Definition of "leading stones"

[Claire64]

Help!  Fruitless Googling on this one.  Often appears in church vestry accounts, for Getting and Leading Stones.
I am guessing it means transporting but I would like to be sure.
Thanks!

[Rena]

Gosh, I haven't heard "leading" for decades.  I used to help lead bales of hay on a Yorkshire farm when I was young.  We collected a bale of hay by spearing it with a pitchfork then tossing the bale onto the back of a slow moving open wagon.  We carried on  like that until all the bales had been collected and moved/lead/transported to the place where it was to be stored.

[Mike in Cumbria]

Yes, I too used to lead wood, straw, hay etc when working on estates in North and East Yorkshire,

I haven't heard it anywhere else. It just means transporting.

[Mike in Cumbria]

lead v. 
 
to carry or convey something in a cart or other vehicle   
 
< OE. lǣdan (to lead, guide, carry)


http://www.yorkshiredialect.com/words/L.htm
 

[Claire64]

Ah, thank you!  Coming from Yorkshire, I should have known that!  Thanks again!

[JenB]

Gosh, I haven't heard "leading" for decades.  I used to help lead bales of hay on a Yorkshire farm when I was young.  We collected a bale of hay by spearing it with a pitchfork then tossing the bale onto the back of a slow moving open wagon.  We carried on  like that until all the bales had been collected and moved/lead/transported to the place where it was to be stored.

On holiday in Dentdale in about 1971 at haymaking time we were chatting to a farmer's wife. After a few minutes she excused herself from the conversation because '...we've a lot of hay to lead today'.

[ThrelfallYorky]

Oooh! makes me feel really dim. I immediately read it as meaning obtaining stones, and leadwork - the metal!! All in the way one's brain pronounces it, I suppose - "Leed" rather than "Led" I'd have gone completely off on a wrong track there.
-And I'm Yorkshire too! (Goes off to stand quietly in the corner with a pointy hat on head marked with 4th letter of alphabet)

[Rena]

 (Goes off to stand quietly in the corner with a pointy hat on head marked with 4th letter of alphabet)

 

Lol, saw a lot of that when I was at school - usually the same cheeky little lad had to wear it