London Abbot’s Leigh Mon: 30th Decr. 1776
Dear Sr.
PS. The Bond is dated 20th May 1771.
The weather has been so cold & I fear you had or have had snow also, so as to make your journey to Allanheads very bad & almost dangerous if you could go at all. This morning I spoke to Mrs. Gordon about the interest due to her upon the £2,500. She tells me that on the 20th of next May the Interest then due will be three hundred and fifty pounds & she desires that that i
A Copy of a Letter sent Mr. Cleaver Alston 1st Jany 1777
Sir,
Last night my son brought me your favour of the 25 Dec. inclosing a Bill Value Two Hundred & Fifty pounds which I have paid to Messrs. Atkinson of Templesowerby & have rec’d its Value of them you may depend upon hearing from me as soon as the pay is made. I am Dr. Sr. Yr most obliged servant
Jona Hilton
To Mr Darwin Hatton Street London Newcastle 3rd Janry 1777
Sir Inclosed you will receive three Bills of this date drawn by Messrs. Bell Cookson & Co on Messrs. Hallifax Mills Glyn & Co one at Twenty days date for for One hundred & fifty seven Pounds ten shillings for one half Years Composition of Weardale Tithe Ore due to the Revd. Dr Thurlow the 22nd instant _ A Bill at Thirty days date for Two hundred & Twenty Pounds to make goo
To Mr Mulcaster Farnacres 12th Jany. 1777
Mr Mulcaster
I fully intended Writing to you tomorrow about your last respecting the Farms &c. but being unexpectedly called from home I must defer writing ‘til some more convenient opportunity exept to inform you that I approve of your engaging and agreeing with the <Washer> you mention for the Wastes on the Terms you have acquainted me with. I am Your’s &c
N.W.Junr.
To Mr Mulcaster Farnacres 24th Jany 1777
Mr Mulcaster
The Lead from Hangingshaw East End and Carrs Sun Vein No 1 – is not refineable but by Assays from a Chip from each Pig No 2 – it is refineable & Brownley hill N Vein produces by Assay 12 Oz..17 P[enny]wts 6 G[rai]n p[er] Fodder. I shall be glad to see you at Hexham on Monday Evening or rather Tuesday Morning early & desire you’ll forward the inclosed by a special Messenger. I am yours &c
NW Ju
To Mr Lanc[elo]t Allgood at Allanheads Newcas 1st Febry 1777
Mr Lancelot Allgood I am desired by Sir Walter Blackett to acquaint you that he received your Letter of the 19th January but that he will have no occasion for your Service after the 31 Decem[be]r next & gives you this Notice that you have time to provide yourself accordingly. I am etc J E B.
To Mr Mulcaster Farnacres 3d Febry. 1777
Mr Mulcaster
I have your Letters of the 25th & 31st Ulto & 1st inst. and your memorandums of the 27th Ulto all before me
The Silver weighed 846 ¼ Ounces wch is 5 oz: 18 Pwt short of the Assay and very good work but it is some what odd that there is no less than 1 oz – Pwt 19 8/10 G[rai]n of Silver left in every Fodder of the Refined Lead.
I am glad to find you are in a likely way of having better Refining Furnaces than
To Mr Jno Holmes Farnacres Febry 3d. 1777
Dear Sir
I was duly favoured with your Letter of the 25th Ulto but have been so much engaged since as not to be able to write you before this day. I have just drawn upon you for £199:16:9 pay.ble 30 days after date being the Amount of 657 Ounces of Bullion at 6s/1d p[er] Ounce; and last Saturday there was another Box of Bullion sent you from Newcastle containing 846 ¼ Ounces.
I am very glad to hear you are got well again as I am
To Mr John Finch Farnacres 7th Feby 1777
Sir
We were duly favoured with your Letter of the 7th Ulto but having been very much hurried ever since we could not before this time conveniently give you an Answer thereto and even now we cannot yet determine whether to have the Casks Iron Bound or not, you will however send the Ashes as usual ‘till you hear further and we shall expect soon to receive the first 50. We are
Sir yours &c W & S
To Mr Peter Mulcaster Farnacres 7th Feby. 1777
Mr Mulcaster
From the inclosed paper you will see I have been giving the Reducing busyness a full consideration and upon the whole if Elliot could be kept I would wish it provided he will not still be wavering but how to do this is the difficulty.
You’ll observe that upon a Medium since the Mill begun, even taking in the times when we saved no Litharge, that we have only produced 1017 ¼ pieces of Refined Lead, or thereabo
Mr Darwin Hatton Street Newcas 9th Febry 1777
London
Sir I received your Letter of the 6 instant & am greatly shock’d at the Acount you give of poor Sir Wr Blackett _ God grant that the Bleeding & blistering may have the wished for Effect and carry off his Disorder. I shall be very uneasy till I hear from you & I pray God that I may have a good Account I received inclosed Doctor Thurlows Receipt & observe that
Great Russell St
Feby 10th 1777
Dear Brother
I came to Town this morning; I am sorry to tell you that I hear there is no hope of Sr Walter Blackett recovery; I was at his house at three o clock, He sees nobody; Mrs Darwin told me Sr John Pringle gave no hope this morning; Mr Darwin told me that he had sent an Express to Sir John Trevelian; I told him I thought he should have sent one likewise to Mr Trevelian, he sd he had consulted Sr Mattw Ridley and he thought there was no occasion
Tuesday 3 o' clock
Dear Brother
I called at Sir Walter Blacketts this morning I am sorry to say that I found that the Physicians had not the least hopes; Sr John Trevelian came whilst I was there; I asked Mr Darwin if by my staying some days in Town I could be of any use whatever; he told me none in the least; so I thought better to return to Thorpe Lee as my staying might look as if I meant to interfere with Sr John T. If there was any Impropriety in not sending an Express for Mr
Sir John Trevelyan
London Febry 14. 1777
With an Account of my valuable Friend Sir Walter Blackett’s Death
London Feb: 14. 1777 Friday
Sir
This evening about ten o’clock, our friend Sir W. [William] Blackett made his exit; it came the more unexpected, as he was much better an hour or two before. Pray acquaint my Bror. with the above, the Recorder, Mr. <Mosely>, and his intimate friends.
