Deposition – John Fetherstonhaugh – 7 Aug 1680

Deposic[i]ons of Witnesses produced sworne and Examined on the p[ar]t and behalfe of Humphrey Wharton Esq Compl[ainan]t Against the Reverend father Nathaniell Lord Bishopp of Durham Robert Dormer Esq William Blackett Gent and others Defend[an]ts Taken at Lynskarth in the Parrish of Stanhopp in the County of Durham upon Wednesday the seaventh day of August in the thirty second yeare of the Raigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles the second by the grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King Defend[er] of the faith &c. Before us Thomas Gyll and Simon Hutchinson Gent[lemen] <commic[i]oners> by vertue of a Comicon [Commission] Issued forth from the Barons of his Maj[estie]s Court of Excheq[uer] att Westminster to us and to Cuthbert Hawdon and Ralph Gowland Gent or to any Three or Two of us directed for the Examinac[i]on of Witnesses on the p[ar]t and behalfe of the Compl[ainan]t 



John Fetherstonhaugh of Middleblackdeane in the Parrish of Stanhopp in the County of Durham Gent aged Fifty foure yeares or thereaboutes Sworne & Examined sayth 



To the First Interrogatory this Depon[en]t sayth that hee knowes the Compl[ainan]t and severall of the Defend[an]ts (Vizt) Nathaniell Lord Bishopp of Durham John Mowbray Richard Mowbray and John Westgarth, And knowes the Two Parrishes of Stanhopp and Wolsingham and the Forrest of Weredale and hath soe knowne the same above Forty yeares last past.



To the Second Interrogatory hee sayth  That the p[re]sent Lord Bishopp of Durham and his p[re]decess[or]s  in right of theire Bishopprick are seised in Fee of and in A County Pallatine and of all libertys and Franchises thereunto belonging and p[ar]ticularly of and in the Two Mannors or Lordshipps of Stanhopp and Wolsingham and Forest of Weredale   And hee better knowes the said Bishopp to be soe seised for that hee This Depon[en]t was Bayliffe to the late Bishopp Cozens and now is Bayliffe and Constable to the p[re]sent Bishopp within the said Lordshipp of Stanhopp   And sayth that the said Lord Bishopps are so seised of and in all Mynes or Groves of Lead Ore lying within the said Parrishes of Stanhopp and Wolsingham and Forest of Weredale.



To the Third Interrogatory this Depon[en]t sayth  That there now is An Officer called the Mooreman or Moorem[aster] which Said Office is helde and enjoyed by the Compl[ainan]t by Lettres Pattents und[er] the Bishopp of Durham  And this Depon[en]t believes that the Said Office has been time whereof the memory of man is not to the contrary  And sayth that the Said Officer by vertue of his Said Office did worke all Lead Mynes or Groves of Oare within the said Parrishes and Forrest and that noe person could worke any Lead Myne or Mynes within the Said Parrishes and Forrest without Lycense of the said  Moorem[aster]: And hee better knowes the same for that both the Depon[en]t and his father (now Deceased) have taken severall Tackes or Grants from severall of the said Moorem[aster]s of Lead Mynes lying within theire owne Auncient Enclosed grounds p[ar]ticularly of A myne called the Cragg:Grove and a Myne called Faw:Grove.



To the Fourth Interrogatory this  Depon[en]t sayth that hee knowes that Thomas Wharton Esq Richard Hutton Esq and the Compl[ainan]t have all enjoyed the Said Office of Moorem[aster]:  And doth believe (for hath often heard his father declare the same) That Mr Francis Pilkington Sr George Bowes Mr Wm Bowes Mr Suertyes and Mr Wythers were all Moorem[aster]s and Enjoyed the Said Office  And this Depon[en]t sayth that hee very well remembers that one William Key Robert Heslopp and William Blackett of Hoppyland were Deputy Mooremasters and did Lett and Grant severall Tackes of severall Lead Mynes belonging to the said Moorem[aster]s  And this Depon[en]t took a Tacke of A Lead Myne from William Blackett called Elmeford and wrought and Enjoyed the said Myne by vertue of the said Tacke. 



