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To Mr. Allgood Newcastle 2nd Febry 1730/1
Sir
I have yours of the 28th ult. With your Queries relateing to Kenton Collry… The little time you allow me for Enquiry, & the death of all the elders who knew her, except John Barnes now in Colonel Liddles service, will I hope be admitted in apology for any defficiency, that shall appear in my ans. I am humbly of Opinion that it will be more for Mr. Blacketts Intrest, if he cannot sell, to lease his moiety of the Collry. on the best terms he can procure, that either to purchase the Estate at the price you mention or to run the hazard of those Disputes wch. will inevitable attend the working an undevided Collry. under its present Circumstances, I think the rent offered too small and that 300 X [tenn] certain ought to be insisted on, each X containing 22 Waggons, & each Waggon contg. 20 coal Bowls, which at 17s pr. X will be £255 pr. annum certain work or not work, That the three years required for winning her is too long for she may be won in a third the time, but whatever time is allowed, it is both customary and reasonably that the Rent agreed on per X be paid for the Moiety of the Coals wrought in that time, as well as for the overpluss workings after the annual Rent commences, This rent of 17s per X if obtained, as I hope it may in this juncture, And position of Affairs, will be the highest rent paid to any Coll.y on the River that I know of except Mr. Dawsons wch. is 17s 6d he has no water charge, is near the River, and his Coals of a better nature than Kenton, wch. I observe formerly bore such a character as <put> Sir Wm. Under great difficulty as to vend them at the London market, When Sir Wm. Rented the Lilburns moiety he paid 210 a year for 300 X at 14s a X but the measure was then smaller, in what proportion I am not certain, he seldom wro[ugh]t. above 800 X a year for the whole Collry. when not to her use is not so much incumbred wth. water,and for severall years before she was <throon> in they could not exceed 500 ten, It is true, Fire Engines are now introduced, and that Patent expiring, wch, are inducemts to sett her again agoeing, but if she be an interrupted trobled Collry., and her seam lessens to the Dip, as all I have ever talked wth. agree, they may only prove inducemts to throw away more money, The Family is already sunck on her, if accots may be credited £6 or £7000, and I wish I could advise how to reimburse it, The Coal trade at present is so perplexed and incumbred, the Quantitys, so far exceeding the Demand, and the price so bad, that I think there is no Encouragemt to try new and chargeable projts. As to the promise of their being loose at the end of 10 Yrs. I wish you may get it wav’d, but doubt they’l never agree to be tyed for the whole term, before they know what mine they have, if they do, it must be from their expectations from Brunton, and not from Kenton, besides the carefull observation of Rent, & quantity, wth. other common cautions in Colliery Leases it may be necessary to provide against any water courses being drove to win another Collry. & if it <ever> here be done, & that Mr. Blackett be allowed to view the Collry. to see she be effectually and fairly wrot. and also by his Agents to inspect such Books & accots. Relateing to her, as shall be necessary, to see that justice done him & lastly <if> sufficient damage be allow’d for every Pitroom, If no agreemt. is made & they shall become Purchasers Mr. Blackett must pay his moiety of their charges before he can lead of his moiety of the Coals they work, & so must they with Respect to his workings, but certainly <in> both <cases> we <slusive> of any charge wch.it shall evidently appear tends to the Winning another Collry but while theyre draining & working Kenton they will be at the same time draining and <Winning> Brunton, here I doubt disputes will arise wch will only be determined in chancery, and as to Mr. Blacketts moiety of the coals, if they have already agreed with Mr. Shaftoe <wt> way leave will be got to the River. In short if Mr. Blackett neither purchase the Estate, nor lease his Moiety of the Coll.y before it is sold, I can <see nothing> but continuall troble to be the consequence. They have leas’d Sir <Ar> Hazlerigs whole Royalty of East & West Brunton, Fawdon &c.for all Apl at 250 X at 12s pr X is £150 a year certain, the measure as above, are to be loose at 3 years and if required otherwise to stand the whole term, and I am pretty well assured have also agreed wth. Mr. Shaftoe for any Leave to Scotswood Steath [staith] to wch. the old way laid in Sr Wms time. Its universally agreed there is no other but the Tyne Level to win Sir Rob.t coll’y wch probally they intend to bring up through Mr. Shaftoes ground first into Kenton, unless they lift all their water by Engines to the day, & then they will also drain Kenton, wch. if they do not purchase they’ll scarce do and therefore stricke off wth. Sir Rob.t at three years on, And as to way leave for Brunton if they become not purchasees of Kenton they must of necessity either go thro. My Ld. Carlisle & Mr. Rogers down to Kenton or thro. My Ld. Carlisle and Duke of Summers.t to Lemington, wch. will be a long and uneven way, for I take it they are to all intents and purposes excluded from any present prospect of bringing the coll’y to the River below Bridges, when Brunton was formerly wrot., the Coals were led in wains & Carts to steath at the above Scotswood, but not through any part of Kenton. If they have <have 3 yrs> allow’d under pretence of Winning Kenton before they pay any certain Rent, they will imploy that time in trying to win Brunton, because they are then either to give her up or Stand the Lease, in this time they may work few or no coals in Kenton, and so Mr. Blackett will get little or nothing, You have below the best Computation I can make of a X of Coals, Wishing the whole may be of any Service & desiring youl present my Duty to Sir Walter and Mr Blackett, I am Yours etc JR
Tenn of Coals at the above measure will
yield at the Steath 17 cha[ldrons] at 9s 8d £8. 4. 4
Collry charge
Working per tenn £2. 3.00
Sinking 0.10. 0
Water charges 0.15. 0
Contingences 0. 5. 0 3.13. 0
Steath charge
Leading 1. 2. 0
Waggons & <Way> 0.15. 0
Steath contingences 0. 5. 0 2. 5. 0 5.18. 0
£2. 6. 4
This charge will not exceed the truth,
I am almost confidt. after wch. and
their paying 17s pr X rent 17. 0
29s per X will remain to the Lessee wch.
in other cases would not be thought an
equivalent, for their hazard, & intrest
of money £1. 9. 4
