Letter – Nicholas Walton to Peter Mulcaster – 10 Feb 1775

Mr Mulcaster.                      				Farnacres 10th Febry 1775



       Your Letters of the 2nd and 8th inst came here in due course and the Contents are observed we must leave it entirely to you to do the best you can with respect to the supplying the number of our Smelters deficient by those we have employed leaving us. With regard to Henderson we can only say that where it is perfectly clear the person who offers is likely and happens to be Son of a Tenant of Greenwich Hospital that his being so circumstanced should not operate as a reason why he should be employed or the contrary.   For we would have it understood that the Hospitals Tenants are not to have any Ideas of a right to expect to have their Sons or Relations employed and then their applications will be civil and the behaviour of the Persons who come recommended from them will also be civil, whereas, if they have the least notion that we must right or wrong employ them they will in effect become our Masters.   After having said so much you will, we are sure, act in this Affair so as to suit the Work best and keep things going on in that irregular manner which we have always experienced from you but we think it would be well to wait another Week to try for an experienced Workman, rather than engage a learner.

       The Iron according to the weight we paid for was 6.2.3 you make it only 6.1.22 which is 9 Pounds less.  The price is 19s P Cwt and we hope it will prove good.

       You did right in letting Corbett have a loading of Lead and we wish to receive all the Lead at Newcastle as soon as possible having made a considerable Sale but dont deliver any more from the Mill yet.  Lead is now £14 P Fodder.

       It did proper that Greengill Lead Ore which came last in should remain unsmelted and unreported til last years Quantities are all finished and then to be reported as belonging to this years Quantity.

       We have been trying the produce of the Ore brought in last year compared with the produce of former years and find that 2586 Bings Smelted to the end of last Operation having produced (upon an average of the whole since the beginning) upwards of 180 pieces of 1Cwt more than the proportion.            

       We are etc. W & S