Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Thomas Richard Beaumont – 24 Mar 1793

Tho R Beaumont Esqr                                                           Newcastle 24th March 1793

at Messrs Ransom Moreland & Co  Bankers     London



Dr Sir	I was by the last Post favoured with Mr Skelton’s letter of the 21st inst & observe the Contents I was under a necessity of giving longer Credit to Mr Hall & Mr C Blackett for the 30000 p[iece]s Lead sold to them the 4th Augt last, by the Agreement One half was to be paid on the 1st March by Bills at 2 Mo[nth]s date & the Remaind[e]r on the 1st April of the like date, I endeavoured to have the payments one Month sooner but Mr Hall absolutely refused making the purchase on the above terms, It was with some difficulty that I procured Bills from him at those dates for the 1st Payment & I wish that I may not have the like difficulty in obtaining Bills for the next Payment wch will certainly be too long a Date & must subject you to the Payment of Discount which could not well be avoided owing to the great Sum that has been drawn out of the Trade _ The other Payments for Lead that we may probably expect may Amo[un]t to £1000

	The time fixed on for the several Lead Pays is the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd of May which is as late as we could with any propriety make it the Sum wanted will be about £45000 we must take as little Cash as we possibly can but I think that we cannot make less serve than £12000 _ I shall follow your directions as to the withdrawing £200 from your Subs[criptio]n towards the intended Turnpike Road the Commiss[ioner]s having come to a Resolution of carrying that Road no further West than Chappel in Weardale the other £100 I should recommend being continued, being in hopes that the Road even to Chappel may be of some benefit to your concerns & your having Sum on the Road must give you some influence at the Meetings

                                                                                                  I am etc    J.E.B