MANY a present day poacher, when caught pinching a rabbit or grouse from some wealthy squire's moor, must long to be defended by a solicitor like J. Ingram Dawson, who was acknowledged as the absolute master in this kind of case in Teesdale, and far beyond, in decades gone by.

A reader has just loaned me a copy of his book, Reminiscences of a Rascally Lawyer, which makes it clear that he was always on the side of the game-stealer, no matter how noble, rich or well-connected the landowner might be.

He had a chilly disdain for some gentry and warm admiration for many poachers.

He was born in 1862 and practised law in Barnard Castle for 62 years, as well as being clerk to the local board of health and later the urban district council.

In 1939, he bought and gave the council Woodleigh, the fine house which is still used as tourism and housing offices by Teesdale District Council.

He also paid for a house to be built in 1923 for two district nurses and a maid, as he and his wife were both anxious to improve medical facilities for all the residents of the dale, and this certainly helped.

But it was his victories in poaching cases which pleased him most.

He had a knack of finding points of law onwhich his clients could be cleared.

One that worked was when he pointed out that a court had no official notice on its outside door and therefore had no authority to hear cases at all.

When anyone was nabbed by a bobby or gamekeeper on a riverbank or fell, and bundled off to the cells, the most common reaction was: "Send for Ingram Dawson."

He said in the book that he appeared in just about every magistrates' court from Carlisle to Northallerton, adding: "I had so many successes that for a period I became the defendants' pet advocate in poaching cases."

When 13 cases of salmon poaching came to a court one day, he was briefed to defend the lot. After six cases, of which he won five, he noticed the chairman of the bench reading a newspaper during the next case.

He objected, and so much uproar broke out in court that the hearing was adjourned.

HOW time flies! It seems no time at all since I reported on the birth of Teesdale's first quadruplets, and of the delight felt by their proud parents, Alan and Vivian Guy of Nova Scotia Farm at Bowes.

But the girls - Emma, Kirsty, Laura and Becky - are now on the verge of becoming teenagers.

When I bumped into them on Thursday they were all quietly looking forward to celebrating their 13th birthday next Saturday.

As usual the four, who attend Staindrop Comprehensive School, were dressed differently from each other and had their hair in varying styles.

Though identical, they have always insisted on being treated as individuals, and they have differing aims in life. This is exactly how their parents wanted them to be.

But one thing the quads have in common is that they are all polite and pleasant, and far from acting like the local celebrities they might have become.

IS there anyone called Brumwell, a distant relative of Richard Watson's wife, still living in this area?

The poet married Nancy Brumwell of Ettersgill in September 1857.

Her parents were George and Elizabeth.

Iain Davison called me this week to say his wife Cynthia may well be related to Nancy, who had a large family and lived through many hard times with the lead mining bard in the upper dale.

Cynthia's mother's maiden name was Ethel Brumwell and her grandfather was John Rigg Brumwell.

Hismother was Agnes Brumwell.

The family was based in the upper dale but one member, George, moved to Glenridding in the Lake District and started a branch there.

Mr Davison, who lives in Ponteland near Newecastle, said he and his wife would love to hear from any other member of the family who can fill in some other details of the Brumwell history.

The couple have recently been for a look round the Ettersgill area. They can be contacted on (01661) 824859.

Nancy was a formidable character who constantly nagged her husband to work more, but without much success, as he preferred to sit scribbling his verses rather than getting down to hard graft.

Richard died in October 1891 aged 58, but she lived on until March 1918 and passed away aged 80.

PUPILS always look smart in their purple and gold fleeces and sweat shirts at Ingleton Primary School,and so do the teachers in similar garments.

I noticed one teacher, Carole Jones, wearing the items as she supervised six pupils at an event this week.

She said it was a practical and comfortable outfit for the teachers as well pupils to wear.

"It's easier than having to get our own clothes ready every day, and they are good for all sorts of school activities," she said.

Teachers never dressed like the pupils in my day, but then we were mostly little scruffs at my primary school.

I'll be glad to see anyone who calls with snippets of news at The Northern Echo office at 36 Horsemarket, Barnard Castle, on Mondays and Tuesdays. Telephone (01388) 638628.