Letter – Nicholas Walton to Peter Mulcaster – 20 Jan 1787

       Farnacres 20th January 1787

Messrs Mulcaster

We received a Letter of the 17th & one of the 18th Inst from Mr Ruddock yesterday in the evening and have taken the first opportunity of getting Mr Williamsons further opinion & directions, a copy of which you receive herein and we desire you will proceed accordingly & take the first opportunity of doing what is necessary in consequence of Mr Williamsons Opinion and of course it will be proper to apply also to Mr Ruddock without whom we find the Justices do not choose to proceed. If Robt. Wilsons information sh[oul]d be thought insufficient to found a search warrant upon, you may consider whether you or either of you cannot swear that you suspect that there is a Pig of Lead the property of the Commissioners and Governors of the Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich in the county of Kent that has feloniously taken away, now in the property of Abraham Fawcett of Corbridge. This we mention to you but don’t think it will be proper for you to shew this Letter to anybody. We have wrote to Mr Ruddock & told him that you will call upon him and it is our wish that Mr Tweddell & he sh[oul]d be applied to upon this occasion and that as soon as possible. We are

       Your Hum[ble] Ser[vants]

       Walton & Turner



PS  Mr Williamson says very properly in a letter that he is very sorry the Carrier sh[oul]d be so intolerably stupid & remiss by which great difficulties are thrown in our way and he thinks it is a great pity that a Search Warrant co[ul]d not be & that he saw no reason to withhold it.