12 



Dalehead Hall and Legburthwaite Manor, and the Brownriggs of 

 Ormathwaite — bvit I must confine myself to the following. 



The Stangers. 



One of the oldest yeoman families in the parish is that of the 

 name of Stanger. This is a German name ; but it will be seen 

 that a family called Stanger was settled here long before the advent 

 of the German miners, who came in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. 

 We find this German name in London, where it is pronounced 

 Stanger, as it used to be pronounced here formerly. 



It is reported that " Thomas Curwen, Knight, in the twenty- 

 eighth year of King Henry VI., i.e. A.D. 1450, did ride and go 

 all his bounden about the manor or lordship of Thornthwaite in 

 the fells, taking then with him John Stanger, at that time feoffer of 

 Darwent Fells, and divers others both old and young men. 



"The original grant is dated 1255, remaining with Edward 

 Ratclyffe, Baronet, now Lord of the said manor." 



In 1616, John Stanger of Ullock is mentioned in one of the 

 "Three Solemn Decrees" respecting their "most venerable old 

 Church, and their very aged and much esteemed Grammar School." 

 He is there set down as having in his hands "twelve pounds, 

 fifty-one shiUings, sixpence of the said school stock." It was the 

 custom then for the eighteen sworn men to retain in their hands 

 sums of money belonging to the school, and to pay interest for it, 

 until a sufficient sum accumulated to enable them to purchase land 

 for the further endowment of the school. The family left Ullock, 

 and Edward, the eldest son, remained at Powter Howe ; Daniel, 

 at Braithwaite ; James, at Wood End, Thornthwaite ; and a sister, 

 Hannah, married a Mr. Lowther. Thomas, the fourth of the 

 family, married Elizabeth Blethwaite in November, 1673, at 

 Cockermouth, where he settled. He was ordained deacon of the 

 Presbyterian Church established there in 165 1. He became 

 deacon in 1695, and ruling elder in 1700. He was distinguished 

 as one of the early active members of the church, and when this 

 church suffered persecution in the reign of Charles II., many of its 

 meetinos were held in his house. 



