T 1/437/389 - Costs of Forage etc on Isle of Man

Southgate 22 July 1765
Sir,
In obedience to the Commands of the Right Honbl the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury signified to me by your letter of the 17th inst - I have endeavoured to inform myself how far the Prices are reasonable as proposef by Mr Bacon in his Memorial for Supplying his Majesty's Forces in the Isle of Man with Bread Forage Straw & Coals ; in order to do which I have applied to his Grace of Atholl to know if he could himself give me any Light into the Value of those Articles on the Island, or direct me to any other Person who could do it: to which he replied he did not know the Value of them himself, or could tell of any other Person that did, & I am afraid that no Certain Knowledge can be had but from people on the Island itself, who may be wrote to for information, & the Governor or the Manager of the Customs there, may be very proper to be applied to on the subject.
But were the Proposals made for supplying the Troops in Great-Britain, I should think the Price of Ammunition Bread of 6 pounds weight too high as the Quartern Loaf in London of better than 41/2 pounds of the best Wheaten Flour is asized at 7.5 pence consequently, 6 pounds would come to no more than 10pence, out of which the Baker has a reasonable Profit & Ammunition Bread is not worth so much by near 2pence a Loaf.
The Price for their Forage valuing Oats at 16 shillings a Quarter & Hay at £3 a load would not be too much considering the Expence of Delivery & Waste - and the price of 36pounds of Straw & a Bushel & a half of Coals for one shilling & six pence would be very reasonable; tho' Coals may be delivered at the Isle of Man much cheaper that at London.
It is impossible for me to say with any Exactitude at what prices the several Articles mentioned in Mr Bacon's Proposal can be delivered at the Isle of Man without being better informed than I am at present.

Mr Bacon has no doubt informed himself from the Island the Value of those Articles there & if he will communiucate what that Information is it will be easy making a proper Allowance for his Expences & Profit on the delivery; but if no knowledge can be obtained by that or any other Means, now I take the Liberty to give my Opinion, that, if the Agreement must be made out of hand, because the Troops are gone, it will be better to make it for a short time only or until their Lordships can be fully informed by persons belonging to the Government on the Island concerning the Rates of those Articles which it is to be hoped will become more reasonable on Getting in the Harvest than they are at present.
As to the Species of Firing - Wood has been generally delivered to the Troops in Camp, and preferred by them to Coals as the Allowance is so small & Wood kindling better than Coals, but in Garrison, it is usual to furnish the latter.
I return you Mr Bacon's Meml & have the Honor to be &c Abiah Hume

[enclosed Bacon's Memorial noted as 16 July 1765 refd to Mr Hume]
To the right honbl the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury
The humble memorial of Anthony Bacon.
Sheweth
That in pursuance of your LordshipsCommand your memorialist is ready to undertake the Supply of his Majestys Troops in the Island of Man with the usual allowance of Provisions & Forage on the Terms of the aftermentioned but in regard to the impracticability of supplying wood in tht part of the Kingdom your memorialist proposes to deliver Coals in Lieu thereof in the proportion of one Bushel and one half in lieu of 105lb of Wood.
Six pounds of Bread @ one Shilling
15 lb of Hay or 8lb of Oats @ twelve pence halfpenny
Thirty six pounds of Straw or One Bushel & an half of Coals @ one Shilling & sixpence

Notes

Ammunition Bread is merely that supplied to the Troops - probably of an inferior quality to that of the best wheaten mentioned by Mr Hume