Letter – Jonathan Hilton to Germaine Lavie – 20 Feb 1772

A Copy of a Letter sent Mr. Lavie 				Alston	20th Feby. 1772



Sir,

I wrot you on the 2nd & 18th of January Last Inclosing the Sundry Pay Bills recd &ca as theirin Mentioned which hops you have receiv’d before Simpson the Mill Agent at Stanhope begun refining the Lead made from Stanhopeburn Float ore Raised in 1770 I desired him to be very carefull in the doing it, as I had some Assays made of it by which I knew it would Yield 10 ounces of Silver from a Fodder of Lead  he Promised me he would & at the same Time told me had made some assays which answered to the same Quantity of Silver so I expected his Produce in Refining to be equal to the Assays made but upon examining the Accounts at Stanhope Pay I found he had refined as you will Observe in the refining Bill 36 tons 18 cwt 2 <lb> 12 <oz> which is raither more than 35 Fodder & had Produced theirfrom not more than 4½ ounces p Fodder by which you will see there has been a Loss of £50 or upwards. I Blaimed Simpson very much and discharged the Old Refiner. The Lead raised from 1770 to 1771 was lying at the Mill I according took a small piece from every Pigg and made several assays which I find all Answer above 10 Ounces p Fodder so it appears vary plain that my Lord has been cheated. Therefore I have made Interest with the agents of Greenwich Hospital to borrow their refiners to refine & Reduce what Lead is now Lying at the Mill which we shall do as soon as the Season will permitt. I supose Simpson has never had any Pticular Directions from you about the Agences & as such he has Several Times Deveated from the Directions given him by me. I allways put up with it so long as it did not much hurt Lord Carlisle’s Interests I therefore now desire if you can make it convenient that you will Plese to appoint a meeting suppose at Castle Haward where Simpson & I may meet you together & than you may settle every Matter as you think Proper realative to the Business. I do wish that may be at or before May Day if Possible as we have a Quantity of Ore Lying at Stanhope Mine I would have things put on a better footing than they have been before we begin Smelting any more & the sooner we begin smelting the sooner Lead will be got to Markett.

      I am &c Jonathan Hilton