THE "ESKDALE 24 BOOK"
SHEEP PASTURE REGULATIONS 1587
The following is a summary of the sheep pasture regulations from the original 1587 award. All material not in quotation marks is summarised.
SHEEP DRIFTS AND HEAFS
TENANTS OF MITERDALEHEAD
Sheep drift of these 3 tenants "to bring their Sheep from their Foulds at all Times of drawing down along the Beck to their own Houses, and when they have clipped their Sheep to go up at Ellerhow: And their Sheep when they have washed them not to go beneath their Peatgate ... they to stay their Sheep above within their Cowpasture where they like."
NICHOLAS NICHOLSON
Drift "from his House over the River called Mite at the Foard at Henry Nicholson's Close foot and up to the Lane or Way between the Intack and the Close and turn at the Head of the said Lane and up the Gate away by Henry Nicholson's Scale-house and so to the Grein foot, and then as they think good at any Place within his own Ground till he come to the Copp or Copthow without the Grainhead on Colemoss and turn their Heads back again on his own Ground, and his Sheep shall be turned into the Brackenwray that they shall go over at the higher Foard at the little Greinfoot and drive them into the Head of the said Brackenwray and then turn them on his own Ground: And if his Sheep go into the Dalehead Fells that he shall then go about them on the overside, and turn them down again on their own Ground and if his Sheep go into Lowplace Fell that he shall likewise go on the overside of them and turn them back again into the Head of the said Brackenwray, and when he driveth his Sheep to the Southside of Mite that he shall drive them forth at gaite Coat till they come to the Northside of the Broadhow."
HENRY NICHOLSON OF BAKERSTEAD
..."he shall drive his Sheep from his own House, he shall go away on the backside of his Fields till he come at his Scalehouse and by his own Ground till he come above Stephenson's Fould, and let them go then what way they take best, and when he bringeth them back again to the South side of Mite, that he shall bring them down at the Crossgreens over his own Foard at his Closend and so drive them even up to the Rough-how, and so to the Westside of the Broadhow and from his own House he shall drive them up on the otherside of the Newgarth both Home to the Bakerstead House."
LOWPLACE
William Nicholson's drift: ..."from his own House upon the Netherside of the white Borran upon the Netherside of Scalehow and Holegillhead of the Netherside of Gray Cragg till he come to Garbet powes, and when he driveth his Sheep to the uppermer Heath, that he shall drive them up along Scrithes edge to the belled Cragg till he come to the Potts where the new Dikehead was, and there meeteth the Sheep of Dalehead and the Sheep of Lowplace and this to be the Lowplace Way to & fro: And when he driveth his Sheep to the upper end that he shall drive them upon the upper Side of the Bakersted Fields, and through the Brackenwray till he come to the small Groves, and to drive them at his Will and Pleasure on his own Ground, and that the Tenants of Lowplace shall have 40 Ewes in Bleakbank in Lambing Time and there to Lamb of the South side of Mite, and to have his Sheep from such Time as he hath washed them till they be Clipped."
LOWHOLME
Tenants: ..."over the Rough Cragg and through the Green in Bleakbank, and over the overmer Foard at Storbeck and over Atkinson's Foard and up at Atkinson's Gate foot, and forth at the Low Steel of the Wh[blank], and forth at Whinny edge and let them go & when he brings them over Mite again to the Southside, that he shall bring them the same Way Home and when they are on the South Hand that he shall drive them to the Longhow."
LANGREGREEN
Nicholas Hartley's drift: ..."from his own House upon the backside of Rakerigg till he come to the Bangarth, and up at Stepstone and in at high Starbeck green and over at Atkinson's Foard and up at the Esh, and between Scalehow and the End of the Whins to the high of Gray Cragg and let them go, and when they are on the Southside of Mite that he shall drive them to the Long how Hights and to leave them in any Place within his own Ground's Drift."
