Letters – Joseph Richmond to William Wentworth – 17 Jan 1755

Document Type: Letters
Date: 17 Jan 1755
Correspondent: Joseph Richmond
Recipient: William Wentworth
Archive Source: NRO 672/E/1E/1
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17 January 1755

William Wentworth





The present State of Jarrow Coll[ie]ry first taken by old Sir Wm.Blackett & P[ar]tners in 1691, of which 	

Sr Wr.Blackett has           4/8

Mess Ledger                  2/8

Mr J Wilkinsons Ex[ecuto]rs  1/8

Mr Nathl.Clayton             1/8

                             8 Eighths



This coll[ie]ry is held under the D[ea]n & Chap[te]r of Durham by lease for 21 Yrs formerly renewed every 7th Yr without any fine, the present Lease has 3 yrs to go from March next. It was taken by & in the name of Mr Jno. Wilkinson ( in trust for Sr Wr.Blackett  & P[ar]tners) who refusd to renew at the end of the first 7 yrs as usual, unless the Chap[te]r wo[ul]d grant the same terms, w[hi]ch they then refused to do & so Mr Wilkinson made no further application. The pres[en]t Lease includes the whole Parish of Jarrow th[a]t belongs to the Chap[te]r and takes in the Towns[hi]ps of Harton Westoe Hedworth Mountain Heworth  & the rent is £40 a y[ea]r certain & £5 a ten for 315 coal bolls.

	As this colliery is quite wro[ugh]t out till there is a new winning made of her, w[hi]ch none of the other P[ar]tners were willing & one not able to engage in, Sir Wr.Blackett caused a view to be made by the most skillful viewers, whose Opinion is th[a]t the winning will require above 2 y[ea]rs to compleat it & will cost w[i]th the Steath & waggonway about £7000, but that the same might be compleated & earned on to advantage as the price of Coals now is at Newcastle, if no troubles happen w[hi]ch they co[ul]d not forsee. Upon this report Sr W.Blackett took all the other P[ar]tners shares at £160 p[er] year conditionally, if he could obtain a renewal of the Lease, & in Nov 1750 he applyd to the Chap[te]r & offerd them a certain rent of £150 a Y[ea]r for  600 tens &  £5 a ten for what he sho[ul]d lead above the Q[uanti]ty, w[hi]ch were the highest Terms he was advised to offer, but they rejected his proposals & wo[ul]d not renew any p[ar]t of the pres[en]t limits, except the township of  Heworth only: They also objected to a Clause granted in every Coll[ie]ry Lease 'That the Lesee be at Liberty to fetch up his deficiencies in working his Q[uanti]ty, for the certain rent in any succeeding y[ea]r' & made other unreasonable Objections w[hi]ch w[oul]d not be submitted to by any Lessee, & so the treaty dropt.

	The same P[ar]tners have also another Coll[ier]y  in Gatesh[ea]d Fell adjoining to Heworth towns[hi]p w[hi]ch they lease of Hen.Thos.Carr & Hen.Ellison Esq (who are Lessees under the B[isho]p of Durham) at £150 a yr for 300 Tens, & £40 a ten for all above the Q[anti]ty. This is a concurrent Lease renewable without any variation but this coll[ie]ry  is also wro[ugh]t out in the upper seams & as it lies to the Rise of the D[ea]n & Chap[te]r Coll[ie]ry can only be won anew thro them, There is nothing going on in this Coll[ie]ry for the certain rent but a Land sale pit by w[hi]ch Sr Wr. is every y[ea]r a considerable loser, for this Lease being granted in his name, he is obliged to pay all the Rent & some of the p[ar]tners are not able to pay up their proportions notwithstanding w[hi]ch this Lease , w[hi]ch is determinable at any time for bearing to work six months, is still kept on foot as a Check upon the D[ea]n & Chap[te]r because its believed there is nobody will undertake the winning of their Colliery at the worth, without having the B[isho]ps Coll[iery] also, as one must lay the other dry.

	If Sr Wm Wentworth has any thoughts of engaging in this affair I think the best way will be to treat with the Chap[ter] imediately for Heworth towns[hi]p only, if he can obtain no larger bounds, for a Lease of 21 yrs to comence from the expiration of the present Lease, w[hi]ch Mr Wilkinsons Ex[ecu]tors say they will not sujrrender but are determind shall run out as young Ma.Wilkinson wants 3 or 4 y[ea]rs of being  of age Unless the Chap[ter] wo[ul]d renew upon the old terms, wch they will never do.

	You see by all this that Sir Wr.Blackett has done everything with regard to these Collieries th[a]t can be expected f[ro]m him, & I have set the whole affair to you in as clear a light as I am able to do.
No addressee or date given - it appears to be a report for Sir William Wentworth; see letter of same date to Joshua Wilson, Pontefract

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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