The Eskdale 24 Book

THE "ESKDALE 24 BOOK"

INTRODUCTION TO THE 1587 AWARD

The following is a transcript of the introductory matter to the original 1587 award, with details of the shared pasture on Burnmoor.

"Be it known unto all Men by these Presents
That this is the Award, Arbitrament and End of the four and twenty sworn Men of the Lord's Tenants in Eskdaile, Miterdaile and Wasdailehead, Elected & Chosen throughout the said Lordship, for the right Commodity, Profit and Benefit of Common and perpetual Order and Stay amongst all the Lord's Tenants within the said Eskdaile, Miterdaile and Wasdailehead by the Consent of [blank] Braythwaite Esq., officer and steward to the Right. Honble. Henry Earle of Northumberland.
The which four and twenty Men whose Names do follow and sworn upon their Corporal Book Oaths, That is to say Christr. Vicars, R [blank], Wm. Nicholson, Thos. Dickonson, Richd. Tyson, Edwd. Tyson, [blank] of Spouthouse, Robert Jackson, Thos. Fisher, [blank], Heny. Nicholson, [blank], Nicholas Hartley of Longrogreen, Wm. Nicholson, Forester, Nicholas Nicholson, Wm. Nicholson, Jn. Wastel, Nicholas Wastel, Forester, William Wastel, Nicholas Dickonson, John Fletcher Senior, John Fletcher Junior, Nicholas Stainton and Thomas Stainton."

[hereafter, material not in quotation marks is summarised]

Burmer Moore common pasture for the geld goods of the Lord's tenants (cattle & horses in summer)
The boundary begins "at Newdike Even on Cafell Gate in the Skarth Green, to the Low Bothhow even as the Browedge maketh the Groundmark to it against over to the Roundhow of and upon Langrigge and thereby to the Southside of Langrigge, and away by the great Stone in Swinside and streight over Whillon [blanks] Shearegreen and as the Way goeth on Cookrigge to Olivergill over at [blank] Foot to the Hardrigge-end to the Small Riggehead and to the Green at Graingillfoot, and to the hol'd Stone in the Highway and so to the Gate in Cafellend"

Wasdale Head tenants may graze their cattle & horses on the said moor in summer, "All which they Winter without changing or taking others except every one of them one Horse to work withall, and they to have the said work horse or caples but one month in Summer time to lead or carry their Peats with on the said Moore and but one Month every Year for that Purpose as reasonable weather cometh, that is to say between the Feast of Philip & James the Apostles, and the Feast of St. John the Baptist next after, and not any other Ways": penalty 6/8 to Lord. "And if any of their Goods be in any Man's Sheep Heath that they shall either keep them upon the hollow of the Moore else take them clean away after such time as they have lawful Warning to fetch them": penalty 6/8 per default. "And if the Tenants of Wasdailehead have goods to fulfill the Stint amongst themselves that they shall not take any kind of Cattle": fine 6/8. "And if they have not Goods amongst themselves to accomplish their Stint that then they shall take great Goods till they have their Stint and keep them upon their own proper Fells, and not on the Moore. And the said tenants of Wasdailehead at Belten when they bring their Goods to the Moore, that they shall put them to Maidencastle, and the said Tenants shall daily, when their Goods come back into the said Fence, turn up again to the said Maidencastle": fine 6d per default. "And turn their Sheep up daily at Read gill and Rakerigg gill": fine 6d per default.

"Tenants of Eskdaile and Miterdaile shall at every Spring Time put up all their Geld Goods, Cattle and Horses unto the Hollow of the Moore": 6/8 per default, "Except Men for their own pleasure keep their workhorses at Home. And every Tenant within the Lordship shall, within a fortnight next after Michaelmas yearly, take all their Goods of the said Moore into their Cowpasture": fine 6/8. "And provided tenants above Bleabeck excepted and aliened to hold no Goods upon the said Moore and to keep their Goods upon themselves off their Neighbours' Grounds after the said Time of thirteen Days after Michaelmas": fine 6/8. "Every Tenant shall on the Even of All Saints take all their Goods into their Feilds every Night": fine 6/8. "No maner of Persons shall turn any Goods upon the said Moore in Summer Time": fine 6/8 per default, "and every one to have their Sheep lying in their own Cowpasture in Winter Time at their own Discretion."

Other sections:
Present editor's introduction
A set of revised regulations, made in 1659
The 1587 regulations for sheep pasture
Miscellaneous 1587 regulations and judgements
The 1587 regulations for cattle pasture