Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Thomas Blackett – 26 Dec 1779

Sir Thomas Blackett Barot                                                           Newcas     26th Decemr 1779

   at Bretton   Yorkshire



Dear Sir

	The Box of Writings arrived safe.  Mr Bell paid me on the 21st instant £800 on account of your Rents.  Your Lead Stewards came here this Evening & to morrow I shall pay them £1600 for Subsistence to the Workmen & for Wood Payments.  There are no material Alterations at the Mines since I last wrote you.

	I have strongly recommended to them to lay off those Groves that do not work to Profit.  The Lead Trade continues very bad & I fear it will be worse; indeed at this Season we cannot expect any great Demand.  The last refined Lead I sold was at £12.5s.0d p Fother, at Stockton they have been selling their best Lead equal to yours under £12 a For and a parcel of Lord Carlisles was sold here lately at 11.15.0, it was refined.  I fear we shall be under a Necessity of dropping the Price in the Spring when there comes a Demand as they have a Considerable Quantity on Sale at the Stockton Markets;  Indeed I wish that Times may mend  before the Spring but I don’t see any Prospect of it at present.  Sir Thos Clavering lately made an Exchange of some Lands with Mr Simpson & is going to enlarge his Park before he builds his Wall.  He is desirous of knowing whether you will let him have the Content Farm now rented by Mr Simpson at £70 a Year.  He will not give the Sum you asked him which was £2700.  It was valued at £76 p Year by Mr Bates & Mr Hunter which at 35 Years Purchase will be £2660, he offers to leave the value to Mr Bates or any good Judge of Land but I don’t think he will exceed 2000 Guins.  The value of Land is drop’d within these twelve months but your Agent informs me that it is the best Land in that Estate.                I am etc      JEB