Letter – Nicholas Walton, Hugh Boag to Thomas Corbett – 23 Dec 1735

To tho Corbett Esqr

      Ravensworth Castle  December 23d 1735

Sr,

	We went from hence to Newlands & Whittonstall last Monday the fiftheenth of this Inst December, where so here most of Tennents mett us & brought in their old Leases & last aquittances but not one of them had made a provision for the payment of the half years Rent due at Mayday last.  The Leases of that Lordship are all Expired & Such of them as applied to us we have taken in, As also the dates of their last Acquittances, Severall of them having paid their Rts no further then Mayday 1734 but we believe they must have Since paid up to Martinmas 1734 as they were with Mr Hutchinson at Hexham on Tuesday last, They have promis’d their Mayday Rents 1735 at Candlemas Next.

	The Housing & hedges upon that Estate are in a very mean order the former being Scarce habitable & the latter farr from Tennantable Repaire & the Land is in a mean Condition haveing been much Abus’d by Irregular Husbandry & being at a great Distance from Lime the Tennants have laid a Small quantity upon it for Some years.

	It is a great Extent of ground & is Capable of Improvement but will be at a great Expence as it will Require New Housing upon the whole Estate and new hedges on a great part of it.  It is Certain that nothing wou’d so much conduce to the improvement of this Estate as a conveniance for getting lime & we think it may be done something easier then they have hitherto had it,  They have all along brought their Lime from Corbridge or Thornbrough, but we think it may be got at a place called heckley Nook in Thornbrough Estate a mile Higher than the places from wch they now fetch it by crossing the water in a boate & building A Draw kill in Corbridge Lands for that purpose, we Mean bringing the Limestone from the Quarry on the River Edge cross the water to a lime kill to be built for burning Lime for Newlands & Whittonstall by this Sr they will furnished with Cheaper & Better Lime.

	The wood upon this Estate is young & Stands in thecketts for want of a due care in Weeding Severall of the old Stoves having now growing upon them 6. 7 or 8 Siplings of about 5 Inches Diamiter,  We think there should a good deal of paines be taken in Weeding this wood but it will not be proper to doe it till Spring as the Bark of those cutt down will be of Some value

	From Newlands we proceeded to Corbridge where we had part of the Tennants of Dilston, Corbridge, Thornbrough, Newtonhall, Whittle & Throckley a part of whome as you will See by the Accot Sent here with paid us their Rents due at Mayday last.  We gave Notice to these Tennts to bring in their old Leases, as well as all others but non of them produc’d Any, they however all agreed that they either had no Leases or were Expired.  William Brown of Throckley is in Arrear at Martinmas last two Years Rent & George Potts of the Same has paid only £49 in p[ar]t of his Martinmas Y[ea]r 1734 tho they have promis’d us the p[ar]t dues at Mayday last agt Candlemas

	Mr Busby the late Steward to the Derwentwater family who now lives in Dilstonhall intends leaving it Next Mayday Ocassion’d as he Says from the Useage he had from some of those lately concernd in the Management of the Estate he complaining of the want of Coales particularly & Says he had not fireing near Sufficient for keeping the Homes Dry: We thought proper Sr to mention this to you as it will be proper to have Some body appointed to take care of the House against Mayday

	Dilston Park wall is in very badd Repair & is Indeed so bad that it is not in many places a fence, the Tennts who farme the parke complain of it & Say they have many Trespasses from that as well as a common Road that has been of late made thro: the park, The latter we think may be prevented by Mr Aynesleys Tennt who we have desired to take care of the gate & the formor Should be made a fence for the preservation for the Tennts Corne which will be all that is Necessary unless you Shou’d think proper to preserve the Deer.

	There has been in Tyne & Devills Water a very great flood which has very little Effected the Works lately done there tho in many places unfinished, & Where it is finished the worke is firm & we doubt not will be effectuall & Answer the End propos’d

	The Tennants of Hexhamshire has paid their Rents only to Mayday 1734.  Except one Grundey who paid his Rent to us due at Mayday last We have given them Notice to provide against Candlemas & we hope they as well as most others will pay then.  They complaine of the want of Lime & we think a Lime kill built at Langley would be of great use & be a great Encouragemt to their Improvement.

	The Tennts of Langley Baroney have most of them paid to Mayday last & Some to Martinmas, being mostley on Long Leases.  We gave Notice for them to bring in their Leases which they most of them did & we have taken the dates of Such as appeard to us & we belive those that did not bring in their Leases were influenced by Mr Ainsley who we are assured advised one John Ridley not to bring in his

	Widdow Chatt of Upper Mire house who is an old woman has threatned to turn her Son off the farme he now posseses with her And to bring in a Son in Law of which the Son who now is with her Complaines & hopes you Will order him to Continue with her  We have enquired as farr as we had an oppertunity into his Character & he appears to have been and now is an orderly fellow.

	We find there is a Slate quarry on Grindon Common & there appears to have been a Rent paid to the Late Receivers for it from a Recet under their hands dated the 19 September 1734 of which you have a Coppy Inclosed.  We have received £3-12 for Rent of the Said Quarry as appears by our Cash Accot.

	At Woodhall mill near Ellrington is a heap of Slaggs or refuse of Smelted Lead Oare which may be worth £30 or £40 & there is one Edward Middleton of Fenhouse near Dotland that proposes taking them to Smelt over again and to pay 1/8 part in Lead to the Lord deliver’d at Newcastle Clear of all Charges & to find a Security for his performance you Will therefore Judge whither we Should Sell the whole by Lump or take 1/8 as the Lords due We think rather the Latter as there may be some deceit in putting a value upon the Slaggs as they now Lye

	We are Informed that Mr Ainesley enjoys a Collry at Birchy bank near Vause, which he letts to John Elliot & Receives £1 per A[nn]um Rent for the Same besides we are informed that he is Supply’d with Coales to his Country House at Threapwood from the Said Collry & that he has been in possesion there of 4 or 5 Years,  This Sr you will observe as well as the Slate Quarry is not in the Rentall Sent down to us.

