Malham Moor Tenants

The Malhamdale estates of Thomas Lister (Lord Ribblesdale from 1797), amounted to about 2,500 acres of Malham Moor and West Malham in 1760. By 1786 he had greatly expanded this, adding another 3,500 acres in East Malham and Malham Moor. By 1838 the Malham Moor Estate had increased to around 9,832 acres, with the bulk of this land, some 9,635 acres, lying on Malham Moor; a further 141 acres in East Malham; 43 acres in West Malham plus a few acres in Calton.
By 1786 he had 19 tenants and a considerable amount of the land was presumably "in hand", but by 1823 it was all let and in the hands of his 27 tenants.
One family held a considerable amount of this upland estate, and by 1823 the Mallison brothers had 3 farms at Dale Head (also known as Rainscar or Peter Castle), Water House and Tennant Gill, and were farming nearly one third of the Ribblesdale Malham Moor estate, a total of over 3,199 acres. It isn't known whether they were working individually or together, but they controlled a very large block of land.
It is interesting to note that Lord Ribblesdale wasn't using his shooting lodge at Malham Tarn House in 1823, but had rented it, presumably along with the sporting rights, to R. O. Gascoigne Esq. The Gascoignes were an old and wealthy, titled family whose family seat was at Parlington Hall nr. Aberford. Sir Thomas Gascoigne 8th Bnt (1745-1810) died without an heir and left his property, including Parlington Hall, to his stepdaughter on the condition that her husband, Richard Oliver of Castle Oliver in County Limerick, change his name to Richard Oliver Gascoigne. Richard was a keen sportsman, which is presumably why he took the lease of Tarn House, and he also maintained the racing success of his father-in-law, his horse Jerry winning the St. Leger, at Doncaster in 1824. The family's fortunes were maintained by their collieries at Garforth and in 1825 Richard purchased Lotherton Hall and Park to add to the family estate.