Letter – Nicholas Walton to William Corbett – 25 Feb 1739

      Ravensworth Castle  Febry  25th .  1738/9

To William Corbett Esqr



Sir

	Inclosed we Send you our Cash Accot. for last Month on which remains a Ballance of £44.19.8 ½ in favour of the Hospitall; and Inclosed is likewise a Rentall of the Derwentwater estate, as lett at Mayday last; which will be followed very Soon with our Generall Accot. for one year ending at Christmas last. As this Reantall is necessary to be as Soon may be in the Hands of Mr Maule, we desire You will please to forward the early delivery of it to him.

	We are Sorry to acquaint you that a Dispute is likely to arise between the Hospital and Mr Blackett, who Claims high Stublick Colliery now Included in the Agreement with Mr Downes, who farms what is called Gregshield Colliery late in the possession of John Bacon of Staward esqr. We have rid the Boundary & taken the Examination of Severall Witness in relation to the Dispute, & have likewise procured a Assignment of a Lease of this Colliery, from the Derwentwater family; by which we shall be able to prove, the quiet & peaceable injoym.t of high Stublock Colliery upwards of 40 Years. This we have acquainted Mr Blacketts Agent with, & we have hopes he will give up their Claim, & referr the dispute to two Indifferent persons in which we desire the Board will be pleased to give us their Instructions.

	We observe the Boards order to Mr Radley, relating the Tennants Leases which he acquainted us with the last Post, & which we will most readily comply with but as we apprehend  the Method Mr Radley proposes , will be attended with some Inconveniencies , & very material ones; we begg leave to lay such Inconveniencies before the Board for their Consideration.

	The Printed Blank Leases we apprehend will not Suit the management of all farms, and consequently we do not know, which to Send up the Pticulars of: therefore it seems necessary that one of these Blanks should be sent us, that we may Judge which of the Farmes will be comprehended within the Form & Covenants.

	In the next place it is apprehended Severall of the Tennants will not comply with the Covenants, without a good deal of persuasion & actually having the Leases to Shew them before they are filled up, in which Case, those which refuse to Sign, their Intended Leases will be lost, and besides it will give us double the Trouble, & in the Way it is putt by Mr Radley be in no respect a Convenience to the Hospital. If the Board are pleased to Send us Six Blanks down with the power to fill them up, they will See the Dispatch, as they will be returned imediately after the Concurrence of the Tennant, & in Case any Inconvenience is found, then they may be done in any other way. We presume it will be only necessary to Send you one part to be Signed by the Commissioners, as the other part to be Signed by the Tennant, will be necessary to remain in our Hands, to have recourse to from time to time in case of any breach of Covenant by the Tennant. & we are

      Sr Yours &c 

      Nichos. Walton

      Hugh Boag



PS We reced. the Boards Minutes of the 17th Inst which we duely Observe.