To the Fifth Interrogatory hee sayth That the Moorem[aster] by vertue of his Said Office hath full power and Authority to prohibitt stop and Lett all p[er]sons whatsoever from workeing or sincking of any Lead Myne or Mynes within the said Two Parrishes and Forrest unless such p[er]son or persons soe workeing were lycensed by such Moorem[aster] or theire Lawfull Deputy or Deputys  And this Depon[en]t very well remembers that Thomas Wharton Esq Moorem[aster] did prohibitt and stopp this Depon[en]ts father from workeing in a certain Lead Myne called Allerclough untill such time as a Tack was taken thereof from the said Moorem[aster] notwithstanding the said Myne called Allerclough then layd within this Depon[en]ts father owne grounds att Middleblackdeane being an Auncient Enclosure  And this Depon[en]t hath likewise knowne severall other p[er]sons take such Grants or Tackes of severall other Lead Mynes from the said Moorm[aster] or theire Deputys within the said Two Parrishes and Forrest of Weredale.



To the Sixt Interrogatory This Depon[en]t sayth That within the said Parrish of Stanhopp there are severall Fells Moores Hoopes and Grounds called and knowne by the severall names of Bollihopp Westenhopp Swinhopp Dadrisheild Harthopp Ireshopp Burnehopp Welhopp Kilhopp Heddryclough Sedlinghopp Middleblackdeane Easterblackdeane Middlehopp Rookehopp Stanhopp hopp Crawley Billing Westgate hight Newlandside & Peakside   And hath knowne the same all the time of his this Depon[en]ts Remembrance.



