HISTORY

OF THE

BERWICKSHIRE

NATURALISTS' CLUB

Additional copies available.

The Centenary Volume, published 1933, provides an index to
the History from Volumes 1 to 27, (1831-1931)

Price £20.00

The Sesquicentenary Volume, published 1987, provides an
index to the History from Volumes 28 to 41, (1932-1980)

Price £15.00

For purchase apply to:

The Librarian, Berwickshire Naturalists' Club,
Borough Museum, The Barracks,
Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1DQ, U.K.

The Club Library is held in its own room in Berwick Borough Museum.
Access for members is available at no cost on presentation of a Club
Library ticket at the entrance to the Barracks. Tickets are available from
the Librarian, and visits should be made by appointment with the
museum curator, telephone 01289 330933.

PRINTED FOR THE CLUB BY

HOW & BLACKHALL, 77 MARYGATE, BERWICK UPON TWEED.

1995

HISTORY

OF THE

THE NATURAL

j HISTORY MUSEUM

25 OCT 198

1 PURCHASED
1 GENERAL LIBRARY

BERWICKSHIRE

NATURALISTS' CLUB

INSTITUTED SEPTEMBER 22, 1831

"MARE ET TELLUS, ET, QUOD TEGIT OMNIA, CCELUM"

VOL. 46.
PART 3, 1995

CD

OFFICE BEARERS
1994-95

President

Rev. ALAN C. D. CARTWRIGHT, B.Sc., b.d.
The Manse, Swinton TD1 1 3JJ
(Tel. 01890 860228)

Field Secretary Co-ordinator and Librarian
Dr G. A. C. BINNIE

Ladykirk, Norham, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1XL
(Tel. 01289 382201)

Corresponding Secretary
B. H. CATO, Esq., M.A., LL.B.

2 Croft Place, High Newton-by-the-Sea, Alnwick,
Northumberland NE66 3DL
(Tel. 01665 576334)

Treasurer

M. C. TROUSDELL, Esq.
Hillburn House, Ayton TD14 5SG
(Telephone 018907 81325)

Editing Secretary
Mrs J. D. COWE,

10 Ravensdowne, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1HX
(Tel. 01289 306175)

HISTORY OF THE

BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

thenatura.

HISTORY MUSE

2 5 OCT 1891

PURCHASED

GENERAL LIBRA

1. Anniversary Address — A History of the Churches in

the Presbytery of Duns 209

2. A New Investigation of Old Bewick Church 223

3. Coal Mines of North Northumberland III — Southern

Sector, Duddo to Wandylaw 237

4. Border Woodlands II — Roxburghshire 272

5. A Letter of 1812 287

6. Field Notes and Records 289

7. Archaeological Notes 296

8. Field Secretaries' Report 301

9. Librarian's Report 308

10. Treasurer's Financial Statement 310

11. List of Office Bearers and Members 311

12. Index to Volume 46 323

Advice to Contributors Inside Back Cover

V

CONTENTS OF VOL. 46
Part 3, 1995

ILLUSTRATIONS

Old Bewick location map 224

New Survey of Old Bewick Church 227

A Plan of Bewick Church 228

Excavated foundation plan of Hirsel Church 235

Southern Sector — Duddo to Wandylaw 238

Ford Moss Block 239

Ford Moss Quarry, Broom Ridge 243

Chimney stack. Ford Moss Colliery 243

Ford Moss Colliery 248

Lowick Block 248

Lickar Coal advertisement 250

Kyloe Block 252

Doddington Block 253

Belford Block 256

Bell Pit, Belford Moor 257

Coastal Strip 259

Chatton Block 260

A flanged axe head 299

VI

HISTORY
OF THE

BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS'
CLUB

A HISTORY OF THE CHURCHES IN THE
PRESBYTERY OF DUNS

being the Anniversary Address delivered by the Rev. Alan C. D.

Cartwright , President of the Club , on 20th October 1995.

Firstly I wish to thank each and every one of you for your support
over the last year, and for electing me last year to be your
President. It is a great honour and privilege for me to have held
the position of President of this historic Club. I would also like
to thank all the office bearers for their hard work in different ways
over the years. I always feel the President gets all the plaudits
whilst it is the rest of the committee who do all the work. So I
would like to thank each and every one of the office bearers.
Especially though I would like to thank Mrs Isobel McLelland for
she has stood in for me at various times when because of
ministerial duties, like funerals, etc., I have not been able to attend
committee meetings. I nearly gave her a heart attack when I
telephoned her yesterday to say, because of a funeral, I could not
make it this morning — I think she was worried that she would
have to take the meeting and give an address this afternoon.
Anyway thank you Isobel for I think, in actual fact, you have
presided over more meetings than I have this past year.

It is 164 years since the Club was founded — on the 22nd
September 1831 — a week before the British Association. Of the
nine original members three of them were the brothers Baird:
Andrew, John and William. They were the sons of the manse at
Swinton where I stay and they spent most of their childhood at
Swinton although they were not born there. It was rather nice
that our second meeting of the year was to Swinton. However
the very first president and the founder of the Club was actually
born at Simprim which is part of the parish of which I am
honoured to be minister.

By my reckoning there have been 148 different presidents (164
— 7 for the war and 9 who served twice). 148 different presidents

209

210 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

of whom 32 were ministers in the President's chair before me.
That is quite a high proportion. The first two ministerial presidents
were the brothers Rev. Andrew Baird of Cockburnspath and Rev.
John Baird of Yetholm.

Last minister to be president was Rev. H. Stanley Ross, in 1978.
I was very pleased for the sake of the memory of Mr Ross that
it was a minister who was President when the library which he
cared for and helped to build up was opened. It meant that it
could be dedicated to his memory, and to the glory of God and
also to the seeking after Truth. It was the highlight of my year
that I was able to open officially and to dedicate the Ross Library
in the presence of his widow, daughter and two grandsons.

It is a singular honour to be asked to be the President, especially
as when I look back on the list of people who have preceded me,
and I wonder why was I asked. I have very little knowledge of
Natural History although I do enjoy looking at actual history and
when once I was asked my hobbies I replied Athletics (I ran a
lot in my younger and fitter days) drinking coffee, and studying
local history. I suppose that it is not for my athletic prowess or
my liking for coffee than I was asked to take on this honour which
also involves having to speak for thirty minutes or so on some
topic or other. I presume it was for my love of local history that
I was persuaded to become your president.

It is interesting to see the various topics which have been taken
by the past presidents and that is one of the great things about
having the books for a year that you can browse into them. The
only trouble is that I did not nearly finish reading them in the
year and I would suggest to Mrs McLelland that she has to read
and finish reading at least one volume per week if you are going
to really appreciate the honour of having the complete volumes
on your shelves. I must admit I did not read more than a quarter
of the articles, even though the others seemed so interesting too.

Anyway the Ministers have all taken different topics, ranging
from the Origin of the Study of Natural History to the Primal Curse
(the fact that through Adam we all have to work), through the
Advance of Science to the Respect for Antiquities; the Fungology of the
Borders; the Campanology of the Eastern Borders; the Mammalian
Fauna of the Lammermoors; and the Study of the Weather by Canon
Swinton who lived in Swinton House. One of the last ministers
apart from Mr Ross was Mr Finnie who was one of my
predecessors as minister at Leitholm. He wrote about Tl\e Church
Extension in Berwickshire , in 1962.

So being a minister in Berwickshire and being proud of that
fact and also proud to wear this pullover which bears the Kirk
badge — of the Burning Bush with the Kirk motto Nec Tamen

HISTORY OF CHURCHES IN THE PRESBYTERY OF DUNS

211

Consumebatur (it was not consumed) — I would like to give a short
history of the Church in Scotland from the year dot until 1995.
What happens after 1995 depends on you and me!

In 1896 — nearly 100 years ago — the then President, John
Ferguson, gave a talk on The Ecclesiastical Arrangements of the
County of Berwickshire from the 12th century to the Reformation
(History of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, Vol. XVI, pp. 1-16).
This followed on his marvellous paper on The Remains of Pre-
Reformation Churches in Berwickshire which had appeared in 1890
(Vol. XIII pp. 86-188).

So I thought that I would try to fill in some of the very small
gaps that there are in the history of the Church in Berwickshire,
and unlike Gaul which was split into three parts, I have split it
into four not very equal sections.

A The Early Christian Church — pre 11th Century;

B The Church from the 11th Century to the Reformation;

C Reformation to the Establishment of the Presbyterian
system; and

D The History of Church in Berwickshire since then.

So let's start at the very beginning — a very good place to start.

A The Early Christian Church — pre-llth Century

When did the Church in Berwickshire start? Well actually
nobody knows. Although it is thought that the first Christians
to come into this area came with the Romans and some maybe
were Roman soldiers. Berwickshire is only 50 miles from the
Roman wall and even less from Trimontium. We do not know
how many or where the Christians were found in those early days
but there certainly were some around. The existence of the Yarrow
Stone or as it is called the Liberalis stone proves that there were
Christians even in the Yarrow valley in the 6th century (With a
name like that they were probably Liberal voters too.)

St Ninian, who chose Whithorn in the south-west of Scotland
as his missionary headquarters in the early 5th century, almost
certainly found an existing Christian community at that site. The
type of organisational structure established by him was apparently
diocesan (with bishops) and not monastic and there is a theory
that they eventually led to the establishment of Episcopal areas
coinciding with tribal areas including one in the basin of the
Tweed. It is thought that Episcopal centres were established at
Old Melrose, Stobo and Abercorn. ( Historical Atlas of Scotland,
P.17ff.)

The Episcopal structure was to be modified by the arrival of
Irish monks in Scotland — especially Columba in 565 in Iona, and
then Aidan to Lindisfarne (Holy Island). It was quite a coincidence

212 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

(if you believe in coincidences — or are they all planned by God?)
that our first visit this year was to the Holy Island — that cradle
of Christian Mission for not only Berwickshire but the whole of
the area between the Humber and the Forth. At the Holy Island
we were able to see a base for a Celtic Cross, which takes us back
to the 5th or 6th century. Recently it has been suggested that a
stone in the manse garden at Swinton is also a base for a Celtic
Cross. These crosses are evidence of Christians in the Border area
over 1300 years ago.

After this time there was some expansion throughout the whole
of Scotland when the original Episcopal centres became
monasteries. So by the middle of the 7th century there were
monasteries at St Abb's, Old Melrose and Tyninghame (just
across the Lammermuirs) all of which were based on Lindisfarne.
This was the high point of the early church in North Britain —
what is normally called the Celtic Church.

So although very little is known of the early history of the
Church in this part of the country, there were certainly Christians
in the area by the end of the 7th century. It is possible that at
least some of the sites of the Berwickshire churches could trace
their history back to these times when Aidan and his followers
who, based in Lindisfarne, travelled around the south-east of
Scotland and the north-east of England telling people about the
Good News of Jesus Christ. As I said at Fogo at our second
meeting of the year, if you look at the map of the Border area
and mark on it Old Melrose, Holy Island and St. Abb's, right in
the middle of that triangle lies the Merse.

If someone was travelling from one of the monasteries to
another they would not be able to complete their journey of fifty
miles in one day and so they would have to rest somewhere. In
that area of the Merse there were probably many little churches
or chapels. There are, sadly, very few historical records from these
days, and thus we can only speculate as to which kirks have a
history of about 1300 years. At least some of the old kirks and
kirk-yards were probably originally Celtic Churches and burial
grounds. There are no remains of these early religious structures
as they were built of wood and turf. It is possible, however that
the stone buildings which were built in later years used the same
foundations or even built around the old wood and stone
churches. There are throughout Britain many places which have
long histories of different religious uses, and why should the
Merse be any different? Certainly many of the place names are
Saxon in origin and trace their history back to the 5th or 6th
century. If there were settlements then there would also be
graveyards. The only certain thing in this life is that we die and

HISTORY OF CHURCHES IN THE PRESBYTERY OF DUNS

213

when we die we are put in special places. That special burial
ground would be taken over by the next generation and the next
generation until now. I am sure that Dr. Binnie's new book will
no doubt be able to tell you even more about the history of the
individual churches in Berwickshire.

The Celtic Church, of which much of our area would be part,
began to spread southwards. The Roman Church, with its British
base in Canterbury, was beginning to spread northwards.
Eventually they met in Northumbria when a king of Northumbria
married a princess who had been brought up in Kent. This created
a few problems as there were differences in their customs and
practices. The biggest problem was not in the tonsure of the
priests (it seems that the Celtic priests shaved their hair in what
we now call the Mohican style; whilst the Roman priests had the
tonsure-crown) or even in the different orders of service; or even
in the fact that the Celtic priests were married.

The biggest difficulty was over the date of Easter. Easter
Sunday, as you all know, is 'the first Sunday after the first Friday
after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox' . But it was not
so in the Celtic Church; they had it as the first Sunday after the
full moon. If the full moon is a Friday or Saturday then there is
a difference of a week. So in 651, Queen Eanfleda who followed
the Roman rule was fasting on what she said was Palm Sunday
(still in Lent) whilst her husband Oswy King of Northumberland
was celebrating Easter and enjoying a feast. Not a recipe for a
happy marriage! So the king organised a conference in Whitby
where the Celtic Church met the Roman Church for debate over
various points. This conference, called the Synod of Whitby, in
663, decided in favour of the Roman usage. One of my lecturers
at College said that in the debate all the arguments were won
by the people from the Holy Island — the Celtic Church, but like
all good hen-pecked husbands Oswy gave in to his wife. (The
power of Love). Thus officially the whole of Britain then followed
the Roman rule. This meant the whole area south of the Forth
was accounted as lying within the diocese of the Bishops of
Lindisfame and then their successors the Bishops of Durham who
as late as the twelfth century revived their claim to Teviotdale
and Lothian.

There then follows a period of which we know very little
because the Vikings began to come across the North Sea, and raid
and pillage and do all the other things which invaders do.
Coldingham and Tyninghame were both destroyed by the Norse
in 870 and 941 respectively and Old Melrose was deserted before
1074. This area around the Border was not an easy area to live
in. However, it would appear that the church throughout the rest

214 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

of Scotland from the 8th to 11th century presented a fairly unified
appearance - moving towards a territorial diocesan system.

This Scottish church, which used Latin as the language of its
liturgy, was close to the mainstream of European development.
Some of its bishops were in Rome in the 8th century and King
Macbeth visited that city in the early 11th century. Dunkeld had
for a time succeeded Iona as the Christian headquarters for
Scotland but by 906 the leadership of the Scottish Church had
passed to the bishop whose seat was at St Andrew's.

The Church in Scotland not only survived this period of trial
but also had actually strengthened its hold upon the people and
became better organised. The Scots Kirk ( Ecclesia Scoticana ) is first
mentioned in 878. It was not consumed, it had survived!

B The Church from the 11th Century to the Reformation

But in some ways the church in Scotland was different from
the rest of Europe and it took another Queen to bring complete
conformity. In this respect 1066 is an important date in Scottish
history as well as English, for the Norman conquest drove
members of the old royalty into exile and one of the princesses,
Margaret, married the King of Scots, Malcolm III (Canmore).
Her sons Alexander I and David I continued her work of bringing
Scotland even closer to the Church abroad. The country was
divided into dioceses of which Berwickshire was part of the
diocese of St. Andrew's although Bunkle and Preston both
belonged to the Bishopric of Dunkeld (in central Perthshire). The
dioceses were composed of parishes each with its priest. Most
of the parishes in Berwickshire can trace their history back to at
least the time of Queen Margaret and her sons. Again if you wish
further detail about any particular church see Dr Binnie's new
book (and I am not getting a fee for the advertising).

It is a fact that Berwickshire has one of the greatest
concentrations of Historic Churches in the country. It is probable
that many of the kirks were in place before the establishment of
the parish system (about 1100).

The churches were originally constructed of wood, being simple
small oblong buildings set with their length east and west.
According to Rev. J. Crawford Finnie long narrow buildings were
common because the native grown timber was not long enough
to span a wide roof (History of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club ,
Vol. 36 p. 6). This may be true, but it is also possible, and I believe,
that the long narrow buildings are because they were built on
the site of the Celtic Church buildings which were usually thinner
than the Roman Catholic churches.

According to John Ferguson, the greatest era of architectural

HISTORY OF CHURCHES IN THE PRESBYTERY OF DUNS

215

activity in Berwickshire was about 'the close of the eleventh
century until the end of the thirteenth, when the War of
Independence placed a fatal arrest on the progress of Scottish art
and architecture'. In that long struggle more churches were
destroyed than built (Vol XIII, p.88). This sadly was true on both
sides of the border. The only church to be built in that time was
Lady kirk of which I am also privileged to be the minister.

Those built in the 12th and 13th centuries were possibly kirks
which had originally been Celtic foundations which had come
into the fold of Roman Catholicism. Thus when the Bishop of St
Andrew's, David De Bernham, came to Berwickshire in 1241-1248
he travelled round dedicating 20 various buildings. He would only
have done that if there was a doubt over their original dedication.
They may have been Celtic originally and so he re-dedicated them
in the Roman Catholic Tradition. The majority of these parish
kirks served small but separate communities.

There were also churches in Berwick-upon-Tweed, which had
changed hands from Scotland to England quite a few times by
the Reformation. By the mid-1500s Berwick was in England and
one of the preachers in that town was John Knox, who returned
to Scotland in 1559 to be the leader of the Reformation in Scotland.

C Reformation to the Establishment of the Presbyterian system

In 1560 the Church of Scotland left the Roman Catholic Church
and became one of the Protestant Churches (or Reformed
Churches). The Protestant Reformers were faced with a diocesan
structure in which for historical reasons some of the dioceses were
unduly large, and others small. A more rationalised system was
envisaged in the First Book of Discipline. Each new diocese was
to be headed by a superintendent. The number of dioceses was
reduced from 13 to 10 and their area was defined with reference
to the existing sheriffdoms. Thus Berwickshire became part of the
diocese of Lothian and Tweeddale (originally to be called
Edinburgh but changed because of complaints from the
Borderers).

