Letter – Jonathan Hilton to John Gilbert – 24 Nov 1777

A Copy of A Letter sent Mr Gilbert				Alston 24th Novr 1777



Sir,

      When you were last here you’ll please to remember that in the Accot between Lord Carlisle & I there was a Ballance of £391.14.8 in my favour as also the Stock at the Mill which I made myself Accountable for in  the Mill abstract. You will also remember that several Accots at Stanhope & Greengill were left unpaid and yet remain so, as I have not had any opportunity of procuring Cash to make those Payments which by the inclosed Accot you’ll see amounts to £968.6.8½ To which added a wrong entry in Mr Simpson’s salary which ought to have been ¾ of a year at Ten Pounds p Annum is £7.10 but is entered & Cast up as 7sh 10d and Thomas Armstrong for Taking care of the Pumps at Stanhope when Sinking under Level 11 Wks at 3/- as also at Greengill an ommission of Jacob Watsons Wages for attending at the Mine to take care of the Ore Washing and keeping the Levels & Drifts &ca in repair; And a small Bill for Grove Rope makes the whole unpaid about One Thousand Pounds. You desired me to keep the Silver till you wrote respecting the Price at Birmingham but several of the Workmen & others wanting Cash induced me to give directions to John Walton to take the Silver to Newcastle sell it and bring me the Money; which amounted to about £150 but Mr Atkinson would suffer him to bring no more than £50 this surprised me no little as his reason was he lay out of a great Sum & without securing himself in that way he did not know how to get his own; I hope you’ll excuse my telling you that the several Persons who want Payments are more in expectation of them than if no part of the Pays had been made for the talk of a Pay makes the Creditors of those who are interested in the Pay be more Pressing upon them thinking they have received their Demands. Now Sir what I would beg of you is that you would please to consider this matter and out things on such a footing as to furnish me with Cash against Christmas; because you know as well as I that tho there is near the Amount of what is at present wanted in the Stock at the Mill yet that Stock (except the Bullion) cannot be turned into Cash till the next Summer at soonest, and besides, from Mr Atkinson’s behaviour about the Bullion it seems as if he meant to pay himself, and the Thousand Pounds we had from the Bank out of the first Lead that may go to Market, which if I mistake not was contrary to what you expected when here, for you will I dare say recollect that when Mr Atkinson & us spoke about the Money it was said he had Lead at Newcastle which would make a Ballance for the £600 I got and you desired my Son to alter the Account and keep the Value of the 243 Pieces which were part Delivered & part at the Mill as well as the Bullion by way of Paying any thing which might be needful; some of the Things which must be done are the Payment of the Ore Bought at Dowgang cross Vein: The several Offtakes and the Bills at Newcastle Amounting to about £620 and indeed everything should be Paid, but if it be not convenient to raise the whole Sum, the only Sums which must remain is the Ore & Lead Carriages; and for the above mentioned reasons I hope you’ll consider this Matter and let me know from you as soon as convenient when to expect a remittance, that I may be enabled to acquaint the several Persons with the Time they are to be Paid.

      In Answer to yours of the 30th Ult. respecting the Level at Cooperdykeheads Middle Vein standing I can only observe that as Mr Cleaver has been acquainted with that undertaking & agreed to be a Partner; I think it cannot be properly left off without his knowledge and besides that the Workmen were agreed with to cut the Vein before you were here, I shall promise you that the expence after the Vein is cut shall be very little till I have Lord Carlisle’s & Mr Cleaver’s directions how to proceed; and besides Mr Cleaver has paid his ¼ part of Expences on Account of that Tryal.