Letter – Nicholas Walton, Hugh Boag to William Corbett – 10 Sep 1736

To William Corbett Esqr



Sr                                                                            Ravensworth Castle  Septemr 10th 1736

	In obedience to the Commands of the Board, we send you Inclosed a Computation of the Expence of Erecting, a Mill House, a Shed for Drying & a kilne for burning Bricks & Tyles which we are of opinion will be necessary & usefull to the Estate, provided a quantity can be sold, with what they expend in the repaires of the Estate, to reimburse them their money in a reasonable time.

	You will observe the first expence will be about £250 and at 10 per Cent they will only be reimbursed in about 131/2 years, & besides there must be a Stock of at least £150, more yett we are of opinion, they coud not fail of a Consumption to answer it, but as there may be some difficulty with the Directors, in being at so much expence at first, if they have no objection we will take it upon ourselves, not out of a View of having much gain, but that the Estate may be furnished with Bricks & Tyles better & more reasonably than in any other way.  We purpose to be at all expence of Erection our Selves, & to furnish the Hospitall with Tyles at 30s & Bricks at 9s per <M> but cannot purpose to pay any Rent except a reasonable allowance for Spoil of ground to Tennant.

	By our furnishing the Hospitall with Tyles at this rate they save 10s per Thousand, of what they woud be Obliged to pay any other person in these parts, & supposing the Consumption in their own repaires to be 40 Thousand per Ann for 3 years they are £60 Gainers besides the Improvement that will be made by breeding manure from Straw that is now made use of in covering houses in the Severall parts of the Estate.  As to our undertaking this Affair of making Bricks & Tyles it is a matter equal to us whether we doe or not, therefore in whatever way the Directors are pleased to putt in their Ords Shall be observed; but they shoud determine Speedly, as it will be necessary to have Clay Cast this Winter for making next Spring, & besides materials for building the Shed etc Shoud be provided & Ledd before wett weather come on

	A Gentleman who lives in Newcastle & who’s name is Hall is now at London, & intends waiting upon you, to give in his proposal for taking a new discovered Lead Vein, in Tarretburn in the Mannor of Wark; his Servant has been with us and desired us to represent it to you but as he woud not name the place we can give no Accot about it’s value  Mr Hall is a very able Man & to whom there can be no objection if he gives as good a due as the thing deserves, which may not be above a Sixth as it is a new discovery.

	We observe the Boards Minutes of the 1st of Septemr Inst & their order for one of us to waite upon them at London with the abstract of the proposals, to attend the Board at their Severall meetings for Letting on Lease the Derwentwater Estate, in answer to which we will hold our Selves in readiness that one of us may attend if we have not their orders to the Contary, but in the mean time we begg leave to acquaint them, with our thoughts how farr we think they will be prejudiced by the absence of one of us when there will be full employment for both.

	In the first place by the Supplemental Advertizment  Liberty is given to all people to treat with us for letting the Severall Farmes etc, in pursuance of it Severall have been with us in expectation that we had a power to lett, which not being the case, & they finding that none of the Farmes coud be let till after Michs, many have not appeared, & those that did have not offered such Rents as we believe they will give  There are also many that will make offers after Michs that doe not care to doe it till the old Tennants have done treating with us, therefore it is most certain that till after Michs the great hurry will not be & Consequently if one of us be absent the other will not be able to goe thro’ the busyness so effectually as it might be done by both, but more Perticularly so as the Courts are to be held within a Month after Michs & the Rents reced soon afterwards.

