nettlecombe                                  Newcas.  8th  Decemr.  1778

  Near  Taunton       Somersetshire



Dear Sir    I received your Favour of the 11th Ult[im]o & am very glad to hear that yourself & Family are well.  My Friend Mosley & I went to Wallington the 29th  _  I received the Rents that day and the next morning & returned Home in the Evening     The Tenants paid up much better than I expected considering the Price of Corn the low Price of fat Cattle & Sheep & the great Rot amongst the latter.   Turner has got into a good Method with them and I think will be a good Steward; What little he has done  at the Roof of the House & outside for the Preservation of the Windows etc is with Judgement.    I went through the House it is well air‘d  & with the Furniture is in very good Order.

     I saw very few Hares & Philip complains much of Mr. Dents Hounds & the Grey hounds kept in that Neighbourhood.  the former were running in & about the Plantations all the day.   On Monday Mr. Turner paid me on Account of Ord Rent and Fisheries £400     Wallington Rents £1800 and Longwitton Rents £400       I have paid Mr. Ellison the remaining £3000 & Mr. <Strologer> £1350 this Week     I am to pay Mr. Mosley £1000 & Mr. Henry Atkinson £500 next Month Mr. <Cocking> £1000 & Mr. Harbottle £400     Miss Isaacson £200     In February Mr. Geo. Clavering £5000 & the Exec[uto]rs of Major Carr £1200     In a few Posts I shall send you a Sketch of your Affairs     Mr. Fawcett Mr. Wilson  Mr. Heron & myself were together two Days last Week.  They put the finishing hand to the Business with respect to the rest of the Personalties at the Leadmines & the Mills.   The Furniture at the Lead Stewards Houses the Office etc etc.  The whole amounting to £1081 . 18s . 8d from which there is deducted for the Mistake which I acquainted you with about the Wood & the Int[e]rest thereon £236 . 6s . 4d leave a Balance of 845 . 12 . 4 for w[hi]ch you are to have Sir Thomas Blacketts Bond at 4 p[er] C[ent] to be dated the 2nd instant.  These Gent[leme]n of the Law have not yet gone through the Business with respect to the Covenants that are to be entered into by you and Sir Thomas for producing Deeds in each others Possession when required.     I am desired by those Gentlemen to write to you requesting that you will apply for & procure a Schedule of the several Deeds in the hands of Sir Edw[ar]d Winnington or Sir Walter Blackett delivered on the Mort[ga]ge from Sir W[alte]r Blackett     for till they have this Schedule they are at a Stand     but in the first place to make Enquiry for the Schedule delivered at the Time of the Mortgage with the Mortgagees Receipt which if found will make the other Application unnecessary.   I cannot find any such Schedule & Receipt amongst the papers in the Office & imagine it must have been amongst the Papers in Sir Walters Beaureau at Newcastle or Wallington.   I found amongst the Papers that Mr. Darwin sent down a paper with Such a Title but had no Receipt on it & on being examined it was found not to be a true Schedule     I have not seen Mr. Trevelyan lately     he was here when I was at Walling[to]n.  he had some Conversation with Mr. Heron with respect to the Purchase of Longwitton     the Substance of which I had from Mr. Heron & have inclosed for your Consideration.  

    Mr. Trevelyan at the same time mentioned that in Case you & he did not agree about the Purchase that he should be under the Necessity of calling in part of the £40000 & that he should expect you would allow him 4½  p[er] Cent. for the remaining Sum as he at this Time pays that Int[e]rest  _  he has not yet given me any Notice tho’ he mentioned the Affair to me once  _  at present Money is not to be had & I do not find that any offers have been made for Ord Estates or the Fisheries.     I acquainted Mr. Heron with your Resolution with respect to Mr. Vaughan but do not know what Steps he & Mr. Trevelyan have taken about that Affair     I have made an End of all the Election Demands except <Hensels> for £202     he has got £100 on Account & I offered to settle with him in the same manner I had with some others which he refused with much abuse & I expect will apply to you again.          I am etc   JEB.