Letter – Michael Blackett to William Blackett – 18 May 1678

Newcastle May the 18 1678

Honoured Sr

I am att present to give you the best acct I Can of occurences att [struck out: ‘the pay’] your Leed mynes, and shall begin wth the Condition of the severall Groves wch are as followeth vizt Greengill Indifferent good In both shafts, Coleclugh not soe good as itt was, Welhope pretty good, Batshill better than itt was, the Slits pritty good, Little hopes of your new tryall, the West End att heads not soe good as itt was, but the Levell is better than itt was both East and West and fallowfield Continues very good Reedgroves poore the whole pay Came to as followeth

£640: 15: 11d

the heads pay  £273 13 0 11/12 pd Rich         £275  -  -

planky pay     £ 67  5 8       pd Jno the same £ 67  5  8

pd att mill as p[er] p[ar]ticulars             £181 15 11 1/2

pd att fallowfield as p[er] p[ar]ticulars      £116 14 11

                                                640 15 11 1/2



for wch mony you had smelted att plancky mill 23 fodder 15 p[iece]s Leed and 66 Bing 3 horse of oare Carryed to sd place from the following groves vizt

                  bing horse

from the heads      40 2

from Reedgroves      1 -

from Dufton          3 3

from Bates hill      6 -

from Coleclugh      15 -

from Welhope         2 2

                    66 3 h

wood for sd place is of Ch: Bates att 8d 81 sacks, of your owne 573 sacks

28 p[iece]s Leed Carryed from sd place to Bladon 



<R…d> is you had smelted att Duxfield Mill 74 fodder 2 p[iece]s Leed and 359 bing 0 horse of oare Carryed to sd place from the following groves vizt

                    bing      horse

from the heads      111 3

from Reedgroves       7 3

from Rookehope       16 -

from Coleclugh        - 2

from Jeffray groves  16 -

from fallowfield    154 -

from Greengill       37 2

from Welhope         15 2  

                    359 0 h  

Wood Bought for sd place is

of severall att 8d             546 sacks

of Ch: Bat[e]s att 8½         50 

of Jno Mowbray att 8 ½   30 

Leed from the mill to Bladon   599 p[iece]s

from Coleclugh to Bladon        353 p[iece]s



Rec[k]oned of wth the tenants of Duxfield, and founde they have Carryed to Cooper house <mill>  my Rec[k]oning 1403 p[iece]s Leed, and have gott their martinmas Rents 1677 wch is all I know needfull, onely Robt Foster proves still an honest man, there is a great quantity of Leed Lyeing ready att his harth but Cannot gett him to sett on att present, he saith he will begin as soone as he Can, but now is about his Country Employm[en]t they Report in town our wifes are Comeing home soe pray tell myne I doe not write her this post, now to Concludge prayeing for your health and happinesse and Earnestly Craveing your blessing I remaine MB



Cousin Jno Rumney desires to know if you be about takeing a Leed myne at Cappheaton for that he and others would starr in itt but for never soe much if you have any thoughts that way