Document 45 p 5
| 93 | ||||
| County. I found a very numerous & respectable Meeting of | ||||
| Magistrates unanimously of the same Opinion, there can be but | ||||
| one Sir with respect to the Plan & Mode of Construction to | ||||
| which my Contract confines me. Nor do I hold myself solely | ||||
| responsible should that Mode be deem’d an improper one, it was | ||||
| devised by Mr Smeaton, it was adopted by you, & undertaken | ||||
| by me. Whether or no a better can be imagined is not a Matter | ||||
| for me to consider. I certainly will not be the undertaker of any | ||||
| other, nor does the Opinion of any man who declares that it is in the | ||||
| Power of Art to build a Permanent Bridge over the River Tyne, in | ||||
| that part of it, at all apply to the present Case, but I find | ||||
| myself going beyond the Remit of my Letter, & entering upon | ||||
| a Consideration which belongs to the County not me to decide | ||||
| upon. | ||||
| I have directed my Agent to attend at Sessions & make a | ||||
| proposition to the Magistrates in conformity to what pass’d at | ||||
| the Meeting at Newcastle, the Ground Sir of this offer is to | ||||
| make good the Damage occasioned to Hexham Bridge by the | ||||
| Flood which destroyed a great part of it by a Tender of such | ||||
| a Sum of Money as the reinstating it is estimated at by workmen | ||||
| the most known & best qualify’d of any in that part of the | ||||
| County to form such an Estimate, the money to be paid by | ||||
| Instalments in the same Manner the payments were made | ||||
| to me. By this method Sir I conceive I make Satisfaction | ||||
| for the injury the Bridge has sustained and that in a manner | ||||
| I should judge most eligible for the Publick | ||||
| If it is thought prudent by the Magistrates to repair this | ||||
| Bridge, the Sum I believe will be found amply sufficient | ||||
| for the purpose. Should they think it advisable to adopt | ||||
| another Mode the Money is at their |
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| employ’d as their Wisdom shall direct. I am sensible | ||||
| I have trespass’d long on the patience of the Bench, yet | ||||
| I feel as if I had somewhat more I could wish to add | ||||
Note: Letter from Mr Errington to Mr Aynsley, 22 September 1783, p 5
Abbreviations are underlined like this Wm. and the expansion may be seen by moving the cursor over it.
| An entry outlined like this has a note which may be seen by hovering over it. |
Transcribed by CTW and KS