Letter – Nicholas Walton to William Corbett – 21 Jul 1736

To William Corbett Esqr



 Sr                                                                                   Ravensworth Castle  July 21st 1736

	In Obedience to the Command of the Board you have inclosed an Accot of Such Household Goods as are now & were fixed at Dilston at the time of making the Schedule Sent down to us by the Board, amounting to £52-7-6.

	You have also Inclosed a Schedule of the most valuable of Such papers as were found at Dilston, in the three large Chests before Spoken of, but besides these in the Schedule are a great Number of old Papers & Accots of the Stewards of the late Derwentwater Family which may be of use & therefore proper to be kept for the use of the Hospitall  Shou’d it therefore be agreed by the Board to grant Mr Strickland all Goods but what are fixed to the Freehold it would by no means be proper to admitt any of the Papers to be taken away.

	The Manour House of Alston called Lowbyre, where the Court is kept, for want of Repaires is in a Ruinous Condition & Should this Sumer be Repaired; we have had it viewed by workmen, & the Expence of doing it will amount to near £20 wch not being in the Accot of the necessitous Repaires we before Sent you, we take the liberty to crave the Directions of the Board therein now.  This House not only on Accot of the Farme at Lowbyre, but on Accot of Court keeping & paying Rents & Fines there, is unavoidably to be kept in Repaire, for by the 20 penny fine Leases, the Lessees are obliged to pay their Rents at Lowbyre, by Ancient Custome they have done so , & will not pay them at any other Place.

	We have a Demand made upon us for Free Farme Rents due out of Shaftoe Tyth £7-11-d  Whelpington Rectory £19-1-d  Wooly Lands £3-11-d  Hartburn Rectory £14-1-d & Westwood Lands £10 in all £54-4-d part of wch being due before Martinmas 1734, we thought proper not to pay it without the order of the Board, wch we desire to have as early as you conveniently can, as the Person who receives it is uneasy about it.

	We reced the Minutes of the Board of Directors at Salters Hall the 14th Inst to which we have a due regard, but are concern’d to receive along with it Mr Gilling’s Remarks upon Severall Charges made by us in our Cash Accots tho’ indeed they are many of them trifling, yett, it gives us Concern that Mr Gilling Should in Such a Manner doe it, for it wou’d have been kind in him if he had acquainted us with anything he had to object to, Monthly as they accrued.

	Inclosed you will receive the Said Remarks, with our Answers to them, which we hope will be to the Board Satisfactory, & we hope they will putt us on Such a footing as we may go on with Pleasure in executing their Commands.

	You are exceeding kind Sr in Sending us all Minutes, that are made in relating the Estate, & Such as relate Mr Airey, or any others concern’d we will take care to transcribe & Send the Same to each Attested by us who are     Sr  Your most Obliged & most Obedt Servts

                                                                                        Nichos Walton    Hugh Boag



P.S. Mr Thompson is Just come in & we have paid him the further Sum of Twenty One Pounds Twelve Shillings & Six Pence, on Accot of Surveying.  he has already Surveyed 25,000 Acres.





[Table of remarks and queries on the Receivers Accounts and answers to each point]



Decem 19 1735  

Messengers to Mr Johnson & Mr Bunting wth their Appointmts as Bayliffs 6s6d. 

[Query:] Why this should not be pd by them

[Answer:] We were ordered by the Board to appoint Mr Johnson & Mr Bunting Bayliffs to the Hospital in the doing of wch we Sent Messengers on purpose which we apprehended to be an Expence upon the Hospitall, but if it is not thought fitt to be allowed we Shall charge it upon the Bayliffs.



Janry 6th 1735 

Paid Andw Scott a Sess for mentaining Prisoners in Carlisle Goal 18s 10d

[Query:] No such Charge made by Mr Watson.  why is it to be allowed

[Answer:] The Estate at Keswick we were told was lett Subject to the paymt of such Sesses as we have Charged;  But to prevent our being imposed upon, we went to Mr Hutchinson at Carlisle, (20 miles off) to whom we Shewed the Assesments demanded to be paid, which he said he beleived was very right.



Paid Nichs Grave a poor Sess for Keswick £3.18.d

[Query:] Why the Landlords pay Poor Sess

[Answer:] For the same reason we also paid’d this £3.18.d



Paid Adam Bell for Repaires at Keswick 3s 7 1/2d

[Query:] No Order of the Board

[Answer:] It is true we had no Orders of the Board for the payment of this three Shillgs & Seven pence halfpenny, but we apprehended that we had a discretionary power to allow Trifles of this kind without troubling the Board.



Pd Joseph Pearson for callg etc Kesw Tolls 2s 8d

[Query:] He being Bayliff why Should this be allow’d

[Answer:] The publishing of the Tolls to be lett is not done by the Bayliff but by another Person & we do not apprehend that the advertising of Farmes etc to be lett or Sold can be intended by the Directors to be upon us as Recers or the Bayliffs.



