The following will, DPRI/1/1685/W3 at Durham, was brought to my attention due the mention of a smelting mill in the inventory.
I was surprised to see a smelting hearth appear on an inventory of goods and chattels. A smelting mill was built in 1677 to the north of Stanhope but I assume these smelting tools were connected with lead extracted local to the farm. There are a number of old shafts marked in the vicinity of Peakfield on the Birch vein and Dryburn vein.
R.A. Fairburn in his book on Weardale mines records (16th century) that "one of the onditions of taking a mine was that the ore had to be sold to the Bishop" (the Bishop's Moormaster?); later (18th century) "the tack lessees had to sell their ore to the Moormaster". If this applied at Peakfield was Christopher Wall evading the requirement by smelting his own ore?
However Christopher Wall was obviously a prosperous farmer rather than a lead smelter. There is no mention in the will to shares or right to a lead mine. I wonder if the tools were left from an earlier period in his life or made available to whoever was working the mines.
In the Name of God Amen
this thirty day of October 1682 I
Christopher Wall of peakfield in the parish of Stanhope and county of
Durham yeoman do make and ordaine this my last will and testament in
manner and form following first I give and bequeath my soule to Almighty
god my maker and to Jesus Christ my redeemer by whose death and passion
I hope to have remission for all my sinnes and my body to be buried in
the church or churchyard at Stanhope as my executors hereafter named
pleaseth first I give unto my Sonn Robert Wall all my land on the north
side of Wood wth all the Land on the mill [....] to be passed
over by my son Arthur it being in the town shipe of Frosterly and if my
son Arthur shall refuse to pass th said Land as mentioned
then I do order the saidArthur to pay unto my sonn Robert when he shall
attain unto twenty one years of age th sum of four hundred
and fifty pounds. Item I give unto my daughter Elizabeth Wall the summe
of two hundred and fifty pounds to be paid at the age of one and twenty
and in the meanwile my son Robert and Daughter Elizabeth sufficient
mentenance [t]oll their positions be paid by my executors the rest of my
goods and Chattels moveable and unmoveable my legacies payd and funeral
expence discharged I give unto my Deare wife Elizabeth Wall and my Sonn
Arthur Wall whom I make whole and sole executors of this my last will
and testament signed sealed and delivered in the psents of us whose name
are hereunder written
Christo: Wall
Witnesses
Thomas Wall Elizabeth X Armstronge
Cuthbert Hopper
her marke
A true and perfect Inventory of the Goodes Chattells and Credittes of Christo: Wall late of Peakfield in the pish of Stanhop in the County of Durham Yeoman late Deceased apprized the 10th of November in the six and thirtieth yeare of the reigne of our sovraigne Lord Charles the second {1684} by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith &c By John Morgan John Mowbray Anthony Wall John Chapman
| Impri | His Purs & Apperell | 20 | 00 | 00 | |
| 10 | Cowes & a Bull | 25 | 13 | 04 | |
| 8 | Oxon | 22 | 00 | 00 | |
| 10 | Steares | 19 | 00 | 00 | |
| 5 | Heffers | 10 | 00 | 00 | |
| 10 | Starks | 10 | 00 | 00 | |
| 9 | Calfes | 4 | 10 | 00 | |
| 4 | Cowes | 14 | 05 | 00 | |
| 2 | Oxon 2 steaves and one why | 17 | 00 | 00 | |
| 3 | Horses | 10 | 00 | 00 | |
| 030 | Sheareings | 5 | 00 | 00 | |
| 087 | Lames | 12 | 00 | 00 | |
| 102 | Scots Weathers | 25 | 10 | 00 | |
| 024 | fatt [sheepe] | 8 | 10 | 00 | |
| 050 | fatt Stok | 17 | 00 | 00 | |
| 13 | Stacks of Hay | 40 | 00 | 00 | |
| The Corne | 8 | 00 | 00 | ||
| All the [.....] Geare belong to a Draught | 3 | 10 | 00 | ||
| All the Houshold Goods | 80 | 00 | 00 | ||
| A Harth Bellis and other nessaryes Belonging to a smelting mill | 10 | 00 | 00 | ||
| Total | £435 | 00 | 04 | ||
Debts oweing upon Bond
| Mich Wild | 25 | 00 | 00 |
| Geo Wall | 17 | 00 | 00 |
| Other debts oweing | |||
| Cuth Horne & Guy Horne | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| Henry Whitfield | 2 | 08 | 00 |
| Patrick Newlande | 5 | 01 | 00 |
1 Relationships to Christopher Wall mentioned in the will
|
Wife (and executor) |
Elizabeth |
| Son (and executor) | Arthur |
| Son | Robert |
| Daughters | Elizabeth |
2 Other names mentioned
| Thomas Wall | Witness |
| Cuthbert Hopper | Witness |
| Elizabeth Armstronge | Witness |
3 Christopher Wall, son of Christopher Wall,
baptised at Stanhope 22nd June 1634
(There are no marriages recorded at Stanhope
between September 1651 and September 1662 - the Commonwealth gap?)
Arthur Wall, son of Christopher Wall, baptised at
Stanhope 30th of June 1663
Elizabeth Wall, daughter of Christopher and
Elizabeth Wall, baptised at Stanhope 11th November 1665
Robert Wall, son of Christopher Wall baptised at
Stanhope 11th August 1667
Ralph Wall, son of Christopher Wall, baptised at
Stanhope 24th August 1670
Christopher Wall, son of Christopher Wall,
baptised at Stanhope 25th April 1673