These notes indicate some of the documents which have been identified as relevant in Record Office indexes and will need to be studied in the course of the Eskdale Project.
J.H. Martindale & Son, architects, Carlisle.
Plans held at Carlisle Record Office outstore include:
DB6/Plans/1/259: work at St. Catherine's Church (no date)
DB6/Plans/2/306: proposed dormitory block at Gatehouse [Outward Bound] (1955)
DB6/Plans/3/12: work at Boot School (1928)
DB6/Plans/3/25: Eskdale School (no date)
DB6/Files/169: works at St. Catherine's Church (1923-56)
/170: Gatehouse (1955-6)
/171: "Gowrie" (1955-6)
/172: Low Holme Farm (1949)
/293: Muncaster Church (1948)
/295: Muncaster & Waberthwaite Churches (1926-59)
/449: Muncaster Church (1907-32)
Benson's solicitors documents
Plans held at Carlisle Record Office outstore include:
D/Ben/Stray Plans/26 is plan of Drigg & Carleton, c1800, with house owners named.
/27 is early 19th cent. plan of Boot area, apparently for lawsuit over inclosure of common land between John Tyson of Mill and John Tyson of Christ Clift. Original ref. no. 756/3 (which may relate to case of that number in D/Ben/Box 165)
/28 is another version of 27, only extra feature is label for "face of Bull Cragg". Original ref. no. 905/2 (case 905/2 is in D/Ben/Box 156) [N.B. I now have a photo of the map, and some background notes, but others are working on the details]
D/Ben/Sale particulars: includes sale of right of mining for iron ore on N side of Eskdale, 1882.
D/Ben box 310: has bundle labelled "Deeds belonging to the Tithe Suit" of which No. 6 is: Manor of Wasdalehead, court baron & forest court verdict, stating award & orders in respect of sheep & cattle drifts, seasonal grazing etc., 14 Oct 1664.
Leconfield Estate documents
(available to order via Carlisle or Whitehaven Record Office) include:
BOXED ESTATE DOCUMENTS:
D/Lec/Box 50: includes 4 Feb 1639 deed of sale & counterpart by Algernon Earl of Northumberland to William Pennington Esq. of Muncaster, for $800: timber growing in Eskdale, Mitredale, Wasdalehead & Netherwasdale (except 1,000 trees to be marked by the Earl's agents & very young trees) for 14 years, with liberty to dig pits etc. to make charcoal.
D/Lec/Box 92-3/bundle 16: Papers relating to a valuation of the mining assets of the late Samuel Lindow, 1871-2
D/Lec/Box 272: includes bundle of accounts etc. (1720 & 1756-1813) among which is bill for removing & rebuilding Ravenglass Cross, 1774
D/Lec/Box 298/bundle 6: Correspondence with Thomas Forster Brown, mining consultant engineer & inspector: from E. Lloyd-Owen (mining engineer for the Eskdale Mining Co.), the liquidators of Whitehaven Iron Mines Ltd.; William Donaldson (civil engineer of London & Ambleside); Messrs. Ord & Maddison (quarry owners, of Darlington) re Eskdale iron mines & quarries, 1882-94 (c150 items)
PLANS:
D/Lec/Eskdale/19: 6" Ordnance Survey maps (1901 edition) marked with Eskdale manor boundary
/22: Low Place & Bakerstead & Hall Waberthwaite estates (1914)
/25: Randlehow estate, sale plan (no date)
/28a (unnumbered): Forest of Copeland boundary
D/Lec/Eskdale & Nether Wasdale/30: map showing property owners etc. in Eskdale (no date)
/(unnumbered): sale particulars and plans of the Woolpack & Stanley Ghyll hotels, Fisherground, Milkingstead & Red Brow farms (1910)
D/Lec/MP (mining plans) include:
/1: Hollinghead Bank (1921)
/2: Nab Gill vein of the Eskdale iron mines (no date)
/3: Great Barrow mine (no date)
/4: Bann Garth iron ore mine (1863)
/5: areas allotted to Barrow Hematite Steel Co. Ltd. and to William Donaldson & Partners (no date, post 1865)
/6: Brown How, Roundclose Plantation & Hollinghead Crag (no date)
/7: section of Nab Gill vein- Whitehaven Iron Ore Mines (1973)
/8: Eskdale iron ore mines leased to Whitehaven Mining Co. (1875)
/9: Whitehaven Iron Ore Mines Ltd., plan and sections of Nab Gill, Ban Garth & Blea Tarn workings (no date)
/10: South Cumberland Iron Co., Workington- Eskdale Moor workings by William Donaldson- including Whillan Beck, Little Barrow, Great Barrow and Middle lodes (1882)
/11: Whitehaven Iron Mines Ltd.- north & south section of Nab Ghyll vein (1877-81)
/12: plan of Ban Garth iron ore mine "wrought by Messrs. Joseph Fearon & Co." (1863)
/13: area leased to J.J. Robson (1904)
