Letter – Francis Tweddell to Arthur Mowbray – 22 Jan 1800

      Copy letter Mr Tweddell to Mr Mowbray

      Threepwood 22nd Jan 1800

Dear Sir,

      I have just received your Favor of the 18 Inst desiring my Sentiments as to a division of Bollihope and Stanhope Commons.

      Having about three months ago observed to Mr Scruton at Stanhope that as he had taken the liberty without consulting the Unthank proprietors or any other principally entitled to rights on Bollihope Common out of the Stanhope Inclosure Bill and which Common being therein included was the only means (by a large) saving of expences to make the measure palatable to the proprietors as on no account would it otherwise pay to the proprietors the expence of a separate Bill. And as from my own knowledge and by conversing with several of the principal proprietors and by Mr Scrutons various letters to me on the subject and which letters are founded on the answers of each individual proprietor as to their assent or otherwise of the then proposed divisions of Bollihope Common. Mr Scruton theron positively asserts a decided majority against that division. Under such circumstances I then told Mr Scruton the Unthank proprietors and all others I know or had conversed with were totally averse to and would most certainly oppose any attempt for a Division of Bollihope and Stanhope Commons and that the proprietors on Bollihope were determined to make it a Stinted Common or pasture and such continues to be the Assessment of myself and most others of the principal proprietors as in that the advantages to be derived by each Individual proprietor would be fairly and fully obtained and at a very trifling Expence.

      Mr Scruton knowing these several matters was certainly taking a liberty very unbecoming to advertise a Meeting of proprietors of those commons and without their consent or application to any of them, as you are pleased to say the advertisem[en]t was of Mr Scrutons doing and to attempt a Division of those Commons under such circumstances and at the same time wholly inattentive to the rules of the House (which in all divisions must be attended to) of course I naturally conceived that proceeding (as by <acct>) was the production of some person wholly unacquainted with business – and impressed with such Ideas I wrote [to] our Steward Mr Geo: Dixon (in case any meeting did take place) to protest against all the proceedings and to attend to my further Instructions on the <division>. The violent Storm now raging here and what has preceded must probably have rendered the roads unpassable and <removing> any attempt of mine to attend the Meeting and which otherwise prevented I certainly should, and to have then had the pleasure of personally delivering you my sentiments thereon <considerably more> at large,

      Believe me, Dear Sir, Your truly faithful Servant

      (signed) F Tweddell