John Dicken writes to the Hon. Richard Hill.

He cannot bring the Red Castle tenants up to any better payments. £4. 15. is yet owing of Lady Day rents "I doubt it will be noe other ways while that estate is let into soe many hands and yet I think it would not be convenient for your honour to make any alterations during the Continuance of your mortgage."

D. will place his salary for that collection to the mortgage account.

Hill agreed to lend Mr. Fershall £1,000 at 4½ and the mortgage expresses no more.

The bricklayer who did the former work at Hawkestone will next week build the wall separating the two courts.

William Price the Mason has sent his bill for finishing and setting 6 pairs of "peers and for stone for the floor of the South Portique". There is still to be done - the flight of steps at the north of the Kitchen Garden "tarras", the South Portique floor, & a 100 yards of walling is yet uncoped. The weather has been wet, and the roads are bad, but more stone shall be got when they are improved.

D. is much better and hopes to travel abroad in a fortnight's time.

The 2 little meadow in Darlestone purchased of Heath, are copyhold, bought in the name of John Sandford - Hill's father laid the money down for him and he and Hill's brother John had the rent. A year before John Hill died, Sandford repaid part of the purchase money and a little after his death the remainder was paid to Mr. Price's account, so that Sandford now has the meadows in his possession

If Hill agrees D. will set a small cottage in Longford, formerly yielding a rent of 6d. and later of 12d. to a poor man in the town, whose father will give him the money if he can get a lease for 3 lives, for which he will pay 9 guineas & a 1/- a year. It would be possible to set the cottage for 15/- p.a. but "it will be of great service to ye poor man, he being a Parishioner there and unless he can have ye lease his Father will not give him ye money,".