Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Thomas Richard Beaumont – 12 Feb 1800

Colonel Beaumont							Newcastle 12th Feb.y 1800

N 35 Portman Square

London



Dear Sir

      I was at Hexham on the 3d inst. to meet your Mine Agents with Subsistence Money for the Workmen amounting to £2800. I was sorry to find from them that the Mines in General were Poor.  The widow of Pringle has taken no further Steps respecting the very unfounded Claim that she made on you so I hope that she may be reduced to drop the Affair.  It is fortunate that I purchased early a Quantity of Rye for your Workmen with wch. they are supplied at a reduced Price, they are Quiet & well satisfied, Rye that I purchased at £28, £32 & £34 the Last, is now selling at this Place at £42, & £44 p[er] Last, & altho’ I bought between three and four Thousand Bushels the Quantity will not be sufficient for the Supply, & I thought it advisable to engage 300 Quarters of Kiln dried Barley from Lynn, which will come to about 5s the Win[cheste]r Bushel make good Bread, either alone or with Rye, other Concerns are now doing the like	at an advanced Price, as several Ships with Rye frose up in the Baltick. Exclusive of the Quantity of Rye I mentioned I let Mr. Bell have 800 Bushels for the Poor of Hexham for which he pays me £328...On the 22d. Jan.y last I paid into the Bank of Messrs. Surtees, Burdon & Co. Bills dated the 9th ulto. at one, two & three Months Date to the Amount of	£41,243.14.9.  On the Divisions of the Commons in Weardale, a Dispute has arose about the Bounderys of the Commons of Newhouse & Blake Laws, & the Proprietors of the former wish to draw you into a Contest about a Matter of very little Consequence to you, for should you succeed it will be not more than about two Acres of	bad Land, & you have the same right of working there provided you do not succeed, so should any Application be made to you I would recommend that your refer them to me for an Answer.  I am &c J.E.B.



The present lives in your Lease of Weardale Mines are

John Trevelyan

Charles Wilson now Captn. In the 4th. Regt. Foot.

Jonathan Depledge Query Where does he reside, what Employmt. & what state of Health.



The Lives in Kilhope, Welhope & Lintzgarth Leases are

Geo Robson – late Steward to Sir J.Eden now living I believe

Willm Sykes      I believe of Bretton but I am ignorant

Richard Brook    of their Employment &c.