Letter – Nicholas Walton to William Corbett – 4 Jul 1736

To William Corbett Esqr

                                                                                  Ravensworth Castle  July 4th 1736

	We are favoured with yours of the 24th June last with the boards Minutes of the 23d of that Month, as also their Minutes of the 3d of Decer last

	In Answer to which Mr Thompson will proceed to Aldston & Kesweek to compleat the Survey of the Inclosed Lands before he begins the Commons & you may be Assured no time Shall be lost to have the Survey made Compleat that a proper use may be made of it

	We had no Minute about the Survey when the Agreement was made with Mr Thompson, but it was agreed that he Should Survey all the Ingrounds at 21/2s & Commons at 11/2s per Acre & in pursuance of it he was first ordered to begin at Aldston Moore Common to which we Objected as first being at a time of the year that it was Scarce practicable & in the Next Place that on our View of it we thought it a great Expence as we computed it to be near Forty Thousand Acres of Land & most of it never capable of Improvement and again we found there would be very little time to finish the usefull part of the Survey (Vizt the Ingrounds) and therefore advised that a begining might be made at Dilston which was done accordingly   The Agreemt with Mr Thompson was made by Coll Liddell as Settled by him with your brother Thomas Corbett Esqr.

	The Necessary Repaires in the Several Estates Shall be Let forwards & done in the most frugal Manner.

	We reced John Kirkleys letter of Crokt Oake dated the 17 May last wherein he represents that the person appointed to look after the woods in the Derwentwater Estate is a Shopkeeper in Hexham & lives out of the County where most of the woods grow & Recommending himself to that office.

	In Answer thereto there is two Bayliffs appointed to take care of the woods in the Derwentwater Estate within the County of Northumberland & one Bayliffs wthin the Mannor of Castleridge & Derwentwater in the County of Cumberland

	Those for taking care of the woods first mention’d are Mr Robert Johnson living within a quarter of a mile of Newlands woods & Mr Abraham Bunting living at Hexham in the County of Northumberland & in the verry Centure of all the woods in that County.  Its true he is a Shop keeper but has a family to take care of it, is a verry active and Industerious man & Cannot be better Scittuated for his present office.

	Mr Kirkley lives at Crooks Oake 4 Miles distant from Newlands & from 10 to 15 Miles distant from the woods in the Severall Estates in the County of Northumberland, is a man unknown to us but has a Character that renders him unfit for a place Trust as he is Represented to us to be a verry Dangerous Person to be concernd with

	We hope that Such representations as these will have no Weight with the Directors as they may be Assured of the Earleyest Accot from us of any mismanagement in their affares where we are concernd, We beg leave to believe our Selves to be better Judges then men who only Strike at the bread of others to Serve themselves without a View of Serving the Hospital whose Interest we hope the Directors are well Satisfy’d we are firmely attached to.

	We find a great Inconvenience will Attend the letting the farmes at Salter Hall by Obliging Tennants to come to London to their great Loss of time & Expence, We therefore wou’d wish a proper power cou’d be given us Consistant with the Act of Parliamt to let Subject to the approbation of the Board, We have had a Conferance with Colonel Liddell upon this head to whom we refer.

	Inclosed you have our Cash Accot for last Month on which remains a Ballance in our hands of £260.14.1d after having paid the Charge of the Commission of Enquiry etc, Mr Downs complaines of having to little for his Extraordinary trouble in that affair & indeed we are of that Opinion that he ought to have had more as he was at much more trouble than Colonel Liddell was Apprized of, he begg’d we would make a Representation of it which we now doe & desire you will lay it before the Board for their Consideration, Mr Downs Says he always Expected 20 Guineas & as he had only £10.10 he hopes the Directors will Order him 10 Guineas more

	Last Wednesday we (with Mr Airey) looked over Sevl of the papers at Dilston which Consist mostly of letters & old Accots of the Recivers as Agents of the Derwentwater family & Some few old Mortgages Deeds & Old Counter parts of Leases of little or no Value, tho may be usefull in discovering the Antient Customs Observed in the Estates as there is Severall old Court Rolls of the Sevl Mannors & Accots of verry antient date - We could not get thro the whole nor Mr Airey who we left to goe thro the remaining pt of what we left has not yet compleated his Schedule but as Soon as it is done it Shall be sent you

	While we were at Dilston one Mr Boutflower living at Apperly about Six miles from Dilston was Detected & brought before us for having run or Hunted a young Buck thro the park & killing him near the Park Wall  We gave him a reprimand for it & ordered Mr Airey to take Information against Mr Boutflower to the End that he might be proceuted for the offence as he is reputed to have practis’d the Hunting & killing the Deer of Dilston [struck through: park] many years   Mr Airey we Expect has Sent you An Accot of this affair, as we desired he might take your Directions in it

	We have executed our Bonds in £1500 each before Geo Liddell Esqr which we hope he has transmitted to you along with his own bond which he Executed at the Same time & we hope to discharge our Selves with fidelity & to the Satisfaction of the Honourable Commissioners & your Selfe So long as we have the Honr to be Concern’d

      Sr Your most Obedt Humble Servts

      Nichs Walton		Hugh Boag