Transcribed by Margaret Clarke

In 1609 a Rental and Survey of the Manor of Warton was made for the then Lord of the Manor, King James I. It listed the Lord’s tenants, the nature of their tenures, the extent of their holdings, and the amount of their rents. In addition, an attempt was made to define the boundaries of the Manor. In the apparent absence of any fixed official boundary, depositions were taken from four of the oldest inhabitants as to their understanding of the boundaries. The following is the record of the deposition proceedings;

Examinations taken the 26th Daye of June, A.D. 1609 and of the reign of our lord King James the seventh by the Jurye of Warton, Charged by Mr. John Woodwards, his Ma(jest)ies surveyor of the Lordshipp of Warton aforesaid, as follows:-

Thomas Waxen being of the age of foure chore yeares and tenn or thereabouts, sworne and examined deposeth and saith, that the bounders of Warton begineth at Keares becke upp Kear to over Kear bridge and so to the highe Crosse in Barwicke loone, from theare to Juett Well, then to Shawe Wodd from Shawe Wodd to Weates Bwer, from thence over the Mosse betwixte Yealand ‘Moss and Warton Moss to the Stenye Foorde, then to the Troughe of Trowe.

Robert Weathman of the age of 60 yeares or thereabouts being sworne and examined deposeth and saith, that the bounders of Warton be these followinge viz:-

It beginneth at the middstreame of Kent, from the midd streams cf Kent it goeth to Bearte Well, from thence to the Butt in Timber Slacke, from thence to the topp of the Burnte Hall, from thence to the hareapple tree, from thence to the healding stone above the holte pott head, from thence to the rydinge stone, from thence to the Topp of Burn barrowe.

Robert Houseman of the age of 80 yeares or thereabouts being sworne and examined deposeth and saith, that the bounders of Warton begyn at Mearesbecke, from thence goings upp midd K(ear) to Over Keer bridge, from thence to Juitt-Well, from thence to Pearson’s house and thence to the Troughe of Trowbarrows, from thence to the stonye Forde from thence to ( ) Mill from thence to BearteWell. We have also (had) shewed unto us by a vardit of a Jurye bearing date the 6th day of Maye in the 25th yoare of the reigne of our Queen Elizabeth that there was a Bonderye of the Lordshippe of Warton delivered unto Gervase Kytson, by Robert Kytson, worde by worde as followeth, viz:-

Firsts it beginneth at Juitt Well and so upp alonge rawehedge betwixt Juitt Fields and Yealand Fields, and soe to Dawes Parke a little from Holmes ’Riers Yate, from thence to Waynbroakestoone beneath Pearsons from thence to the great stoone betwixt Haddes house sonn of Hues the Leech, and newe one Lawes of Yeallande from thence to the highe Lynde, from thence to the roughe glade, from thence over- thwarte the Moss i( ) the Stonye Forde juste upon Trows from thence to the rydinge stone of Burnebar( ) from thence to the Hareappletree, from thence to the three stoones of sand bancke from thence to Bearte Well, and so to the middstreame of Kent.

  • Leonard Washington
  • Robert Hudson
  • John Jackeson
  • Robert S( )ann
  • Robert Croft
  • WilIm Browne
  • John Pleasington
  • John Borrows Senr.
  • Mathew Makerell
  • Robart Robinson
  • Robert Watson
  • John Borrow Junr.
  • Robert Heste
  • Edmund Dawson
  • Wyllyame Borrow
  • BryanWhorubye
  • Robert gryn Wode
  • Wyll Wallin
  • Wyll Waythmane
  • Anthonie Masone

It is interesting to note that Robert Weathman’s recollections are confined to the Lindeth-Silverdale boundary. He was, of course, a Lindeth man, an early member of a long line of recorded Lindeth Waithmans. It is even more interesting to compare his description of the boundary given in 1609 with the description of the perambulation of the same boundary made some 200 years later in 1811 by the Commissioners for the Inclosure of the Wastes & Cannons of Silverdale.

Starting at ‘Bardwell’ they proceeded in a south easterly direction to Timberslack and from Timberslack to the north westerly corner of Holefield, and to a Yewtree on the south side of the road leading to Lindeth thence in an easterly direction over Hall Close to Stone Cross and to a large stone called Hall Pot and thence in a north easterly direction across the last mentioned Road to the Ridingstones and then over the Common in a direct line down to the north westerly end of Slackwood Barn.

Editor’s note; These extracts are presented without further comment or explanation for the time being in the expectation that some of our readers may want to contribute both. Transcribed from Cumbria Records office – Kendal WD/D/S2/17 and Public Records Office LR2/220 fc. 27-65.

Published in Mourholme Magazine Issue 1 Autumn 1982