Letter – Nicholas Walton to William Corbett – 10 Aug 1739

      Ravensworth Castle  August 10th 1739

To Wm.Corbett Esqr. at the Pay Office, Broad Street



Sir

	Inclos’d herein we send you an Affadavit made by Mr Radleys Directions by the P.sons Concerned in Valueing the Several Woods on the D[erwentwat]er Estate wth an Abstract of the Sds. valuation Annexed thereto, an accot. of the Several Mines in the D[erwentwat]er Estates not at worke at Midsum.r last wch Reverts to the Hosp. & also the accot. of the Mines at Worke under the Lease Granted to Geo. Liddell esqr. & Ptners; by which it appears 41 Mines are at worke, & that there were then Imployed 462 Psons in working & Carrying on the Sd. Mines besides Agents. You will likewise receive herewith our Contingent Accot. to the 30th June last & the Bayliffs View of all the D[erwentwat]er woods in the County of  Northumberland.

	Some time agoe the Directors were pleased to give Orders to us, to Consider how and in wh<at> manner it would be proper to Dispose of the D[erwentwat]er woods, so as to be most Advantageous to the Hosp. & in pursuance of such their Command we have Considered the same & it is our Opinion the woods fitt for Cutting will be best sold in P[ar]cells & in such Quantitys as can be disposed of in one year which we think cannot Exceed £800 per Ann. particularly for about 2 or 3 Years in wch time will be disposed off two Large Pcells Already Cutt & Cutting in this Neighbourhood wch is the principal Markett for the Disposal of what the Comm.rs have to sell in the County of Northumb.    Dilston wood is the most proper to be sold at the same time, being in a Differant part of the County, & when Dilston is finished it will be proper to succeed in the sale wth Thornbrough Highwood Coastley & Langley Barony in Several Divisions, & in such quantitys Annually as the markett will take off. The method to be pursued in the sale of Timber we Apprehend may Differ from the common practice, therefore we Begg leave to represent the Method practised here for the Boards Consideration.

	When a gentleman has a quantity of Wood to sell, wch happens from one to Ten Thousand Pounds, he either sells it together or in Pcells, in either of wch. Cases it is Considered in what time the Markett will take it off. A summe is Agreed for by the <Lump> & time are fixed for payment at a certain summe by the Year, an Allow[ance] of such a Num of Years being Allowed for Clearing the Ground as is found Necessary this is the Method practised in the sale of Woods & indeed no other is known in this Country.

	We have thoroughly Examined the Abuses Complained off as Comitted in the D[erwentwat]er  woods which are Entirely Groundless, so Farr as relates to those in the County of Northumberland a Certificate of wch under the Bayliffs hands you have Inclosed wch we hope will shew the malicious Treatment we meet with. An Enquiry is now making at Keswick into the Abuses Complain’d of, and Assoon as we are well Informed whether there be room for such Complaint or not you shall be Acquainted with it. & we are Sr Your most Obedt. Servts. M Walton, H Boag



[There follows a copy of the Alston Moormaster’s accounts for the Midsummer quarter 1739] 





In the Exchequer	Concerning the estate of the late Earl of Derwentwater



Ambrose Hopper of <Fugar> house in the County of Durham  yeoman Edward Oxley of Birks in the County of Northumberland yeoman  William Ramsey of Collierley in the said County of Durham yeoman and Robert Johnson of Ebchester hill in the said County of Durham gent. severally make oath and say they are well skilld and Experienced in the knowledge of Wood and the Growth of Timber and have for many years been conversant therein. And all these Deponents severally say that in the year of our Lord 1737 they Carefully Surveyed the Severall Woods standing and growing in the Ancient Woodland called Thornbrough, Dilston high wood and Boat house Lane Coastley, and Langhope Langley Baroney and Lynburn in Langley Baroney in the County of Northumberland part of the Estates forfeited by the Attainder of James late Earl of Derwentwater and Charles Radcliff. 



