Letter – Nicholas Walton to William Corbett – 24 Aug 1736

To William Corbett Esqr



Sr                                                                                Ravensworth Castle  August 24th 1736

	In pursuance of the Supplemental Advertizment for letting the Derwentwater Estate, we gave attendance at the Three Kings in Newcastle  all last Week to receive proposalls from Tennants etc offering to take Either Lands Collierys or Lead Mines

	Inclosed you will receive a Coppy of all proposalls that are given into us either for Lands Collierys or Lead Mines, with the present Rent of each Farme, and what has been offered for the same, & we shall weekly till the week before Michs Transmitt you all other proposals that shall be given in to us in that time, and then we will send you an abstract of the whole so as we may have a return from you of the opinion of the Board to enable us to lett imediately after Michs day

	Coll Liddell and some of his friends who have been Concerned in Lead Mines, & who we are sensible will work with as much Spirit as anybody purposes to take Severall Lead Mines but they have not fixed what due they intend to give to the Hospitall, being not so well Informed of the prospect as they hope to be in a few days from a Gentleman who is now upon the Moores Considering it, but you have in the Accots of the proposals the names of each Vane they intend to take, and as soon as they give us the other Pticulars they shall be transmitted to you.

	It is represented to us that the Quakers Compy are Designed to take all the Lead mines, in the Manner of Alston Moore, which we think proper to make this observation upon:  That it will be a very great discouragmt to Adventurers & a great loss to the Hospitall;   You will have Sr many Gents bidders or Adventurers, who will under take & work with Vigour, & there will be numbers of Inferior Persons besides, & it is humbly our thoughts that the greater the number of Adventurers the more profit will accrue 

	With regard to letting the Estate in Generall, we begg leave to lay one thing before you which is this.  We apprehend that Severall Persons will make offers to you at London which may not do so to us, & in Such case we cannot have an oppertunity of giving our advice without these proposals are sent us to this place.  If therefore the Directors have no objection it woud we apprehend be their Interest to transmit us all Proposalls made to them & to refer all people to us being Impowered to lett Subject to their approbation for Shou’d you Sr lett at the same time that we doe it may possibly be that one thing may be lett to two Persons, & Consequently raise a Clamour upon both you and us.

	In order that you may Judge of the Value of the Estate, & in order that the most Improved yearly Rent may be had for the same, we have in hand a Rentall of the whole, in which will be incerted the Number of Acres in each Farme, the present Rent & what we Compute it shoud lett for, & as soon as it is done it Shall be sent you

	You will be pleased to Observe that the Tennants in Generall, so farr as we have reced proposalls expect to have their Housing put into Tennantable Repaire which will be a very great expence, tho’ it is an unavoidable one as in the whole Estate the Housing are in a Ruinous Condition.

	The Housing at Newlands & Whittonstall are most intolerably bad scarce one of them being habitable, and the Farmes are so Confused & and small that there is a necessity for a Divission of the whole into regular Farmes, upon which must be at least ten Farme houses & out housing etc built which will cost at least £1000, and the Divission Hedges at least £500, more.  This expence the Directors may think a verry great one, as it really is, but Pticularly so, as we doubt when it is done that the Estate cannot be much advanced,  However this we doe assure you that unless it is done in that way it is our Opinions that it cannot be kept at the present Rent

	We have seen Mr Aynesley of Hexham of whom we have made a Demd of the Severall Court Rolls & other papers in his hands relating the Derwentwater Estate and in answer he told us he woud look out such as he had, but did not remember what papers were in his hands relating thereto, as he had been Commanded by the Derwentwater family to give up Severall some years agoe which he accordingly did.

	The above Conversation gave us an opportunity of enquiring wt right he had to Claim the Tyths of the Rectory of Hartburn for the year 1735, & in answer he said he took them of Mr Watson who had a Treasuary Order for letting the same.  We told him that we believed it had not yett been made appear to the Directors that he had been Legally admitted Tennant, but on the Contrary that Mr Watson had returned Mr Wood Tennant, but that it wou’d doe well if he woud make them sensible of it

	By the Minutes of the generall Court of the 22 July last we are uncertain whether they have ordered us to comunicate their discharge to Mr Aynesley as Courtkeeper, we at first apprehended, that it was not intended that we shoud doe so, but as we doe not hear of his hanvg reced any discharge, we are afraid we have been guilty of an Error in which you will be pleased to Sett us right

	Mr King has been with us to whom we have delivered his Warrant & we have sent Mr Simpsons to him, as he was prevented coming to us by a fitt of Sickness that Confined him.  We apprehend the Directors will expect all Courts to be held as soon at the Law will allow them which will be after Michs next & if they have no objection we will proceed to give notice thereof as has been Customary.  We doubt a Court cannot be kept at Keswick till there be a new Act of Parliament, & in order to Sett it in a Clear light Mr King will make a State of it wch we will take Care to Transmitt to you as soon as it comes to hand

	Mr Airey has served Ejectments upon the Freeholders who had taken possession of Greenhead Colliery some of whom have been with him to make Submission and are willing to become the Hospitalls Tennants, and we doubt not but the rest will Comply & put an end to that dispute

	Mr Airey endeavoured to have Mr Boutflower Indicted at our Assizes last week for killing a Buck near Dilston Park, but the Indictment was not found by the Grand Jury

	The Deer belonging to Dilston are seldom within the Park at any time of the year but in Winter, but are mostly at this time of the year in the Commons and Neighbouring Estates  We have offered them to Sale at 20s apiece to some Gentlemen who purpose hunting them, they paying only for what they kill, but we have not yett been able to bring them to offer more than 16s apiece.  The Park cannot be Improved till the Wood is Cutt that is growing thereon

	Mr Airey has it under his Consideration in what manner to proceed against Ralph Redhead for the Waist & damages committed on the Derwentwater Estate.

	We have had his opinion about the Suit between Mr Wood & Mr Moore about the Petty Tyths of East Thornton <Al..> Temple Thornton, which you have Inclosed & by which you will observe that he is agt Suing for a prohibition, it will therefore undoubtedly be the best way to remove the Suit into the Ecclesiastical Court of York as we before advised & if the Directors have no Objection it will be so done

	Fourstones breach is now repairing in a most fine Season & in order to have it finished with the most Expedition, least an alteration of weather shoud happen we have as many people at work as will finish the work or the greatest part in 14 days.

	It has been reported that Dilston Hall is burnt down, which probably might reach the Ears of the Directors & give them Concern wch least it shoud doe we think proper to acquaint you that it is safe & free from Accident,  We hope no person can be so malicious as to do a thing of that kind, but least any thing shoud happen it woud doe well to remove the three Chests of Papers to this place, which we think of doing if the Directors have no objection

                                                    We are Sr    Your most Obedt Servts

                                                                            Walton & Boag