At the parochial level there were also changes. The initial
shortage of ministers meant that the parishes might be served
by a 'reader' and had to be grouped together to share a minister.
It was shared out so that there was a ratio of one minister to three
readers. Most of the parishes in Berwickshire were actually served
by readers and not ministers for quite a while after the
Reformation. There were only three ministers in the whole of
Berwickshire just after the Reformation.

One of the reforms which came in after the Reformation was
that the altar was moved from the east end of the church. The

216

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

altar was replaced by a large table around which everyone sat
so that the bread and wine of Communion would be passed on
from one person to his/her neighbour. If you handed the bread
to your neighbour he/she gave you the wine and vice-versa. This
was based on the Reformed Doctrine of The Priesthood of ALL
Believers, showing that not only the priest but everyone could
handle and pass on the Communion elements.

Another change was that the pulpit was moved on to the long
south wall, behind the long table, and quite a few kirks still have
the pulpit on the long wall: Chirnside, Duns, Edrom, Greenlaw,
and Legerwood, as well as the two kirks we visited on our second
outing of the year — Swinton and Fogo. Fogo unusually has its
pulpit on the north wall and not the south.

One of the other reforms was a policy for Education. According
to the Book of Discipline 'Every kirk should have its school to
undertake the teaching of the "rudiments". Every sizeable town
should have a schoolmaster able to teach Latin and grammar and
every notable town should have a college to teach the "tongues"
(Latin and Greek) as well as Logic and Rhetoric/

Scotland was proud of its educational system. After all there
were three universities before the Reformation and soon there
would be five. Aberdeen by 1600 had as many universities as the
whole of England.

'Every kirk should have its school to undertake the teaching of
the rudiments but what are the rudiments?' Is it the three 'Rs'?
Every so often people think that we should go back to teaching
the three 'Rs'. Who here knows what the three 'Rs' are? They
are not Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic, for even I know that
writing starts with a 'W' and Arithmetic with an 'A'. According
to one of my previous teachers the old three 'Rs' were Reading,
Reckoning (that is counting) and Rhetoric — the art of argument
and discussion. Have you never wondered why the Scots are so
argumentative? We, who are Scots, would cause an argument
in an empty room. When the Scots emigrated in the last two
centuries they were 'agin the government' no matter what the
government was, and we still are no matter who the government
is. The difficulty is that we argued with each other for years and
years. Have you never wondered why so many politicians and
lawyers are Scots? and if they are not lawyers or politicians they
are accountants — for we can count too.

So the history of the Kirk for the next 600 years was one of
arguments and disagreements. Firstly between the Presbyterians
and the Episcopalians, then after the Presbyterians had won that
battle amongst the Presbyterians themselves.

For centuries the Church in Scotland had been ruled by bishops

HISTORY OF CHURCHES OF THE PRESBYTERY OF DUNS

217

and although they had their faults many people still hankered
back to the rule of Bishops or what is called Episcopacy. So for
many years there were arguments as to whether the Kirk should
be run by bishops or otherwise. By the time of the Second Book
of Discipline in 1578 which was ratified by Parliament in 1592,
groups of parishes of a different nature had emerged. Andrew
Melville's advocacy of the presbyterial discipline of Geneva, led
to the institution of a four-tier system of Church Government —
General Assembly, Synods, Presbyteries and Kirk Sessions.

The General Assembly was a representative meeting of
ministers and laymen (elders) from the whole of Scotland for the
maintenance and development of the National Church. The
Synods corresponded to the old medieval dioceses and had the
responsibilities of the former bishops. But they were really too
big for proper local administration so a restricted area with
ministers and elders from each congregation was also proposed.

This would be called a Presbytery — from the Greek word for
elder (rcpeaPyxepoi). Their institution was encouraged by the
proven usefulness on the Continent. The norm would be
presbyteries of about 12 parishes each. In 1581 a start was made
by the erection of 13 presbyteries in the more accessible regions
(one being Chirnside with 26 parishes). Soon after this it was
decided to split this new presbytery in two — the other to be called
Duns (with 11 of the parishes). These two stayed separate until
1929 when they were united as the Presbytery of Duns of which
I am honoured to be the Presbytery Clerk.

The fourth Court was the Kirk Session which was in charge
of the spiritual affairs of a single parish, and consisted of the
minister and various elders. In the three higher courts the chair
would be taken by someone called a Moderator who would
change every year — unlike the Bishop who once elected stayed
in office for years. A bit like the President of the Berwickshire
Naturalists where he/she is elected every year. As a piece of
useless information the word Moderator is used where people
have difficulty over chairman/chairwoman/ chairperson. The word
Moderator is sexless, and is used for political correctness in
various places. So sometimes politicians learn from the Kirk.

The principle behind Presbyterian government is the power of
the elder. There were two types of elder, the ruling elder and the
teaching elder (the minister — although he is sometimes called
the preaching elder) and all the courts had both.

With the parliamentary act of 1592, which ratified the Second
Book of Discipline, Andrew Melville secured what has been called
the Magna Charta of Scottish Presbyterianism, when King and
Parliament acknowledged Church Government by General

218 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Assemblies, Synods, Presbyteries and Kirk Sessions. Andrew
Melville's general position was that there are two independent
departments — the spiritual and the civil with neither deriving
its authority from the other but directly from God. As he said
to James VI:

'There are twa kings and twa kingdoms in Scotland: there is King
James, the head of this commonwealth, and there is Christ Jesus,
the King of the Church, whose subject King James the Sixth is,
and of whose kingdom he is not a king nor a lord, nor a head,
but a member.'

This, as you can imagine, was not well received by the King
and slowly but surely he was able to use his influence to have
various General Assemblies pass different laws so that bishops
were accepted. Then after he also became King of England in 1603
he tried to bring the two kingdoms into line including their
religious practices. This he achieved by shrewd management and
by 1610 there was a fully organised Episcopalian system in
Scotland.

When, in 1625, Charles I succeeded to the throne he was not
the same type of person as his father. He was a man of principle
and piety, who desired that the Church of Scotland should be
brought into line with the Church of England. There were many
who agreed but there were even more who did not, so after much
argument and the signing of the National Covenant in 1638 the
King agreed to a meeting of the General Assembly in Glasgow.
This important meeting of the General Assembly decided that
the six assemblies of 1606-1618 were 'unfree' (in other words they
were influenced by the king). The Prayer Book, Canons, Ordinals
and all the recent innovations in worship were also rejected and
condemned.

'All Episcopacy different from that of a Pastor over a particular
flock was abjured in the Kirk and to be removed out of it.'

So some of the bishops were actually excommunicated. All in
all it was a declaration of the Independence of Church & State.
Charles was not happy. He declared the Glasgow Assembly
rebellious and assembled an army in England. To reinforce the
Church's independence from the State the Covenanters (those
who agreed with the National Covenant) raised an army which
camped on Duns Law in 1639. In actual fact it did not have to
fight, as the king negotiated and agreed to another General
Assembly, which renewed all the decisions of the Glasgow
Assembly.

So from 1638 to 1660 (until Charles II was restored) there were

HISTORY OF CHURCHES IN THE PRESBYTERY OF DUNS

219

no bishops in Scotland (in fact the Puritans under Cromwell tried
to get rid of them in England too). Cromwell though tried to push
his Puritanical and Republican view point on the Scots and being
independent and also loyal to the throne, many of them were
not too keen. He even disbanded the General Assembly of 1653.
Thus when Charles II was restored the Restoration was greeted
with joy.

Charles had many supporters and a moderate form of
Episcopacy was re-introduced but there were still Synods,
Presbyteries and Kirk Sessions. But many of the new bishops
were not very effective, and there certainly was distrust of the
new bishops. In 1662 an Act was passed that all ministers who
were not prepared to accept Episcopacy had to give up their
parish. An amazing 300 did so (out of about 1200). Six of the
ministers in Berwickshire were quite prepared to give up their
parish on this point of principle, whilst the rest were quite happy
to accept the half-way house between Episcopacy and
Presbyterianism.

Many acts were passed to make it more difficult to follow the
Presbyterian ways. In different parts of the country conventicles
took place where 'outed' ministers preached in the open air. One
such was on a level haugh of the river Whiteadder. It took place
over three days and five ministers took part. On the Sunday tables
were erected on the grass and about two hundred people sat
down at once. The tables were served sixteen times so there must
have been more than three thousand people present at that
conventicle. It was protected by bands of well-armed horsemen.
I wonder how many people we would get for an open air service
today? Sadly not much Christian charity was shown by either
side, and the bitterness got worse as time wore on, and sadly
quite a few people were killed as death became the penalty for
even attending a 'conventicle'

When James VII & II came to the throne in 1685, he was a
member of the Roman Catholic Church and so to obtain liberty
for his Romanist friends he was obliged to favour toleration and
in 1687 a new act allowed moderate Presbyterians to have
churches and hold services. Many of the 'outed ' ministers took
advantage and came back to their parishes to set the scene for
the return of Presbyterian government when the Revolution of
1688 brought William and Mary to the throne.

King William insisted on moderation and toleration, but
tolerance was not one of the virtues of either the Episcopal clergy
or the Presbyterians. To them belief was either 'right ' or 'wrong'.
So many of the Episcopal ministers were themselves 'outed' and
in Berwickshire there were 15 ministers deprived of their parishes

220 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

(about two-thirds of the ministers). It was a time of not much
Christian charity. The 'good old days' were not so nice as we
imagine. The presbytery had to order a Mr James Balfour to
Baptise the Laird of Swinton's child, for he disagreed with the
laird over church government. In fact quite a few of the 'outed'
ministers went south into England and became ministers there
in the Church of England which after all had remained
Episcopalian.

Since the Revolution Settlement the Kirk, the Church of Scot-
land, has remained Presbyterian. It is the Established Church
in Scotland and thus has legal responsibilities. It is the mother
of all other Presbyterian churches throughout the world.

D History of the Church in Berwickshire since the
Establishment of Presbyterianism

The arguments over church government and the church's
relationship to the State had affected all of Scotland, and these
arguments continued for another 150 years. For a short time there
was a period of peace. Then came the Union of the Parliaments,
in 1707. Some Scots objected to the London government passing
laws over them. One of these laws was the Patronage Act of 1712,
which stated that the people who actually paid for the minister
should have the right to choose the minister. In some cases,
though, the landowner lived miles away or even in England
(where Church government was not Presbyterian but
Episcopalian) and took no account of the local congregation's
feelings.

This problem simmered away for a while causing some local
difficulties until the minister of Portmoak — Ebenezer Erskine —
brought it to a head. He attacked all and sundry for the use of
the Patronage Act. He claimed that it was denying the people
their Christian right of choosing their own minister. He was
another awkward person which the Kirk seems to produce at
regular intervals. He was a son of the manse of Chirnside and
had been brought up there. (It is amazing how many links there
are with Berwickshire and the manses.) Eventually he and his
brother Ralph were suspended from the ministry and with two
others they set up 'The Original Secession Church' in 1732. The
Patronage Problem did not go away and 'The Relief Church' was
founded in 1761. The majority of these two denominations joined
together to form the 'United Presbyterian Church' in 1847.

After many years of arguments over not only Patronage, but
also over other matters in which the State and the Church
overlapped, in 1843, 474 ministers (out of 1200) finally left the
Established Church to form the Free Church. This massive

HISTORY OF THE CHURCHES IN THE PRESBYTERY OF DUNS 221

walk-out of the General Assembly was called The Disruption.
Ministers in Berwickshire who4eft came from Abbey St Bathan's,
Bunkle, Eyemouth, Langton, Mordington, Westruther and
Whitsome, and Free Kirks were set up in 14 (two-thirds) of the
parishes in Berwickshire.

But not all the church history was disputes and arguments.
Sometimes we do get on with other people. Sometimes the
Church does move forward, with faith. The agricultural revolution
of the 18th century brought drainage, some mechanisation and
other changes to the country areas, and thus prosperity. The
prosperity and better food, and the need for more workers on
the land, all combined to create a population explosion, and a
demand for more churches and more ministers.

When the first of the population explosions took place, in the
middle of the eighteenth century, it was decided to build
extensions to many of the kirks. Most of these extensions were
built out to the North, creating an aisle opposite the pulpit and
communion table. Thus the kirks were altered from the normal
long thin rectangular shape of pre-reformation to the typical
country kirk T-shape'. In Berwickshire there are a number of 'T-
shapecT kirks: Ayton, Chirnside, Duns, Edrom, Fogo, Greenlaw,
Legerwood, Polwarth, Swinton, Whitsome.

The Kirk tried to respond to the challenge of more parishioners
by setting up churches which had jurisdiction over the
ecclesiastical affairs of their parish but not over the civil affairs.
These kirks were called Quoad Sacra parishes whereas the other
parishes were Quoad Omnia. Of course the other denominations
too were building churches with at one time more churches
belonging to the break-away denominations than to the
Established Parish Church. There were also Mission stations set
up, especially in the fishing villages. Other denominations were
also building churches and by the start of this century the Roman
Catholics and the Episcopalians and the Methodists had build-
ings in Berwickshire too.

In 1900 the United Presbyterians and the majority of the Free
Church came together to form the United Free. After this union
quite a few kirks were renovated, or completely rebuilt. In 1929
the majority of the United Free rejoined the Established Church
of Scotland, which meant that there were two or three buildings
in each parish. Since then there has been a rationalisation of
buildings, such that there is no village or town in Berwickshire
now with two Church of Scotland churches. The rationalisation
was caused not only by the Union but also by the slow but very
steady depopulation of the countryside. This depopulation has
been caused by the drift into the towns and cities and also by

222

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

the increased mechanisation of the farms. Where before twenty-
men were needed at Harvest time, one combine will do it all, and
a four furrow plough pulled by a tractor not only ploughs more
earth, it does it a lot faster than a horse-drawn plough. The Merse
and the Lammermuirs have been particularly hard hit by
depopulation, with most of these parishes having fewer than one
third of the people they had in the middle of the last century.
The Kirk has had to adjust to this change such that where there
were four or five ministers last century, there is only one. Thus
in the 1970s and 1980s many small kirks were linked together but
with modern forms of transport the larger linked parishes can
be very well served by one minister.

Conclusion

So to sum up: Over the centuries, in the 1500 years or so that
the Church has been in Berwickshire it has changed. Some of the
kirks have been renovated and altered but seem to have remained
on the original site. I believe that Chirnside, Coldingham, Eccles,
Fogo, Greenlaw, Legerwood, Longformacus, Polwarth and
Swinton are on their original sites.

Some other parishes have a long history but the building has
moved to a different site. These, I believe, are: Abbey St Bathan's,
Ayton, Bonkyl, Coldstream, Cranshaws, Duns, Edrom,
Eyemouth, Foulden, Gordon, Hutton, Langton and Whitsome.
Remains can still be seen of the some of old kirks at Ayton,
Bonkyl, Cranshaws, and Edrom.

Some parish churches though have disappeared over the years
although remains can still be seen of the old kirks at Bassendean,
Ellem, Fishwick, Hilton, Lamberton, Lennel, Mordington,
Preston, and Simprim, but there is no real structure left of the
kirks at Hume, Horndean or Upsettlington. These last two
parishes were united to form Ladykirk which was founded and
built by King James IV in 1500.

There were some other small chapels in many of the parishes,
but very little remains of these at St Abb's (parish of Coldingham);
Chapel (parish of Duns); Blackadder, East Nisbet, and
Kimmerghame (Edrom); Birgham, Leitholm, and Mersington
(Eccles); Huntleywood (Gordon); Lambden, Halyburton, and
Rowieston (Greenlaw); Spottiswood, and Wedderley (Hume).

So the Church has undergone change; it has had difficult times,
it has altered, it has had to, but it has survived. Like the motto
of the Kirk the Church in Berwickshire has not been eaten up
— 'it was not consumed'.

Thank you for listening and if you wish to learn even more about
the history of individual churches read Dr Binnie's new book.

A NEW INVESTIGATION OF OLD BEWICK CHURCH

G. Bettess

Old Bewick Church is a rare example of a small picturesque 12th
century church and as such has captured the interest of historians
for over a hundred years. P. C. Hardwick, best known as architect
of the classical portico, hall and hotel buildings at Euston Station,
wrote a letter on the subject to J. C. Langlands in 1851, which
was presented as a paper to the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club
in 1857 (Hardwick, 1857, 52-56). Comments on the church were
also made by John Charles Langlands in an article entitled 'On
the History and Natural History of Old Bewick' which he
presented to the same club on the 30th May 1866 (Langlands,
1868, 249-261). A section also appears in the Northumberland
County History, Vol. XIV, 424-432, as part of the entry on
Eglingham Parish under the title of 'Bewick, The Church of Holy
Trinity'. After a gap of a century new research has extended our
knowledge and it seems an appropriate time to carry out a
reappraisal of this 12th century building, especially in view of the
renewed interest in proprietorial churches. Old Bewick is of
particular interest as it is an example of a little altered proprietorial
church from the border region and a comparison of it with other
such churches in the area provides a valuable insight into the
development of the church in the region at this time.

The site is situated 13 km from Alnwick and 10 km from
| Wooler (Grid Reference NU 068221) (Location Map Figure 1). The
church stands in an isolated position, set within a churchyard of
approximately one acre. It serves the present small village of Old
Bewick, which is situated approximately half a mile south east
of the church.

