Letter – Messrs Walker & Co to Thomas Richard Beaumont – 4 Dec 1792

To Thomas Beaumont Esq.



Sir

      Having good reason to suspect the impartiality of Mr Blackett in the distribution of the WB Lead, we beg leave to trouble you with a few remarks for your consideration, which we hope will convince you we do not deserve the treatment we have met with from Mr B., either as your Agent or as a private individual.

      In the course of 7 Years we have taken WB Lead to the Amount of about £170,000.

	If we had been put upon a footing with other buyers we would have taken three times the Quantity if we had been permitted so to do.

	We have purchased of other people in the same time, to the Amount of £210,000, at & about N.Castle only.

      In the Year 1791 we purchas’d Lead to the Amount of about £200,000. of various persons.

	In that Year we could only obtain from Mr B. for the use of our Factory to the Amo[unt] of £4000; our London House indeed purchased to the Amount of about £17000 but this happen’d from other Houses having refused to purchase at the same price

	We enlarged our Factory a Newcastle from time to time upon a certainty of having a full Supply of Lead from Mr B. and at first we were satisfied with the Quantity we obtained; but the Statement of what he has permitted us to have for the last six Years will shew that we are entirely excluded: viz in 1787 - 13640 pieces 1788 – 12740 do  1789 – 14594 do 1790 – 4580 pieces  1791 – 3200 do  1792 – 1400 do.

	Mr B. has lately made a Sale of 16000 pieces, from a share of which we were totally excluded, and the reason assigned is: ‘You would not have a Share of the last Sales.’ Mr B., we believe, never did so by any house but ours.

	Mr B. now refuses to let us have one single pig of Lead for our factory; nay, for 1000 ps of Lead we had in August last he charges us 7/6 pr fodder more than other people pay him, so that we are obliged to decline have any dealings with him for WB Lead.

	Exclusive of Lead, our purchases of Litharge are very considerable.

	Last Year we did more in the Lead Trade than any House in the World.

	We were always punctual in our payments, particularly to Mr B.

	We consider ourselves, both as to Fidelity, and General Characters as Tradesmen, superior to any of the Houses who have been favour’d in preference to ours.

	By every friendly and honourable means, we have attempted to cultivate the good Opinion, and friendship of Mr B.; and we will acknowledge, in our Instance at least, that we evinced the most unbounded Opinion of his Friendship, and Integrity.

	This Opinion leads us to suspect that he thinks he has good reasons for treating us as he does; but these reasons he cannot object to declare, and we call upon him to substantiate and facts against us that he may be acquainted with.

	If he has Suspicions of us, in any point of View, we beg of him to declare them openly, and fully