passe this way till first Esquire Layton be acquainted to see whether he will renue his defunct lease; nor to disgust Thomas Flower who is a materiall witnesse in this case, but cannot if he be made at present a party. As for the other half tis very probable that Esquire Layton had it conveighed to him by Ed: Grant-and possibly Esquire Layton would part with his lease for yeares and convert both parts into lives. I have not spoken with the man who knowes the estate of Bishop Ings. Mr Wooller is in possession of it, and possibly Sir Tho: Layton might conveigh it as free land but the quare is whether it were so conveighed to him. As I take it there is a controversy betwixt them about that estate, but I can write nothing certaine till I speak with the man. My lord may see by this I am ready to serve him in that which may demonstrate my selfe his and Allerton Dec. 15, 1665. your reall servant Thomas Man.* Pray put my lord in mind that when Mr Lascelles comes I may be ordered some stones. My house is miserably in decay and the stones in the old Hall grow few. [Addressed] For his respected Friend Mr Stapleton at My Lord of Durrhams in Durrham. Enclosed by Thomas Man to Mr Stapleton; 15 December, 1665. In the same hand as the letter.] 22 July, 37 Eliz: Tobie Bishop of Durrham grants to Ge: Slinger 5 oxgangs and an half of demeane lands-that is to say one close commonly called Mower Flat, one close called Gilsbury Hill, one other close called Hell flat as it lies now divided into 2 closes, and the moytie or one halfe of all the meddow lieing in Winton Ings belonging to the said demeane lands of Brompton to Ge: Slinger to have and to hold-from the makeing hereof for and dureing the naturall lives of the said George, Tho: Slinger and Rbt Slinger naturall brothers of the said George-yealding and paying yearely 24o 3d1. The other deed, in the hand of· Bowes, is from Ed: Easton who granted to Edward Grant of Brompton-All those 5 oxgange and an half of arrable lands meddow and pasture and common of pasture with the appurtenances thereof, belonging to and parcell of the demeane lands lieing within Brompton, and within the territories and feilds thereof and in Winton in the county of York, and within the territories and feilds thereof. All which said 5 oxgange and an half and other the said arrable lands, meddowes and pastures, and common of pasture with the appurtenances are now or lately were in the tenure and occupation of Charles Layton Esquire and the said Ed: Grant, or their or other of their assignee or assignees-the one half of all the meddow lieing in Winton Ings belonging to the demeane lands of Brompton-which said meddow in Winton Ings are now in the possession of Charles Layton Esquire *Thomas Man, clerk, was presented to the vicarage of Northallerton 2nd August, 1660, by the King. He, or one of the same name, held the bene fice during the Commonwealth. WILLIAM MARSHALL TO MILES STAPYLTON. Honoured Sir: That according to your letter I spoke to Mr Wauler the undersheriff and he doth expect to heare from you as shortly as possible you can that he may receave order from my lord to take his issues out of the Excheceor this Candlemas tearme both for Howdenshire and Northallertonshire if he please which I suppose is all one charge. Otherwise he cannott allow of this money that I have collected nor any other that is or may be to be collected for either shire, which, if you please to send him an order from my lord to that purpose, and direct unto me, I shall take to deliver itt and allsoe take care to gitt the issues for Northallerton-shire allsoe and send them to my lord's baliff there to be collected for my lord's use. I have sent you and Mr Pearson* a peck of filberts and we hope you have receaved the last filberts which was sent, the receaver as yitt hath heard noe answere of the letter that was sent with them. I hope to heare an answere of this letter as shortly as possible you can. The receaver hath beene with Chancellor Burwell† to gitt a returne for moneys, and is takeing care to gitt both the rents and areares as speedely as can be. Thus with humble service remembred to your selfe Mr Pearson Mr Arden‡ and Mr Neile§ with the receavers and my brother Young; allsoe certyfying you that my brother Young hath receavd your letter in answere unto the last letter that he sent you, I rest Your humble servant to commaund Howden this third of January, 1665. * Anthony Pearson is stated to have written a book against tithes, but, turning his coat, was appointed to be undersheriff of Durham. He