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Cottrell

Nov 6 /57

I sh^d be h^ppy to see M^r W. Sarl whⁿev^r he lik^s to call here, but I sh be leav^g home ab^t y^e 20^th of this m^th for Edinb. where I am g^ng to sp^nd most p^t of y^e Winter

It w^d not be w^th my wh^le, for a trifl^g income, to have t compens^te my farm^rs for loss of land danger & severance – and after all p^ps they w^d throw up th^r farms – At all eve^ts a compl. ch^nge w^d have t be made in y^e mng^t of y^t p^t of my Estate, & to make that desirable w^ch w^d not be w^thwhile unless y^e _^^mining works must be _^(^were und^tkn) _^^{of at all} on a l^ge scale.

Your judg^nt as well as my own must be found^d ult^ly upon the facts & figures

Part of y^e land in quest^{n at N.more} is in Settle^t & I wish <illegible deletion> say that & ∴ I must obs^ve, that any agreem^t w^ch I may make w^th y. respect^g it, will require y^e agre^mt of my trustees – I have no d^bt they w^d will cons^t t anyth^g that app^rs benef^l to the estate, still you will have the goodness to consider any engagem^t as provis^l I may make on y^e subj^t w^ch may be made as provis^l only, until assent^d to by y^m so far as their <illegible deletion> _their assent is necessary –

I have collected some further facts and figures, to assist the judgm^t & elucidate the questⁿ – Since much depends upon the correctness of the figures, you will much ^greatly oblige me by correcting them if error^s & stating the true figures –

1. I am informed that the Seend royalty _^^{at 1st} p^d to M^r Locke at Seend is was 1/6 p^r ton. I think no one will say that the ore of N^more is infer^r to that of the S. ore. It is < here?> ^{No doubt ye statemt} that the royalty now paid of 1/ is

No doubt y^e stat^t is perf^ty correct that the royalty now paid is _^^only 1/ but then I am inform^d, that this 6^d <illegible deletion> reductⁿ was made in considⁿ of a large sum of money p^d down, _^^so that in fact the _that portⁿ of y^e royalty is capitalized If so, you will see that in order to give the subject the <illegible deletion> benefits of a fair & full discussn it will be necess^ry to

that if we are to treat the subj^t of the royalty fairly and fully we must start from the fact that 1/6 p^r ton was considered a fair royalty at Seend by the parties to that agreem^nt. –

2^dly A calcⁿ of y^e expence of carriage of ore to Staff^dsh gives as follows –

Mess^rs S. hav^g contr^td, as I am told, w^th y^e GWR t carry the ore at 7/16 of 1^d p^r ton p. mile, & y^e dist^ce f^m Chipp to W^hn b^g 129 m. (or say 130) y^e expense of carr^ge w^ll be 4/9. Or Add^g 6^d for y^e carr^ge by canal to Chipp. (3 m.) and 6^d more for _^^{terminal chges and} Sundries, it will _^^come to ^{a total of} 5/9 – If there are _^^any o^r ch^ges on y^e transit of y^e ore, they escape me –

My workmen are still engaged deep^ng y^e pits on y^e hill, but y^e wet weather is much ag^st y^m

<expanded version>

Cottrell

November 6, 1857

I should be happy to see M^r William Sarl ^<1> whenever he likes to call here, but I should be leaving home about the twentieth of this month for Edinburgh, where I am going to spend most part of the Winter.

It would not be worth my while, for a trifling income, to have to compensate my farmers for loss of land danger and severance – and after all perhaps they would throw up their farms – At all events a complete change would have to be made in the management of that part of my Estate, and to make that desirable which would not be worthwhile unless the mining works must be (were undertaken) of at all on a large scale.

Your judgement as well as my own must be founded ultimately upon the facts and figures

Part of the land in question at Nethermore ^<2> is in Settlement and I wish <illegible deletion> say that and therefore I must observe, that any agreement which I may make with you respecting it, will require the agreement of my trustees – I have no doubt they would will consent to anything that appears beneficial to the estate, still you will have the goodness to consider any engagement as provisional I may make on the subject which may be made as provisional only, until assented to by them so far as their <illegible deletion> their assent is necessary –

I have collected some further facts and figures, to assist the judgement and elucidate the question – Since much depends upon the correctness of the figures, you will much greatly oblige me by correcting them if errors and stating the true figures –

1. I am informed that the Seend royalty at first paid to M^r Locke at Seend is was one shilling six pence per ton. I think no one will say that the ore of Nethermore is inferior to that of the Seend ore. It is here No doubt the statement that the royalty now paid of one shilling is

No doubt the statistic is perfectly correct that the royalty now paid is only one shilling but then I am informed, that this six-pence <illegible deletion> reduction was made in consideration of a large sum of money paid down, so that in fact the that portion of the royalty is capitalized<.> If so, you will see that in order to give the subject the <illegible deletion> benefits of a fair and full discussion it will be necessary to that if we are to treat the subject of the royalty fairly and fully we must start from the fact that one shilling six pence per ton was considered a fair royalty at Seend by the parties to that agreement. –

2^dly A calculation of the expence of carriage of ore to Staffordshire gives as follows – Mess^rs Sarl having contracted, as I am told, with the Great Western Railway to carry the ore at ⁷/₁₆ of one pence per ton per mile, and the distance from Chippenham to Wolverhampton being 129 miles (or say 130) the expense of carriage will be four shillings nine pence. Or Adding six pence for the carriage by canal to Chippenham (three miles) and six pence more for terminal charges and Sundries, it will come to a total of five shillings nine pence – If there are any other changes on the transit of theore, they escape me –

My workmen are still engaged deepening the pits on the hill, but the wet weather is much against them

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Notes:

1. William Sarl of Sarl & Company, London.

2. Nethermore Farm and Wood, Lacock, Wiltshire