Letter – Nicholas Walton to John Smeaton – 18 Jul 1768

Part of Mr. N Walton Juns. Letter of 18th July 1768 to Mr Smeaton



      As I thought you would like to know how the Lead Trade is going on at Langley Mill I send you above Copies of the several Letters from the Agents since you left his place, by which youll see there have been some unfair Practices and which have partly occasioned our giving the Prices asked by the Carriers. There must be one Cottage Built for the Smelters this year, for I am afraid if we let them lye in the Store Room they will not be so careful of their Fire as they should be. I have this day sent 2dozen Crucibles for Mr Mulcaster, so he will now be at or about compleately fitted out. I like him much; he is very attentive to his Business; and I hope we shall find ourselves happy in the choice we have made both as to him and the other Agents. I had the other day an application from Mr. Donkin on behalf of Mr Henry Errington; he desired to know whether it would be agreable to the Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital and us to sell the Duty Ore for a Term of Years, the price to be regulated by the Average price of Lead in every Year, and told me Mr Burrell had intimated that something of this kind might be acceptable to the Directors; I wrote to Mr Errington and informed him that I apprehended the Directors would not now receive Proposals for the Duty Ore as they had determined to Smelt, and in consequence thereof we had engaged Agents, who had been assured that they would be employed so long as they behaved themselves properly, and the Undertaking met with Success.