Deposition – John Robinson – 28 Nov 1757

John Robinson, 63 and upwards, of Woodmas Walls in the West Allen, had lived at the Hope in Whitfield ‘and hath lived there from his birth till Mayday gone two years since’. He knew the places called Hareshaws, Thackshaws and Millstones Fell, but did not particularly know the name of Thackshaws until about 24 or 25 years ago when Sir Walter Blackett rode his boundary, but that to his knowledge they were always reputed to be within the Manor of Whitfield, and he never heard any claim to the contrary until Sir Walter Blackett rode his boundary.  He was present a great many years ago when Mr Utrick Whitfield rode his boundary ‘together with a great number of Persons Tenants and Inhabitants within the Manor…but cannot recollect whether he this examinant went with them to the Long Cross or how the Boundary was rode from the Long Cross… but he very well remembers that they began to ride …at Whitfield Hall and went up the boundary between Whitfield and Kingswood, and thence…between Whitfield and Coanwood and thence between Whitfield and Knarsdale and thence between Whitfield and the Lord of Barrow to the Law where a Barrel of Ale was drank, but doth not recollect whether he this examinant went any farther with them….’

He remembered that Sir Walter Blackett and Mr Mathew Whitfield had later ridden their boundaries on the same day, and described the Whitfield boundary as going by the same route as before ‘and from the Law to the Long Cross and from the Long Cross to the Hardrigg Currock and there he met with Sir Walter Blackett and his Company and this examinant saw nor heard of nothing but civility between Sir Walter Blackett and Mr Whitfield at the Hardrigg Currock’

‘Mr Whitfield and his Company rode from the Hardrigg Currock through the Moss to Knights Cleugh Head and [from there] to the Millstones Dyke above the houses where they met Sir Walter Blackett and his Company again who had rode from the Hardrigg Currock to to the Long Cross and from the Long Cross to the Blue Snab and [from there] through the Millstone Bottom south and that at the Millstone Dyke there had like to have been a quarrel between the Common People of Sir Walter and Mr Whitfield and the said Sir Walter interposed and told them it was a Dispute between Mr Whitfield and him which was to be decided between themselves and that they were not to engage in it or used words to that effect and so the People on both sides were made quiet.’

He said ‘that he married at the age of 22 years or thereabouts and after his marriage for about twenty years followed the business of a Carrier of Lead and Lead Ore from the Groves in Alston Moor to Whitfield Lead Mill and whenever he went with his horses from the Hope to Blagill Groves which he generally did once in a fortnight or thereabouts he used to go through the Millstones Bottom over the Hareshaws to the Hardrigg Currock not keeping any Highway and often used to lie down and let his horses graze for an hour or thereabouts upon the Hareshaws ….’