Letter – John Ibbetson – 6 Oct 1770

At a Meeting of the Directors of Greenwich Hospital at that place on Saturday the 6th October 1770

 

      The Board approved of what the Receivers have done with respect to the Carriers of the Hospitals Lead having been Obstructed in passing thro' Glenwelt Turnpike Road near Hexham, in their way, from Langley Mill to that place on Account of those Carriers refusing to pay a Toll every Time they pass loaden thro' the Barr, and hope to hear the same will be properly settled at the next meeting of the Commissioners



Some Carriers bring the Lead from the Mill (on their Road to Hexham) in Carriages and lay it down on the Grounds which they Farm and by the sides of the Common Country Roads, adjoining and leading to the Glenwelt Turnpike Road, but so as not to Obstruct the Passages or Passengers of any kind. This those Carriers of the Lead do without ever coming upon the Glenwelt Road at all, and after they have got a stock of Lead in hand at home, or upon the Roadsides as abovementioned, at their convenience they take the Lead up again, and carry it to Hexham, in doing of which they pass along part of the Glenwelt Road and some days will make two or more turns to Hexham thro' a Toll Barr erected on the said Turnpike Road. Vide Plan. [This plan is attached to original papers relating to this case in TNA ADM 65/78 and included in the PDF version of this collection]







Other Carriers bring the Lead from the said Mill and lay it on their Farms and by the sides of the Glenwelt Turnpike Road, but do as not to obstruct the passage therein; Those Carriages with Lead pass along part of the Glenwelt Turnpike Road to and from the Mill, but not thro' the Toll Barrs; and after they have got a stock in hand at home or upon the Glenwelt Road sides they at their take up the Lead again and carry it to Hexham as above.

 

The Carriers generally use three Horses in their Carts in bringing the Lead from the Mill to their Farms and the Road sides but only make use of two in Common to draw the Cart from thence to Hexham.

 

NB. IN some instances the above Carriers employ Persons living in Hexham to take up the Lead lying in the above places to carry the same to Hexham with Carts or Wains; in doing of which they pass along the Glenwelt Turnpike Road, and thro' the Toll Gate twice or oftener in some days, with the same Carriage and Horses.

 

The Persons carrying the Lead insist they ought only to pay once a day for each Carriage passing thro' the Toll Barr and that they have a right by the Act to pass as many times as they please in a day, paying once.