Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Martin Morrison – 10 Jul 1808

M Morrison Esq						Newcastle 10th July 1808

			

Sir

      In reply to your letter I must desire that you will please to acquaint Col & Mrs Beaumont that I beg leave to refer them to my letter of the 13th July 1793 respecting the allowance for conducting the business of their Lead Concerns, an undertaking which required judgement as well as responsibility & well meriting the Salary or allowance of £500 Per ann[um] a sum which Mr Skelton secured annually for barely Auditing the accounts from time to time, exclusive of his charges for other business (this Mrs Beaumont told me). The amount of Sales of Lead Silver etc have during the time that I conducted the business amounted from £100,000 to £200,000 per Ann[um] exclusive of the other business, the attention to which was the occasion of my own private concerns in trade suffering very considerably, which is well known. In my letters to Col & Mrs Beaumont of the 30th Nov & the 6th 1804 I stated this matter to them, & at the same time proposed to leave the matter in dispute to Arbitration in which I hope that they will Acquiesce that this very unpleasant business may be finally settled.

	I am with esteem Sir Yours etc

		John E Blackett