Witness Deposition – George Fairbridge – 30 Aug 1764

30 Aug[us]t 1764.	

George Fairbridge of the Bridge End in the Towns[hi]p of Newlands & Co[unty] of No[thumber]land Yeom[an] Aged 85 years



Saith he hath lives 70 Years at Newlands & at Woodhead w[hi]ch] is within 1 Miles thereof that during all that time (save the last 14 or 15 ye[ar]s) he & is Father rented & lived upon a Farm there p[ar]t of the Darwent Water Est[ate]. Saith that during all the time he & his Father so farmed he was frequently employed in carrying Lead from Rookhope Mill to Blaydon & Wood from Linnells to Ravensworth Caste along the present Lead Way without being obstructed or ever paying any acknowledgment Saith s[ai]d Way was always deemed to be a publik Highway & used as such. Saith that the Farmers etc in the Township on Newlands were from time to time summoned by the Overseer for the time being to repair that p[ar]t of s[ai]d Highway w[hi]ch runs thro’ the Township & in Obedience to such Summons he this Informant & the other Farmers did from time to time send Dra[ugh]ts & Men to work at repairing s[ai]d part of s[ai]d Way w[hi]ch they considered as a publik Highway or Kings Street. Saith that he remembers in particular that one year when Geo[orge] Rennison was Overseer of Newlands he summoned the Tenants or Occupiers of Lands there to repair s[ai]d part of s[ai]d Way & that he & the <other> Ten[ant]s &c accordingly went or sent Dra[ught]s & Men to work in repairing s[ai]d Way. Saith that during all his Knowledge of s[ai]d Way bet[ween] Rookhope Mill & Blaydon he hath been informed & believed the whole way was repaired as a Highway according to the General Rules or Laws respecting & directing the Repairing of Highways [struck out: ‘in General Saith that four or five years Saith that for 4 o4 5 years of the 70 he’] Saith that about 24 year ago he lived with Mr [gap left] Marley at Woodhead & that during 4 or 5 years that he lived there with his said Master that part of the s[ai]d Highway called Woodhead Loaning was an open publik Highway like the Rest of the s[ai]d Highway bet[ween] Rookhop Mill & Blaydon & no demand of Toll or an Acknowledgm[en]t for passing along the same was then claimed or Demanded & no Barr or Gate was putt up to collect any Toll at.

      The Mark of George Fairbridge 

Witness

Jno Richmond



[Footnote at foot of page:] Swalwell is <Trustee> for a young Fellow of 22 y[ea]rs, his name Hugh Newton of the Highfield Near Whittonstal Serv[an]t to John Summerbea, but will not acco[un]t