About this time there were considerable disputes between the lords of manors and tenants, the lords claiming an absolute estate in the tenements, and the tenants insisting upon an inheritance therein, according to the customs of the manor. The dispute between Sir J. Lowther and his tenants of Crosby Ravensworth was brought to issue in the High Court of Chancery, and a decree obtained in 1624; whereupon a grant was made to the tenants of all the lands upon payment of certain fines. This deed bears date 1629, but for eight years longer the fines remained unsettled. Sir John Lowther was at last compelled to agree and to confer to the tenants their estates to descend according to the common law, except that the eldest daughter or sister should inherit and not all; paying only two rents for a fine, reserving nevertheless the freehold estate therein, and suit of court and mill; but releasing to the tenants all services of ploughing, harrowing, shearing, raking, peat-leading, &c. This dispute lasted about fifteen or sixteen years. Previously and about this time Sir John Lowther and also other lords sold many parcels of land totally free, reserving only the royalties and suit of mill after the twentieth moulter.
About the same time another dispute arose about the cornage, commonly called noutgeld, and serjeant oats or bailiff corn throughout the barony of Westmorland. In 1634 it was decreed that these duties were due to the Earl of Cumberland, and were to be paid according to the following agreement: the cornage was to be paid in money, and Sir John Lowther, escheator-general for the North, regulated the measure of oats. Instead of the old pecks containing eight and ten quarts being up-heaped, they were to pay thirteen quarts straked measure.[10] There is a list also of pout-hens collected by the land serjeant. These duties in Crosby parish were as follows:—Cornage: Crosby Ravensworth, 13s. 4d.; Maulds Meaburn, 20s. 2d.; Wickerslack, 2s. 6d. Serjeant oats: Crosby Ravensworth, 44 bushels 3 pecks; Maulds Meaburn, 70 bushels 1 peck. Pout hens: Crosby, 10; Gilts, 9; Harberwain, 6; Maulds Meaburn, 30; Odindale, 7; and Wickerslack, 8.
CROSBY HALL
PREVIOUS TO ITS BEING REBUILT.
Sir John Lowther gave the manor and estate of Crosby in marriage with his daughter Frances to John Dodsworth of Thornton Watlass, Yorkshire; he had issue John, who succeeded his father about 1659. This John Dodsworth had a son Robert,[11] who, it appears, though he lived at the Hall, or at least in the parish, did not succeed his father; for, according to Dr. Burn, John devised the estate to Francis Bayly in 1673, his faithful servant and steward, second son of Dr. Bayly of Penrith. He had issue Margaret Bayly, who was lady of the manor in 1696; and about the year 1700 she sold the whole manor and estate to the Worshipful Richard Lowther, Esq., of Maulds Meaburn Hall.
Black Dub, at the head of Crosby Gill, is the source of the Lyvennet, where, according to Dr. Burn, King Charles II., when he came in with the Scots in 1651, rested, dined, and drank of the water. This is authenticated by the Countess of Pembroke in her memoirs. The entry is that
"On August 8th, 1651, His Most Gracious Majesty King Charles II. with his army on his way from Scotland—passed Appleby about 7 miles to the West."