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

Short title: Attorney General of the Duchy of Lancaster v Armyn.

Plaintiffs: Attorney General of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Defendants: Dame Mary Armyn.

Documents: depositions concerning common rights in Cromford, Derbyshire.

Taken 11 January, 17 Charles II.

Deponents for plaintiffs: Anthony Ragg of Wirksworth, butcher, aged 62; Richard Bradshawe of Wirksworth, miner, aged 62; William Hopkinson of Wirksworth, gentleman, aged 29, deposed that he has seen a rental of the wapentake of Wirksworth dated 3 Richard II; Henry Buxton of Wirksworth, gentleman, aged 34; John Cadman of Wirksworth, miner, aged 79, deposed that before Birchwood and Highscliffe woods were enclosed he used to get wood there at the age of under 10 years old more than 70 years ago. Cites the 'Customes and Articles of the Myne' in support of the miners' claim to wood in Cromford; George Hopkinson of Ible, gentleman, aged 60, deposed that it was not until the beginning of the 'last unhappy warres' [unhappy wars] that the King's possession of the wastes and moors was questioned. Over the past 13 years various encroachments have been made upon the King's moors in the form of enclosure for which payment had not been made. [He includes a list of those individuals who erected cottages on the moors and the payments they owed]. He kept rentals of Wirksworth which he 'did write into a booke wherein hee had written many other things before' [did write into a book wherein he had written many other things before]; Thomas Godbehere, previously sworn; Edward Ragge of Wirksworth, ironmonger, aged 60, deposed that Lady Armyn enclosed the woods 14 years ago; Wiliam Torr of Wirksworth, labourer, aged 90, deposed that he remembers Henry Gee and other copyholders fetching wood from Cromford moor until the beginning of the English Civil Wars. He was at times employed by copyholders to collect wood; Rowland Steeple of Wirksworth, husbandman, aged 90, deposed that Anthony Ferne and his son John Ferne intervened to protect the rights of common of the inhabitants; George Woodinis, formerly sworn.

Deponents for defendants: William Hopkinson, formerly sworn, deposed that he had received rents from cottagers on Cromford moor [lists payments]; Anthony Coaves of Brassington, husbandman, aged 70, deposed that about 30 years ago Sir William Armyn made a warren on Cromford moor. William Debankes was employed as the warrener. Eventually the warren was destroyed at the resuqest of the tenants; Henry Wigley of Matlock, gentleman, aged 46, deposed that 16 years ago Lady Mary Armyn had Birchwood enclosed and employed workmen to cut wood there. Wirksworth's inhabitants never complained. About 30 years ago the inhabitants of Wirksworth brought an action at the common land v. Armyn for the rights of common on Cromford moor in the names of 2 poor men. Following Armyn's victory, he was 'forced' to have one of these men gaoled. Armyn told the inhabitants of Wirksworth that he would desire them if they proceeded further in their suit to 'pduce and place their Accion upon such men that had woolle of their backes' [produce and place their action upon such men that had wool on their backs]; Thomas Godbehere of Cromford, yeoman, aged 84; John Huges of Hopton, mason, aged 54; William Huges of Wirksworth, mason, aged 62; John Bowne of Matlock, yeoman, aged 80; George Woodinis, Cromford, yeoman, aged 68, deposed that 'if any [wood] was soe gott [by Wirksworth's inhabitants] itt was by stealth' [if any [wood] was so got [by Wirksworth's inhabitants] it was by stealth]; Anthony Chapman of Matlock, yeoman, aged 64.