Letter – Nicholas Walton to William Corbett – 12 Dec 1742

[There follows a table of Alston Mines employees and mines at work available as a separate spreadsheet TNA 66 107 Alston Moor dues tables, tab labelled ‘1742 Jun - Sep’]



To Wm Corbitt Esq.                     				Ravensth Castle Decem 12 1742



Sir

       We reced your Letter of the 1st Decem first with the Boards Minutes of that date & bills of Law Charges of Mr Airey and Mr <Doron> amounting to £224.2.2 which the Board are pleased to refer back to us to be <confirmed> & to make our Report thereon to the Board which we will not fail to do as early as we can in the best manner we are able.

       The inhabitants in Alston Manor are mostly Tenants by Lease for 1000 Years from Henry Hilton Esq from whom the Derwent Estate of which the manor is a part Descended, in which Leases the Lord of the man.r reserved to himself a Liberty to digg and Seek for Lead Ore paying reasonable satisfaction to the Tennants & under this reservation & Covenant the Tennants have Claimed, & as we are informed have received Damages from the late Earl of Derwentwater when any such happened to be. And it is in all Leases of Leadminers granted by the Companies of the Hospital a Covenant inserted to oblige the Lessees to pay all Damages as what may happen to the Tenants from any mines being open and in the possession of such Lessees & Consequently the Commis[sione]rs are liable to pay only such damages as happen either in mines wrought by themselves or that shall be lying unwrought & unlett.  Mr Teasdale makes his demand under the above Covenant in Guttergill where the accident happened had been given up some time by D Lowther & Company Lessees of the Leadmines & was then in the Hands of the Commissioners of the Hospital unwrought.   & the reason why the Grove was not sound or fenced in can be maybe owing to some Idle Persons who had taken away part of the Covering for firing;  for the General method is to Cover the Top with Timber & not to fence around, but in either Method it is very hard to prevent the poor people from Stealing the Covering or fencing away.

       We think Mr Teasdale may be persuaded to take five Guineas for the Loss and as this is the only one which the Hospital has been liable to pay since they have been Concerned therein we <beg that .. > to them to comply therewith.

       Inclosed we send you the Moor Masters quarterly acct ending at Mich last as usual.

       We wrote you of the 19 Novemr last if we had received no proposals &c of purchase of the dues of Lead Ore raised to Mich last nor have received any since occasioned as we apprehend from the great fall in the price of Lead & the further fall which is expected if we have a French Warr what to advice the Board to <say> to the Disposal of it we are at a Loss to say.  but if the Dues for the Current Year should be now advertized we think it may not be amiss to advertize both years to be sold together or separate & this Advertizement should we think be generall, & not Limited to six months or any particular day, for as the Marketts are Changeable should the price advance before the 6 months are expired & fall again an opportunity of Selling Cannot be taken when the advance is.  but this we offer only as our Sentiment & Submitt it to the Board Consideration & we are

       Sir Your etc

       Walton & Boag