Letter – Ralph Wood to Joseph Soames – 20 Nov 1735

To the honorable Directors of the Royall Hospitall at Greenwich the humble Petition of Ralph Wood of East Thornton in the County of Northumberland Gentleman



Humbly sheweth unto your Honrs that your Petitioner & his Predecessors for Forty years & upwards have been Tennants & Farmers of that part of the Estate of the late Lord Derwentwater Called East Thornton aforesaid together with the Corn Tyth of and in the Rectory of Harburn in the said County also part of the said Estate at & under the intire Yearly Rent of £155 And your Petitioner’s Father sheweth that about Martinmas twelve Months agoe Ralph Redhead Baliff or Servant to the late Receivers Watson & Hutchinson came in your Petitioners absence to your Petitioners house and left word with his Wife that your Pet[itione]r must quit or Leave his Farm at East Thornton aforesaid and the Tyths of the Rectory Hartburn aforesaid at the Mayday next ensuing and now last past, the said Redhead being then asked by your Petitioners Wife by what Authority he gave such Discharge, She said Redhead replyed he had the orders of his Masters the said Receivers, for so doing about Candlemas after your Petitioner prevailed with Mr Ogle of Causey Park to write to the said Mr Watson to know the meaning of such Treatmt to your Petitioner being an old Tennant and one that was very able to answer any Demand of Rent when due, the said Mr Watson gave Mr Ogle for answer that John Ainsley of Hexham in the County of Northumberland Gentlemen had got an Authority from above (as he termed it) in his absence to draw the Corn Tyth in Harburn parish for one year to Com[m]ence at Mayday then next & now last past, And your Petitioner Farther sheweth that on or about the Month of August last your Petitioner gave Publick Notice at the Parish Church of Harburn aforesaid that he wou’d Compound or agree with the Severall Tennants in the said Parish for their severall Tyths in such Mannor & form as formerly he had done But the said Mr Aynsley about a Week after caused publick Notice to be made in the said Parish Church of Harburn aforesaid That he the said Mr Aynsley wou’d lett the sd Tyth in the said Rectory to the severall Farmers within the same & that he wou’d give them a thousand pounds Bond to keep them Indempnifyed against your Petitioner, Some very small time after your Petitioner applyed to the said Mr Watson & Hutchinson Who were then in Hexham aforesaid to know Whethe they had lett the said Corn Tyths to the sd Mr Aynsley, the said Receivers told your Petitioner they had, and that the reason that induced them so to do, was for the many favours they had received from the said Mr Aynsley  Your Petitioner therefore plainly perceiving that he was to be deprived of the possession of the said Tyths desired of the said Receivers to know if the said Mr Ainsley impowe’ed to draw the tyth arising upon your Petitioner’s own Farm at East Thornton aforesaid, the said Receivors said Mr Aynsley had no power or Authority to draw any Tyth from any of the Tennants of any part of the Derwentwater Estate within the said Rectory, Your Petitioner then beg’d of the said Receivors to be at a Certainty herein and that the said Mr Aynsley might be sent for, which they did accordingly, But the said Mr Aynsley pretendd Business and wou’d not come, And your Petitioner  further sheweth that some small time after Gabriell Hedley Servant of the said Mr Aynsley came & demanded your Petitioner own Tyth of East Thornton aforesaid or to have a Composition or Satisfaction for the same Contrary to the Directions & Express Verball agreemt of the said Receivers with your Petitioner, And your Petitioner further humbly sheweth unto your Honours that the rigorous proceedings of the said Mr Ainsley he not only Defeated your Petitioner in the Enjoyment of the said Corn Tyth for and in the said Rectory of Harburn aforesaid as also of the Corn Tyth arising out of the said Farm at East Thornton aforesaid But also has incouraged William Moor of Morpeth in the said County Gentlemen who is now the Farmer of the whole Petty Tyths belonging to the Vicarage of Harburn aforesaid and a near relation to the sd Mr Aynsley to bring a Citation agt your Petitioner for the Petty Tyths in kind out of your Petitioner’s said Farm at East Thornton aforesaid and is now proceeding thereupon in the Ecclaistical Court at Durham  Whereas you Petitioner does positively affirm that never any Petty Tyths in the memory of Man was paid thereout or so much as Demanded in Right of the said Vicarage out of the same  The present Vicar Mr Eden having been Fifty years or upward Vicar of the sd Parish Of Harburn never received any Petty Tyths or ever demanded any out of you Petitioners Farm at East Thornton aforesd

        

Your Petitioner therefore humbly prays that your honours will grant him some Redress in the premes and that the rights and priviledges of the Tennants belonging to the said Estate may not be usurped by the rigorous proceedings & Sinister dealings of the sd Mr Aynsley that your Petitioner may have the peaceable & Quiet possession of the said Farm and Tyths & your Petitioner shallever pray &c