John Salkeld Bland

“ At last Christopher Lowther, in summing up his griefs, concludes by praying to have an end of suits, and says he has been kept so for ten years by his tenants, that he has become impoverished, and having so many children he is utterly unable to do Her Highness' service upon the Borders, according as he is bound, as others of his calling. The tenants humbly reply that they too wish an end of suits; they too are impoverished; but that Mr. Lowther has always been plaintiff against them. ”

“ The northern counties of England have, through all historic record, and in times previous from monumental evidence, been the scenes of constant struggles, sometimes between the different tribes of the inhabitants amongst themselves, or marauders; and at other times united as a people opposing the invasions of foreign aggressors, as the Romans, and after them the Scots, Picts, Angles, Saxons and Danes; each in their turn conquering in whole or part, and so settling as a separate people, or mingling with the previous inhabitants. ”

“ We are no doubt indebted also to Robert, afterwards Governor Lowther, son of Richard, who would follow in the footsteps of his father in beautifying the lovely valley, in which it was their lot to be placed. Nature had formed a district having great capabilities, and with all respect to the memories of those men, they have done their duty towards it with most praiseworthy taste, and what is chiefly to be regretted is, there are none to follow their footsteps, but "hewers of wood and drawers of water."
In the year 1700, Richard purchased Crosby Hall and the manor of Margaret Bayly. ”

“ CROSBY RAVENSWORTH. The village of Crosby Ravensworth is remarkably picturesque, being situated near the junction of the stream from Odindale with the Lyvennet; these streams afford marked features of natural beauties, and are enhanced by the splendid sycamore trees in the neighbourhood of the Church and Hall. It is also a very good specimen of villages arranged under the feudal times, when the resident lord of the manor exercised an almost despotic sway over the tenants and other inhabitants. ”

“ Castlesteads, about half a mile further east, is an elevated plateau of rock, having a sloping level surface of about half an acre, covered with bent and moss. On nearly every side it presents an escarpment of rock from three to fifteen feet high; along the top of this has been a rude wall or barricade of stone to serve partly as a defence against attack, or more likely as a fence to enfold horses and cattle. Within it on the south side are two oblong enclosures about twenty yards long by eight each, and on the north-west side is a large pile of stones as though it may have been a rude tower. ”

“ From Borough Bridge the road had gone nearly direct to Kirkby Thore, traversing the whole length of the vale of Lyvennet. Many antiquarians supposed it went to Brougham, but the name Wicker Street applied to an extensive hill on the west side of Crosby—a name significant of a Roman way—led to examination a few years ago and a road was found traceable from near Black Dub to Dale Banks, a distance of more than two miles, indisputably in the direction of Kirkby Thore: it is regularly formed and rounded in the middle, about thirty feet across, the ground being generally hard and dry ”

“ About a mile from Castlesteads, descending by a rocky ravine in an easterly direction, is a remarkable hollow called Sale Bottom, where are the remains of mounds and earthworks, to all appearance of a strategic character—perchance the battlefield on which the owners of the fold on Castlesteads have struggled to defend themselves and their property. It is a narrow area of level land, bounded on the north side by an escarpment of limestone more or less bold ”

“ CROSBY RAVENSWORTH.
Battling Tree, Monks' Bridge, Vicarage and School.
[45]
There is the mill, where the tenants were required to grind their grain, subject to the lord's moultre. The inn, too, opposite the church, is a genuine specimen of a village alehouse, with its sign of "The Rising Sun," significant of the landlord's good ale, "always rising never to set," "cheering the heart it never saddens."
Up the village is a large spring; near it stood an ancient elm tree, about which the lazy wives of the village gathered in groups to gossip on the characters of their absent neighbours. ”

“ Whitehead, whose memories are so closely connected with the work of the Blands; but it is a delicate matter to write of a man in his lifetime; and he is still living, and bearing his ninety-one years very lightly. Two of his stanzas are quoted in this book, to illustrate the tale of Crosby Hall.
Thomas Bland worked at art for its own sake, cared nothing for fame, and would have hated notoriety. He had at least one excellent chance of becoming known to London art circles, for David Cox (the younger) , who had seen some of his drawings, was interested, and wished to introduce him to his friends. ”