And these Deponents Robt. Johnson and Ambrose Hopper Severally say that they these Deponents in the same year Carefully Surveyed the severall woods standing and growing in the places in the said Accot. mentioned Called meldon and Hartburn Grange other part of the said Forfieted Estates in the said County of Northumberland. And the said Deponents Ambrose Hopper and Wm. Ramsey also further Severally say that they these Deponents in the same year also Carefully  Surveyed the severall woods standing and growing at and about Keswick in the said schedule also mentiuoned in the County of Cumberland being other part of the said forfeited estates  And all these Deponents Ambrose Hopper Edward Oxley Wm Ramsey and Robert Johnson Severally say that to the best of their Respective Judgements upon a Strict View and Enquiry into the nature and Condition of the severall species of Timber and Trees in the said Annexed Accot. Particularly mentioned then standing and growing in the said severall woods called Thornbrough Dilston highwood and Boathouse Lane Coastley Langhope Langley Barony and Lynburn in Langley Barony aforesaid that they find fitt for Cutting and felling therein thirty four thousand one hundred and sixty seven Oak Trees, One thousand four hundred and twenty five Ash Trees, One thousand seven hundred and sixty nine Elm Birch and other trees of the value of three thousand two hundred and four pounds sixteen shillings and six pence or thereabouts Exclusive of the bark, And the said Bark thereof to be of the Value of One thousand seven hundred and thirty seven pounds and sixpence. And these Deponents Robert Johnson and Ambrose Hopper severally say to the best of their respective judgements upon a Strict View and Enquiry into the Nature and Condition of the Trees at Meldon and Hartburn Grainge aforesaid in the said annexed Accot. Particularly mentioned then standing and Growing they find fit for Cutting there 20 Oak Trees 722 Ash trees and 266 Elm Birch and other Trees of the value of £105-4-6 or thereabouts Exclusive of the Bark  and the Bark thereof to be of the value of one pound or thereabouts. 



And these Deponents Ambrose Hopper and Wm Ramsey  severally say to the best of their respective judgements upon a Strict View and Enquiry into the Nature and Condition of the Trees at and about Keswick in the said County of Cumberland in the said annexed schedule particularly mentioned then standing and growing they find fitt for Cutting there 6711 oak Trees 5117 Ash Trees and 2799 Elm Birch and other trees of the value of £3960-2-6 or thereabouts Exclusive of the Bark thereof and the Bark thereof to be of the value of £915-1-0 or thereabouts  All which severall values of Wood Timber Trees and Bark hereinbefore and in the annexed accot. Particularly mentioned amount together in the whole as these Deponents Robt. Johnson Ambrose Hopper and Wm Ramsey  doe compute to the sum of £9953-5-0. And all these Deponents further say that the said wood timber and trees or greatest part thereof to the best of their judgements are past their full Growth and will become worse by standing longer.



taken and Sworn at Newcastle upon Tyne this ninth day of August in the Year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and thirty nine before me 



[Hopper, Ramsay and Johnson signed; Edward Oxley made a mark]

John Airey a Commissioner on this behalfe.



The Original sent the Board the 10th August 1739 the Abstract of the value of the woods annexed, is the same as that sent the 23rd Decmb 1737 (the under<...> and signing only excepted)





We the Bailiffs for the Estates belonging the Hospital of Greenwich in the County of Northumberland have taken an Exact Survey of the several woods thereunto belonging as follows. In the parish of Warden Harsondale Sillywray Plankey pasture the Common Tedcastle Lees Lightbirks Lund Ends Esphill Dean Raw Whitechapple Lipwood Millhills Haydon Altonside East Brokenheugh Allerwash, in the Parish of Hexham Langhope Hackford Coastley Westwood Highwood Peacock House Rawgreen Aydon shield  Upper mire House Staples, In the Parish of Slealey Wooley, in the parish of Corbridge Dilston park Thornbrough, In the Parish of Bywell Newton Shaw Whittonstall & Newlands, in the Parish of Ovingham Whittle, in the Parish of Hartburn Hartburngrainge, in the Chapplery of Meldon Meldon and Meldon park, & does not find any Wood Cutt or damage Done in the said Woods Excepting 3 trees of oak cutt at Tedcastle for Repairing Woodhall Mill, one Ash Tree Cutt at Allerwash where Cuth. Watsons House is Building & the sd. Tree was used for a Barnfloor at Allerwash an Oak Tree Cutt in Dilston park for the use of Dilston Mill & some Birch & Allarwood Cutt for Building the Hirds House at Dilston which is all that has been Cutt within this Twelve Months by past to our knowledge as Witness our hands this fourth day of August 1739

      Robert Johnson Abraham Bunting	



The Original sent the Board 10th Aug. 1739