To the Seaventh Interrogatory This Depon[en]t sayth that hee very well knowes that within the Fells Moores Hoopes and Grounds in this Interrogatory menc[i]oned there are severall Lead mynes or vaines of Lead called and knowne by severall distinct name or names (vizt) on Ireshoppfell hee knowes the Myne or grove called Fawgrove and wrought the same about fifteen yeares since by Tack from the Moorem[aster] the same being an Aunciently wrought Myne and lys within Enclosed grounds and knowes the Mynes called Fawheads Greenwellheads Greenwellfoote Barberrygrove Gravell Lodge Peiterclough Ernewell West of Ernewell Howlesike Waggan:grove Westgraine Bradesike Iresburnefoote and wrought the said Ireshoppburnefoote by Tack from the Moorem[aster] and knowes Groveheads and Cawdberry End  And this Dep[onen]t knowes the Mynes or Vaines on Burnehoppfell called Greene Law End Langtayhead East and West of Langtayhead Berrywell Scrath:heads Springwells Cocklake Blacklaws East and west of Blacklaws Castenholes Hesleygill Sallagraine Wyndsike and Crooked Sike  And this Depon[en]t knowes the Myne called Harthennes on Harthoppfell  And sayth that hee knowes the Lead Mynes on Killhoppfell called Ellyclough Westrake of Green:feild Highbirkes Ellymay Snodbury clough Cowford Low birke and High grove  And on Welhoppfell hee knowes Welheads and Cowhause  On Heddrycloughfell hee knowes the Eastergreenefeild  and Westergreenefield the Easter Puddingthorne and West[er] Puddingthorne And knowes on Middleblackdeane fell the Myne of Allerclough which was wrought by this Depon[en]ts father and himselfe all the time during his this Depon[en]ts remembrance and knowes Greenhills and Elmeford which were wrought by this Depon[en]ts father about Forty yeares since the Stoupheads was likewise wrought by this Depon[en]ts father above Forty yeares since  And knowes the Rakes and Cloughhead and the Cragg:grove which lys within a very Auncient Enclosure and was wrought by this Depon[en]ts father above Forty yeares since and knowes Lodgefeildslitt and Fawgrove all which Mynes above menc[i]oned when the same were opened and wrought were wrought by Tack from the Moorem[aster] as incident to theire said Office of Moorem[aster]  And knowes on Easterblackdeane fell the Mynes called Lawsgrove and Fairehills and hath knowne the same wrought by Tack from the Moorem[aster] which said mynes ly within Enclosed grounds which have beene Aunciently Enclosed  And this Depon[en]t knowes the Mynes on Sedlinghopp called Broadmay Todstone East & West Burnegrove Bailehill Brakensike w[hi]ch said Brakensike was wrought above Forty years since by Godfrey Didsbury by Tack from the Moorem[aster] and knowes Whiterake Sedling grove and Reedgrovehill of w[hi]ch said groves this Depon[en]t had A Tack from the Moorem[aster]  and knowes Barkerburne Arnegrove hill and Sedling great rake on Bollihopp fell hee knows the Mynes called Harnishaw and Ewtree  And this Depon[en]t knowes on Middlehoppfell the Mynes called Earneclough Blackaxiltree West of Newmeadow dike Newmeadowheads and the Dowkes and on the Fell called Westgate hight this Depon[en]t knowes the Myne of Lead called Groverake which said Myne about Forty Five yeares since was wrought by one Jenkyn Myres by Tack from the Moorem[aster] and doth remember that the said Jenkynn Myres did often in this Depon[en]ts sight Accompt and reckon for the oare there gotten and digged with the then Moorem[aster] or his Deputy who paid him for the said oare and hee knowes the Lead mynes on the Sidehead which was an Auncient Lead worke which said last menc[i]oned two Lead Mynes lye within A very Auncient Enclosure which was Enclosed before the memory of man And the Depon[en]t sayth that on Rookehopp fell hee knowes the mynes called Garbutt May Langwell Foulewood Resby Myres and Lynskarth cleugh head And on Crawley fell knowes the myne called Crawley And knowes the Myne called Newlandside  And knowes the Pickstone on Wolsingham fell And the Depon[en]t sayth that he very well remembers the workeing and sinking of severall of the above named Mynes by Tack from the Moorem[aster]  And doth veryly believe that all the above menc[i]oned mynes when the same were wrought were wrought by Tack from the Moorem[aster] as incident and belonging <themselves likewise> 



To the Eighth Interrogatory this Depon[en]t saith That severall of the Mynes which this Depon[en]t hath named in the last menc[i]oned Interro:gatory are very Auncient Lead Mynes wh[ic]h have been wrought before the Depon[en]ts remembrance as appeares by severall Auncient shafts and greate heapes of Sparr and Vaine soyle drawne out of the same  And sayth that att such time or times when any of the said Auncient Mynes were sett on or wrought dureing this Depon[en]ts remembrance the same were wrought by Tack or Grant from the Mooremaster or their Deputye  And this Depone[n]t doth believe and hath heard the same soe reputed by this Depon[en]ts father and other very Auncient Myners now Deceased That all the Mynes wrought within the said Parrishes and Forrest were wrought by the Moorem[asters] or by Grants or Tacks under them as well within as without the Enclosed grounds



To the Ninth Interrogatory this Depon[en]t sayth That hee hath heard of a Lease obtained by Alphonsus Bulmer of some Lead Mynes  And sayth that by vertue of that Lease he the said Alphonsus Bulmer Mr Hall and one Mr Laton who was Steward to the then Bishopp Morton <came to> A grove called Cragg:grove being A very Auncient Enclosure and demanded possession of the same from this Depon[en]ts father who then wrought the same by Tack from the Moorem[aster] whereupon this Depon[en]ts father then Acquainted the s[ai]d Bulmer and the Bishopps Steward that hee wrought the same by Tack from the Mooremaster whereunto they replyed they would not interrupt the Moorem[aster] in any of his workes soe this Depon[en]ts father and himselfe ever after quietly and peaceably wrought the said Myne of Cragg:Grove and other Mynes within Enclosed grounds under the Tythe of the Mooremaster.