Pd J Pearson for Sevll Sesses on Kesw Lands £10 8s 6 1/4d

[Query:] The Particulars of this Charge

[Answer:] It is sent herewith.



Pd Do for repair Keswick Mill Dam £7 14s 9d

[Query:] By what Order

[Answer:] We had no Orders for the paymt of this Money, but as Such work is allways an Expence upon the Landlord, we made no Scruple in the payment of it, after having Viewed & approv’d the work.



Repaire of Midford Chancell £1 4s 5d

[Query:] Exceeds the Boards Order so much

[Answer:] We were not acquainted with any Order of the Board about Midford Chancell Repaires, but as Mr Rawling (who is a very Cautious Man & who has a halfe of Midford Tyths) pay’d the Same we made no Scruple of it.



Tenths of Meldon 8s 9 1/2d

[Query:] Why pd Mr Watson havg made no such Charge

[Answer:] Because it is agreeable with the outgoings made out by Mr Gilling & Mr Watson has certainly paid it.



Mr Bunting Severall Disbursmts £3 17s 11d

[Query:] Without the Order of the Board

[Answer:] The Particulars Sent herewith wch we look upon to be a proper Charge on the Hospl



Fees to Lawyer Grey  £1 1s

[Query:] Without the Order of the Board

[Answer:] We had no Orders in this but found it the Interest of the Hospital to consult him, wch we did & acquainted the Board therewith wch they approved off.



Books and papers £1 11s

[Query:] Without the Order of the Board

[Answer:] We never knew one Instance of Agents paying for Books, Papers or Postage of Letters, for which reason we charged it, & hope it will be allowed off.



Overcharged in Poundage £4

[Query:] 

[Answer:] Mr Gilling will be pleased to observe this mistake Rectyfied.



Pd Mr Thompson Surveying  £60

[Query:] Without the Order of the Board

[Answer:] We acquainted the Board with the first Paymt to Mr Thompson, wch was approv’d off & for that reason we paid him £60 more on Accot & there is a considerable Sum more due.  But besides he was (by agreemt with Coll Liddell) to have money paid him from time to time.



Pd Matt Readhead for 4 boules Barley  16s

[Query:] Whether the Incomg Tennt is not to be charged with this

[Answer:] The four boules of Barley charged upon Mattw Readhead, was Sown upon some land that was ready prepared by Readhead when his Goods were Sold, & therefore is a proper Charge upon him, as he was Intitled to a Waygoing Crop.



Severall Small Sums pd Mr Bunting & Mr Johnson for Messengers

[Query:] They being Bayliffs whether they shou’d be allowed to charge Messengrs valug Woods etc

[Answer:] When any Woods are valued it is done by Men whose busyness it is, & who are Supposed to be Men of the best Judgement notwithstanding wch the Bayliffs attends & assists in the doing of it, but does not Charge any thing for himself, but only the other Persons.



[Query:] Whether the Recers are Intitled to Poundge upon the whole Rents wth out deduction of Taxes only 

[Answer:] We allways understood that we were Intitled by our Commission to poundage on the whole Rents without having any regard to any Outgoings.



If we are mistaken in anything that is above we are willing to Submitt to Such alterations as the Board think fitt, & on their first Command Shall rectify any mistakes; but we desire their Particular Instructions for our Guidance, as we do not want to make any Charges in their Accots but what they allow of



Ravenswth Castle July 21st 1736

	Nichos Walton	Hugh Boag Recers



A Coppy sent W Corbett Esqr  21 July 1736







The Particulars of the £10.8.61/4 paid for Sesses at Keswick Vizt 1734/5

Feby 6 paid Daniel Grave a Poor Sess then for Nancrook    -  - 4 1/2

March 1 paid Isaac Todd for a Standard Corn Peck Measure  - 4-

  for measurg any Corn whose measure is disputable 2s 

  & Iron binding 2s.

