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



many years before that date between this house and Rock 

 Moor house, which is entered in all the schedules of Rentals 

 and Rates in the course of the 17th century, and of course 

 levels had been run to carry off the water from the lower parts 

 of the colliery, which are the levels herein alluded to. 



" The vein or Dyke discovered at Rock in Lord Jersey's Estate 

 is a vein of tolerable strength running pritly near south-west and 

 north-east, is discovered in working the Coal upon a bed of Stone, 

 called in that country the Thill (i.e) a grey Hazel or freestone sill, 

 and is in a place one would not have expected any Ore would 

 have been found, being too near the coal. The beds above the 

 Thill, as far as I could see and learn from the nature of them, 

 are not likely to bear Ore where she is discovered, and the Thill 

 is under water. Yet I think if his lordship would let a lease of 

 the Vein for Twenty-one years, containing twelve hundred yards 

 in length, and forty yards in breadth on each side of the said 

 vein, subject to the payment of one eight of all the Ore raised in 

 it, well washed, and fit for smelting, it might be worth while 

 for people to venture to work the vein upon those terms. Though 

 two things are very discouraging, viz., the beds or sills the Ore 

 is to be expected in are under water (or level), and the veins in a 

 country where lead has never been found but in trifling quan- 

 tities. The vein may perhaps deserve a higher duty, but it is 

 more probable it will not. So I would advise his Lordship to 

 offer the above terms, as twelve hundred yards in length will 

 take up but a small part of his Lordship's liberty, and he may 

 let the rest higher if this turns out well. The ore does not yield 

 lead well (affording only ten ounces of lead from sixteen ounces 

 of ore made perfectly clean and essayed) and scarce any silver at 

 all." Viewed Augt 22nd, 1767, by 



Wm. Westgabth. 



I find from a letter of Lord Jersey's that some parties 

 applied for a lease, and appear to have agreed in the first 

 instance to the terms above mentioned ; but before the works 

 were actually commenced they begged to be relieved of their 

 bargain, and as far as I know nothing farther was done in 

 the matter. 



For the general observer of the progress of habits and 

 accommodations as connected especially with the labouring 

 classes, the following may have some interest : 



"Memorandum for Mr. Craster concerning the Rock Estate," 

 by Lord Jersey ; date about the middle of last century. 



" Lord Jersey thinks that the cottages should be thatched 

 instead of covered with turi, the weight of which was thought to 

 break in the roof; but this Lord Jersey will leave to Mr. George 

 Craster's determination." 



