Bewcastle
BEWCASTLE, in Eskdale ward, lies nearly eleven miles from Brampton,
and about twenty from Carlisle. It comprises the townships of Bailey,
Belbank, Bewcastle, and Nixons, and in 1811, contained 215 houses and
1069 inhabitants. This parish, which in ancient records is written Bothcastre and Buethcastre, is supposed to have obtained that name from its
ancient fortress. Bueth was Lord of the manor at the time of the Norman
conquest, and is mentioned in one of the early charters of Lanercost
priory.
In the reign of Henry II., the manor of Bewcastle being in the crown,
was granted to Hubert de Vallibus. In the reign of Edward I., this
manor was in the Swinburn family: John de Swinburn in 1278 had a grant
of a market at Bothcastre on Mondays, and two fairs, one for five days at
Lady-day, the other for the same time at the festival of St. Barnabas.
Jacoba, heiress of the Swinburns, brought this estate in the reign of
Edward III. to Sir John Strivelin. It does not appear when or how it came
to the crown; King Edward IV. granted it to his brother Richard Duke
of Gloucester; after this, it continued in the crown till the reign of
Charles I., when it was granted to Sir Richard Graham: having since
passed with the Netherby estate, it is now the property of Sir James
Graham, Bart.
The castle at Bewcastle, from its situation near the borders, was an
important post: Jack Musgrave, an active officer in the wars with the Scots,
was the captain or governor in the reign of Henry VIII.; and in the reign of
Queen Elizabeth, Thomas Musgrave, a younger son of Sir Simon Musgrave,
Knight. This Thomas Musgrave having been accused of treachery and
malconduct in his office by Launcelot Carleton, challenged him to single
combat (fn. 1) ; the event of the combat does not appear.
Bewcastle was garrisoned with a force of 100 men in 1639, on account
of the unsettled state of affairs in Scotland (fn. 2) . The garrison is said to have
been removed to Carlisle during the ensuing civil war between King Charles
and his parliament, and the castle to have been demolished (fn. 3) . The walls of
the keep are now the only remains; it occupied part of the site of the
Roman station near the church. (fn. 4)
The manor of Nichol-forest belonging to Sir James Graham, extends into
this parish. A large tract of land in this manor, and in the parish of Bewcastle, containing about 4000 acres, was inclosed by an act of parliament,
passed in 1811. An act for inclosing Highstone moor or common in this
parish, passed in 1814.
The church of Bewcastle or Buethcastre was given by Robert de Buethcastre, about the year 1200, to the Prior and convent of Carlisle: the
advowson of the rectory is now vested in the Dean and Chapter. The
celebrated obelisk in the church-yard has been elsewhere spoken of.
There is a Presbyterian meeting-house at Bewcastle.
Bolton
BOLTON, anciently Bothilton, in the ward of Allerdale below Derwent,
lies about six miles from Wigton, which is the post-office, town. It comprises the townships of Bolton and Bolton-gate, which in 1811, contained
collectively 179 houses and 975 inhabitants.
The Manor of Bolton was given by Alan Lord of Allerdale, to his bastard
brother Gospatric, whose posterity took the name of Bassenthwaite;
from this family it passed by marriage to Lascells. Thomas de Lascells
was Lord of Bolton in the reign of Henry III.; in the reigns of Edward I. (fn. 5)
and II., it was in the Moubrays, and some years afterwards in the Nevills,
from whom it descended through the Percy's to the Earl of Egremont, who
is the present proprietor.
Weary Hall in this Parish, which was for many generations the seat of the
Porter family, is now the property and residence of Mr. George Drewry, a
quaker, whose great-grandfather purchased it of the Porters in the beginning of the last century. The close, in this parish, now the property and
residence of Mr. Thomas Porter, has been at least two centuries in his family,
supposed to have been a younger branch of the Porters of Weary Hall.
Mr. Denton speaks of Newbiggin, in Bolton, as the seat of Mr. John
Relfe, Deputy Clerk of the House of Lords. The manor of Newbigging
which belonged to the prior and convent of Carlisle, is now vested in the
dean and chapter. There was formerly a manor of Newland in this parish,
belonging to the Mulcasters, conveyed by them to Hercla, and forfeited
to the crown by the attainder of Andrew Hercla, Earl of Carlisle,
in 1322. (fn. 6)
The church of Bolton is in the diocese of Carlisle, and in the deanery of
Wigton. The Advowson of the Rectory was annexed to the manor till
about the reign of Queen Elizabeth, when it came into the possession of the
Porters, to whom it belonged many years: it was afterwards in the Thomsons
of Kellam in Yorkshire, The Earl of Lonsdale is the present patron.
