Letter – Robert Allgood – 25 Sep 1778

      Morpeth Sept 25th 1778

Dr Sr

      Wod you or any friend or any of my Creditors Choose to give away what I have without a Reasonable Consideration, Doe not you and They, see that there's no purchasers at present no money to be had If the Stocks or Funds had not been so very low I believe I cod have made a Friend but he cannot get Sold out without a monstrous Great Loss. The same thing in the Sale of Lands yet one knows not how soon times may Change In Regard to the material part of acting in this Case. If I can sell anyway near the Value, or within a Thousand pounds of the value, what I am certain my Effects are worth I Sho'd not complain but I see so plain after two attempts to sell, when sett up to be sold at less than half value, no Bidders – It is natural to think, or wod you like if it was your own Case to see your Fortune, Effects, or Estate parted with under the same cercumstances upon acct of the scarsaty of money, and partly given away for want of Purchasers – Ms Surtees and Burden cannot sell they are in possession of the lands <all or net> of Tenants and can Lett for a Year and from one year to another If I am right tell them doe so And if the Rest of the Creditors Doe not come into Terms I think if I had my Liberty by going through amongst them I think I cod get them to Consent, or give you Trustees a further time -and if one found that was not possible to come at a Reasonable time – wod it not be better for me and worse for them (and clear you Trustees of all Trouble) to obtain a Commission of Bankrupcey ‘and clear them of all futur claims' the Expence and the Return to me at so much per Cent in case things Did not Sell of make up what might be expected for Lands and Effects, wod Certainly be a loss to them 

      The Lead mines now by all accts is so Great and by all appearance wod Enable you to go through this Difficult work If we cod Gain time and I cannot see any Great matters to hinder it which is the Cheaf Matter to be Considered, I doubt not but it wod be a Creditt to you Concerned and for the benefitt of the Creditors as well as me I hope in Equity I have a Right to Sell up the Lands etc at a price that my Trustees will Stand too And not lett the Estate and Lead mines go, under what I know is Considerably under value Let Mrs Surtees and Burden keep possession of the Estate for a year or two, and as to the Rest of the Creditors, If they had their Interest paid up I doe think it wod make the greatest part if not all Easy If my Trustees wod put their hands to help with what money may be Expected from the Lead mines next Christmas I shod not be afraid to work for time as that seems to be the thing a wanting If I was in the Place of the Trustees I wod not think there wod be any Difficulty as they have it much in their Power The Lead mines cannot be parted with at any Rate If my Trustees have any Regard for me no Body knows the Value of them They may bring in for my share 1000£ a year of more The partners has a Copartnership Deed, and has the Refusal upon a Sale of any of the Partnerships share, therefore this must be attended to: The Creditors and the Trustees wod be unpardonable if they sho'd suffer the lead mines to be sold Sir I am possitive that if my Friends wod Raise me a 1000: or 1200 £ in half a years time to take off some of the bond debts that some of my friends joined with me in to satisfie the Creditors that cod not be persuaded on to give time that it wod be 4 or 5000 £ in my and might be 3 times that afterwards way this wo'd not make the debt any more as I am satisfied how, I wo'd be with all that money If I had the value and shod be worth that <Sums> over and above paying all my Debts – I wod not think anything a trouble to serve you, as to Sunneyside it is a greater thing than many think of – the wood and Land in Regard to its Situation I think I Doe Remember of a Cercumstance, of Lands being sold, where the the Party was greaved and had Just Cause to Complain – qt whether or not upon a Complaint of this kind, To my Lord Chancelor He wod not call to acct and order the Lands to be sett up to sale again – How come the Lands etc: Droped in the  Advertisment for how long a time, and then put in again, only three weeks, before the time and I believe the day of the Sale altered, many other cercumstances may  ppear – The whole matter is, as there's no likelyhood of any Purchasers, at a fair price - Lett not the Trustees Sell or Sett up the Lands etc. to sale under what Robt Allgood has sett them at. If they doe they are not using him well, as there will be more Room to make a Case of it, and lay it before the Publick – where that great confidence and Power is Vested in Trust, makes it the Greater Crime, where a Default is made or Comitted – The Land is not to be given away If no better can be lett Robt Allgood obtain a Comission of Bankrupcies in Case the Creditors will not be otherwise Satisfied Then Mr Allgood will immediately have his liberty, to doe the best he can, and not laid up, or confind, so as to Disable him, for doing anything for  imself – and then lett the Lands etc sell for what they will – He then clear himself from all future Claims or Demands of the Creditors – How came RA [some damage to the next few lines] to the <?P>reason after after having Returned Tent to the mortgagees --- The whole of the proceedings looks too much like a Designed thing, to Distress, to get The Lands at an under value, Lett the Trustees sell if they can, but but not under or low or then the price RA has Fixed and if they cannot sell at that  ate let RA have his Liberty to take out a Commission of Bankrupcies as he thinks he be Intitled too: by his being a Dealer in the Tallow Chandler way and buying and selling Wood and Lead and Lead ore and is now in the lead mine ways Robt Allgood has an agreemt in writing with Robson Chandler in Hexham for half the Tallow Chandler business of the Candles he sells, to allenheads, when RA Turned over the making of them to Robson, and all the Bills went out in RA's name, till here in late Mr James Allgood, Mr John Weddell and Mr Jasper Gibson, you are Requested and Desired that you sell up Robt Allgoods Effects and Estates to be sold on Monday the 5th of October 1778 that you will not sell up the Different Parcels at less Value to be Sold, then herein after mentioned -