The area is known to have been occupied since prehistoric
times. Cup and ring marked stones lie on the hillside above the
church site, and approximately a quarter of a mile away is a
Bronze Age burial cairn with several stone lined cists (Pevsner
1992, 536). Close by and some 400 feet above, are the extensive
remains of a double crescentic shaped Iron Age fort (Charlton,
1934, 253-5). A Roman road, the Devil's Causeway, passes 2 km
west of the site and the major Anglo-Saxon palace of Yeavering
lies 16 km to the north east. The present church site could well
have been a pagan sanctuary in one or more of these earlier
periods and been taken over by the Christian community.

223

224

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

There are no signs of an earlier settlement close to the church.
The earliest map available is dated 1769 when the church occupied
its present relationship to the village. A Pele Tower of unknown
date existed immediately south of the present village and was
certainly standing in January 1539, at the time of the dissolution
of Tynemouth Priory, to whom it belonged (Langlands 1868, 252).
The foundations were still visible in the 19th century but all trace
finally disappeared when the present road was built.

The History of Old Bewick

There are no written records of Old Bewick Church prior to
1695, but much of its early history can be reconstructed from
references to the settlement.

A NEW INVESTIGATION OF OLD BEWICK CHURCH

225

Bewick, which means 'Bee Farm' (Cameron 1961, 147), first
appears in the records as being in the stewardship of Archi Morell
of Bamburgh who killed Malcolm, the invading King of Scots,
near Alnwick, in 1093. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (Version E)
for 1095 reported that in that year Morell took part in the
insurrection with Robert, Earl of Northumbria. It states that
Robert's wife and Morell were besieged in Bamburgh Castle after
Robert had been captured but gave in when the King threatened
to put out Robert's eyes (A.S.C. 1953, 231).

As a result of this insurrection the lands of Archi Morell were
forfeited to Henry I who gave them to his wife Matilda, daughter
of Malcolm, King of Scotland. Matilda's father was buried at St
Albans and before 1107, probably soon after her coronation, she
gave the 'vill of Bewick' to Tynemouth Priory (a cell of St Albans)
in memory of her father.

The following is a translation of the charter:

'Matilda of England Queen, to Roger Bigot and all the King's Barons,
French and English, in Northumberland, greetings:— Be it known,
that I have granted to God, S. Alban and S. Oswin and to Richard
the Abbot, the land of Archi Morell, to be possessed for ever; for
the soul of my Father. And I will, that S. Albans hold it, with peace
and honor and with Sac and Soke, and Tol and Team and
Infangeantheof, and all custom. And I command you Roger, that
vou do faithfully defend the Church of S. Albans and S. Oswin —
Witness Bernard the Chancellor.' And this grant was confirmed by
King Henry I in London (Langlands 1868, 250).

There may have been an existing church when Matilda
handed over the property to Tynemouth. Hardwick, who
examined the church before the 1866 restoration, was convinced
that the apse was earlier than the rest of the church and if so it
could date from before Matilda's gift (Hardwick 1857, 53). Pevsner
in The Buildings of England, Northumberland considers the outline
of the apse to be Norman (Pevsner 1992, 535). This accords well
with the architectural evidence, for although the junction between
the apse and the chancel on the northern side of the church does
display a straight joint, on the south side between the bold string
course and the plinth the joint is not so obvious.

In all probability new building work was commenced soon
after the grant was made. This area of Northumberland suffered
considerably at the hands of the Scots during the early part of
the 14th century when towns and villages were burnt to the
ground and churches frequently damaged. Repairs and alterations
that took place in the 14th century at Old Bewick, reputedly by
the husband of the lady whose effigy lies in the choir, perhaps
may be ascribed to this same cause.

226 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Old Bewick remained the property of Tynemouth Priory from
the early 12th century, the date of Matilda's gift, until the
dissolution of the monastery in 1538/9 when the estate passed
into the hands of private owners.

Besides repairs done after Scottish raids, the church has been
restored on two occasions, the first one in 1695 by Ralph
Williamson, Lord of the Manor, after damage had been done by
Cromwell's troops. Soon afterwards a great storm destroyed the
roof and the building was not repaired, although the churchyard
continued to be used for burials (Langlands 1868, 260). An artist's
impression dated 1826 shows the church in a very ruinous state.
Only the east end is drawn in detail, the drawing of the nave
is out of all proportion to the rest of the building and appears
merely as a rough sketch.

In 1866 the church was once again restored to more or less
its present condition (N.C.H. Vol. XIV, 378), this time by John
Charles Langlands, who is buried in the churchyard. When
Langlands undertook to restore the church he commissioned the
architect Philip Charles Hardwick to carry out the work. Doubtless
it is Hardwick, as well as Langlands, who should be thanked for
this sensitive restoration.

The Structure

As a preliminary to this investigation a complete site survey,
including the churchyard, was undertaken. The churchyard is not
considered here but a comprehensive record of its standing
monuments is given in Bettess 1991, 37ff. A careful survey of both
the inside and outside of the church was carried out, relating the
two, in order to obtain an accurate plan of the structure and to
discover the thickness of the walls. As can be seen from the plan
(Figure 2), the church is typical of a Romanesque three-celled
design, with nave, chancel and apsidal sanctuary. The nave
measures 12.08 m. by 5.34 m. internally with walls 84 cms thick,
the chancel is 3.96 m. square and the sanctuary is 3.65 m. at its
widest.

Similar northern examples of churches with an apsidal east
end, believed to date from the late 12th century, can be found
at Leuchars in Fife (Kerr 1984, 181), St Margaret's Chapel,
Edinburgh Castle (Menzies 1957, 17), Bunkle in Berwickshire
(where only the apse still stands) and the excavated church at
the Hirsel. The 12th century church at Thockrington (NY 957789)
is now a two-celled church but there is evidence to suggest that
originally it had a Norman apse (Pevsner 1992, 583) (see below).
The church at the Hirsel, found during excavations by Professor
R. J. Cramp, and that at Old Bewick share the distinction of

A NEW INVESTIGATION OF OLD BEWICK CHURCH

227

Figure 2. New survey of Old Bewick Church with revised phasing.

having almost identical measurements (Cramp 1984, 3-6), and
during the 12th century construction period of having been in
the hands of the same family, the Gospatrics of Dunbar (N.C.H.
Vol. VII, 14ff .).

Apsidal sanctuaries are common in Romanesque churches but
later went out of fashion and many east ends were rebuilt to a
square design, for example the Hirsel, Wharram Percy and Seaton
Delaval.

T. S. Muir (1885, 118) points out that

'it is curious although the remains of Romanesque churches exist
in almost every quarter of Scotland, none with a semi-circular apse,
or, indeed, with an apse extending eastward of the chancel of any
kind, should be met with anywhere but in Fife, Berwick and
Lothian.'

Although Old Bewick is now firmly in England, in the 12th
century the border was not so well defined and even as late as
1604 Old Bewick came within the debateable lands of the border
(Sanderson 1891). It is not surprising, therefore, to find that a
form to be found amongst the eastern border churches should
also appear at Old Bewick.

At Old Bewick the eastern apse is of a most unusual
construction. It was originally semi-circular and the lower courses,
up to approximately 1.75 m., still retain that shape. In the 14th
century, however, when the damage done by the Scottish raiders
was repaired, the top half of the apse, above the heavy string
course, was squared off by the addition of squinch corbels and
buttresses. This alteration was on the outside only and the
'squaring off' may only have been caused by the addition of

228

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

buttresses to support the upper part of the apse, rather than a
desire to construct a fashionably shaped east end. At the same
time the south window of the apse was blocked-in, part of which
still remains, and a new 14th century window inserted (Figure 3).

+ BQLUICK ChURCh,

A Plan of Bewick Church

Figure 3. Northumberland County History Phase Plan.

The External Fabric

The lower courses of stonework on the west front are
composed of very large sandstone blocks varying from 90-110 cms
long and by 30-40 cms wide mounted on a slight plinth. These
stones have been compared with those to be found in the north
wall of the 12th century Chillingham Church 4 km away
(Honeyman 1935, 168). It has been suggested that this re-used
masonry at Chillingham is from an earlier pre-Conquest church
on the same site.

When considering Old Bewick Church, Honeyman (1935, 172)
refers to a few 'socketed kerb-stones' in the north, west and south
walls, presuming they are 'the base of a choir screen in a pre-
Conquest church'. Probably what he is referring to are some
extant large stones with visible lewis holes, which indicates re-
use. The size and shape of these stones, together with the lewis
holes, suggest that, instead of being socketed kerb-stones they
might have come from a Roman building or bridge on the line
of the Devil's Causeway, 2 km from the church. Similar large
stones with visible lewis holes were re-used in the tower of St
Andrew's Church at By well and are thought to have come
originally from the Roman bridge at Corbridge (Bidwell &

A NEW INVESTIGATION OF OLD BEWICK CHURCH

229

Holbrook 1989, 154). These stones alone may not indicate a pre-
Conquest stone church, nevertheless the monolithic window
heads of the present church, a type very common in Northern
Anglo-Saxon buildings, perhaps hint at the presence of an earlier
stone building on the site, and would corroborate Hardwick's
impression that there was an earlier church on the same site.

Several churches were built in Anglo-Saxon times in this
vicinity, for example Whittingham, Yeavering, Lindisfarne and
Ingram. If Old Bewick was indeed the site of an early church it
would seem likely that the first church was of timber construction,
as was discovered at the Anglo-Saxon palace at Yeavering
approximately 16 km away (Hope Taylor 1977, 168) but it could
well be that this early church was replaced during the Anglo-
Saxon period by one built of stone. The number of excavated early
churches available for study is small, but this same sequence of
an original wooden church superseded by one of stone can be
seen elsewhere, for example at Wharram Percy, Rivenhall, St
Mark's Lincoln and Asheldham. It is unfortunate that when the
floor of Old Bewick church was re-laid in the early 1900s, so many
graves were found beneath the surface that it was impossible to
prove whether or not an earlier wooden building had existed
underneath the present building.

Close examination of the masonry at Old Bewick reveals
where restoration took place. The early sandstone masonry is all
grey in colour; the sandstone blocks of the first 17th century
restoration are smaller and a mixture of grey and yellow; and the
final work of the 19th century is all of yellow sandstone of a more
uniform oblong shape, particularly noticeable at the east end.
Further evidence of rebuilding is a fragment of a re-used 13th
century tombstone on the upper part of the north chancel wall.

Other early gravestones are incorporated into the fabric of
the 19th century porch sheltering the original main Romanesque
doorway and have been used to pave the floor. This main
doorway with its plain arch has been partly restored. It has one
order of colonettes with cushion capitals and bases. The imposts
are decorated with saltire crosses. The threshold into the church
bears an inscription which unfortunately is so worn that only part
is legible and reads 'Keep Thy . . . Goest to . . . God +'. The
door is modern. The added porch is a plain square building with
a pitched slate roof finished with a stone cross. Outside the east
end stands an earlier finial, while at the west end an old free-
standing sundial, minus the gnomon, is dated 1742.

A new doorway was constructed to the northern vestry
during the 1867 renovation. The modern north vestry is entered
by two steps from the nave through this new doorway, the

230 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

lintel of which carries an inscription stating that Ralph Williamson
restored the chapel at his own expense in 1695. The inscription
also states that this 'head' was found in the stream below the
churchyard in 1867. There are two small windows, one on the
east and one on the west, both constructed in the Romanesque
style, round headed and splayed on the inside. This later vestry,
along with the south porch and other modern windows, displays
a sensitive feeling for the original fabric of the building. Unlike
many restorations of the 19th century, real care is evident in the
choice of styles and decoration used.

The church itself has a timber-framed roof covered with slate
and supports a modern two-arched belfry. Both the belfry and
the west end of the roof are decorated with stone crosses, while
a metal cross stands over the east end. Two ancient bells now
kept in the vestry rest on a windowsill, whose inscription states
that they were found in the debris when excavation of the apse
was carried out prior to the restoration in 1866. One appears to
be a 13th century bell used for the service of mass, while the other
is of conical shape with a metal handle. Another bell which
originally hung in Old Bewick Church was moved to the Pele
Tower but is now at Eglingham Church. It is only 1ft. 3in. high
and is supposed to have been a sanctus bell. It bears an inscription
in Dutch and is dated 1489 (N.C.H. Vol. XIV, 374-5).

The Interior

If the outside of Old Bewick Church has been altered by later
additions, the inside, with its sympathetic restoration, looks of
one period. The Romanesque chancel arch opens into a choir and
this, combined with the apsidal arch to the domed sanctuary,
forms an impressive vista giving a dramatic effect.

The nave arch has half columns on cushion bases with double
cushion capitals on the south. On the north the capital is
decorated with a twist cable and two carved heads showing
gnashing teeth and a tree growing in between. A similar style
of ornament with stylised leaves and faces, and twist cable, is
to be found in the Norman Church of Durham Castle. These two
examples of carving have been said to be by the same hand
(N.C.H. Vol. XIV, 379). According to Eric Cambridge, however,
although there are masks and sprigs of foliage in the Castle Chapel,
he would hesitate to say that there was any direct borrowing
(personal letter). The imposts, which are decorated with saltire
crosses, are carried right to the north and south walls. The arch
has a hollow moulding followed by a roll moulding and an outer
billet frieze. Marks on the two columns suggest that at one time
there might have been a screen between the nave and choir.

A NEW INVESTIGATION OF OLD BEWICK CHURCH

231

The arch of the apse is simpler, perhaps because it is heavily
restored. It consists of a single flat arch decorated by a
surrounding billet arch springing from imposts, again with saltire
cross design but this time resting on plain jambs. Marks can be
seen on the north jamb where a niche, possibly for a lamp, has
subsequently been filled in, while on the south jamb a dedication
cross is inscribed.

The chancel has a Victorian black, red, yellow and green
pattern tiled floor, on which rests a fragment of a tombstone
carved with part of a cross and a pair of symbolic shears. Also
in the north east corner of the choir there is an effigy which is
rather splendid for this, otherwise simple, church. It is rather
weatherworn now, probably from lying exposed during the time
when the church was in ruins. It is of a lady in 14th century
costume. Her head, slightly raised by a cushion, rests between
two kneeling angels, beneath a trefoiled and crocheted canopy,
and is covered with a fillet-bound kerchief. She wears a tight-
waisted kirtle with button sleeves and a mantle with long lappets.
Her feet, in pointed shoes, rest upon a crouching lion. The effigy
is detailed and well executed and very similar to one in St
Michael's Church, Alnwick (Hunter Blair 1930, 21). It is associated
with other effigies in the district believed to be the work of
sculptors who had a workshop at or near Alnwick, which
flourished from late in the 13th century until about 1340 (N.C.H.
Vol. XIV, 381).

A step leads up to the apsidal sanctuary in which the altar
stands on a two-stepped base. The base and the steps must be
post Norman additions as the piscina in the south wall and the
aumbry on the north wall are both set so low as to prove that
the present sanctuary floor is about a metre above its original level.
Comparison with the aumbry at Bunkle tends to confirm this.
Behind the altar is a marble panel decorated with a cross. The
altar is covered with a modern frontal and cloth and on it stand a
pair of modern silver candlesticks and a silver cross.

The lower part of the wall is painted red and remains of
| similar red paint can be seen on the lower part of the apse at
Bunkle. At Old Bewick a decorative border bears the inscription
'Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts' painted on a gold
background. The original apse was domed with a rubble vault
I (Hardwick 1863, 54) but during the 19th century restoration it was
plastered and painted deep blue with stars at the expense of Sir
j Walter Aitcheson, of Lemmington Hall, who is buried in the
i churchyard.

232

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

The Windows

The west wall has two very long lancet windows with a
quinfoil window above. These windows are of modern con-
struction, presumably dating back to the last restoration of the
church. They are glazed, along with most of the other windows
of the chapel, with stained glass also apparently from the last
restoration.

Towards the eastern end of the north wall of the nave there
is an original Norman round-headed window, splayed on the
inside. It will be noted that the head is cut out of a single stone
similar to those in many Anglo-Saxon churches, as in the chancel
at Jarrow (Taylor and Taylor 1965, 345).

According to Pevsner (1992, 535) the round-headed window
in the north wall of the apse is also Norman, although outside
the face may have been restored. The window on the east wall
of the apse has a small amount of original work surviving on the
lower northern side. The stained glass of the chancel windows
and the double window on the south wall of the nave are in
memory of the wife and son of J. C. Langlands.

Originally all the windows in the apse were of the same
design but the one in the south wall was altered, possibly in the
14th century, to a two-light, flat-headed window of Decorated
style. It is completely out of keeping with the rest of the church
design. The blocking of the Norman window is clearly visible on
the inside.

The chancel is lit by another round-headed, splayed window.
This may not be of Norman construction but is earlier than the
19th century restoration as it is portrayed on the drawing of 1826.
In the south wall, to the west of the window, is a doorway of
square-headed design outside but round-headed on the inside.
It could be original as the plinth is retained as the threshold, but
the head was rebuilt in the 19th century.

The phase plan of the church from the History of
Northumberland (Figure 3) shows a window or door on the north
side of the choir but close examination reveals no trace of this.
Nor is there any sign of an opening on the north side of the nave.
These could have been obliterated during restoration.

The stained glass in the twin windows in the south wall that
light the east end of the nave is in a rose pattern and these
windows too were dedicated to the wife of J. C. Langlands. They
are later insertions and would appear to date from one of the two
restorations, although their design is in Romanesque style.

The robust circular sandstone font, with its plain wooden
cover, is immediately opposite the south doorway and stands

A NEW INVESTIGATION OF OLD BEWICK CHURCH

233

on a re-used, round base which in turn has been placed on a larger
round stone base. The font itself has two bands of decoration in
a circular pattern. It presumably dates to the last restoration but
still manages to convey a Romanesque style.

