Letters – Joseph Richmond to Peter Bernardeau – 25 Feb 1732

Mr Pr Bernardeau 			Newcastle 25th Febr[uar]y 1731/2

Sir, 

In answer to your favour of Yesterdays date, when I was told you had <bo[ugh]t> 1000 p[iece]s of Mr Bacon’s Lead at £13.10s.0d tho[ugh] it caused me to reflect in what particular we could have disoblig'd you not to ask us the Question & Yet I was not at all displeased at it, concluding the small quantity we have at Markett would sell to more advantage, w[hi]ch I am not willing to sell under £13.13s.0d so that if you have commission at £13.10s.0d you are surely at Liberty to buy of whom you please , only we shall hope for your favours in the Lead trade as farr as you think it consistant with you own & your friends intrest, & we can't claim any pretensions further than that we can serve you & them as well as any other can, & at a time & w[i]th a quantity w[hi]ch perhaps they can not, I rece[ive]d your Lre  inclos[in]g your acco[un]t for the last Year w[hi]ch I have examined & make the Ball[ance] due to the Ex[ecu]tors £180.13s.1 3/4d diff[erin]g 4s.2 1/4d w[i]th your acc[oun]t but where the difference lays I have not yet discerned, Assay charge of ½ per Cent it is what I constantly told you, you ought speak to the Ex.tors about as you please'd but that I had nothing to say to it, nor would ever make any contract w[i]th that Confederation, it being <...> no other Merch[an]t ever named, nor was ever any such Consideration made formerly that I can discover, but I shall be very well pleas'd w[i]th whatever order you procure me f[ro]m Mr Blackett or the Gent[lema]n in Trust, without w[hi]ch you can't expect I can give your Acco[un]t Cr[edit] as you desire.  I am etc J.R.