Catalogue description Short title: Attorney General of the Duchy of Lancaster v Hopkinson. Plaintiffs:...

Short title: Attorney General of the Duchy of Lancaster v Hopkinson.

Plaintiffs: Attorney General [at the relation of the Earl of Northampton].

Defendants: William Hopkinson.

Documents: depositions concerning the lot and cope in Ible, Wirksworth, Derbyshire.

Taken in 1678.

Deponents for plaintiffs: William Wigley of Middleton, miner, aged 57, deposed that he works a mine in Edmund Gretrax's land in Ible; John Downe of Bonsall, yeoman, aged 55, deposed that he works a mine in Edmund Gretrax's land in Ible; William Stone of Bonsall, miner, aged 4 score and 17 years [97 years old], whose memory of Ible goes back his whole life [to 1581] deposed that he gave up his works in Ible 30 years ago due to the opposition of his master Hopkinson; Thomas Abell of Bonsall, miner, aged 60, deposed that he worked in the mine in Ible 20 years ago and others mined there 25 years ago. When he was threatened by Hopkinson he was supported by Gell who told him that he should continue to work the lead mine as he had a thousand pounds to spend with Mr Hopkinson to vindicate and justify the miners cause according to custom; Richard Smith of Ible, webster, aged 60, [lists men who held mines in Ible]; John Egginton of Ible, husbandman, aged 47, deposed that he has known several women broke the ground and got ore in a pasture called Ible wood; Henry White of Bonsall, miner, aged 47, deposed that mines had been worked in the 1640s by Robert and Ralph Gretrax and Anthony Bryan. He had found ore there 25 years ago but not much, 'nothing but clay and the old man' [T'Owd Man, the collective spirit of earlier miners]. Mr George Hopkinson had threatened to 'cast down' a piece of ore on William Stone who was working in the mine but was prevented from doing so by Thomas Mart 'who wrested' [who wrestled] it out of his hand; Thomas Woodinis, formerly sworn; Thomas Spenser of Ible, miner and constable for Ible, aged 50; Edward Butler of Ible, yeoman, aged 46; Thomas lea of Ible, husbandman, aged 47, deposed that he has been the constable of Ible twice and that the post is chosen every other year. [He lists those who held dovegangs in the Ible mines]; Anne Eyley of Shottle, widow, aged 72, deposed that she lived in Ible for 32 years. Her mother inherited land in Ible from her grandfather. Mrs Anne Hopkinson, wife of Anthony Hopkinson, was her godmother; William Smedley of Hopton, miner, aged 45; Henry Hoawley of Middleton, miner, aged 55; Anthony White of Bonsall, miner, aged 55, deposed that Anthony Hopkinson had warned them to 'worke their at their pill' [work there at their peril]. Henry Smith replied 'that he hoped they had good right to worke there'; John Creswell of Middleton, yeoman, aged 56; Anthony Gell of Middleton, yeoman, aged 60; Elizabeth Sladen of Wirksworth, widow, aged 40, deposed that her husband, John Sladen, was a barmaster and that he was literate. She herself 'can read written hand very well and write it her selfe'. After his death she kept his 'books and wrytinges' [books and writings] including his lot and cope accounts for Ible. [Accounts were presented at court as evidence]; Thomas Gell of Middleton, miner, aged 32; Thomas Spenser of Middleton, miner, aged 50; Edward Hutchinson of Hopton, yeoman, aged 53, deposed that he knew John Sladen well and often employed Sladen to write for him.

Deponents for defendants: Thomas Parker of Hopton, gentleman, aged 58; Richard Buxton of Carsington, gentleman, aged 68, deposed that in 1641 and at other times Hopkinson had prevented Middleton miners from working in Ible; William Stone, formerly examined; Margaret Pedley, wife of William pedley of Aldwark, aged 60; Henry Buxton of Brassington, miner, aged 50; John Statham of Tansley, gentleman, aged 73; Thomas Woodwins of Bonsall, miner, aged 60 years and more, deposed that John Killhare and Thomas Needham were ejected by Hopkinson and Henry Buxton and were threatened; Anthony Fearne of Ible, miner, aged 30 years and more; William Longden of Ible, miner, aged 44; Edmund Gretrax of Ible, yeoman, aged 77; William Hopkinson of Wirksworth, gentleman, aged 42, deposed that in 1650 when John Killhare and Thomas Needham dug a mine John Creswell, the deputy barmaster, told Hopkinon he would measure any lead got by his own measure and smelt it at his own mill; Adam Hopkinson of Wirksworth, gentleman, aged 34.

Andy Wood, The Politics of Social Conflict: the Peak Country, 1520-1770 (Cambridge UP, 1999)