Bootle
BOOTLE, in the ward of Allerdale above Derwent, is a small market-town,
22 miles from Whitehaven, and about 288 from London. In 1811 there
were 113 houses and 602 inhabitants in the parish. The market was granted
in the year 1347 to John de Hudleston, to be held on Wednesday, and a
fair for four days at the festival of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (fn. 7) . The
market is still held on Wednesday, chiefly for butchers' meat; there are
now two small fairs, April 5 and September 25, for cattle and hiring
servants.
At Seton, formerly called Lekelay, in this parish, was a priory of Benedictine nuns, before the year 1354. In 1357, Henry Duke of Lancaster,
on account of their poverty, gave them the Hospital of St. Leonard, at Lancaster, with its revenues; this priory, nevertheless, was valued at the time
of its dissolution only at 12l. 12s. per annum. It was granted in 1542 to
Sir Henry Askew, whose widow possessing it by her husband's gift, bestowed
it on William Penington, her younger son by her second husband; it is
now the property of Mr. Wakefield of Kendall, by purchase from the late
Lord Muncaster. Seton-hall, formerly the seat of Sir Henry Askew, is
occupied as a farm-house; there are some remains of the priory chapel,
with lancet-shaped windows.
The parish of Bootle is within the seigniory of Millom, now belonging to
the Earl of Lonsdale. At Bootle stood formerly an old mansion of the
Copelands, an ancient family, who had an estate here, which, in the
reign of Richard II. or Henry IV., was divided between three coheiresses,
married to Hudleston, Penington, and Senhouse. (fn. 8)
In the parish church of Bootle is a brass plate with the effigies of Sir Hugh
Askew, "late of the seller to Edward the VI. which Sr Hugh was made
knight at Musselborough, A. D. 1547, ob. 1562." There are memorials also
for Richard Hutton, "Rector doctissimus," ob. 1704; and Daniel Steel, 35
years rector, 1764.
The church is in the diocese of Chester, archdeaconrv of Richmond, and
deanery of Copeland; the patronage belongs to the Earl of Lonsdale.
The methodists have a meeting-house at Bootle. There is a charity-school
at Bootle, endowed with 568l. 3 per cents; the sum of 200l. part of this
endowment, was given by — Singleton, and 50l. by a rector of Bootle.
Bowness
BOWNESS, in Cumberland ward, lies on the sea-coast, on the south side of
Solway Frith, about fourteen miles from Carlisle, at the western extremity
of the Picts' wall; it contains the townships of Anthorn, Bowness, Drumburgh or Drumbugh, and Fingland. In 1811 the whole number of houses
in the parish was 176; that of inhabitants, 907.
Bowness was at a very early period parcel of the barony of Burgh; one of
the first barons gave it to Gamel le Brun, or Broyne, as the family afterwards
spelt their name; the Broynes continued to possess it for several generations, having their chief seat at Drumburgh, which was one of the Roman
stations on the Wall (fn. 9) . In the year 1307, Richard de Broyne had the King's
licence to fortify his mansion of Drumbogh, in the Marches of Scotland;
and a similar licence was granted to Thomas Dacre, Baron of Burgh, as
Lord paramount. The Broynes became extinct in the male line (fn. 10) about the
latter part of the fourteenth century, after which Bowness appears to have
been re-united to the barony of Burgh, as it still continues, being now the
property of the Earl of Lonsdale. There are considerable remains of the
castle at Drumburgh, which appears to have been rebuilt in the reign of
Henry VIII. by Thomas Lord Dacre (fn. 11) . John Aglionby, Esq. purchased the
demesne of Drumburgh, in the year 1678, of Henry Duke of Norfolk, and
repaired the castle (fn. 12) , then in ruins; some years afterwards he conveyed
it to Sir John Lowther, in exchange for Nunnery. The habitable part
of Drumburgh Castle is now occupied as a farm-house.