There are no memorial stones embedded in the church floor
to indicate burials within the church, due no doubt, to the re-
laying of the floor both at the restoration and recently.
Comparison with Bunkle, where grave slabs exist within the
standing apse, show that such burials were not uncommon, as
proved to be the case at Old Bewick, when the flooring was
removed. Standing on the stone floor close to the north doorway
is a stone grave slab decorated with a floriated cross, on a similarly
decorated shaft, set on a two-stepped base, all enclosed in a
chamfered border.

Built into the interior of the porch are several re-used 13th
century grave slabs. Most are fragmentary and decorated with
foliated crosses. The most interesting is presumed to be a child's
grave slab as it is only 76 cms long. It bears two alisee patee
crosses, one on each side of its pitched surface and is believed
to commemorate twins. Situated in the south-west corner of the
porch is a built-in stoop. This may at one time have stood in the
church and been re-used here.

Conclusion

It could be that the first Christian church at Old Bewick was
constructed of timber, as at Yeavering. The re-used Roman
masonry and Saxon style monolithic window heads of the existing
Old Bewick Church suggest the construction of a stone
replacement in the Anglo-Saxon period, and similar sequences
of construction can be seen elsewhere. Though it is to be
remembered that such monolithic window heads continued to
be used in the Early Romanesque period in this northern area.
At the remodelling it is possible that these window heads and
the Roman stones were incorporated into the fabric of the new
church.

Certainly by the early 12th century there was a Norman
church at Old Bewick, probably with the same graveyard area
as can be seen to-day. The style of the masks and foliage of the
carving on the north capital of the nave arch was a recurring
theme and suggests the influence of a school of sculpture
operating in the late 11th to early 12th century. The basic plan
of the church has changed little except for the addition of the
porch and the vestry but the fabric, especially the upper part, has
been heavily restored.

Considerable alterations were made to the apse in the 14th

234

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

century, when repairs were carried out after damage by the Scots.
It was then that the square upper part was added on the squinch
corbels, giving the church a unique design. At the same time the
southern Norman window was altered to the two-light, flat-
headed Decorated style. The original Norman window was partly
blocked to accommodate this new addition. That blocking still
remains, proving that this particular part of the apse is of original
Norman construction in spite of extensive devastation in that area
of the church. It also proves that the inside of the apse remained
rounded despite the external design.

It was at this time, too, that the piscina and aumbry were
incorporated into the apse walls, presumably on a similar level
to those at Bunkle, so that the raised altar setting at Old Bewick
is a later modification. The Norman apse at Bunkle has the lower
courses of stonework painted red as at Old Bewick, indicating
that this was part of the interior decoration, but that apart, no
other evidence survives for the appearance.

Why the History of Northumberland plan shows an opening
on the north side of the nave and another on the north side of
the choir is not clear. Very careful examination has been carried
out and although some irregularity in the stonework in these two
areas exists, possibly due to restoration work, it seems insufficient
to point to the former existence of doors or windows. The revised
phase plan therefore is as in Figure 2.

The stoop now standing in the south west corner of the porch
may have been a free-standing stoop just inside the south door.
Alternatively it could have been a pillar piscina, common in the
12th century, standing in the middle of the chancel (Current Arch.
1984, 250). At the beginning of the 13th century piscinas and
aumbries were built into the sanctuary wall so the existing piscina
in the south wall of the sanctuary would have replaced the earlier
model, which was later transferred to the porch. The new position
would have enabled the service of the churching of women after
childbirth to be conducted outside the church proper.

The phase three church at the Hirsel has the same
measurements as those of the existing church at Old Bewick
(Figure 4). Cramp (1984, 5) states that this three-celled church at
the Hirsel could date to late eleventh/early twelfth century. This
is the time when both churches were proprietorial, being owned
by the same Dunbar family. Another proprietorial church of
similar style is to be found at Thockrington, dated to 1100, and
at that time owned by the Umfraville family. The present church
is two celled, but in the opinion of Pevsner (1992, 583) there was
originally a Norman apse.

One cannot help but speculate as to why it is that the

A NEW INVESTIGATION OF OLD BEWICK CHURCH

235

churches at Old Bewick, the Hirsel and possibly Thockrington
have so much in common, and this raises issues about proprie-
torial churches, their construction and similarities of dimensions.
Perhaps it was related patronage, period style, employment of
the same group of builders or a mixture of several modifiers.

o

10

_i m

Figure 4 Excavated foundation of Phase 3 plan of Hirsel Church (after Cramp).

There could have been a general similarity in the design of
12th century proprietorial churches throughout the country but
that this design has frequently been lost over the centuries, in
other areas, by the continual alteration, partial re-design and
complete rebuilding that has taken place. The area from North
Northumberland to Fife where these three-celled proprietorial
churches occur and have so far been examined, was a disputed
area where border warfare reduced the inhabitants to penury.
For centuries prior to the 18th century Act of Union, it was a
backward area whose people were not inclined and could not
afford to carry out expensive rebuilding or refurbishing of their
churches as fashions changed. So that what can be seen by this
distribution may not necessarily indicate a separate border culture.

These questions may be resolved by studying more churches
along with their environment and context within the manorial
structure, not only in North Northumbria, but throughout the
country. Such an investigation may reveal whether similar
patterns exist elsewhere.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Dr Eric Cambridge for his comments on the
I design of the capitals of Durham Castle Chapel and Old Bewick,
and Professor R. ]. Cramp for previewing this article and for access
to drawings of the Hirsel excavation prior to publication.

236

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, translated by G. N. Garmonsway 1953. London.
Bettess, G. 1991. Old Bewick Church, Graveyard and Historical Environment ,
Unpublished Undergraduate Dissertation, Department of Archaeology,
University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Bidwell, P. T. & Holbrook, N. 1989. Hadrian's Wall Bridges. English Heritage
Archaeological Report No. 9. Historic Buildings & Monuments Commission for
England.

Cameron, K. 1961. English Place-Names. Batsford.

Cramp, R. J. 1984. Hirsel Excavations, Fifth Summary Report. Durham.

Current Archaeology. 1984. The Anglo-Saxon Church. Vol. 91, London. 249-250.

Hardwick, Philip C. 1857. Letter to J. C. Langlands dated 1851. History of the
Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, Vol. 4, 53-56.

Honeyman, H. L. 1935. Some early Masonry in North Northumberland.
Archaeologia Aeliana, 4th Series, Vol. XII. Newcastle. 158-186.

Hope-Taylor, B. 1977. Yeavering. London.

Hunter Blair, C. H. 1930. Mediaeval Effigies in Northumberland. Archaeologia
Aeliana, 4th Series, Vol. VII. Newcastle. 1-32.

Kerr, Nigel and Mary. 1984. A Guide to Norman Sites in Britain. London.

Langlands, J. C. 1868. On the History and Natural History of Old Bewick. History
of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, Vol. 5, 249-261.

Menzies, L., et al. 1957. St Margaret, Queen of Scotland and her Chapel. Edinburgh.
Muir, T. S. 1885. Ecclesiological Notes on some of the Islands of Scotland. Edinburgh.

Northumberland County History Committee. 1893-1940. A History of
Northumberland. Newcastle.

Pevsner, N., et al. 1992. The Buildings of England: Northumberland. 2nd Edition.
Harmonds worth .

Sanderson, Roundell Palmer (ed). 1891. Survey of the Debateable and Border Lands
adjoining the Realm of Scotland and belonging to the Crown of England taken A.D.
1604. Alnwick.

Taylor, H. M. & Taylor, Joan, 1965. Anglo-Saxon Architecture. Cambridge.

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III
SOUTHERN SECTOR - DUDDO TO WANDYLAW

J. W. Bainbridge

41 Castle Terrace, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1NZ

Situation and Structure

The final section of the north Northumberland coalfield awaiting
examination is the area to the south of the Scremerston triangle1
(Figure 1). This irregular-shaped sector has been broken down
into seven blocks, each of which is described below. The structural
geology is an extension of the Scremerston district but the
movement southwards is accompanied by a deterioration in the
coal seams. In the district under review upwards of 25 poor seams
of coal have been worked, and of course there are many other
thin seams judged to be unworkable. The workings were
relatively shallow everywhere, none reaching 50 fathoms. Nor
were the coals of a high quality, with many only fit for limestone
burning, for which purpose they were much wrought in the 18th
century.2

Historical

As in the case of the Berwickhill workings,3 this district features
in the earliest phase of coal mining in Britain, with the issue of
a licence4 in 1384 to John, fifth Lord Neville, Governor of
Bamburgh, formerly joint Warden for the East and West
Marches,5 and later, sole Warden of West March, to dig coals,
if they could be found in the domain of Bamburgh. He was given
authority to use any coals discovered as fuel for the castle and
to sell any surplus to pay the cost of the search for the coal. The
value of coal had long been appreciated in the district and some
time previous to 1283 the municipal statutes of Berwick contained
regulations for selling coal alongside the vessels importing it.
There was also, in the list of stores in the castle of Berwick in 1292,
a record of 'xxx cuedres de charbon de meir'.6

In Part II of this work it was noted that in the 18th century the
Berwickshire house of Marchmont received coal from 'Shoeswood
and Dudo'. Earlier Marchmont records point to the complicated
nature of 'going to the coals'. In the late 17th century transporting
coal 15 miles from one of the small Northumberland collieries was
done by packhorse. The journey involved crossing the Tweed

237

BERWICK l ANCROFT \ BERWICK

238

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

l

Figure 1. Southern Sector — Duddo to Wandylaw. I ALNWICK

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

239

by boat at Norham and each horseload of coal could have weighed
no more than three hundredweights. In June 1694 George Home,
Laird of Kimmerghame, recorded in his diary that George Archer
'has brought home 8 loads of coals upon my horses and cobled
twice'.7

Workings

FORD MOSS BLOCK

As indicated in Figure 2, the bounds of this north-western block
are:

Northern

Base of the Scremerston triangle from
Toft Hill eastwards to a mile beyond
Berrington Lough.

Eastern

Vertical south to V2 mile south of
Roughtinglinn.

Southern

Horizontal west to midpoint between
Blinkbonny and Linthaugh.

Western

Vertical north to Toft Hill.

Figure 2. Ford Moss Block.

The workings within the block were those of Duddo, Gatherick,
Greenlaw-walls, Etal and Ford Moss.

240 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Duddo

The 'Dudo' colliery, of the 18th century Marchmont reference,
seems likely to have been at Gatherick or Greenlaw-walls, both
adjacent to Duddo.8 A sale catalogue for the manor of Duddo,
dated 30th September 1788, did, however, include in lot 1 'Two
Inclosed Pieces of Meadow Land, called COLLIERS CROFT and
BARKIS WELL CRAGG'. Also Colliers Close leased for £5.1.4
p.a. The purchaser of this lot was entitled 'to all Seams of Coal,
Lime Stone, and all other Manorial Rights'.9

Gatherick Colliery

That a Gatherick Colliery was productive in the 17th century
is established by its accounts book for 1683 10 having survived. In
this the colliery manager, Thomas Carr, recorded each week the
amount of coal produced, the wages of the pitmen and other
expenses. The hewers were paid according to the number of
scores, 11 of great or small coals measured in bolls,12 they dug.
Carr's accounts reveal that on 27th July 1683 George Young was
paid Is. 3d. for six scores, or 120 bolls, won in one day. Young
and other hewers were also paid for coal that they dug in 'Shaft
Eyes',13 and for 'Redding'.14 Putters who, moved the coal from
the face to the shaft bottom received 8d. a day, the banksman
who raised the coal to the surface and weighed it was paid 6d.,
and the daily rate for watermen was also 6d., for keeping the pit
free from water. Other expenses included payments for corves,
corf shoes, tubs, fodder for the gin ponies, candles and soap.
Wages were also paid to driftmen who extended the galleries,
which in 1683 were probably about 16 fathoms deep.

The final Gatherick Colliery, and probably the original, was
situated % mile south-east of Duddo, on the north-west corner
of Berryhill Moor. In 1839 the Cooper Eye Coal was being worked,
the mine was still productive in 1860 and continued to be rented
by Johnson & Carr of Scremerston until 1865. The mine was not
listed from 1866 onwards.15

Old Greenlaw-walls Colliery

The long abandoned workings of this colliery are 600 yards
north-east of Greenlaw-walls farm. It was a highly successful 18th
century venture when, for example, it was let in 1788 for £105
per annum.16 By 1866, when the local Ordnance Survey 1st
Edition 6 inches (to 1 mile) sheet was published, the colliery was
'disused'.

Greenlaw-walls Colliery

This colliery stood on the eastern side of the Berwick road

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

241

Vi mile north of Duddo. The shaft, 31 fathoms deep, was
commenced in 1832 and on 8th November 1833 one of the original
members of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, Dr Robert Dundas
Thomson, visited the new mine. 17 At the face he saw the Cooper
Eye Seam being excavated: this at 2 feet 3 inches thickness,
resulted in the workings being on average 3 feet 6 inches high.
Thomson, when referring to the mining as 'subterraneous
quarrying', noted that at the surface it was causing widespread
subsidence, with Duddo tower being rent from top to bottom.
One of the colliery proprietors in 1833 was a Mr Young and his
workmen, at the time of the visit, appeared healthy. They were
paid 20s. 6d. per week and the boys 10s. Thomson also included,
in the first volume of the History of the Club, a section on the
shaft at Greenlaw-walls Colliery that included 17 seams of coal.
He also found that the local miners used certain technical terms,
including:

TERM

MEANING

Tiles

Shale, filled with shells and fossil
vegetables.

Dent

Soft slate-clay or shale, with few
organic remains.

Metal

Slate-clay.

Freestone

Sandstone.

Whin

Basalt.

Seam

A coal-bed.

In the period 1860 to 1868 the colliery was rented to Johnson &
Carr and from 1869 onwards to the Scremerston & Shoreswood
Coal Co. Greenlaw-walls Colliery was not listed in 1885 or 1906.

Etal Colliery

Situated 1V4 miles north-east of Etal House and V2 mile due east
of Berryhill, this colliery was in 1819, according to the Mines
Department, working the Cooper Eye Coal, but by 1866 the Main
Coal — the equivalent to the Bulman Coal of Berwickhill — was
being exploited. 18 Tenants of the mine were Anderson (1860-1863),
George Carr & Co. (1864-1865), Johnson & Carr (1866-1868) and
the Scremerston & Shoreswood Coal Co. (1870 until closure).

Etal Moor Colliery

The Ordnance Survey 6 inch sheet of 1866 showed numerous

242 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

'old coal pits' on Etal Moor and a catalogue19 of 1885 offered for
sale:

ETAL MOOR COLLIERY AND LAND

Is situate about 1 and IV2 miles respectively
from Ford and Etal, and comprises

A VERY VALUABLE MINE

in which there is

A GOOD SEAM OF EXCELLENT COAL
AND

SEVERAL ENCLOSURES OF ARABLE, PASTURE & ROUGH
MOORLAND

The catalogue also informed interested parties that Etal Moor
Colliery was let to the Scremerston Colliery Company, on lease
for 3 years, terminating November 11th 1887, at an annual rental
of £100. The same company continued to work the Cooper Eye
Seam at Etal Moor until 1890.

Etal Moor & Slainsfield Colliery

Again, in 1866, there were numerous 'old coal pits' on
Slainsfield and Brownridge moors, south-west of Etal Moor. But
there was also a working mine, with the title 'Etal Moor &
Slainsfield' that exploited the Cooper Eye Coal until about 1894.
The tenants were then John & G. H. Geddes, 21 Young Street,
Edinburgh.

Etal Drift

This appears to have developed from Etal Colliery and was
listed from 1883 until 1886 when worked by the Scremerston &
Shoreswood Coal Co., with J. Robson as manager.

Ford Moss Colliery

The Ordnance Survey 6 inch sheet of 1866 showed an 'Old Coal
Pit' half a mile ENE of Ford Village on Galla Law. The slight
disturbance at this spot points to the old pit being little more than
a trial. Entirely different are the remains on Ford Moss, IV2 miles
east of Ford, where there is a wealth of evidence of coal mining
on the western margin of the moss and the eastern flank of
Blackchester Hill. These industrial remains within a rural setting
can be viewed from a vantage point above the abandoned
sandstone quarry (Figure 3), at the western end of Broom Ridge.
Below, are the concrete floors of six miners' cottages called

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

243

Figure 3. Ford Moss Quarry, Broom Ridge.

Figure 4. "... a fine lone chimney stack'. Ford Moss Colliery.

Blue Row, reduced heaps of grey and red spoil, the remnants of
concrete and brick structures and a fine lone chimney stack (Figure
4). Dotted within the expanse viewed from the vantage point are
numerous capped shafts and drifts, five of which were marked
as old coal pits on the 1866 Ordnance Survey sheet. There

244

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

were others not shown by the mid-19th century surveyors.

Outcrop workings and bell pits existed on the Ford Estate in
the 17th century and in 1697 an agreement was reached between
Sir Francis Blake and Matthew Coulson, of Durham, and William
Cuthbertson, of Newcastle, to 'work, drive and bring up a water
level drift' for the sum of £70, the workmen being paid every
week.20 This was a serious attempt to exploit deeper seams than
previously. Ford Moss Colliery had various tenants in the first
half of the 18th century but by 1758, when John Fiussey Delaval
had assumed control of the Ford Estate, it was vacant:21

To be Let, and enter’d on immediately

A current-going Colliery, at Ford, near Berwick upon Tweed, in
Northumberland, containing several valuable Seams of Coal, with
a free Water-Course and well suited for an extensive Trade.
Enquiries of Mr John Watson, Viewer, in the Bigg-Market, Newcastle.

In December 1763 John Oxley, who was to be made Chief
Steward on the Ford Estate in the following year, was tackling
the drainage problems:

Monday last I bought the wind engine for £21 at Whitlow which
I think is cheap. The machine was [drawing] water very well near
10 score that day. ... I expect after Christmas to have the horses
entirely set off. If a gutter was cast on each side ford moss with
Descent to, and both terminating in the pit it would prevent the
raines falling from the circumjacent hills from overflowing the same
as well as show what service it would be to the pit in supplying it
well with water.

