Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Thomas Richard Beaumont – 13 Jan 1793

The following Letter sent by Mr Alderman Blackett to be forwarded to Colonel & Mrs Beaumont. Bretton 8th November 1808	MM



T R Beaumont Esq						Newcastle January 13th 1793



Dear Sir

      I am favored with your Letter of the 10th instant and observe the contents.

      It never has been the custom during the possession of the Lead Mines by the late Sir Walter Blackett and Sir Thomas Blackett for a running Account to be kept with the Bank but as the Bills on London at 60 days were received the Bank gave Notes for them and the amount which they had in their hands depended on the time that the <large> Sales were made and the payments for the Same so that it will not be in my power to send you such an Account with the Bank that you require. Of late years the Lead Payments have been made so near the time of the Lead Pays that the Bank have not received the usual advantages and the very  great Sums which have within these five months been drawn out of the Trade has discouraged their doing the Business on the same footing.

	Give me leave now to mention a matter to you Sir which I have for some time intended doing which is the very inadequate allowance that I have had for conducting the business of the Concern for some years. The late Mr Richmond and Son who for Fifty years before the death of Sir Walter Blackett had the conduct of the Business had a Salary of £200 Per annum with a House Rent free, Coals, a House Kept, besides several other advantages etc the late Mr Richmond frequently told me that had his health allowed him to carry on the concern longer that he would not have done it unless he had a considerable increase of Salary. The Receivers for Greenwich Hospital have 5 Per Cent on the receipt for conducting the Mines & the Persons in this place who have the disposal of the Lead of the several Properties have one P[er] Cent on the amount and have no Concern or trouble whatsoever with the conducting of the Mines etc. Mr C Blackett and Mr Hall have each 1 P[er] Cent on the amount of their purchases for doing that Business alone and shipping the Lead the charges of which are allowed them.

	The Sales of Lead from your Mines have been more than doubled for these same years past and the business of consequence considerably increased on which account I have thought myself deserving of £500 Per annum instead of £210 for doing the Business; Some respectable Persons of this place who are good judges of the matter are of the same opinion and have frequently told me so; I mentioned this matter to Sir Thomas Blackett more than once, his answer was that he would consider of it which I fully expected that he would have done and in consequence would have complied with my application but not being so fortunate in having an answer it lays me under the unpleasant necessity of mentioning this matter to you and I trust that on full consideration with Mrs Beaumont that you will be kind enough to comply with my request and not let a near Relation of the Family suffer so materially by having the conduct of the Business for some years past at a much less Salary than it would have been done by any respectable Person of the Place by giving up so Considerable a proportion of his time which I have done and can prove to the detriment of my own private concerns and I had no doubt of its being made up to me. I have no doubt that Mrs Beaumont and you will on considering of the matter be of the opinion that my application is reasonable.

	I have had some conversation with Mr Widdrington on the Paper that you enclosed me and with whom I am to have a meeting on Tuesday and should himself and Company undertake the business I shall place in the hands of their Friends in London £10,000 in addition to what they have now in their hands and the necessary Steps will be taken for the making of the Pay, but should they again decline it, the whole shall be paid into the hands of you Bankers in London, or as you may direct.

	I am Dear Sir Yours &c

		J E Blackett