Letter – Martin Morrison to Diana Beaumont – 16 Nov 1807

Mrs Beaumont						Newcastle 16th November 1807

Addressed to Colonel Beaumont Bretton



      I am honored with your letter of the 14 inst enclosing one from Mr Wilson, and herewith transmit Mr Walton’s Prices of Ore from 1786 to 1790 by which Mr Cockshutt can rectify the Account if necessary and inform Mr Bowns thereof. By the Evidence taken on behalf of the Bishop it appears that the price of Ore in 1788 was 97s/ per Bing and in 1789 89s/ per Bing; in such uncertainty & in the absence of all Price whatever for former years, We adopted our Calculations on the prices at which Lead was sold at the time. Alderman Blackett never wrote any Letters to Sir Thomas Blackett concerning the Treaty with the Bishop either in its commencement or after its conclusion, and indeed by the Interrogatory’s in the Suits he expressly declares that he never wrote to Sir Thomas on the subject or by any expression implied that he had made an advantageous Bargain. In consequence of seeing Alderman Blackett this morning & reading a letter which Mr Bowns had wrote, that he might have a copy of the statements as drawn out and that he with the assistance of Mr Crawhall should examine the same with the Books Books (sic) from which they are taken, He has sent the enclosed remarks & that in giving his Evidence before a Jury it will be necessary for him to have liberty to refer to his Notes to assist him, as he says in case of being cross examined.

      In the Lead Trade nothing has been done since my last communication, and I am not sanguine of its experiencing much briskness until the situation of the Continent affords an outlet, the want of which naturally tends to keep prices low and which generally is pressing upon the great Commercial establishments of this Country. The authentic information transmitted by Mr Brears of Middleham to Col Beaumont respecting Mr Elliss’s contract with Mr Deny’s for his Lead at £29-10- per F[odde]r at Stockton proves to be only £28 which as the Fo[dde]r there is 22 Cwt makes the price nearly equal to that of the late Sales by this Office and the Lead Company.

	With respect to Mr Bulman he no doubt was a man of Property, but the concern (Tyne Iron Works) in which he embarked not proving so profitable, as by Calculation was demonstrated it would be, together with the <derangement> of Surtees’s Burdon & Cos affairs with whom he was connected in this Concern. He is now unable to make good his Engagements; I believe that what he represents is the truth, and on his paying the Installments in from his Bill I consider it not detrimental to your Interest to extend to him the indulgencies he craves. The Mr Bulman who subscribed £1000 towards purchasing Castle Eden estate for Mr Burdan is another person.  Iam etc





Alderman Blacketts Minutes enclosed in the above.



      It is necessary that Mr Bowns should be informed that J. E. Blackett can not take upon himself to examine the Accounts of the Lead Agents of the produce of the Lead Mines in Weardale for the length of time that he mentions in his letter in such manner as to enable him to make oath to the same; Should JEB be called up to Town to give evidence in the cause depending between the Bishop of Durham and TR Beaumont Esq he can only repeat the same evidence which he formerly gave before the Commission was appointed by the Court of Chancery; J E B can make Oath that he did not at the meeting with the Bishop and Mr Emm at Durham at that time, or Newcastle with the said Persons say and declare that £925 was accounted to be the full value of the Bishops Lot Ore or one sixth part of the Ore of Weardale Mines, which it was not possible that he could declare. 

	JEB’s declaration was at both those meetings that Circumstanced as Sir Thomas Blackett was at the time and with respect to the produce of the Mines as well as the price of Lead that he thought the sum of £925 offered was a fair equivalent for the Bishop’s one sixth of the Ore, that it was not the wish of the said JEB to misleador impose on the Bishop in the said Treaty, but on the contrary to give him every information that he desired