Letters – Joseph Richmond to William Wentworth – 17 Jan 1755

17 January 1755

William Wentworth





The present State of Jarrow Coll[ie]ry first taken by old Sir Wm.Blackett & P[ar]tners in 1691, of which 	

Sr Wr.Blackett has           4/8

Mess Ledger                  2/8

Mr J Wilkinsons Ex[ecuto]rs  1/8

Mr Nathl.Clayton             1/8

                             8 Eighths



This coll[ie]ry is held under the D[ea]n & Chap[te]r of Durham by lease for 21 Yrs formerly renewed every 7th Yr without any fine, the present Lease has 3 yrs to go from March next. It was taken by & in the name of Mr Jno. Wilkinson ( in trust for Sr Wr.Blackett  & P[ar]tners) who refusd to renew at the end of the first 7 yrs as usual, unless the Chap[te]r wo[ul]d grant the same terms, w[hi]ch they then refused to do & so Mr Wilkinson made no further application. The pres[en]t Lease includes the whole Parish of Jarrow th[a]t belongs to the Chap[te]r and takes in the Towns[hi]ps of Harton Westoe Hedworth Mountain Heworth  & the rent is £40 a y[ea]r certain & £5 a ten for 315 coal bolls.

	As this colliery is quite wro[ugh]t out till there is a new winning made of her, w[hi]ch none of the other P[ar]tners were willing & one not able to engage in, Sir Wr.Blackett caused a view to be made by the most skillful viewers, whose Opinion is th[a]t the winning will require above 2 y[ea]rs to compleat it & will cost w[i]th the Steath & waggonway about £7000, but that the same might be compleated & earned on to advantage as the price of Coals now is at Newcastle, if no troubles happen w[hi]ch they co[ul]d not forsee. Upon this report Sr W.Blackett took all the other P[ar]tners shares at £160 p[er] year conditionally, if he could obtain a renewal of the Lease, & in Nov 1750 he applyd to the Chap[te]r & offerd them a certain rent of £150 a Y[ea]r for  600 tens &  £5 a ten for what he sho[ul]d lead above the Q[uanti]ty, w[hi]ch were the highest Terms he was advised to offer, but they rejected his proposals & wo[ul]d not renew any p[ar]t of the pres[en]t limits, except the township of  Heworth only: They also objected to a Clause granted in every Coll[ie]ry Lease 'That the Lesee be at Liberty to fetch up his deficiencies in working his Q[uanti]ty, for the certain rent in any succeeding y[ea]r' & made other unreasonable Objections w[hi]ch w[oul]d not be submitted to by any Lessee, & so the treaty dropt.

	The same P[ar]tners have also another Coll[ier]y  in Gatesh[ea]d Fell adjoining to Heworth towns[hi]p w[hi]ch they lease of Hen.Thos.Carr & Hen.Ellison Esq (who are Lessees under the B[isho]p of Durham) at £150 a yr for 300 Tens, & £40 a ten for all above the Q[anti]ty. This is a concurrent Lease renewable without any variation but this coll[ie]ry  is also wro[ugh]t out in the upper seams & as it lies to the Rise of the D[ea]n & Chap[te]r Coll[ie]ry can only be won anew thro them, There is nothing going on in this Coll[ie]ry for the certain rent but a Land sale pit by w[hi]ch Sr Wr. is every y[ea]r a considerable loser, for this Lease being granted in his name, he is obliged to pay all the Rent & some of the p[ar]tners are not able to pay up their proportions notwithstanding w[hi]ch this Lease , w[hi]ch is determinable at any time for bearing to work six months, is still kept on foot as a Check upon the D[ea]n & Chap[te]r because its believed there is nobody will undertake the winning of their Colliery at the worth, without having the B[isho]ps Coll[iery] also, as one must lay the other dry.

	If Sr Wm Wentworth has any thoughts of engaging in this affair I think the best way will be to treat with the Chap[ter] imediately for Heworth towns[hi]p only, if he can obtain no larger bounds, for a Lease of 21 yrs to comence from the expiration of the present Lease, w[hi]ch Mr Wilkinsons Ex[ecu]tors say they will not sujrrender but are determind shall run out as young Ma.Wilkinson wants 3 or 4 y[ea]rs of being  of age Unless the Chap[ter] wo[ul]d renew upon the old terms, wch they will never do.

	You see by all this that Sir Wr.Blackett has done everything with regard to these Collieries th[a]t can be expected f[ro]m him, & I have set the whole affair to you in as clear a light as I am able to do.