Letter – Nicholas Walton to William Corbett – 5 Jun 1736

To Mr Corbett Esqr



Sr                                                                                  Ravensworth Castle  June 5th 1736

	Inclosed we Send you our Cash Accot for last March, by wch there is a Ballance then remaining in our hands of £133 - 18 - d Since we have reced only 20 Shillings a Fee Farme Rent, & we have this day Sent the Years Interest due to the Doctor Chamberlains Execrs into the hands of Mr Goodchild; so that there is now a Ballance in our favour.

	We are ashamed that you have not had from us an Accot of the Expence of building Housing & Improving the Estates at Newlands & Whittingstalls but it is what we have not yett been able to doe for want of the Survey, or rather the Map of it.  Mr Thompson has been so hurryed with getting the Survey Compleated that he has had very little time to make the Draughts of each Estate, he is now at Meldon and near done there, & when that is done, he has done all the Inclosed Lands except Aldston and Keswick to which places he intends next to goe, if you have no Objection, but we would advise his Surveying only the Inclosed lands at these places now, as his doing the Commons that are so extensive, will take up so much time, that we Shall not have time to make a proper use of the Survey, before the Estates are lett.

	The necessary Repaires in the Severall Estates following we compute may be about One hundred & Sixty Pounds, tho’ it may be more or less, as it is impossible to make an exact computatn  a great deale more is wanting but we only mean to doe what is unavoidable, & what the Tennants will not be content without. We compute 

  Newlands & Whittingstall    £30

  Hexhamshire                  10

  Langley Barroney             40

  Dilston                      10

  Hartburn Grainge             20

  Scremmerston Corn Mill to    50

    be rebuilt otherwise the

    Rent will be lost

  Totall                     £160



	We have made some enquiry how it is supposed Alnwick Closes came to be exempted from the payment of Tyths, & we are in formed that these Closes were part of Alnwick Abbey Lands, but as we do not find a Modus or any other Satisfaction pd for the Tyths, we know not what to Say of it, we have imployed Mr Greive Attorney at Law in Alnwick who is a Man of extraordinary Character to make Pticular enquiry about it and to Send us a true State of it, and when he has so done, it shall be transmitted to the Board.

	We expected last Week the papers relating the Commission of Enquiry, & we find they were in the carryers bill of Pcells, but he Says he has them not, but that he believes they will come next Saturday; if they do not we are afraid there may be a miscarriage.

      We are Sr Your most Obedt & most Hbl Servts

            	Nichos Walton		Hugh Boag