The Shasta courier., 1866-07-21
SHASTA COURIER.
Sir Ralph's Heriot.
A LANCASHIRE TRADITION.

seat of the Ashton, or Assheton family.
Sir John Assheton, in the fifth year OF the
Sixth Henry, became possessed OF the Manor
of Assheton on payment Of one penny annu-
ally. This worthy knight Is SAID 10 na'e
built the old church. and to have been the
first to introduce seats for the common peo
ple. With a galantry which adds fresh
iustre to his spurs, the number OF these
seats being limited. they were given to the
women the tenants wives and daughters.
Sir John was succeeded by his son Sir
Ralph, who earned for himself the unenvla-
BILE title of the Black Knight. Bt is suppos
ed that the annual ceremony observed at
Ashton on Easter Monday, of Riding the
Black Lad" simply commentaries the pop
ular odium in which SiI Ralph was held !;
this custom bearing a close resemblance to
the :. Guy Fawkes'' proceeding of November
the 5th.
Sir Ralph was feared and hated by his
tenantry. He was permitted by royal let
ters patent, to execute supreme jurisdiction
and he misused his trust.
One Of the most oppressive forms of taxa
ton, originating in the feudal age, but per-
petuated long afterward. was the custom of
heriotship. This was neither more nor less
than a fine for dying. A certain claim
could be, and was, made by the lord of the
manor on the property of the deceased
tenant, and it fell with great severity on
widows in humble circumstances. Death
laid low the bread winner. and the landlord
stepped in to take away the best part of the
seanty store the dead man had scraped to-
gether
There was, so says tradition, poor widow
near Ashton. Her husband had held his
little farm under Sir Ralph Ashton. one Of
the most rapacious and cruel of men. The
character borne by Sir Ralph was worthy of
the old doggerel which set forth public
opinion with regard to him
''oh. Jesu for thy mercy's sake,
And for thy bitter passion.
Save from the of the Tower.
And from Sir Ralph of Ashton ~
He spared neither age nor sex; he had no
pity for the sick or the dying; he showed no
mercy to the widow and the orphan wher.
ever his shadow fell trouble came ; wherever
his voice was heard. weeping and wailing
were not far off When Sir Ralph heard
that his tenant was dead, he sent an imper-
ative order, commanding that the heriot
should be paid without delay. Now the
widow had nothing with which she could
satisfy his claim except one COW, and the
cow was the chief sustenance of her family.
The widow had four children to feed-one of
them an infant not many weeks old, the
eldest an idiot boy, harmless, but useless,
strong and active, and about fourteen
years old. This poor lad, tendcrly beloved
of his mother, was to her mere trouble than
all the rest.
Itwas sad scene which the widow $ home
presented on the Christmas morning OF l4s4
Sharp, cold weather-weather unusually Sc
we're, the country for miles around covered
with snow the rivers and streams bound
in icy fetters the bleak wind sweeping and
moaning through the forest and over the
waste, as if it were chanting a Lenten dlrge
rather than singing Yule carol. Gviie,, @".t-
side the miserable home cf the poor widow.
and colder Within she and her children had
taken little milk and eaten little por-
ridge. and they sat hudded together over a
few red embers on the hearth. The idiot
boy was singing softly to himself, and wink
ing his horny eyes at the fire ; the other
children were all unwittngly making their
sorrowful mother still sadder. Was it not
Christmas? then why not have holly like
they did last year-eh, mother? Why not
have Christmas fre-we should like Christ
mas fire, mother? And how long will it be
before father comes home and shall we have
Christmas fire to-day, and see the holly, and
sing as we sang last 1ule tide?' The COW
lowed from her crib, separated only from the
family by slight partition, and the sound
the poor beast made only served to deepen
the mystery of its poor mistress. The Black
Knight of Ashton claimed the cow for his
heriot, and if he took her there was only
death for them.
Suddenly the door, which had been closed,
was flung open, and Sir Ralph Ashton look
ed ina tall squarely built man, with
sinewy limbs, and great quantity of dark
hair on head, and lips, and cheeks, and chin.
His eyes glowed like fire, and there was a
scowl on his face that betokened Storm
Harsh. hard, fierce, and cruel were his
words. He had himself come to claim his
own, and be would have it TIE herot was
his, the COW was his, none should deprive
him of his right, Mercy it was not in his
bond. Leniency, delay nothing was said
of either in his feudal charter Charity, for
the sake of Him. whose feast they kept that
day Sir Ralph laughed his own harsh laugh
and said he had no time for fooling. So Il
couple of fellows, who had accompanied Sir
Ralph, drove out tAe poor beast from the
shed, and the knight. with threat of expel
ling the family from their miserable hut
turned to depart. 1t was the idiot who stop
ped him
Beest thou our liege lord -
"Ay, fool; what hast thy pert tongue tc
say to that ?"
The liege lord will die, mother-will he
die?"
" Hush. boy, hush y said the widow.
Nav. let the brat speak ont What of
it, hoy-what if should dep
. Then thy liege lord will claim heriot.',
And who may he be p
"Old Beelzebubr'
" And what heriot should pay to him ?''
roared the knight, half angry, half amused
''Thy soul"
''And thy body shall smart for it, imbe.
cile!',-
"Oh, ha' pity. ha' pity-the lads daft -
and the widow threw herself before the
knight, who roughly spurned her with his
foot.
Enough of this. All of YOU shall softer
for this. There. no whimpering." Iestrode
away across the snow, and never once looked
back.
There were strange doings that night at
. Ashton Hail. 1t was rough weather-snow.
ing hard and freezing hard but the cam
pany was still numerous, for. when the lord
of Ashton dispensed his good cheer woe to
those tenants who slighted his hospitality !
A huge fire was kindled on the broad hearth
but it gave forth no bright and cheerful
light; it spu;tercd, and could not be made
to blaze. The air was damp and chilly: the