died at Durham in the month of January, 1665, 'having passed through all the degrees of separation and fanaticism, in all of which he was ever observed as a principal leader,' but lived to see his error before his death. Ex. London Gazette, No. 24, 1st to 5th February, 1665, quoted in Surtees Soc., No. lv, p. 316. †Thomas Burwell, fifth son of Francis Burwell of Sutton, Suffolk, was admitted to Peterhouse, Cambridge, 9th April, 1620; B.A. 1623, M.A. 1627, LL.D. 1660, and after the Restoration was made Chancellor of the diocese of Durham. His wife was Anne, daughter of Seth Chapman of Bury St. Edmunds, step-daughter of Dr. Richard Hunt, Dean of Durham. Chancellor Burwell entered his pedigree 16th August, 1666, in Dugdale's Visitation of Durham, and, dying in the month of March, 1673, aged 70, was buried at St. Margaret's, Westminster. cf. Surtees Soc., No. lv, p. 197n. In an agreement dated 7th March, 1663, he is described as Edward Arden, Esq., steward to the Right Hon. John, Lord Bishop of Durham.' cf. Correspondence of Bishop Cosin, Surtees Soc., No. lv, p. 369. § Richard, afterwards Sir Richard Neile. ¶ William Marshall was apparently one of the Bishop's local officers in Howdenshire. [Addressed] For His Honoured Freind Mr Myles Durham Castle in Durham theise present. WILLIAM MARSHALL TO MILES STAPYLTON. [Though not dated the letter was probably written in the Spring of 1665.] Honoured Sir: Your letter of the 16th of February with the inclosed (my lord's letter of atturney) I have receaved, and in obedience to my lord's order hath taken possession of the ferrie boat and fishing with the passage att Booth* and all the rest of the fishings belonging Owse and Darwent, and allsoe the passage att Saltmarsh† but their is noe boat that I can heare of that was left by the former leaser or his successors for the keeping the ferrie there, and he which injoyed itt att my possession takeing for the use of my lord hath a boat of his owne butt he hath butt beene tennant to itt three or fower yeares, therefore I did forbeare the takeing possession of his boat untill I heard further from you. After possession taken I have disposed of them for my lord's use unto the severall tennants att the rate of 48 2d per weeke for all the fishings belonging Owse and Darwent and the ferrie boat and passage att Booth with the passage att Saltmarsh, and they have a desire to lease itt of my lord againe if he please and would gladly give any of my lord's officers a meeting att the Assises, or come over with us to Durham att our comming with the receaver. If you please to looke over the antient lease to see what fishings with all other privilidgees belongs unto Barmby and send me a recitall of them I am.perswaded I shall finde something that is concealed there. I have taken possession allsoe of the Bishop middowes which Mr Kirlew had the possession of for the use of my lord, and as yitt I have not disposed of them, for he had noe desire to take them, untill he heare an answere of this inclosed from you, which if you please to send to me I shall take care to deliver, and according to your answere dispose of them to him or any other, but I feare att present a tennant will be harde to be gotten for them till nerer Lady-day. Since my letter unto you of the 12th of February concerning Mr Atkinson takeing a lease of my lord, of Walkington deamaines‡ I have receaved a letter from him wherein he doth acquainte me that he was with Doctor Concett and asking him what yeares pur * Booth, a hamlet in the township of Knedlington and parish of Howden. † Saltmarsh, a township in the parish of Howden. ‡ A lease of the woods and demesne of Walkington had been granted by Bishop Cosin to trustees to the use of his daughter, wife of Archdeacon Denis Granville. cf. the Bishop's will Surtees Soc., No. lv, p. 300. chase he payd for his lease which is the rectory of Bossall* he tould him he payd five yeares purchase and itt was thought high, there was some that was procured att fower. And he would intreat soe much favour from you as to procure him an answere what my lord's minde, or those gentlemen that my lord hath disposed of Walkington deameanes unto, is and he will be much obliged unto you in sending him word for he will not dispose of his money untill he heare from you, which if you please to send unto me I shall carefully acquainte him withall. Thus with my love and service, with my brother Young's remembred unto you, Mr Arden, and Mr Neile, I remaine Your servant to comaund I received your letter to which I gave you a short