Letter – Nicholas Walton to John Ibbetson – 26 Dec 1778

To John Ibbetson Esqr                                        	Farnacres 26th Decemr 1778



Sir

      It is with great concern when we have occasion to trouble the Board on account of our having lately had a very extraordinary Demand made upon Greenwich Hospital from Alston Moor by one William Thirlwall whose Debt contracted by Mr Joseph Hilton according to Mr Hiltons own Account amounts to £103- - & there is a debt similarly contracted & due

to John Bell of Alston Amounting to £102- - which Debts we have understood from Mr Hilton himself, if not wholy, principaly arose by his giving Meat and Drink to the Hospitals Workmen at Nentforce Level and Low byers.

      On our application to Mr Hilton he said the Meat and Drink were realy expended by his order and as he had taken the whole upon himself having acted in it entirely without our direction, knowledge or Consent he looked upon himself only to be liable and that he had out of his own Pocket actualy discharged a debt of the like kind contracted some time before the commencement of the present Bill for Meat and Drink given to the Nentforce Level Workmen.

      The best account that he can give of the Motives for this very strange Transaction is that the Meat & Drink were given to the Men as an Encouragement to them in their Work & that after he found the great amount of the Charge and seeing this busyness in its proper light he dared not to mention it to us and that in order to prevent his coming under Censure he had taken care that the Debts shd be considered as his own & declared he meant to have discharged the whole in case he could have continued his appointment.

      Thus this awkward and very disagreeable busyness has come before us and we are not only most truly concerned for the whole of the sad misconduct of Mr Hilton but that we know

not how to advise upon those demands being made upon the Hospital in consequence of it. It is an undoubted Fact that those Debts are objects of the greatest concern to Thirlwall & Bell who are not Men of ability as to their circumstances  and on that account they seem to deserve pity and as we apprehend they may attempt to recover those Debts of the Hospital at Law, tho' they have not hinted any such intention, nor has Bell yet made a demand, we would beg to be favoured with the Boards directions upon this occasion which we shall immediately pursue. 

      It is no little satisfaction to us under the disagreeable circumstances of Mr Hiltons misconduct that we have been enabled to get him to fix the Boundary between Rampgill Vein and Coal Cleugh Vein before his leaving the Hospitals Service which we cannot help thinking is a matter of very great consequence to the Hospital as well as Sir Thomas Blackett and we inclose you one of the original Memorandums made on the Occasion to be lodged in the Record Room at Greenwich the other being in the Hands of Sir Thomas Blacketts Agent.

      On the 26th November 1776 and 28 Novemr 1777 the Receivers by their Letters &c of that date represented several matters to the Board respecting the Woods in the Derwentw[ater] Estate and recommended the cutting of such Wood as had come to its full Growth but as no directions have been rec'd from the Board we think it our duty to referr to the above representations and most earnestly recommend that a regular course of cutting may be adopted in the Woods belonging to Greenwich Hospital to the amount of from £800- to £1200 p ann[um] as the Markett happens to suit. By this Plan the Revenue of Greenwich Hospital will be very considerably increased by disposing of that Wood which will otherwise be rendered useless by Age and Decay and as we shall feel ourselves happy in being in a way of repaying the Hospital the Great Sum of Money already expended and which it will be further necessary to expend in pursuance of the Boards Directions of the 12th April 1775 in fencing the Wood Lands we hope to have the earlyest directions so as to be enabled to make a beginning by proceeding in the Sale this Spring. There is not a doubt that we shall be able not only to support but increase the Quantity of Timber upon the Derwentwater Estate by Fencing and Planting and have the pleasure to acquaint the Board we have made so great a progress in the fencing that we flatter ourselves to be enabled to get almost the whole finished in about Two Years from this time and not interfere with the fencing necessary upon the Inclosures of Corbridge, Lees and Fourstones Commons &c and that we have this Season Planted upwards of Forty Bushels of Acorns & several Bushels of Sycamore Seed

      We cannot help again repeating our uneasiness at not having rec'd the biddings for the Derwentwater Estate as we have every day more reason to apprehend that this delay will be attended with very great disadvantage not only to the Hospital but a real distress to many of

the present Tenants and Proposers.

      Mr Robert Aslett Secretary to the Governor & Company for Smelting down Lead with Pit Coal & Sea Coal has wrote us expressing the wish of that Company to know

the answer of the Commissioners & Governors of Greenwich Hospital to their Proposals of the 8th Novem'r 1777 sent the Board the 12 Decem'r 1777 and of their Proposal of the

11th June last sent the Board the 3d July following and Mr Aslett desires us to apply to the Hospital to expedite this busyness, which we now do, and at the same time we must beg leave to recommend the most early directions respecting Mr Gilberts Proposals,  as we fear a delay may prevent his carrying the Great undertakings he proposed into execution.

      You receive herewith our Cash Account from the 31st Octo'r to 21st Ulto. on which there is a balance of £2478:1:9 1/2 since which we have made the Lead Mill and Ore Carriers Pay with which you'll be pleased to acquaint the Board & we are

      Sir Yours &c

      N W Junr.   J.C.T.