	Wooley Mill green or haugh in the appurt[nance] of Coastley was unlett till May the 20th 1735.  When Mr John Ainesley agreed by Letter that Wm Lowthen Should enter upon it paying Such a Rt as Mr Watson & Hutchinson Should think reasonable  The S[ai]d Lowthen is now desireous of fixing the Rt of it & would give about 50 Shillings we think that may be about its value

	Thomas Pigg of Westerbrokenhaugh would take a Tack Note to Try for Lead Oare in the East Quarter of Haydon Chappelery on the North Side of Tyne & in the Baroney of Langley & proposes paying to the Lord 1/5 of Clean well prepared Oare which we thought proper to Represent to you as a thing that may be of Advantage

	Mr Ra[lph] Readhead & John Atkinson the 2 late Bayliffs made a Demand upon us for their Sallery due last Mayday which did not think proper to pay them as we had not your directions  Mr Readhead you will Observe by our Cash Accot paid us only £46 in pt of his Mayday Rent upon that Accot.  We observe £12 to have been p[ai]d by Mr John Atkinson to Mr Watson in pt of a bargain of wood which we are Suspecious may not be brought to Accot as Atkinson was Unwilling to Shew his Receipt for it.  The Recet is dated the 6 July 1735

	Severall Tennts where we have been are Tearing out fresh ground from which we have discharged them as it will be A disadvantage to the Estate, And we think Some punishment Should be Inflicted upon those that have done So without Leave as a Terror to all others

	We have taken the dates of Such Long Leases as are Expired & that appeard to us as before mentiond from which we Intend after we have gone thro the whole Estate to make an Abstract of Rentall, Shewing the Number of Years in Each Lease yet to Expire & we deferr giving our Opinions what pt of the Estate will Sell best till we have Seen the whole.

	Thomas Errington Esqr of Beaufront informes us that there is a prospect of a Lead mine in Dilston park of which he had a Tack note from the late Receivers wherein they made a Reservation of a Quarter pt with a liberty to be or not to be conern’d whenever they pleas’d, Mr Errington hopes to have the preference in that undertaking.

	Mr Leadbetter & Jasper Gibson who farmes pt of Allerwash lett a pt thereof to undertennants & they complaine of haveing been distressed by Mr Leadbetter & Gibson as Also that they are Obliged to give Mr Ainesley money for favours this they asure us they did viz three of them £1-1 notwithstanding which Mr Ainesley the Next day discharge them in forme from what he had promis’d on giving him the Money which was that of their becoming principall Tennts.

	By the old Leases of Langley Baroney you will Observe there is an acknowledgement of Hens to be paid to the Lord with the Mart[inma]s Rent.  And you will find we have brought what we have received for em, to Accot.  The Bayliffs Claim that as there perquisite but we did not think proper to allow of it till we had your directions therein.  We find the Late receivers have reced Six pence for Each hen

	Mr Fenwick of Bywell made application to us desireing we wou’d represent to you that the Lord of the Mannor & Freeholders having Interest in Sheeldon Common have come to a reasolut[ion] to devide the Same & he had given us a list of the Severall Freeholders, wherein he claims as Lord 1/20 pt & a Share according to his Estate besides which at his Request Sr we thought proper to Represent to you, but we are Informed the Duke of Somerset Claims as Lord of that Com[mon] & we believe the Late Derwentwater family have Also allwayes claim’d as Lord of that Common.  We are certain a d[e]vision wou’d be of advantage to the whole but whither the Derwentwater family have a right as Lord ought to be enquir’d into

	The Freeholders of Corbridge have Also apply’d to us desireing we would informe you of their disire of deviding their Common as well as Improved Lands which we now <....> & beleve it will be of advantage to the whole

	We intend after Christmas to goe to Alston moore Keswick & through the whole Estate & we think it would be proper to have your directions to order the Moore master of Alston moore to give a State of the Lead  Mines So as we may be able to make a Judgement of the Value

	We hope Sr you will pardon our giving you the trouble of So long a letter but we wou’d not willingly omitt any thing that Occurs to us as an advantage to the Hospitale & hope our Actions will make it appear that we have the Interest of it at heart.

	Inclosed is our Cash Accot to the 20th Inst as Also a Bank Note No 192 for £500 & a bill at 28 days date for the remaining pt of the Ballance in the whole amounting to £728-4-111/4 which we thot proper Sr to Inclose to you as you have not been pleas’d to direct us otherwise we are Sr Yor Obedt Servts

      Nichos Walton	Hugh Boag



No 192      London   The 9th Decer 1735

At three days Sight I Promise to pay this my <Sole> bill of Exchange to Mr Robt Ellison or order Five Hundred Pounds Sterling value received of Sr Heny Liddell Bt

      For the Govr and Compa of Bank of England	John Waile

£500

Entd  J Standish



Gentn                                       Ravensworth Castle     Decer 23d 1735

Twenty Eight days after date pay Thomas Corbett Esqr or his order Two Hundred and Twenty eight pounds four Shillings & Eleven pence farthing Value in Accot as advised

by Gentlemen Yor obedt & most Humble Servt

      Nichos Walton

To Messrs Fowler & Compy Goldsmiths in Fleet Street London



The above & the bank note on the other Side are Coppy of those Sent Mr Corbett for the ballance