Letter – Robert Allgood – 25 Sep 1778

Sir,

      I have thought it highly necessary to lay my situation before you and the rest of my Creditors you being one of them – Messrs Surtees and Burden of Newcastle having Security out of an Estate of mine called Sunneyside within about a mile of Hexham, and the house in Hexham for the principal sum of £2500 there being an Arrear of Interest obliged me to Turn Tenant to them last Martinmass at £110 a year Exclusive of the Woodland thinking to make them Easy the first half years Rent due last Mayday £55 Last month they thought fit to make a seazure of my Household goods and Sold till they made up the half years Rent, they had Enough or more than Enough upon the Farm for a years Rent, when it became due and Immediately sent me hence for the Remainder of the Arrears of Interest, at the same time every thing I have vested in the hands of Trustees and Advertized to be sold for the Benefit of my Creditors on the 6th of October next - Sunnyside contains 209 Acres of Land of which there is 144 acres of Arrable Land and 650 Acres of Woodland of Oak as thick as it can stand some part of it about 25 years growth and is now thought worth at or above what Money they have upon it, the 144 Acres of Arrable land so near the Town of Hexham where may be got plenty of Towns Manure may be made well worth 80s or 40s an acre being of that sort of Land now Richly worth 20s an Acre, and the 65 acres of Wood land Double that value by the Acre. The last Intended Day of Sale for Sunneyside it was set up so low as £3000 considerably under half value, the Gentlemen present was asked round if they had any Intention of Bidding, who Declared they did not want to Purchase (I suppose only come out of Curiosity) The Woodland need no Cultivation and the Woodings bring in Money every yea, even small Rodds will make Money, the Hexham Antient Lands about the Town is lett for £3 and £3-10s and acre, and I am sure by working and manuring can Grow as much Grass and Corn as they can. I think there seems to be a view in all this before I came from home I left the <Sweepage> of a a Meadowfield at Sunneyside for 30s acre, what they could get off with the scythe there's another field Joining it as good, at or about 13 acress besides other Grass Land about 20 acres of Turnips which I hope will give £3 and acre besides Barley Wheat and Oak as good as my Neighbours – 

      Woodley Sheild a Freehold Farm about 71 acres let to Nick Short for Nine years the first 4 years at £40 a year and the remaining 5 years at £50 a year, there's Land in it well worth 20s an acre but the the poor fellow that has it took a great Deal of Pins in working in some Common land on with it. I abated him £10 a year out of the last 5 year Rent, he has it now till next May day at £40 a year which I doubt not but will lett for £50 and is a good Farm at that Rent Last intended Day of Sale it was set up at £800 and like as before not one to Bid a penny. I hope my Creditors will be so good as to consider for their own good as well as mine to speak or write to my Trustees Mr Jas Allgood of Nunwick, Mr Jno Tweddall of Unthank and Mr Jasper Gibson of Hexham not to let the Mortgagees take the land next sale Day for their Money what must become of my Creditors at that Rate I have 40 Acres upon Broad Pool Common in right of Woodley Shield upon a Division of that Common lett to Jno and Wm Ridley at six pounds a year to Improve being Inclosed – and thrown into Fields with a House Suitable for that Quantity of Land. Ten Acres of it was wrought for Corn before they entered, had 10 Fother of Clod Lime upon an Acre and had a great Crop of Corn upon it, now in Grass, another part this year has a great Crop of Oats and the remainder they are in hands with <Paring> and Burning, of which they have two years to come next May Day when I expect it will let for £15 a year and sometime afterwards at £20 a year. Last Sale Day there was a Bid for this lett £180 or thereabouts, This parcel and Woodly Shield Messrs Surtees and Burden has £1000 upon them 

      A Close at Causey hill within about a mile of Hexham 4 acres valued at 40s an Acre now a Crop Of Wheat upon it once would suppose worth 24s. This 4 Acres once Bid between £80 and £90 so all the way through it seems to hang in one piece; if lands was to be sold at this rate for less than half Value my Creditors must suffer as well as myself The house etc in Hexham is worth £600 I doubt not but some Purchaser might be met with that might Borrow the Money to have the Lands at half value which by all appearances will be the end of it. I my Trustees is worth anything and can see, it is abominable for them to stand and look on as they have hitherot done. There may be views that I do not Understand; I believe there has been some that has taken Pains to lessen every thing, Those must certainly be some view in it, and I know a <cry> though a Country of any Designing person with a Private View lessening the value of anything, People is apt to run away with it without giving themselves any trouble to Inspect into the True Value is often the Cause -

      As to the Lead mines, They are very great and the best Judges in the Moor cannot Value them, in a few years I should not fear by all appearances my share would clear me of all Debt, let the Land to the best advantage, any myself go to the Lead mines, Inspect the work, that an Extravagant price is not given for the work, or Unnecessary work carried out, I doubt not but some Purchasors might be met with, that would Borrow the money to have the Lands etc at half value which by all appearances will be the end of it as I said before, if my Creditors do not Interfere and give further time for the Payment of their Principal by a General application to the Trustees and if my Trustees are to be called Men of Understanding under the friendship they have always pretended for me, they wou'd with what Money I can raise at Christmas next pay off all Intt then due, otherwise they will not serve either you or me there's a Considerable Quantity of Lead Ore sold to Messrs Muncap and Hopper Newcastle to be paid at that time. I think this wou'd be a Means to save my Creditors and myself from being hurt by selling land etc at half value as its plain after so many attemps to sell we have no Land Buyers, from what they say a scarcity of Money and no Inducement to Borrow Money unless they can Purchase at half value –

      This I have wrote to you for your Consideration and be pleased to give me your answer what Resolution you come to as soon as you can. I have plenty to pay with, but not if things go at half value. I have wrote to purpose and I hope for a favourable answer both from you and them. To my Dear Sir 

      Your most Obedt huble servt



PS I do believe Messrs Surtees and Burden both very good men an would not be ill to Deal with provided they had their Intt paid up. I have stugled long to get something now by all appearances when I am likely to rise, it won't be hard to be pulled to pieces. It depends upon my Trustees as they are Men of Credit to carry me through