By March 1765 trade at the pit was brisk, as it had been for some
time. The colliery was then supplying appreciable quantities of
coal to the estate's lime kilns and to the castle. But the strenuous
efforts to keep the workings free from water were not always
successful. The 1770s saw the building of colliers' cottages at Ford
Moss, plans and estimates having been submitted, on the 28th
January 1772, by John Raffield:

I have Inclosed Two plans for the Houses that is to be Built at the
Mos. Mr Oxley told me Your Hon would have Every House 8 yards
long as in The Plan A Which is Over long for any common Houses.
The Plan B can be Built Above £20 Cheaper Every 4 Houses and
is as Convenient and Will Answer Either for the Colliers or a Farm
House as Well to the full and may be Rased a Story Higher as you
will see by the Doted Lines in the Elevation by Making a Door and
passage in the Middle of the plan as Your Honr and Lady Hussey
Deleval was think of when you was at Ford. I Inclosed the Estimate
of Each Building at Your Conveniency Your Honr will Pleas to let

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

245

me have Your Answer and no time shall be lost I getting them
forward.

After Ford Moss Colliery had been leased to Landless in 1776
it was again vacant in 1783: 22

Hartley Colliery Office , 1st Jan. 1783

To be LET and entered upon at May-day next

... several Farms in the Manor of Seaton Delaval ...

Also to be Let in one Farm, and may be entered upon the seventh
day of October next, the Landsale Colliery, Limekilns, and Quarries;
likewise the Pantile Shed, and Brick Yard, with several Cottage
Houses belonging to the same.

All which premises are situated in the parish of Ford,
in the County of Northumberland.

The new tenants, Robert Smith and Alan Sibbit, obtained a lease
at £130 per annum for a 15-year period. In doing so they agreed
to carry out all necessary works at no cost to Delaval and not to
raise the price of coal sold to people on the estate during the term
of the lease. The next tenant of Ford Moss was Nicholson, who
employed John Carr, referred to in Part II, to clean out the old
level. In 1808 John Hussey Delaval died and was succeeded by
his widow and then, in 1822, by their grand-daughter Susan
Hussey, Marchioness of Waterford.

Nicholson still worked Ford Moss Colliery in 1811 and in 1828
he was joined by White. At mid-century the 1st edition 6 inch
Ordnance Survey map showed only one working pit on the moss,
the Temple Pit. Not all the lessees have been traced but there is
no reason to suppose that the colliery ceased production for any
lengthy period. In 1883 the colliery tenants were Robert and
George Brown of Eglingham. Their lease covered the mines or
seams of coal opened and unopened known as Ford Moss
Colliery; also cottages (except five), engine house, blacksmith's
shop, joiner's shop, stables, fixed and loose machinery. A
schedule of plant and machinery included three engines and
boilers. The Browns were soon having problems, not in extracting
coal but in selling it. Bad trade had been experienced since cheap
coal was brought into the district, from south Northumberland,
with the full opening of the Alnwick to Cornhill railway in 1887.
In that year the output from Ford Moss Colliery had been about
3,200 tons. By 1889 it had slumped to 1,334 tons. The main
working shaft, 19 fathoms deep, was then sited some 300 yards
to the rise of the Stead Pit. This was an old shaft only six feet
in diameter and worked by horse gin. A second upcast shaft

246

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

was sunk between the two existing shafts, to assist ventilation.
Many old workings were encountered at this time and to increase
output the Browns opened up another old shaft further up
Blackchester Hill, to tap the Diamond Seam. On the 1st January
1904 Thomas Snowdon of Cockfield, Co. Durham, leased the
colliery for 7 years at £46 per annum, and concentrated production
on the Wester Pit. The difficulties of drainage continued and these
were compounded by the scaling of the boilers. Snowdon
terminated his lease from the 1st January 1919. The official
statistics show Ford Moss' workforce in its final decade to have
been only:

Below Above

ground ground

1908 7 2

1909 8 3

1910 7 3

1911 8 2

1912 6 2

1913 9 2

1914 8 2

1915 6 2

1916 5 2

1917 4 2

1918 Abandoned

In about 1906 when Joicey, with extensive coal mining experience
in County Durham, purchased the Ford Estate, he must have
viewed Ford Moss Colliery with disbelief. Nevertheless, he
allowed it to continue.

Ford Moss memories

Three residents of the Ford district could in 1968 recall the final
phase of local coal mining. Mrs Thompson, caretaker and guide
at the former Ford school, where the Waterford paintings hang,
remembered Ford Moss coal being delivered throughout the
district. Her description of the coalfield was of interest: 'from
Chillingham there was a line of pits . . . Hepburn Bell, Chatton,
the Hettons, Biteabout, Northfield, Lowick, Bowsden and up here
to Ford Moss, Berrington, Greenlaw-walls, Shoreswood and on
to Scremerston and the sea, following the river Till. The seam
of coal at the top of the hills, the river in the valley and the quarries
on the hills . . . Flodden, Ford Moss and Etal Roads'. Mrs
Thompson remembered the old mines being filled in, to avoid
accidents, especially to hounds when running the area. The shafts
were blocked with old railway sleepers and covered with spoil
and soil. Some of the Ford miners posed for the celebrated

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

247

biblilcal scenes painted by Lady Waterford. The model for Joseph,
for example, was the son of the builder of the mission chapel at
the Moss, which, in its day, possessed its own religious fervour.

The second of the local inhabitants in 1968 with vivid memories
of Ford Moss mining was Mrs Mason of Doddington vicarage.
She was born in 1912 at Blue Row, in the third cottage from the
'quarry end'. Her father was a working miner at the local pit until
its closure. Mrs Mason told of the Middle Pit being abandoned
after being overwhelmed by a sudden inflow of bog-slime. The
men left in haste and 'Lady Waterford's tools' were engulfed.
The last manager at the colliery was B. Pescod and the Mines
Department's records confirm that this uncertificated official was
in charge. The shaft of the Middle Pit, according to Mrs Mason,
lay to the east of the surviving chimney stack. This working had
a pithead winding wheel, powered by a steam engine whose base
can still be seen. The mine heaps, formerly up to 50 feet high,
have provided a good source of spoil. An attempt has been made
to name the pits of Ford Moss on the accompanying map (Figure
5). But blanks exist . . . the sites of Handysides Pit of the 1770s
and Ben Oxley's Pit have not been located.

James Marshall of Ford, aged 73 years in 1968, was employed
in 1908 to cart coals to customers in the locality. He was paid 7
shillings for a week's work of 6 days, each of 12 hours. The coals,
horse-drawn in carts of 10 cwt capacity, cost 4s. 6d. for the poorer
grade of 'cobbles' or 12s. 6d. per load of the best grade. James
Marshall collected his loads from shafts and drifts, both being in
use in 1908. The remains of a beam type weighing machine, used
to fill 1 cwt bags, were found on the edge of the moss in 1968.

In 1980 the occupant of the nearby Linthaugh Farm, 76-year-
old Andrew Patten, told of going to Ford Moss in 1916 with an
old horse and cart to collect loads of coal. 'Mr Pescod used to
say, fill the cart right up so that more than a ton is loaded'. The
12-year-old Patten used to take a 10s. note for each load and, on
delivery, received the sixpence when the coals had to be put into
a coalhouse. If the load was dumped he went without the
sixpence. Today, both the memories and field evidence of Ford
Moss' industrial past are fast fading. The moss, now a designated
nature reserve, seems an unlikely site for such a thriving mining
complex and community. It is difficult to believe, as Mrs Mason
recalled in 1968, that there were in her childhood 32 miners'
cottages on the site.

LOWICK BLOCK

This north-central block (Figure 6) lies immediately to the east
of the Ford Moss block and its boundaries are:

248

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

BLACRCH ESTER HILL

/ MOSS PIT

/'

/

/'

HOUSES /

/

/•

• STEAD pit

©

© OLD SHAFTS
O \

\

FORD MOSS

/

/ •

furnace pit

I

STABLE S. 4 SHEDS
TEMPLE PIT

FORD MOSS

CP i %

track. SCHOOL HOUSE . COOPER EYE PIT

Figure 5. Ford Moss Colliery.

Figure 6. Lowick Block.

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

249

Northern

Base of the Scremerston triangle from
Berrington Lough to % mile east of
New Haggerston.

Eastern

Vertical south to V2 mile north-west of
Holburn.

Southern

Horizontal west to near Roughtinglinn.

Western

Eastern vertical of Ford Moss block.

Between Lowick and Bowsden large scale quarrying and
limestone burning was carried on in the past.23 Associated with
this, and an extractive industry in its own right, was local coal
mining. Central in this block is the township of Lowick and,
additional to the pits of Lickar and Lowick, there were numerous
exploitations on either side of the 4V2 miles of the B6525, Ancroft
to Doddington road, that crosses the block. This cluster included
the mines of Dryburn, Barmoor, Kemping Moss and Biteabout.

Lowick workings

In 1822 an advertisement24 told of a coalmine at Lowick West
Field:

TO BE LET

THE COLLIERY AND LIME WORKS of
LOWICK WEST FIELD. For further particulars
apply to MR JOHN HOPE, who resides on
the Property, by whom Proposals, will be
received until the 2nd February, 1822.

Lowick West Field, Jan. 8th 1822

The Fawcet Coal and the Scremerston Main Coal, or Blackhill
Seam, were formerly wrought on the east side of the Low,
opposite Lowick Low Stead.25 Another working, Lowick Colliery,
although producing for landsale between 1865 and 1877, appears
to have closed in 1885 when the tenant was Robert Wright and
the manager was John Duff. Lowick Colliery was not listed after
1885. In 1880 a new pit was sunk on the farm of Brownridge, IV4
miles south of Lowick, and coal was struck at 13 fathoms. This
prompted hopes that Lowick could, in 1880, be returning to more
prosperous times.26 The hopes were not realised.

Dryburn Colliery

Sited on the western side of the Berwick to Wooler (B6525)

250 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

road 7Vi miles south of Berwick, this, at 34 fathoms depth, was
one of the deepest mines in the district. The Lickar Main Coal
was worked27 and the Ordnance Survey point to Dryburn being
active in 1866.

Lickar Colliery

A mile to the east of Dryburn Colliery, at 32 fathoms, Lickar
Colliery was another relatively deep pit. Opened in 1854 it, like
its near neighbour, was operational in 1866, when the tenant was
J. Stephenson. In 1799 John Fuller recorded that people in Berwick
occasionally bought coals from Tucker, 8 miles from Berwick.
They are fine splint ones and burn with a vivid light'.28 Fuller
obviously meant Lickar and not Lucker, which is 18 miles south
of Berwick. In 1866 Lickar Colliery had been taken over by Strutt
& Allan and by 1897 the pit was in the hands of Anthony Graham
of Lowick. The workforce in 1897 totalled 15 (13 below/2 above
ground), in 1898 it had fallen to 11 (9 below/2 above ground) and
by 1899 it was 'standing' (see Figure 7).

COALS ! COALS ! COALS !

W SANDERSON begs to inform the Public
# that the well known “ LICKAR” COALS
can now be obtained at the PIT BANK, (perfectly
fresh), without the Carts having to wait.

LICKAR COLLIERY,

BORES DEN, NEAR BEAL.

Figure 7. Lickar coal advertisement.

Barmoor Red House pits

At Barmoor Red House, 10 miles south of Berwick, the Fawcet
Coal was worked on either side of the Wooler road. The engine
pit on the eastern side was, at 24 fathoms, the deepest. In pits
west of the B6525 road the same seam was 60 feet below the Dun
Limestone. This was a good coal, 2 to 3 feet thick, with a stone
roof and stone seat. About 18 feet below, the Little Coal was also
extracted to the west of the road; this averaged 25 inches,
dwindling to 18 inches westwards, with the upper coal being
good.29

Kemping Moss pits

The Fawcet was formerly worked in Kemping Moss, to the west
of the road, north and south of Barmoor Red House. But neither

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

251

the Ordnance Survey's 6 inch sheet of the area nor the literature
give any clues to the mine locations on or around the moss. The
Fawcet or the Little Coal was also worked south of Kemping
Moss, at the outlet of which a level was driven to drain the mines
to the west. Whether the seam is unbroken across the moss is
uncertain.30

Barmoor Colliery

In 1828 among the residents of Barmoor were Jackson & Curl,
lime burners and coal proprietors. More than half a century later,
in 1886, there was still in the village a lime burner and coal owner,
John Brown. The colliery, sited 300 yards north-west of Lowick
Southmoor, was working in 1866 and continued into the opening
of the new century. The numbers employed by John Brown in
Barmoor Colliery in its final five years were:

Below Above

ground ground

1898

1899

1900

1901

1902

12 3

12 3

20 3

11 2

8 2

After the closure in 1902, an unsuccessful attempt was made in
1905 by Kidd & Armstrong of Barmoor to re-open the mine, when
three men (2 below/1 above ground) were employed for a short
period.

Biteabout Colliery

Biteabout, 200 yards west of Lowick Southmoor and 200 yards
south of Barmoor Colliery, had a pit, 32 fathoms deep. The shaft,
at 20 fathoms, passed through the Blackhill Seam, which varied
from 2 to 3 feet with bands of stone. At the bottom of the shaft
the Main Coal was reached and this was the principal seam
worked at Biteabout for a long period of time. It was 2 feet 2 inches
thick and of good quality.31 Biteabout closed before 1902. The
Main Coal was also wrought at a depth of 20 fathoms in another
old shaft, 130 yards north-west of Biteabout farm.32 One of the
daughters of James Stuart, the well known Jimmy Strength of
Berwick, was married to James Halliday, a collier at the
Biteabouts.33

KYLOE BLOCK

The block containing the Kyloe Hills is situated to the east of
the Lowick cluster. Its northern margin is the base of the

252

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Scr£merston triangle from New Haggerston to Beal Point; its
eastern limit, the coastline, meets the southern horizontal from
near Holburn at Budle Bay (Figure 8). This block contained poor
workings at Kyloe, Fenwick Stead and Kentstone.

A1 East Coast Railway

Kyloe Colliery

The Book of Rates for Norham and Islandshire in 1647 and 1652,
that was confirmed in 1680, included an entry:34

Killoe Colliery 0. Is. 8d.

This was considerably less than for Murton Colliery35 but the 17th
century sum was not inconsiderable. There are many old pits in
Kyloe Plantation, all apparently in one seam, perhaps the Fawcet.
But towards the south-western corner there are long-abandoned
pits in a lower seam. The poverty of the Scremerston measures
around Kyloe Woods is no doubt due to local damage from whin
intrusions.

Holburn Woodhouse pits

The Fawcet seems to have been exploited in pits close to
Holburn Woodhouse, which in 1866 was to the south of Kyloe
Woods, but which is now, in the final decade of the 20th century,
encompassed by forestry. The seam was thought to be of the order
of 2 feet thick.36

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

253

Fenwick Stead Working

At Fenwick Stead, a mile coastwards of East Kyloe, dark broken
fireclays and shales were noted in 1927 by members of the
Geological Survey that marked the site of an old, isolated coal
working.

Kentstone pits

Close to the farmstead of Kentstone, % mile NNW of Lowick
North Low Stead, the Fawcet Coal was worked in shallow pits.
Part of this seam had been baked by a whinstone dyke in a
shallow quarry south of Kentstone.37

DODDINGTON BLOCK

The undulating surface of this block has at its corners
Doddington Northmoor (north-west), Holburn Moss (north-east),
the western slope of Bowden Doors (south-east) and Doddington
Moor. Coal workings included those of the Coal Burn,
Doddington, Northmoor, Hetton, Holburn, Horton, Redsteads
and Wrangham (Figure 9).

KEY:

Figure

number Working(s)

Mil*

Figure

number Working(s)

1

Coal Bum pits

7

Holburn Colliery

2

Doddington Colliery

8

Hazelrigg Moss pits

3

Doddington Engine Pit

9

Hortonmoor Cottage Workings

4

Doddington Northmoor Pit

10

Horton Moor pits

5

Coalburn Houses pits

11

Redsteads pits

6

Hetton Workings

12

Wrangham workings

Figure 9 Doddington Block.

254

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Coal Burn pits

North-west of Biteabout the more southerly of the district's Coal
Burns rises close to Barmoor South Moor. Before the burn reaches
the Berwick to Wooler road the Main Coal was proved on the
western side, in a shaft 5 fathoms deep, and wrought in later pits
nearby, at depths of 10 and 20 fathoms.38

Doddington Colliery

Situated V2 mile WSW of Coalburn Houses and 11 miles south
of Berwick, this colliery was active for much of the 1860s and 1870s
when owned by S. Salisbury. By 1885 it had passed into the
ownership of Brown & Co.

Doddington Engine Pit

This large pit, 700 yards due east of Wrangham, was 30 fathoms
deep. The Main Coal in some of the old Doddington Moor pits
is thought to have consisted of three coals of a total thickness of
2 feet 11 inches and separated by two thin chalk stones. The
Blackhill Seam is poor in the neighbourhood and was little worked
while the Cooper Eye has never been wrought. The site of one
of the former pits is marked on the Ordnance Survey 1st Edition
6 inch sheet on the south-western edge of Redstarts.

Doddington Northmoor Pit

The Main Coal occurred in a shaft 360 yards south-west of
Doddington Northmoor Cottage, at a depth of 14 fathoms where
it was 28 inches thick. This pit was abandoned in 1904. Other
pits existed westwards on the Northmoor where the Main Coal
was in a disturbed state at a depth of only 18 feet. The Blackhill
Coal was met in another small shaft 100 yards SSE of Doddington
Northmoor Cottage.

