Letters – Joseph Richmond to Walter Blackett – 28 Nov 1754

To S[ir] W.Blackett Bt. MP. London

28 Nov 1754

Hon[oure]d Sir

	When the Hhd [hogshead] of Claret you had of Mr Stewart was sent down hither there was no affid[avit] made ab[ou]t it neither did you pay anything on that occasion. All the Mistake is it came here by a Custom house dispatch as Port Wine & now when we want to return it to London, it is necessary to have refference to the time & ship it came down in & to make affid[avit], that it is the same wine; but the Collec[to]r & Comptroller finding by the dispatch that the wine w[hi]ch then came here was called port wine, cannot allow a hhd [hogshead] of french wine to be returned in lieu thereof without the affid[avi]ts mentiond in my Lre of 8th inst being first made & after the the officer that passd it without examination having a severe reprimand. Therefore I do not see how it can be well returned, But Mr Greenwood says that Mr Rudd at the Kings head is willing to take it either of you or Mr Stewart at 36s a doz[e]n. I have not wrote to Mt Stewart about it, but I imagined th[a]t Mr Rudd had wrote him as Mr Greenwood told me he s[ai]d he would do.  

	Mr Jno.Reed has been w[i]th me & says if you please to let him have £40 it will pay his debts & put him into some way of providing for his family & less than that he thinks will not do. I p[ai]d him £60 in Nov 1752 by y[ou]r ord[er] to compound his debts & put a little money in his pocket, & desire your directions what sum I am now to let him have.

	I expect to see Mr Collingwood tomorrow & will then tell him what you are pleased to say about Mr Thos.Brown of Shields

	As to the D[ean] & Chapters Coll[ie]ry I am still of opinion th[a]t it would be a very troublesome affair for you to engage in unless you were disengaged f[ro]m your present partners & even then nobody can answer for the success of it.

I am etc  JR