	The Method we intended to pursue was to send you all proposals given in to us before Michs & that if the Directors had no Objection that they shoud send us all proposals given into them before that time that we might give our advice, in order that for such Farmes as were purposed for at such a Rent as we thought the deserved, the Directors might confirme agreements upon Michsday or as soon as they thougt fitt afterwards.  That after Michsday all other proposals or Memorandm of bidding, Shoud be transmitted you every Post with our opinions thereon by which the Directors might Confirme the same, or Lett to better offers at their then next Court day, & so to Transmitt us abstracts of such agreements the then next post, that notice thereof might be given to the parties so, as the same might be reduced into Minutes & Signed by them till their leases are drawn.  This we thought the most proper way to pursue for the benefitt of the Hospitall, & we cannot be yett of another opinion, yett if the Directors thing otherwise we shall most readly Obey their Commands

	Inclosed you will receive such Covenants as are necessary to be incerted in the Land Leases, & we hope to Send you next Post the Moore Masters & our opinion jointly, what dues ought to be paid for the Lead Mines in Alston moore & else where in the Derwentwater Estate

	We have Sent this day to Mr Madocks two bills for £107-8  & are Sr Yor most Obedt Servts Nichs Walton	Hugh Boag



P.S.   The Post Stays & we have not got the Covenants to be incerted in Leases Coppyd but it will come by next Post





A Computation of the Expence of Erecting a Tyle Shade & Tyle Milne & kilne in Dilston Park for making & Burning bricks & Tyles there  The Shade 50 Yds Long by 23 foot wide Vizt



For 270 foot of Oake wood for 60 Posts at 12d per foot            £13-10-

For 70 foot of Ditto for Wall plates at 14d                         4- 1- 8

For 90 foot of firwood for baulks at 11d per foot Leadg Included    4- 2- 6

For 100 Cupple of Sparrs at 2s per Cupple Leading Included         10-  -

For 50 Dozn of Pan Tyle Laths at 2s per Dozn                        5-  -

For 8400 Pan Tyles for Covering the Shade at £1-5                  10-10-

For 50 Squares of Roofing Sawing & Setting the posts at 5s         12-10-

For Nailes & Spykes for the whole Shade                             5-  -

For flakes for one Side of the Shade workmanship Included           6-10-

For 100 Cupple of braces for Supporting the Roofe 12d per Cupple    5-  -

For 800 Deales 14 Inches broad for Laying the Tyles on at £8       64-  -

For 100000 bricks for backing thee kilns & Shade Joyning at 7s     35-  -

  Reckoning that the price they may be made for

For 24 fothers of Lime for building Do at 4s/6d                     5- 8-

For building the kilns & Shades Joyning it                         20-  -

For an Iron Door for the Kilne                                      1-10-

For 10 Iron Doors at 15s Each for the fire places                   7-10-

For 16 Cupples of Spars for the white Houses or Shades              1-12-

For 2 Ribbs & 2 principalls for Do Vizt 20 foot firwood at 11d       -18- 4

For 8 Squares of Roofing at 3s/6d per Square                        1- 8-

For 7 Dozn of Laths for Do at 2s                                     -14-

For Nails for Laths & the Roofe                                     1-  -

For 2 Doore Cases& Doores for Do                                    1-  -

For 1200 Tyles for Covering Do                                      1-10-

For 90 Yds of brickwork in the Mill House at 6d                     2- 5-

For 10000 bricks for building Do at 7s                              3-10-

For 8 fother of Lime at 4s/6d for Do                                1-16-

For 16 Cupples of Sparrs for Do at 2s per Cupple                    1-12-

For 7 Dozn of Laths at 2s per Dozn for Ditto                         -14-

For 30 foot of firrwood principalls & Ribbs & Biggon tree at 11d    1- 7- 6

For 2 Doores Hinges Included                                        1-  -

For 1200 Tyles for Covering the House vizt Miln House               1-10-

For the Mill for Grinding the Clay                                  6-10-

For Shaw or Bushes to Cover the Shade whilst the Tyles can be burnt 5-  -

For Levelling & Clearing the Ground of Rubbish & Levellg the Shades 5-10-

  within & the floores for making bricks etc

                                                                                                      Totall                                                     248- 9-



A Coppy of this Sent the Directors

Sepr 10 1736