Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Mark Skelton – 12 Jul 1793

M Skelton Esqr     Birthwait Hall                                                     Newcastle  12th July 1793

                     near Wakefield  Yorkshire



Sir	Your favor I rec[eiv]ed & I observe what you say respecting the Accots, they were made out to the time of Sir Thos Blackett’s Death, sho[ul]d they not convey to you the satisfaction that you wish for, on you acquainting what is required, we will Endeavour to give you the necessary information.  At the time that the Calculation was made respecting the Sum that might be required for the several Lead Pays’ no Jud[gm]ent could well be formed of the amount, & instead of it being for 12 Months the Pay was only for 9 Months being to the Time of Sir Thos Blackett’s Death.

	The 18500 pieces of Lead sold in Novr last to Mr Hall & Mr Chris Blackett were not at that time come down, it was far in the Spring before the Quantity was at Blaydon & in consideration of those Gentlemen being obliged to pay a very large Sum of Money for the former Parcells of Lead sold them, they by agreement were to be indulged with more than the usual Credit, but I expected that they wo[ul]d have made a payment on that Accot some Time ago, but notwithstanding the frequent applications that I have made to them for the purpose, it has not yet been in my power to obtain Bills even for the first payment, & I am at length promised them the End of this Month, but I will endeavour to procure them sooner; the effect which the late failures have had on Credit in General, as well as the present War (which occasions a great stagnation in trade) is the occasion of this.  The end of May I sold Mr C Blackett 5000 p[iece]s of Lead at £17-10 per Fo[dder] (the price at which the Lead Company sold) but he expects to have a long Credit; Messrs Walker & Co & Mr Hall refused my offer of the like quantities to each at that price unless they were allowed untill Jany & March next for the payment in Bills at 2 Mo[nth]s, I did not at that Time think it prudent to consent to it, but I fear that we shall be under a necessity of complying with it for there is scarse any demand for Lead at present & the Credit very long indeed as you will see by a Copy of Mr Freeman’s Lre [Letter] to Mr C Blackett which I inclose you.  Lead may have been sold at Hull in small Quantities at £17-15 & possibly at £18 per F[odder] but no such price could be obtain’d at That time at this place for we are glad to get £17-10 for Com[mo]n & £17-15 for Ref[ine]d for the few very small parcells we have sold; I have got £18 per Ton for 70 Casks of Litharge, I have made an offer of a Quantity to the London Houses at that price but their Answer was, there is no demand.  The last Piece of Silver we sold was at 5s 5d per Oz & it is expected to be lower, it is always disposed of on being sent down at the Current price.  A State of the Cash Accot as well as a Calculation of the Sum that will be required for the carrying on the works etc shall be sent you.                                                                        I am etc    J.E.B