Letter – Nicholas Walton to Hugh Boag – 19 Nov 1736

To Mr H Boag

      Rav Castle  Nover 19th  1736

Mr Boag 

	I am Obliged to you for your Sevll Letters I have had & Accots abt the Leadmines but what you say is not so full as is in every bodys Mouth & as I have a verry great regard for the Interest of the Hospital any thing that appears against their Interest gives me Conscerne; I shall give you my thoughts abt the Lettg of the Lead Mines, & beg you may make use of it so as if the Mines are let to Disadvantage we may not be blamed.  The Profit of Lead Mines is a very precarious uncertain thing & Does not at all depend upon the Highest Due but upon the Numr of hands Imployed in working, wch must be Increased or decreas’d by the Due, if therefore Leadmines are poor & let at a Duty So high as to Discourage Adventurers many must lye unwrougt as in the Case in Alston Moor where it is plaine many wll lye that are not proposed for.  I should think it proper that the Directrs shoud let the Most unhopeful places at a Sixth, at least they Shod never come into any offer at above 1/5 for I am Satisfyed 9/10 of ‘em cannot be wrought at that Due, & it is Evident that the Lower the Due the greater Quantity of Oare wll be raised & Consequently a greater Profit to the Hospital, were the Quantity certain than the advance of Dues wd be a Certaine Increase of Profit but no Otherwise it wd be well if you could have a Conference wth Mr Corbett on this Affaire that the Directors may be Sencible wt they are doeing & of the Manner of raising profit by Lead mines; it intirely Depends on the Number of men Imployed

	Inclosed I send you the Accot of Cash abstracted from our whole repts & paymts from the day our Commission commenced to the Ult day Inst wth an accot of Arrears due Marts last by wch I Desire you wll Settle  I have sent Coppys to Mr Corbett, but besides wt I sent Mr Corbett you have an Accot shewing how the Abstract is made up  I had thot’s of Sending no Coppys to Mr Corbett but I considered that it was Necessary I Should as part of the Transactions have been in your Absence

	There is some alterations in the Rentall as you wll observe by the Arrears it is in Rogers land at Keswick & the Tolls there the Former being let for £5.14.6 and the latter at £15 per Ann the Land Commenced at that Rent Mayday last & the Toll Marts preceedg.  Langley Draw hill I have not in my Rental but I have put it in the Arrears at £5 have you it so you have a Coppy of my letter to Mr Corbett Inclosed

	Yours of the 11th Inst came to hand & I shall observe what you say abt proposals and shall take in none but for those Advertised but I could not before know wt was before Confirmed or confirmeing.

	I have put Into the Newspaper the Advertismt for the Severall Farmes unlett Jno Bell proposes not Langhope but Hackford only & wd have that as well as white Chappel

	I have had much adoe to please the Allerwash Tenns there being two that never appeared to make proposals before Yeasterday & these the other wd not Conscerned wth I confirmed it in Faviour of the Offerers Wm Watson & partners

	Geo Black tells me he has sent Mr Corbetts Oates

	I am glad you think the Coll will prevail

	I had Yeasterday an Offer of £16 for Gregshield Colly but I told the man they were too late, they may be yet had If it does not Interfere wth anything that has part of the Board pray let me know 

	I have yours of the 13th before me by wch I am glad you hope to get all in a list to be confirmed by next General Court pray take care the lead mines be done at the Same time  I am sorry Thos Thompsons came too late, but I believe Heppell much a better Tennant.  Yet I am Sorry for Thompson.

	I wll acquaint Mr Dalaval abt the Tythes

	I wonder Mr Collingwood should be so slow but he could not expect had he been in time to have had the preference

	Surely the Directors wll never ask you to Swear to the Rentall but you may do it to the best of your knowledge the Arrears are I believe right as Richd & I have both taken pains abt them  they amount to £5909.10.3/4

	I wish Wm Postilion may oblidge the Coll in Makeg this Offer, as he is a good Servt in his Station but no doubt but he wd be as Usefull one in the other as is active & does not want Capasity I have mentioned it to the Coll as Wm Desired Mr Ellison thinks he wd doe well.  J Renwick has refused it

	I will write you next post abt Crawforths Arrears being now near post time

		I am Your Most Hbl Servt

			Nichs Walton