Letter – Thomas Errington to Anna Radcliffe – 23 Jul 1722

May it please your Ladyshipe. 		Capheaton, July the 23d: 1722. 



I haue Receiued your Ladyshipes letter of the 8th: of this Month, I am glad your Ladyshipe has the true thought of mr. Loraine and his Masters Concerneing widd Browns House, it is plaine that they doe not Regard the Intrest of aldston moore, when they make Such apretence aboute that House, I am very glad to heare that your Ladyshipe and the Childer are well, God almighty Continue it, I obserue very well what your Ladyshipe writes aboute 

Mr. Simpson, if you would giue him a Thousand pounds he would make quit of it, and Spend it, for he is adowne Right Graceless as euer I knew, and Neuer would take anything in hand that was Good, but Still Idle, he is in morpeth Gaoll in Northumberland, and not in york Gaoll as your Ladyshipe writes, it is the Gaoller of york that puts him in where he is, and that man must be applyed to by Some body that has an Influence with him, to treate with him, and bring him to termes as loe as Can bee, for this Simpson and other three men that were prisoners with him in york Gaoll, Ruined the Gaoler that was there, and he was turnd out of his place, which was worth 80£ ayeare profitt to him, and neuer gott into it againe, for being to Ciuile and kind to them, and they Run away and left the Gaoler in the Lurch, in my thoughts I cannot See that he Suffers in the least vpon your Ladyshipes account, for he and a great many more Such louse Sort of men as he, was very glad of Such an oppertunity as hapend at that time, I shall accquaint Mr. Busby to manage this mater as well as he can, and to send your Ladyshipe the Receipt you want, but the Tennant Mathew Thompson who is in a maner all most beggerd, as I shall tell your Ladyshipe afterwards, desires that when Simpson getts out of Gaoll, that he may not liue at Dilston, for if he does, he will Certainely distroy and kill all the Rabitts, for he Cannot liue there but he must and will kill and distroy them, what I haue now to write your Ladyshipe is a malancolly account, of the great damages done by the great floods that hapend the 7: and 8: of this prsent Month, by the Riuers Tine, wear, Darwin, Deuills water, and Seuerall others, it is Reckoned by the driueing downe of bridges, Spoile of meadows, Corne, and pasture grounds, to Twenty Thousand pounds Damages, and amongst the Rest, your Ladyshipes Tennants comes in for a good share, Mathew Thompson a farmer of Dilston has all his pasture grounds ouer flowed and Sanded with the flood, and a great deale of his Corne Spoiled by the flood Runing ouer it, his Rabitts which was very much Increasd by mr. Simpsons being in Gaoll, is most or all drownd by the flood, he computs the loss of the Rabitts to 50£ or Sixty pounds, the other Tennants of Dilston has much damage done in theire Corne by the flood Running ouer it, and Dilston Mill Dam which was a Strong dam all made of Good oake Timber is all gone away by the flood, it will Cost 40£ or 50£ to Rebuild it againe, and there is all your Ladyships Tennants of ffourestones which lyes aboute halfe amile from the River South Tyne, has a prety large feild that lyes neare the said Riuer, that was all ouer flowed with water and Spoiled, there was wheat, Rye, Bigg, oates, and pease groweing in that feild, and all spoyld, there are Seuerall more besides what I haue Mentioned, your Ladysp I supose has heard of the Sale of whenby Estate to one Mr. Garthforth of york a wine marcht, in my thoughts it is Cheap, being Sold for 7210£, I am much affraid Seuerall Tennants will breake, there being noe Trade, nor noe money for either Corne or Catle, and money is very Scarse and hard to come at, that people ought to be good husbands of it, but it is a generall Complaint, and other peoples Tennants that are aduanced, will find it as well as your Ladyships, wee haue had very great Raines euer Since the begining of may last, and wee haue now very wett wether, and a very bad hay haruest, our Corne not being Ripe as yet, I hope it may be better wether, in a litle time, all this family are well, and giues theire humble Seruice to your Ladyshipe and family, I am, Yor Ladyshipes most obedient Seruant ; Tho: Errington. 

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