Letter – Nicholas Walton to John Ibbetson – 19 Mar 1792

John Ibbetson Esq					Farnacres 19th March 1792



Sir

      Herewith you receive Heads of Bill for dividing and inclosing certain parts of the Commons Moors or Tracts of Waste Land called Hexhamshire and Allendale Common in the Regality or Manor of Hexham which you are desired to lay before the Board. I have taken the first opportunity of sending them not having had it in my power to inform you of the precise intended Terms till I got a Copy of the Bill and that was not till Friday night. I think the Terns are such as to promise a considerable improvement to the Hospitals Estate in Hexhamshire and well adapted upon the whole to produce a general benefit but we shall be so late in getting this busyness before Parliament that I realy have my apprehensions the Bill may not be got thro’ this Sessions it will however certainly be proper to make the attempt if the consent Bill can be got Signed by a sufficient number as to Value in the course of this Week & I hope that will be done but it will be by adding the Hospitals Rental of £701.17.6 and consequently it will be necessary to have the Hospitals consent notified to Mr Heron who Sollicits the Bill and will I expect be in London next Week & will wait upon you as also upon Mr Everest to whom I have by the Mail Coach of this Day sent a full Copy of the Bill which I hope will meet with the Boards approbation. I am

      Sir Your most Obed. Servt.

      Nicholas Walton Junr.



PS We have had one meeting about settling the Disputed Boundary and I hope the busyness will be finished next Week and it certainly would have been finished before this time if the uncommon severe weather we have lately had would have allowed our proceeding.





Heads of Bill intended to be presented to Parliament for dividing and inclosing certain parts of the Common Moors or Tracts of Waste Land called Hexhamshire & Allendale Common within the Regality or Manor of Hexham in the County of Northumberland and for other purposes therein mentioned.



      States that the sd. Commons etc. consist by estimation of 60,000 Acres, that in their present state they are of little use or service but that considerable parts are capable of Cultivation and Improvement, that Sir Thomas Blackett Baronett is Lord of the Manor and that he the Commissioners and Governors of Greenwich Hospital & divers other persons are entitled to right of Common on the said Commons etc. also stating that there are within the sd. Manor there are certain Town Fields in which lie intermixed with each other the properties of divers Persons and requiring the aid of Parliament to enable the several Properties to have a Division and inclosure of the most improvable parts of the said Commons etc. to Stint the remainder and to Divide & inclose the said Town Fields for the effecting of which purposes it is proposed that the Commissioners etc, shall be appointed & the following regulations to take place.

	

Three Commissioners

Three Arbitrators

Out Boundaries to be perambulated one month before the first Meeting of the Commissioners

Claims affecting the sd. Boundaries to be given to the Commissioners at their first or second Meeting and if objected to, to be referred to the Arbitrators but if either Party refuses to consent to reference the Claim to be tried at Law.

Surveys to be made of the Commons etc, Estates having right of Common and of the said Town Fields, for which purpose two Surveyors are appointed.

Commissioners to give public Notice of their first Second and third meeting, for at least 14 Days, and 8 Days Notice for all subsequent meetings.

Claims of right of Common to be delivered at the first or Second Meeting and Persons Etc. neglecting to be excluded. Such Claims not objected to at the 1st 2nd or 3rd Meeting to be final but if objected to the cause of such objection must be given and in case of such objection being persisted in the Claim to be refused to the Commissioners or to the Arbitrators if the Parties shd. Desire that.



      The Line of Boundary between the Two Parishes in which the sd. Commons etc. lie not being now known the Line of Boundary to be fixed by the Commissioners, in proportion to the Value of Estate lying in each Parish.

      Not more than 15,000 Acres to be divided and inclosed and the residue stinted.

      A Value to be made of the Commons etc. and of all Estate having Right of Common and the Allotments to be made for Houses of Mills to be less by one third than for Lands.

      The Lord of the Manor is to have one Sixteenth part of the parts of the Common which are to be divided and inclosed and one Sixteenth part of the Stints as Lord in both Parishes, after deducting the Ground that shall be allotted for Roads Quarries & watering places. Such owners of Estates may be desirous to have their Land made Tithe Free upon request for that purpose to the Lord of the manor who is also Lay Impropriator and his consenting thereto such Estates are to be freed from the payment of Tithes in lieu of which they are to abate of their respective allotments so much as shall be adjudged by the Commissioners to be equivalent to the Tithes & the quantity abated is too be allotted to the Impropriator.

      As in many instances the Proprietor of Estates of £10 p. annum and under may be desirous to have Land rather than Land & Stints and in others Stints only it is proposed by way of accommodating all such to let them have am option either of having Land only or Stints only.

      The Lord of the Manor reserves all Mines Minerals  etc. with full powers of working & without making any satisfaction for damage of ground but that is to be pd. by a general rate to the Persons damnified, the Lord not to be included in such rate nor to receive anything for damages done in his Allotments  But Public Freestone and Limestone Quarries (if the same can be conveniently done) are to be set out in the Commons Moors & Tracts of Waste Land for the use of the Proprietors at large and   some of those Quarries are to be in certain cases restricted to the use of particular Proprietors. The Proprietors of Allotments are also to be impowered to take therein Freestone Limestones Slates and Crow Coal and also Clay for Bricks and Tiles; and to get Peats Turves Crone Coal Freestone Limestone and Slate in the Stinted Pastures for the use of their Messuages Lands Tenements & Hereditaments, having right of Common on the said Commons etc.

      Commissioners to set out each Persons share in the most convenient manner and in proportion to the value of each Proprietors Estate having right of Common.

      All Incroachments made within 50years to be deemed part of the Commons etc. and also all others for which Acre Money or other acknowledgment had been taken except Houses Engines etc. erected heretofore by the Lord or Ladies of the Regality of Hexham.

      Allotments to be of the same Tenure as the Estates in respect of which they shall be made except as follows  Where, in the same Estate the Freehold prevails the Allotment is to be Freehold; and Where, in the same Estate the copyhold prevails the Allotment is to be Copyhold.

      Commissioners are to ascertain the nature as well as number of the Stints and to prescribe regulations for Stinting.

      The Boundary between Langley Barony and the Regality of Hexham fixed by a Ditch.

      The Bill also contains many clauses the substance of which is not mentioned in the above heads but such clauses are usualy inserted in Bills for Divisions of Commons in this part of the Kingdom.