Letter – William Middleton – 1 Oct 1735

Observations on the Affid[avi]ts & Informations.	Abstract No. 1



Wm. Elliots Affid[avi]t No. 3 - That he bid Dalton the Bayliff £35 for cut wood at Capon Clough, & told Mr Watson that he was willing to stand to it at that prise. But soon after Mr W_ sold it to Bayliff Atkinson for £27. And a little time After Elliot bid Atkinson £9 profit for his Bargain wch tho he would not take he complain[e]d to Mr W_ of the badness of his Bargain who allow[e]d him to take <8> more Oak Trees out of the s[ai]d Wood.



L<orkin> Affid[avi]t No 6 - That Wm. Pearson Enjoy[e]d Woolly Mill & House & 15 Acres of Pasture grass for 4 years , & never pd., nor had any rent demanded of him.

That Edwd. Stephenson would have given considerably more Rent for Aydon Sheils than Wm. Sheldon pays for it wch. is <about> £35 pr. ann., tho had let it for sev[era]l years past at £59.15. -

That Ab[ou]t May day last he took Woolly Mill Pasture before Mention[e]d wch. had laid Untennanted for 3 or 4 years & was threatened by Redhead for so doing tho he had Apply’d to take it of Redhead 12 months before.



Ra. Redhead Affid[avi]t No.22 - That he sold Corfe rods to Field for £17. 7. - & to Geo. Burnett of Ovington what grew in Newlands wood & Whittle Dean, but does not say for what prise.

Qn. What is to be done wth. the 2 Large Coppers & Leads & the Great Clock & Bell which were removed from Dilston to Newbiggin.

NB. Redhead says sev[era]l other Good were remov[e]d wth. them, but does not say what Also in his Inform[atio]n of the 22 Augt. that £20 Goods had been taken away from Dilston in the Night time but does not say what.



Geo. Thompson Inf[ormatio]n No. 33 - That after Xmas last he was Inform[e]d that 3 Wain load of Goods were remov[e]d from Dilston Abt. 11 o’ clock at Night, but knows not by whom or whether.



Robt. Surtis Inf[ormatio]n No. 37 & 38 - That he bo[ugh]t 40 Doz. Corfe Bows of Redhead at 12d pr. Doz.

That Mr. Robt. Marley bo[ugh]t 200 Wain Load of young Birch Alder & Hedge Wood of Redhead wch. he carry[e]d away for his the s[ai]d Marley own Use & that Most of the s[ai]d Alder & Birch were from 9 to 12 Inches in Circumference.



Affidavit bef[ore] the <Justices May 4th> And before the Com[issione]rs 2 Sept <After> - In that he says that he believes there are not above 10 Acres of Meadow Ploughed up in Newlands Lands And there are 5 Acres lay’d down in lieu of them.

He says that there is this Year Ploughed out in the same abt. 60 Acres of Meadow & Pasture Ground more than has been laid to Grass.

Qn. How does he Reconcile these two last Affid[avi]ts as to Ground ploughed out.



Thos. Parker Infor[matio]n 15 Augt. No. 11 - He says in his Infor[matio]n before the Justices the 5th. May that he bo[ugh]t of Redhead 11 very small Oak Trees for £1.10.-. And in this Infor[matio]n before the Com[missioner]s he agrees he pd. the same Price & that he sold 5 of them to Geo. Ridley £2. 5. - And had 16 Wain Load (wch. may be Computed at 8 Tun) remaining.





Abstract No. 2



Mr. Busby Inf[ormatio]n Augt. 22 No. 39 - That the 2 Large Coppers, & great Clock were removed to Newbiggin wth. his privity, & except those sold by Mt. Elstob in 1717 does not believe any other goods were removed.



Jno. Ridley Aff[idavi]t Sept. 3 No. 42 - That Abt. 18 Months ago he bo[ugh]t wood of Mr. Watson for £750, & to have 6 years to take it away, & the Receiv[er] in the Mean time to Sell no Timber, least it should prejudice the Sale of this. And if he did not get £50 by the Bargain, he to have Liberty to cut 24 Tun in any pt. of the Park he thought fit, leaving the Back. That by their selling cheaper than he could afford believes he shall loose £50.



Jno. Fairlam Inf[ormatio]n Sept. 8 No. 44 - That on May 1734 he bo[ugh]t of Redhead two parcells of Birch Alder & Limes for £1. 4. 6, out of which he has led 14 Wain loads, has abt. 4 lying there unled, & 5 Trees un cut.

That he was call[e]d before Sr. Wm. Middleton & 2 other Justices in may last & gave this Inform[tio]n but it was not reduced into writing, some there saying the Contract was before the time they were to inquire into.



Wm. Elliot & Jno. Armstrong Inf[ormatio]n Sept. 9 No. 45 - Complain of being Abused & threatened by Paul Atkinson & others for haveing made Informations before yo[u]r Comiss[ione]rs.



Wm. Watson Inf[ormatio]n Sept. 8 No 45 - That he & his Part[ne]rs farm’d the East half of Allerwash under the Leadbeaters, that soon after Mr Watson was made Receiv[er] they apply’d to him to take the said East half at £81. 11. 6. for wch the Leadbeaters only pd. £55. That Mr. Watson Agreed to lett it them, but 2 or 3 days after he told them they must continue Tenn[an]ts under the Leadbeaters who soon after gave them warning to quit at May following. Upon wch they apply’d to Mr. Aynesley to Interceed for them, who Assur’d they they should not be turn’d off. For wch favour they gave him a Gratuity.



Jno. Ord Infor[matio]n Sept. 4 No. 66 - That before Xmas last he bo[ugh]t 6 Small Ash Trees of Redhead for wch he was to give him a Spining Wheel worth 3£ a <Krach Reell> worth abt. 5£., and 5£ in Money, that he hath delivered the goods but not pd. the Money.





<…………………..> <Sept.> 4 No. 65 - <…………………………………………….> 35 Tun of Oak Wood wch. abt. 12 Months ago was sold to Mr. Thos. Slater at 50£ pr. Tun & abt. 6 Months ago Slater said he had only take away 4 Tun, & the rest was lying there.



Jno. Jobling Affid[avi]t & Jno. Atkinsons Inf[ormatio]n both of Newton Hall. Sept. 4 No. 57 & 69. And Jno. Argass Inf[ormatio]n No. 70 - All Confirm Joblings haveing taken Newton Hall Farm of Mr. Hutchinson for one year from May day 1735.



Edwd. Oxley Affid[avi]t April 23 No. 79 - Saith that Redhead sold Wood so cheap that Mr Pattison & Ridley have been great sufferers in the Sale of the Wood they bo[ugh]t of the Receiv[er]s.



Thos. <Sesthat> Affid[avi]t Sept. 5 No. 82 - Gives the particulars of a great deal of Ash Wood he bo[ugh]t of Redhead & carry’d to a little house near Dilston where he & his Men were abt. 12 Months working it up into <…..> &c NB. In all this time neither the Receiv[ers] nor Bayliffs could discover the same.