1801.] Account of Raven/fonedale, in the County of Weftmorland. 
that the yearly value of the curacy muft 
at this time be upwards of 7ol. The 
dwelling-houfe belonging to the curate, 
which is but a fmall edifice, was built in 
1781. i: . 
Here is alfo a handfome meeting-houfe 
for diffenters of calviniftic principles. And 
it is not more than juflice to obferve, that 
this meeting-houle is pretty well attended, 
that the people in general who frequent it, 
are ftudious refpeéting the dottrines of 
religion, and that the minifter is a zealous 
and laborious preacher. ‘The miniiter has- 
lately eftablifhed a funday {chool for the 
education of youth in the principles of 
chriftianity, at which fifty or fixty {cholars 
frequently attend; and he regularly fu- 
perintends their inftruction during the inter- 
vals of preaching. The revenue of this 
meeting-houfe is fomething more than 40]. 
per ann. a fum certainly inadequate 
to the maintenance of a clergyman’s 
family, and which, efpecially during the 
prefent exorbitant prices of the neceffaries 
of life, it is the indifpenfable duty of the 
congregation properiy to confider. 
The grammar-fchool at Ravenftonedale 
was founded and endowed about the year 
1688; and in 1758, a very good new 
{chool-houfe was built; adjoining to 
which a dwelling-houle for the mafter was 
alfo ere&ted. Board and education being 
here reafonable, and, as yet, not exceeding 
together eighteen guineas a year, there 
are at prefent feveral boys from other 
counties, who lodge in the village, and are 
inftructed at this fchool in the different 
branches of literature,” The boys belong- 
ing to the parith, who learn the Latin and 
Greek languages, are in confideration of 
the ftipend of the fchool, which at this 
time amounts to nearly 35]. per ann. 
taught free of expence, but for inftruction 
in any other department they pay accord- 
ingly. This fchool might have been of 
much more value than at prefent, and its: 
revenue would fcarcely (if at all) have 
been lefs than that of any other {eminary 
in the county, had not the trufees impru- 
dently, and perhaps illegally, converted 
two eftates, purchafed with the bequefts 
of the founders, into rent-charges or an- 
nuities. This was.done almoi.a century 
ago. One of theeftates isnow worth 70], 
a year, or upwards; whereas the annuity 
is only 61. and the other rent charge is, no 
doubt, proportionably inadequate to the 
real value of the eftate. The continual 
decreafe in the value of money, and confe- 
quently increafe in the value of land, ren- 
der ail fixed fums, in procefs of time, very. 
lig 
defeStive. It is greatly to be regretted, 
that no public-fpirited individuals thould 
have attempted the recovery of thele 
eftates; ‘fince, befides other illegalities 
attending actions of this nature, there 
is a fpecial claufe in the deed of 
fettlement, that the trufees fhall ao- 
ply the rents and profits of the {aid 
eftates to the ufe of the {choolmafter, and 
fhall not make any leafe thereof for a 
longer term than twenty-one years*. ‘The 
number of {cholars, upon an average, is 
about thirty-fix. There are very few of 
the inhabitants, that are natives of this 
parifh, who cannot read ; and the greateft 
part of them are able to write, and under- 
ftand the common rules of arithmetic ; and 
in many inftances, the more fubftantial 
landholders procure their children a very 
good ediication. Initruétion is to cheap, 
that it is not placed beyond the reach of 
the pooreft; and the anxiety expreffed by 
the people for the inftruction of their chil- 
dren, proves that they are imprefled with 
a due fenfe of the importance and urility 
of education, in almoft every department 
and tranfaction of life: nay, they have. 
often been known voluntarily to undergo 
hardfhip and fatigue, that they might pro- 
cure their children ufeful and virtuous in- 
ftruction; and many have been fufficiently 
requited for fuch care and attention by 
their fons thereby rifing to affluence and 
eminence, and acquiring the re/pect and 
efteem of mankind. | 
Ravenftonedale, though divided into 
what are here denominated aucles, is never- 
thelefs all one conftablewick : it provides 
for its poor conjointly, and’has no {ubor- 
Ginate or independent townfhips. The 
number of poor upon the roll for laf year, 
amounted to 1563 and the fun expend- 
ed for their relief was upwards of soo}, 
which, at an‘average, might probably he 
1s. 3d. for each perfon, per week. No 
one received more. than 48. 6d. per weck, 
and none had lefs than 1s. 6d. a month = 
and difibution was-made according to 
the nature and circumftances of the cafe. 
Stock to the amount of 5331. 6s. 8d. was 
fometime ago purchafed in the thice per 
cent. confol. annuities, for the beneft of 
the poor of this parith ; and° the intereft 
of this fum is regularly applied to their 
relief. At the time of Bifhop Nicollon’s 
parochial vifitation in 1703, he was in- 
formed by the church-wardéens of Ravens 
ftonedale, they had not had a beggar in. 
the parith within the memory of man; 
* Dr. Buran. 
ioe 
