Witness Depositions – William Surtees – 2 Apr 1690

William Suretis of Woodhead in the County of Northumberland Gent aged seaventy one yeares or thereabouts Sworne and Examined

2 & 4	To the Second and Fourth Interrys this Deponts saith the he very well knowes there hath been for these Fifty years last past or thereabout a common high way and Free passage att all times of the yeare for all the king & queen subjects to goe and pass [word obscured] <Carriages> from Hedley Towne in the County of Northumberland and many other places in the County’s of Northumberland and Durham for leading and Carrying Lead wood Slates or any other Commodity that either this Depont or any other the King and Queens subjects had occasion to Lead or Carry to the Hamlett of Blaydon and Blaydon Leadhills in the county of Durham, and saith the said high way lyes and goes in and through the several parcells of Ground in the Lordpp [Lordship] of Stella called the Bog gals the Blackmires and from thence along the Peth head and from thence downe to the said Lead hills att Blaydon, ant this Depont bothe him selfe and by his servants hath very often used the said way through the said Ground with his Carriages for Leading of Timber Lead Slates and Stone Flaggs, and saith that neither he this Depont nor any other that he knowes or ever heard of was ever Stopt or hindered in the passage of the said common high way, nor did he this Depont or any other that he knows of ask leave or pay or give any Recompence or Satisfaccion for useing the said common high way, to the said Sr Thomas Tempest his Ancestors or any other Owner or Owners of the Grounds of Stella, nor did he ever heare or know of any satisfaccion Demanded for the said way leave, saving for the laying or palceing of the said Timber upon the said Lead hills, the Carpenters who brought the wood paid two pance p[er] Foother and Fower pence p[er] <Tun> for Bankroome to the Owners and Farmers of the Leadhills, and the same was not paid in satisfaccion of way leave through the said high way and passage, Butt onely for laying and placeing the said wood upon the said Lead hills, from whence such wood and Lead was taken away by water in Boats and Whirryes and Carried to Newcastle or elsewhere in the river Tine

3	To the Third Interry this Depont saith that the Bankes on Each syde of the Peth sometimes falling in and obstructing or hindering the carriers to come that way, the Carriages came through a certaine parcell of Ground called the East Feild near or adjoyning the said high way, untill the said Peth or Common high way was rydded and made ready for Carriages, Butt whether they asked or had leave from the said Sr Thomas Tempest to come along and through the said East Feild with their Carriages or paid any satisfaccion for such their leading through the East Feild untill the common high way was fitted & rydded or who repaired the Hedges and Grounds lying on each syde the said Common high way this Depont doth not know.