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Page 23:-
A British Commander, by name, Mountfall, with a few brave
followers, made a stand here against the Romans. A long and
desperate conflict ensued, in which the fortune of the day
was for some time uncertain: at length the Romans prevailed,
and the Britons were obliged to retire to the mountains,
with very great loss. The Commanders on both sides were
slain, and the Roman appears to have been buried here. Upon
digging into this cairn, some bones, urns, and broken
weapons were found.
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Dalemain
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At a little more than three miles is Dalemain, the
seat of he late Williams Hassell, Esq; an handsome new
stone-building, situated under an hill, which effectually
screens it from the North: from the house to the river are
such beautiful pastures, that a late author calls it the
Queen of the Vale of Emont. On the opposite side of the
river are pleasure-grounds and gardens, connected with the
house by an handsome wooden-bridge. Above the house, upon
the banks of a small river called Dacre-Beck, are other
gardens, calculated both for pleasure and utility.
Dalemain belonged to a family of the name of Layton for many
generations, the most remarkable of whom was William Layton,
who had twenty-three children by one wife. It was purchased
of this family by Sir Edward Hassell, Knight, who was, in
the year 1701, Knight of the Shire, and has continued in the
family ever since.
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Dacre Castle
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The next remarkable object that presents itself is Dacre
Castle; an old tower, though pretty entire, and formerly
the seat of the Dacre family. At what time it came into
their possession is very uncertain; but it appears to have
been theirs at the time of the Saxon invasion, and probably
much earlier, as will appear from the following piece of
history.
Justus Bishop of Rochester having obtained authority to
create bishops in this island, created Paulin Bishop of
York: he, in the year 626, converted Edwin King of
Northumberland, and his minister Coisi, (likewise chief of
the Pagan Priests) to Christianity: he likewise converted
one James, a learned and good man, whom Bede reports to have
been alive in his days, and to have lived at Catterick in
Yorkshire. Coisi and James having done much service to the
Christian cause, were in the year 633 deputed by Paulin to
travel, as well for the purpose of converting the
neighbouring Pagans, as for the founding of churches to
secure the ground which Christianity might gain. Accordingly
we find that Coisi came into Cumberland, baptized great
numbers, and founded a church at Kirkoswald, in that
county.
He next appears to have visited Dacre, where he is said to
have converted a great man, and stayed some time: this was
about the time of Edwin's defeat by Ceadwalla King of the
Britons and Penda King of the Mercians, at Hatfield in
Yorkshire. Penda and Ceadwalla being gross Pagans, Paulin
was obliged to fly with the Queen into Kent, whither they
took the jewels of the Crown, and all the valuable utensils
of the church.
Coisi and James, wherever they built a church, affixed to it
in some conspicuous part the arms of Edwin and Paulin,
together with their own. Edwin's was a bear seiant
[sejeant], holding a quiver; Paulin's, a bear seiant
[sejeant] holding a crucifix; and their own, each a bear
seiant with an image upon its back. Guillim tells us, that
bears were esteemed a "very honourable bearing, and were
carried to Rome for a shew, where they were holden in great
admiration."
This estate and castle remained in the Dacre family till the
reign of King Henry the VII. when the only remainder of that
family was a daughter, named Johan: she was married to Sir
Richard Fynes, Knight, who was therefore declared Lord Dacre
of the South. In his name and family it continued till the
year 1716, when it was sold to Sir Christopher Musgrave, who
again sold it to Edward Hassel of Dalemain, Esq; and it has
remained in that family ever since. William of Malmesbury
says, that this is the
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place
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erratum from p.194
e for seiant, read sejeant.
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gazetteer links
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-- (cairn, Stainton)
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-- "Dacre Castle" -- Dacre Castle
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-- "Dalemain" -- Dalemain
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