Lyme Hall is the seat of the principal of the ancient family of Leghs. Perkins à Legh, a Norman, who was buried in Macclesfield Church, rendered considerable services in the battle of Cressy, for which he was presented with the estate and lordship of Lyme. The building is, in part, of the date of Elizabeth; and the other a regular structure, from a design of Leoni.
P.T.W.
STANNARY PARLIAMENT.
(For the Mirror.)
In the Forest of Dartmoor, Devonshire, between Tavistock and Chegford, is a high hill, called Crocken Tor, where the tinners of this county are obliged by their charter to assemble their parliaments, or the jurats who are commonly gentlemen within the jurisdiction, chosen from the four stannary courts of coinage in this county, of which the lord-warden is judge. The jurats being met to the number sometimes of two or three hundred, in this desolate place, are quite exposed to the weather and have no other place to sit upon but a moor-stone bench, and no refreshments but what they bring with them; for this reason the steward immediately adjourns the court to Tavistock, or some other stannary town.
HALBERT H.
DOWRUCK.
In different parts of the North of England it is customary for the labouring men to come before their masters at the close of their dowruck (day's work,) and inform him of their labours; the number of hours their work took them are cut in notches upon an ash stick, and at the end of the week when the men are paid, the stick is produced, which immediately shows what each man is entitled to.