Lands in the hamlet of Glosson and manor of Drumburgh were inclosed
by an act of parliament passed in 1810. Whitrig, in this parish, was anciently
the property of a family to whom it gave name: one of the coheiresses
married Skelton. (fn. 13)
The rectory, which is in the diocese and deanery of Carlisle, has always
been appendant to the manor. Mr. Thomas Pattinson of Easton, in this
parish, gave by will, in 1785, the interest of 160l. to a schoolmaster for
teaching the children of the second poor in Drumbugh quarter, and 20l.
per annum for fuel; the interest of 100l. to the masters of schools in the
other quarters, and that of 20l. for instructing the poor children of Bowness
parish in psalm-singing.
Brampton
BRAMPTON, in Eskdale ward, is a small market-town between nine and
ten miles from Carlisle, and 315 from London. The market at Brampton
was granted in 1252, to the Multons, then lords of Gilsland, to be held on
Tuesday, together with a fair for two days at Midsummer (fn. 14) . The market,
which is now held on Wednesdays, is largely supplied with corn, (which,
by permission of the Earl of Carlisle, is sold toll-free,) potatoes, butter in the
firkin, butchers' meat, &c. There are now four fairs, viz. the second
Wednesday after Whitsuntide, the second Wednesday in September, the
15th of April, and the 23d of October; the two former are noted for the
sale of young cattle and milch cows, sheep and lambs; the two latter,
established of late years, are chiefly for the shew of cattle previously to their
going to the great market of Penrith in the spring, and that of Newcastle
in the autumn.
The parish of Brampton contains the townships of Brampton, Easeby,
and Naward or Naworth Castle. The township of Brampton contained, in
1811, 265 houses and 2,043 inhabitants; the whole parish, 353 houses and
2,543 inhabitants.
The parish of Brampton is parcel of the barony of Gilsland, of which
Naworth Castle is the seat. This barony was given in the reign of William
the Conqueror by Ralph de Meschines to Hubert, who assumed the name
of De Vallibus or Vaux; his immediate posterity were of much distinction
among the baronial families of the North; Robert, his son, was sheriff of
Cumberland, and defended the city of Carlisle during a long siege against
William King of Scotland, but was obliged at length to surrender it for
want of provisions; Robert, the grandson of this Robert, was one of the
barons in arms against King John. The sole heiress of Hubert de Vaux,
son of the last-mentioned Robert, brought the barony of Gilsland to Thomas
de Multon, in the reign of Henry III. The grandson of this Thomas died
in 1313, leaving an only daughter, Margaret, who being the King's ward,
was forcibly carried away from Warwick Castle, in the year 1317, by Ralph
Dacre, she being then under age and the King's ward; she was 13 years
of age at the time of her father's death (fn. 15) . This Ralph Lord Dacre had a
licence, in the year 1335, to castellate his mansion of Naworth (fn. 16) ; his descendant, Ralph Lord Dacre of Gilsland, was slain at Towtonfield, fighting
on the side of the House of Lancaster; Naworth and all his estates were
seized by the victorious monarch, but restored to his son: Thomas Lord
Dacre, grandson of Ralph, distinguished himself at Floddenfield. By the
untimely death of George Lord Dacre (great-grandson of Thomas last mentioned), which happened in his minority in the year 1569, the great inheritance of this family was divided between his three sisters and coheiresses,
and the barony of Gilsland fell to the lot of Elizabeth, who married Lord
William Howard, third son of Thomas Duke of Norfolk. Leonard Dacre,
the next heir male of the family, (second son of William Lord Dacre, who
died in 1565), being discontented at the inheritance of his family going to
females, and having no hopes of success in disputing it by law with his nieces,
forcibly possessed himself of the castles of Naworth and Greystock, and
fortified them, having collected together a force of 3,000 borderers and
others; but having been defeated by Lord Hunsdon with the garrison from
Berwick, near Gelt-bridge, he fled into Scotland, and was soon afterwards
attainted. Lord William Howard's marriage took place in 1577; it appears
to have been late in life that he settled at Naworth Castle, which Camden,
who paid his last visit to Cumberland in company with Sir Robert Cotton in
1599, speaks of in his edition of 1607, as then repairing for his residence.
