Letter – Henry Richmond to Walter Blackett – 3 Feb 1769

To Sir Wr Blackett Bt MP in half moon street

Piccadilly London                                                                                 Newca[stle] 3d Febry 1769

Hon[ou]r[e]d Sir

I have acquainted the Stewards of the Cordwainers and Tanner’s Company’s with the paragraph in your Letter & find the former intend to petition but the latter are lukewarm tho’ they wo[ul]d be glad to see what the Tanners in London have to say upon the Subject, whose paper is not yet come to me. Mr Yielder thinks a Tax on Bark would be making the grievance worse by occasioning a Still further advance on Shoes and other manufactured Leather; but that the taking off the duty on Irish hides, and granting a Bounty for importing them; even of 2s a hide, would increase the revenue, by an increased Tonnage; and relieve the poor by lowering the price of Shoes.

The Mayor Aldermen and others, that I have heard express their sentiments, seem content with the petitions being presented against the Coventry Canal and if nothing can be obtained from the Ministry in support of it, to be willing to leave it to time to shew whether their fears were groundless. The Mayor and Aldermen have been solicited to excuse the Butchers that were indicted for selling meat on the Key on paying their Fees; & to allow the East End of the Key to be set apart for a Monday’s Markett both of which requests they have refused and it was resolved that on Monday next those who did not pay their fees shoul[d] be sent to prison: but the Recorder, having a fit of the Asthma cannot be at Court and so the Mayor says he will postpone the matter.

Last Monday one Company of Soldiers marched to Morpeth on a Letter from the two Justices to the Mayor desiring they might march without delay; tho we have not yet heard of any tumult.

The hurry which the proprietors of Wolsingham East Town fields were in about their bill afforded so little notice to your Agents that Mr Maughan, under whose Management your small Estate there is put, had not time to learn accurately how you would be affected by the proposed division; He now writes that there is a Common Way that leads to your Estate called the Mill Close and that it will be convenient to you to have an equivalent for the Ridge of Land laid Contiguous to that Close But that your whole intrest in those Townfields may be left to the Com[missione]rs; two of whom he knows to wit Mr Ebenr Powell and Mr Jno Darnell and the other was to be named by Mr Bacon’s Trustees.

The Agreem[en]t abo[u]t Langtyhead boundry was drawn by Mr Robson the Attorney Agent for Ld Darlington. I am etc    HR