Minutes to Arthur Mowbray – 27 Jan 1800

      Stanhope 27th January 1800

At a meeting of the proprietors of Lands intitled to Right of Common upon Bollihope & Stanhope Commons held in pursuance of public advertisements to take into consideration the propriety of dividing or otherwise improving such Commons,

Mr. Mowbray who attended the Meeting on Behalf of the Lord Bishop of Durham, having stated that his Lordship (with his accustomed Liberality) would consent that the proprietors shall have the Benefit of the Timber to be grown upon their Allotments, & also to enfranchise the Leaseholds within the Parish upon Terms to be agreed upon. 



Resolved 

      That it is the opinion of this meeting that it will be advantageous to the Proprietors that certain specific Parts of the said Commons (to be ascertained by the Bill) shall be subdivided & allotted according to the <real> value of the respective Estates of the Prop[rieto]rs & that the Remainder shall be set out in Stints according to the same value, but that the Commissioners shall not have any Discretion to allot or subdivide a greater portion than shall at a future meeting be agreed upon.

      That it is expedient a Clause should be introduced into the Bill that the Majority in value of the Proprietors at any future period, by agreement amongst themselves, & without any further application to Parliament, subdivide the whole or any part of the Commons to be set out in Stints as aforesaid. 

      That from Michaelmas to Mayday in every year only one half of the stints usually kept during the other part of the year, shall be kept upon the Lands to be set out in Stints.

That certain parts of the same Moors (hereafter to be agreed upon) shall be divided to be sold (for the purpose of Planting) in order to defray the Expences of the Application to Parliament etc. 

      That Mr Scruton do immediately call another meeting by public advertisement at the same place in order to ascertain the precise Quantities of the Commons to be subdivided & stinted respectively & on other matters related thereto, and also to give the Proprietors of the other stinted pastures in Weardale an opportunity of considering at the Time of the Application for the above Division any

[the rest of the document has been destroyed by trimming]