Witness Deposition – Nicholas Richardson – 22 Apr 1667

Nicholas Richardson of Stanhop in Weredale in the County of Durham yeom[an] aged seventy eight years or thereabouts sworn and Examined, saith as Followeth



1.To the first Interr[ogatory] This Depon[en]t saith that he knoweth both the Compl[ainan]ts and knoweth alsoe Humphrey Wharton William Fetherston Thomas Alsopp John Boulton John Davison William Deacon John Rutter John Pilkington John Fetherston John <Nattres?> George Boulton George Wattson George Whittfeild Henry Ragge Arthur Myres George Myres Godfrey Disbury and <..> other defend[an]ts in this suit but the rest of the defend[an]ts he knoweth not & sayeth he hath known both the Compl[ainan]ts for the space of Five years & upwards and the Defend[an]t  Humphrey  Wharton for the like time & severall of the Defend[an]ts for a longer time and alsoe saith that he knoweth the Rectory of that in[qui]rey in Stanhope in Weredale in his memory only in this Interr[ogatory] menc[ion]ed and the extent & tythable places thereof and knoweth that thereof in part from tythes except the Freehoults



2. To the second Interrogatory this Depon[en]t saith that he knoweth severall Lead mynes within the said parish namely Pikelaw Groverake Thorngrove and Risby Myres which his family wrought <..> at that Risby Myres which are now wrought wherein he this Depon[en]t was a p[ar]tner in each of them thirty years agoe or thereabout out of all which lead  Oare hath been formerly gotten whilst he was p[ar]tner thereabouts alsoe knoweth severall other lead mynes within the said Rectory out of which alsoe lead Oare hath been formerly gotten up namely Gorbutmay or Greeneclugh Longwell Allerclugh and <Allersike?> and was not any p[ar]tner att any of these lead mynes last menc[i]oned but yet hath some lead Lead Oare gotten in each of them anciently



3. To the third Interrogatory this Depon[en]t saith that he beleiveth that there is a custome within the p[ar]ish of Stanhopp in Weredale that all the lead mynes within the said p[ar]ish except only the lead mynes lying within the Freehoults there pay or ought to pay tythe lead Oare in Quarterly kinde unto the Parson of Stanhop for the time being And he is the <whether in ….. soe he believe> the custome for that he knoweth of his owne certaine knowledge that he or by his p[ar]tners did pay their tyth lead Oare in kinde unto the said Parson or his Agent att all those Groves aforesaid where he was soe p[ar]tner and got Oare that is to say a full tenth p[ar]t of all lead Oare soe wrought and gotten by him and his said p[ar]tners and saith that he knoweth that the custome was such thirty years agoe or thereabout & beleiveth that the custome was such time out of mind for that he and his said p[ar]tners were <forced> soe to pay thirty years agoe <and> for that one Alphonsus Bulmer who was then Lessee to the B[isho]pp of Durham did in his Grant to this Depon[en]t and his p[ar]tners make contract with Provisoe that if he this Depon[en]t and his said p[ar]tners should neglect to pay their Lot Oare to the B[isho]pp or their tyth Oare to the Parson for the time being that then their said grant should be voyd and of none effect.



4. To the Fourth Interrogatory this Depon[en]t saith that when all the quantity of lead Oare was gotten and well washed and dressed the tyth Oare was paid in kinde to the Parson or his  Agent in clean washed and dressed Oare when the same was ready for goeing to the Smelting Mill, And saith that he and his said p[ar]tners did pay their tythe Oare accordingly to the Parson or his Assignes and not in Rude unwashed Oare. In the time of Parson Moorecroft.



5. To the Fifth Interrogatory this Depon[en]t saith that he never knew or heard of any deduc[ti]ons or abatement from or out of the said tythes soe washed. and dressed for the digging or getting of the said Lead Oare Allowed by the Parson or his Agents to the owners or Grovers that wrought the same nor heard that ever the owners  anciently did make any <….> of deductions in respect thereof. And this Depon[en]t further saith that he and his p[ar]tners  twenty years agoe or thereabout drove a Levell att Groverake which cost him and his <ptnrs> one hundred pounds and upwards and had noe allowances att all from the Parson for their charges in driving the said levell or otherwise, And alsoe drove another <level at> Thornegrove which cost them a great deale of Moneyes but never had any allowance att all in respect thereof.



6. To the Sixth Interrogatory this Depon[en]t saith that Doctor Basire in this Interrogatory named is reputed and Generally taken to be Parson of Stanhop in Weredale & doth  officiate there & take the p[ro]fits thereof & hath soe officiated & taken the Profits for the space of Five years last past and upwards.



7.8.9.10.11. To the Seventh eight ninth tenth and Eleventh Interrogatories he is not required to be Examined.



12. To the twelfth Interrogatory this depon[en]t saith he cannot nor otherwise depose than what he hath deposed in his depositions to the first  Interrogatories.



13. To the thirteenth Interrogatory this depon[en]t saith that he hath heard and beleiveth that there was quarterly meetings att the Chappell in Weredale where the Grovers gave accompte to the Parson or his Agents and to the Lot Master or his Agents of what Oare hath been gotten att their respective Groves but saith that he this Depon[en]t was <never?> p[er]sonally p[re]sent att any such Meeting.