Figure 34:
The court of Naworth Castle
Naworth Castle, which stands on the brink of a precipice, being almost
inaccessible on three sides, is said to have been garrisoned by Lord William
Howard with 140 men. His own suite of private apartments in the eastern
tower, barricadoed with iron doors, are still to be seen with their original
furniture. They consist of a bed room, oratory, and library; many books
belonging to the latter have the autograph of their original possessor, written
in a very fair hand. There was formerly a valuable collection of MSS. in this
library (fn. 17) . The hall is 70 feet in length, 24 in width, and of proportionable
height; on the ceiling are imaginary portraits of the Kings of England, down
to the Union of the Houses of York and Lancaster (fn. 18) . In the chapel window
are kneeling figures of Thomas Lord Dacre, who died in 1525, and his lady,
the heiress of Greystock. Opposite the pulpit are the arms and pedigree of
the Howards, Dacres, &c. The dungeons of the castle still remain in their
original state, consisting of four small apartments, three below and one
above; in the latter is still a ring, to which criminals were chained. These
no doubt were the ancient prisons of the barony, the court of which had the
power of life and death: it appears on record, that beheading was the
punishment of felons: there was formerly a prison at Brampton also for
the barony of Gilsland. (fn. 19)
Sir Charles Howard, great grandson of Lord William, was in 1661
created Earl of Carlisle. Bishop Gibson tells us that Naworth Castle,
which had been some time in a neglected state, was fitted up by Charles,
the third Earl of Carlisle: this Castle is occasionally inhabited by the
present Earl.
The site of the old church of Brampton, of which the chancel only
remains, is a mile and a half from the town, on an eminence overlooking
the river and vale of Irthing. The chapel at Brampton, in which divine
service is now performed, was consecrated in 1789. The church of Brampton, which is in the diocese and deanery of Carlisle, was given to the priory
of Lanercost, by Robert de Vallibus, and appropriated to that monastery.
After the dissolution the rectory and advowson of the vicarage were granted
to Sir Thomas Dacre, and are now vested in the Earl of Carlisle. The late
Dr. Thomas, Bishop of Rochester, gave a dwelling house with a garden
and close, to the vicar: the vicar has the tithe hay of the township of
Talkin, in the adjoining parish of Hayton.
There is a meeting house at Brampton for the presbyterians, who have
had a congregation here ever since the year 1672; the present meeting
house was erected in 1722, by subscription.
Edward, Earl of Carlisle, who died in 1692, built an hospital at Brampton
for six poor men and the same number of women, called Brethren and
Sisters, to each of whom he assigned 6l. per annum, a gown and fuel. A
salary of 12l. per annum was allowed for a person to officiate as minister of
the chapel, and master of a school. The earl bequeathed the sum of 500l.
to purchase lands of inheritance for the support of this hospital; the lands
were not purchased, and the endowment appears to have been lost. There
are now only eight apartments in this hospital, one of which is used as a
school room; the Earl of Carlisle gives 5l. per annum to the schoolmaster.
The principal manufactory is that of cotton in looms, for the Carlisle
manufacturers.
During the rebellion of 1715, Mr. Forster, who had a general's commission
from the Pretender, having entered England from the Scottish borders,
marched to Brampton, where he proclaimed James Stuart King of England.
In the rebellion of 1745, Charles Stuart was with his army at Brampton for
two days before he laid siege to Carlisle. (fn. 20)
Bride-Kirk
BRIDE-KIRK, in the ward of Allerdale below Derwent, lies about two
miles from Cockermouth, which is the post office town, and contains
the townships of Bride-Kirk, Great-Broughton, Little-Broughton, Dovenby
with Hameshill (fn. 21) , Papcastle and the Goat, Ribton, and Tallantire. The
total number of houses in this parish in 1811, was 333, that of inhabitants, 1552.
The manors of Bride-Kirk and Appleton, with the church of Bride-Kirk,
were given by Waldeof, the first Lord of Allerdale, to Gisborne priory in
Yorkshire; after the dissolution the manor was granted by King Henry VIII.
to Henry Tolson. This manor has long ago been enfranchised. J. D. Ballantine Dykes, Esq. being proprietor of Bridekirk Hall, and a great part
of the demesne lands, pays the fee farm rent of 1l. 6s. to the crown.
Woodhall, in this township, formerly the seat of the Tolsons, has been
much improved by its present possessor John Sanderson Fisher, Esq. It
stands in a beautiful situation, commanding a view of the windings of the
Derwent, Cockermouth Castle, Isel Hall, and the mountains near Keswick.
A handsome mansion in the village of Bride-Kirk, has lately been built by
John Thompson, Esq. for his own residence.
