Letter – Michael Blackett to William Blackett – 20 Apr 1678

Newcastle Aprill the 20 1678

Honoured Sr

      Hereby you have the best acct I Could learne of occurrences all your Leed mynes and shall begin with the Condition of the Severall Groves which are as followeth vizt

Greengill Indifferent good In one of the Shafts and there is good Oare putt In att another Shaft

      Little getting att Coleclugh but great hopes of its proveing good shortly In the Low bed, Welhope Indifferent good Bat[e]s hill poore the Slits pritty good In the North veine the West End att heads att present but poore, but the Levell Is Indifferent good both East and West, and Fallowfield never better, but the Levell Continues hard, where three yeards is a good weeks worke I p[ai]d Cosin Jno Blackett the £300: - : - and tooke In your bond for £500:- wch Immediately was dd to Bro: Wm the whole pay Came to £632: 7: 4d



The heads pay £251 16 11 3/4 p[ai]d Richd   £265  -  - 

Plancky pay   £ 88  9  1 1/2  p[ai]d Jno    £ 70  -  -

Paid att mill as p[er] p[ar]ticulars        £200 13  7 1/2 

Paid att Fallowfield as p[er] p[ar]ticulars £ 96 13  8 1/2

                                            £632  7  4



for wch mony you had smelted att plancky mill 28 fodder 15 p[iece]s Leed and 80 bing 3 horse of oare Carryed to said place from the following groves vizt



                bing horse

from Greengill     6 1

from  Bates hill   8 -

from Welhope      11 -

from Coleclugh    13 -

from Reedgroves    1 1

from the heads    41 1   

                  80 3 

bought wood for sd place

351 sacks of Esquire Whitfield att 8d

200 more of Cha: Bates att sd place

84 more of your owne and 400 p[iece]s Leed Carryed from thence to Bladon

Besides you had smelted att Duxfield mill 66 fodder 7 p[iece]s Leed and 338 bing of oare brought to said place from the following groves vizt



                   B h

from the heads   123 2

from Redgroves     6 1

from Greengill    16 -

from Fallowfield 183 1

from Welhope       9 -

                 338 0 

bought wood for sd place

334 sacks of Esquire Churbool [sic; Thirlwall] att 8½d

110 more of Ch: Bates att sd price

 80 more of Jno Mowbray att sd price

778 more of others at 8d



Leed from the Mill to Bladon 1285 p[iece]s

from Cooperhouse to Bladon 742 p[iece]s



      The great Cry is for want of oare, nor is there any to speake of aforehand att any of the places above mentioned, I wish Itt Could be gott as fast as they Can worke

      Inclosed is a letter from Cosin Jno Blackett (who is still Mr Copperthwaits great friend) I perceived you desired him to give you an acct of some Lands, wch was noe very acceptable, for he and his Brother Errington as he told mee himselfe have been above these six months about those very Lands, and now he dispiseth them as much as man Can doe, I told him I heard he had offered <15> years purchase, he answered me that he did, but twas onelye for the very best of that ground for to take all he would neither give 14 nor 13 you know w[ha]t he did wth the men you sent to see fallowfield then I told him I heard that £6500: was offered for itt, he Answered mee that was true too, but the party was to have three years time for paym[en]t I hope the Inclosed will give you satisfaction soe shall acquiesce 

      wee had a faire tryall amongst the Leed Carryers itt seems <Foster> promised you to make itt appeare that the <two> Lawsons was the Ringleaders all his witnesses was Examined, but noe such thing proved against them, but rather that he himselfe was most to blame w[he]n all would not doe then began to Hector, and said he had other witnesses, but he would not bring them before any before Sr Wm Came hence I thinke If you were quitt of him, you would have noe great Losse Jno Mowbray saith you will have noe want of Leed Carryers, for that others have offred him to Lead itt att sd price I have now done, pray be pleased to Cause the Inclosed to be Delivered, soe wth my dayly prayers for your health and happinesse and Earnestly Craveing your blessing I remaine MB