Letter – Nicholas Walton to George Liddell – 30 Mar 1736

To George Liddell Esqr

      Ravensworth Castle  March 30th 1736

Honrd Sr                                                                  

	We have yours of the 7th & 13th of March Inst before us as also the Coppy of Mr Wastells Letter of the 16th February last wch will answer as fully as we can before Post time.

	Parson Gordons Letter wch you mention was not Sent to us but before your Letter came to hand we pay’d his demands, tho we had no order for it from the Hospitall, nor was it necessary as it was allowd us by Parson Noble who is the present Incumbant under whom Mr Gordon officiated, We will take care that he shall be paid regularly, and we have acquainted him therewith & he is well pleased

	As to what Mr Wastell writes with regard to Mr Reeds Friend Ridley being Bayliff of <No> Tindale Ward we have no other objection than that following.  In the first place Mr Bunting is present Bayliff and having no perquesites but Waifs, Extrays & benefitt of Court, will think it hard to have it taken from him, & in the next place we are afraid that there is something Pticular intended by this recommendation by Mr Wastells talking of a certain boundarys, in wch case it might give Mr Reed an opertunity of making a boundary in his favour where he joyns upon the Derwentwater Estate by having a Bayliff of his own recommending & Pticularly so should he also have the countenance of a Court keeper wch he woud undoubtly have if Mr Aynsley should be concerned

	We agree wth Mr Wastell that it will be highly necessary that all Courts shou’d be regularly kept & we have before recommended it to the Directors that it Might be done, but we cannot agree that Mr Aynsley is a proper person to be concerned as Court keeper either with respect to the ascertaining boundrys or in giving us any insight into the Customs etc of the Estates, in the first place let Mr Wastell consider whether he who is in all places an Incrocher upon the Estate can be a proper person to acertain the boundrys who has grasped at everything valuable in the Estate, & who has been the Chief Instrumt in the greatest abuses that has been committed  How is it Sr that the Hospitall is to have what is taken from them restored if Mr Aynsley is the Judge of the Court where these matters are to be sett right it is rediculous in Mr Wastell to Argue in such a manner , & withal he says he has no opinion of the Man, Mr Aynsley has a good Personal Interest in the County it is true, but has he it Sr in any other manner than by this Estate, no we are sure his interest is intirely foundd upon it, & we are sure his Interest will cease, whenever he is divested of being Court keeper, You will receive Mr Ellisons opinion on this head this Post.

	Mr Busby is not to be continued at Dilston, & there is one Lieutt Ramsey has an offer to have Lodgings for himself & family at Dilston till the house is lett, so that we are afraid it will be improper to give Major Wanless a recommendation, but we are very sorry that we did not know of it sooner, as we look upon the Major to be a much properer person,   Mr Busby is a verry good natured Man, but never gave us any sort of a Rentall nor any information that was material, tho he was verry ready to do any thing that way that we desired, & we shou’d rather had wished him to continue at Dilston that any body.

	The Lead mines and other Estates are advertized to be lett at Michs next, & the board has agreed to make Mr Ords Lease of Hunstonworth their Precident only with the addition of £10 per Week penalty for hushing.

	We will prepare & send a proper Land Lease, but we doubt it will be difficult to gett Tennants to enter into a Covent to plant Quicks & Trees tho the Hospitall be at the expence of finding them.

	There is Severall Tennants that enter at Penticost and cannot be displaced before that time, yett it will be proper on letting to make them Mayday Farms, & it will only be an inconvenience to the entering Tennts for the first year.  As some are Mayday & some Penticost Farms we have made the Advertizmt Genll without mentioning either.

	We have made a little more discovery abt the Colliery in Greenheugh but we believe it will be proved to belong to the Derwentwater Estate, the Mill Island will remain as it is till a Court is held, & Dennetly Tyth in like manner till lett on Lease.

	On considering the affair of Mr Reeds friend being Bayliff we think it may be proper to oblige Mr Reed, if it can be done without any Inconvenience attending it, therefore if it can be postponed a little till we enquire into it we will give you are further thoughts.

	Last Post brought us an Accot that at the Generall Court held last Week it was agreed that we shoud be continued receivers exclusive of Mr Ellison on the Commission now Subsisting, as also that they had agreed to except of Sr Henrys & your Honrs Securitys for our faith full discharge of our Trust, which we are pticularly obliged to your Honr & Sr Henry for, & do assure you Sr that it shall be our care & Study to merit so kind a recommendation & favour & we are Honr Sr Yours etc

      Nichos Walton  Hugh Boag