Report – James Stuart – 12 Aug 1774

Friday 12 Aug[us]t



We began this day with the Farms on the So[uth] Side of So[uth] Tyne, proceeding in the first place, to

      Dewey Sike which is a piece of Rough Pasture containing 26A.2R.28P in the occupation of John William Bacon Foster Esq. under a Lease for 99 Y[ea]rs expiring in 1786 at 1£.4s.0d pAnn[um] being about 10 3/4 pAcre. It is all in one piece, with out any Building upon it. 

      [Marginal note:] There has been a mistake in the  making of the Survey of this parcel of Ground as in Fact it only consists of 12A.3R. and in the original agreem[en]t to Mr Bacon it is said to contain about 12A.



      We went next to Harsondale which contains 129A.3R.4P & is lett to Thomas Robson for 21 Y[ea]rs expiring in 1779 at 39£ pAnn[um] being about 6s pAcre. It consists of between 20 & 30 Acres of Arable, 10 of which are in fallow & the remainder chiefly rough woody  pasture with some meadow. The Bank in Bank Pasture should be fenced top & Bottom, the underwood cleared, young Oaks preserved & the vacant spaces planted with Acorns.

      The Housing is very mean & despicable.

      From hence we went to Sillywray which contains 54A.2R.23P & is under Lease to Nicholas Timperley, for 21 Y[ea]rs expiring in 1779, at 20£ pAnn[um] which is about 7s/3 1/2d pAcre About 1/2 of this Farm is pasture, the rest Arable none of which is in fallow.

      The Housing is in good condition; the Dwelling House with a Dairy & Byer, which are of stone slated, were built about 4 Y[ea]rs ago but the windows want glazing, being boarded up where broken in a very unsightly manner by the Tenant.

      From this Farm we proceeded to Plankey Pasture which contains 25A.2R.12P and is under Lease to Mr William Watson for 21 Y[ea]rs expiring in 1779 at 8£.10s.0d pAnn[um] being about 6s/7d pAcre. This pasture is divided by a Lane. On the East side of which are about 10 Acres of Arable, & on the West the remainder being pasture & meadow including about an Acre of wood which should be fenced from Cattle & the vacant spaces planted with acorns. There is a small cottage upon this Pasture which was built a few Y[ea]rs ago.

      The next farm we visited was Vauce & Loaningfoot containing 117A.1R.12P & lett to Geo[rge] Glenwright for 21 Y[ea]rs expiring in 1779 at 35£.10s.0d pAnn[um] being about 6s pAcre. It consists of near 20 Acres of pasture & meadow. The rest arable of which about 12 Acres is in fallow. The Vauce Housing except a Barn built about 6 Y[ea]rs ago, is very indifferent There is only a Cottage at Loaningfoot & that in bad condition. From hence we proceeded to

      Tedcastle which contains 27A.1R.0P & is let to John Leadbitter for 6 Y[ea]rs ending in 1779 at 27£.10s.0d pAnn[um] being something more than 20s pAcre. It is all in Tillage, of which about 8 Acres is Fallow. There is some wood, chiefly Ash, upon this Farm, but of no great value. And there are some pieces of Freehold belonging to one Mr Bacon very inconveniently intermixed with the Hospital's Land. The Housing is very indifferent

      We went next to Lough Green which contains 56A.1R.3P and is lett to Anthony Robinson for 6 Y[ea]rs ending in 1779 at 42£.5s.0d pAnn[um] being something more than 15s pAcre. It consists of about 1/2 meadow & pasture, the rest arable a small part of which is in fallow. In Lough Green Pasture, part of which wants draining, is a very good stone quarry which has been wrought for many Y[ea]rs. There is a small Intake from the Common in front of the House containing 0A.1R.10P.

      The Housing is very indifferent except a Barn & Stable which are good and a new Dairy. With this Farm we finished the Business of the day & returned to Hexham.