Witness Deposition – William Best – 13 Oct 1690

William B[e]st of Ryton in the County of Durham yeom aged Fifty five yearese or thereaboutes sworne & Examined Deposeth as followeth:

2	To the second Interogatory Hee saith he hath heard severall in the parish of say that the high way for Cart & Carriage from Hedley to Newcastle lyese by Winlaton Mill:-

3:15	To the third and Fifteenth Interrys this depont saith he knows the way which leads from Ryton woodside to Bladon through the grounds of the deft [defendant] called the Black Myre and the peth or peth head and hath knowne the same for Forty yeares last past And saith that when he first knew the same, and for several yeares after the said way from Rytonwoodside to Bladon was only used and reputed as a bridleway for sack and seame [‘sack and seam’: a horse carriage road] and not generally for many yeares used for Cart and Carriage, And saith that about thirty yeares since he comeing by the Peth or Peth head See the same fallen in soe as it was scarse passable, and see two men mending and repaireing the same who told this depont they were imployed and paid for dooing the same by Sr Richard Tempest the defts father and saith that abot twenty four yeares since he this dependant was Overseer of the High Wayes within the Parish of Ryton aforesaid and continued soe for about seven yeares and neither in that time or in any time Else knew or heard that the said Parish did repaire or was charged with the repaireing of the said way Thorough Black Myre & the Peth or Pethhead which lead to Bladon