Letter – Nicholas Walton to William Corbett – 24 Apr 1741

      Ravensworth Castle. April.24. 1741

To William Corbitt Esqr



Sir

      We reced. yours with the Boards Minutes for the 8 April Inst . the Contents of which we duly observe, & we coud have Answerd that part relating Mr John Ridley & that of the fee farme Rents Sooner, but that we wanted for an Ans[we]r to a Letter we wrote to Mr Ridley, desiring he wou’d send us the Article whereby he is Intitled to the Allowance of Timber, which we did not receive till Yesterday.

      The purport of his Ans[we]r is that his P[ar]tner one Mr Pattinson (who is lately dead) had the Article in his possession, That his Estate & all his papers are in his Trustees han ds from whom he Canot gett the Articles. That he has been with Mr Watson one of the Late rec[eive]rs desiring the Counterpart who gives him for Ans[we]r that he d[elivere]d it up to the Board along with the Bond, so that we Apprehend it must be in your Custody. Mr Pattinsons Affairs are under the Management of a Trustee who is a Gent of our Acquaintance, to whom we will make Application for the Article and as Soobn as we have his Answer you Shall on this head hear further from us, in the meantime if you wou’d be pleased to make a Search for it, we may possibly all have less trouble.

      As to the Fee farme Rents &c which have not been paid, we begg leave to Observe in the first place that Howdon Meadows, Nab Bellingham, Willomonswick, Hunderish house & Lina Cross are only Fee farm Rents & that Crookburn moor is one  of what is Called an Ancient Inclosur in Alston moor That the proprietors of those Lands for which the fee farm Rents are payable, aledge they never pay’d any, & Absolutely refuse payment unless we Shew them to be due by some Grant, Deed or Otherwise which we Cannot  possibly do as having No Title Deeds, Grants or other foot steps to make it appear. And as to Crookburn moore, the proprietor Alledges, that at the time the Same was Inclosed, the Derwentwater family Inclosed a part likewise which was laid to the Demain farme called Lowbyre & that in Lieu of Such part as was Inclosed by the Derwentwater family the proprietors of Crookburn moore Inclosure was to be Exempt from the payment of the rent, but this we think does not appear at all likely as the part taken in by the Derwentwater family Seems to have been this Separate proportion of what was in the whole Inclosed and Consequently that they cou’d not be exempted from the payment of Rent. The Rent of this Inclosure we think may be recoverd unless the proprietors can Shew some Exemption in writing which we dar[e] say they cannot doe. But without the titule Deeds of the Estate we are afraid the Fee farme Rents are not recoverable.   

      The Rev[eren]d Mr Jefferson has at last paid for his Trespass in Thornthwaite Woods with the Charges upon it, which we hope will put a Stop to the like practice in future. The Liberty which the Tenants have of wood for their Repairs has been granted them by us pursuant to the Board’s Command; but we find  an ill use will be made of it unless they are restrained to repairs only for Under the liberty granted to Jeremiah Waine by our Bayliffs he has begun to build a New house with the Timber he pretended to want  to repaire his old holusing. This we think is breaking in upon the Antient Custom so we desire to have the Boards Commands therein.

      In the breaking of the late Frosts the Mill dam at Keswick has suffered greatly & must of Necessity be repaired which will require a Considerable quantity of Timber. The Expence in the which may be at least £80.

      You will please Sir to Acquaint the Board that Severall of the Tenants refuse to Sign their Leases & that we desire their directions therein. We have threaten’d them with a fresh Advertizement which has no Effect. Wev are, Sir

      Your most Hble. Serts

      Walton & Boag



PS Inclosed is the MoorMasters quarterly Accot. to Ladyday last.



[There follows a copy of the Alston Moormaster’s accounts for the Xmas 1740 to Ladayday 1741 quarter]