“ The grounds have been laid out in the then fashionable Elizabethan style, and tradition yet affirms that they were at one time the finest gardens in the north. The entrance from the road is by a doorway with cheeks of solid masonry surmounted by balls, and a court on each side, mantled with ivy. Within this is a large level area in front of the Hall, flanked on each side with a row of now ancient yews; passing to the left through another doorway we come to the south front. ”

“ The book contains a drawing, a ground plan and a description of each of these remains.
But he never lapses into dulness. Indeed, he pokes quiet fun at the antiquary pure and simple. Certain earthworks, he says, have been supposed by some antiquaries to be a maze; a dilemma in which antiquarians are sometimes found. Writing of Crosby Park, he has a gentle thrust at those who deal of venison and vert, and ancient deer parks and forests:—"These things," he says, "are past and gone, except to the dreaming poet and the prosing antiquary." ”

“ The trees are traditionally said to have been brought from Lowther, and were, at the time of planting, a cart load each. From being so large when planted, they never attained so great a height. At the north end are Ratla Park and Hard Bank plantations, of about the same age. Of this we have a good guess: a man of the name of Wharton, who died about 55 years ago, aged 90, assisted in his youth to plant them; so that it will be about 130 years ago; while the yews and park at Meaburn Hall, if planted soon after the erection of the present Hall, may be about 180 or 190 years old. ”

“ Every village green had its butts, and the villagers were required by the lord of the manor to practise, so that they might be able to contend with the Scots in case of an invasion, or border foray. In some places the mounds have been levelled away but the name still retained. They are to be found at Reagill near the school, and also at Maulds Meaburn. Time, however, has made great revolutions. ”

“ There is another similar near Hard Ing, much more perfect, with a mound and ditch; some antiquarians attribute these to be the work of the Danes, as strongholds in their forays.
The last remains of a strategic character to be enumerated are on Bank Moor. Here there is a level plateau of land which has been fortified on the west and north by a deep ditch, formed along the brow of the hill. When the brow is a rocky crest no ditch is made, but it is continued across the north end to another breast of rock. ”

“ There is still a lingering tradition of the last as a mustering place. In 1618 Mr. C. Lowther was in a special commission with Lord Wharton and Lord William Howard and others for repressing disorders on the Borders. When King James I came into England on his accession to the Crown, in 1603, he attended him with a gallant company from the Borders of Scotland to Newcastle, where the King conferred upon him the order of knighthood, and there is little doubt but that in that gallant company were some of the staunch yeomanry of Maulds Meaburn. ”

“ Another character associated with the Hall, and almost as famous as his master in his own sphere, was Jos o' t' Ha', a sort of steward or bailiff for his lordship. He was a privileged favourite, and often used to drive his master over the moors to or from Lowther and Whitehaven; and sometimes, on the return journey, would indulge in John Barleycorn to a great extent. One story is told of one of these occasions, when he had imbibed too freely at Shap, in going past Scarr he saw some sheep in a young [77] plantation cropping off the young shoots. ”

“ The first objects chosen, when convenient, are rivers or streams; the next landmarks are the wells and large boulders; of the former we have examples in Gunnerskeld, Rudkeld, Anna's Keld and Ned's Well, &c. Of the latter, in a district like this where large granite boulders are so plentiful, they have often been chosen, and in the old boundary rolls are called "Thunder Stones," the name by which granite boulders are known in the neighbourhood. Some of the more remarkable are the Cross Stone at Kiverriggs, where the parishes of Crosby, Shap and Morland join ”

“ On the eastern slope of Sill How are the remains of raised banks of earth and stones running in different directions, apparently for a similar purpose to those in Sale Bottom—defence against the attacks of horsemen or chariots. Crowning the hill, not far from the stone circles is a mound which, on being opened, was found to contain in the centre a small chamber formed by four flat stones set edgewise, making a cavity about eighteen inches by ten and six deep; this contained a quantity of ashes and charred bones; over it was laid a rude limestone slab about three feet long by two. ”

