Letter – Jonathan Hilton to Francis Gregg – 23 Oct 1775

A Copy of a Letter sent Mr Gregg 				Alston 23rd Octr 1775



Sir,

Inclosed you have a Copy of the Bargains Let at Stanhope Burn Lead Mine which I hope will meet with your Approbation that Lead Mine at Present has a very Promising Prospect indeed more so than it had since it came under my Care I have great Reason to expect the Prospect will be realised. You have allso a Copy of the Bargons of the several Lead Mines let on Alstonmoor under Lease & Grant to lord Carlisle & Mr Cleaver which I likewise hope you’ll approve tho’ it would have given me much more Pleasure if I could have said as favourably of this Mine as I have said of Stanhope Burn Yet at the same Time I do say the Difficulty we have meet with were Expected both by myself & Son Greengill West End is a Lead Mine which has been worked many Years ago & by Different Undertakings who had worked all such part of the Vein as they could for the following Reasons of the Mien Yealded so very great Quantity of Water as could not be drawn without an Engine and as the Mine is situated on the top of a High Mountain no Watter could be got to work a Wheel Engine & as Coals are 16 Miles distant the Expence of a Fire Engine would have been greater than the Prospect would admit & tho’ the Mine is situated on the Top of a Mountain yet the top of that mountain is such that on our carrying up the Present Level which is now upwards of 900 Yards in length we gained no more than 66 Yards in Perpendicular Height this Level had been looked up in the former Undertakers as Two great a Tryal for the Prospect as such they could only work to a ceartain Depth on Account of Watter as I have before said and as we always Judge by the surface appearance how Mines have been worked by way of Advantage or the Contrary & how deep by tracing out the Old Level it appeared to us upon our strict examining that Greengill West End had been good to a Cartain place where the appearance changed that Change was occasioned by a Cross Vein which had thrown Down the sills or Stratum in which the Ore had been raised so much deeper than where those undertakers were enabled to work by reason of the Watter before mentioned as to prevent their working at all and when that is the Case there is generally a Peice of Deed ground I mean ground in which there is no Ore this deed ground varies frequently in its length but from the most accurate observations we are capable of making we hope it will in this Case not exceed 40 – 50 or 60 Yards till the Vein begins to carry Ore again unless some unforeseen accident happens of which we have no apprehensions you may depend on my utmost care to be as frugal in the expence of every kind as can be & it will be a continual Pleasure to me to be enabled to procure Lord Carlisle an Annual Proffitt of the Lead Mines. With the consent of Mr Lavie I purchased Mr Cleavers share of Ore raised at Greengill West End from Michas 1773 to Michas 1774 & as there was a Proffit at Stanhope Smelt Mill last Year of near £350 very near ¼ part of that Money arose from the said Purchase as such I advised Mr Lavie & had his consent to purchase Mr Cleavers share this Year which I accordingly did & does not Doubt the Proffits will Ansr the Expectations without some unlooked few Change in the Price of Lead for which I cannot be Accountable my Son would tell you at Naward that we would be under the Necessity of borrowing Money this Year to make Lord Carlisles pays but I do not know how much will be wanted as it totally depends upon the quantity of Lead which can be got to the Markitt & that Depends upon the Weather however not more than half the quantity produced this Year can be got ridey as the Undertakings are now become of such considerable consequence & as I never a Power of Attorney to act for Lord Carlisle I beg leave to say I think it necessary & have therefore taken the Liberty of inclosing some Memorandums which as I do not properly understand the regular Method of making out myself I have taken the form of a Letter of Attorney about a Different Business shall be much obliged to you if you’ll please to have it ingrossed with such Alterations as you see Necessary & request the favour of his Lordship to execute & inclose it to me as soon as you conveniently can as all the Pays in Alston Moor are made before Christmas we would wish to have Lord Carlisle Pays made amongst the rest but we cannot get than done till I have an Authority to borrow the Money Necessary. I am with all proper respect to my Lord Carlisles Sir

      Your most Obd Hum Sert Jona Hilton



P.S. As to the Letting of Bargains which was sent with the above look the Bargain Book.