14th paid Jonathan Watson for a Weigh Balk for weighing   - 2- 4

  anything that is disputable in Weight & is kept in 

  the Town Hall

22 pd John Tewn 1/2 a years Land Tax for Goosewell &      - 5- 5

  Ullock Closes due Dec 25 Inst

25 pd John Fisher 1/2 a year’s Do for Castleridge due Do  -13- 1 1/2

April 3 pd Thos How a Window Sess 1/2 a year due 25       -  - 9

  Inst for Goosewell etc

  pd Jonathan Fisher for Do due Do for Stobhill           -  -10

19 pd John Fisher for poor Sess due Easter Last for       -11- 3

  Castleridge

May 8 pd Daniel Grave a Church Sess due Do for Nancrook   -  - 2

  pd Do a Poor Sess due Do for Do                         -  - 5

17 pd John Towers a Church Sess for Keswick due Do        -13-

24 pd John Banks a Church Sess for Castleridge due Do     – 6-11 1/2

  pd Do a Church Sess due Do for Wanthwait Mill           -  -10

28 pd James Edmondson a Church Sess for Goosewell         – 3-11 1/2

  pd Do a County Stock for Countrykeeping for Do          -  -10 1/2

June 7 pd Hugh Fisher a years Rent for Keswick Milldam    – 6- 8

  due Marts last to Sr Wm Flemming

9 pd John Banks a County Stock Country keeping for        – 3-

  Castleridge

  pd John Teren Do Sess for Wanthwaite Mill               -  - 4 1/2

  pd John Grave Do Sess for Nancrook                      -  - 4 1/2

July 5 pd James Edmondson Do Sess for Goosewell           – 1- 9

Sepr 5 pd John Banks ½ a years poor Sess due Michs next   -11- 3

  for Castleridge

6 pd Robt Teren Do Sess for Wanthwaite Mill due Do        - 1- 4

8 pd Joseph Topping 1/2 a years Land Tax due Do Castleridge 7-

  pd Do 1/2 a years Do Keswick                            -13- 1 1/2

17 pd Robert Watson 1/2 a years Do for Goosewell & Ullock – 5- 1 1/2

  Closes due Do

28 pd Danll Crossthwaite Window Sess for Do Do            -  - 9

30 pd Nichos Grave a poor Sess due Michs last            2-11-11 3/4

  for Keswick

Oct 4 pd Francis Fisher a highway Sess for Keswick       1- 6- 8

18 pd Wm Miles a Window Sess due Michs last for           – 1- 

  Stablehill

Novr 21 pd Robt Grave a poor Sess for Nancrook & Kingsbush - - 5

  pd a poor Sess for Goosewell, Wanthwaite Mill & white   – 6- 5

  Moss & Ullock Closes wch Mr Pearson had paid

  pd John Fisher the 25 March last & omitted above for    - 7-

  half a years Land Tax for Castleridge due then

                                                        10- 8- 6 1/4

A coppy Walton & Boag





The Particulars of £3-17-11d Disbursed by Mr Bunting

For Severall Calls at Severall times to discharge        – 6- 8

  people for Cutting & Stealing Wood etc

To Mr Downs etc Expences taking an Affidavit about       – 5- 6

  Stolen Deales

For Repairing Doors & Barn floors at Dilston 5 Deales   1- 9-

  wch Cost10/6 Included

For Nailes for repairing Whitley Mill                    – 1-

For Nailes & laying Floores at Whittle 5/3d & Proping    – 9- 3

  Slators House 4s

For making Coggs & Rounds for Severall Mills within     1- 1- 4

  the Estate

For Edward Oxley & Thomas Pattinson viewing high         – 2- 3

  Wood each a day

For a Dormant Warrant to Search for Stolen Wood          – 2- 6

                                                        3-17-11

A Coppy  Nichos Walton  Hugh Boag







A List of Goods in Dilston Hall that are fixed to the Freehold July 1736 Vizt



New Brewhouse -

The Great Copper not now fixed but was so              £4-  -

The Lesser Do not now fixed but was so                  2-  -

The two Pumps & Lead Troughs was fixed but are not so   3-  -

  now, they are valued 15s but they & some Sheat Lead 

  that has been about the Coppers appears to be worth

Two Lead Coolers, the Lead now gone valued              1-  -

Two Furnace Grates gone but was fixed                   1-  -



Landry - A pair of Barrs                                3-  -



New washhouse A Copper                                  2-10-

  The Grate belonging the Copper                         – 8-

Scullery - A pair of Barrs gone                          – 6-

  A Copper                                              1-  -

Bakehouse - The two Oven doors not fixed, but Should     - 8- 

  not be taken away

Kitchen

  A pair of Barrs & Back & two Crains                   4-  -

  Two Furnace Grates fixed                               – 8-

  Two Copper Boylers with Covers                         -15-

  A Jack with Wheels & Weights                          2- 2-

  Dressers & Shelves not in the List fixed              2-  -

Mr Busby’s room - A Grate                                – 2- 6

Nursery- A pair of Barrs                                 - 7-

Garretts above - A pair of Barrs                         – 3- 6

Lord’s room- A Grate                                     – 8-

Lockas - Was formerly 22 (but now only 18) & valued     5-18-

Bakehouse - A Crane but now gone                         – 2-

Servts Hall 

  A pair of Barrs                                        – 7-

  A Forme fixed                                          – 2- 6

  The Iron Frame for the Roller                          – 2-

  The Great Clock & Bell                               15-  -

  The Grater on the Cellar Windows not fixed, but       2- 8-

    thinks they Should not be removed

                                                      £52-17- 6

This is a true Accot Witness our hands the 21st July 1736

Nichos Walton      Hugh Boag