Letter – John Erasmus Blackett to Thomas Blackett – 29 Feb 1780

Sir Thomas Blackett Barot at                                                 Newcas  29th Febry 1780

   Bretton near Wakefield



Dear Sir

	Inclosed you will receive a Bill drawn by Bell Cookson & Co on Castell & Co dated this day at 30 d date for £500: The Receipt of which you will please to acknowledge.  Sometime the next month I shall make you another Remittance .

	Since I got Home Mr Bell sent me £200 on Account of the Rents; I expected more & wrote him to that Purpose & desired he would be very pressing with them.  The Tenants in general are at this Time very backward with their Rents but yours are I think more so than your Neighbours.  The Content Farm at Winlaton was let to Mr Simpson from 1st May 1776, it contains about 54 & ½ Acres.  The present Rent is £70 a Year & there was an Advance at the last Letting of £14.10s a Year according to the Valuation of Mr Bates & Mr Hunter.  Your Lead Stewards were down here the 24th instant for Subsistence for the Workmen.  I paid them £1450.

	Mr Maughan says Weardale Mines are improving.  Allanheads & Coalcleugh are much the same.  I repeated to them that you did insist on nothing being done worked but what is profitable & that in Case they do not reduce their Workings that you will be under the disagreeable Necessity of laying in your Leadmines.  The Dead work was laid off before.

	I have recommended this so strongly that I have no Doubt of their doing it & am etc

                                                                                                                                    JEB





                                            £500.-.-     Newcastle Bank     29th  Febry 1780

                                Thirty days after Date Pay to the Order of John Erasmus

                              Blackett Esqr Five Hundred Pounds      Value received

                                                                For Bell Cookson Carr Self & Saint

To Messrs Castell Whately                                                             Jno Widdrington

     & Powell      London                       Pay the Contents to the

No 12663                                             Order of Sir Thos Blackett 

                                                              Barot     value in Account

                                                                             John E Blackett