Coalburn Houses pits

The southerly Coalburn gave its name to the site of cottages
near where it passes under the Berwick to Wooler road, 2V4 miles
north of Doddington. Immediately south of Coalburn Houses a
pit that was sunk to about 30 fathoms was barren. But the Main
Coal was reached at 18 fathoms in another pit close to the houses
and in a third, at 20 fathoms, on the north side of the burn. This
coal was of good quality. Half a mile to the east, and a few yards
to the south of the road, the Main Coal was some 30 inches thick
at 16 fathoms.

North Doddington Pit

A pit that has not been located appears in the Mines Depart-

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

255

merit returns as 'North Doddington'. It was listed only in 1883
under the ownership of William Moses of Beal.

Hetton workings

The Fawcet Seam was wrought in numerous pits between
Hetton Coal Houses and Hetton Steads. The deepest, at 25
fathoms, was situated 120 yards north of the Coal Burn and 200
yards west of the Lowick road. Another, 18 fathoms deep, also
in the Fawcet, was located 300 yards north of Hetton Coal Law.
The Little Coal, 18 inches thick and 18 feet below the Fawcet, is
also said to have been worked near Hetton.39

Holburn Colliery

In the shaft of the last engine pit to be sunk in 1860 at Holburn,
a mile ENE of the Hetton workings, the Scremerston or Blackhill
Coal was 2 feet 11 inches at 771/ 2 feet. Then, at a depth of 103
feet, a 12-inch seam, called the Bursting Bags or Fish & Taties
Coal, was reached. The exploitation of the bottom coal of the
Scremerston Seam in Holburn Colliery did not extend beyond
the western end of Holburn Moss where it branched.

Hazelrigg Moss pits

A coal worked to the south-east of Hazelrigg Moss had either
been the Main or Blackhill Seam. It was 24 to 25 inches thick and
split by a 20-inch stone.40 The Ordnance Survey 1st Edition 6
inches sheet included two sets of 'Old Coal Pits' at this point.

Horton Colliery

East and West Horton are 3 miles north-east of Wooler and
although the exact position of the former Horton Colliery is
unclear, it was producing for landsale in 1877.

Hortonmoor Cottage workings

There were some small pits close to Hortonmoor Cottage, but
which seam was wrought is unknown. It may have been a coal
in the Lower Limestone Group or a Scremerston Series seam.

Horton Moor pits

A pit to the south of Horton Moor was 90 feet deep to a coal
17 to 18 inches thick. Other nearby shallower pits, one of which
was sunk in 1870, found the seam to be 25 inches thick. Another
working, towards the Hetton Burn, and said to be separated from
the other pits by a 'trouble', found the same seam at 66 feet. This
coal was certainly in the Scremerston Series, but whether it was
the Fawcet, as hitherto supposed, is uncertain.

256 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Redsteads pits

Just beyond the northern limit of Horton Moor is Redsteads and
from it the Fawcet was worked pretty continuously to nearly as
far as Hortonmoor Cottage. The lower seams were never exploited
westwards, though there were trial pits a short distance from
Redsteads. The Ordnance Survey surveyors in 1860 marked one
'Old Coal Pit' south-west of Redsteads.

Wrangham workings

The Fawcet Seam has been excavated a good deal near
Wrangham and falls from surface workings were formerly
evident. The Main and Cooper Eye Coals had not been exploited
in the immediate vicinity but a coal, supposed to be the Main,
and 2 feet thick, was sunk to south-west of Wrangham Moss. Coal
was also reported to have been found near this boring.41

BELFORD BLOCK

Belford township is at the centre of a block that is bounded to
the west by the Doddington block to the north by the Kyloe block,
to the east by Budle Bay and the Coastal strip and to the south
by the Chatton block. The main workings were on Belford Moor
and at Belford, Middleton and Newlands (Figure 10).

1 0 1

1 1 1 1 1 1 . i i.i l I

Mile

Figure 10. Belford Block.

Belford Moor bell pits

On Belford Moor, south-west of Belford, coal seams, overlying
the Woodend Limestone in the Lower Limestone Group, were

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

257

worked by means of bell pits. These primitive mines, that were
amongst the oldest workings of the district,42 started from a hole
in the ground. The downwards excavation remained narrow-
necked but widened at the level of the coal seam. The resulting
cavern, with a bell-shaped elevation (Figure 11), grew until the
danger of collapsing walls resulted in the abandonment of the
pit and the digging of another nearby.

Figure 1 1 . Bell Pit, Belford Moor.

Belford Colliery

The Ordnance Survey 1st Edition 6 inches sheet, surveyed in
1860, pointed to the site of this colliery having been on the
northern side of the Seahouses road, V2 mile east of the Belford
to Alnwick trunk road, adjacent to the Belford Brick & Tile Works.
By then it had been closed. An advertisement43 revealed that the
colliery was active in the opening decade of the 19th century:

TO COLLIERS

WANTED, AT Belford, Northumberland,
a number of PITMEN,

Good workmen will meet with great Encouragement,
by applying to Mr Thomas Robson, Belford Colliery,
or to Mr Richard Pringle, Beadnell.

Beadnell, March 17, 1808

258

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Middleton Pit

In 1860 the Ordnance Survey surveyor. Major Barnaby, RE,
recorded this coal mine as active. Sited IV2 miles south-west of
Middleton Moor, it would seem to have been developed princi-
pally to supply fuel to the nearby Middleton Tile Works. An
abandoned coal pit in 1866, located 1 miles WSW of the tileworks,
had two former lime kilns sited between it and Middleton Pit.

Detchant workings

The main workings, south-west of Detchant, were in the Main
and Blackhill seams, and these two coals were wrought for nearly
IV2 miles to Detchant Coalhouses. One old pit, 670 yards north-
west of Fawcet Hill, was 20 fathoms deep to the Blackhill Coal.44
Two other abandoned pits were located a short distance south.
Detchant Colliery was active in 1826 when:45

Thomasina Drysdale, wife of William Drysdale, at Detchant Coal
Houses, was lately detected stealing coals from Detchant colliery,
and taken before P. J. Selby, of Twizel House, Esq., one of his
Majesty's fustices of the Peace, and having expressed contrition for
the offence, she was discharged on paying all expenses.

Newlands Pit

A small working at Newlands, a mile south-east of Belford, was
opened in 1900 when 4 men were employed below ground and
11 at the surface. In the following year the workforce was 17
(15 below/2 above ground) and on the 2nd April 1902 the mine
was closed, when 10 worked underground and 2 at bank. Three
old pits had existed prior to 1866 in a half-mile line at Acres, about
IV2 miles south-west of Newlands.

COASTAL STRIP

In the coastal stretch between Budle and Beadnell bays there
were workings at North Sunderland and Beadnell (Figure 12).
These represented an outlier to the district.

Seahouses & North Sunderland workings

According to the Ordnance Survey 6 inch sheet of 1865 a coal
shaft existed between Seahouses and the Snook or North
Sunderland Point. An advertisement46 of 1857 pointed to North
Sunderland Colliery being opened up or reopened:

PITMEN WANTED

WANTED AT NORTH SUNDERLAND
COLLIERY

10 Pitmen Hewers & 6 Putters

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

259

/ M

In 1865 there were two old pits to the south of Shoreston Hall,
IV2 miles north-west of Seahouses.

Beadnell pits

Borings made in the vicinity of Beadnell revealed numerous coal
seams, only two of which exceeded 2 feet in thickness. One of
these, the Beadnell Coal, was wrought locally for domestic
purposes and limestone burning. The seam was of variable
thickness, seldom less than 2 feet 6 inches and generally about
3 feet. At one point it was reported to be 6 feet thick, and of
superior quality to any coal in the district. It lay, however, below
sea level.47 In 1889 members of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club
on a visit to Beadnell, left the village for Ebb's Nook and
immediately noted subsidences in the field, caused by entry of
the sea into the pit, at low water mark, at Tod's Point. The
members were informed that legal proceedings confirmed the pit
flooding to have been intentionally carried out in 1813 by an
adjoining colliery tenant. When Beadnell was listed as a landsale
colliery in 1887 the owners were R. Taylor & others, with the
manager being R. F. Spence. It was not listed in 1889 but it was
reported to the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club members in 1890
that Beadnell Colliery 'had recently been repaired by Mr Craster'.
By 1899 it was closed because of 'too much water'.

Tod's Point in 1890 was of interest when the sites could still
be seen of ancient salt pans, lime kilns and old coal mine shafts.

260 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

The kilns and salt pans had almost disappeared into the sea. A
map of 1759 showed four draw-kilns in working order, and a
windmill in operation at the pit shaft.48

CHATTON BLOCK

The southernmost block of the north Northumberland coalfield
(Figure 13) has as its boundaries:

Northern

Southern horizontal of the Belford block
from Old Lyham to A1 road near Old
Mousen.

Eastern

5 miles stretch of A1 from Old Mousen
to Brockdam.

Southern

Horizontal from Brockdam to Hepburn.

Western

Vertical from Hepburn to Old Lyham.

Contained within these bounds were the collieries or pits of
Chatton, Linkeylaw, Coalhouses, Twizell and Wandylaw.

A 1

Chatton Colliery

Sited 3 miles north-west of Chatton, this colliery was active in
the 1840s when it was managed by Mr S. Dry den. The shaft was
25 fathoms in depth to the Cooper Eye Seam. Listed in 1883

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

261

and 1884 as a landsale colliery it was owned by the Chatton Coal
& Lime Co. It was managed by R. Brown, before being abandoned
in 1893, when it was reported that coal reserves were exhausted.
However, the colliery reopened in 1897, when owned by Robert
Brown, and with a workforce of only:

Under Above

ground ground

1897 5 2

1898 5 2

1901 4 2

1902 5 2

Chatton Colliery was finally abandoned in January 1903.

Linkeylaw pits

In the vicinity of Linkeylaw, 2 miles WNW of Chatton township,
the Cooper Eye was the most worked seam. West of Linkeylaw
plantation, near the bend in the road, three shafts were sunk.
The first, an air shaft, 25 fathoms deep, was 200 yards due north
of the bend; the second, about 100 yards north-west of the air
shaft was 15 fathoms deep; and the third, 75 yards to the south-
west, was 12 fathoms in depth. The Blackhill Coal was also
worked to the north of Linkeylaw plantation.

Coalhouses pits

At Coalhouses, 2 miles due east of Chatton, a 3 feet seam of
coal was worked while to the south of this working two seams,
the Main Coal and the Blackhill Seam, were wrought.49

Twizell pits

Three distinct groups of workings can be identified close to
Twizell House, 4 miles south of Belford, on the western side of
the A1 road. Immediately west of the South Dean stream a small
belt of bell pits marked a workable coal seam, probably the
Fawcet. A coal, again likely to be the Fawcet, was tapped at North
Wood, Vi mile north of Twizell House. The thickness of this seam
is unknown. Old coal pits south of Hemphole plantation and in
the dene north of Chuck Bridge seem also to have been in the
Fawcet. These workings are thought to have been stopped just
north of Chuck Bridge by a 'trouble'.50

Wandylaw pits

The workings in the south-eastern corner of the Chatton Block
were on Wandylaw Moor. A seam, the Ten-Inch Coal, some 16
feet above the Main Coal, was worked into the final decade of the

262 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

19th century. In 1897 Wandylaw Colliery, a listed working, was
owned by James Scouler & Co., of Chathill, and managed by John
Moody. The Wandylaw Moor workings could also be referred to
as being at Clattery.

Opencast mining

In 1986 Northumberland County Council issued a consultation
document. The Coal Industry in Northumberland , and the only
prospect of future mining in north Northumberland was thought
to be opencast. Two sites, at Unthank and Allerdean, had earlier
been identified for prospecting in a 1982 review. The then British
Coal Opencast Executive, in order to establish the presence or
absence of coal workable by opencast means, established the
existence of substantial reserve of steam-raising coal at the two
sites in question — in excess of 9 million tonnes and 12 million
tonnes in the Unthank and Allerdean sites respectively. By 1986
British Coal had no plans to work these sites within the ten-year
period covered by the local authority review.

In 1986 a private operator, R. & A. Young, received planning
permission to excavate coal by opencast mining at Jock's Law,
Bowsden. A small labour force removed 70 feet of soil and subsoil
to reach the coal. When doing so a series of underground tunnels
were discovered that had formerly been used by drift miners. A
second opencast site at Lickar Lea has also been worked.51 The
1986 consultation document listed five areas in Northumberland
of possible interest to opencast site operators, one of which
includes 'sites within the Scremerston Coal Group south of
Berwick upon Tweed'. It would thus be premature to suggest that
the closure of Allerdean Drift in 1966 marked the end of north
Northumberland coal mining.

Accidents

As Thomson observed, after visiting Greenlaw-walls Colliery
in 1833, accidents were uncommon in the mines of the district.
'Inflammable air or carburetted hydrogen' never appeared and
the only inconvenience arose from bad ventilation . . . when
carbonic acid built up in the extremity of a level and could not
be readily expelled. A man, reported Thomson, had lately been
killed by this gas. As a consequence of the rarity of underground
accidents from gas, no precautions were deemed necessary for
the safety of the miners. Safety lamps were not employed, a
candle stuck in a piece of clay sufficed. In 1833 the Davy lamp
was not known, except to those colliers who had worked in
Newcastle mines.52

An accident had occurred in the Southern Sector of the field

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

263

seven years before Thomson had gone underground at Greenlaw-
walls, and the Berwick weekly newspaper reported53 on the event
in October 1826:

FATAL ACCIDENT — At Ford Colliery, on the evening of Thursday,
the 12th instant, when Thomas Tait, a youth about 17 years of age,
was at the shaft of the pit, a piece of coal fell from a tub that was
near the bank, and struck his head with such violence as to deprive
him of his senses. He continued in the same state of insensibility
from 9 o'clock when the accident happened until 5 the next morning
when he expired.

The worst flooding accident in the area under review occurred
on the 18th May 1841: 54

COLLIERY ACCIDENT

On Wed. last week, David Roger, pitman, while working a drift at
Chatton Colliery, 'holed' into an old working, where a quantity of
water was standing. He instantly gave the warning to his
companions — viz. George Dryden, another hewer, James Devine,
a Tallyman, and Robert Goodwill, a putter, who all set to work and
turned the water so as to fill all the other workings before it came
into the one where they were. By doing this they were enabled to
reach the shaft to safety; but on arriving there to their utter
astonishment, there was no one on the bank to rescue them from
the approaching danger. For more than two hours they remained
at the shaft, using every means in their power to make known their
perilous situation, but to no purpose. The water which had been
rising all this time, and was still making, had become nearly a yard
deep, in the shaft, up to the boys' waists. As the pit was now nearly
'roofed', the only way in which they could save themselves from
a watery grave was to return again into the pit, where their prospects
were in nowise cheering. If they remained where they were, then-
death from drowning seemed nearly inevitable; and if they could
succeed in reaching the higher ground in the pit they would have
bad air to contend with. Out of two evils they chose what seemed
the least, and after having made a last and vigorous but unsuccessful
shout, they with sad hearts left the light of day, which they never
again destined to look upon. After much fatigue and some danger,
they reached the other side of the water; but the air was so bad that
their candles would not burn, thus rendering their situation a very
irksome one. The two men groped their way to the hole through
which the water was pouring, and having been fortunate in laying
hold of two pieces of prop, they drove one into each side or the
aperture, ana with stones and rubbish, which they put behind the
stakes, they succeeded in stopping the greater part of the water that
was pouring forth. But for this fortunate event, they might have been
shut up in this place for days, and perhaps have never been got
out alive. Nine o'clock in the evening was the hour at which they
were to leave the pit, to make way for another set; but as they did
not make their appearance when it was fully half an hour past their
time, one of those who were on the bank was let down and soon
discovered the cause. This was immediately made known at the
Redhouse, and all hands there were at work drawing the water to

264

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

rescue those who were engulfed; and a boy was sent off to Belford
for Mr S. Diyden, the master of the Colliery, who with a few others
made no delay in hastening to the spot, where they found the men
much fatigued by drawing the water. The barrels were kept hard
going until a little after 4 oxlock in the morning, when one of them,
who had nearly reached the top of the pit full of water, gave way
at the cross bar and fell to the bottom, a distance of 20 fathoms, and
broke the other barrel also. This unprovided for event caused great
dismay amongst those who had been working so manfully and
eagerly to rescue their fellow workmen. However, as little time as
possible was lost in procuring another set of barrels; and two men
who had been let down into the pit, having discovered that the men
and boys were all alive, new vigour was infused into the workmen.
Although men had been let down at intervals during the night, this
was the first intimation which could be procured of the sufferers
being alive. Shortly after the new set of barrels had been put in
operation, many fresh hands arrived and were set to work, each
appearing anxious to render all the assistance in his power. A little
after 11 o'clock, the four sufferers were got up, trie boys much
exhausted from the effect of the bad air; the men, being stronger,
were not so much exhausted. The following is the excuse given by
the banksman, who had left his post. Having a sister nearly at the
point of death (since dead), some of those who were not at work
had been in the habit of relieving him a little sooner than the usual
hour, 6 o'clock. About 4 o'clock pm, he saw two youths leave their
dwellings, as he considered, to relieve him, and anxious to be home
he immediately left, but instead of the youths going direct to the
pit, they did not get there until 6 o'clock, when all appeared to be
right. From this account it appears that those in the pit had come
to the shaft shortly after the banksman had left; and that they had
been forced to abandon it only a few minutes before the youths
reached the pit. Mr S. Dry den, the master of the colliery, narrowly
missed being dashed to pieces, he having been let down," and drawn
up again in the barrel only a few minutes before it broke down.

