Letter – Martin Morrison to Robert Stagg – 16 Apr 1819

      Newcastle 16 April 1819

Rob Stagg Esq 	Middleton House



Sir 

I have delayed ackn[owledgin]g the Rec[eip]t of your Letter of 31 Ult in the hope that the Lead Comp[any], to whom you intended to submit my Letter of the 29 would on more mature consideration have acquiesced, because founded in equity, to the charge of Interest on the advances in the quarterly payments made to the Bishop & Rector, for Rents Comp[ositio]n etc in lieu of Lot Ore & Tithe Ore; & that the Comp[an]y would have recalled their harsh expression of ‘incorrect’ as applied to that charge, and derogatory, I must say, to the transactions of Col B[eaumon]ts  Office. – So I have not heard from you in consequence of the transmission of the above Letter, I conclude, from the time which has elapsed since, that as directions for the payment of Interest have been received by you from the Comp[an]y; and that I must, for the present, submit to accept, on your tendering the money, the amount of Rents, Comp[ositio]n etc less the charge of Interest, but in doing so I shall consider Col Beaumonts just claim upon the Comp[ositio]n to remain unsatisfied, untill the Interest is by them to him paid. I take this occasion to state that the quarterly payments to the Bishop of Durham are made on the 31 Dec. 31 March. 30 June & 30 Sept; & to the Rector of Stanhope on the 11 Jany 11 April 11th July & 11th Octr. & that two quarters have been paid to each , on <Acct> of the said Rents etc by Col B[eaumon]t for Ore raised & to be raised in Weardale for the present year end[in]g the 30th Sept, in Order, that if the Comp[an]y are averse to allow <Int[erest]> on the Sums advanced by Col B[eaumon]t, they may have the opportunity of contributing an estimated Proportion of those quarterly payments, at the periods above stated. I beg to trespass a little more upon your time, to mention a circumstance, by which the parties concerned have expressed themselves aggrieved. – In driving the Level intersecting your workings in Middlehope, our Miners raised a certain quantity of Ore in your Ground, and for which they have been allowed by the Company’s Agent, only 4/6 pBing! I state the fact to the best of my recollection, as communicated to me, in the hope of  upon investigation, you find it correct, that you will not withhold from them a fair remuneration for their labour.			I am etc  MM