Letter – Jonathan Hilton to John Cleaver – 7 May 1776

A Copy of a Letter sent Mr. Cleaver 				Alston 7th May 1776



Sir,

I expected hearing from you acknowledging the receiving my son’s Letter desiring you to draw on Charles Atkinson Esqr for £650 as also in order to know when you received that sum in order to know what Interest would be due to you from Lord Carlisle from Christmas from the time you received cash for that sum. Greengill West End at the bottom of the Sill we have got the Ore in is now is now worked at 20/- p bing this is about 2 fathms West of where the Sill threw down to the West and 16 fathms East of the Sump we are sinking from the New Shaft foot into the Low or Bacons Level and we are now cutting across to the North out of the Top Drift in order to Sink & try the Vein 6 fathms West of the above Ore working. We are yet raising Ore in the Back Workings but very poor: the sump sinking into the Low Level which will be 21 fathms of which 8 fathms riseing & Two fathms sinking which is as much as could be sunk for Water till it was Bored; the Boreing was finished yesterday & the Sump let to 8 Pickmen & 2 Labourers which I expect will be finished in a month and then will be enabled to try the Vein. The Tryal we are making in the Little Limestone at Greengill proves very hard & Wet. We have made such Tryal in the Great Limestone at Taylor Sike as we could for Water have raised near 2 Bings of Ore & thinks her pretty promising we shall in 2 weeks lose the Old Mans Water & then make further Tryal. The Vein East of Garrigill Burn Old Groves we have made Tryal of it into the Great Limestone & as I think it not promising have given it over till further consideration. The Low Level at Garrigill Burn have cut some small strings but no appearance of strength worth trying, will not do much there till Lord Carlisle’s agents & you are here. How Blagill all Veins are now cut I expected to cut and we are now Driving 3 fathms in each Vein. I have this day wrote Mr. Gregg nearly to the same purport of this desiring that Mr. Gilbert who is a very sensible Gentleman and a good Miner may be hear sometime between the 20 & 30 June & to give me a Line of the time of his coming so that I may have time to write you as your attendance at that time is what I much wish for. I also wrote Mr. Gregg that Mr. Gilbert had recommended to me Lord Carlisle’s buying your share of the Ore at such prices as the Governor & Company give for Ore in this Manor and that you had hitherto referred the settling of your Ore to me & as the Governor & Company had now bought most part of the Ore that was to sell I therefore desired his immediate answer.