Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Thomas Richard Beaumont – 22 Jan 1804

Colonel Beaumont Portman Square London			Newcastle 22 Jan[uar]y 1804

				

Dear Sir

      I wrote to Mrs Beaumont the 17th Inst. to which I refer you, as your time is a good deal engaged, I have of late addressed my letters to Mrs Beaumont.

	The enclosed Proposition etc is made by the Committee for conducting the Affairs of Messrs Easterby hall & Co. The Works that the Company have at Bill Quay on this River, have been erected by them at a considerable Expense; they have done a great deal of Business in the making Red Lead, Sheet Lead & Shot which has turned to a very good Account & has been a Means of keeping up the Price of Lead. The Arkendale Lead being disposed of to more Advantage at the other Ports and not interfering with this Market, lays them under a Necessity of procuring Lead elsewhere for the carrying on those Works, which certainly will be a Means of contributing towards the liquidating their Debt, but circumstanced as they are at present they have no Means of procuring Lead for the Purpose without the concurrence & aid of the Committee, who conceive that they cannot consistently with the Power they are invested with by the creditors at large, absolutely guarantee the Payment for such Lead as may be sold them, but they engage that it shall when manufactured be disposed of solely towards the Payment for such Lead which has been supplied for their works, and the money arising from it paid into their Hands for that Purpose.

	Neither the Hospital nor Messrs Hopper and Monkhouse have at present any Common Lead at Market, so that should you acquiesce with the Recommendation of the Committee. the supply must fall solely on you, for two or three Months; it would be taking off a Quantity of your common & Slag Lead, of which you have a large Quantity, & the Credit will be the same 6 Months; all these matters I submit to the consideration of Mrs Beaumont & yourself.

I have not had an answer from the other Lead Houses. Should you comply with the recommendation of the Committee, the Lead will be charged to Messrs Doubleday & Co who have considerable Property.

	In consequence of Mrs Beaumont’s Letter to me, I made application to Messrs Surtees Burdon & Co and likewise to some of the committee & Mr Burdon called on me yesterday morning with the state of the Affairs of their Bank, which he intended sending to you by the last Post with a Letter which he read to me, from which there does not appear to me to be the smallest Prospect of any Payment from them before the Lead Pay, nor I fear for a considerable time after: I should be glad to have a Copy of that Statement, which I could not with Propriety ask for of Mr Burdon. – The only Sales that I have made since my last letter, is 56 Casks Litharge to Walkers & Co at 32/- per Cwt & 400 P[iece]s Ref[ine]d Lead to Messrs James & Hind for their Works at £31-10 per Fodder. I expect to have Application from the London Houses on Monday next.    

      I am etc. 		JEB