Letter – Nicholas Walton to Peter Mulcaster – 8 Jun 1787

Messrs Mulcaster 							Farnacres 8th June 1787.



       Your Letters of the 29th, 30th & 31st Ult. Came safe to hand with their respective inclusions, and we approve of what you have done about the Lead Carriage, and what you have said to the Workmen and propose as to the Tryals which we have desired. We are very much obliged by the freedom in which you have expressed yourselves as to the Tryals of Smelting Litharge Slags and Test Bottoms with a mixture of Slag Tails. We entirely agree with you in Opinion but the result of Chemical Operations sometimes turns out very different from what one would expect that it is in our judgement necessary to Try those Experiments as they will shew us clearly what the Truth is and not leave us to more Opinion.

       Yesterday we received a letter from Mr Fishwick who says that they find it necessary still to defer giving us an answer respecting the continuing to deal with Greenwich Hospital for Litharge but that the whole of our Observations as to the Casks and the mode of filling them with Litharge shall have proper attention paid to and that we shall have their Ultimatum as soon as they can properly give it.  So you see the matter must rest till we hear further from them and you must keep the Casks now filled with Litharge till we can give you directions what to do with them, in the mean time we think it w[oul]d not be amiss to keep them under Cover. If they sh[oul]d agree for Litharge everything shall be made convenient for filling and weighing. 

       The silver weighed 819 ounces and you have as below the weight of the Litharge the first Parcel of which was not weighed at the Lead Wharf



1787 March 12  3 Casks       16  -  -

     May 18    Same 3 Casks  15  - 21

         28    10 Casks      50  2  7

               10 Do         50  1 14



We do not yet have the weight of the 7 casks last sent.

The other 13 Casks you observe from what was said above we expect you have filled with Litharge.

       The Experiments of the 19th and 26th Ult. In the Refining of Lead & weighing the Litharge etc are perfectly clear to us and will answer the intended purpose, notwithstanding the Error in weighing the Litharge, for there certainly must have been an Error.

       You have done very properly in letting Mr Hall have 3 stone weight of Fume, and for which we do not think it will be proper to charge anything, but we do not think it will be proper to make a practice of this, so you will take care not to deliver any more without taking pay for it. Lead Fume sold the 29 Oct 1772 for 5s/9d per cwt and ought now to sell at 8s/6d; you are desired to let us know what Day the Fume was delivered for Sir John Turner & what the weight – we believe you acquainted us before, but we have mislaid the Letter. We are

       Your Most Humble Servants 

       Walton & Turner.