Mumps Hall, 1688
From Carlisle Records Office.
Reference: Quarter Sessions Rolls - ref. Q/11, Petitions:
FILE - 1687/88 Epi. petitions - ref. Q/11/1/5 - date: 1687-1688, item: [no title] - ref. Q/11/1/5/24 [n.d.]
To the right Honourable Bench his Majesties Justices of the Peace at this Quarter Sessions Assembled:-
The Petition of Margaret Walton & Christopher Bell of Castlecarrocke in the County (afforefil?) Humbly Showeth ( ? ) that upon Wednesday the 4th of this Instant January, in the night time one Thomas Carrocke of Mumps hall, & Anthony Baxter & one John Martin, came to the dwelling house of your poor Petitioner Margaret Walton, and with a Gabelock1 the said Tho. Carrocke, broke our door, & with great Stones as much as he was able to bear he crushed another door extreamely : and entered your Petitioners house, with a drawn sword in one hand, and a flaming peat in the other hand, Swearing (ftill ?) God damned him, if he would not burne the house over their heads, insomuch that your poor petitioner Margaret Walton and her whole family despaire of our lives, thinking nothing in safety of all wee had, because this was in the night time, & the house a Single house, & far from company.
May it therefore please this Honourable Bench to confider the premisses, and grant your poor Petitioner such whose herein, against the offenders (afforneft ?) as you in your Serious Judjements shall think moot, and your poor petitioners as in duty bound Shall ( ? ) pray, &
1 A gabelock or gavelock is a crowbar.
Transcriber’s note:
Archaic fs have been changed to s. Unrecognisable or unclear words are indicated by (?)
The document is of great interest in confirming the 17th century date of Mumps Hall and suggesting that bad people really did live there. Although we don’t see a Teasdale mentioned, the name Thomas Carrick appears on one of the Mumps Hall gravestones next to Margaret Teasdale’s in Over Denton churchyard.