1st Lott Suneyside 209 acres, arrable and wood Land one acre with another thought

well worth 30sh an acre yearly Rent, worth 900£ sell it up at Eight Thousand but not less than Seven Thousand				£7000-00-00



2nd Lott Woodley Shield hich: Short Rents at 40£ a year Term Expires at Mayday

1779. He had 31 acres when he Enteres being part of works Fell to Improve with the Antient Land well worth 50£ a year and will let at that Rent Sell it up at fourteen Hundred pounds						1400-00-00



3rd Lott Woodley Shield hill: What was part of Broad Pool Common 40 acres Wm

Ridley Rent has two yers to goe two years of the term from Mayday 1779 a 6£ a year to Improve, how very [?y]ear all gon through a Course of Husbandry, Valued by the Comissioners upon the Division when Divided without any Improvement at 5sh an acre, will lett after the two years Expires at 15£ a year Sell it up at four hundred pound						400-00-00



4th Lott Causey Hill 4 acres with a mile of Hexham worth 40 shillings an acre yearly Rent, the Comissioners upon the Division of Hexham Fell, Valued it at 20 :shill per acre before and Improvemt was made Sel it up at one hundred and Eighty pounds

      180-00-00

      

5th Lott My house at Hexham, with its appurtenances Sell it up at Six hundred pounds worth Eight nobody can buy the Ground and build such another for the money

      600-00-00

      

6th Lott Grays Field Crook bank with the Intack 24 acres or there abts with two now built Cottage houses well worth 500£ my half Jo: Joppin has the other Sell my half up as Two hundred pound			200-00-00



7th Lott Robt Allgoods 2/16 of Brown Ferry Lead mine <Re>: in Alston Moor Sell it up at Two Thousand pounds and not less, but doe not Sell or Sell it up at all if it is possible to avoid it				2000-00-00



Robt Allgoods Debt will be at or about Seven Thousand pound 7000-00-00

      £4780-00-00

      

At liest Sell out Mr Tweddell, I took for granted was to be my Cheaf Manager what is the matter, that he files shy, – If he was a Cock of Mr Bacon Wastells he wod throw him out of the Pill – I believe I know the Cause is upon my Friend  when <..> acct – nothing but sell, when there's no buyer or purchasers, Mr Hunter happens to be Bound with or for me at or abt 1000£ in Different Bonds and 202£ others 100: and some 50 or so: - apply to MR John Bell of the Vickerage Hexham, as my Sister Loraine will hear what he says, to see if he cannot prevail with her to engage in half a years time to take off this Sore – The Country know very well, I saved her, and her Family from Ruin, or being tore to pieces – now she seems to doe but little or nothing for me, when she has it in her Power If this was done I cod fight my way, without selling any Land, I am persuaded the Lead mine wod pay all my Debts in 7 years time – Supose I gave my sister Loraine a Colateral Security out of my Estate & Effects for a Thousand pounds or Twelve Hundred, 

      I am Gentlemn your Huml Servt

      Robt Allgood