Letter – Nicholas Walton to William Corbett – 10 Mar 1738

To Wm Corbett Esqr					Ravensworth Castle   March 10th 1737/8



Sir

	Upon being at Keswick lately we find Mr Thomas Jefferson has Carryed off his Customary Estate in the Manour of Thornthwaite a quantity of Birch and Alder Trees which he formerly sold William Moles who has paid him the Money he contracted to pay for the sd Birch and Alder Trees and Mr Jefferson has given him an Indemnity for his so doeing notwithstanding we apprehend he has no right to Cutt any wood without the Livence and Consent of the Lord of the Manour as we particularly represented to you in former letters. What we therefore desire is to know whether the directors think it proper to suffer this offence, or that they will be pleased to order such methods to be taken as the Law Directs to Compell the offender to doe Justice.

	There is a mill at Keswick and a Dam Cross the River Greta for Conveying water to the Sd Mill, which by some late floods is broke down and wants repairing we have therefore given orders that it may be repaired with all speed to prevent making the breach wider and Consequently doeing much greater Damage which we hope the Directors will Approve of.

	It also appears to us that Anth. Scott the Tenant of Stablehill is in very mean circumstances and not able to pay the Rent of the farme, therefore we have admitted Joseph Wilson & Joshua Scott, Tenants of the Sd. farme to Enter upon the same at ladyday Next and we have admitted John Goave & John Wilson Tenants of heads & Lords Lands for one year Instead of Edwd. Waterson who has declined it both which we hope will be approvd of by the Directors, at the present Rents.

	There has been a Smelting house near Keswick at wch is Lying a Quantity of Copper & Lead Ore Slaggs which seem to be of very little value, but may be let so as to Raise profit to the Hospital. Mr Thomas Westgarth has proposed to take the same and pay a sixth in Lead or Copper of what shall be produced therefrom, which if the Directors have no Objection to we will let them on the best Termes we can.

	Inclosed you have the Accot of Oare raised within the Man[or] of Alston moore from Mich last to Christmas last, as it was sent us by Mr Stephenson and you have also inclosed an Accot of the whole years produce of Ore within the Sd manor with the Dues thereof, and what they Amount to as they were sold Geo:Liddell Esqr & his Ptners.

	The Tenants in all the parts of the Estate are So Uneasey for want of their Leases and repairing of their Housing that we are made intolerable uneasy about it, and they Absolutly refuse (some of ‘em) to pay the advanced Rents till they have both. Mr Reed of Chipchase who is the farmer of Buteland and who is a Gentleman of the best Intrest in Elections in the County of Northumberland has wrote us that he cannot subsist with his under Tenants without [having] his Housing done against Next Mayday, that he has proposd to undertake the buildings himselfe in as Reasonable a way as any other person and that without his Housing is done so as to be ready for him against Mayday he will not pay the advance Rent. This we thought proper particulalrly to lay before you and desire that wee may have a speedy orders as is  possable for the doeing Mr Reeds housing as well as all the others where Necessarry . We have a Rece[ip]t at Hexham on Monday & Tuesday the 20th & 21st Inst when Mr Reed is to be with us and it would be very well if we had full orders as to his buildings against that time, and if it could be done it wou’d be also well that we had directions in the Whole, as the time of the year is comming on to make preperations for the same.

	In answer to yours about the Expence of Fewell &c for making bricks and Tyles at Dilston there is no charge of Fewell or any other thing Necessary for making bricks or Tyles but what is paid by John Skinn the undertaker who covenants with us to make bricks at 7s per thousand and Tyles at 23s per Thousand, he to find all materials, Fewell &c, but this agreemt is only from One year to Another. Inclos’d is our Cash Acct for last Month on which Remaines a balance of £54:14:5 ¼ in our favour who are 

      Sr Your most Humble Srvts Walton & Boag.





Ac Acct of Lead ore raised at Several Mines in Alston Moor betw Chritsmas 1736 and Christmas 1737 and the Dues thereof also old dues resting at Carrs at Christmas 1736

[Table to b created from DSC 4395 available in the PDF of this document transcript]