Egremont Miscellanea - 1

EGREMONT TOWN AND PARISH

DESCRIPTION
Jollie writing in 1801 describes Egremont thus:
It stands on one side of the vale of the river Ehen. It is a small market town, consisting chiefly of one long and spacious street, which seems to kept tolerably clean. Many of the houses have an antiquated appearance, though there are several genteel modern buildings [to be seen].
The vale appears somewhat naked; the surrounding grounds, however, though irregular in surface, are generally fertile.

GOVERNANCE
The ordinances of Richard Lucy, for the government of the borough, made about the reign of King John [1199-1216], declares that those who hold burgage[1] tenure in Egremont were to find armed men for the defence of the castle, forty days at their own charge; twelve men for the lord's military array; be bound to aids for the redemption of the lord and his heir from captivity, for the knighthood of one of the lord's sons, and the marriage of one of his daughters; to hold watch  and ward; not to enter the forest with bow and arrow; nor cut off their dogs' feet within the borough,[2]  The burgesses who had ploughs were to fill the lord's demesne one day in the year, and every burgess was obliged to find a reaper; their labour was from morning, ad nonam, that is from six to three.  By the rule for inspecting the dyers, weavers, and fullers, it seems those were the only trades within the borough, under the character of craftsmen,

To secure a body of men at all times ready to uphold the rights & priveledges of the Baron of Egremont and prepared for military service, he devided his baronry into smaller tracts or manors, which he distibuted among his retainers as rewards for their suit and service, and to be holden as of the Castle of Egremont. To Ketel, grandson of Ivo de Tailbois, Earl of Kendal, he gave Workington, Salter, Kelton and Stockhow. To one of the Flemings he gave the manors of Beckermet, Frizington, Rottington, Weddicar and Arlecdon. Mulcaster (Muncaster) was given to an ancestor of the Pennington family. Drigg and Carleton went to one of the Stutevilles and Millom to Godard Boyvill. Santon, Bolton, Gosforth & Haile went to Thomas de Multon of Gisland.

A curious provision of the town charter of priveleges stated that if a burgess committed fornicationwith the daughter of a rustic, who was not a burgess, was not liable to the fine normally impossed in other cases unless he had seduced her under promise of marriage. The fine for the seduction of a woman of the borough was three shillings payable to the Lord.

MARKETS
The market, which is now held on Saturday, but anciently on Wednesday, is well supplied with corn, butchers' meat, and other provisions. Annual fairs for horses cattle, etc. are held on the 17th of February, and third Friday in May and on the three days following the 18th of September, a sort of feast is kept when the burgesses are allowed to sell ale without licence.  A hiring for servants is held on one of the market days at Whitsuntide and Mart inmas.  A court baron, for the recovery of debts under 40s.is held here, by adjornment, every sixth Friday, under General Wyndham, the lord of the barony of Egremont.

MANOR COURT
In the Inquisition of 1578 the rights & priveledges of the Lordship of Egremont was described as the holding of Courts Leet & Baron; had view of frank-pledge and assize of bread & ale; he claimed the goods and chattels of felons, convicted persons, and persons beheaded. Also seawake, waif, stray, infangthief, toll and a toll on all ships and merchandise sold in the heavens of Copeland.

A court leet and a customary court for the purpose of appointing inspectors of nuisances, etc. are held annual in the spring.  The ancient court room in the castle being suffered to go to decay, all these courts are held at the King's Arms Inn.  Formerly the tenants paid 1d. each to the lord yearly, for the burgage tenements. Two bailiffs, together with constables, hedge and corn viewers, and assessors of damages, are chosen annually at the court leet but the office of borough sergeant, though still preserved, is not now an annual appointment.

[1] Burgage = a small field, usually less than half an acre, a short distance from the dwelling place.

[2] The dogs on the borders, appointed to he kept for defence, were called Sleugh Dogs. Inhabitants within the limits of the forest keeping dogs for defence, were to lop of one foot or more, to prevent their chasing the game, but this precaution was not necessary in a town.

[3]  The population of the parish has not increased more than 10 in 30 years, though there were during that time more baptisms than burials registered, by number 859.

EGREMONT PARISH
It extends about 3 miles from north to south, and 2.5 miles from east to west, and contained, in 1841, a population of 1750 souls [3].  In 1779 there were 200 families, one being Quaker, in the parish. In 1851 there were 420 families, along with their servants, living in the parish.
The soil of the parish is mostly a thin light hazle mound, incumbent on gravel; and the principal land owners are, Thos Hartley, Anthy. Dixon, Thos.Nelson, Wm.Bragg, Robt.Jefferson, and John Birley, Esqrs., the Rev. John Gaitskell, and Mr.B.Caddy, but General Wyndham is lord of the manor. The parish contains 2708 rateable acres of land, rated, in 1846, at £5054.18s.4d. The common land, called Cowfield, on which each burgess had a right of pasturage for a cow, has been enclosed and sold by mutual consent. Part of the mountain called Dent is in this parish, and being a fine lofty green eminence, it affords excellent food for sheep. It is now totally denuded, but was formerly a dense forest.

EGREMONT CASTLE described in 1850
Egremont Castle, the venerable ruins of this ancient fortress, once the seat of the lords of the great Barony of Copeland or Egremont, stand on an eminence, about 150 yards S.W. of the town, in the district of Lowside Quarter, and exhibits indubitable marks of great antiquity and strength. It was built about the end of 11th. century, by William de Meschines, the first baron of Copeland.  The approach and grand entrance from the south was by a draw bridge over a deep moat, and the entrance to the castle was by a semicircular archway with a grained roof, and guarded by a strong square tower, which is the principal part of the fortress now standing.  The outward wall inclosed a large square area, but is so much destroyed by age that no probable conjecture can be formed as to the particular manner in which it was fortified.  On the side next the town is the remains of a postern; and on the west are three narrow gateways, which have communicated with the outworks, and are of a more modern style of architecture than the rest of the ruins. Beyond these gates is an artifical mount, on which there was a circular tower, 78 feet perpendicular height above the ditch, built, as is supposed, upon the crown of the Danish fort. Though much of this strong fortress has yielded to the all destroying hand of time, enough still remains to point out to posterity its former magnificence.

Nev.Ramsden December 2013