Letter – Joseph Richmond to Walter Blackett – 17 Jun 1760

To Sir Wr Blackett in Pall Mall 		17 June 1760



Honrd Sir

Mrs Cocking was with one about her proposal to pull down the nun's house and lay out 4 or £500 on building on a lease for 21 yrs, paying you the rent of £5 a year to keep the school Master now pays, I told her you had appropriated the manor house for the benefit of the Charity school of St Andrews, and I did not think you would make any alteration. I presume you know you have £1000 of her money upon bond, and pay her a life annuity of £36 a year for <£400> which you took of her 14 years ago to serve her. She has now got so much money by her by her trade of selling spirits &c as she thinks sufficient and has therefore left of the Business and retired to a private life. What her religion is I do not know but I am told she associates altogether among the Roman Catholics. I do not think the schoolmaster ought to be turned out without reasonable warning that he may have time to look out for another school. If you should incline to grant Mrs Cocking a lease, it cannot well be done this year and you will have time to consider of it against the next. I have delivered your letter to Beck and Shortridge who is very well satisfied with it, he is a free house carpenter about 40 years of age, an active man, and can very well provide for his family, if he did not like company too well which leads him into some extravagancies, I have received from Mr Darwin the opinions about Kirkheaton which I shall not communicate to any body as that cause is to be defended at the next assizes. The Lord Chief Baron should be desired to write to Mr Clever Lord Carlisle's chief Agent to join on the councils fees to Mr Stanhope and Mr Morton and other charges, as Lord Carlisle is much more concerned in the Issue of the cause than you are. Mr Robt Lisle says he has not yet received any directions to join Mr Forster in preparing any defence. Sir Edw Blacketts steward has ordered Mr Widdrington to retain Mr Stanhope on the Case with the Winlaton Cottagers. You will have about 60 or 70 pine apples to cut this year, all very small, and it will be a month before any of them are ripe as William keeps them back to prevent the other plants which look very well from fruiting. I am Etc JR