Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Mark Skelton – 4 Oct 1792

Mr Skelton Esqr     Birthwait Hall                                                    Newcastle  4th  Octor 1792

              near Wakefield  Yorkshire



D[ea]r Sir	I wrote to you on the 29th Ult to which I refer you.  Inclosed you have Copies of two Letters that I rec[eiv]ed from Mr J Hunter the former respecting the Road that is proposed to be made from this Place to Wolsingham & Stanhope & from thence to Alstone with the amount of the estimate for making the same & a list of those persons that have already Subscribed; It is the opinion of good Judges that it will require £10,000 to compleat that Road, & I do not think that the whole will be carried into execution I mean that part from Stanhope or from Chapel a few Miles West from thence to Alstone _ There is no doubt that a good Road from hence to Stanhope or to Chapel will be of great advantage to the Weardale Lead Mines for the more easy conveyance of Materials as well as for opening the Country for the better supply of provisions for the Workmen and should the Road be extended to Alstone it will have the like effect on the Mines in those parts.  I do not see any advantage that may arise to Mr Beaumont from this Road as to his Lead Carriage which will continue to use the Old Road without making use of any part of the New one, therefore should Mr Beaumont think proper to Subscribe towards it I would recommend that it should be on condition that a Clause shall be inserted in the Act that no cross Bar shall be erected for the purpose of intercepting the Lead or Lead Ore so as to subject it to the Toll.

	As much the greater part of the Gentlemen who will be named Commissioners in the Act, reside in the Eastern part whose Interest it will be to have that part of the Road made first, by which means the whole or much greater part of the Money will be expended on that part, it will I think be necessary that a Clause should be inserted to limit the Sum to be expended on each Quarter of the Road in a certain proportion to the Sums Subscribed in those Quarters, I observe that £550 is Subscribed for Alstone Moor, but what part is by the Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital, & what by the Lead Company I have not yet learnt, when I am informed you shall be acquainted.

	Mr Peter Hunter as well as Mr Ornsby are Strangers to me, the former I am told is a Person of Character in his Profession.  You will observe by Mr Hunter’s last Letter that the Damage done at Dukesfield by the Floods has been considerable, the stop that it already has & will occasion to the Works there as well as to the Lead Carriage will be attended with considerable loss, I have given directions that no time may be lost in repairing the damage that the Dam has sustained & likewise in getting the Lead sent down to Markett   

      I am etc   J.E.B