Letter – William Blackett to John Erasmus Blackett – 9 Feb 1804

Document Type: Letter
Date: 9 Feb 1804
Correspondent: William Blackett
Recipient: John Erasmus Blackett
Archive Source: NRO ZBL 231
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Thorpe Lee Feby 9th 1804

My Dear Sir

      I wrote to you a very short letter some days ago with an account of the Melancholy event which took place here on Friday last; we have now settled every thing with regard to the Funeral, I sent for a man from Town who is much in that way of business & it is to set out from hence for Ripon on Saturday Morn. Early; I have written to the Dean who will be kind enough to order preparation to be made there; The Coachmen & the Butler will go from hence with it, & Mr Bates will be at Ripon a day or two before they arrive they propose travelling about thirty miles a day, there will be six horses to each carriage & eight men on horseback but the undertaker goes down himself with it I hope everything will be well conducted as I should wish to pay every proper respect to the memory of so worthy a good man, & I hope my Uncle Harry will be kind enough to let me know what is proper to be put upon the Monument, which by & by maybe made at York; The contents of the Will I dare say as much surprise you as <they do> us; <I ...> had not been so often assured by my Father himself that the estate would come to us at his death I should not have been so much hurt; I fear my Wife's family will have reason to be much displeased as when he <... ….> my Father frequently told Mr Keane that we should <have> an Income of near ten thousand a year at his death, whereas <now we are> left quite <dependant> upon my Mother, with only five & twenty hundred a year, the Yorkshire & Durham estate, out of which in <six> Months I must raise five thousand pounds to pay part of my Sisters fortune, my Mother says on account of her Daughter <Nancy> she cannot give up the estate to me as she thinks she should have been left much more therefore she will live here on a <crust & scrape every thing> for Mrs Scott; My Mother who is perfectly well may live this ten years; & I am now at that time of life I should wish to enjoy the estate, ten years hence my plans of life will be formed, I shall probably take a small place in the South, & the North which we have looked forward to with much pleasure & which my Wife is particularly fond of will be deserted <she may> not then like to move, If my Uncle Harry was to write to my Mother, it might perhaps bring her to reason, I shall never ask her for any thing, it is a subject I cannot mention to her, & indeed she has behaved so very ill to my Wife since we have been here that I shall be very glad to get out of the house; Since we have been here which is more than three Months she has never once mentioned or once enquired after our dear little boy & never once thanked my Wife for coming up night & day to my poor Father, however we have nothing to reproach ourselves, & we have very great satisfaction in thinking that we contributed much to the comfort of his latter days, he was continually sending for my Wife & he kept her for hours together by his bedside talking to her, when <from> his Situation poor man it was at that time very unpleasant.  My Mother says she wishes to see none but Mrs Scott & she intends sending money over for her to come if possible, she says when she is at Thorpe she can consult her upon all occasions & she told us her being there would keep other people from this house; so that when we go on Monday we cannot come here again <with haste>. We found a copy of the Will the drawer of my Fathers writing table where he kept his pens & paper which was unsealed rather dirty & <seemed to have been often looked at.

      I am very sorry to give you so much trouble about these affairs but I cannot help being much vexed & hurt; we have now been here more than three months & have hardly been out of the House & <now receive no> thanks for it; Mr Chiswell came here yesterday and will probably stay a couple of months; Mary Anne says she never quitted this place without regret before, my poor Father was always so kind to her & was always so glad to see her. You will be kind enough in future to direct to <Harley St>; & Mary Anne joins with me in kind love to Mrs Collingwood whose letter received this morn - & believe me Dear Sir from your very Affect. nephew 

      W Blackett

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The Dukesfield Smelters and Carriers Project aimed to celebrate and discover the heritage of the Dukesfield Arches & lead carriers' routes between Blaydon and the lead mines of Allendale and Weardale. A two year community project, it was led by the Friends of the North Pennines in partnership with Hexhamshire and Slaley Parish Councils and the active support of Allendale Estates. It was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the generous support of other sponsors. Friends of the North Pennines: Charity No:1137467