earlier parts of the house, which now look so bare, appear to have been originally hung with tapestry, whilst some of the rooms of more modern date are enriched with handsome oak panelling.

"The coat of arms of the Moretons is to be seen on the fireplace in the small room leading out of the long gallery, and also in the windows of the great hall and withdrawing-room."

BORWICK HALL.

By William Oliver Roper.

Read 21st February, 1895.

THE

HE traveller on his way to Scotland by the London and North-Western Railway may, some seven miles north of Lancaster and shortly after leaving Carnforth station, catch a glimpse of a massive tower and long lines of grey buildings, embosomed amidst the trees to the north-east of the line. The tower and the grey buildings form part of Borwick Hall. But if the traveller should ask if the tower has a history, and why the long lines of grey buildings stand almost athwart the front of the hall, his enquiry either meets with a blank ignorance of the subject, or with that little knowledge which is a dangerous thing, and which furnishes a reply totally devoid of any approach to historical accuracy.

What, then, is the history of Borwick Hall?

Our sources of information are somewhat limited. Tradition affirms that the first of the Bindlosses of Borwick was a merchant at Kendal in Westmorland. A reference to the Booke of Recorde for the borough of Kendal, shews that in January, 1579, it was ordered that

"Henrye Willson ffrom hencefurthe shal be removyd displacyd and discharged off his sayd offyce and place off Burgesshippe and ffrome the usinge and exercisinge thereof and all maner off authoritye belonginge thereunto. By and wth the ffull advise counsell and consente of Xpofer Byndlose, Alderman of

the Boroughe of Kirbie Kendal, and the Recorder and Burgesses of the same Boroughe with the advise and assennte of the more part of the xxiiijtie their assistants being then assembled in the Court Lofte thar. . And also it is likewise orderyde by the sayd Alderman Recorder Burgesses and others the p'sons above mencyoned that Jennett Eskrige (the other defendant) shall be cartyd through the sayd Boroughe to the terror and ffeare of other persons of evill dispocicion for the comyttinge the like offence in tyme to come.

,,

In 1579, then, Christopher Bindloss was a person of some importance in the town of Kendal.

Another entry in the same volume mentions amongst the list of aldermen—

"Christopher Byndlosse, chapman, alderman 1579, mort 1581." According to this entry, Christopher Bindloss, the alderman, died in 1581.

The same volume also mentions, in handwriting of 1575,

"Mr. Roberte Byndlose Esquyer as a freeman of the borough. This Robert Bindloss probably died in 1594; and the next of the family of whom we have any definite knowledge, and the first who is definitely connected with Borwick, is Christopher Bindloss. This appears from the registers of the parish of Warton, in which Borwick Hall is situate. Amongst the earlier items in those registers are the following: 1583 Mr. Barnabye Bindlosse buried. 1592 Dorothea, daughter of Christopher Bindloss of Borwick

Hall, bapt.

1594 Brigget, daughter of Christopher Bindloss of Borwick,

bapt.

1596 Christopher, son of Christopher Bindloss of Borwick, bapt.

The Barnaby Bindloss named in the first of these entries I have been unable to identify. From the second, Christopher seems to have been resident at Borwick Hall in 1592; and, apparently, still lived at Borwick, if not at the hall, in 1594 and 1596.

Christopher Bindloss of Borwick, "being troubled "with an infirmytie in his body," made his will on the 3rd of June, 1600. After directing his body to be buried in the chancel of his parish church at Warton, he bequeathed to the poor of Warton £6 13s. 4d., to the poor of Kendal £10, and to the poor of Lancaster £6 13s. 4d. His wife, Millyzant, is to have the tuition of his daughter Bridget till she attained the age of eighteen years. The testator then directs that Valentine Bindloss "is to have £100 when twenty-one, which was given him by the last will of Robert Bindlos Esq. my father deceased." The will proceeds"Whereas my brother Robert Byndlos is bounden to pay to my brethren in law Thomas Breathwait and John Calvert Esquires and to my cosenes James Boroshell and Edward Willimsone 1200 for the maner of Presthutton for my use£300 of it to my wife and £900 to my daughter."

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66

The testator appoints his wife executrix of that his will, and "Thomas Braithwaite of Burnishead, Esq., and John Calvert of Cockerham, Esq., my "brethren in law and my loving friends Mr. "Christopher Shute, Vicar of Giglesworth, and "Henry Porter, Vicar of Lancaster, supervisors." The will was proved at York, on the 11th of August, 1600.

From this will it appears that the testator was the son of Robert Bindloss, and that he had a brother named Robert; that probably he had, at the date of his will, only one child living, viz., Bridget, unless it can be supposed that the Valentine Bindloss mentioned in the will was a son of the testator. Still, there is nothing to shew that Christopher Bindloss lived at Borwick Hall, except the extract from Warton register for 1592; and nothing at all to shew that he built the hall.

Now at the top of the staircase there is a stone, supported by a dozen small pillars, and bearing on its edge the name and date

and on a stone in the wall of one of the long barns, which, according to tradition, were built to shelter the pack horses of the Kendal merchant on their way to and from London, are the date and initialsA DNI 1590

R B

A B

From these dates it would appear that Borwick Hall was built in the last decade of the sixteenth century; that its builder was probably Robert Bindloss, who died about 1594-the father of Christopher Bindloss, the testator, and his brother Robert. Beyond this point our information does not at present carry us.

With the next generation more definite details appear.

The Visitation of Lancashire, by Sir William Dugdale, in 1664-5, describes Sir Robert Bindloss as of "Barwick Hall, Knight"; and as marrying, first, Alice Dockwray, and secondly, Mary Eloft. The parish registers furnish the date of the baptism of the son by the second wife

1603 ffrancis son of Mr. Robert Bindloss of Barwick bapt. In 1604, "Dorithie daughter of Mr. Robert "Bindloss of Barwick, Armiger," and, in 1614, "Jane the daughter of Mr. Robert Byndloss Esq. "of Barwick," are baptized. In 1625 is the entry of the burial of "Marie ladie to Sir Robert "Bindlose Kt. in the Churche."

Sir Robert Bindloss made his will on the 7th of February, 1629-30. He desires "to be buried "in my parish church of Warton, neare unto my "well beloved wife." He then devises all the lands left to him by Robert Bindloss, his father, in various parishes in the counties of Lancaster, Westmorland, York, and Durham, to his grandson