Old Cumbria Gazetteer

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	placename:-	Irt, River
	parish	Irton with Santon parish, once in Cumberland
	county:-	Cumbria
		river
	coordinates:-	NY1002
	10Km square:-	NY10
	county:-	Cumbria
	parish	Drigg and Carleton parish, once in Cumberland
		river
	coordinates:-	NY1002
	10Km square:-	SD09
	1Km square	NY1002
	1Km square	NY1002
		Irt, River -- Irton with Santon and Drigg and Carleton -- Cumbria -- Cumbria / -- At Lund Bridge. -- NY14140390 (at) -- 11.5.2006
		Irt, River -- Irton with Santon and Drigg and Carleton -- Cumbria -- Cumbria / -- At Holme Bridge. -- SD07709872 (at) -- 5.6.2007
	old map:-	Garnett 1850s-60s H
		Map of the English Lakes, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, 1850s-60s.
		R. Irt
		wiggly line, river
	placename:-	Irt, River
	date:-	1850=1869
	period:-	19th century, late; 1850s; 1860s
	old map:-	Ford 1839 map
		Map of the Lake District, published in A Description of Scenery in the Lake District, by William Ford, published by Charles Thurnham, London, 1839.
		Irt R.
	placename:-	Irt River
	county:-	Cumberland
	date:-	1839
	period:-	19th century, early; 1830s
	descriptive text:-	Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834)
		Guidebook, Concise Description of the English Lakes, later A Description of the English Lakes, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick, Cumberland, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur Foster, Kirky Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823 onwards.
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		Page 41:-
		The Esk, ... enters the sea at Ravenglass; where the Irt from Wasdale, and the Mite from Miterdale, join it upon the sands. ... The Bleng, passing Gosforth, falls into the Irt above Santon Bridge.
	date:-	1823
	period:-	19th century, early; 1820s
	source:-	Otley 1818
		New Map of the District of the Lakes, in Westmorland, Cumberland, and Lancashire, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Jonathan Otley, engraved by J and G Menzies, Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland, published by J Otley, Keswick, Cumberland now Cumbria, 1818; pblished 1818 to 1850s.
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		Irt R.
	placename:-	Irt River
	old text:-	Camden 1789
		Britannia, or A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by William Camden, 1586, translated from the 1607 Latin edition by Richard Gough, published London, 1789.
		Page 169:-
		...
		... the little river Irt runs into the sea, in which the shell-fish having by a kind of irregular motion taken in the dew, which they are extremely fond of, are impregnated, and produce pearls, or, to use the poet's phrase, baccae concheae, shell-berries, which the inhabitants, when the tide is out, search for, and our jewellers buy of the poor for a trifle, and sell again at a very great price. Of these and the like Marbodeus seems to speak in that line;
	placename:-	Irt, River
	date:-	1789
	period:-	18th century, late; 1780s
	old text:-	Camden 1789 (Gough Additions)
		Britannia, or A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by William Camden, 1586, translated from the 1607 Latin edition by Richard Gough, published London, 1789.
		Page 180:-
		...
		... the Irt ... Muscle pearls are found in this and other rivers hereabouts as also in Wales. A patent was granted to certain gentlemen for pearl fishing here, but they are not very plentiful, and may be had cheaper from the straits of Magellan, where sir John Narborough and sir Richard Hawkins tell us they abound in every muscle. Tacitus describes the British pearls as of bad colour, subfuscae ac liventes; but this is not their general character. Bede gives a juster account of them when he says they are of all colours. Those that are not bright and shining, and such are met with in the Irt, &c. are usually called Sand pearl, which are as useful in physic as the finest. Dr. Lister says he has found sixteen of these in one muscle, but that they are all only senescentium musculorum vitia. The poor people gather them at low water, and sell them to the jewellers, and it is said Mr. Patrickson of How in this county got as many as sold for 800l.
	placename:-	Irt, River
	person:-	: Narborough, John, Sir
	person:-	: Hawkins, Richard, Sir
	person:-	: Tacitus
	person:-	: Bede
	person:-	: Lister, Dr
	person:-	: Patrickson, Mr
	date:-	1789
	period:-	18th century, late; 1780s
	old map:-	West 1784 map
		A Map of the Lakes in Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, now Cumbria, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, engraved by Paas, 53 Holborn, London, included in the Guide to the Lakes by Thomas West, published by William Pennington, Kendal, Westmorland, and in London, from the 3rd edition 1784, to 1821.
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	placename:-	Irt River
		river
	county:-	Cumberland
	old text:-	Mackenzie 1776
		Page 19:-
		RAVINGLAS Harbour.
		Ravinglas is a dry Harbour in Cumberland, where three rivulets, Esk, Mite, and Ort, unite. ...
	placename:-	Ort, River
	date:-	1776
	period:-	18th century, late; 1770s
	old map:-	Bowen and Kitchin 1760
		New Map of the Counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, Emanuel Bowen and Thomas Kitchin, published by T Bowles, John Bowles and Son, Robert Sayer, and John Tinney, 1760; published 1760-87.
