Letter – Nicholas Walton to John Ibbetson – 10 Jun 1795

John Ibbetson Esqr					Farnacres 10th June 1795



Sir

	I have this Day recd your Letter of the 8th Inst relative to the addn Rood for Haydon Chapel and Chapel Yard and £8 towards completeing Newbrough Chancel.  I have no doubt you will attend to the Lime Kiln on Thorngrafton Common as also the exchange for Dewey Syke when a Gen[era]l Court is held. 

	For some time past there have been various intimations of an intention to rate Langley and Blagill Lead Mills wth their respective appurtenances to the relief of the Poor. Sir John Turner and I have as much as in our power discouraged such ideas but from the inclosed state of our Case with Mr Williamsons Opinion thereon it appears clear that Lead Mills are liable to be rated and on a full consideration of the matter & looking into some determined Cases it certainly will be proper for the Hospital to submit to the Rates and when it is considered that the Rates for Langley Mill for One Year of £100… communibus Annis will not amount to more than £3:15…, full two thirds of which will go in relief of the Hospitals own Tenants, the Business does not appear to me an object of any further consideration than that of submission and I am the more convinced that it will be proper to admit the Rate because there have been some innuendo’s that the Duty Ore is liable to be rated and consequently it will be right in every one concerned for Greenwich Hospital to avoid entering into  distinctions as to what or what is not liable to be rated and that the Rate as stated in the inclosed Case may be admitted without observation. I am

      Sir Your most Obedt Servt

		Nichos Walton



Case



The Commissioners and Governors of Greenwich Hospital are Owners of Lands at and near Langley Castle in the Chaplaincy of Haydon and County of Northumberland, and about the Years 1766 and 1767 A Mill for smelting Lead Ore, with Houses and other conveniences were erected by the Hospital upon part of Langley Castle Farm; the Grounds occupied by and with the Lead Mill have been rated to the Poor, but for the Mill and appurtenances occupied by the Hospital for the purpose above mentioned no Rate hath ever been made. Enquiry hath been made in the Neighbourhood as to what has been usual relative to Assessing Buildings of a similar description and us’d for smelting Lead Ore, to the Poor’s Rate and from the Information received it appears that there are no Instances of any Lead Mills either belonging to Mr Beaumont or the Quakers Company, or in short any other Lead Mill in the neighbouring Parishes having ever Been rated to the relief of the Poor.

	At Haydon Chapel Vestry held on Monday 1st June 1795 Langley Lead Mills, occupied by the Hospital, hath been rated to the relief of the Poor for that Chapelry, and this being contrary to what has been usual – Your Opinion is therefore desir’d whether the Overseers, and Inhabitants of the Chapelry of Haydon assembled in Vestry, have a right to assess Langley Lead Mill to the poor Rate for that Chapelry or not, or whether the same is liable, under any of the Laws, or Acts of Parliament now in being for the relief of the Poor, to be rated or assessed thereto.



	There cannot I think be a doubt but that this Lead Mill is rateable to the relief of the Poor, and presuming that the Rate in which the Lead Mill is included is legal in other Respects I see no reason for disputing the validity of such rate on account of the assessment of Langley Lead Mill occupied by the Hospital

	Rd Hopper Williamson

	N.Castle 8th June 1795