Letter – Henry Richmond to Walter Blackett – 14 Mar 1770

To Sir Walter Blackett  Bart.  M.P.  in Half Moon Street                      Newcas.  14 March 1770

                           Piccadilly  London



Honrd. Sir     I hope your going abroad will be for your Health.  My prayer will be that it may.  I shall in your Absence endeavour to regulate your affairs according to the Instructions you have given me and according to the best of my Judgement in the other Matters that those Instructions do not extend to.

   The Attorney for Mr Ward tells me the Woodcroft deeds will be done in a week or two’s time.  as soon as they are I will send them by the Coach to Mr Davison, to wait upon you with them.  When this Money is paid £1200 of it is to go for Hexham Ferry and £1000 will be wanted before Midsumr. by the Contractors for building Hexham Bridge, so that £1000 is all I can send in the month of May & if I can furnish Mr Simond with a £1000 a little after Midsumr. it will be all can be done, I dare say, for half a year.  Inclosed is the form of an order for remitting the Money to Mr Simond and for payment to the builders of the Bridge, which you will please to sign, date and return.  Mr Duffield was here when the plans came about Rothley Low Lake - his opinion is that they cannot be executed under £2000 which is a large Sum and difficult to be raised.  so you will please to consider whether to postpone the Execution of them.

     Mr Forster is going to Berwick - after his return I will go to Wallington and settle matters agreeably to your Instructions. if the Lake is postponed the Expence at Wallington will not be considerable.  perhaps not above 7 or £800 this year after the trenching and work ordered in your former Letter is finished.

     Mr Isaac Hunter of Dukesfield gives a good Character of one Isaac Watson lately employed as a Mill Clerk under Mr Loraine.  He says he is a sober regular man and a skilfull Smelter and fit to be Clerk at Rookhope Mill: which he cannot say of Mr Harrison’s Elder Son who was a Butcher at Durham and has known nothing of Smelting till within these two years.   

    I am etc    HR