I am Dear Sir Your friend & serv’t
Jn. Trevelyan
To Fras Tweddell Esqr. North Allerton 17th Feby. 1777
Dear Sir
We duly reced. the favour of your letter of the 14th expressed in very obliging and Genteel Terms and indeed we think it so necessary to keep ourselves at liberty when any applications are made to us to supply vacancys in so material a work as Langley Mill that we have discouraged them as much as possible & have even desired the Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital themselves to leave the matter with us which the
Dukesf’d. 20th Feb 1777
J. E. Blackett Esq Newcastle
Sir
With this you’ll receive a Plate of Silver as per incl;osed Accot. I am just got Home from Rookhope & Allanhds Mills, where I have been taken an Inventory of the Stock &c which I hope to be able to send you by Sundays post
& am, Sir Yrs &c IH:Jr
To Mr Holmes Farnacres 22d Feby. 1777
Dear Sir
On my Arrival from Northallerton where I had been to meet Brother Smeaton I met with your Letter of the 18th inst. and have this day drawn upon you for £257:8 – being the amount of 846 ¼ Ounces of Silver Bullion at 6s/1d p[er] Ounce.
The other part of your Letter shall be attended to as soon as possible but realy I believe you would find bringing such small quantities at a time to London not at all to answer your end becau
To Mr Mulcaster Farnacres 22d Feby. 1777
Mr Mulcaster
Yours of the 17th has been received and the Assays therein Weighed; the Produce of which you have as follows
80 parts Per Fodder
Of Grains Oz pwt Gr
No. 1 Litharge Lead from 2d Pig after Test begun 3 equal 3 16,2
2 Do 21st Do 4 equal 4 21,6
3 Do 42d
Dukesf’d. 23rd Feb 1777
J. E. Blackett Esq Newcastle
Sir
I have sent an Inventory of all the stock &c at each Mill as correct as the Weather would allow for. there was so much snow at Allanhds & Rookhope Mills that I could not examine the stock of Lead with the accots. tho I hope it will be right at them both for the Clerks says that they try’d the stock & their accot. of smelting before the snow fell & that they were then right. I took the dimensions of
To Mr Jno Salter Farnacres 8 March 1777
Dear Sir
I desire you will pay Mr Finch the inclosed Note as soon as convenient in doing which you will much oblige Dr Sir
yours &c NW Junr.
To Mr Jno Finch Farnacres 8th March 1777
Sir
I have reced yours of the 4 and write to Mr Salter by this Post to desire he will pay your <two> Note<s> I cannot say any thing further about the Casks yet but am obliged by your giving me the further Particu
A Copy of A Letter to Mr Gilbert Alston 8th March 1777
Sir,
In my last I mentioned to you that I was in great hopes we should have done pretty well against Greengill West End & indeed at that time had a very promising appearance in the plate which gave one hopes of doing well in the Sill, but has not turned out to expectation, we have now sunk through the Whetstone Sill and she does not turn out so well as I wished we are now almost at a stand - and at Bentyfield we are also disapp
To Mr. Mulcaster. Farnacres 9th March 1777
Mr. Mulcaster
Yours of the 3d. Inst. I duly recd. and inclose you the Terms which I think ought to be insisted on as to the Farm at Langley Mill and doubt not it will be found of Advantage to all to adopt them. The Barn shall be of the Size you mention vizt. 24 feet long by 15 Wide & as you are none of you in a way of Leading the Materials it must be expected from you and the other Persons concerned, to get the Materials ledd as c
To Mr Mulcaster Farnacres 15th March 1777
Mr Mulcaster
Yesterday I reced your Letter as also the Silver which weighs exactly 604 ½ Ounces
The weight by Assay shd have been 646:16
Real weight 604:10
Short of Assay 42: 6
What you propose about ending or closing the Accot. for the Pay on the 29 inst. is very right and I hope youll get all compleated in time for the Pay being made on the 22d of April.
I am Your
To Mr. Holmes Farnacres 21st March 1777
Dear Sir
Last Tuesdays Post brought me your Favor of the 15 Inst. and I have this day drawn upon you (payable 40 days after date) for £229 -s – 9d being, the amount, of 753. Ounces of fine Silver at 6s/1d p[er] Ounce.
We have been all so much in confusion in a warm Contest for Newcastle that I have found it impossible to get any thing done yet, about the Coals but now that this bustle is over I expect to get proper materials in a
To Mr. Peter Mulcaster Farnacres 24th. March 1777
Mr. Mulcaster
Yours of the 19th. I duly received and am glad the Work is likely to be got mostly finished against the time when the Pay is to be made. What you propose as to the Refiners, Reducers & Slag Smelters is the only Method that can be observed in case the Work shd. not be done at the Pay, & to which there cannot be the least Objection, and after they have all finished, the Operation may then be made out to tak