Letters – Joseph Richmond to Christopher Denton – 19 Nov 1754

To Mr Chr. Denton London

19 Nov 1754

I recd yo[u]r Lre of the 12 & yesterday I made a demand on Mr Beaumont at his house at W.Denton for the arrears of the Wayleave Rent thro W.Kenton amounting to £900 due at Mayday last, wch he refused to pay, on wch my son who went with me servd him with a Copy of the Notice of Motion & inclo.d you have his & my affid[avi]ts thereof. Mr Beaumont seemd greatly affected w[i]th this unexpected demand & s[ai]d if he was pushd he must run the Country, but wo[ul]d go & advise with Mr Richardson his Attorney what was to be done. He is still possitive he made an assignm[en]t of the Lease to Sr W.Hazlerig, wch he was refusd a Couterp[ar]t of, but you know Mr Lowes made an Affid[avi]t wch you've a Copy of, th[a]t no such assignm[en]t was ever made. I also inclose you a Copy of the last rec[eip]t I gave Mr Lowes for the Wayleave rent, wch I hope is no way amiss for it was at the time understood th[a]t Mr Beaumont had assigned both the Coll[ier]y and wayleave lease to S[i]r Arth[u]r. I askd Mr Rutter what was done between Mr Shafto & Mr Beaumont & he told me, nothing at all; for the matter was referd to Mr Ridley & Mr Collingwood who did not make any award. I find when Sr Arthr.Hazlerig pulled up the Waggonway Mr Shafto imediately entred upon the Steath houses th[a]t were let to Mr Beaumont with the wayleave & has let them ever since wch is lookd upon as a wrong step & much in his disfavour & this leads me to mention th[a]t when the Waggon Way was laid thro W.Kenton Mr Lowes built a hut for a Gatekeeper in Chicken & Mavins farm & I believe those tenants have since the way was pulled up sometimes let that hut to poor people for 6 or 8s a Y[ea]r but without any Concurrence of mine, for I never let it or rec[eive]d a farthing for it, but I hope the step can be taken no advantage of.  Mr Beaum[on]t is now winning a Coll[ier]y th[a]t he has taken of the E[arl] of Northumberland wch will be a chargeable affair to him, but who are his P[ar]tners, or whether he has any I do not know: if he has none he must have a deal of money to go thro. with such an Undertaking. I have some Apprehension, tho I dont know it to be so th[a]t he wo[ul]d be willing to compound Matters w[i]th the owners of W.Kenton, for when I told him I wondered he sho[ul]d never make any offers, he expressed himself as if he did not know w[ha]t offer from him would be acceptable but when I askd him why he had never tho[ugh]t it proper to give Notice to determine the Lease, he s[ai]d he was advisd by a Gent[lema]n of the Law not to do it, for as he had never enjoyd the Wayleave he co[ul]d come to no damage, & it is true enough that he never enjoyd the wayleave; for Sir Ar.Hazlerig or Mr Lowes seized upon him for Money advanced him to carry on the Coll[ier]y before the way was laid, & Mr Lowes p[ai]d me the 6 Yr rent I rec[eiv]ed , for I never rec[eiv]ed any money of Mr Beaumont except 6s8d for 73 fo[ther]s & 1/2 of coals led by Carts before the waggonway was laid.

I am etc 

   PS As to the Charge of attending Mr Beaumont in the Country, & the Affidavits, my son leaves it to you to charge what you think right, & when you let me know what it is, I shall pay him.