Letter – Arthur Mowbray to Shute Barrington – 19 Mar 1799

      Durham 19th March 1799

My Lord

      I have just returned from the Weardale meeting, which was fully attended – The Wolsingham Attorney, Wallis, and a young attorney, of the name of Bainbridge, a Weardale Lad, have as I was informed been very active in working up the minds of the people, so as to make them believe we were going to take them in, & that all your Lordships liberal proposals were only to betray, by the Information I received last Sunday Evening, at Wolsingham there was reason to Dread a Tumult at Chapel. The meeting commenced about Ten. Your Lordships Letter to Scruton, as to Chapels and Schools, was first Read and I am truely sorry to say, save Mr Tweddell and Mr Currey, had no support. Mr Scruton proposed to Build a schoolhouse at his own expence, after the Question being put, and discussed with perfect good Temper, it was compleatly Negatived, the chief reasons given were that the Chapel & Schools would have to be Built on Col. Beaumonts Leasehold and that he and his Tenants w[oul]d be the only people benefitted, and they thought the Col. ought to do the whole himself. Mr Williamson had advised that Bollihope and Stanhope Commons had better be struck out of the Bill, & Scruton had done so, I own I felt surprised that he never had informed me, altho several times we conversed fully on the Bill since my return from London, this act gave great offence to Mr Tweddell and he declared that he would oppose the Bill, in every shape, as he believed he would have been able to have carried the Division, of those two Commons, in this situation I felt very awkward, with Mr Tweddell angry, and in so large a meeting of people whose minds I could easily perceive were agitated, so find[ing] I thought it best to take my chance by explaining the various circumstances, and by endeavouring to bring all parties into good Humour, in which I was fortunate enough to succeed. I then put the Question whether they whether they wished the Bill to go to parliament this [year] in the next Session, a great majority was for this, Mr Wallis was so very troublesome in opposing everything, that I could not help telling him what I thought of his conduct throughout this Business which produced the best possible effect, in consequence his Friends left him and we got thro the Business of the Day extremely well. I left Scruton at Chapel in I think perfect safety of a Compleat majority for the Bill as then offered. I have the further pleasure in informing your Lordship that I got Mr Tweddell into very good Humour, which with other circumstances gives me reason to hope, by another Bill the next Session the whole will be effected. The conduct and behaviour of the Weardale people were truly pleasing, after we got quit of Wallis, several thanked me for giving him that public jobation. I have my Lord done all I could, I wish I could have done more, however having <got hold>, and so much as it appears to the satisfaction of the Inhabitants, I hope to being all <secured> in time. I made the offer of one Thousand Pounds for one Thousand <acres> and another gentleman offered the like sum for another thousand, <..> was at the meeting quite obstinate, but I have hopes in time to get him to land.

I am my lord your lords obedient s[ervan]t

Arthur Mowbray.