appear satisfactory when I have given it, although I must admit at 

 the same time that many of the deductions are simply my own, as 

 I have not anywhere been able to find any treatise which has gone 

 into this subject in a satisfactory or exhaustive manner. Now, 

 although the system of tenure which eventually resulted in freeholds 

 and copyholds, which I have before mentioned, was satisfactory 

 enough in all settled parts of the country, it was necessary that 

 special precautions should be taken near to the border. 



As may readily be imagined, the only natural bulwark against the 

 inroads of the Scots was the range of hills forming the present water- 

 shed between the northern parts of Cumberland and Westmorland 

 and the remainder of those counties on the south. The inhabitants 

 of the plains of Cumberland were easily driven back, and it was not 

 until the invaders reached this range of hills that an effectual 

 barrier could be interposed to their further advance, and therefore 

 it happened that the whole of the lands behind this range of hills 

 were parcelled out to warlike men placed here for the purpose of 

 repelling invasion, who held the land upon what was known as 

 border service. The inhabitants of the dales of Cumberland, in 

 return for their lands, had certain military services to perform, 

 such as lighting beacons, carrying warnings, blowing horns, &c., 

 when the Scots invaded the territory ; and the men of Westmorland 

 held their farms upon the condition of providing a certain number 

 of horsemen, bowmen, or javelinmen, to take the field against the 

 Scots whenever it was required, this service however being limited 

 to forty days in each year. Now, in order to maintain this service, 

 it was essential that the properties should each provide a fixed 

 number of men, and that that number should not be liable to 

 variation, and also that there should be no liability to any difficulty 

 in consequence of the splitting up of the estates. In early times 

 the leaving of property by will was not allowed, the sale of small 

 portions of an estate was not thought of, and the lands descended 

 from father to son ; and as there was a register kept of all the 

 estates and of their owners, and of the number of men to be 

 supplied by each, there was no difficulty in at once summoning 

 the men necessary to protect the borders. Now, if, as in the case 



