Letter – Thomas Errington to Anna Radcliffe – 23 Apr 1722

May it please your Ladyshipe 			Capheaton Aprill 23d: 1722. 



I haue not much to trouble your with at this time, but to accquaint your Ladyshipe that mr Busby and I was at Kesswicke aboute Tenn dayes since, Receiueinge the last Martinmas Rents, and holding Courts there with mr. Simpson the Steward of the Courts in Cumberland, and all the Tennants there that aduariced theire Rents att Kesswicke aboute a yeare and a halfe Since, are giueing vp there farmes, and declares they Cannot be able to hold them, 

for Corn being very Cheap, Catle very Cheap, noe trade, nor noe money, they Cannot tell what Course to take, and it is the Same in this County of northumberland, and all Countys in England where Lands were aduanced. this is a mallancolly storey but it is a true one, the Cottagers of Dilston was with me last Tuesday att Hexham aboute theire Cottages Rents of Tenn Shillings a Cottage, and Swinburne the Taylers is twenty shillings because he has a Close to it, 1 find they would pay noe Rents att all, but hopes your Ladyshipe will lett them haue them Rent firee, I had your Ladyships order to put them in the Rentalls for the old Lord Darwentwater Built all those houses, and if your Ladyshipe haue a mind to giue them the Houses Rent ffree, I am Satisfyed, they Intend to petition your Ladyshipe aboute this matter, they might haue had some pretence of fauour had they built the Houses at theire owne Costs and Charge, but as my old Lord Built them, its my thoughts they are not Intituld to any. Mr Arthur Radclyffe who liues here, is Goeing to make a ffine Damaske Bedd, which I am told ill Cost him aboue a hundred pounds, it is for him Selfe at prsent, but its my thoughts it will be for this famally a litle while hense, please to take noe notice of it, I had a letter from Mr. Radbourne the 13: of this month, wherein he writt me, your Ladyshipe was mistaken of the 700£ annuity Money being in mrsers ffenwicks and waters hands, but Mr. Radbourne writes me it was all Returnd to him long before your Ladyshipe writt me, 1 haue paid 500£ more on the annuity account to mrsrs ffenwicks and waters as I writt your Ladyshipe in my last and of which I aduised Mr. Radburne, which makes 1200£ if paid on the Annuityes account Since the 14 of July last 1721 and to be Returnd to London, Mr Radburne writt me in his last letter, that your Ladyshipe had writt him aboute the Duble Taxes, and he writt me what he thought was proper to be done, which was to Apply to the Coraissionrs of the Laud Tax, which I thinke is to litle purpose and I writt him soe for all the Applycation that coud be made to them was done last yeare, and to noe purpose, for as I haue often writt your Ladyshipe, that all those Comissionrs has Estates lyes in the same parishes where my Lords Estates are, and those Comissioners and others of theire freinds are loe in the Taxes, and if my Lords Estates in those parishes were lessend, then theires would be aduanced, and Euen those persons who seemes and pretends a great freindsbipe and flauour to your Ladyshipe and my Lord is quite alterd when there Interests are any way Concernd ; Mr. Radbourne writes, that if wee cannot prevaile with them this yeare to accquaint them your Ladyshipe will trye it with them, and I beleaue it will neuer be gott done till that methode is taken, your Ladyshipe writt me in your last of the 10: of this month, that Mr. Radburne thought it was neccessary that I shall send him Rentalls of the last two yeares accounts, and a perticular of each yeares arreares, which shall be done this Sumer, and a Rentall as the Estate is now lett at this yeare 1722, I shall gett Mr Busby to Cuppy mine to be sent mr Radburne, your Ladyshipe may be assured of it, I shall doe all in my power to serue you and my Lord very Justly, altho I gett the 111 will of some people for standing for your Interests ; I doe not value such people as those are, all this famally are well and giues theire humble Seruice to your Ladyshipe and famally, I am, 

yor Ladyshipes most obedent Seruant Tho: Errington. 



A Madame La Comtesse De Darwent-water dans la Rue haute proche L'Eglise de la Chappell  A Bruxelles By Ostend