Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Thomas Richard Beaumont – 27 Dec 1794

Thos Rd Beaumont Esqr                                                                      Newcastle 27th Decr 1794

        Bretton near Wakefield



Dr Sir	Inclosed I send you a letter that I rec[eiv]ed signed by a number of the Workmen of your Mines & likewise a Copy of my letter to Mr Dickinson in Answer to it.  The present very high price of Rye on which the Workmen chiefly Subsist, the small quantity at this Markett, as well as what is expected from the South, the prospect of the Price not only advancing but of there being a real scarsity of that article , Induced me to lose no Time in taking the steps which I have mentioned in my Letter to your Mine Agent, which I hope may be a means of quieting the Workmen & preventing the Evil that was to be apprehended; Some papers having been affixed at Allanheads and the Nei[gh]bourhood, of a Riotous & seditious tendency & having been informed of it (tho’ not by Mr Forster which it certainly was his duty to do) I looked on the Matter in a very serious light & thought it advisable to have a Meeting with the Agents & some of the Workmen at Hexham on Wednesday last when after hearing their Complaints, & having explained the Matter fully to them, they were perfectly satisfied, & very thankful to you & Mrs Beaumont for taking their Case into consideration and Granting them relief.  I shall be happy to find that the Measures I have taken meet with your Approbation.

	I wrote to Messrs Burrows & Son at Hamburgh to purchase & Ship fifty Lasts of Rye, it being the only Foreign Port from whence it can be procured at present; It became necessary to give them Credit on London for the Amount, which I have accordingly done on Messrs Ransom Morley & Co advising those Gentlemen of the same, & desiring them to pay due Honor to the Bills of Messrs Burrows the amount of which on being advised shall be remitted to them, Mr Forster & his Son called on me last Week in their Way to Bretton, I acquainted him with this Meeting at Hexham etc & endeavoured to dissuade him from the Journey, which I thought would not Answer his Purpose, I understood that he has taken a large Farm & intends giving up his imployment at Allanheads, in which he is in hopes of his Son succeeding him, but in my Opinion he is not equal to the trust & I have other objections to him, of which I shall inform you when I have the pleasure of seeing you, there is little change in the state of the Mines, since I wrote to you last.  There is no demand for Lead at present, nor can it be expected at this Season.  I have taken the Liberty of Subscribing ten G[uinea]s for you towards the Survey & Estimate for the Projected Navigation from the East to the West Sea.                         I am etc   J.E.B