Letter – Nicholas Walton to Thomas Corbett – 27 Jan 1736

To Thos Corbett Esqr

      Ravensworth Castle  Janry the 27 1735/6

Sr,

	Last post finished our Observations on Alstone Moore & Keswick from wch last place we proceeded to Carlisle as we found it necessary to wait upon Doctor Hutchinson there he having recd a part of the Rents at Keswick wch we were directed to receive we accordingly did wait upon him & he has promised to repay the Same to Us at Dilston next Week he has in his hand about £80

	One thing in regard to Keswick Rents we Omitted in our last wch is that the years rent is payable at penticost, and Martinmas, that is Supposing a Tennant to take a Farme, & Enter upon the Same at Mayday he pays his first half years rent at penticost following & the Other at Marts we have reced all the Latter half year & that wch Mr Hutchinson will pay us Compleats a years Rent from Mayday 1735 to Mayday 1736 we mean the Demesene Lands.  This you will find differs from other parts of the Estate for from Marts 1734 when we Commenced to Mayday Next will be One year & a half whereas at Keswick we receive only one year.

	Wm Charlton Esqr who lately Farmed Buteland was wth us at Hexham, & pd the last half years Rent due from him, & he then Claimed A Colliery on green haugh in Tindall now in the possession of Matt Robson and Lett at £5 per Ann as you will observe in Wark Rentall, it has been enjoyed by the late Derwentwater family & their successors many years  Mr Charleton, says this Colliery was part of the Estate of Lord palmer & afterwards was purchased by the Sd Mr Charleton.  We think it proper to acquaint you wth his having Claimed it the 12th January Inst but as we Shall enquire into the affair you will be further informed Afterwards.

	In Some of the Tennants Estates on long Leases in Langley Baroney are limestone Quarrys, wch the Lords present Tennts at will in that Barroney are Obliged to get their limestones at, & tho the Lord has a right to work all mannr of Quarrys, for his own Tennants Use wthin these Long Leased Lands yet the Tents at Will have been Obliged to pay an acknowledgment besides Spoyle of Ground in such cases Sr we think it proper that the Tenants at will should only pay for Spoyle of ground, & that other Lords tenants winning Limestone should pay an Acknowledgemt to the Hospitall and not to the Lessee of Such Estate where the Said Limestones are won.  we have granted a liberty to Two of Lord Oxfords Tennts to win 120 fothers of Limestones in one of the said farms at 11/2d per fother, to be pd to the Hospitall wch we hope the directors will approve of.

	Wm Wilson of Kingswood who has a Mill on his freehold Estate there, brings the water to the Sd Mill from Allan River thro part of the Lands of Langley Baroney wthout paying any acknowledgment.  The Damage done there is small yett we think the Lords right ought to be preserved by Making Wilson pay Something to the Hospitall

	We are Informed that some years agoe Mr John Ainsley took in wt was Called the Mill Island at Haydenbridge betwixt 2 & 9 Acres upon apart of wch he has planted Trees that for some years he lett the same for 40 Shills per ann to One John Brown a long wch a house wch was reckoned at £5 the two together & £7 per ann & that the said Mr Aiensley now Enjoys the same this we will be better Informed of & you shall be acquainted therewth.

	The Tythes of Ellington formerly belonged to Mr Benja Carr of Hexham & at that time Dennetly was as it now is farm’d by Mr John Ainesley, who then would not pay Tyth for dennettly to Mr Carr, these Tyths were afterwards purchased by Mr Ainesley, & are in his possn & we understand he now says that Dennettly is Subject to pay Tyths & Shou’d it be farmed by any other person we are informed that he will insist upon it, tho before he himself wod not allow it to be liable to the payment of tyth.  This and such like are infringments on the Rights of the Lord of the manour & ought carefully to be guarded against.

	We find by John Ridleys Article wth Mr Elstob & Mr Watson for a parcell of Oak Timber in Dilston Park that he is Obliged to make the first payment the 20 March last £225 and the other half or Secd payment the 20 of March next £225 that he has a liberty of 6 years to remove the Said Timber off the Said premisses and in Case of a hard bargain the Sd Mr Elstob & Mr Watson agrees to Alow him 24 Tunns of Timber to be cutt in Dilston Park.

	Mr John Ainesley by letter acquaints us that in the year 1734 being informed that the Tyths of Hartburn Rectory were not in lease, he applyed to Mr Jennison that he might farm those Tyths, thro whose interest he was put into possession of them at the Usual rent of £55 per annum by an Instrumt under the hands of the late recers.  Mr Wood says he was by Mr Readhead the late Bayliff acquainted thereoth.

	As to putting Mr Wood in possession thereof we Shall most readily do as you Direct but as those Tyths are lett so far under their Vallue we begg leave to defer it till we have your further Orders  Mr Wood may if you think it proper have the preference but we think those as well as Whelpington and Midford etc Should be advertised to be lett for one year as they will considerably advance particularly those of whelpington & Hartburn

	You have a Coppy of Mr Aynesley letter to us inclosed wherein you will Observe wt he says as to his being put into possession.  We wrote to him that he was not to proceed in any of the hospital Causes, wthout a particular Authority from the Directors, or from us by their order: & in answer you will Observe that he says there is but one Suit depending in wch the Hospitall cannot prevail wthout his Assistance.

