Letters – Joseph Richmond to Isaac Hunter – 8 Dec 1754

To Mr Isaac Hunter at Dukesfield

8 Dec 1754

Sir

	You herewith receive Rennisons tickett for the Lead recd at Blaydon by w[hi]ch you will find that there are 4 P[iece]s short of Dukesfield Lead, 20 P[iece]s short of Allenheads Lead & 1 P[iece] short of Lintzgarth Lead. Jno.Harrison has not been at Blaydon this y[ea]r to compare accts as usual; but I believe we shall fix the P[iece]s wanting f[ro]m Lintgarth upon Jno. Maughan . As for the Allenh[ea]ds & Dukesf[iel]d Carriers I shall insist upon their making Oath before a Justice of Peace of the No. of P[iece]s they have respectively laid down at Apperly Stob before they have any money paid them. If that is not done before the pay I will stop 25s apiece f[ro]m the whole Carriage & let them adjust it among themselves as they can, & therefore you will take care to have this done unless you can clearly discover where the fault lays. for the E.hand carriers are all ready to make Oath th[a]t they have brought in all they have taken up at the Stob. And as to its being any Mistake of y[ou]r Clarks I do not believe it, for that point is easily cleared up when the Smeltings & remaining stock is compared together, but I cannot comp[are them together till I have all the accts bro[ugh]t me in. This Loss of Lead every y[ea]r is so provoking th[a]t some measures must be taken to prevent it if the Carriers can all acquit themselves I must desire Sir Wm. to publish a handsome reward to any person who will discover the theives or any of them if we may banish them the Country, for as Lead is now of a greater value than formerly, it is a greater temptation to ill disposd people to steal it & makes it almost necessary to have a person fixed at the Stob, to keep an acct of it as it comes & goes, w[hi]ch w[oul]d have been done before this if the Quakers Co. wo[ul]d have agreed to bear part of the expence.

	I hope you will be ready to make the pay as soon as you propod some time ago & as I wrote you last post, on thursday senight, the 19th inst. otherwise I do not see how you can make it before New Year day.

I am etc  JR