Report – Thomas Dodd – 24 Jan 1807

      Nenthead 24 Jan 1807

Hon[oure]d Masters

      Having made a general survey of the Mines under my direction, I let on the 5 & 6th Inst. The sundry Bargains, of which a List is annexed. – From the general Poverty of the Mines & the reduction of prices throughout the whole Concern, the Bargains have been more difficult to let than I ever before experienced; - however after all, the Court may still conclude the Bargains are Let high, but it is not in my power to let them lower. –

      Rampgill & Scaleburnmoss Mines in different parts do pretty well, & upon the whole will Work to advantage – In Rampgill G. Robinson &c are  driving the Horse Level – J[oh]n Eddy & co are Driving across to a String, about 8 fathoms distant from the Vein, & when Cut, will I believe raise Ore – Jos[eph] Elliot &c are driving a Level under the great Limestone as a general drain to the Vein, & prepares the Limestone for raising Ore – In Scaleburnmoss, Mat[the]w Hall &c are driving the Horse Level Westward, parallel with the North Vein recently discovered . – T. Hewetson &c are driving the Horse Level Eastward, for opening & prepairing the said Vein for raising Ore – Tho[ma]s Cain &c are Sinking into the Vein & will soon raise Ore. –

	MiddleCleugh Mine is extremely poor & at present will scarcely raise Ore to preserve herself from loss, yet it is probable will shortly do better Math[ew] Cousin &c are Opening out some old Works & will soon Work by the Bing – Ra[lph] Briggs &c are Driving one of the Horse Levels which is prodigious hard, but must go on as an accommodation to every part of the Mine – Jos[eph] Dickinson &c are Sinking a Sump into the great Limstone to furnish the Mine with fresh Air, & raise Ore in the Vein – R. Elliot are Cutting across tow[ards] a fresh Vein & will try the same by Linking a Sump into the bearing Strata; Matt[hew] Roberts &c are Driving the Horse Level.

      SmallCleugh Mine improves, employs more Hands, & will Work to advantage – W[illia]m Richardson &c are Driving the Horse level – W[illia]m Cousin &c are Sinking a Sump to try the Vein in the Limestone, & W[illia]m Wharton &c are Driving the deep Level which conveys all the Water of the Mine to the Engine, & which is a general drain. –

      Garrigill Mines are vastly poor – At Browngill Sun Vein Ja[me]s Dickinson &c are Cutting 

across to the Vein, & will shortly Sink into the same & raise Ore – Jon[atho]n Spark &c are Driving in the Vein, With an expectation of meeting with better success – J[oh]n Archer &c are rising into the Limestone to try a part Of the Vein likely for rais[ing] Ore.

      At Browngill G. Dodd &c are Driving a Level Under the great Limestone, & will prove the Vein in the deep Strata or four fathom Limestone – Rob[er]t Dickinson &c are Sinking a Sump into the deep Level to try the Vein in the great Limestone, the Strata is very hard & the trial slow & expensive, but we entertain sanguine hopes of meeting with a good deal of Ore when the job is Completed, the Limestone being altogether unexplored in that part of the Vein. –

      At Tynebottom (which is very poor) Paul Redshaw &c are Driving across to a fresh Vein & will soon try the same, & Ant[hony] Brown &c are Driving the Horse level to prepare the Vein for fresh Tryals. –

      Broomsberry Mine is poor, but raises a little Ore – T. Walton &c are driving a Level in the upper Strata, which has a long way to go, but will go very fast, & when up at the intended object, will raise Ore to refund all the expense. – Wiregill is Comparatively poor to what she once was, & the reasons assign’d in my last report stand good, tho’ the Mine is still Working to advantage. – J[oh]n Nixon &c are Driv[ing] the Horse Level -

G. Allison &c have not yet Cut the Vein refer’d to in my

last report, but are near it. –

      Lodgesyke offers to do well – The two Bargains raise Ore @ 25s/ P[er] Bing. – H[enr]y Robson & Jos[eph] Richards &c are both driving Levels in the side of a steep Mountain, the one 20 fathoms above the other, for the express purpose of relieving the Vein of Water, preparing the same for raising Ore, & bringing it & the Rubbish out at an easy expence. – John Bainbridge &c are Driving  the Horse level at Manorgill, & J[oh]n Watson &c that at Flakebrig, recently Leased of W[illia]m Hutchinson Esq[uire]

      There is no material alteration with Middle-hope Mine since my last report. – Cha[rle]s Maddison &c are driving the Horse Level – Geo[rge] Temperly &c an upper Level, & Ra[lph] Elliot &c a deep Level under the great Limestone to drain the Vein – These three levels are all absolutely necessary for the accommodation & carrying on the said Mine. – 

      John Kidd &c are Driving the Horse Level at Ireshopeburn, where Ore will be rais’d to advantage –

      Stanhope Mine raises more Ore then usual, Which will help to defray the expence of the deep Level – J[oh]n Bainbridge &c are Driving the Level which is very hard & makes but a slow progress. – J. Vickers &c are Driving the upper Level in the Limestone, where we now raise some Ore.

      Boltshaw is still very poor – Jos[eph] Vipond &c are driving the Level – Mr Hall & I have had an interview & have fix’d upon the 3rd March for settling the Disputes in Derwent.

      The Arbitrators’ Bonds will have to be signed in London by the Gov[r] & Co & Skottowe’s Party, but Mr Bainbridge or myself will write the Court in time on this subject, as at present we are not altogether agreed respecting the Arbitrators & Umpire – We expect the Arbitrators will be Mr John Dickinson Moor Master for this Manor, for the Gov & co, & Tommy

Hopper for Skottowe – Mr Hall offer’d four Gentlemen to me, any one of which I might name for Mr Skottowe’s Arbitrator, & having fixed upon Messrs Dickinson & Hopper, Mr Hall seems rather like to deviate, however I hope I shall be able to Confine him to his own Proposal. –

      In my Letter to the Court of the 10th Dec[ember], I mentioned the alteration I intended to make in the price of the Barg[ai]ns, at Xmas, & wish’d to have my intention sanctioned by the Court, but having received no Answer, I let every thing as low as I could, under the present Circumstances & Situation of the Mines. –

      I am &c

      Tho[ma]s Dodd