Letter – Nicholas Walton to Peter Mulcaster – 26 Mar 1776

To Mr. Peter Mulcaster					Farnacres 26 March 1776



Mr Mulcaster

	I have yours of the 21st. 23rd and 24th and the several things they inclosed now lying before me, and am obliged by yours and your Brothers Attention as to finding out a proper Successor or Assistant to Thomas Elliott – Wm Liddell came to me on Satturday and seemed very desirous at that time of entering into the Hospitals Service, and I gave him a line to Mr Bell his Master, but yesterday he returned & Declined going to Langley Mill saying that his Wife and all Friends dissuaded him from going there on acct. of his Brother having Died there, saying and persuading him that he certainly would dye if he went there; this being the Case I begun again to read over the whole of the Letters on this subject and tho’ I observed something look rather odd as to the Elliots in the last Paragraph of your letter of the 24th., I thought it right to send for Ned Elliott to be here this morning, who appears to be very hearty in his wishes to be under your care.   I have therefore wrote to his Masters and if he can be got immediatly I will send him up to you, and his family may come afterwards.   So you see nothing further can be done as to Dixon ‘til you hear something more about Elliott. I gave no assurance as to Wages.

	The Bullion is I suppose arrived at Newcastle but I have not had time to weigh it or the Assays yet, the Produce in Quantity is very good being 12 ¼ Ounces p[er] Fodder.

      I am yours &c 

      JW Junr.



PS I should suppose it quite necessary to have Half of Elliotts Farm for the new Reducer let him be who he will.   Ned Elliott, if he comes, has a difficulty how to get his Goods up; I think Pattison might bring two long Carts to Newburn with Lead and return with the Goods.

	When I was at Hexham on the 11th inst Mr Tweddell of Unthank and Mr Smith of Whitfield Hall promised they would each of them send us some Coals to try at Langley Mill and would not expect any pay for them or the Carriage I told them that we certainly should give them a fair Tryal, and in Case any of them proved, and could be had on such Terms as were more elligible to us, than we could be otherwise supplyed, we certainly should get the Coals where we found that to Answer, and I must beg of you if they do send any to be particularly Carefull in the Tryal but I dare say and am sure I need not to have desired this.   I hear they have got some very good Coals at Corbridge South Fell, and should be glad if you could get some of the Carts to get a few Loadings as they return from Newburn to try them; You’ll give directions to get them as Clean as possible The sooner you do this the more agreeable.