YEATHOUSE, RANDLEHOW & HOLLINGHOW
Edward Woodend & Chris. Hartley at Yeathouse; John & Robt. Dickonson at Randlehow to drive same way as Langregreen tenants as far as Bangarth. Hollinghow tenant to drive up his own ground to Bangarth. Thence all three: ..."over Starbeck green and over Atkinson's Foard and up Atkinson's Gate till they come forth at the Gatehead even against Hinging stone and to drive to the Green between the Gillheads and to leave them at any place within their own Ground, the Hinging stone to be the Groundmark between Bakerstead and them at the Netherside, and on the Westside, the third between the Nethermost Greingill, and Stephenson's Fould to be the Ground-mark, between Bakerstead and them, And when their Goods are on the Sunside of Mite that they shall drive their Sheep to the Hight of Longhow."
HOLLINGHEAD
"Thomas Fisher's drift of the Nethermer Heath called Hollinghead" ... "he shall drive his Sheep of the same Nethermer Heath forth his own Bank Gate, and on the outside of his own Close, and the Southside of Moore Houses and away by the little Copped how beneath the M[blank] foot and in at Starbeck-green and over Atkinson's Foard and in at the overside of Atkinson's Gatefoot and cross Wayne gate and forth at the Saddle of the Whinnes to the Low home and at Greenhead without the Whinny, and those Four that drives their Sheep forth at Whinny edge as even Water deals on the Southside of the Penns and this said Way to be Thomas Fisher both from Home and for his return with his Sheep, and when he hath his Sheep on the Southside of Mite that he shall drive them on the Southside of Carrmire, and away to the Sining Tarne till he come to the Longhowhead, and when he finds his Sheep there, he then to go in at the Rough howend with them, and so over Mite to his Drift, and the said Thomas Fisher to put his Sheep on the Sunside of the Moorhowes: and such like to the Southside of the two Brenthowes: And for the Tenants of Hollinghow to drive his Sheep forth at Bangarth to the Westside of Moorehowes, and so to the two little Brenthowes, and Thos. Fisher's Goods and his to meet, and go quietly at the height of the Moorehowes."
SPOUTHOUSE
"the three Tenants of Spouthouse" ... "shall take their Sheep in their Bank or Bankedge on the Southside of Bleatarne upon their accustomed Way upon the height of Brownband and up over the How of Swinside and up at Eeleark and to the Hardrigge and if their Sheep be on the Northside of Bleatarne that they shall then take them and go to their Drift, both at coming Home and going there, at Will & Pleasure."
BORRADAILPLACE
"William Hartley's Drift"... "he shall drive his Sheep forth at the Northside of the Nab of Gillhead, and to the Brownband, and then the same Way that the Tenants of Spouthouse till they come to the Hardrigge." ... "None shall drive any Sheep up at Eelearke but only those four Tenants last named"- 6s 8d to Lord for each default- "and that the tenants of Bouth, with all other Men which had or hath Sheep in the said Hardrigge, but they shall avoyde and banish their Sheep or any others out of the said Hardrigge within two years next after the giving our award: And likewise the Tenants of Spouthouse and Hollinghead shall have no sheep in Cookrigge: But that they shall avoyde them into the said Hardrigge within the said Time and Space of two Years"... "And that neither the Tenants of Spouthouse shall drive no Sheep into Cookrigge: Neither the tenants of Bought nor any other manner of Person or Persons shall drive no Sheep in the said Hardrigge from this time forth"- 6s 8d to Lord "for every Drift driven contrary to this our meaning and Judgment, but ever to take away and never to put to but as our Award declareth."
