Letter – Nicholas Walton to William Corbett – 20 Oct 1739

Ravensworth Castle  Oct 20. 1739	  

To Wm. Corbet Esqr.



Sir

      Last Post we Sent you our Cash accot. for the Month of Sept last and thereby acquainted you had received the greatest part of the Rents & fines at Keswick & Thornthwaite & that we wou’d Send this post a Sum in bills to the Treasurer this day wch. is Accordingly done to Mr Wood his deputy in bills amounting to Eleven hundred pounds.

      The Tennants woud have gladly laid hold of any agrement to have Clear’d themselves of the General Fine & made a Good Deal of Objection, but after the Ice was broke by some of the principle Ones. Every One to a man pay’d that was able & the rest are willing when they become so. we have not yet had time to make out an accot. of those that have not pay’d but we Intend it as soon as we Can when it Shall be sent you for the boards Direction. In the mean time we must begg leave to recomend one poor weddow to the Hospitals favour whose fine is £20. of which she has been only able to pay five her name is Francis Lancaster of Thornthwaite, who has a Small family & cannot propose to pay more than at the rate of £5 per ann. in which if the directors are pleased to Indulge it woud be a great Act of Charity.

      At the Court of Thornthwaite the Steward took Notice in the Charge of the Trespass which had been Comitted by the Revd.Mr Jefferson in Cutting down some Alder wood, & acquainted him & the rest of the Tennants, how much the Hospital took it Amiss that any of them Shoud presume to Cutt wood without the Lords Licence which we hope will have some Effect upon ‘em  As the Parson (who has been the ringleader) was afterwards very Submissave & we believe in a few posts he will Acknowledge his fault to you & desire to be admitted to make Satisfaction.

      If the directors Intend to Sell any of the Derwentwater Woods Next Spring they Shoud be now advertized lest people who are Inclinable to buy shoud Stock themselves Elsewhere. we are of opinion that Dilston wood may be sold next Spring & about three of four Hundred pounds value at Keswick.

      We have got the Coppy of the Grand Indentures to the Tenants of Keswick from Mr Simpson who Coppyed it & is ready to be sent as soon as we Receive your Commands. a Duplicate of it woud be useful to us & may be Coppyed here as reasonable or more so than in London, but as it is a verry long thing And will require a great deal of time, we will deferr meddling with it till the board are pleased to give us their directions. Mr Simpson will not Charge any thing for the Coppy he has made till the directors see it & then he Desires they will be pleased to Order him what they think proper.

	Inclosed you will Receive the Court keeper of Kes[wick]s Minutes taken from an Indenture relating the meal Tythes of Keswick, which is demanded of us to be pay’d Out of the Skinnershill hill & Eskinbeck part of the Demene Lands at Keswick. & by which it appears The Summ Demanded is realy due - being only three Shillings & Sixpence per ann. & you will Likewise Receive the Coppy of an Old Receipt from the Derwentwater bailiff for ½ a years Rent of Thornthwait out of which has been Allowed a land tax which was Likewise demanded of us but as both are outgoings which we were not before Acquainted With & which we believe thge Directors may not have heard of We refuse the payment of them tho’ from all the Accots. we have both are Due. we will waite the boards directions therein and are

      Sir Yr most Obed. Hble Servts

      Nich. Walton  





A Coppy of Thos. Graves Receipt for an Allowance of land Tax 

To the Thornthwaite Tenants  NB  Thos Grave was the Lords late bayliff 



Thornthwaite old Rent. June 30th.1713 Received then from Thomas Pearson the Sum of five pounds two Shillings for half a years Rent due to the Earl of Derwentwater at Whitsuntide last past 

I say rec[eive]d by me Thomas Grave

Allowed out of this sum for land tax 5s





      By Ind[ent]ure bearing date 22d January  15th Charles made between John Maxfield of woodford raw in the County of Essex proprietor of the Rectory & parsonage of Crosthwaite of the one part and Christopher Laiths of dalehead, Cuthbert Rogers, Francis Radcliffe and others of the other part resiting that Whereas they the said Christopher Laiths & Cuth. Rodgers  Francis Radcliffe & many Others in the said Indenture Named and all therefrom whome they Claimed owners and Occupiers of Lands within the Said parish had therefore time out of mind Paid unto the Said John Maxfield and all those from whome he Claimed Several Sum and Sums of money Called Meal Tythes Assessed by a known number of pecks of meal upon Every their Several lands & Tenaments in the Schedule to the S[ai]d Ind[ent]ure anexed mentioned which Said Tyth by reason of the Alteration of the price of Corn yearly was very uncertain For the Settling & Establishing of the Said money for Meal Tyth to be Constant & Settled for Ever and in Consideration of Such yearly payments as in the said Schedule is mentioned & for other Considerations 

      He the said John  Maxfield did thereby Covenant that the said Christopher Laithes and all Others the Owners & Occupiers  of any of the Lands in the said Schedule mentioned and their Heirs or Assigns should hold & Enjoy the said Tythes of Corn Graine & meal & Sums of Money for meal Tyth and all other Tythes due or to be Due to the Said John Maxfield  his heirs or Assigns for or by reason of Any of the Lands or Tenements in the said Schedule on the 25th day of April in Every year in the South porch of the parish Church of Chrosthwaite, And for default to pay double the Rent & to be lyable to be Sued in the Ecclesiastical Court or Elsewhere And pay Costs and Damages.

      Maxfield Covenants that he is lawfully Seized and that this Prescription shall not be altered and that he will pay to Our Sovereign Lord the King £14 per ann. in lieu of the Fee farm Rents.

      NB. Skinnershhill hill then in the hands of Cuthbert Rogers And now in the Lords hands is incerted in the said Schedule & Charged with the payment of 2/4d

      Francis Radcliffe for his Tenament above Eskinbeck is likewise Charged with the payment of 1/2d