Letter – Nicholas Walton to William Corbett – 10 Sep 1738

      Ravensworth Castle Sep. 10th. 1738

To William Corbett Esq.



Sir

	We recd. yours with the Boards Minutes of the 26 August last and Mr Aireys bill of law charges amounting to Forty one pounds fourteen shill. And nine pence which shall be payd pursuant to the Boards commands.

	We have waited upon Lawyer Gray to know what his Expectations are for the trouble he has had in the Hospitalls Affaires, but he is unwilling to name any thing, but desires the Directors may order whatever they think proper. He was Consulted in & drew the Bill to be brought into Parliament, overagain after he had perused that which we had drawn by Mr Radley & he also Corrected the Land Leases, & drew George Liddell Esqrs Lead Mine Lease in its first shape, & he has been Consulted by us on Severall Affaires besides relating the Hospitall. The Board were pleased to order the Business Mr Gray did with regard to the Bill, the Land Lease, & Lead Mine Lease themselves in which he had a food Deal of trouble & Spent a good deal of his time but the other Consultations have been trifling tho’ of great use for our Government. We think he may deserve twenty Guineas for the trouble he has had, but humbly submit it to the Consideration of the Board.

	Inclosed is our Contingent payment for three Months ending 30 June last, amounting to £23.3.10 which we hope the Board will approve off.   Inclosed is our Cash Accot. also for last Month, on which remains a balance of £58-15-1 in the Hospitalls favour. And inclosed is allso a Coppy of a Bond Enterd into by C Ricardson & a Note to pay the damages he did by burning Mr Whitfields peats. 

	You will Observe, he Enters into a Bond under the Penalty of £80, quitting Claim to the disputable part of the Common in Alston Moore & setts forth the Boundary as it ought to be, but notwithstand[in]g that as his father is in poss[essi]on of the Estate under which he claimed the Bond he has given will we apprehend be of no use in strengthening the Hospitalls Title. We have Consulted Mr Grey on this Affair & he advises that the Hospitall may proceed in filing a Bill to perpetuate the Testimony to their boundary for that he is of opinion that Mr Ricardson will in his answer acknowledge the boundary in the manner it is described by his son which if he does will answer all the ends we propose by perpetuat[in]g the Evidence.

      We are Sir Yours &c  NW & Boag





Know all Men by these presents that I Christopher Richardson of Hexham in the County of Northumberland Gentleman am freely and firmly bound unto Thomas Whitefield of Clargill in the County of Cumberland Gentleman & Thomas Walton of the same place, Yeoman in Eighty Pounds of good & lawfull Money of Great Britain, to be paid unto the said Thos. Whitfield & Thos. Walton or to their certain Attorney, their Exe[cuto]rs & Adm[inistrato]rs   as Also <…….> such payment well & truly to be made, I oblige myself <…..> Heirs Exec[uto]rs & Adm[inistrato]rs firmly by these presents, Sealed wth my seal dated the Twenty first day of August in the twelfth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain  France & Ireland, King Defender of the faith and so forth, and in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty Eight.



The Condition of the above written Obligation is such that if the above bounden Christopher Richardson, his Heirs of Assigns, or any other Person or Persons whatsoever by his means Consent privity or procurement do or shall at any time or times for ever here after hinder Molest, trouble, disturb or cause or procure to ge hindered, molested troubled or disturbed the above named Thomas Whitfield and Thomas Walton, their Heirs Execrs. Admrs. Tennants, Servants and Assigns in their either or any of their full peaceable and quiet Enjoyment and advantage of their either or any of their Severall  right or rights, Title and privilidges of Common & Common of Pasture Drift Heath Turbary Peat Mosses and Digging of Peats Ling Coales Limestones Slates and Free and other Stones and all and singular other benefits and advantages whatsoever heretofore used & Enjoy’d in and upon a Certain Heath Common or Waist Ground scituate and being on the East & South East sides of Aleburn by the name or Names of Washpoule mease Slates Cleugh Mease Thach Cleugh hill Force Tongue and so to Long Cleugh head in the Manour of Alston Moore in the County of Cumberland That then and in such case the above Written Obligation shall be and remain in full force Effect & Vertue.

      Sealed and Delivered being first duty stamp’d in the presence of us 

      Cuthbert <Lee>  John Goss



August 21. 1738 I promise to pay unto Thomas Whitfield Esquire and Thomas Walton The Sume of Forty Shillings upon demand in Satisfaction of the damage receiv’d from me in burning their or the one of their Peats on the Seventeenth day of July last past  Winess my hand 

      C. Ricardson [sic]



Witness hereof Thos. Lambert Cuthbert <Lile>