£ s. d. Meadows, of which the "tythe-hay" is worth yearly 0 0 10 Ten cow's milk each yearly 2d. 0 1 8 One tithe-calf 0 1 8 Two foals, each 2d. 0 0 4 Three hundred sheep, of which, the tythe wool is worth yearly 2 0 0 One hundred lambs paying a customary sum each year of 1s. 2d. 11 8 Three sows, the tithe pigs being yearly 10 Ten geese, ten hens, and ten ducks, tithe yearly 5 0 two swarms of bees, customary payment 2d. each 4 Five bushels of plums, with other fruit, tithe worth 3 0 Twenty acres, pastured with barren cattle 5 0 Hemp grown, tithe worth yearly 2 0 Oblaytions 2 6 The demand made upon each of the foremost defendants in the lawsuit was exactly the same, showing that the estimate of the tithes was a purely conventional one. It amounted then for each prosperous statesman to £3 14s. 10d.--a large sum compared with the commutation of the Rydal Hall tithe; and when this figure is multiplied by fourteen for arrears, a total of £52 7s. 8d. is reached, which was likely enough to arouse dismay and opposition. The case dragged on; and on October 20th, 1663, a commission sat at Ambleside, when witnesses were called on both sides. The smaller statesmen were no longer cited, while Robert Brathwaite, Christopher Nicholson, Francis Benson, and John Benson stood as the defendants.[122] The verdict is not known; but payment of tithes once more became customary. The refusal of the Quakers to pay the church rate will be noticed hereafter. [122] Ex. Deps., 15 Chas. II., Mich. 33, Westmorland. The tithes seem often to have been let on lease, which saved the rector the trouble and annoyance of collection. Edward Benson of Loughrigg declared, in 1663, before the commission, that he and Miles Mackereth and John Brathwaite held a lease of them from Parson Ambrose for three years, which ended April 15th, 1665. About the year 1726 they were apparently farmed by the statesmen jointly. A paper exists[123] entitled "Grasmere Tyth Corn lett to the Inhabitants Anno 1726. Some wanting." It contains the names of 55 landholders, with the amount--varying from 1s. to 18s.--paid by each as an equivalent for the tithe of corn. The total is £18 6s. [123] Rydal Hall MSS.