The three accidents detailed for the Southern Sector are no more
than a sample of those that occurred in the course of several
centuries. Further research will reveal other accidents, both fatal
and non-fatal.

Labour relations

The surviving documentation on north Northumberland coal-
mining does not give a high priority to working conditions or
relationships between employers and men. The first dispute that
has been traced was in January 1820, when the pitmen of the
district, after refusing to work, were criticised by the editor of
the local newspaper:55

The pitmen, we believe, have resumed their labours at all the
collieries in this neighbourhood. It was natural to suppose that
however resolute they could not hold out much longer, for generally
speaking, people of their profession are not the best economists in
the world. Necessity of course, not duty, compelled them to return

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

265

to work. Had they had the smallest regard to duty, or those religious
principles which they all profess, and some in a more eminent
degree, they would not have allowed their caprice or self-interest
to carry them so far as to make them forget that by their delinquency
the comforts of their fellow creatures were diminished, and even
their existence endangered. Whatever misunderstandings might be
between them and their employers, they should have remembered
that the public has no concern with them. The public will henceforth
know how to appreciate their merits, and will, no doubt, take
precautionary measures to prevent the recurrence of such
inconveniences as they have lately been subjected to at this inclement
season.

Though the collieries are generally at work, they are unable to
satisfy trie demands of the district that has been these two weeks
at least on short allowance. Certain we are, that but for the
seasonable arrival of three vessels with coals from Blyth, this town
must have suffered very great hardships, as the stocks previously
laid in were either exhausted or nearly so.

The editorial comment was not without bias. A small workforce,
like that of the district, was at a distinct disadvantage when
attempting to negotiate with the masters to improve their lot.

Nevertheless, in the infancy of the trade union movement there
were signs of agitation in north Northumberland. At Durham
Quarter Sessions on the 12th January 1825, nine local pitmen were
found guilty of riot and assault at West Allerdean and each was
sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour, and,
at the end of the sentence, each to enter into his own
recognisance, in the sum of £20, to keep the peace for 12 months.
The defendants, with the exception of one, were colliers at Murton
Colliery. They were all members of a brotherhood, who
subscribed a certain weekly sum to support each other when they
were in dispute with their masters or when they refused to work.
Major Robert Johnson of Scremerston, who also had collieries in
the Murton area, had after earlier troubles with the brotherhood
men, resolved to employ no more of them. He thus replaced the
'trouble makers' with Scremerston men whom he, in turn,
replaced with men from Newcastle.

What had happened was as follows: Monday the 13th
September 1824 was Shoreswood Feast and in Mary Dodds'
public house at West Allerdean the nine accused had attacked
some of Johnson's men. It was argued, on behalf of the
defendants, that they belonged to a set of men who were perhaps
more orderly, more industrious, and more submissive to the laws,
than any other labouring class in the country. In any of the
manufacturing districts, the workmen carried their opposition to
the will of their masters to a far greater extent than ever was or
ever could be attributed to the pitmen defendants. The attorney
for the defence also contended that since Major Johnson had taken

266

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

most of the collieries in the district, competition in the trade was
greatly reduced. He was, therefore, able to pay his workmen just
what wages he pleased. Johnson had not treated his men with
the kindness and consideration which other masters had done.
Was it not fair that men could combine for the protection of their
own interest? What had been termed a formidable 'riot and
assault' was no more than a drunken brawl.56 The law, as
indicated, took its course.

A second example of poor labour relations came to light in
Berwick's magistrates' court on 16th November 1857 when
Alexander Robison and John Robison were charged with being
unlawfully absent from their contracted service with the owners
of Scremerston Colliery. They had, as coal miners, agreed for the
term of one year, from the previous 12th May, wages of 4s. 4d.
for each darg57 of 25 ¥2 bolls of coals. It was ruled that the two
accused would be punished by each forfeiting the sum of
£1. 7s. 6d. being part of the wages due to them.58 The mid-19th
century employers were determined that contracts would be
honoured. The yearly bond was still a grievance amongst north
Northumberland miners in 1873. A press report59 provided the
detail of employment issues that seemed likely to lead to strike
action:

THREATENED STRIKE OF MINERS NEAR BERWICK

The miners, working at the collieries of Shoreswood, Scremerston,
Lowick, Bite-about, Ford Moss, and Berwick Hill, all in the
neighbourhood of Berwick, held a meeting at Ancroft, on Saturday
[4th Jan], at which between 200 and 300 attended. But for the
disagreeable state of the weather there would have been more
present, but the long distances which many had to come kept them
away. Mr Frank Hope, Ancroft, was called upon to preside. The
Chairman said they were all aware what they had met there for.
There were grievances which they were labouring under, and which
they wishecfto have removed, and this could only be done by united
action, and he was happy to say that at present they were all united.
He alluded to the present high price of coal. Lately the masters in
that neighbourhood increased tne price by 2s. 6d. per ton. What
did the men get? An increase of threepence per ton. That would
show the public that it was not the working man that was the cause
of the high price of coal. It was the master. There were more
grievances, which would be spoken to by others, and he claimed
for each a patient hearing (Applause). Mr James Lindsay,
Shoreswood, the representative of tne miners in this district to the
Miners' Association of Northumberland, congratulated the miners
present on having joined the association, from which, in then-
attempt to redress their wrongs, they would receive great benefits.
In the first place, they would have to agree to the abolition of the
binding system, which would take place on the 12th of May. The
'darg' system, by which they gave the masters 22 cwt to the ton,
while the masters only gave to the buyer 20 cwt, would also have

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

267

to be abolished. It was a grand thing for the masters to be able to
save a couple of cwt upon every ton. He had spoken to Mr Burt,
the secretary of the association, on this point, and he had promised
that were it abolished the miners would have the assistance of the
association. He also alluded to the Mining Act recently passed, which
protected boys under 16 years from being kept in the pit too many
hours (Applause). Mr R. Burnet, Shoreswood, agreed with the
former speakers. He said that the yearly binding was murder, the
long hours they had to work was nothing less than manslaughter,
and the 'darg' system would force the men to commit 'suicide'. Mr
Luke Halliday, Bite-about, also recounted the grievances of the
miners, and expressed a hope that in the attempt to redress them
every one would do his best. Mr James Young, Ford Moss, moved
'That the yearly binding be abolished at the 12th of May' (Applause).
Mr James Lindsay seconded the motion which was carried with great
enthusiasm. Mr Luke Halliday moved 'That in future they only work
six hours on the face' (Hear, near). Mr Lindsay seconded the motion,
which was carried unanimously. Mr Lindsay then moved 'That the
"darg" system be abolished in this district, and that they agree only
to weight prices, as by Act of Parliament'. Mr Burnet seconded the
motion, wnich was agreed to. Mr James Young moved 'That they
agree to abolish night work', which was a great grievance. Mr James
Lindsay seconded the motion whch was carried amid great applause.
The proceedings lasted nearly two hours, and the men were very
orderly and unanimous, ana were not slow to declare that if the
terms were not agreed to by the 12th May, the result would be a
general strike.

The Ancroft meeting took place a fortnight before the Coal
Mines Regulations Act passed into law and its various provisions
took effect.60 As a counter action to the men's resolve to strike,
it was reported locally 'that at the close of the present
arrangements, the masters or lessees of collieries will not employ
any union men'.61 Then in April 1873 there was an indication that
the management of Scremerston Colliery was prepared to
challenge the labour force when it placed an advertisement in a
local weekly newspaper.62

SCREMERSTON COLLIERY

WANTED, at this Colliery; a number of MEN
for Shift Work, and Boys from 13 years of
age and upwards to Put and Drive.
Families will have House and Fire Coal found.
Apply to R. FAIRBAIRN at the Colliery.

Some of the men's grievances were met by the Coal Mines
Regulations Act and working conditions improved. The
threatened strike did not materialise. The masters, for their part,
were to realise that trade unionism was a force to be reckoned
with in the industry.

268

HISTORY OF TFIE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Consequences

The present paper concludes the survey of the coal mines of
north Northumberland. BerwickhilTs unique development over
four centuries, 1500-1900, was largely determined by an unusual
mine ownership, the burgesses of Berwick. Although the colliery,
in its final phase, identified with Scremerston, it was, for most
of its long history, Berwick's own coal mine. To its south the
Scremerston triangle represented the hub of the mining district.
Here were the only medium-sized mines in what was essentially
a district of small pits.

When the foremost colliery viewer of the first half of the 19th
century, John Buddie, gave evidence, on the 6th May 1829, on
the state of the coal trade he informed a select committee of the
House of Lords63 that the deepest shaft pit he knew was 180
fathoms, while the shallowest was 23 fathoms, into very inferior
coal. Thus, with the deepest in north Northumberland being
Greenwich at 110 fathoms, it and other Scremerston pits ranked
as medium to deep. The remainder were shallow and the vast
majority, as Buddie indicated, led to inferior coal. The coals mined
in the sweep of country from Duddo to Wandylaw did not match
those of Scremerston, in extent or quality. Mining in the southern
sector was more uncertain than in the triangle or at Berwickhill.
Coal was carted, from an early date, into the Scottish border
country from Ford Moss and other neighbouring pits but the
workings existed primarily to supply local domestic needs and
fire lime kilns, and according to the press report of 1820, above,
were incapable, at that time, of meeting local demands.

The cruel geology of the Scremerston triangle intensified
southwards. Cramped working conditions, wet seams and poor
ventilation persisted throughout the district. While irregular or
part-time working were both unpopular in mining communities
they were features of the district that could ease the lot of the
pitman. Adverse conditions meant that coal was seldom won
easily in north Northumberland.

It has always been the tragedy of the miner that no one sees
him at work. Because of this the hardships and dangers faced
by underground workers can never be fully appreciated. This of
course applied to pitmen everywhere. In a darkness so thick and
palpable as to seem almost solid the coalface moved forward and
the collier went where man had never gone before. The most
northerly miners of England accepted the lot of miners
everywhere. But the working conditions they faced, by United
Kingdom standards, were primitive and extreme. Hopefully, any
future extraction of coal in the district will be opencast.

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

269

SOURCES AND NOTES

1. Bainbridge, J. W. (1994). 'Coal mines of North Northumberland IT, History
of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, 46, 137-178.

2. Carruthers, R. G., et al. (1927). The geology ofBelford, Holy Island and the Fame
Islands. London: HMSO, 160-161.

3. Bainbridge, J. W. (1993). 'Coal Mines of North Northumberland I', History
of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, 46, 40-41.

4. Hardy, James (1877). 'Local Documents', History of the Berwickshire Naturalists’
Club, 8, 286-287.

5. Pease, Howard (1913). The Lord Wardens of the Marches of England and Scotland.
London: Constable, 206.

6. Cochran-Patrick, R. W. (1878). Early records relating to mining in Scotland.
Edinburgh: David Douglas, xliii-xliv.

7. Kelsall, Helen & Keith (1986). Scottish lifestyle 300 years ago. Edinburgh: John
Donald, 2 & 29.

8. Borne out by the Mines Dept (1928). Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines I.
London: HMSO, 25.

9. Berwick Record Office (hereafter BRO), DE 11, 30 September 1788.

10. Included as exhibit 15 in The Northumberland Pitman exhibition, mounted at
Northumberland's County Record Office, Melton Park, North Gosforth, in
1971.

11. Score: A standard number of corves or tubs of coal at each colliery, upon
which the hewers' prices for working were paid. These were called score
prices.

Greenwell, G. C. (1888). A glossary of terms used in the coal trade of Northum-
berland and Durham. London: Bemrose, 72-73.

12. As noted in part I of this work, a boll, or coal measure, contained 34.899
imperial gallons and its first recorded use at Berwickhill Colliery was in 1724.

13. Shaft Eyes: uncertain what this term meant, possibly another pit or working.

14. Redding: a term met in part II of this work (Bainbridge, n. 1 above, 166),
it seems likely to have come from the north country word 'red', to put in
order, to clear, to disentangle (Brockett, J. T. (1825) A glossary of north country
words. Newcastle upon Tyne. Printed: T. & J. Hodgson, 173). Thus, the mining
term 'redding', which is not included in Greenwell, op cit., appears to refer
to preparing the coal face or to the removing of stone when extending a gallery.

15. As in parts I and II, official publications have been drawn upon without specific
references being quoted.

16. Raine, James (1852). The history and antiquities of North Durham. London: John
Bowyer Nichols, 317.

17. Thomson, R. D. (1835). 'Observations on the strata of Berwickshire and North
Durham', History of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, 1, 85-89.

18. Tate, G. (1867). 'Miscellanea geologica', History of the Berwickshire Naturalists'
Club, 5, 286.

19. BRO, DE 42, 1885.

20. In the 1960s and 1970s, when the writer directed several industrial
archaeological courses at Ford Castle, a large quantity of field and documentary
material built up on the Ford Moss workings. This has been drawn upon in
the present work and while specific references are not quoted it should be

270

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

emphasised that the Delaval Papers, that relate to the Ford area, provide a
wealth of information. These are held by the Northumberland Record Office.

21. The Newcastle Journal, Sept 16 to Sept 23 1758, 3.

22. The Newcastle Courant, January 4 1783, 1.

23. Bainbridge, J. W. (1991). 'Lime Kilns of North Northumberland', History of
the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, 45, 111-137.

24. The British Gazette, & Berwick Advertiser, 12 Jan. 1822, 1.

25. Carruthers, op cit. (n. 2), 25.

26. The Berwick Advertiser, 18 June 1880, 3.

27. Carruthers, op cit. (n. 2), 161.

28. Fuller, John (1799). The history of Berwick upon Tweed. Edinburgh: Bell, et al„ 478.

29. Carruthers, op cit. (n. 2), 19.

30. Ibid.

31. Ibid.

32. Ibid.

33. Howitt, William (1842). Visits to remarkable places, 2nd series. London:
Longmans, 500.

34. Raine, op cit. (n. 16), 161.

35. Bainbridge (n. 1), 153.

36. Carruthers, op cit. (n. 2), 26.

37. Ibid., 25.

38. Ibid., 19.

39. Ibid., 19-21.

40. Ibid., 27-30.

41. Ibid., 23-24.

42. Ibid., 161.

43. The British Gazette, & Berwick Advertiser, 26 March 1808, 1.

44. Carruthers, op cit. (n. 2), 28-29.

45. The Berwick Advertiser, 14 January 1826, 4.

46. Ibid., 11 April 1857, 1.

47. Tate, George (1859). 'The Geology and Archaeology of Beadnell, in the County
of Northumberland, with a description of some Annelids of the Carboniferous
Formation', History of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, 4, 100.

48. Hardy, James (1890). 'Report of the Meetings of the Berwickshire Naturalists'
Club for the year 1889', History of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, 12, 502-504.

49. Carruthers, op cit. (n. 2), 31-32.

50. Ibid., 35-36.

51. The Berwick Advertiser, 20 August 1987, 1, and 28 January 1988, 3.

52. Thomson, op cit. (n. 17), 87-89.

53. The Berwick Advertiser, 21 October 1826. 4.

54. Ibid., 29 May 1841, 4.

55. The British Gazette, and Berwick Advertiser, 22 January 1820, 4.

56. The Berwick Advertiser, 22 January 1825, 2.

COAL MINES OF NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND III

271

57. Bainbridge (n. 3), 70.

58. Northumberland Record Office, P 11, 16 November 1857.

59. The Newcastle Weekly Chronicle, 11 January 1873, 5.

60. Coal Mines Regulation Act dealt with in:

Fynes, Richard (1873). The miners of Northumberland and Durham. Sunder-
land: Thomas Summerbell, 264-267.

61. The Berwick Journal, 10 January 1873, 2.

62. Ibid., 11 April 1873, 1.

63. Select Committee of the House of Lords (1829). The State of the Coal Trade in
the United Kingdom. London: HMSO, 50.

FURTHER READING

Armstrong, W. G. et al. (Ed.) (1864). The Industrial Resources of the Tyne, Wear and
Tees. London: Longman, Green for the British Association, 1-55.

Atkinson, Frank (1966). The Great Northern Coalfield, 1700-1900. London: University
Tutorial Press.

Atkinson, Frank (1965). 'Some Northumberland Collieries in 1724' (Journal of Sir
John Clerk). Trans. Arch, and Ant. Soc. of Durham and Northumberland. XI, 425-434.

Tuck, James T. (1993). The Collieries of Northumberland, I. Newcastle upon Tyne:
Trade Union Printing Services.

Finch, Roger (1973). Coal from Newcastle. Lavenham, Suffolk: Terence Dalton.

BORDER WOODLANDS II - ROXBURGHSHIRE

C. O. Badenoch

Scottish Natural Heritage, Galashiels

This is the second of two papers in the Club's area, which deals
with the findings of the (then) Nature Conservancy Council's
Provisional Inventory of Ancient, Semi-Natural and Long Established
Woodlands in Scotland in the Borders.

Research was not exhaustive or done by professional historians
being based on work carried out on botanical studies and records
in the late 1980s by field staff. There is no doubt that many farm
and estate records and plans will hold valuable further clues.

This paper refers to Roxburghshire District, some relevant data
for that District being included especially in the stratigraphic
pollen evidence of the previous paper on Berwickshire.

The Physical Base:

The District of Roxburgh occupies an almost rectangular area
of about 1541 sq. km. (595 sq. miles) or 33% of the Borders Region,
along the axis of the River Teviot — the largest primary tributary
of the Tweed. To the south and east the District is bounded by
the Cheviot Hills and the national Border. An historical anomaly
of this boundary is the inclusion of some of the North Tyne
catchment between Peel Fell and Carter Fell in Kielderhead. The
main tributaries of the Teviot system in the north Cheviots are
the Kale, Oxnam, Jed, Rule and Slitrig waters lying almost parallel
to one another, at almost regular intervals and separated by
moderately high (c. 1200 feet, 365 m.) interfluves.

