Letter – Nicholas Walton to John Ibbetson – 4 May 1779

To Jno. Ibbetson Esqr                                        		Hexham 4th May 1779



Sir 

      Inclosed you receive a Report upon the biddings for Alston Moor and Keswick and as you will see that the far greatest part of the proposers in parcels at Alston are Men of bad Circumstances and Character and some have given up, we recommend the Board agreeing to the Proposal made by Cuthbert Fairlamb.

      We are now upon the Receipt at Hexham and find as we expected many difficulties are daily arising respecting the new letting and which must be adjusted by the 12th of this

Month and it will be impossible from the shortness of the time to state the particular matters  to the Board and wait for their directions under these Circumstances therefore we beg they wo'd send us general powers enabling us to put such persons into possession as shall appear to us to be most elegible and to act in every other respect as we shall judge most condusive to the Hospitals Interest, but in case any accident should prevent our receiving directions by the 12th of this Month we shall find it absolutely necessary to act in the same manner as if we had received full powers and of which we beg you will inform the Board.

      You will observe that Nicholas Temperley stands recommended for both Vauce and Loaningfoot Farm & Page Croft Farm but we advise that he sh'd only have Vauce and Loaningfoot Farm and that Matt'w Pigg the present Tenant of Page Croft should have Page Croft for which we understand he offered £48 - - p ann'm and is now willing to stand to that offer.

      There is a School at Haydon Bridge to which a very fine Endowment belongs and the Trustees having no ground near it are desirous to take the Esphill Farm which lyes almost contiguous to the School and the Revd Mr Laidman one of the Trustees having this day delivered a Proposal for the Farm at £70 - -  p annum we beg leave to recommend its being agreed to as a thing likely to produce a general good not only to the whole Barony of Langley but to the neighbourhood.

      We are Sir Yours &c

      N W Junr  J.C.T