| Description | Copy petition to the Commissioners of Excise in London from John Watkinson, Jonathan Windle, Richard Bellwood, William Peacock, Samuel Middleton, John Rowntree, Francis Pratt, William Dodsworth and John Langdale, all of Scarborough grocers. On 28 February 1798, they had 275 bushels of refined salt shipped for them at Hull on board the sloop "Leith Packet", William Ward master. The salt was made by Crosbie and Urmson of Frodsham in Cheshire makers and refiners. The sloop experienced much bad weather during her passage and 126 bushels of salt were lost. The loss was proved to the satisfaction of the court of Quarter Sessions for the borough on 5 April 1798, and Crosbie and Urmson were to be allowed the duty on the lost salt. A letter from the Commissioners of Excise dated 16 July 1798 addressed to the Collector of the Toll Duties at Northwich ordered the Collector not to obey the court's order, and so the petitioners did not get the relief for which they had hoped |