Letters – John Erasmus Blackett to Thomas Richard Beaumont – 8 Mar 1799

Thomas Rd Beaumont                                                 Newcastle  8th March  1799

MP   Portman square  London



D[ea]r Sir        

      I wrote to you the 23, 26 27 & 28 Ulto.  to which I refer you.   I hope that I shall by this Post or the next receive the Bill, or Act for granting a further time for the delivery of a Statement of the Amount etc. of the Income etc. it will be a most arduous Matter at any length of time, but it is impossible to be done with any degree of correctness in a fortnight from the time of the delivery of the Notice.  Your Lead Stewards were with me on the 5th Inst. & received £3100 for Subsistance for the Workmen. The present state of the Mines you have at the foot of this.  I have fixed the several Mine & Mill Pay’s for the 1st, 2nd & 3rd of May, about a fortnight earlier than usual as an accomodation to the Workmen, as well as the Country it being a full Week before Stagshaw Bank Fair, the Pay’s will amount to about £51,000.  I shall take about £45000 or £46000 of Mess. Surtees & Burdon & in July I shall want £3000 for the Workmen and £2800 to pay Sir Henry Wilson the sum resting on the late Sir Thomas Blackett’s Bond.  I send you enclosed an Account of the Bills paid into Mess. Surtees & Burdon’s Bank since the 21st May last amounting to £74790 - 4 - 9 one half of the amount of the last Bills £24406 - 18 - 5 is at one Month the remainder at three Months date,   I expect to receive in July next upwards of £22000 for Lead sold in Decr. last @ £17 P[er] F[odde]r the price induced me to sell tho’ the Lead was not come down & we at present want upwards of 10000 P[iece]s at Blaydon & no great quantity on the road; the badness of the Lead road & the low Condition of the Horses (owing to the severity of the season) will be a means of preventing our getting the Lead down so soon as I expected, which may oblige me to allow a longer Credit for the last Lead sold.  The very large quantity of Lead that has been sold since July last will reduce the sales this year considerably.  The loss of the Italian Ports is a great disappointment, as it prevents the demand form thence, & of course the prospect of an advance of price, but I hope that it may keep up to £17 which I apprehend will be the height.  Should Mr. Burdon apply to you to postpone the Pay ten days, or a fortnight, for the purpose of accommodating their Bank? let me beg of you not to comply with his request.  W. Crawhall & J. Emerson Junr. took a View of Newlandside Lead Mine & they agree in opinion that it will not be adviseable for you to comply with the request of Sir Hedworth Williamson of granting leave to work into your Copyhold Property on any Condition whatever, for reasons which they assigned.

      I have had another long letter from Mr. J Tweddale requesting your Support of the Bill for the Division of the Commons etc. in Weardale, but particularly of that of Boilhope in which (he says) that he is much interested; & that your Agents may have directions to do the like & to use their Influence with the Proprietors;  As you have no further concern in this Common than as Lessee under the Bishop of Durham of the Mines, & as a strong opposition is made to a Division of this Common, I think that there would be an impropriety in your moving in it, nor should it be expected from you, Mr. Scruton the Sollicitor for the Bill told Mr. Emerson that on account of the opposition that was made to a Division of Boilhope Common, that it would be left out of the Bill, this will not please Mr. Tweddale.  After a few very mild days we have got very cold raw Weather with some snow.  In Weardale Mines, Breckon Sike is doing well.  Rookhope improving, Kilhope Poor, the rest of the Groves much as usual.  Coalcleugh much as usual; Allenheads very poor at present, but a prospect of improving.  I am D[ea]r Sir etc   J E B