1801.] Account of Ravenflonedale, in the County of Wcftmorland. 99 
own children, and always perfectly fuc- 
ceeded. The inhabitants of this parifh 
are in general a healthy and hardy race of 
people, of a robuft and mufcular form of 
body, fubject to no particular difeafe, and 
many of them attain to an advanced age. 
There is one perfon ninety three years of 
age, who neverthele{s enjoys at this time 
a good ftate of health. And there are 
others fo ftout and healthy at the age of 
eighty five, or eighty-fix, as to be able to 
perform a great deal of work. [It can- 
not however be denied, ‘but that where 
the perfon is formed by nature with a 
weak and fickly habit of body, this country 
is by no means fuitable for his conftitution. 
It is generally believed, that very good. 
free-ftone might be procured on fome of 
the lands belonging to the Earl of, Lonf- 
dale, but at prefent there are no quarries 
of this kind wrought, In the hill cafled 
Clouds, fome {mall and inconfiderable veins 
of fpar and lead-ore have been found. 
There are ftones got in the parifh, which 
are appropriated by the inhabitants to the 
ufes of flooring and flating houfes. Some 
of thefe ftones are fmooth, and will re- 
ceive a polifh, others are rough and con- 
tain veins of flint, and they are in gene- 
ral of a brown and darkith hue. Coals 
are brought from the Stanemore pits, a 
diftance of eighteen miles, and. fell at the 
rate of 5s. 6d. per cart load.* Peats 
alfo, which are got on the neighbouring 
common, are ufed for fuel by many fa- 
milies, and fell for rs. 6d. the cart in fum- 
mer, and for 2s. in winter. 
According to Dr. Burn, whofe hiftory 
of this county was publifhed in.1777, this 
parifh contained 225 families, of which 
59 were diffenters. . The following is a 
copy of the latereport made by the parith- 
officers on this fubje& : 
Inhabited houfes, in 1801, 224.—-Un- 
_ inhabited ditto 5.—Familics 280.—Males 
493.—Females 640—Employed in agri- 
culture,,.232.—Employed in trades, 54.-—— 
Other clafles, 846.—Total, 1133. 
It appears therefore that fince 1777 
there has been an increafe of 55 families ; 
and that the average number of perfons 
compofing a family, is 4 - nearly. ‘There 
are at this time in the‘parifh, 43 families 
of Calvinift Diffenters, confifting of 172 
individuals; and 4 of quakers, making 
17 perfons. There are alfo a few metho- 
difts, but they have no meeting -houfe, 
nor any conftant. preacher. Accuftomed 
as Iam to confider religion as the great 
* The cart-load here mentioned, confiits 
of 25 pecks of coals, and the peck contains 
16 quarts, Winchefter meafure. 
3 
bafis of morality, and of the happinefs 
of mankind individually and colleétively ; 
and more efpecially as the evils and cala- 
mities which have of late years pervaded 
and defolated Europe, appear to have 
originated from a contempt and derelic- 
tion of all religious wotfhip; it is with 
the utmoft concern and- regret that I be- 
hold the increafing infidelity of the prefent 
age, already extended to the moft retired 
and fequetered fituations. Formerly, and 
perhaps alfo at no great diftance of time, 
the church and the different diffenting. 
meeting-houfes in the parifh might have 
been feen attended on a Sunday by a very 
numerous and refpeétable aflemblage of 
people, and this when’ the population of 
the place was evidently lefs than at pre- 
fent. But Be 
Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamut in illis. 
Not to fay worfe, an apathy, or blameable 
indifference, refpeéting the fublime doc- 
trines of Chriftianity and the rites and 
ceremonies of religion has pervaded the 
mai{s of the people. The church is very 
much deferted ; and at the diftribution of 
the facrament, which according to cuftom 
takes place fix timesin the year, there are 
feliom more than twenty perfons prefent. 
The farms are very fmall, few being 
above 6ol. a year, and varying from that 
to rol. and under. Indeed the number of 
farmers in this parifh is few, in compari- 
fon of the number of proprietors of land, 
who hve on their own eftates, and follow 
hufbandry ; there being generally reckoned 
three land-holders, or as they are here de- 
nominated ffatefmen, for one farmer 
The number of yeomanry is however of 
late years much diminifhed, and the land 
is divided into greater portions, and has 
become the pofleflion of a more opulent, 
but lefs numerous, fet of people than for- 
merly. To the man ufed to affociate ideas 
of general plenty and profperity with the 
increaled affluence of a few individuals, 
and who knows not that wealth may poffi- 
bly exift in a country, and neverthelefs 
that mifery and want may alfoexift ina ftill 
greater decree, a change of this nature 
will doubtle’s appear pleafing. But nothing 
is more certain, than that the comforts and 
conveniences of the people at large have 
decreafed, in proportion as the influence 
and riches of a few have been augmented. 
The mode of cultivation in ufe, is proba- 
bly not much different from that which was 
practifed nearly a century ago. Men are 
naturally attached to ancient cuftoms; and 
when their local fituation contributes to 
render their aitachments more ftrong, it 
reguires much time, before improvements 
in 