King James, in 1605, granted the great tithes of Great and Little-Broughton, and Papcastle, late in the tenure of Thomas Lord Wharton, to Job
Gillett and William Blake. The great tithes of Bride-Kirk township belong
to John Sanderson Fisher, Esq. of Woodhall, those of Great and Little
Broughton, to Sir Frederick Fletcher Vane, Baronet, those of Papcastle to
J. D. B. Dykes, Esq. those of Ribton, Hameshill, and the Goat, to the Earl
of Lonsdale, and those of Tallantire to William Browne, Esq.: the latter
belonged to the monastery of Gisborne, and were granted by Queen Elizabeth
to George Fletcher, Esq. of Tallantire.
The advowson of the vicarage, which was granted by Queen Mary
to George Cotton and William Manne, passed soon afterwards to the
Lamplughs of Dovenby, and is now vested in J. D. B. Dykes, Esq.
The singularly curious font in Bride-Kirk church (fn. 22) , has been already
spoken of.
At Great-Broughton there is a Baptists meeting endowed with some land,
in the township of Bothil, and there is a Quakers meeting house at LittleBroughton.
Sir Joseph Williamson, secretary of state in the reign of Charles II. and
one of the plenipotentiaries at the treaties of Nimeguen and Ryswick, was
a native of this place, being son of the Rev. Joseph Williamson, who was
instituted to the vicarage in 1625: Sir Joseph was born in 1633. Thomas
Tickell, the poet, the friend of Addison, and editor of his works, was also
a native of Bride-Kirk, of which his father was vicar. He was baptized
January 19th 1686-7. (fn. 23)
The manor of Broughton, including both the townships of that name,
was given by Waldeof, Lord of Allerdale, in marriage with his sister, to
Waldeof, son of Gilmin, whose posterity took the name of Broughton, and
resided here for several generations. After this family became extinct,
about the reign of Henry VI. Broughton seems to have reverted to the
Earl of Northumberland as Lord of Allerdale. Henry, the sixth Earl of
Northumberland, conveyed it to Sir Thomas Wharton. Charles, Duke of
Somerset, purchased it of the trustees of the Duke of Wharton, and it is
now vested in his representative the Earl of Egremont.
Joseph Ashley, Esq. in the year 1722, built a school house and an alms
house for four poor persons at Great-Broughton, endowing the school with
a close, now worth about 6l. per annum, and a rent charge of 8l. per annum.
The poor of Great and Little-Broughton, and the donor's kindred, are to
have the preference for the alms house, and persons of the name of Ashley
to have the preference as trustees.
At Little-Broughton was born in 1714, Abraham Fletcher, the son of a
tobacco-pipe maker, and brought up to his father's occupation, who by dint
of his own self taught application, became a mathematician of no small
eminence, and at the age of thirty set up as a school master; having studied
also the medical properties of herbs, he united to his new profession that
of a doctor, and practised both with such reputation and profit, that when
he died, in the year 1793, he had bred up a large family and was possessed
of 4000l. He was author of a work called the Universal Measurer.
The manor of Dovenby was given by Waldeof to Dolphin, son of Alward,
whose posterity acquired the name of Dovenby, and became extinct in the
reign of Henry III. when the heiress married Rawle or Rolle (fn. 24) . Thomas
Lucy was possessed of this manor in the reign of Edward I. it was afterwards
in the Kirkbrides: the heiress of the latter, in the reign of Henry IV.
married Lamplugh, in whose posterity this manor continued for several
generations. It is now the property of William Browne, Esq. of Tallantire
Hall, whose father purchased it together with part of the demesne, in 1777,
of —— Mason, Esq. Dovenby Hall and part of the demesne, were
purchased of the representatives of the Dovenby branch of the Lamplughs
by Richard Lamplugh, Esq. of Ribton Hall (fn. 25) . Dovenby Hall is now the
property and seat of Joseph Dykes Ballantine Dykes, Esq. who married
Miss Dykes, daughter of Frechville Dykes, Esq. by Mary, his wife, who
was great grand-daughter in the female line (fn. 26) of Richard Lamplugh above
mentioned. The grandson and namesake of this Richard, being the last
of the name of Lamplugh, who possessed Dovenby Hall, died without issue
in 1764.