	We have taken the Opinion of Lawyer Gray about the payment of petty Tyths for East Thornton & it is his Opinion that mr moor will prevail unless that Estate be exempted from it by the Grant from the Crown.  the Tyths of hartburn Rectory (of wch this pt of East thornton is a part) was granted to the Late Derwntwater family’s predecessors by the Crown & It is very probable that the sd Grant Extended to all mannor of Tyths & If so then Mr Moor cannot prevail in order therefore that we may be well prepared for A defensive desire you will by return of the post or as soon as may be Send us a Copy of the grant; you See Moor Libells him for all mannor of Tyths  The Citation is returnable the 6th of next Month but we have wrote to the Court of Durham to Indulge us wth a longer Term.

	We have also had a Letter from Gawen Aynesley Esqr abt the Tyths of that pt of the Common allotted him & Mr Cragg on Whelpington Division in wch Letter he says he is determined not to dispute it & that Mr Cragg’s Sucessor will be governed by him he proposes making a Case of it & Referring it to Council but says that Mr Blackett & Sr John Swinburn are equally concern’d in it, we have wrote to him again that we did not Understand anybody were concern’d in it but he & Cragg & therefore have desired him to make a State of the whole wch after we have had time to Consider wod acquaint him whether there was roome for such  a reference or not & that the Same wth our Opinions should be laid before the Board.  You have a Coppy of his Letter Inclosd.

	In the liberty of hartburn Grainge Estate is Fix’d a Bob Engine for drawing water out of a Coal Mine in the Estate of Aldmo Clayton of Newcastle  the water for making the sd Bob Engine goe is brought along the Bank wthin the sd Liberty.  an Engine Shaft Sank & drifts drove wthout paying any Consideration to the Hospital.  The Tenant Twizle says there was a Verbal Agreement wth Mr Errington late recr of the Rents for the Derwentwater family.  That the Tennt of Hartburn Shoud have for the Use of the farme 120 Fothers of Coals at 6d per fother  Less than Other people pay’d.  Lett that be so or not Mr Alderman Clayton ought to pay for the Liberty of Erecting his Engine about £6 per Annum he letts his Colliery at £15 or £20 per Annum and Cannot work her at all wthout a liberty from the Hospital  The Alderman we also find has taken the Liberty to Cutt <Corsrods> in the Liberty of hartburn wthout paying any satisfaction & we are Informed <Corse bows> Also.  We intend to talk wth the Alderman about the Affair and should he be backward in Coming to Terms, His Colliery may be laid off & the Same Seam of Coale may be Wrought in Hartburn Liberty, thor the Expence of Winning the Colliery in the Liberty of Hartburn will be Considerable and we think an agreement wth the Alderman will be more Elligable

	Your Letter about the Farme at Mildan given up by Mr Twizle & Welden came not to our hands till after we had been there, but we were not inconvenianc’d by it as we had agreed wth them for another Year upon the Same Terms they were formerly, They Claim the [a]way goeing crops of part of Meldon Park wch was in Corn when they Entered upon it & is now in grass it appears to have been intended them from a Memorandum on the bottom of their lease under Mr Errington’s hand, They have a Valuation put upon it wch they make abt £46 but we think If an Allowance is made them that a Valuation ought to be made by two Persons one Chose on Each side

	Edward Richardson Farms that part of meldon late in George fosters possession at £100 per Annum wch he says he took of Mr John Aynsley & Mr Watson wth a liberty of leasing out a field of about 20 Acres, he has apply’d to us to Confirme that liberty wch we have refused granting him but we believe he will do it under the grant he had from Mr watson & Aynsley.  His Farme is realy Dear & we believe Cannot be kept up at the present Rent & as he is a very Substantial Tennant we recommend it to the Directors to grant Him any Indulgence they think reasonable, he lays down a greater quantity of Land than this wch he proposes Tearing out.

	He and his prediscessors Liv’d many years upon this Farme & was turn’d of on acct of paying his rent to the Govement at the time of the Dispute wth the late Countess of Dernwater

	This estate of meldon in the whole Seems not capable of being much advanc’d tho’ part of the Out grounds & the Park is exceeding good Land,  Hartburn grainge, East thornton Hartburn Tyths & whelpington Tyths will advance considerably of wch you will have a particular estimation after the survey thereof.

	Spindleston & Outchester is a very extencive thing, & capable of being much improved & wthout expence will Considerably advance but we are doubtfull whether Middleton hall will keep at the present rent & we think Scremmerston the most improvable thing in the whole Estate, as the land is naturally good and plenty of Limestone and Coal upon the ground.

	We have now Seen the greater part of the Estate & we wo’d make some Judgment of the advance that may be made upon it as well as that of Scremerston wch we can be more exact in from the Survey and you will receive it wth Some other remarks next post we Cou’d give you the Situation of Each Estate but is verry tedious & Troublesome and may be much better done after the Survey but If the Directors require it & our present Thoughts on the Advance in the meantime upon the whole it Shall be done wth all expedition 

	As we before Said it will be proper to advertize the letting the Tyths of whelpington etc to be lett & we hope the directors will be expeditious in giving us directions therein as well as any thing Else necessary for the regular management of the Estate their general Directions in such things as they think proper will therefore enable us to goe thro’ the whole wth less trouble both to them selves and us.

	Mr Shaftoe Delaval the present possessor of whelpington Tyths desires to have the preferance when they come to be lett he is a Gentleman of an undoubted good Charactor & well effected to the present Government.  We are etc

      W & Boag



Ps  we return you this post Mr Delavales 2 letters & Ralph Woods petition