Letter – Joseph Richmond to Walter Blackett – 15 Feb 1761

To Sir Wr Blackett Bt. MP at his h[ous]e in Charles Street near St Jamess Square London                                                    

                                                                                                                              Newcastle 15 Febry 1761

Hon[ou]rd Sir   Inclosed is Peareth & Sorsbies bill on Freeman & Stainbanks for £1100 wch I desire you will please to advise receipt of.  I am sorry to find you are not quite well, & hope you will not suffer the hurry of business, or anything whatever to affect your spirits or give you uneasiness; for what is all the business in the world to your health.

I have considered as to raising £2000 in six weeks time, & find it cannot be done without manifest prejudice to your private affairs; wch stand as follows. I have money by me wch I expect will just about pay the mils & Allanheads & Coalcleugh Mines; & notice is given in the country that those pays will be made as soon as the Stewards get their acco[un]ts ready, wch will be in about a month. So that this money cannot be applied any other way. 

As to Weardale pays, I was in hopes of making them sometime this spring & have sold part of the Lead at Blaydon for that purpose, & will sell the rest as fast as there is any demand. Mr Bacon talks of paying the p[ar]tners[hi]p mines about Mayday; your ½ thereof will come I believe, to about £2600. & it wo[ul]d be a pity your own mines sho[ul]d not be p[ai]d at the same time, wch will come to about £6000 more, & will be expected in the country. All the Lead at Blaydon ready for the market when sold will not do so much more than pay those mines, & the articles due for int[e]r[es]t, the B[isho]p & Rectors rents & other contingencies. & as to the stock of Lead wch you have at the mills, little of it can be got down before June, & cannot, even if there sho[ul]d be a demand, be turned into money till about Lamas. This is the situation of your affairs at present. But if you think proper to order £2000 to be ready to be p[ai]d in 6 weeks I must write to Mr Maughan to desist making preparation about Weardale pays till after Mids[umme]r, when they will come to 4 or £5000  more, & a pay cannot then be made till after Mich[aelma]s. As to raising £2000 any other way, I cannot think of any means, except perhaps it may be got of the Bank. But I do not imagine you wo[ul]d chuse to apply for it there for sev[er]e reasons. I am etc    JR



Newcastle 10th Febry 1761 £1100.0.0

Thirty days after date pay Mr Joseph Richmond or order one thousand one hundred pounds, the value in acco[un]t with Sir Walter Blackett, place the same to acco[un]t as by advice from 

Peareth & Sorsbie

To Messrs Freeman & Stainbanks merchants in London