The fiercest squabble of all was the following. Christopher Lowther caused to be erected, as he and his witnesses affirm, a little court-house, on the middle of Meaburn Green; a number of workmen were at work upon it, and it was on the point of being finished, the frame and timber was set up; lathed and sparred, and thatched with straw on one side. At this time, being the 22nd October, 1585, a large number of the wives of the tenants, instigated by their better halves, abused the workpeople and Mr. Lowther, and even threw stones at them. This did not cause them to desist building, so on the night of the 28th, a number of the tenants, headed by James Fletcher, armed themselves with pitchforks, handsaws, axes, long-piked sticks, swords, daggers, and other unlawful engines, and levelled it to the ground. Mr. Lowther wished to have recompense for the timber destroyed, and the pullers-down punished. This trial is held at York, where the tenants and their wives had to appear in defence; in which they say that what Christopher affirms is all utterly untrue about their unruly conduct: that according to the indenture the lord could not build on the waste without general consent of the tenants; that if he was allowed to build this he would build others: they had spoken to him quietly, but he refused to listen, and so they pulled it down, for by so doing he was infringing upon the green within the town gates on which they grassed their horses for service upon the Borders; they say the house was a large one, intended for a court-house and for Mr. Lowther to put his horse in when he visited the town. A recompense of £8 seems to have been awarded him, and the pullers-down fined, some to £3 6s. 2d. and some to 40s. This does not satisfy, and he brings the trial on again, but does not seem to succeed, only in obtaining a decree to have a piece of waste ground on which to build a court-house.[14]
These disputes have been examined before commissioners who held courts at different places, some bearing date from Kirkby Stephen, Morland Church and Brougham Chapel; but when the cases were brought before the Queen's Counsellors, they are dated at "Eboracum."
The names of those called as witnesses give some light as to the residence of the neighbouring gentry, or those who lived in the manorial houses. At Reagill Grange lived Anthony Wharton, who some time was in tenure and occupation of Meaburn Mill. At Shap Abbey lived Richard Wharton, gent., who, as well as he at Reagill Grange, were members of the Wharton family to whom the lands of Shap Abbey were granted. At Little Strickland lived John Rigg, Esq.; his father was steward of the manorial courts at Maulds Meaburn in Sir George Vernon's time. At Craik Trees lived Ambrose Lancaster, aged eighty years, and also Thomas Lancaster, both of whom were strenuous supporters of the lord of the manor. The disputes have evidently been very warmly contested by both parties, some of the cases standing on for five or six years. There are also accusations of base and wilful perjury. Whether the courts granted justice in every case or not, we know not; but the truth seems to have been often tampered with. 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.
Another important service due to the lord, but about which they have not had dispute, was the Border service. When this service was required by the Prince, the lord's steward sent a letter to the bailiff and constables telling them what service was required, and with how many men. These they appoint and muster in great haste, some on horse and some on foot, according to their rate. Four men were also sworn to rate the charges for victuals and carriage in such journeys as going to the Borders required. This tax was levied only when summoned to go. Those who refused to go when warned were sent by the bailiff to the warden to receive what punishment he chose to inflict. In 1595 a list has been made out bearing the date February 19th of that year, of all men musterable in the Lordship of Maulds Meaburn for this service, of tenants and young men from sixteen to sixty years of age, levied by the constables, James Fletcher, Robert Atkinson, Anthony Wharton, Richard Hodgeson and John Winter, and Mr. Christopher Lowther, Esq., Landlorde of ye Lordship, and Leader of ye men; 39 on this list are entered as "archers furnished," each having to serve with "a nag;" one of these, it appears, is "deceased," two "under age," and three having substitutes entered as "his son."
The next list is "Tenants that are footmen" 59 in number, of whom 18 are archers furnished, 7 entered as archers, 2 as billmen, 16 not furnished, and 15 before whose names is the letter F. These were the fighting men, besides whom is a list of 28, who are "sons, and men not being tenants." From an abstract of the muster for Border service within the counties of Cumberland and Westmorland, taken in 1584, that of the two counties amounted to 8350, of whom Westmorland furnished 4142; 1400 of these were archers furnished, 1300 billmen furnished, 1342 able men unfurnished, and 100 light horsemen furnished amongst the gentlemen and their household servants. The mustering places were Sandford Moor, where mustered 1981, Greenholme 2669, and Strickland Moor 1269. The last place was the rendezvous of the Maulds Meaburn tenants. 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. In the list of names for those deputed to serve on the Borders are five Robinsons, five Parkins, five Winters, five Harrisons, four Teasdales, four Whartons, three Fletchers, two Salkelds, two Kitchens, &c. But by far the most numerous are the Addysons, who mustered 16; a name now quite extinct in the parish.
MAULDS MEABURN HALL.
The Manor House of Maulds Meaburn originally stood on the site of the present Hall, but we have no record of any of the manorial families residing at it. The present Hall has been built at different times. The oldest portion is the north part of the body of the Hall. It has originally been nearly square, and lofty, somewhat in the character of a tower. This has been strongly built of hewn sandstone. This old portion may be traced by having around the bottom a champhered basement. This portion, has, however, been so much altered, re-roofed and built around, that it is difficult to form a correct idea of its original features. Afterwards the buildings have been extended; the south side has been partly pulled down and extended in that direction, forming an oblong, to the ends of which have been added wings. The south wing has two large rooms on the ground floor, one of which is wainscoted in the old Elizabethan style, and also one of the upper rooms; these are gained by a broad oaken staircase, which forms a projection on the west end of the wing. These rooms are lighted by large mullioned windows, and a tall projecting chimney gives a marked feature to the south front. A corresponding wing has been built at the other end, which projects beyond the north end of the old building. This has been used as a subordinate part of the house, in which were the wine-cellars, store-rooms, &c. At the same time also has been added to the north-west side of the old part a series of lower buildings, serving as kitchens, laundry, &c., and servants' rooms in general. Still later, the central part or large hall, between the old Hall and south wing has been pulled down, and again rebuilt in a mere vulgar and temporary style; at which time the present door and chief entrance has been made. Above it, in bas-relief, a date of 1610, but at some after time it has been changed; the 10 being made to represent 76, by incising a top to the 1, making it 7; and also a top to the 0, making it 6.