The ancient, but now insignificant town and seaport of Ravenglass,
six miles from Bootle and about sixteen from Whitehaven, is
situated on a small creek, at the confluence of the rivers Esk,
Mite, and Irt, which form a large sandy harbour. Of this place the
Editor of Camden, Bishop Gibson, says--"The shore, wheeling to the
north, comes to Ravenglass, a harbour for ships, and commodiously
surrounded with two rivers; where, as I am told, there have been
found Roman inscriptions. Some will have it to have been formerly
called Aven-glass, i.e. (Coeruleus) an azure sky-coloured river;
and tell you abundance of stories about King Eveling, who had his
palace here."
Ravenglass appears from Mr. Sandford's M.S. to have been of old
of some importance as a fishing town. He says--"Here were some
salmons and all sorts of fish in plenty; but the greatest plenty of
herrings, (it) is a daintye fish of a foot long; and so plenteous
a fishing thereof and in the sea betwixt and the ile of man, as
they lie in sholes together so thike in the sea at spawning, about
August, _as a ship cannot pass thorow_: and the fishers go from all
the coast to catch them."
There was also formerly a considerable pearl-fishery at this place:
and Camden speaks of the shell-fish in the Irt producing pearls.
Sir John Hawkins obtained from government the right of fishing for
pearls in that river. The pearls were obtained from mussels, by the
inhabitants of the neighbourhood, who sought for them at low water,
and afterwards sold them to the jewellers. About the year 1695, a
patent was granted to some gentlemen, for pearl-fishing in the Irt;
but how the undertaking prospered is uncertain. The pearl-mussels
do not appear to have been very plentiful for many years. Nicolson
and Burn observe, that Mr. Thomas Patrickson, of How in this
County, is said to have obtained as many from divers poor people,
whom he employed to gather them, as he afterwards sold in London
for £800.
Tacitus in the "Agricola" describes the pearls found in Britain
as being of a dark and livid hue. Pliny also:--"In Britain some
pearls do grow, but they are small and dim, not clear and bright."
And again:--"Julius Cæsar did not deny, that the breast-plate
which he dedicated to Venus Genitrix, within the temple, was made
of British pearls." So that it is not at all improbable that our
little northern stream even may have contributed in some degree to
the splendour of the imperial offering.
The manor in which Ravenglass is included is dependent on the
barony of Egremont; and King John granted to Richard Lucy, as
lord paramount, a yearly fair to be held here on St. James's day,
and a weekly market every Saturday; and at the present time the
successor to the Earls of Egremont, Lord Leconfield, holds the
fair of Ravenglass, on the eve, day, and morrow of St. James.
Hutchinson thus describes it:--"There are singular circumstances
and ceremonies attending the proclamation of this fair, as being
anciently held under the maintenance and protection of the Castle
of Egremont. On the first day, the lord's steward is attended by
the sargeant of the Borough of Egremont, with the insignia (called
the bow of Egremont), the foresters, with their bows and horns,
and all the tenants of the forest of Copeland, whose special
service is to attend the lord and his representative at Ravenglass
fair, and abide there during its continuance; anciently, for the
protection of a free-trade, and to defend the merchandise against
free-booters, and a foreign enemy: such was the wretched state of
this country in former times, that all such protection was scarce
sufficient. For the maintenance of the horses of those who attend
the ceremony, they have by custom, a portion of land assigned in
the meadow, called, or distinguished, by the name of two Swaiths
of grass in the common field of Ravenglass. On the third day at
noon, the earl's officers, and tenants of the forest depart, after
proclamation; and Lord Muncaster (as mesne lord) and his tenants
take a formal repossession of the place; and the day is concluded
with horse races and rural diversions."
