Letter – Jonathan Hilton to Francis Gregg – 5 Mar 1776

A Copy of a Letter sent Mr Gragg				Alston 5th March 1776



Sir,

      We wrote to you on 14 & 24 Jany & 5 Feby & were in hopes of hearing you had recd ours but as we are disappointed in our expectations we trouble you with this to acquaint you we are very wishful to have Stanhope Pays now made the purpose of our Letter of the 5th Ult which respected that matter you have as follows, In ours of the 14 & 24 Ult we acquainted you we were disappointed in getting the Necessary Cash from Messrs Atkinsons Templesowerby but were in hopes of procuring it in Newcastle but that as we had 1538 pieces of Lead unsold we were under the Necessity of Borrowing more Money than we expected when Mr Gilbert was here & therefore desires you will empower us to borrow Three Thousand Pounds upon the Credit of the Lead to be paid out of the first which may come to Market: We wrote to Mr Cleaver to desire he would rest his dividend of Profits till Midsummer & we would allow him legal Interest from Xms till that Time his answer was that he had engaged his Money against Candlemas or otherwise should have been very glad to oblige us, we therefore have remitted Mr Cleaver £650 on Account of his share of last Years Profitts. Chas Atkinson Esqr (the present Mayor of Newcastle) has ever since we were concerned sold Lord Carlisles Lead as such upon every occasion of Borrowing Money except last Year we have applied to him & he has always very readily assisted us, we have spoke to him about this Sum and he is willing to assist in procuring the Money at the Bank only as the Sum Wanted will be Three Thousand Pounds he thinks we should, have your order to Borrow it before we do so we can therefore only beg please to favour us with a line granting our request as we do very much wish to have the Pays made at or about Lady Day at the latest.

      We were in great hopes of hearing from you in Answer but as we have not, we again trouble you because unless the Pays are made we most certainly be under the Necessity of paying more than other Mine Adventurers not only for Work but for every Article consumed in the Mines.

      We were also in great hopes of selling the Lead now at Newcastle otherwise we would certainly applied to you at Christmas and if this Lead had been sold we could have made the Pays without any further trouble to you but as we cannot sell the Lead except at a very disadvantageous price we are obliged to apply. The Credit of the undertakings has no way suffered as yet as Sr Walter Blackett the principal Lead Mine Adventurer in the Neighbourhood of Stanhope makes his Pays at Christmas and only pays to Midsummer therefore if we pay at Ladyday to Michs our pay will be as good as his, and as the Interest upon the Money wanted would amount to about Forty Pounds from Christmas to Ladyday and the Credit of the Mines would not be affected we were no way very anxious about the Pays being made sooner than about Ladyday. however we shall now be exceedingly glad to get them made as soon as possible & therefore hope youll please to favour us with a line in Answer, We are Sir

      Your mo Obed Hble Servants

      J.H.

      J.H.