Letter – Michael Blackett to William Blackett – 15 Jun 1678

Newcastle June the 15 1678

Honoured Sr

I have att present to give you the best acct I Can of occurrences att your Leed mines, and shall begin wth the Condition of the severall Groves which are as followeth vizt

Greengill Indifferent good, Coleclugh Continues as itt was In the Low <sole> and great hopes of its rather proveing better than worse wch a Little time will discover, Welhope Indifferent good Bates Hill att present poore, the Slits Indifferent good the sumpe In the North veine is very good, as allsoe the Sump in the Sum veine, neither East End att heads nor West End att Levell all together soe good as they were but the Levell Eastward is much better than itt was and the West End att heads is very good, Reed groves att the Constant Rate vizt very poore

The whole pay Came to £751: 4: 67/8 as followeth viz



the heads pay £286  7  3 1/2 pd Richd         £280  -  -

planky pay    £ 88 13  4 1/2 pd Jno           £ 60  -  -

paid att mill as p[er] p[ar]ticulars          £294 16 11 3/8 

paid att fallowfield as p[er] p[ar]ticulars   £116  7  7 1/2 

                                               751  4  6 7/8   

for wch mony you had smelted att plancky mill 25 fodder 1 p[iece] Leed and 115 b[ing] 0 h[orse] of oare brought to sd place from the following groves vizt

                                                                                                            

                      b h

from the heads       46 -

from Greengill       37 2

from Welhope         11 1

from Coleclugh       20 1  

                    115 -

Wood bought for the use of sd place is of Esq Whitfield 486 sacks att 8d and there is 596 p[iece]s Leed Carryed from there to Bladon

besides you had smelted att Duxfield mill 78 fodder 8 p[iece]s Leed and 380 b[ing] 1 h[orse] of oare brought from sd place to the following groves vizt



                      b h   

from the heads      140 3

from Reedgroves       7 1

from Rookehope        8 -

from Fallowfield    188 1

from Greengill       10 1

from Welhope          6 -

from Bateshill        2 3

from Lunehead         9 -

from Jeffreygroves   10 -  

                    382 1

Wood bought for the use of sd place is

of Esquire Churwell 277 sacks att 8 1/2 d

of Ch: Bates         70 -     att 8 1/2

of others           640 -     att 8d

Leed from that mill to Bladon 1197 p[iece]s from Cooperhouse to Bladon 628 p[iece]s



      All very well att fallowfield and Cousin Jno still Continues great friends with C: Copthwaite, I thinke they have not spoke one the other these 3 months when I Reckoned of wth Duxfield tenants I pd them noe more than w[ha]t was there dew, and the Reason why you pay Esquire Whitfield Esquire Churwell, Ch: Bates and Jno Mowbray ½ sack more for there Wood than other is because you doe them much more that dammidge In your Carridge thorow there grounds, but for Jno Mowbray he will trouble you wth noe more, for had 100: or 200 sacks wch wth much adoe he gott out of his owne ground, and now all delivered

      my wife desires to have her dewty presented unto you and her humble service unto my Lady, and I Cannot omitt but wth her, to give unto you both, our hearty thanks for all your kindnesses unto her

      I have noe more to Enlardge, soe wth my dewty unto you, humble service to my Lady, prayeing for your health and happinesse and earnestly craveing you blessing I remaine MB