Ashenhurst Saturday February y^e 12^th. 170³4.
Honoured Father
I hope this will find you safe arrived at London; on Teusday last I
recieved a Letter for you from Mr Long knowing his Hand I
opened it, have sent you a copy of it tho I suppose you will have
seene him before this comes to yE Hands. Old Brindley is dead since
you went. Jerimiah Stanley hath seal’d y^e Article for Building his
House, with a Coven^t. in it for repairs as you ordered, it has been
whispered yt W^m. Shenton will be sued if he take down any Part of y^e
Stone upon y^e {?Waft}, pray let me recieve yE. Orders ye next Post whether
we shall it must be taken downe openly in y^e Day Time, or thrown down
in y^e Night, I heard but tho’ only as a flying Report yt Mr Hollins should
have recieved some further orders abt this Matter but what I could
not learne; On Thursd Wednesday last Joseph Hains Sen^E. came to Leek
& on Thursday I saw him, he told me after a deale of other talke he was
ab^t. to agree with M^rs Bagnall for her Life, & if he did we should not
differ but said I must unstring a little further, w^ch I told him was very
unreasonable, so he said no more of it, but promised me if he did agree
before he left Leek I should heare from him. I heard nothing but
went yesterday to Mr Sutton who told me {yt in consideration of y^e 100^£ taken upon y^e Mortgage} it was agreed yt Hains should
give M^rs. Bagnall 7^£ of Ann cleare of all Deductions should give up all
y^e Estate to Hains, & he to pay her 7^£ of Ann cleare of all Deductions
during her Life w^ch has made me afraid we shall not get into y^e Dale
before her death; On Munday last I went to M^r Sutton to desire y^e Heads
of his Mortgage Deed of Bagnalls Estate, w^ch he then seem’d willing I should
have, so I told him I would be with him againe in a Weeke to recieve y^m.
yesterday when I was with I ask’d him for y^m. but then he was quite of
another Mind, & said a General Release of all his Sons Right & Title would
do {^us} all well, w^ch when I seem’d not to be satisfied with he said he had
formerly had some Talk with you ab^t. it, & as he thought you seem’d to
agree yt a General Release would be sufficient; after some further
Talk {^abt it} I told him I would write you what he said & when I recieved

[new page]
yE answer he should know it. Ralph Meare has been here to desire you
would stop Proceedings against him if you find any begun. W^m Fallowfield
of y^e Cock has ask’d me if you would set him y^e Horse Mill, I told him I
thought you would consider of it by reason of y^e Repaire it wanted w^ch they
who now had it were obliged to make good. John Davenport of y^e White
Horse has lead some stone towards willing up y^e lower End of y^e
Backside, & said y^e Wall came from that corner of M^r Fennys Barne
next to y^e spout to y^e Gate Stoope that goes into y^e Swan Backside.
W^m. Rogers has been sick, & has sent Word yt he is not able to hold y^e
Plowe, M^r Walthall presents his Service to you & desires you would
send down One or Two of S^r John Packington’s speeches for y^e Bill ag.^nst
Occasionall Conformity. My Knee is not yet better bu mends, but is
not yet so firm as formerly but I hope it will be, My Sister Hampton
has been out of order since you went, we all present our Duties to you
I am &c.

Ashenhurst Saturday February y^e 12^th. 170³4.
Honoured Father
I hope this will find you safe arrived at London; on Tuesday last I
received a Letter for you from Mr Long knowing his Hand I
opened it, have sent you a copy of it tho I suppose you will have
seene him before this comes to your Hands. Old Brindley is dead since
you went. Jerimiah Stanley hath sealrd y^e Article for Building his
House, with a Coven^t. in it for repairs as you ordered, it has been
whispered that W^m. Shenton will be sued if he take down any Part of y^e
Stone upon y^e {?Waft}, pray let me recieve your Orders the next Post whether
we shall it must be taken down openly in y^e Day Time, or thrown down
in y^e Night, I heard but though only as a flying Report yt Mr Hollins should
have recieved some further orders about this Matter but what I could
not learne; On Thursd Wednesday last Joseph Hains Sen^E. came to Leek
& on Thursday I saw him, he told me after a deale of other talke he was
ab^t. to agree with M^rs Bagnall for her Life, & if he did we should not
differ but said I must unstring a little further, w^ch I told him was very
unreasonable, so he said no more of it, but promised me if he did agree
before he left Leek I should heare from him. I heard nothing but
went yesterday to Mr Sutton who told me {that in consideration of y^e 100^£ taken upon y^e Mortgage} it was agreed that Hains should
give M^rs. Bagnall 7^£ of Ann cleare of all Deductions should give up all
y^e Estate to Hains, & he to pay her 7^£ of Ann cleare of all Deductions
during her Life w^ch has made me afraid we shall not get into y^e Dale
before her death; On Munday last I went to M^r Sutton to desire y^e Heads
of his Mortgage Deed of Bagnalls Estate, w^ch he then seemrd willing I should
have, so I told him I would be with him againe in a Week to receive y^m.
yesterday when I was with I askrd him for y^m. but then he was quite of
another Mind, & said a General Release of all his Sons Right & Title would
do {^us} all well, w^ch when I seem’d not to be satisfied with he said he had
formerly had some Talk with you ab^t. it, & as he thought you seem’d to
agree that a General Release would be sufficient; after some further
Talk {^abt it} I told him I would write you what he said & when I received

[new page]
the answer he should know it. Ralph Meare has been here to desire you
would stop Proceedings against him if you find any begun. W^m Fallowfield
of y^e Cock has asked me if you would set him y^e Horse Mill, I told him I
thought you would consider of it by reason of y^e Repaire it wanted w^ch they
who now had it were obliged to make good. John Davenport of y^e White
Horse has lead some stone towards willing up y^e lower End of y^e
Backside, & said y^e Wall came from that corner of M^r Fennys Barne
next to y^e spout to y^e Gate Stoope that goes into y^e Swan Backside.
W^m. Rogers has been sick, & has sent Word that he is not able to hold y^e
Plowe, M^r Walthall presents his Service to you & desires you would
send down One or Two of S^r John Packington’s speeches for y^e Bill ag.^nst
Occasional Conformity. My Knee is not yet better bu mends, but is
not yet so firm as formerly but I hope it will be, My Sister Hampton
has been out of order since you went, we all present our Duties to you
I am &c.