Short title: Attorney General of the Duchy of Lancaster v Earl of Devonshire. Plaintiffs:...

Short title: Attorney General of the Duchy of Lancaster v Earl of Devonshire.

Plaintiffs: Attorney General [at the relation of Thomas Eyre].

Defendants: William [Cavendish], Earl of Devonshire.

Documents: depositions concerning the boundaries of Little Longstone, Monsal Dale and Brushfield, Derbyshire.

Taken 7 October, 17 James I.

Deponents for plaintiffs: William Furniss of Calver, yeoman, aged 90, whose memory goes back 60 years [to 1559], deposed that Little Longston, Brushfield and Monsalldale were reputed to be inheritance of the Shakerslies [Shakersley], but was now owned by the defendant since he purchased them; John Mellor of Little Longstone, yeoman, aged 69, whose memory goes back 30 years and more [to 1589], he appeared as a tenant of Longstone at the King's Court at Chapel-en-le-Frith; Richard Gregory of Toney Middleton, schoolmaster at Calver, aged 56, served as deputy barmaster to Arthur Barker; John Mycocke fo Tideswell, husbandman, aged 78, whose memory goes back 60 years [to 1559]; Roger Wibbersley of Priestcliffe, yeoman, aged 42; Thomas Tym of Priestcliffe, yeoman, aged 50; Richard Ward of Priestcliffe, miner, aged 56; Nicholas Redfearne of Wormhill, yeoman, aged 48.

Deponents for defendants: Marian Whitewall of Staffordshire, widow of George Whitewall, gentleman, aged 67, whose memory goes back 50 years [to 1559], deposed that her family held lands in Longstone and paid rents to Shakersly. She herself married Leonard Shakersly. She remembers hows 32 years ago, on his return from the baths at Buxton and accompanied by other Earls, the Earl of Shrewsbury asked her husband's leave to fish in the river at Longstone. The lords of Longstone were 'absolute lordes and owners' of the lead in the manor. There was lead got in Longstone for all of her remembrance '& as she hath heard for the space of 100 yeares before' [and as she has heard for the space of 100 years before]; Anthony Longstone of Longstone, gentleman, aged 47, deposed that he has 'sevall Ancient deeds or evidences' [severall ancient deeds or evidences] which prove Little Longstone was a manor. There have been lead miners there in all his remembrance and the Shakerslies have always received the lot and cope. [Lot a mineral duty paid by the miner to the lord of the liberty to search for and mine ore. Cope duty paid by the buyer of the ore to the lord of the liberty]. The miners in Bakewell Tideswell, Ashford East Stoney Middleton, Calver and Hassop pay lot and cope to the Lord not the King. He has seen 'deeds and wrytings' [deeds and writings] that confirm that these tradtiions were the 'Ancient Evidences of his father and Ancestors' [ancient evidence of his father and ancestors]; Henry Frost of Sheldon, miner, aged 75; Edward Dean of Beeley, esquire, aged 47, deposed that he believed the lands to be an idnependent manor as this was the 'comon reputacon' [common reputation] and he had seen ancient deeds owned by Mr Longson which attest to the same; William Hicklinge of Langley, gentleman, aged 43; Robert Neale of Derby, gentleman, aged 37, wrote a lease given to Bess of Hardwick; Richard Tattershall of Great Longstone, yeoman, aged 72, whose memory goes back 60 years [to 1559]; Robert Owsnam of Cartledge, yeoman, aged 67; Thomas Hardy of Little, miner, aged 50, deposed that 28 years ago he was leased by word of mouth the lot and cope of Little Longstone by Thomas Shakerslie; Francis Keen of the Peak Forest, miner, aged 58, whose memory goes back 37 [to 1582], deposed that he and his partner held a mine in Little Longstone according to the 'use and custome' [use and custom] of the mine; Robert Halom of Ashford, miner, aged 37, whose memory goes back 35 years [to 1584]; Thomas Hulley of Monsalldale, miner, aged 61, whose memory goes back 40 years [to 1579]; Michael Heaward of Ashford, miner, aged 67, whose memory goes back 40 years to [to 1579]; Wiliam Launt of Wetton, Staffordshire, gentleman, aged 60; Godfrey Boler of Chesterfield, town clerk, aged 50; Michael Heaward of Ashford, miner, aged 60, whose memory goes back 40 years [to 1579]; John Hancocke of Little Longstone, husbandman, aged 80, whose memory goes back 60 years [to 1559]; Stephen White of Sheldon, miner, aged 46; Henry Hather of Ashford, miner, aged 60; William Wright of Great Longstone, gentleman, aged 33; Thomas White of Great Longston, gentleman, aged 49; Thomas Dakin of Monsalldale, miner, aged 36.