Letters – Joseph Richmond to Walter Blackett – 30 Jan 1733

To Walter Blackett Esqr.                                                Newcastle 30th Janry 1732/3

Hon[ou]rd Sir

      I have d[elivere]d all the Lres Inclosed in yours of the 25th & am desired by all the Body, except Mr Mayor & Mr Sorsbie, to present their Service, & to assure you of their firm attachm[en]t to your Interest. I have also de[livere]d the Comp[an]y Lres to their Respective Stewards, & many of them are already summoned to meet this week on that account, Coll.l Liddle has ordered the Stewards of the Hostmen to communicate your Lre to the Comp[an]y whenever it came to hand, When I delivered Mr Mayor your Lre I also gave him a Lre for the Merch[an]ts Comp: he asked me what he was to do with it. I told him you desired it might be communicated to that Comp[an]y, as soon as he pleased, he reply’d am I to summon the Comp[an]y on purpose for I should know what I am to do with this having been reflected on for not reading the other to the Common Councell, tho put of with the Consent of Mr Blacketts own Agents. To which I reply’d if any business would call this Comp: togeather in a little time, I thought he need not give himself or them the trouble of meeting on purpose. Wee then entered upon a long Detail of what had passed about the Lead trade etc, wherein he urged how unequally he had been us’d , at all times, & on all Occasions by this Family, & that he questioned not but it was done by their order, with a great deal more to the same purpose. I told him, that since I had known the Family, he had, had as good usage; if not better than any other Merch[an]t, & that it was my Orders to oblige him in everything I could, but that as to the last parcell of Lead which he called for I could not let him have it without breaking my Contract with Mr Bernardeau which might have been losing all our French Commissions, & I would shew him the Counterpart of the Agreem[en]t, if he pleased to look on it; He answered he hoped to live to let <the> family see he had no Dependance on them; & so wee parted, Mr Sorsbie gave his services to you, & said he had no object[ti]on to you, & then ent[e]red upon a long story, how Mr <Carr> did not know him upon a certain Occasion, after he had done him great Service in his first Elec[ti]on etc, by which I understood that he either wanted this Lesson from Mr Mayor, or wanted some frome one of your <taking> <the> Corn of him for the Lead money, Mr Carr sent down a Lre to the Mayor desiring his intentions of standing <Candidate> might be communicated to the Common Council & stewards at their Guild, but it came a day too late, Mr Fenwick has no doubt acquainted you with the Resolutions of our Merchants Comp[any] to oppose an <Excise> in any shape whatsoever, I sent last week in the Wm. John Wheldon Ma[ster] two pots of Moore game & this week I have put on board the George Geo: Airey Ma[ster] two potts more directed for you.

      Inclosed is a bill on Messrs Cook & Abell for £210 payable 25 days after date they would only receive the Silver I drew for last Saturday; but if you want the money before due, they will not deny you, I desire you [wil]l please to advise the Receipt thereof & am Y[ou]rs etc

                                                                                                                            J R



Sirs                                          Newcastle the 29th Janry 1732/3

Twenty five days after date pay W[alte]r. Blackett Esqr., or order the sum of two hundred pounds, value received, & place the same to Acco[un]t, as advised by Sirs Your most humble Servant          J Richmond     

Messrs. Cook & Abell Goldsmiths in Forster Lane  London