Letter – Thomas Richard Beaumont to John Erasmus Blackett – 26 Jan 1798

My dear Sir,

Enclosed is a letter this day received from the Bishop of Durham and wish you would give me your opinion upon it, I think that this certainly is not the time for so very great an undertaking as what he mentions, & I think it would meet with peak opposition. The Miners Galloways and petty Sm[all]holders I think would be very much affected by it. In your Favor of the 19th inst you mention having paid to Messrs Surtees on the 17th Bills amounting to 34348 £ in a letter from them they credit me for 20981 £. but since their letter was wrote there is a mem[oran]dum, that they have paid 1500£, which was my drafts for the <...>, which will reduce that sum to 19481. therefore including the Bill you have sent adding the two sums together amount to 53829. that I hope we shall not find any difficulty to make up the Pays in May. I had the pleasure of seeing Mr Davidson of Harpin <Street> this morning he told me he had been buying some Lead of Lancasters & he want more as the Ports of Hamburgh are not shut. I hope yet we shall be able to make another sale.  I have not heard from Mr Bell but am sure I shall in due course. I sent your letter to Mr Blackett as also that to Mr Makepeace. I am happy to say Mrs Beaumont and the children are all very well. She writes with me in best respects.

I am my dear Sir, most sincerely yours Tho. Rd. Beaumont