Letter – Isaac Hunter to John Erasmus Blackett – 26 Sep 1799

Dr Sir,

   I am sorry you should have given Col Beaumont the trouble of writing to me respecting the lead carriage. I am confident I always obeyed your orders as punctually as lay in my power & that every attention has been paid towards forwarding the Lead as expeditiously as possible. I have adopted every method I could devise for that purpose: when Col Beaumont’s Lre came to Dukesfield I was amongst the Carriagemen on the northside of Derwent. Mr Smith took the Southside what I saw promised to have what they had on hand to Blaydon in the course of next month & should suppose Mr Smith wd meet with the like success. 

   I wd wish, if you are agreeable, to have an acct of the Rec[eip]t of the Rookhope Lead monthly to compare with the delivery at the Mill, the Carr[ier] by that means whose Lead was not at Blaydon, wo[ul]d be refused having more at the Mill until his Tickett was produced, it wo[ul]d also be the means of preventing them from so frequently taking one anothers lead I think it wd rather increase the Number of Carriagemen than decrease them, many who are very careful of their Lead have it picked up near the pays by those who seldom looks after it until the eve of the pay. 

   Yesterday I saw a Carr[ier] of the Comp[an]y & two of Greenwich Hospital I think I wd let them a 1000 or more by Hexham to Newburn in a Fortnights time if you are agreeable to have any sent that way at a 1d pr piece advance.

   We had a very heavy rain in the Night of Saturday wch continued all Sunday, this Water was very high but fortunately highest from 8 o’clock until 3 in the Afternoon, all the workmen near came to assist in saving the Wood, Metals and other Utensils belonging the Mill which they effected near £30 worth of Cinders were taken from the New Mill Door owing to the Low Dam giving way, the stress of Water then coming across the end of the <fold> & to the end of the new Mill: the Corner of the Dam at Allan Mill is also gone & the races nearly filled with Gravel, today I expect they will have them cleared again. The damage there I think trifling

   The Wears at the Steel are standing but much impaired. Mr Hall & Co’s new Dam is entirely gone.

   On the 14th next month I will wait upon you Subsistence Money & hope to make £250 answer at this time: on the otherside have given you an acct of lead delivered.

    I am Dr Sir  Yr Obt Servt I Hunter	

26 Sept 1799



                              Slag     Ore Lead  Reduced

Dukesfield Mill               3290     18467     9897

Delivered from Bankfoot      14987

	To Blaydon

Rem[ainin]g in the yard        180     15167

Dukesfd 12 stone lead deliv’d 6028

Rem[ainin]g in the yard       1068               7096



                                        3300     2801



I have no acct of what has been sent but by the Bankfoot, the greatest part of the above I expect at the Yard by the 7th



To Jno E Blackett, Charlotte Sq, Newcastle