In the year 1609 Sir Thomas Lamplugh built an hospital for four
widows, and a school house, to the endowment of which his brother
Richard gave the sum of 50l. It seems probable that the establishment
was not completed till the year 1628, which date was on a stone at the west
end of the hospital as the date of the foundation, together with 1609, the
date of the building. Sir Thomas Lamplugh, by his deed of the year
1628, appoints the hospital to be for the perpetual residence of six poor
religious people, men or women, of the parish of Bride-Kirk, and a master;
who was also to be master of the free grammar school. Sir Thomas endowed it with all his tithes in the township of Redmain in Isel, and the
tithe barn. A close in Dovenby, of about five acres, was purchased in
1715, with Richard Lamplugh's benefaction. In 1668 Sir Joseph Williamson, the secretary of state, gave 5l. per annum to this hospital; in 1665
it was endowed with a portion of tithes in Brough, a farther portion of
tithes in Redmain, and received a donation of 60l.; the school house was
rebuilt in 1678. The tithes of Redmain were given to the pensioners of
the hospital, subject to the payment of 4l. per annum, to the master for
reading prayers; the tithes of Brough are appropriated to the master:
the tithes of Redmain, in the reign of Charles I. were let at 18l. per annum,
and are said to be worth now about 30l.
The Rev. Thomas Hervey, born at Dovenby in 1740, published a treatise
on short hand, in which he much excelled; a treatise on the 39 articles;
an explanation of the church catechism, and other tracts. He left in MS.
a treatise on the theory and practice of music on mathematical principles,
and a new literal translation of the Old Testament with the Hebrew characters annexed. He was curate of Under-Barrow, near Kendall, for 40
years, to the time of his death, which happened in 1806.
Papcastle, which appears to have been a Roman station, was the seat of
Waldeof, Lord of Allerdale, before he removed to Cockermouth. It was
afterwards successively in the Lucies, Multons, and Dacres. Being vested
in the crown by the attainder of Leonard Dacre, it was granted by Queen
Elizabeth in 1595, to Lancelot Salkeld, Thomas Braithwaite, and Richard
Tolson; soon afterwards this manor was the property of Sir Thomas Lamplugh, who settled it upon Agnes, his wife, daughter of the said Thomas
Braithwaite for life (fn. 27) . It was sold with the manor of Dovenby, by one of
the Lamplughs, and has passed with that estate to William Browne, Esq.
of Tallantire Hall, the present proprietor. Thomas Knight, Esq. is building
a handsome mansion for his residence, on some ground lately purchased
within or adjoining to the site of the Roman station; many antiquities
have been discovered in sinking the foundations. The members for the
county are always elected at a place called "the Goat," annexed to the
township of Papcastle.
The manor of Ribton belonged to a family of that name, descended from
a younger son of Waldeof, son of Gilmin before mentioned, the Ribtons
continued to be possessed of it as late as the reign of Henry VIII.: it passed
afterwards by purchase to the Lamplughs. Richard Lamplugh, Esq. sold
it before the middle of the last century to Sir James Lowther, of Whitehaven,
Baronet; it is now the property of the Earl of Lonsdale. The hall, which
was a seat of the Lamplughs, and afterwards of the Lowthers, has been
some time occupied as a farm house. Near Ribton Hall is the site of an
ancient chapel, said to have been dedicated to St. Lawrence, with a
cemetery adjoining; it went to decay during the civil war. (fn. 28)
The manor of Tallantire or Tallentire was granted by Waldeof, son of
Gospatric, to Odard, son of Liulph, whose descendants took the name of
Tallantire; at a later period (fn. 29) it came by purchase to the Fletchers of
Cockermouth, from which family it passed by marriage to that of Partis of
Newcastle. In the year 1776 it was purchased of Henry Hopper, devisee
of Fletcher Partis, Esq. by William Browne, Esq. whose son of the same
name, is the present proprietor, and resides at Tallantire Hall.
The parish of St. Bride or St. Bridgett, lies about ten miles from Whitehaven, and includes the township of Calder, where there is a post office at
Calder Bridge. Calder Abbey, on the banks of the river Calder, nearly a
mile above the bridge, was founded for Cistertian Monks in the year 1134,
by Ranulph de Meschines, the second of that name. Its revenues at the
time of the dissolution were valued at 50l. 9s. 3½d. per annum. The site,
with the manor of Calder, &c. was granted in 1538, to Thomas Leigh, L.L. D.
whose grandson Ferdinando sold this estate to Sir Richard Fletcher, Baronet;
Barbara, daughter of Sir Richard, brought it in marriage to Mr. John Patrickson, whose son sold it to Mr. John Tiffin of Cockermouth. John Senhouse,
Esq. grandson of Mr. Tiffin, became possessed of it by gift, and it is now the
property and residence of Miss Mary Senhouse, his elder grand-daughter.
