Letter – Nicholas Walton – 4 Mar 1794

Being very desirous to know whether Mr Clavering and Lord Crewes Trustees or either of them have commenced any Action or Actions in the Court of Kings Bench and when I beg you will as soon as you can with convenience make the necessary enquiry and that youll let me know as soon afterwards as possible. We had a very extraordinary Proposition made on the part of Mr Clavering. After declaring the vast unwillingness to put the Proprietors to any expence on acc[oun]t of Riddlehamhope & Hallywell Common w[hic]h he has claimed exclusively to himself – it was proposed that we should gather our Witnesses together and that they sh[oul]d be examined by his Agent and if he found he had no right he w[oul]d give up his Claim. I objected to this as a very unhandsome thing and merely calculated to find out in what parts we were vulnerable if any such there sh[oul]d be and in my mind the consenting to the offer of Mr Clavering w[oul]d have been wrong and unjust in the extreme to the Proprietors at large and the allowing of such an examination seemed more likely to occasion Mr Clavering to persist than give up. I wrote immediately to Mr Heron who joined me most heartily & I have some expectation that Mr Clavering will give up if he has not already done so, but as to Lord Crewes Trustees I doubt we must have a contest at Law, with them.

       I am glad you have got our Quietus which I doubt not your care of.

       Yesterday I was in Newcastle and had the pleasure to see your Father and Miss Peters in good spirits and very well.

       We are all well at this place and yesterdays Post brought me a letter from my Son Jonathan who is also in good health.

       We all join in best wishes to you & I am

       Dear Sir Yours Sincerely

       Nich Walton Junr



PS When you see L[or]d Auckland, Sir Wm Middleton Mr Burdin, Mr Milbanke & Mr Brandling I desire you will present my respectfull Compliments. Thorngrafton Common Field Division is completed and all marked out