D/Lec/MB (mining boxes) include:
MB.10/28 inc. ditto + Eskdale railway
MB.11/1 inc. ditto
MB.11 inc. ditto (e.g. correspondence of W. Watkyn Thomas (of Workington, agent at Cockermouth) + 1889 draft lease to Barrow Haematite Steel Co.) + a few letters on Ravenglass Harbour fishery
MB.11/2 inc. correspondence on Eskdale iron ore & granite royalties, 1876-1882
MB.17/10 inc. stone for county roads: Eskdale, Braithwaite & Lorton
MB.21: includes minerals reports on Leconfield mines & royalties, 19th century
Continued 1880s to 1933 in boxes 133 & 134
LEASES:
D/Lec/Leases/2/7 Jul 1610 (original ref. no. 50/38): lease for 21 years of fisheries in the Rivers Irt & Esk, at Ravenglass & Drigg, rent £3/17/8 - Earl of Northumberland to Sir Wilfred Lawson of Isel
/3 Dec 1668 (orig. ref. 50/49): lease for 21 years of fisheries in the Rivers Irt & Esk, rent £3/16/8 - Earl of Northumberland to Robert Copley
[Copley also took a lease of Egremont Mill on the same date, and a Robert Copley of Muncaster also had a lease of Kinniside Mill from 4 Aug 1663]
/9 Mar 1592-3 (orig. ref. 50/39): lease for 21 years of lands called the New Frith or Fence and the Old Frith, in Eskdale & Miterdale and Wasdale Head (subject to a repair agreement for the fences of the enclosure), rent £5
document dated 1700: Coupland Forest includes "Bowderdale Fence" and "Wasdalehead Fence"
document dated 1723: Coupland Forest includes "Gosforth Crags"
/20 Aug 1689 (orig. ref. 17/110): lease for 21 years of a salmon fishery & fishgarth in the Rivers Irt & Esk, rent £3/16/8 - Duke of Somerset to Sir William Pennington
/12 Jan 1709 (orig. ref. 17/111): lease for 21 years of fishing called Eskgarth and fishery in the River Esk, rent £3/16/8 - Duke of Somerset to Sir William Pennington
/1 Oct 1730 (orig. ref. 17/112): lease for 21 years of salmon fishery & fishgarth in the River Esk, rent £3/16/8 - Duke of Somerset to Sir Joseph Pennington
/28 Nov 1751 (orig. ref. 16/49): lease for 21 years of salmon fishery & fishgarths in the Rivers Esk & Irt, rent £3/16/8 - Earl of Egremont to Sir Joseph Pennington
/24 Aug 1798 (orig. ref. 19/49-50): lease for 40 years of right to erect a weir over the River Mite, rent 10/6 - Earl of Egremont to John Russell
/29 Sep 1825 (orig. ref. 19/46-47): continuation lease for 21 years of right to use a weir over the River Mite, rent £1/1/0 - Earl of Egremont to John Russell
/17 Aug 1837 (orig. ref. 18/25): lease for unspecified term of mines in the manors of Eskdale & Nether Wasdale, rent not stated - Earl of Egremont to James Read &. Co.
/24 Sep 1845 (orig. ref. 20/46): lease for unspecified term of iron mines in the manors of Eskdale & Miterdale and Wasdalehead, (rent not stated) - Major General Wyndham to Messrs. Lindow
D/Lec/3-modern leases, section 1 (sporting) includes:
/11 Aug 1868 (orig. ref. 438): lease for unspecified term of shooting rights in Eskdale, yearly rent £140 - to Thomas Brocklebank
/3 Aug 1878 (orig. ref. 5): lease for unspecified term of shooting rights on Eskdale, Miterdale & Wasdale Head commons, yearly rent £120 - to Joseph Dugdale
/188? (orig. ref. 451): draft lease for 7 years of shooting & fishing rights at Burnmoor Tarn, Eskdale Fell, yearly rent £150 - to Jonas L. Burns-Lindow
/29 Jul 1899 (orig. ref. 746): leases for 5 years of sporting rights in Eskdale, Miterdale & Wasdale Head, yearly rents £80 & £100 - to William G.A. Kennedy
D/Lec/3-modern leases, section 2 (minerals) includes:
/6 Sep 1866 (orig. ref. 1014): lease for 17 years of iron ore in Eskdale & Miterdale, rent not stated - to Joseph Fearon & James Humby
/7 Jun 1867 (orig. ref. 1123): license to Joseph Fearon & James Humby to assign the above lease
/13 Apr 1874 (orig. refs. 367, 1001): lease for 25 years of iron ore in Eskdale & Miterdale, rent not stated - lease & copy to the Earl of Devon, Thomas B. Hall & Charles K. Dyer
/1 Mar 1881 (orig. ref. 379, 1002 & copy at 380): lease for 21 years of iron ore in Eskdale, rent not stated - to Howard A. Allport, Charles J. Alport & William Donaldson
/2 Apr 1909 (orig. ref. 582): lease for 3 years of iron ore in Eskdale, rent not stated - to James B. Swan & others
/23 Oct 1916 (orig. ref. 631): lease for unspecified term of iron ore in Eskdale, rent not stated - to John C. Wasley
Pennington of Muncaster documents
