Letter – William Blackett to James Standsfield – 9 Sep 1675

      Edenbrugh, 9th 7ber 1675

Honnored Sr

      I hope this wil find you in good health at London & hearing of your being thair I thought good to give you notice that I came from Glenlyon & Eagel to this place the 30th past. As for your first Its as It was hard, thair is 2 or 3 thousand stone afore I judge aforehand. drest our men wil come from thence 8 or so days after Michelmas as also from Eagel which place to all our Admiration alters not a <Joiil> all tho we have found the vaine 80 faddam deeper then we had it at first. I must intreat you ord[er] Mr Schand to pay me for your 2nd advance in your mind £25 for I shall want mony for the mine this next pay. I have neather heard nor seen the M[aste]r of the mint. I suppose he is buissied in makeing for the electionof parlam[en]t men in his Shire.

      The 2nd present. I went from here with 22 persons with me to thees mind's which you took of my Ld queensberry . They may prove well iff the old man have not been too deep. I fear not much the water, if ore thair . I question not of winning of hir, but it wil cost a great deal of mony first , and wood wil be our greatest want & for that my Ld hath promissed  his assistance in buying a parcel of my Ld Kirnwath. I beg of you returne my Ld queensberry thanks for his great kindness towards me & the men & for the redynes & carefulness of us that we shal be provided of all neccesaries, our pres[en]t want is wood & he hath given us leave to cut the needful now in his owne wood for timber for the Grove as also for the hous & <smidie> which we are building, which is a kindness indeed & ought to be acknowledged besids paym[en]t for the same. We could get no convenient lodging for our men at the mine which is about half a mile from the Lead hills upon notice thairof my Ld  sent his chamberline & steward thether to desire my Ld Lopton's people to take 4 or 5 of our men to ly thair til we were provided of a hous. but they would not permit that smal favore which my Ld resents very ill. I thinck we shal work at these mines til after martinmas & by that time I have to find what the old man hath been doeing & what put him <of> work. I have had of Mr Shand £24 in part  to defray this charge I doe rekon I shal want £100 - this year of which is £80 for you & £20 for me, so pray give orders to Mr Schand that I may be furnished <vecle> for I have aworld of things to buy as Iron <daels> ropes stude belles Coles etc the beginning of work <draen’s> purssis at first I intend the thes the 1 of 8ber & will stay their 14 days & soe from thence to England so pray ordr Mr Schand to make up the 24£ I have had 80£ for this Grove’s Charges yr 4/5 as also 25£ for Eagel.  pray let me have the honor of a line from you in Answer to this and you will obliedge

      Sr your  Affect. Fr. & sarvt

      	Wm Blackett



[addressed:] For Sr James Standsfeild Knight these presents 	In London

[annotated:] Sepr 9th 1675. Mr William Blacketts lre ut intro anent the Lead myne and the Earle of Queensberry’s kindenes to him & o.r men & that will need 100£ whereof 20£ his pt