There are considerable remains of the abbey adjoining the mansion, a
modern brick edifice, pleasantly situated in the vale of the Calder, the
banks of which are well skirted with wood.
Sella Park, said to have been formerly a cell belonging to Calder Abbey,
where they had a deer park, was granted by the crown to the Curwen family.
It was purchased of Mr. and Mrs. Curwen, by the late Mr. Stanley of
Ponsonby Hall. This place is now the property of his son Edward Stanley,
Esq. and in the occupation of the Rev. John Smith.
The manor of Great-Beckermot, in this parish, belongs to the Earl of
Egremont, as parcel of the barony of Egremont.
The church of St. Brides, which is in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Richmond, and deanery of Copeland, was appropriated to
Calder Abbey.
The impropriation, which, after the dissolution, was granted to the Flemings of Rydal, passed in marriage to Crossland, and by sale to Patrickson.
It is now the property of the Rev. Henry John Todd, who is patron of the
curacy.
Brigham
BRIGHAM, in the ward of Allerdale below Derwent, is an extensive
parish, containing ten townships, besides those of the parochial chapelry of
Lorton, viz. Brigham, Blindbothel, Buttermere, Cockermouth, Eaglesfield,
Embleton, Grey-Southern, Mosser, Setmurthy, and Whinfell. The whole
parish, exclusively of Lorton, contained in 1811, 1008 houses, and 4918
inhabitants.
The manors of Brigham, Grey-Southern, and Eaglesfield, were given by
William de Meschines to Waldeof, son of Gospatric: the latter gave Brigham (fn. 30) to Dolphin, son of Alward, in marriage with his sister; after a few
descents it was divided into moieties between the coheirs of Brigham; one
moiety after remaining for some time in the family of Twinham, and afterwards in that of Hercla, was forfeited by the attainder of Andrew de Hercla,
Earl of Carlisle, and given to a chantry in the church of Brigham (fn. 31) ; this
moiety, after the dissolution, was granted to the Fletchers of Moresby, and
was sold to the tenants. The other moiety was successively in the families
of Huthwaite and Swinburn; it was sold by the latter in 1699, to the
Honourable Goodwin Wharton; in 1727 the trustees of the Duke of
Wharton sold it to Mr. Wilfred Grisdale; after the death of his daughter,
Mrs. Lucock, and her only daughter, it passed under his will to Mr. William
Singleton, who died in 1767; on his death this and other estates became
vested jointly in several persons under Mr. Grisdale's will, and having been
divided by virtue of a commission of partition, issued out of the court of
chancery, this moiety of the manor of Brigham was allotted to Joshua
Lucock, Esq. and is now the property of his grandson Raisbeck Lucock
Bragg, Esq. The Earl of Egremont is Lord Paramount.
In the parish church, which has the only ring of bells in the county, except
the cathedral and Crosthwaite, are some monuments of the family of
Langton of Cockermouth, (1777, 1790).
The church of Brigham lies in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of
Richmond, and the deanery of Copeland. The advowson was conveyed by
Thomas de Huthwaite to Isabel, Countess of Albemarle, in the reign of
Henry III. (fn. 32) : it was appropriated in 1439, to the collegiate church of Staindrop, in the county of Durham.
The townships of Eaglesfield and Blind-Bothel have been inclosed under
an act of parliament passed in 1812; and those in the townships of Brigham, Embleton, Setmurthy, and the borough and township of Cockermouth,
under three several acts passed in 1813. Allotments of lands were made
in lieu of tithes to the Earl of Lonsdale, who was impropriator of the whole
parish, in Eaglesfield, Blind-Bothel, and Brigham, and power given to make
such in Cockermouth. Lord Lonsdale is patron of the vicarage of Brigham,
and of all the chapels within the parish.
The township of Buttermere is situated in a deep valley, amidst the
romantic scenery which surrounds the lake of that name, about 10 miles
from Cockermouth. This township, with the lake, is holden of the Earl
of Egremont, as parcel of his manor of Braithwaite and Coledale. The
Duke of Norfolk has an estate here, which was granted by King Edward VI.
to Lord Gray and Banister, and was afterwards successively in the families
of Robinson, Stanley, Lamplugh, and Spedding.
There is a chapel at Buttermere.