Report – James Stuart – 3 Aug 1774

Wednesday 3 Aug[us]t



      We began this morning with viewing Lowbyer Farm, which is near to the Town of Alston, It contains 108A.0R.2P and is in in the occupation of Adam Wilkinson John Donkin & William Soppitt under an assigned Lease from Thomas Walton for 21 Y[ea]rs expiring in 1779, at £82 pAnn[um] being about 15s/2d pAcre. This farm consists of about 60 Acres of pasture & the rest meadow, & all is lett out to Under Tenants. it is divided by the River Tyne which has carried away the defences & made some depredations upon Mark Close pasture which is so situated as to be scarcely defensible against any sudden inundation; however we recommended it to the Receivers to cause the Wear to be made good again and to do whatsoever else they may judge necessary for the security of the Land. Several places of this Farm were pointed out to the Receivers as proper to plant upon particularly on the Bank of the above pasture adjoining the river, and we therefore recommend that directions may be given them to plant these places accordingly with Scotch Firs & Elms & such other Trees as may be most likely to grow well & be serviceable to the mines, and also to turn their thoughts towards making plantations in all such other parts within the Manor of Alston Moor as may be most proper for the purpose, for, besides the other Advantages of Shelter etc in this naked bleak Country the timber & small wood will, if the mines continue, be always sure of a good market & yield considerable profit We are induced to be more particular in our recommendation of this matter, as the Timber now growing in the whole manor, as well upon the Leaseholds as Freeholds belonging to the Hospital, if sold, would not, by estimation produce more than £200 the greatest part of what is now used in the mines being brought from a considerable distance & thought very bad roads. 

      It would certainly, as hath been already observed by the Receivers, lend greatly to the encouragement of the growth of Timber within the Manor were the Tennants of the 1000 Y[ea]rs Leaseholds allowed such as they may raise on their respective Tenements, and the General Court have given their Consent provided those Tenants will be at the Expence of an Act of Parliament for that purpose & pay the Value of the wood now growing on their Leaseholds; but we do not find that they have as yet, made any Offer to do so. Most of the inclosed Lands in Alston Moor are held under the above Tenure; ie Leases for 1000 Y[ea]rs; the Tenants paying certain reserved rents (which amount together to 57 £ 6s 8 1/4 d ) and 20 times those rents every 21 Y[ea]rs as a Fine or Grassom as it is called. Besides which many pieces of Common have, of late Y[ea]rs, been taken in, from the Moor, by the Tenants agreeing amongst themselves; and the Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital, who are Lords, acquiescing therein for the encouragement of Cultivation, For which the Hospital receives 3d pAcre annual rent & 20 times that rent every 21 Y[ea]rs. The annual rents, for these inclosures & for some incroachments from the Common & in the Town of Alston now amount to 1£.7s.5d pAnn[um]. And there are other rents for Shops etc etc which amount to 2.19.5 pAnn[um]. Making all together 61£,13s.61/4d.

      Having finished Lowbyer* Farm which led us into the above observations, * Viz the Dwelling Home & Housing tho[ugh] they have lately had more repair, are in very indifferent condition particularly the Great Room, the floor of which is going to <do any & the Gabel ending> the House has given way a good deal both should be repaired & the Tenants restrained from keeping lumber in the former.

      we proceeded to Brownley Hill & Guddamgill Burn Cross Vein Workings under Lease to William Hutchinson & partners, which mines are working to great profit. The Trials as we were informed had cost the partners between 3 & 4000£ which is now returning to them with ample Interest, Saw Guddamgill Moss Vein now working by the Lead Company at a considerable expence, & several other Mines, particularly Rampgill & Redgroves, Rampgill & Redgroves Sun Vein & Scale Burn Moss, all lett to the above Company & working to great Advantage; Rampgill alone employing upwards of 400 people. Went on to Rampgill Ditch which is the Boundary between the Manor of Alston Moor & the Regality of Hexham belonging to Sir Walter Blackett, near to Kilhope Cross or Currough where the three Counties of Cumberland, Northumberland & Durham meet. 

      From hence we returned to Alston thro[ugh] Nenthead passing by several other mines, & places where Trials are carrying on by different Adventurers. After dinner we went & viewed the ground in the Nent Tenement where Nicholas Nixon cut the wood for which a suit is now carrying on against him in the Court of Chancery; And after our return, Nixon came to us complain[in]g of the hardships he laboured under on that account & therefore desiring that the suit may be stopt; he was told that if he had any proposition to make, he must do it in writing to the Board of Directors and that then it would be taken into consideration that the Hospital did not mean to oppress him but that it would not suffer him or any other person to infringe its rights with impunity, And /that we were of Opinion nothing less would be accepted than a proper submission for the Offence, the full value

of the wood & Costs of suit. [Marginal note: ‘determined ag[ainst] the Hospital’]