Letter – Nicholas Walton to Richard Fishwick – 26 May 1787

Messrs Walkers Fishwick & Co. 						Farnacres 26 May 1787.



Gentlemen

       Yesterday we received a letter from Messrs Mulcaster acquainting us that upon Tryal they find the filling of the Casks with Litharge at the Bunghole to be not only a very tedious but unwholesome business being in their opinion much worse than the Sifting of Litharge, for tho’ the Lumpy part of the Litharge be all broken so as no part shall be more than three inches any way in size, which is the Diameter of the Bunghole yet without putting them in piece by piece, Two or Three of those pieces meet together in the Neck of the Funnel and there stop and this will happen very frequently when the pieces are not more than 1½ Inch in size any way. They could not think of any way to remedy this but by having a man to force down the litharge into the Cask with a small Poker and besides, unless the Cask, after the first two cwt is put in, is kept constantly shaken, it fills to the Bunghole tho’ there is a considerable vacancy at each end of the Cask. They add this is not only Heavy work, but the Man who Rolls the Cask must have his Face almost close to the Bungholes from where the Dusty part of the Litharge is coming and which he must unavoidably draw in with the Breathing, indeed it is believed the Litharge cannot without more labour than the above be got out again this however Mr Fishwick will see and if he finds any difficulty, as he has Coopers at hand, he may take the ends out.

       I have thought it necessary to be this particular as in case of our dealing together, the more convenience that can be contrived to both Parties the better. I think if the Bunghole was made at the End of the Cask and made Six Inches Square with the sides made <B..> and to be fixed to the Cask with a hinge and made fast with a hasp and staple in the same manner that the Bung of a Barrell Churn is fixed every <inbution> would be removed and if the Casks are made somewhat stronger than common they would serve a long time without repair as the Heads would not when they are so constructed have reason to be taken out. 

       I have given direction to Messrs Mulcaster to let you have 27 Casks each containing 5 cwt beside the two Casks which contained 16 and these same Two Casks which held only 15 cwt put into them the last time they were sent down so that the whole Quantity will stand as follows 



  Two Casks containing  8 cwt each  16 cwt

  Two Do.               7 1/2  Do.  15 cwt

  Twenty Seven casks at 5 Do.      135 cwt

                                   166 cwt



       After Messrs. Mulcaster have delivered the whole of the above they are directed to stop till further order, and we must desire that you will as soon as you can come to a determination upon the offer which we have made and which we are resolved not to alter, and it is to be observed that when Lead sells below £15 a new rate must take place. We shall be glad to hear from you and are

       Gents. Your most Humble Servants

       Walton & Turner