Steward's letters

Includes:

Letters from Thomas Salkeld Esq. to Wilfrid Lawson Esq. - ways of getting payment; has had "a very narrow escape" in an accident yesterday; cordial tone, yet wary; armorial seal to close, Both dated at Whitehall, 1702

Letter from John Barnes to Mr Norman - as to the "Individuals" now seeking a mineral lease - the "mineral" is "wad discovered, after many years search, in a certain part of Skiddaw" and secretly worked by two men at night; "your late Father" knew of it, and 'tis said the then Lawson offered "a very handsome premium" to show him the place, but had no takers; the mine was covered up by day; "I have already used a small bit of the black lead as a pencil and it works very well", Bassenthwaite, 12 Sept. [18]45

Letter from William Browne [Esq.], Tallentire, [Sir Wilfrid] - ways of prevailing on Winney Grave, one of your tenants, to repair that fence that abuts on my field - "some 2 years ago I pounded a number of his sheep, and made him pay a trifle, he promising to mend it", but he hasn't, and the field is now unlettable, Tallentire, 5 March 1856

As to whether there was ever a Bewley in Roundhill Tenement, Manor of Hesket [& Sebergham] (conveyancing correspondence), 1862, 1889

On Mr Miller's stone-taking from his winter's field at Warthole, and other unwitting illicit acts of his there (re tithe, stints, winter tenancy), 1870

Letters re Isel Glebe from Sir Wilfrid, Mr RH Mounsey (Carlisle) and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, re proposed sale; includes detailed description, piece by piece, of the glebe lands and the Vicarage house, 1876 - 77

Letter from Waugh & Musgrave to Mr J. Weddespoon, advising settlement of claim of the brother of Mr Slack of Threapland Hall "before he gets to a Solicitor", Cockermouth, 9 Nov., 1886

Letter from Mr James Cooper - list of the rents of Isel (Blindcrake, Redmain, and Sunderland) "collected by me", with comments, White House, Somerleyton, Lowestoft, [Suffolk], 12 March [18]91

Letter from Mr James Cooper, re memorandum re fence; thinks he gave it to the Vicar of Isel when he saw it "mixed among his papers" at the Vicarage; sorry to hear of "your long and painful illness"; comments on local state of crops, and provisions' prices [i.e. in East Suffolk] - "I have got a taste of farming and bid fair to soon be a Chronic grumbler like the rest of the fraternity! I like the district, the land etc. better than I like the people .. give me the North of England"

White House, Herringfleet, Lowestoft, 2 July [1891]

From James Thomson, Agent, to Waugh & Musgrave - re the Blindcrake and Redmain court rolls; am sending you them by this post, also "three papers pinned together viz. a rough plan of Customary ground and two papers with accounts of Rents"; "I think you have a parcel sent .. some time ago in which the rents are stated"; at foot, pencilled, "all Borrowdale"

Estate Office, Brayton, 28 Aug. 1903

From James Cooper to Mr Thomson - how he collected the manorial rents when bailiff only of Blindcrake; encloses his notes made in 1868 when "I assisted in valuing and locating the Blindcrake manor property" - Mr Wedderspoon has the sketch-map I then drew; adds comments on events since; "I remember Mr Norman referring to a very very old looking brown leather bound book" but never saw its contents, only "that it referred to Manor property"; "I retired from farming in 1904 and came here, by which removal I am temporarily disfranchised. I hope Sir Wilfred will be elected by a record majority"

7 Wellesley Road, Great Yarmouth [Norfolk], 13 Jan. 1906