Letter – John Wallis to Thomas Richard Beaumont – 18 Mar 1796

								Westgate, Stanhope, Durham

										March 18 1796

Sir,

      Your very obliging & polite letter came duly to hand yesterday, along with Mr. Burdon’s, & Bill, as fild up by the Committee, which I thank you for, in the most gracious & warmest acknowledgements the trouble you had, or may have, in the passing of this Bill which will be of great utility your Lead works here, a clause for Planting would be still of great use, supposing there in 20 upon the unimprovable part as wood becomes a very scarce article here, which I wish to say much on that head, with some thing else, when you are pleas’d to visit the North.

      Being a well wisher to you and your works in this Country, I take the liberty to inform you on Wednesday & yesterday the 16 & 17 instant, half a sheet of Paper close wrote of various complaints put up at a public place at the smith’s shop of your Lead Mines, calling your workmen to gather to appoint a committee of 24 to draw up a Petition to you setting forth the grievances they labour under, and further says the Agents shall not be permitted to see it. Three men to be sent to present it & your works to stand till their grievances are redressed, in order that every means may be used to prevent this stoppage, & laying the country in some degree waste, in order to lay things in a more explaining manner they begun in the same way before they made the stop at Christmas last & indeed most of your well wishers believes this cannot be prevented unless you immediately write down here and be read to them that you will be here as soon as Parliament breaks up. For sure it is that all confidence is at a stand between your agents and your Lead Miners & some of the freeholders, that the Grievances will never be redressed & put an end to till you appear & redress them yourself. I hope my letters will not be put into the hands of your Agents as they contain a great deal of malice & bad manners. [I] shall do all I can to keep them quiet at Work & if no better will do shall take the liberty to read over this letter, already received, and act as circumstances may require till your other letter arrives you may think proper to send , which may, or not, be read as the case may be when it comes.

      The second Bill fild up by the committee is perfectly satisfactory to the Freeholders.

      I am with the greatest respect

      yr. mo. Hble Servt.

      John Wallis



P.S. I hope you will not disclose my name till you appear in Person.

[cover:] 

Thomas Richd Beaumont Esqr / MP Portman Square/ London

[annotated, possibly in J Erasmus Blackett’s hand: Ans March 23rd 96