The Duke of Sutherland versus J. E. Heathcote, Esq: Controversy over Mining Rights in Longton

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Date:1783 - 1892 (c.)

Description:In the 1890s George Granville William Sutherland-Leveson-Gower (1828-1892), the third Duke of Sutherland, brought a case against Mr. J. E. Heathcote concerning the Duke's rights to mine for coal and ironstone on certain lands at Longton.

The controversy was based on confusion over deeds made in 1783 when Earl Gower exchanged lands in Longton with an ancestor of Mr. Heathcote.

The third Duke of Sutherland had discovered that the deeds gave him mineral rights to the lands which had been given to Heathcote by Earl Gower in 1783. However, Justinian Heathcote, the owner of the Heathcote property in 1890 refused to recognise the Duke's rights unless ordered to do so by Court.

Frank Moran from the North Staffordshire Mining History group has examined documents relating to the legal case between Sutherland and Heathcote. To learn more, click on the link below to read Frank's transcriptions of documents relating to the dispute.

The image above shows a map from the legal papers showing lands owned by the Duke of Sutherland and Captain Heathcote.

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