Letter – Henry Richmond to William Darwin – 28 Mar 1760

To Mr Willm Alvey Darwin Grays Inn London                               Newcastle 28th March 1760 



Sir I have sent you this post such a state of the case as I am able to make out for the Escheat of Kikheaton to the Manor of Anick Grainge, But desire you will put It with such other facts observations and queries as occur to you to be necessary in a proper form for council; this being the Business of Folks of your profession; and when you have completed It I desire you will send me a copy and then if Sir Walter chooses to consult council in the country I can lay it before them.



The Inquisition in 1627 and the grant of livery in 1630 wch you sent an abstract of are very satisfactory, with regards to the manor of Anick grainge being granted to Sir Jno Forster. But it may, as you observe be necessary to shew that Kirkheaton was dependant on that Manor in the time of the prior and convent. The Black Book would be sufficient evidence for this, but for the word ibidem. And yet from the tenor of that book I hope it will be construed that Kirkheaton, wch the prior &c had in liberam Elimosinam, was dependant on the said Manor. For you see there are 3 persons that held lands at Kirkheaton of the prior &c by Homage and Fealty and 3 others who held lands at Caldstrother of Them by Homage and Fealty also, but no mention is made of a court at wch this Hom and Fealty was to be done either in Kirkheaton or Caldstrother. Only after the tenure of the said lands is declared to be by H & F it follows “Et omnes prdict debent Secta cus prioris ibm Now the court at Aynwyk was the prior and convents court for Hexhamshire within wch jurisdiction the scite of their monastry was. And all homage must have been done in that court before the lord himself by each freeholder on coming to his estate for no steward co[ul]d take homage. & Seizin of homage includes Seizin of Fealty & other inferior services 4 Rep 8. - If I am in right in this would not Kirkheaton be dependant on Anick Grainge notwithstanding Suit might be done at courts held at Kirkheaton or Caldstrother for the ease of the tenants there. If therefore Kirkheaton was dependant on Anick Gr Manor in the time of the prior etc it may be proper to mention that Sir Wr B not only is seized of the said manor of AG but also of the scite of the Monastry, of all the Advowsons Tithes and other spiritualties and pays the same stipends to curates as appear (by Hutchinsons rental) to have been paid at the time of the dissolution. 

As to further search in the offices you can judge better than I what will be wanted, and Sir Wr in desiring you to employ Mr Rooks, who he was told was well versed in old writings, left it to you to direct what was to be searched for. I can only say, that if any further light is wanted with regard to the Manor of Kirkheaton, & whether any court was held there, the Augmentation office and office of the Land revenue are the likely places. For at the dissolution minute surveys were taken of the possesions of all Abbeys monestries etc, describing the several estates whe[the]r they were manors and what courts were held for them etc. therefore Anick gr as well as Kirkheaton must be registred in the Augmentation office probably under the head monastry or priory of Hexham. Also while the manors of Anick gr and Kirkheaton were in the Crown the receivers or auditors must have accounted to the crown for the perquisites of these Courts, and this will appear in Office of Land Revenue. You may at your leisure look into Sir Jno Forsters purchase deeds of the scite of the monastry of Hexham of Sir Reginald Carnabys heirs in 1574 Bundle 8. Because some mention is made in them of services to the chief Lord. As you have here, or in the inclosed, all I can add to your abstract I suppose I need not at present return it to you, I wo[ul]d chose to keep it because Sir Wr will want to see it. I should be glad to hear what you think of the Extracts from the Black Book whether it will be any evidence of the dependance of Kirkheaton on A Grainge Manor. I am etc HR



PS The Stiles of the Courts at Anick gr wch I have sent you in the inclosed are and answer to the  Qu you put at the end of your Abstracts about the Rolls of that Manor.