Affidavit – Richard Harrison – 3 Apr 1742

Richard Harrison of  Alnwick in the County of Northum’d (Plummer) Aged forty Four years and upwards being Sworn and Examined deposeth that he does now know and has for these thirty years last past very well known the Close or parcell of Ground Situated in the parish of Alnwick and commonly called or known by the name of Goose Crook Close and that the same is Boundred by the Main on South West and North and by the wide open Grounds on the East And this Deponent further saith that the Dike or Fence A C B on the Rising Ground of the east side of the said Goose Crook Close has ever Since this Deponent first knew the sd Close stood where the same now Stands Save and Except that the same Dike or fence did formerly run from C to F and not from C to B as it now does And this Deponent also Saith that the said Dike or fence ACB was during all the time of his Deponents knowledge of the Said Close reputed and esteemed to be the Boundary Between the said Close and the Wide Open Save and Except only as aforesaid And Also this Deponent saith that the piece of Ground lying between the Runner DE and the Dike at ACB was ever since this Deponent knew the sd Close reputed to be and enjoyed as part of the said Close. [The boundary references are shown on a simple plan attached to the affidavit and which is available in the PDF version of this document. It is very similar to that appended to the affidavit given by Thomas Harrison on the same day]



And this Deponent does with the greater Certainty depose this because he saith that his father Thomas Harrison did farm the said Goose Crook Close for the space of Eight years (Viz.) from abt. the year of our Lord 1707 to the year of our Lord 1715 and that he this Deponent did very often in that time go to see his fathers Cattle in the sd Close and that the Cattle did for the most part during that time Graze on the sd piece of Ground Betwixt the said Runner and the sd Dike or fence because that the piece of Ground or part of the sd Close on the West Side of the said Runner was then usually covered  with Whins And this Deponent further saith that the then occupier of the Wide Open did very frequently during the time that this Deponents father so farmed the said see this Deponents fathers Cattle Depasturing upon the sd piece of Ground Betwixt the said Runner and Dike or fence and never offered to Impound them nor found fault wth their goeing and feeding their And this Deponent further saith that during all the time of his fathers farming of the said Close their never was any way Thro’ or along the sd piece of Ground Betwixt the sd Runner and the sd Dike or fence nor more than one Gate belonging to the sd Close wch was Hung where the gate at A now is or theirabouts And this Deponent further saith that Fran. Anderson farmed the sd Goose Crook Close for Severall years after this Deponents father Quitted the possession theirof and that the said Anderson did at the same time also farm the Wide Open Grounds and the Mains and did then Erect and Build the Mains House now standing North of the sd Piece of Ground for there was no house there before that time that this Deponent ever heard of And this Deponent in order that his Deposition may be the better understood craves leave to Referr himself to the plan hereto annexed

      Ricd. Harrison



Sworn before me the 3rd April 1742 at Alnwick in Northumberland Alex. Brown



January 22nd 1744/5 Sent the Board this day