Letter – Nicholas Walton to Peter Mulcaster – 9 Sep 1771

Mr Mulcaster 							Farnacres 9th September 1771



      Your Letters of 7th August and 2d & 5th instant are now before me and I wish much to have a Tryal made of Mr Tweddells sort of Coals you mention in the former of those Letters and that as soon as your convenience can admit of it.

      I am glad to find your produce so good last Operation and hope it will continue to be as good in future, and have no doubt of your best endeavours to that end, though we cannot always expect it I see.

      I have made a Computation whether it is proper to continue Refining Mr Wilkinsons Lead or not considering Lead at £17 P Fodder GHO which is the present price and I find there is a Balance against Refining on 60 Fodders of £1.13.6 1/2 but there is to make up that deficiency the Value of the Litharge which will be saved out of 60 Fodders for Refining over again & also the Value of the Test Bottoms and Litharge Slags, which I sh. suppose must be more in Value than £1.13.6 1/2 after deducing the Charges of bringing them all into Lead, but that you'll consider and let me have your Opinion. A all events it seems proper to keep such of Mr Wilkinsons Lead as you now have or may make entirely from his Ore til you have as much as the above mentioned Quantity, and then take a Chip off each Pig to try by Assays whether it will bear refining or not for you see the calculation seems very near run as Lead now Sells so that if there should be the least falling short of Produce in Silver it would certainly be right to Sell the Lead as Common rather than Refined. In the calculation I have made I reckon upon losing an Eleventh part in Refining and Reducing so that if we dont lose so much the difference saved will be to be added to the Value of the Litharge saved and Slag & Test bottoms. I think we can scarce lose by continuing to Refine this Lead but it is right for us to be as careful as possible.

      You say in your Letter of the 2d Septemr. inst. that the Cake of Bullion weighs 217 1/8 Ounces but I make 717 1/2 and I believe it to be quite fine notwithstanding the edges are a little dirtied. The Assays differ a good deal in weight, by one the Cake shd have been 652 Ozs 2 dwt 13 8/10 Gs, by the other 755 Ozs 12 Dwt 19 8/10 G  the mean of which is 703.17.16 8/10. The sooner you get the Furnaces rebuilt I think the better.

      I am not pleased to hear the Company intend raising their Smelters Wages and indeed I am of opinion they had better attend more to the Washing which it is probable might prevent any occasion of advance however if they do advance I see we must follow or they may perhaps get our best Workmen from us.

      I cannot yet attend to business so much as to examine your last Operations when I can I will let you know how I find they answer til then I shall think you are right in your report about the Ore brought from the Mines.

      Would it not have been proper to have Washed both Carrs and Middle Cleugh Ores at the Mill when you observed they were neither of them so good as you had them before when tryed together. I only offer this for your consideration when anything of the same kind comes before you again.

      The Pay Acc must close with the end of this Month that is taking in the 28th but I am rather at a loss to judge whether the Ore Carriers shd be paid at the Lead Mill Pay as I fear they will not have compleated the Carriage by the time we shall make the Pay which to be sure will be about the latter end of October or beginning of November so you and Joe Hilton will judge of that best when you see each other.

      So farr from thinking you meddle with business you ought not to trouble yourself about when you give me the hint in your Letter of the 5th inst I look upon it Mr Smeaton & I are obliged to you and you certainly did very properly to acquaint Mr Bell who I will doubt not take the necessary steps. I am

      Your Hble Servt

      N W Junr