at Whitehaven Record Office [D/Pen] include
/bundle 1/1: Grant from Hugo de Standish & wife Elizabeth to Alan de Penyngton, kt., of the Manor of Mulcaster, plus their lands, tenements etc. in Gosforth, "& in Langlewergh & le Moles in villa de Britby". 10 Mar 11 Henry IV (1410, or 1409 Old Style)
[NB bundle 1/4, from 20 Henry 8, refers to "Longle Park"]
PARKHOUSE
/bundle 1/5: Roger Jackson of Heftholm grants his son William Jackson of London his right, title etc. in a tenement called Parkhouse in Muncaster. 10 Jun 2-3 Philip & Mary (1556)
/bundle 1/7: William Jackson, citizen & clothworker of London, and Edwarde Nicholson, smith of Whetstone, Middlesex (son of John Nicholson, yeoman of Myterdale, Cumberland) sell to William Robinson, yeoman of Monkaster, their tenant right & farmhold called Parkhous in Muncaster (held from Mr William Pennington of Monkaster for 20s yearly rent). 10 May 3 Eliz (1561)
Also, /bundle 1/8 is promise to return the purchase money if Pennington has not given his permission for the sale by 4 Jun. Dated 12 May 3 Eliz
/bundle 1/10: Joseph Pennington esq., of Muncaster, Cumberland, sells to Robert Jackson, yeoman of the Parkehowse, Muncaster, the messuage / tenement called the Parke Howse. 2 Oct 27 Eliz (1585)
SOUTHFIELD
/bundle 1/9: John "Eansdall" & wife Jennat, of Wallesey, Cheshire, sell to Abraham Chambers, gent of Muncaster, their tenement or farm hold in Muncaster called Southfielde, with all houses, buildings etc. (part held of the Queen at 2s 6d rent, part of Bridget Lady Askewe at 9s 6d rent). 27 May 24 Eliz (1582)
WALLS
/bundle 1/12: William Robinson snr of the Walles, Muncaster, sells to Abraham Chambers, gent of the Walles, messuage / tenement called the Walles. 22 Mar 29 Eliz (1587, or 1586 Old Style)
D/PEN/46 (mines & quarrying) is mostly concerned with mines around Pennington and at Coniston / Tilberthwaite. However, among documents /90-/99 are:
Letter re getting or trying for iron ore in Muncaster Deer Park, Nov 1756.
Receipt (£15) for sinking pit for iron ore, 22 Dec 1756
Receipt (£20) forsinking pit for iron ore in Muncaster Park, 11 Mar 1757 (signed Arthur Mullanex & Henry Conway).
Also: account of Muncaster rents, 3 Dec 1814.
Documents /110-/121 include:
Lease: Sir Joseph Pennington to Randulph Aphonhurst, to search for coal in manors of Drigg cum Carleton and Muncaster, 21 Nov 1702.
Lease of frestone quarry at Drigg Cross, Sir John Pennington to Wiliam Thompson, 12 Jul 1745.
Account of stone sold by William Thompson from Drigg Cross quarry, with signatures of buyers, 23 Sep 1745.
Lease for 5 years: Sir John Pennington to Nathan Caddy of Irton and Isaac Gaitskell of Drigg, masons: stone quarry in field called Drigg Cross (belonging to William Thompson as customary tenant) dated 7 Nov 1752
Promissory note to pay for stone quarry at Drigg Cross, to Sir John Pennington from William Brockbank, ?and customary tenant William Ashburner, 24 Oct 1767.
Promissory note to pay for quarry at Drigg Cross, to Sir Joseph Pennington & William Thompson, from John Long, 30 May 1774.
Lease of Langtry Park Farm [where?], Sir John Pennington to John Cragg, 1805.
Documents /126-/131 include:
Lease of Broad Oak Farm [where?], Sir John Pennington to John Borrowdale, 25 Mar 1810.
Hull University Library has a collection of documents relating to Pennington family property in the East Riding, centred on Warter.
Hull DDWA/6/61 is the sale of the manor, rectory, advowson & estate of Warter by John Stapylton Esq. of Warter (son & heir of the late Sir Philip Stapylton of Warter) to Sir William Pennington of Muncaster, for £3,000 down + £3,000 later, and as part of the settlement on marriage between Sir William and Dame Isabel, John's eldest daughter.
Other estates were acquired (mostly around the 1770s by Sir Joseph Pennington) at Dunnington, Grimston, Nunburnholme etc. Sir Joseph, with Lowther Pennington Esq. & John Pennington Esq. was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for the East Riding & Hull on 10 July 1779.
Public Record Ofice etc.:
Calendar of Papal Letters v9, 480-481: memo from the inhabitants of Eschdale to Pope Eugenius IV, claiming that their homes were more than 10 miles from the parish church (sancte Bigie / St. Bees) and asking for parish church status for their chapel.
