Cod Beck Reservoir — a view from Swinestye lane

Opened in 1953, the 115 million gallon reservoir has grown in popularity since it was first opened to the public in 1989 after Yorkshire Water was privatised¹‘Inauguration of the Cod Beck Reservoir and Works’. Northallerton and District Water Board. 12th December 1953..

The surrounding woodland, planted soon afterwards, is now being cleared, and it won’t be too long before the ruins of the two old farms once again see the sunlight.

The ruins are located just in the plantation from the corner of the field on the right of the main photo.

In 1888, the farm of 48 acres was occupied by a Joseph Mellanby Mease, who also farmed land at Hutton Rudby. Mease came to the attention of the court when he claimed, for the third time in succession, a vote under The Representation of the People Act 1884³‘Northallerton District | Yorkshire Gazette | Saturday 29 September 1888 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2023. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000266/18880929/046/0006> [accessed 13 January 2023]⁴‘The Revision Courts. | York Herald | Saturday 29 September 1888 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2023. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000499/18880929/051/0007> [accessed 13 January 2023].

This Act gave the counties the same voting rights as the boroughs had had, that is (i) all adult householders and (ii) men who rented unfurnished lodgings to the value of £10 a year.

Mease said that as he paid a rental of £8 per year for the house and land, and in addition paid £2 7s. for tithes, this entitled him to be placed on the £10 list of occupiers. Although it was decided that the tithe could not in fact be added to his rent, and therefore Mease could not have a vote under the £10 occupancy section, during a discourse with the Judge, Mease said that his homes were both at Hutton Rudby and at Golden Square. It was decided that, although Mease had a house at Hutton Rudby, he merely farmed there and his ‘home’ was in fact at Golden Square, therefore Mease was entitled to a vote in Osmotherley under householder provision of the Act.

Presumably he lost his entitlement to vote in Hutton Rudby.

Census returns record that in 1861 Ralph Christon occupied Golden Square⁵Uncorrobrated genealogy information: ‘Henrietta (Tingle) Christon (Abt.1836-Abt.1910) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree’. 2018. Wikitree.com <https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Tingle-116> [accessed 13 January 2023], and in 1891, George Appleby farmed there⁶Uncorrobrated genealogy information:  http://www.appleby-1.one-name.net/download/i/mark_dl/u/4007483758/4608071829/1891%20census%20northern%20counties.pdf [Accessed 13 January 2023]..

• 1
  ‘Inauguration of the Cod Beck Reservoir and Works’. Northallerton and District Water Board. 12th December 1953.
• 2
  ‘View Map: Yorkshire 57 (Includes: Snilesworth.) – Ordnance Survey Six-Inch England and Wales, 1842-1952’. 2023. Maps.nls.uk <https://maps.nls.uk/view/102344344#zoom=8&lat=7886&lon=2279&layers=BT> [accessed 13 January 2023]
• 3
  ‘Northallerton District | Yorkshire Gazette | Saturday 29 September 1888 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2023. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000266/18880929/046/0006> [accessed 13 January 2023]
• 4
  ‘The Revision Courts. | York Herald | Saturday 29 September 1888 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2023. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000499/18880929/051/0007> [accessed 13 January 2023]
• 5
  Uncorrobrated genealogy information: ‘Henrietta (Tingle) Christon (Abt.1836-Abt.1910) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree’. 2018. Wikitree.com <https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Tingle-116> [accessed 13 January 2023]
• 6
  Uncorrobrated genealogy information:  http://www.appleby-1.one-name.net/download/i/mark_dl/u/4007483758/4608071829/1891%20census%20northern%20counties.pdf [Accessed 13 January 2023].