A genuine specimen of feudal observances is preserved in the
custom of riding the boundaries of manors, which, in the mountain
district, where the line of division is not very distinct,
is performed perhaps once during each generation, by the
representatives of the lord of the manor, accompanied by an immense
straggling procession of all ages,--the old men being made useful
in pointing out important or disputed portions of the boundary,
and the young in having it impressed on their memories, so that
their evidence or recollection may be made available in future
peregrinations. In older times, when the interests of the lords
outweighed farther than in our own day the rights of the peasantry,
certain youthful members of the retinue, in order to deepen the
impression and make it more enduring, were severely whipped at all
those points which the stewards were most anxious to have held in
remembrance. The occasions always wind up with a banquet, provided
on a most liberal scale by the lord of the manor, and open to all
who take part in the business of the day.
Another local usage connected with the landed interest, and long
observed with notable regularity, was the following. When salmon
was plentiful in the Cumberland rivers, and formed a very important
element in the ordinary living of the occupants of adjoining lands,
the tenants of the manor of Ennerdale and Kinniside claimed "a
free stream" in the river Ehen, from Ennerdale lake to the sea,
and assembled once a year to "ride the stream." If obstructions
were found, such as weirs and dams, they were at once destroyed.
Refreshments were levied or provided at certain places on the river
for the cavalcade. This custom has long ceased to be observed.
About a quarter of a mile to the south east of this place is
an old ivy-mantled ruin, designated Wall Castle. It is said to
have been the original residence of the Penningtons, but in all
probability it dates from a much remoter period. Stone battle-axes
and arrow-heads have been found around it, and coins of different
people, principally Roman and Saxon. The building is strongly
cemented with run lime.
This old castle stands at no great distance from the second cutting
through which the railroad passes after leaving Ravenglass:
adjoining to which, a little below the surface of the ground, an
ancient fosse and several foundations of walls have been laid
bare by the owner of the estate, and large quantities of building
stone removed from them at various times. In making this cutting,
the workmen laid open an ancient burial place, which was of great
depth, and contained a quantity of human remains, with several
bones of animals. The sides were secured by strong timber and
stone work. The buried bodies were very numerous, and the place
was evidently of very great antiquity. From the presence of oak
leaves and acorns, charred wood, etc., it has been supposed to have
been the tomb of the victims in some Druidical sacrifice: it being
known that the Druids immolated their criminals, by placing them
collectively in the interior of a large image of wickerwork, and
then setting fire to it; and that various animals were sacrificed
along with them by way of expiation.
About five miles to the east of Ravenglass is the small lake
of Devoke Water, near the foot of which, on the summit of a
considerable hill, stand the ruins of another interesting piece of
antiquity, the so-called city of Barnscar or Bardscar. Its site is
so elevated, as to command a wide extent of country, and an ancient
road from Ulpha to Ravenglass passes through it. The name is purely
Scandinavian, and tradition ascribes it to the Danes. A well known
popular saying in the locality refers to the manner in which this
city is said to have been peopled by its founders, who gathered
for inhabitants the men of Drigg and the women of Beckermet. The
original helpmates of the latter place are supposed to have fallen
in battle: what had become of the wives and daughters of the former
place is not averred. But the saying continues--"Let us gang
togidder like t' lads o' Drigg, an' t' lasses o' Beckermet."
The description of this place given by Hutchinson at the latter
end of last century is as follows:--"This place is about 300 yards
long, from east to west; and 100 yards broad, from north to south;
now walled round, save at the east end, near three feet in height;
there appears to have been a long street, with several cross
ones: the remains of housesteads, within the walls, are not very
numerous, but on the outside of the walls they are innumerable,
especially on the south side and west end; the circumference of the
city and suburbs is near three computed miles; the figure an oblong
square." It is added that about the year 1730, a considerable
quantity of silver coin was found in the ruins of one of the
houses, concealed in a cavity, formed in a beam; none of which
unfortunately has been preserved, to throw light upon the name, the
race, or character and habits of its possessors.
From the Pow to the Duddon innumerable objects of interest lie
scattered between the mountains and the sea coast, of which
little more can be said than was stated, as above, by Camden's
editor--"Some tell you abundance of stories about them"--as well as
"about King Eveling, who had his palace here."