“ Another complaint is that the tenants do not comply with the following custom in Ravenstonedale, namely: [61] If the lord or his officers cause a tree to be felled on any man's tenement, whoever gets the tree has to pay 2d. to the tenants, who also had the top, and was bound to fence up the gap or stoven till it was out of harm from cattle; if he neglected this, he had to pay 6d. to the lord for each stoven not fenced up. Also each tenant had to plant three ashes on his tenement each year, and two for every tree felled, for the increase of wood. ”

“ The coloured window in the steeple was lately put up in memory of some of the Thwaytes family. A number of neat monuments have of late years been added to the Churchyard, chiefly introduced by the present vicar, to whom not only are the inhabitants indebted for the neatness and comfort of the sacred edifice, but for many material good works as well as spiritual benefits which he has done amongst them; and our earnest wish is that he may still be induced to dwell among us, and that he may long live to fulfil his parochial duties. ”

“ Battles rise before him. Blue-shielded kings descend to war. The darkened moon looks down from heaven on the troubled field. He shall burst with morning from his dreams and see the tombs of warriors round. He shall ask about the stones." But the time is now too far past; the chief is forgot—and who shall reply?
On the high ground east of Winter Tarn is a mound ten yards in diameter, near to which are some faint traces of an irregular oblong enclosure. Within this are two circles, respectively fifteen and eleven yards in diameter and three yards apart. ”

“ A little below is a spring of somewhat a sacred character, from which, in Catholic times, it is said water was taken to baptise infants in Crosby Church; it is now [80] grown up, being a complete quagmire; but by thrusting a stick in, stones can be found at the bottom.
On Meaburn Hill is a large stone obelisk, erected by Thomas Bland of Reagill on the site of the house in which resided for many generations the ancestors of the celebrated Joseph Addison, whose father, Lancelot Addison, was born here. ”

“ One old man who was called upon, did his work so badly that Jos cursed him for allowing to escape now a horned 'un and now a cowed 'un. The old man in despair replied "Let me dew ill or dew weel, I's always cursed."
Jos was one of those who had nothing to fear from the reproof of his master. A story is told of his lordship, who, to tease Jos, taunted him with allowing the old women and children to get sticks in the wood. "Lord, yer honour" says Jos, "If ye were at teay end an' me at tudder, an' the Divil etween us wi' a fiery stick, we couldn't aw turn them." ”

“ The first scientific report on Stonehenge was made by Inigo Jones, at the wish of James I.; he thought it was a temple erected by the Romans, after the Tuscan order. Charleton, physician to [10] Charles II., held that it was a monument of the Danish period. Aubrey, about the same time, attributed it to the Druids. Next came Stukeley's famous theory. Stukeley, a man of great learning, had read of the Druids, and had seen the circles; then he found a grotesque story in Pliny about an egg, miraculously produced from the saliva of serpents, and regarded as a charm by the Druids. ”

“ The Hall, therefore, as the manorial residence, would be a centre near which were the dwellings of the villagers. One series of buildings is known as Tenter Row; probably a corruption of The Enter Row, being at one entrance of the village, and thus called in contradistinction to Low Row at the other end. In these would live the tenants immediately dependent on the Hall, while others, not so closely connected, resided further up the village. There is the church also, impropriated to Whitby Abbey by one of the earliest manorial lords. ”

“ It has originally been enclosed by a wall three yards in height, and of immense thickness; portions of this are still to be seen, the most perfect specimen being on the roadside from Crosby to Gilts. It has certainly been a chase of princely dimensions, containing within its bounds upwards of 700 acres, with a circumference of over six miles. The chase is of a very irregular and romantic character, being cut up into glens and ravines. A stream rising at King's Well runs the whole length down a beautiful yet wild valley, thickly covered with brushwood. ”

“ Another village may be seen in a field near Gilts; though very irregular, yet it affords traces of eight or ten of the small circles.
How Arcles, a little above Wood Foot affords a large circle, but only one or two of the small ones; these may have been obliterated by the plough. Bellmouth, probably a corruption of Bermont, is another between Reagill and Sleagill; part of this is quarried away, and about twenty years ago a human skeleton was found behind one of the outer earthworks. ”