Drigg Parish
> | Which extends about four miles in length, 2½ miles in
breadth, is bounded on the north by Gosforth parish, on the west by the Irish sea, on the
south by the river Mite, which separates it from Muncaster, and on the east by Irton
parish and Wasdale chapelry; and is divided by the Irt into two parts, called Drigg
and Carleton, but which form only one township. The soil on the east side of the
Irt is chiefly a deep clay and fertile loam, but on the west and north it is mostly of a
sandy nature. It is remarkable for yielding large quantities of fine potatoes, which, in
the latter end of the last century, produced in the market of Whitehaven the annual sum of
£300. The Irt, which flows S.W. by W. from Wastwater, to the west end of Drigg village,
is frequented by salmon, and abounds with trout, &c; and Camden speaks of the shell
fish in this river producing pearls. Near the sea shore is a strong chalybeate
spring, highly esteemed for its medicinal properties, and was once visited by invalids
and others from many parts of the kingdom. There is also on the sea coast in this parish,
a huge rock, called Carl Crag, measuring 12 feet in length, 9 in breadth, and 5½ in
height, being one of those detached masses of rock known by the name of Boulder Stones,
which by some unknown agency have been removed from their native beds. Three hollow tubes
of a vitrified substance were observed some years ago, projecting from a sand hill on the
coast, one of which was traced downward to the depth of thirty feet. It is supposed they
were produced by the action of lightning on the drifted sand. The parish, which contains
429 souls, and 4063 rateable acres of land, rated at about £2000, is nearly all freehold
and tithe free, lord Muncaster, the lord of the manor, and lay rector, having, in the last
century, taken common land (1100 acres) in lieu of tithes, and enfranchised his customary
tenants. The land (121 acres) allotted for the manorial rights is a rabbit warren. Drigg village is a street of well-built detached houses,
bearing various names, and extending from the vicinity of the sea to Holm Rook1,
on the Whitehaven road, within 2½ miles N. of Ravenglass. The parish anciently abounded
with oaks, from which it is said to have derived its name, Derigh, or Dergh,
signifying oak in the Irish language. The manor belonged, in the reign of Henry II to the
Estotevills, whose heiress carried it in marriage to Baldwin, lord Wake, baron Liddell,
from whom it passed to the Greystokes, Harringtons, and Curwens, but was sold in the reign
of James I, by Sir Nicholas Curwen, to Sir William Pennington, of Muncaster, whose
posterity have since enjoyed the manorial rights, but major-general Wyndham is lord
paramount of the whole parish. The lord of the manor has a right to Flotsam - wreck
floating on the water; Jetsam - goods cast on shore from any vessel; and Lagan - goods
that are sunken from a wreck. The Church2, which is said to be
the original erection, is an humble edifice, consisting of a nave and chancel, with a
porch, and a bell turret carrying two bells. It is dedicated to St. Peter, and was
rectorial before it was appropriated to the priory of Conishead, in Lancashire, by Anselm
de Furness. On the dissolution of the religious houses, it was granted to the Curwens, and
was sold, with the manor, to an ancestor of lord Muncaster. The advowson was sold, by the
late lord Muncaster, to Samuel Irton, Esq., who is the present patron of the benefice,
which is now only a perpetual curacy, certified to the ecclesiastical commissioners at
£88. The Rev. Henry W. Hodgson, M.A. is the present incumbent, who has for his curate the
Rev. William Angell, B.A. In 1828, the Revd. Wm. Thompson, M.A., a native of this parish,
erected a commodious school house in Drigg. The school is vested in seven trustees, viz.
the bishop of Chester, lord Muncaster, the rector, the incumbents of Muncaster and Drigg,
the master of St. Bees school, and the founders' heir at law in perpetuity. The bishop of
Chester is appointed visitor, "with the usual visitorial powers incident to the
office of visitor of a charity." The master is to teach eight poor children, natives
of the parish, for the payment of 1s. entrance, and 1s. per quarter each; but he is
allowed to take other pupils, to the number of forty-five, who pay a regular quarterage
for the different branches of learning in which they are instructed. The site was given by
lord Muncaster, and the endowment is £42 a year, of which £2 are for the repairs of the
school, and the remaining £40 are paid to the master, who has a good house adjoining,
also built by the founder. Mr. Isaac Clements, B.A. is the present master. Carleton is a constablewick, lying between the rivers Irt
and Mite, containing a few dispersed houses, and the hamlet of Hall Carleton with Carleton
Hall, the seat of Joseph Burrow, Esq. about one mile north of Ravenglass. The hall
commands fine views of Scawfell3, the Pikes, Great Gable, and
other stupendous mountains. Carleton is supposed to be derived from Carleton, (Villa
Rustica) a place inhabited by carles or husbandmen, and so called since the time of the
Romans. The grandfather of the present lord Muncaster enfranchised the tenants of this as
well as the other part of the manor of Drigg. The Whitehaven and Furness Junction Railway runs through this parish, which is chiefly occupied by resident yeomen. There is a school in Carleton which was endowed in 1727, by Joseph Walker, in the amount of £200, but the endowment is now almost wholly alienated.
Mannix & Whellan, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Cumberland, 1847
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Notes
1. Holm Rook is now rendered Holmrook.
2. Drigg church was re-built in 1850.
3. Scawfell is now usually rendered Scafell, and the Pikes are now known
as Scafell Pike
19 June 2015
© Steve Bulman