Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Thomas Blackett – 31 Jan 1788

Sir Thos. Blackett  Bart.                                              Newcastle  31st.  Jany.   1788

Bretton - Yorkshire



D[ea]r Sir       When I got home I found letters from Mr Emerson your Agent in Weardale, & from Mr Harris the Clergyman who was recommended to you by myself & your Lead Mine Agents, to succeed the late Mr Rotheram as Curate of the Chapel, which Chapel was built at the Principal Expence of the late Sir Walter Blackett, the Election of the Curate is in the Freeholders of that district, the Majority of wch. are employed under you or are benefited by the Mines, of course, the person who had your support has always been Elected, & its very reasonable and proper that it should be so, he being paid by you & the Workmen.  Mr Harris you may Remember offer’d himself on a former occasion, On the present Vacancy he has your support, & I had not the least idea that any opposition would be made against him, as his Character is unexceptionable, but Mr Wilson, the Rector of Wolsingham (the adjoining Parish) has been making all the Interest that he possibly can in favour of one Mr Clarke, a relation of his & has endeavoured to Asperse the Character of poor Harris & to prejudice Mr Hardinge the Rector of Stanhope against him, for the Person who is Elected is to be approved of by the Rector of Stanhope; Mr Hardinge has been with me, he represents Mr Harris as a Person who was unfit for the Curacy was much disapproved of by the Inhabitants, & he wished that you would withdraw your support of him;  I told him that I would acquaint you with his Application but that I should not recommend it; I have since made further inquiries as to his Moral Character as well as his Abilities as a Clergyman & I have Certificates from several Clergymen in his Neighbourhood, as well as the respectable part of his Neighbours very much to his Credit in both Aspects, & I am satisfied that the opposition raised against him is Malicious & Cruel, & for the Sole Purpose of having him set aside that Clark may be Elected.  I have since acquainted Mr Hardinge with my sentiments on the Matter, I acquainted him that Mr Harris would have your warm support, & that I hoped, should he be Elected that he would not be so Cruel as to withhold his approbation of him.  Doctor Dickins the Archdeacon of Durham dined with me on Monday with Sir Thos. Clavering, I mentioned the affair to him & he was of opinion that no reasonable objection could be made to Mr Harris.

     I have wrote to Mr Emerson to make use of your Interest in his favour & I have no doubt of his being Elected by a great Majority, I have been the more fully in this Matter that you may be acquainted with every particular relating to it, & I hope that you will approve of what I have done  The Election will be in a few days the Result of which you shall be inform’d of.  I have not made any Sale of Lead for the London Market since I saw you.  Messrs Walker’s & Fishwicks White Lead Works take all your Lead at present, until the Carriage get forward   The present Price is £21.15.. & £22.-. -.  I have given directions for 4 Casks of Lead Fume to be ground & to be sent to you by way of Hull.   I am apprehensive that I shall be under a necessity of going up to Lond[o]n in about a fortnight on the Coal Business.      I am etc    J. E. B.