returne by the last post which I could not then inlarge, for all things of busines are a great trouble to me, and if I either omitt or mistake any thing I begg your perdon. The lease granted, I beleive, is to the part as you mention, but my Cosen Chatour's interrest upon the same grounds I formerly writt as to the summe you speake of that I might esteeme them to be worth, I still doe the same if rightlie ordered, but that I did assure my lord, or any else, that they would be such a profitt as you speake of, or to give any assurance of it, I know noe reason for it, nor doe I beleive I could be soe much mistaken as to doe it, seeing how things was ordered, and by reason of my being out of the country I had noe hand at all in it and upon my goeing to London my Cozen Gerard had the ordering thereof, and at my returne upon account there was for me to pay fower pounds as I remember for one halfe yeare and my lord's rent to pay and Mrs Richardson to pay besides; if I be not very farr mistaken, which I may be not haveing the accounts by me, soe after that, my Cosen Chatour did take upon him the letting of them, whatsoever the accounts be from my Cosen Chatour I beleive they are just, and for profitt I have as bad a share as any if not worse. As for the old lease being permitted to run out, if Mrs Stephenson's death had * The vicarage of Bossall, near York, is still in the gift of the Dean and Chapter of Durham. certainely been knowen to be soe neere, without doubt it had been the best way, but the accedent that attended it altered the case; and when the lease was renewed I did beleive her life as good as any woman's in England of her age, and she might yet have lived long had not an infirmitie befallen her very unusuall and hardly to be found in old people. I doe not remember that I was more then ordinary sollicitous for this lease, but haveing an interrest in it, common reason made me indeavour the promoteing of it. As that Mr Gerrard paid any thing more then I did, I confesse I doe not understand it, neither that he did or why he should I doe not understand it. As to urge any thing upon my lord's memory, as to the renewing, or to be more desireous of it then my lord is pleased to thinke fitt, I shall not doe it but humbly submitt to his lordshipp's pleasure in it; but these mills have cost me much and yeilding soe little profitt, I have noe money at this tyme to lay downe conserneing them more then what comes to my equall proportion and that for the present charge of them. I was at much charge about the mills before my Cosen Gerrard had any thing to doe with them; and it seemes she doth not know how the interrest of the mills hath past (or doth not remember it) but I hoope it will be noe difficulty to make it clearly appeare as I have said. You are pleased to mention some yeares rent that I have had, as alsoe seaventeen pounds and 44" which I confesse I doe not understand, for I doe not remember that ever I had any money, but that I have duly paid all things for the one halfe both to my lord, repaires, and Mrs Stephenson and five pounds this Martinmas for my cosen and noe more then is received. As for things being out of my power, yet I will indeaviour in all things to serve or satisfie my lord or my Cosen Gerrard. As to have any joyned for the disposall of the mills: whatsoever shall be most advantagious I shall promote it and acquaint my Cosen Chatour with it. I shall be very glad that all things were once made straight and then we might proceed more orderly, and my lord be duely and exactly paid, but I hoop, for all your post-script, nothing will be forced upon me but what may reasonably be expected from me. I humbly desire you to present my very humble service to my lord, and I returne his lordshipp most humble thanks for his remembrance of me. I ame forced to ride to Croft to my Cosen Chaytour in order to a civill visitt, he being very ill at this tyme, as alsoe about this busines and some other urgent occasions I have with him, and after this day I beleive I shall be forced to take my-selfe to my bedd, for a doctor that was with me told me if I did ride or stirr till I had taken a tyme of rest and dureing that tyme the best applications, I should grow worse and worse and shortly past remidy, and truly my paine indisposeth me all over and much in my head. Sir, I shall with all readines satisfie my lord, or my Cosen Gerrard, in any thing I can, and they shall have what is right from me at any tyme to a farthing, soe that I hoop they will neither wish nor indeaviour my trouble or |