[BOUGHT]
"And for Gilbert Hartley, John Nicholson [at Thorns in 1578] and Richd. Hartley's Drifts being Tenants in the Bought that they shall drive their Goods from their own Houses or forth of their own Banks up at Acrehowes and by the Broadthorne in Swinside, and over Ellerhowes over Lambford and forth at Whiterake, and to the Greenhow of and upon the Height of Cookrigge, and then to let their Sheep go as they like at any place without the Edge or Top of the said Cookrigge, where they think good and there to feed quietly and peaceably without any Stop, Let, Turn or Hinderance of any Manner of Person or Persons hounding or baiting"- 6s 8d per default to Lord- "and to leave them within their own Drift." ... "the Sheep of the said Tenants of the Bought shall lye quietly in their own Downfall from the Height of Cookrigge, to the Whiterakehead, to the Bowshow, and to the said Bowshow green and so from Bowshow green up along the River to the Lambfoard: And that no Manner of Person or Persons, Man Woman or Child shall beat or hound or drive the Goods of the tenants of the Bought within any Place of this Circuit and said Places"- penalty 6s 8d to Lord "and Trespass done contrary to our Award" ... "the Tenants of Bought or any other Person or Persons shall not turn, hound or beat any Man's Goods within their own Ground"- fine 6s 8d- "And if any other Person or Persons find any other Man's Goods out of his own Right, in his Right the Finder whosoever he or they be shall then turn peaceably forth of his own Ground without any Kind of hounding of them into their own Right:" ... "the Goods of the Bought shall lye quietly to the Wall beneath the Nab of the Gill without any turning"- fine 6s 8d per default- "for any Trouble cost or hinderance that do come amongst the Tenants within the Lordships of Eskdaile, Miterdaile and Wasdailehead, concerning all their Rights or touching one of them or any of their Customs for them, or any of them to be within any Part of the said Lordship or Forrest. All they to be at the like Cost, and every one to take another's Part in every Trouble or Hinderance amongst them or any of them. And if there be any Man within the said Lordship that will not be ordered by Reason, that then he shall abide the Order and Judgment of his own Neighbours, and so be stayed & pacified."
HOWES, GILBANKE, PADOCKWREY
"And for the Drifts of Edward Tyson, John Nicholson, Richard Tyson and Edward Nicholson and every one of these to drive their Sheep in their own Order to Cookrigge, and in his own Order every one of them till they come on the Westside of the Greathow, and to drive them forth to the Broadtongue as farr as the h[blank] upon their own Ground and then let them go."
HARMOTHOWS
"Thomas Dickonson" ... "shall drive his Sheep from his own House to the Fell over Caplecragge, and underside of the standing Stones and up through the Height of the Howes till he comes to the Hole of Winscarre to the Green of Winscarre how even through the Slack at nether Greathow Steele to the Cookriggemoss even forth on Hinstelfe towards the gray Stone."
HOLLINGS
"Richd. Tyson." ... "shall drive up over the Barrow and so to the Thornscarth by the lower Eile Tarnehow, and up the Stony gate and on the Northside under Haregreen, & over the lower foards at beckgreenes and even at Broadslack and this to be the next drift to the Harmothowes on the Westside."
CHRISTCLIFF
Tenants "William Wilson & Nicholas Tyson" ... "shall drive their Sheep from their own Houses to their Fell over the height of Coplecragge and up at Standing stones and upon the Band of Winscarr how and to the overmer Greathowsteel and even further towards the great Stone."
PEELPLACE
Tenants "Nicholas Hartley & Nicholas Nicholson" ... "from their own Houses up at Brownhows toppe, and up the side of Kirkhow, and up through the Whawbottom, and up the Height of Whinny Cragge and over the Cragg at Eller, and forth at Readmire end, and to the lower With how, and up over the overmer With how, and to the cloven gray Stone."
CLOSE AT CHURCH
"Robert Wilson's" ... "from the Church up along the Water of Esk to Cockley Moss foot, and up the hard ground to the Rise-bridgeyeat and up the Highway till they come at the Yeat at the Woodfoot, and in there, and through the Peel-place fould, and up at they Intack head and then the same Way that the Tenants of Peelplace goes to their Heath."
DAWSONPLACE
"Nicholas Wilson and Roger Tyson" ... "to the fell up through the Rough Cragg, and up at Horpinhow and up at Whinny Style and up at the Green Cragg at the Eller and to the Hill at Read Mire and on the Eastside, and to the Longrigge above the Thornehow, and to the White borrand under Seivie Sta [?letters omitted] and on so towards the Gray Stone."
Other sections:
Present editor's introduction
The 1659 revised regulations
Introduction to the 1587 regulations
Miscellaneous 1587 regulations and judgements
The 1587 regulations for cattle pasture
