Rev. R. W. Bosanquet, A.M., on Rock Hall. 67 



1704. — John Proctor of Rock and John Salkeld of Rock were 

 free Tenants. (Court Rolls). 



In 1681 Ralph Thoresby, "a woollen draper, an antiquary, 

 and the historian of Leeds " had property at Rock, which caused 

 him occasionally to visit the district. He has a note to this effect : 



"By Rock where I found the old Tenants repenting their 

 unkind feelings, and continual murmerings for abatements, which 

 hastened the sale of the Estate, and now they would gladly have 

 the same lands at the ordinary advancement." 



It is difficult to reconcile this statement with what we 

 know of the possession of Rock by John Salkeld in 1663, 

 as shewn by the Rentals and Rates for that year, and again 

 in 1695, when after the marriage of Thomas Proctor with 

 Elizabeth the grand-daughter of Col. Salkeld, the settlement 

 of the estate took place in favour of the Proctors. 



In the Miscellanea relating to Capheaton, published by 

 Hodgson in the 2nd part of Vol. I. of the History of North- 

 umberland, there is a very strange account of the murder of 

 Mr. John Swinburne, of Capheaton, near the Gates of Meldon 

 by Captain John Salkeld, of Rock, under the date of Feb. 

 13th, 1643, which, as it is in some degree illustrative of the 

 manners of those times, it may be worth while to extract. 



14 a. Feb. 13, 1643. — "Wee, Jurors p'sent upon oath, that 

 upon the thirteenth day of February in the eighteenth yeare of 

 our Sovereign Lord King Charles about three of the clocke in 

 the afternoon of the same day, Captain John Salkeld of Rock 

 did out of p 'meditated malice assault Mr. John Swynburn of 

 Capheaton, Gent., at a place nigh unto Meldon-gates, in the 

 County aforesaid, and with a rapier sword in his right hand to 

 the value of five shillings sterling e, did then and there give unto 

 the said Mr. John Swynburn one mortal wound in the right side 

 of his belly of the depth of an inch or two, and in breadth 

 about an inch, of which mortall wound the aforesaid John Swyn- 

 burn did languish, and languishing, lived from the aforesaid day 

 untill the fifteenth day of the said month of February, beinge 

 Wednesday, and then and there at Meldon aforesaid hee the said 

 John Swynburn died about 12 of the clocke in the afternoone : 

 and thus wee find Mr. John Swynburn to bee wilfully murdered by 

 the said Captain John Salkeld in maner and forme aforesaid at 

 the time and place aforesaid, and noe otherwise. In cujus rei 

 Testimonium etc., Noia Juratorum. 



Alex. Forster, Coron." 



14 d. — " Henry Brown deposeth that he was present with others 

 at Meldon when Mr. Swynburn was slane by Mr. Salkeld. Mr. 



