Report – James Stuart – 5 Aug 1774

Friday 5 Augt

	We set out early this morning in order to begin the survey of the several Farms in the barony of Langley, and proceeded, in the first place, about 7 miles off to



White Chapel. This farm which is on the north side of the South Tyne, contains together with Howden Close 156a 1r 19p & is under Lease to Robert Lowes Esq for 21 yrs expiring in 1779 at £59 p Ann being about 6/8d p Acre; it is at present in the occupation of Robert Wear, a sub Tenant to Mr Lowes, and consists of about 50 acres of Arable, of which now is in fallow, & only 3 or 4 acres in Turnips, and all the rest meadow, pasture and some woodlands, the following improvements are wanting, vizt.



Horse Close & Reads  to be drained being poor mossy land

The Pasture          Haugh to be cleared

The Cleugh           Timber to be cut & fresh planted

Long Bank            the Cleugh to be planted

Wood Close           Some acorns to be planted

High Rye Field       The whole to be planted; being poor land

The Croft            Timber to be cut in the Cleughs & fresh planted



There is, according to estimation about £400 worth of Wood upon this Farm chiefly Oak but not of a large size, the greatest part past its growth & almost blown to death, it should, therefore, in our opinion, be taken down & sold, as there may be opportunities of disposing of it to the best advantage. Observed that Limbs of some of the Oakes had lately been lopped in the hedge rows, & upon enquiring of the abovementioned Wear the Sub Tenant how it has happened, he confessed that he himself had lopped one of them, assigning as an excuse that it overhung the Carriage Way; for which he was severely reprimanded & threatened with a prosecution. Bell the Bailiff was also reprimanded for not keeping a better look out & admonished to be more vigilant & attentive in future, in order to prevent, as much as possible, such Abuses within his district, & to detect those who may be guilty of them. As we think it highly necessary that an example should be made of Wear, in order to deter him, as well as others, from similar practices which we have too much reason to think have been very prevalent in the Hospital's Estates, we therefore recommend that Mr Lowes be forthwith required to turn him out of the Farm, as he was not put in with the Board's permission; there being no other proof against the s[ai]d Wear whereon to prosecute, or recover the penalty, than his own Confession, which he will most probably recant in case proceedings shou[l]d be commenced against him.

      The Fields of the above Farm are so metamorphosed by the additional Fences & & other alterations made by the Tenants that it was with the greatest difficulty we could trace the land so as to make it agree with the old Plans; an inconvenience which we experienced in Lowbyer Farm & more or less thro[ugh] all parts of the Estate which we have yet seen, to our very great embarrassment & loss of time.

      The Ruins of White Chapel were pulled <in> & a new House & Housing built on the spot about 5 years ago. The dwelling House consists of 2 <Stories> with 2 good rooms on a Floor & a small Light Closet at the head of the stairs. There is a stable for 8 horses. Two Byers for 8 head of Cattle each, and a Dairy; the whole built with stone & slated in a very & good and substantial manner; besides which there are remaining of the old Buildings a Barn & Milk house which are in pretty good condition. 



      To Beamwham which is a pretty little Farm containing 64A 1R 14P & lett to William Ramsay, for 21 Y[ea]rs expiring in 1785, at 28£ 10s 0d pAnn[um] being about 10/8 p Acre. It consists of about 7 Acres of Arable none of which is in Fallow, the rest meadow & pasture laid down without seeds. The Land is very good, but the meadows want draining very much & planting with Willows, Poplar & such kind of Trees, which will grow very well; there not being at present a Tree of any kind whatsoever upon the Farm. The Housing, which is upon a small scale suited to the Size of the Farm is in good condition; it consists of a Dwelling House, Milkhouse, Stable, Barn & Byer, the four first of which were built about 9 Y[ea]rs ago; Adjoining to this Farm is a very large Lough or Lake abounding with good Fish; the Fishery of which belongs to the Tenant.

      From hence we proceeded & broke down the wall of an adjoining incroachment made from Grindon Common & annexed to an Estate called Millhills belonging to Sir Edward Blackett during the doing whereof William Elston the Tenant came up & acknowledging it to be an Incroachment promised to level the whole of the Wall & lay it to the Common again, but begged to be indulged til' Winter as it would be inconvenient to him at this busy time of the Year; he was told that if he would pay 1s as an acknowledgment for the indulgence, he should have leave to let it remain [un]til Martinmas which he easily agreed to and immediately paid that sum to Mr Walton one of the Receivers as an Acknowledgement, for the use of the Hospital accordingly

      From hence we went in to Whinnetly One portion of which containing 126A.1R.8P including Waterhouse is in the occupation of John Maughan, under Leases for 1000 Y[ea]rs ending 2629, at 6£ pAnn[um] being about 1s pAcre. The other portion consisting of 12A.1R.0P is in the occupation of Robert Salkeld under the same Tenure at 12s pAnn[um] being also about 1s pAcre. The Dwelling House & the other Buildings belonging to Mr Maughan seem to be very good & the Land well managed, but (as the Leases* have so long to run) we did not think it of any consequence to examine them particularly. *These Farms are the only ones in the Barony of Langley that have Leases for more than 99 Years. Mr Maughan has also a Lease of Whinnetly Tythes, for 21 Y[ea]rs ending in 1784, at 4£. 10s.0 pAnn[um]

      The above Farm is divided by a Burn running through a deep Cleugh prettily wooded on both sides from Lipwood & Cullsbill which contains 136A.0R.33P & is under Lease to Edward Maughan, for 21 Y[ea]rs expiring in 1779 at 80£ pAnn[um]; being about 11/9 pAcre. This Farm consists of about 40 Acres meadow & pasture, the remainder Arable of which about 18 Acres are in fallow or Turnips The Broad meadow, which contains near 7 1/2 Acres & is now in Tillage, should be laid down again & the Bog containing 4 Acres should be drained. There is not any Timber upon this Farm, except in the Cleugh abovementioned & that of little value. The Dwelling House & other Buildings are in pretty good condition, the Tenant having just repaired them. There is a Barn which was rebuilt about 8 Y[ea]rs

ago.

      Having finished this Farm we returned to Hexham; having been upwards of 10 hours

on Horseback without any refreshment.