		Irt R.
		wiggly line and river mouth, into the sea
	placename:-	Irt River
	date:-	1760
	period:-	18th century, late; 1760s
	descriptive text:-	Simpson 1746
		The three volumes of maps and descriptive text published as 'The Agreeable Historian, or the Compleat English Traveller ...', by Samuel Simpson, 1746.
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		... The chief Commodities [of Cumberland] are ... Pearls, &c. ... As to the Pearls, they are found at the Mouth of the little Brook Irt, somewhat to the N. of Ravenglass, in a sort of Shell Fish, or Muscles, which the Country People used to gather up at low Water: They are of all Colours; those that are not bright and shining, commonly call'd Sand-Pearl, are as useful in Physick, as the finest, tho' not so beautiful. There has been a Patent not long since granted to some Gentlemen and others for Pearl Fishing here, but it is uncertain whether it will turn to any Account.
	placename:-	Irt Brook
	date:-	1746
	period:-	18th century, early; 1740s
	descriptive text:-	Defoe 1724-26
		Travel book, Tour through England and Wales, by Daniel Defoe, published in parts, London, 1724-26.
		I enquired much for the pearl fishery here, which Mr. Cambden speaks of, as a thing well known about Ravenglass and the River Ire, which was made a kind of bubble lately: But the country people, not even the fishermen, could give us no account of any such thing; nor indeed is there any great quantity of the shell-fish to be found here (now) in which the pearl are found, I mean the large oyster or muscle. What might be in former times, I know not.
	placename:-	Ire, River
	date:-	1724=1726
	period:-	18th century, early; 1720s
	old map:-	Morden 1695 (Cmd)
		Maps, Westmorland, scale about 2.5 miles to 1 inch, and Cumberland, scale about 3 miles to 1 inch, by Robert Morden, 1695.
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		Irt R
		River mouth.
	placename:-	Irt River
	county:-	Cumberland
	date:-	1695
	period:-	17th century, late; 1690s
	old map:-	Jansson 1646
		Map, Cumbria et Westmoria, or Cumberland and Westmorland, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, by John Jansson, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1646; published 1646-1724.
		Double wiggly line tapering to single.
	county:-	Cumberland
	date:-	1646
	period:-	17th century, early; 1640s
	poem:-	Drayton 1612/1622 text
		Poem, Polyolbion, by Michael Drayton, published 1612, part 2 with Cumbria published by John Marriott, John Grismand, and Thomas Dewe, London, 1622.
		page 163:-
		page 164:-
	placename:-	Irt
	date:-	1612; 1622
	period:-	17th century, early; 1610s; 1620s
	old map:-	Drayton 1612/1622
		Map, Cumberlande and Westmorlande, by Michael Drayton in part 2 of Polyolbion, probably engraved by William Hole; published by John Marriott, John Grismand, and Thomas Dewe, London, 1622.
		Irt fl
		River, naiad.
	placename:-	Irt Flu.
	date:-	1622
	period:-	17th century, early; 1620s
	old map:-	Speed 1611 (Cmd)
		Maps, The Countie Westmorland and Kendale the Cheif Towne, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, and Cumberland and the Ancient Citie Carlile, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by John Speed, London, 1611; published 1611-1770.
		double line with stream lines, runs into the sea
	date:-	1611
	period:-	17th century, early; 1610s
	old map:-	Saxton 1576
		Map, Westmorlandiae et Cumberlandiae Comitatus ie Westmorland and Cumberland, scale about 5 miles to 1 inch, by Christopher Saxton, London, engraved by Augustinus Ryther, 1576; published 1579-1645.
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	county:-	Cumberlandia
		river
	date:-	1576
	period:-	16th century, late; 1570s
	source:-	Lloyd 1573 -- possibly relevant
		Map, Angliae Regni, Kingdom of England, with Wales, scale about 24 miles to 1 inch, authored by Humphrey Lloyd, Denbigh, Clwyd, drawn and engraved by Abraham Ortelius, Netherlands, 1573.
	date:-	1573
	period:-	16th century, late; 1570s
	descriptive text:-	Keer 1605 (edn 1620)
		Map, Westmorlandia et Comberlandia, ie Westmorland and Cumberland now Cumbria, scale about 16 miles to 1 inch, probably by Pieter van den Keere, or Peter Keer, about 1605; published about 1605 to 1676.
		first page:-
		... the Rivers seed a kinde of Muskle that bringeth forth Pearle, where in the mouth of the Irt, as they lie gaping and sucking in dew, the Country people gather and sell to the Lapidaries, to their owne little, and the buyers great gaine. ...
	date:-	1620
	period:-	17th century; 1620s
	hearsay	The river once provided black oval pearls from the river mussel, Margaritifera margaritifera. The Romans knew of them. The Company of Pearl Fishers, chartered 1692, paid villagers to search for them.
	Old Cumbria Gazetteer - JandMN: 2008

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  email:- JandMN@norgate.freeserve.co.uk
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