Letter – Joseph Richmond to Walter Blackett – 9 May 1760

To Sir Wr Blackett Bt MP at his home in Pall Mall London                                    9th May 1760 

Honrd Sir 

As to Collieries, the rent is always reserved by the Ten[ant] and the Lessor either sets a check, or serves a power of inspecting the lesees books and accts for the quantities wro[ugh]t but never requires an acct of the lesees profits. The B[isho]ps leases of the mines is of a different nature, his rent is 1/9th part of the ore raised wch is compounded for in money, and therefore the ninth and the Rector's tenth, which makes 1/5th are deducted from the whole qty raised as the composition of £650 a year is not made of any part of the charge on the ore raised in the 30 years, so that the annual profits are as set forth in the acct. I have seen Mr T Maughan and I do not find any reason for making the least alteration. If the B[isho]p will not believe the accounts I have sent you but has inclination to examine the books and you think it proper to agree to it, let him set whom he will to do it, they must be clearer sighted than I and my son are, if they can make out any more than we have done. 

            You will receive this by post under another cover the King of Denmark assignation on his agent in Holland, with the translation thereof into English. It has been called a bond but improperly but it shows your demand for the original debt to have been settled, and I presume is of the same validity as a bond; I wish you c[oul]d obtain the payment thereof wch is about £1600 for as to the charges in solliciting this affair and the intrest calculated to this time. I doubt they will never be p[aid. On all the sollicitations that have been made by the English Envoy of the Court Of Denmark, the answer has always been that they either wanted money, or that the debts would be considered when accts were adjusted between the two crowns, which I imagine will never be, therefore I fear any private applications will be fruitless. However you will be pleased to take care of the original Bond.

          I will pay Mr Stoddart the 5 Guineas and furnish the lead for the West End of Chollerton Church agreeable to your directions, and will write to Jno <Horn> about administering to his brother's will. He was not diswaded from doing it by anybody here. The letter from John Pollard (about this) it here returned. Dr Rotheram intends to come and settle in Newcastle in a little time, and as he is looked upon to be very skillful in the profession and especially in midwifry, there is no doubt of his success. 

          Young Mrs Bates, Captn Milfords daughter died here on Tuesday last in childbed, she was well delivered but took a fever four days after. 

          We have had fine growing weather all this week and both Town and country are in both perfect peace and tranquility. PS if you should require an acct of the profits made in the last 12 or 13 years it will be very considerably more because the greatest q[uanti]ty of ore has been got my last 4 or 5 yrs, therefore you will please to avoid agreeing therto if possible. The reason I have drawn out the account for 30 yrs is my thinking that it is a fair way of stating it, as lead mines are of so uncertain a nature I am Etc   JR