Letter – Nicholas Walton to Peter Mulcaster – 25 Nov 1779

Mr Peter Mulcaster.                          			Farnacres 25th Novemr 1779



Mr Mulcaster 

      Yours of the 3d 5th 9th & 10 th inst all came duly to hand & the Recet acknowledged by ours which you mention and this serves to acquaint you that yours of the 20th & 21st are safe here.

      You did not before yours of the 20th acknowledge the Recet of ours of the 29th Ulto & Instant & it was no way material except that we always like to hear that our Letters get into the right Hands, you had however no occasion to make an Apology either in this Account or on Account of not writing immediately after the Recet of ours of the 7th 9th & 13th Inst & we should be concerned to have you put yourself to an Inconvenience by answering our Letters unless the Busyness at any time or times shd prove urgent; at the same time we must say we shall be glad to hear from you on every occasion when your Convenience will admit of it but not otherwise.  We are in hopes you have got the Business respecting Mr Hunter put into a proper way of being settled & very sincerely wish you had the Business ended to your Satisfaction.

      It realy grieves us that you have so much trouble in settling the Lead Ore Accounts.   If the Agents had compared now and then with you there would have been no difficulty in the matter, but as to your saying anything about others being more ready at finding out Errors then yourself we realy think you have mistaken that, & on your discovering Errors made by it is hard work to be enabled to come out as satisfactory Account immediately.  The Ore Carriage shd certainly be closed and in case any Quantities are brot. in after this they may be pd for at the Spring Pay or in some other way wch we may think of after this.  Blagill and Thorngill Ore James Johnson can bring at any Season. It is very contrary to our Express Command if any of the Mine Owners have gone ahead in the Delivery & tho' Jno. Friend has unfortunately been lamed which we are truly concerned for he most assuredly ought to have employed some person who he could trust to see how things were going on & not on any Account to permit or suffer the Mine Owners to be permitted to take away the Ore without the Hospital having a Share according to the Tenor of the Leases.   With regards to the Cutting Ore we perfectly agree with you & we are determined to have this Business put on such a Footing as to have an opportunity at least of speaking upon the Occasion.

      The Company we are perfectly satisfied mean honestly. 

      If their Agents either mean, or as it were by accident do otherwise, it seems high time to have the whole laid before the Governors of Greenwich Hospital and the Governor & Co. We shd however have the most anxious concern not to do any thing disagreable to the Company's Agents, but if drawn to the necessity, we shall do our Duty in the most effectual way possible.

      We are glad to hear the Level men are getting well on, but if they meet with Quicksand among the Great Stones, we fear there will be much difficulty, this is only ment.d to yourself & we hope for the best.   What Geo. Temperley is proposing and doing appears proper.

      We shall not say a Word upon the Business of the Carriage Ore to either Mr Hilton or Jno Friend 'til after we have seen you and shall talk with you on the Subject before we speak to them. Your Delivery is proper, and we see that Business, we are certain of it in the same light that you do.

      The first time we write to London to the Gentleman who buys the Hospitals Silver, we will send for a Set of Weights for the Assays from the Tower in London.

      The last Cakes will not be 30 Ounces short of the Assay because you know there will be either the Silver which is in the saved Litharge to deduct & therefore it is hoped we are much improved by the Alterations of the Treddles etc.

      There are 50 Casks of Bone Ashes either between London & Newcastle, at Newcastle or on the Road between Newcastle & the Mill about which we will make Enquiry and we have ordered other 50 Casks to be sent as soon as possible.    We are

      Yours etc 

      W & T



PS  We are obliged by the Account you have sent us of the Tillage Land at the Mill & shall think ourselves so by a similar Acct every Autumn.

      According to your desire you receive a Copy of the Accts.  As soon after you have settled the Ore Carriage Acct and made out the Pay Bill as possible, we desire youll send us the Pay Bill also and we will immediately fix the Day for the Pay and time of your coming for the Money.  We wish to have the Pay made at Langley Mill.