Letter – Jonathan Hilton to Germaine Lavie – 24 Feb 1774

A Copy of a Letter sent Mr. Lavie 				Alston 24th Feby 1774



Sir,

      I Wrote you of the 23rd Ult. in Ansr to yours of the 14th Jany since which my Son has been in NewCastle & was told by Messrs Bell Cookson Carr & Company that my Draft on you of the 7th of January was returned & Protested for non Payment he desired them to return the Bill to London to their Friends & desire them to call on you again which I hope has been done and is allready settled. However I thought it right to write this as soon as possable after I knew of the Draft being refused payment you must undoubtedly know the People through whose Hands the Draft had past will look upon me as drawing without an Authority & before the Money was due. The Consequence of which will be that my Drafts in future will not be so acceptable to the Gentleman we deal with as they have hitherto been & Indeed if this be not Answered the credit which my Lord and Company has hitherto had in the Countrey will be hurt. When I saw you at Naward in October I acquainted you that I had been obliged by a variety of unforeseen accidents to Lay out a much larger Sum of Money in the sundry Tryals than I expected your Answer to me then was very Different from what now appears & indeed from your Friendly Civility to me I apprehended I might with safety as you had before sade draw on you for the Amount of what should be wanted. I accordingly did so but am sory to find the disagreeable reception it has met with was I not very conscious of my having acted not only with all the care possible but allso with the closest attention to my Lord Carlisles Business I should apprehend you have a mistrust of my Behaviour if so the sooner that matter is set right the better. I am very willing that any Person of Integrity & Judgement should inspect the affairs which have been comitted to my Care.

      I made the Pays belonging to my Lord Carlisle & Mr Cleaver the 7th Instant I mean to settle with Mr Ramshay on Wednesday next. The Vein we cut at Greengill West End continues good & I expect to cut another Vein on or about Lady Day & expects the Level at Stanhope will be got up to the Vein by that Time & I then hope to give you a good account of boath the above Mines.

      I am &c Jona Hilton