Letter – Jonathan Hilton to Germaine Lavie – 4 Apr 1775

A Copy of a Letter sent Mr. Lavie 				4 April 1775



Sir,

      After those drifts are drove I intend cutting south to try the sun Vein  you will see as above there is 16 Men Imployed in sinking & rising the sum from the Ore workings in to the deep Level & 6 Men rising the Borehole Shaft all 22, 10 of which was taken out of sundry Ore Bargons & will go back to their Bargains as soon as the sump & shaft is finished 16 Men to be employed in driving forward the Low Level the other 6 in Cutting cross to another Vein which was not yet been tryed the above Borehole Shaft was the first Shaft that was sunk & was then Bored into the Law level but sunk no deeper than the top of the Ironstone as I wanted to try the Vein in the sill that we now get the Ore in but by the great Quantity of water we have loosed out the old Mans works the borehole cannot now contain the Water. A Tryal of the Iron and Firestone sills was mentioned to you in a former Letter as also cutting to a North Vein The Iron & Firestone sills were so much broke by the strongness of the vein that we had nothing but is called a douk the North Vein we have cut which has some Pieces ore in it at the Bottom of the sill & it Proabley may carry ore in the Sill but we intend Driving this Cross cut further at the random she is now at till we cut another North Vein which has not yet been Tryed as is mentioned above.

      The above is the Truest & Best Account I am at Present given you & you will judge by the Bargain Let that Greengill is a pretty good Mine we support to have Raised two Thousand Bings of Ore since Michaelmas Last & expect to get all the Lead now at the Mill to Markitt by the Time the Naward Rents is lifted which will be about the 15th May next as Mr Ramshay says.

Look back to the 

      I am &ca Jona Hilton