Westwards the District abuts Annandale and Eskdale District
along the Teviot-Esk watershed of the Langholm-Newcastleton
Hills, Hermitage and Teviothead. From Teviothead the District
boundary descends across the stepped plateaux of the lower hills
between the Ettrick and Borthwick Waters, and the Ale and Teviot
waters, prior to its descent into the Tweed valley. A northern
angle takes in part of the Eden catchment from which the
boundary turns east along the small volcanic ridges between
Smailholm and Stichill, to meet the River Tweed at Birgham and
the national Border at Carham.

Reorganisation of Local Government in 1975 formed the 'new'
District and resulted in the revision of the old county boundary
with c. 16 sq. kms gained from Berwickshire, and c. 203 sq. kms
lost to the 'new' Ettrick and Lauderdale District.

272

BORDER WOODLANDS II - ROXBURGHSHIRE

273

Geology:

The underlying geology is complex, the western part being
mainly composed of Silurian age flags, grits, greywackes and
shales (both Wenlockian and Llandovery) which are much folded
and inclined. Locally they contain marly grits with calcareous
nodules and fossiliferous beds in the greywackes. Smaller areas
of Wenlockian sediments occur away from the main Silurian mass
at the Riccarton Inlier between Hawick and Newcastleton (in
Carboniferous rock) and along the northern edge of the Cheviot
lavas at Wauchope, Edgerston and Oxnam.

The Lower Old Red Sandstone is represented mainly by the
Cheviot Volcanic Series along the Cheviot massif, north-east of
Carter Bar.

Upper Old Red Sandstone rocks occupy a rough square centred
on Jedburgh. However, a long faulted strip of UORS sediments
runs south-west from this main sheet towards Riccarton and
Langholm, and other smaller eroded outliers occur elsewhere.
The main geological site interest of the District lies in the
unconformable junctions between the highly inclined Silurian
strata and these more horizontal, overlying. Upper Old Red
Sandstones.

Distinction between the Upper Old Red Sandstone and the
beginning of the Carboniferous deposits in the area is unclear in
many of the sedimentary rocks. However the 'Kelso Traps' are
a series of basaltic lavas occurring in the base of the Carboniferous
and lying in a great horse-shoe shape round the town of Kelso
from Smailholm, through Stichill, Makerstoun, Roxburgh and
into Sprouston, south of the Tweed.

East of Kelso the carboniferous cement stones of the Calciferous
Sandstone Series extend eastwards to form the base of the
'Berwickshire' Merse. These strata also occur along the Border
from Leithope Forest, just east of Carter Bar, westwards to
Wauchope, Newcastleton and Riccarton. These are the main
constituents though there are small areas of Carboniferous
Limestones in the extreme south-west and small igneous
intrusions.

Later rocks are almost absent from the District with the
exception of the remarkable Acklinton dyke of Tertiary Age which
bisects the District from Alemuir to Catcleuch at the northern end
of its long run to the Northumberland coast.

Landform:

Prior to the eruption of the Cheviot lavas in the Upper Old Red
Sandstone era, the Silurian sediments of the District were subject
to intense lateral pressure and folding, giving rise to steep

274

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

highly-compressed strata variably dipping along a north-east to
south-west axis. These surfaces were much eroded and exag-
gerated by glacial flow along the same axis, and can be seen in
the corrugated topography of the north-west part of the District
and around Hawick. Later rocks, however, have less intensive
folding and dip more gently.

The primary drainage patterns and valley features of the District
had been established prior to the Tertiary era and by Pliocene
times drainage was similar to the present day.

Ice flows of the Pleistocene were mostly from the gathering
areas of the Galloway and Tweedsmuir Hills and, to a much lesser
extent, from the Cheviot. The smoothing and eroding of the upper
plateaux, differential deposition of huge till plains in the valley
systems and exaggeration of volcanic knolls into crag-and-tail
features (e.g. Smailholm) are evident now, with, perhaps most
spectacular of all, the great drumlin field of the Merse and
Tweedside. Post glacial retreat and fluvioglacial activity also
produced various drainage and depositional features. These were
most obvious in the modification of the Jed/Oxnam course,
changes in Bowmont Water and the much documented capture
of Kale Water by Teviot — all probably the result of damming
by the relict valley glaciers of Teviot and Tweed. In the same area
overflow channels (Morebattle, etc.), sand and gravel deposits
(Eckford), sub-glacial streams (Linton Loch) and river terracing
(Kelso) occur.

Climate:

Despite the range of altitude (<18-608 m.), less than one-fifth
of Roxburgh lies over 305 m. (1,000 feet) in a thin strip to the south
and west (but excluding Liddesdale). The District is one of the
driest (rainfall range 635-1,778 mm; <25-70 inches) and least
oceanic in Scotland, with extremes of exposure confined to a few
areas in the south and west: Langholm-Newcastleton Hills, Peel
Fell and Cauldcleuchhead. High summer temperatures keep the
relative humidity low although the phenomenon of North Sea
'haar' extends unusually far inland up the Tweed valley in May
and June. The best summary of climatic features is obtained from
the maps and papers of Birse and Dry (1970). Birse and Robertson
(1970) and Birse (1971) of the Macaulay Institute for Soils Research,
from which Table 1 is compiled. The bulk of the District falls into
Hemi-oceanic, north temperate or Hemi-boreal climate more akin
to the Lothians and Berwickshire Merse than the other Border
Districts.

BORDER WOODLANDS II - ROXBURGHSHIRE

275

Table One (see text for sources)

Lowland (East
Kelso)

District Range

of Upland (Cauldcleuch and
Peel Fell )

Accumulated temperature

above 5.6° in Day Degrees C. <1375° 550-825°

Accumulated frost in Day
Degrees C. below 0°

Moderate winters Rather severe winters
50-110° (mean 110-230°
c. 70°)

Exposure based on average
annual wind speed relative to
known tree/shrub growth

Potential water deficit

Sheltered

<2.6m/second

Dry lowland
< 75 mm

Very exposed
6.2-8.0m/second

Wet upland 0 mm
(summer rainfall exceeds
evapo-transpiration by
>500 mm)

Early Forest History: Pollen and Stratigraphic Evidence

Pollen and stratigraphic studies are few and, unfortunately,
some relate solely to Devensian (late glacial) studies which are
scarcely relevant here and none are known from Liddesdale
which, because of its south-western aspect and climate, might
have been expected to have a quite distinctive woodland
composition compared with the rest of the District, and more
similar to Dumfriesshire and the Cumbrian coastal plain.

The extreme north-east of the District may well accord with the
results published for Threepwood Moss (Durno, 1967) and
Mannion (1979) described in the previous paper (q.v.). The most
salient feature here is the importance of Birch and Hazel
throughout the upper column, into Neolithic, followed in
importance by Alder, and only then by mixed Oakwood.

In the east of the District some indication is given by the
stratigraphic and carbon dating studies of Switsur and West (1973)
and Hibbert & Switsur (1976) at Din Moss, near Kelso, and
palyonological limnological and stratigraphic work of Mannion
(1975, 1979) and Linton Loch, Morebattle.

In summary these investigations indicate an arboreal invasion
(largely Birch and Pine) with declining open-ground species by
9824-190 years Before Present (BP). A marked rise of Hazel follows
with Oak and Elm values increasing steadily, with Pine values
remaining constant and Birch dominant until circa 7300 years ago
when Alder appears.

Between 6500 and 5300 years (BP) the climatic optimum is
approached and mixed Oak and Elm + Alder forest is significant,
with Alder forming up to 50% of the arboreal pollen. Birch is well
represented, but Pine low.

276 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

The Elm decline is dated at 5341 — 70 years BP and thereafter
the herb and graminid values increase into the Neolithic Alder
and mixed Oak forest predominating while Elm, Birch and Pine
values decrease.

In the south, on the Tweed-Solway shed, above Liddesdale,
Durno (1967) investigated a site on saddle-peat at Note o' the
Gate, in the Peel Fell area. Here the pattern was not dissimilar
except for the marked dominance of Alder right through the
column from the Atlantic period. Mixed Oak forest was a constant
denoting its 'position of considerable importance in the forest of
the Border country'. But Pine is sparse and Durno states 'there
is no evidence to suggest that Pinewoods had flourished in this
area'. Anderson (1967) also considers that Pine was only a minor
constituent mainly on the glacial sands of the Tweed valley, to
the north.

Preliminary results of recent work by Bell (unpublished) and
Tight (1987) from Reading University in the central (Adderstonlee
and Woodhead Mosses) and western parts (W. Branxholme Moss
and Ringside Fen) of the District would indicate that lower areas
of Teviotdale had mixed Oak/Elm forest while the western heights
and border with Ettrick shows the greater preponderance of
Alderwood plus Birch/Hazel as on the southern edge, with Oak
at favourable locations.

Ash seems to have been a species of the climatic optimum and
thereafter, with little evidence before then. It is a usual component
of the basic, often flushed clays of mixed Elm woodland with Oak
which occupy the richer valleysides and deans of the Silurian
and Carboniferous rocks. Tilia (Lime, unspecified) and Hornbeam
also appear in the pollen record at the south-eastern sites — Din
Moss and Linton — perhaps surprisingly for such thermophilic
species. However neither appears to persist into the Sub- Atlantic
period.

Neolithic to Iron Age:

The area supported increasing settlement from Neolithic times
(Smith, 1982) and Mannion (1975) found charcoal layers in Linton
Loch which might have been the result of slash-and-burn
although compared with the Continent, Scotland has little
evidence of this activity.

Anderson (1967, p. 62) considered that during the Iron Age the
valleys on rich rocks and the hill slopes of the northern region
of the Southern Uplands would have 'choked' with forest. There
must, however, have been considerable clearance of woodland
when the number and distribution of Iron Age and earlier
settlements are considered.

BORDER WOODLANDS II - ROXBURGHSHIRE

277

Tipping (1996) has, more recently, started to research the evi-
dence of mineral sediment deposition especially in the Bowmont
Valley and at Yetholm Loch and considers that a wide degree of
forest clearance in that area must have taken place in the Iron
Age. The situation for heavier, damper, less accessible and
agriculturally desirable Silurian-derived clays in the western part
of the District remains to be seen.

Roman:

The Roman occupation and period of military control probably
had a greater impact on woodland in Roxburgh than anywhere
else in the Borders except round Trimontium, mostly along the
main route of Dere Street and its subsidiary grid between fortlets,
signal stations and marching camps — Chew Green (Northum-
berland), Woden Law, Pennymuir, Cappuck, Chesters, Berwick
(Devil's Causeway).

Roman weaponry has been found locally (Selkirk) in association
with Urns (Auroch) bones and skulls. This animal was probably
the major native grazing animal and must have occupied open
scrub forest or large clearings of high forest where grassland
predominated.

Anglian:

The Dark Ages remain so. While locally there may have been
a re-advance of some scrub and coppice woodland cover on
ground formerly cleared, the continuation of native tribal
development and its passage into the Northumbrian kingdom of
Bernicia in the mid-500s give no reason to suggest a major re-
forestation. Anderson (1 967) having reviewed pre-historical evidence
considers that what he calls 'the forest of Jed' covered large tracts
of Roxburgh in post-Roman rimes with heavy deciduous forest
in the Merse in which there were islands of open grassland and
Birch and Pine stands; but all this is conjecture. Some of the
Anglian names — Bowden, Howden, Redden, Hadden — may
indicate forest clearing although there can be Celtic and Danish
explanations of the names. The advent of the much more efficient
Anglian plough must also have had implication for forest cover
as heavier soils were thus made available for cultivation. Bede
records corn cultivation by the 7th century on Bowmont well into
the northern slopes of the Cheviots, where there were
conspicuous Anglian settlements such as Sprouston, Yetholm and
Yeavering.

12th Century:

The major ecclesiastical developments and their associated

278

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

agrarian expansion have been the next major punctuation mark
on Roxburgh forests. The monastic expansion is impressive with
priories at Canonbie, Coldstream, Eccles (1156), Dryburgh,
Jedburgh, Kelso (1128), Melrose (1136) and Roxburgh, and
numerous 'attached' cells or chapels such as Mericoingsla
(Mervinslaw, Camptown). The effects of the pannage, pasturage
and cropping must have been considerable. In 1147 at Roxburgh
David I gifted the whole tithe of his coppice.

A charter in Abbotsrule dated 1153 refers to rights of wood
and plain, and further west charters refer to 'Vuirherwood',
'Nether Harwood', 'Kirkwood' and 'HareswoodhilT . Charters
relating to Jed forest contain names suggesting at least proportion
of woodland: 'Akiebrae', 'Castlewood', 'Castlewodeburn',
'Woodbetleyis' (Anderson, pp. 97-98).

But the drier north Cheviot face fared particularly badly; Anselm
of Molle granted to the monks of Melrose rights in his wood of
'Molope' (Mowlhope, Molle) to take as much brushwood as one
horse could carry away. A liberty to brushwood was also granted
to Kelso Abbey in 1198. Eight years before Kelso also had liberty
to graze 700 sheep and 120 cattle and to take from the wood
materials for sheep-cotes and leave their stock at large. This last
must be a rarity for the period.

Around the same time reference is made to a point above
'Halseberge' where the wood and arable land met, of wood and
meadow in Molle, and between Molle and Hulescheschou
('Hyllohishou'). Anderson interprets this as possibly Hoselaw, 12
kilometres north but it is more probably Elisheugh 2 km north.
In neighbouring Morebattle, Kelso Abbey held by 1180 the liberty
to graze 1000 sheep in the area called 'Pranwrsete', although this
was later reduced to 400 (see Anderson, 1967).

13th Century:

By 1236 Alexander had granted the liberty of free forest in Molle
to Melrose, and in 1279 this right was given also to William de
Sprouston for other areas of 'Mow' by John de Vesci, Lord of
Alnwick and Sprouston (Gilbert, 1979, p. 185).

In 1288 John Cumin (Comyn), bailiff for the King at Jedworth,
charged himself rent for a 'new park' on the place used for the
Queen's stud. There are also entries for sales of deadwood
(Exchequer Rolls) and for 900 perches (4950 yards) of ditch and
hedge (fosse and haye) constructed around both the wood and
meadow at Jedworth, possibly at Ferniehurst (Innes 1860, Scotland
in the Middle Ages , quoted by Anderson).

In 1288 timber was carried to Jedburgh castle from the lands
of 'Sweeny' — i.e. the Swinnie, now a post-war Forestry
Commission plantation on heather moor.

BORDER WOODLANDS II - ROXBURGHSHIRE

279

Pannage also must have been widespread although the
references found are few and there are references to grants at
Werk (1266) and Redale (1288) on the Northumberland border.

14th Century:

The whittling away of the woodland resource continued
through the early 14th century by which time Kelso had been
granted 'stac and slac' in Scrogges wood ' Altonburn' (Attonburn,
on Bowmont) for timber for securing their sheep and making rods
to repair their plough (Innes, 1850-55, Origines Parochiales Scotiae
quoted by Anderson).

Ridpath (1848) refers to Barbour relating an engagement c. 1316
between Lord Douglas and the Earl of Richmond, who
commanded on the English marches and led 10,000 men to attack
Douglas in Jed forest and 'provided them with axes to hew down
the forest itself, which was one of the securest retreats of their
enemies'. Douglas had, 'with the materials supplied' erected
'comfortable huts for his men and a habitation for himself on the
haugh at Lintalee'.

At the later punitive invasion by John of Gaunt, Duke of
Lancaster, c. 1385 the English historian Knighton is quoted by
Anderson as stating that it was possible at one time to hear the
sound of 80,000 (or 24,000?) axes felling timber in the woods and
that the timber cut 'was given as fodder to the fire'. Presumably
this devastation was confined to the Borders and Lothians since
Lancaster withdrew from Edinburgh.

Some idea of declining local timber resources became apparent
at this time. The Exchequer Rolls give records of 240 'Estland
burdis' imported for the repair of the Minorite Church at
Roxburgh in 1333, with another 530 seized at Berwick. At
Roxburgh Castle in 1386 the English garrison required to purchase
wood for its repair from the north of England — although
admittedly there may have been some local resistance to supply!
(Anderson p. 131).

15th-16th Centuries:

By the late mediaeval and Stuart period it is evident that sheep
farming and pastoralism had taken over from forest and hunting
as the main land resources. Timber for a siege at Roxburgh Castle
in 1460 was brought from as far as Glenlyon, in Perthshire. Jed
forest in particular had suffered from the rise in pastoralism and
the incessant Anglo-Scottish warring. Some woods were left
however and Anderson cites a charter (1558) detailing
'Chapmansyde with woods thereof', 'Over Bonchester with
woods', 'Gaithouscott with woods', 'Firth with teinds and

280

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

woods', 'Castlewood' etc. However these were clearly small parts
of farm holdings, not extensive tracts. The same author quotes
the Earl of Surrey (1523) observing Ferniehurst at Jedburgh that
'stode marvelous strongly within a great woode'.

John Major's Description of Scotland 1521 (ed. P. H. Brown, 1893)
says, 'In the Southern Part of Scotland, forests are few for which
reason coal is burned and stone, peat or turf and not wood

By the 1540s John Leland (c. 1535-43) wrote of adjacent
Northumberland, '. . . be no forests excepte Chivot hills, where
is much brush-wood, and some okke . . . but the great wood of
Chiveot is spoyled now and crokyed old trees and schrubs
remay ne'.

In the late 16th century Sir Robert Carey set up a camp
somewhere in the 'wastes' of the moors, near the head of the
North Tyne. 'The chief outlaws at our coming fled and betook
themselves to a large and great forest . . . which was called Tarras.
It was of that strength and so surrounded with bogs and marsh
grounds and thick bushes and shrubs as they feared not the force
nor power of England nor Scotland so long as they were there'
(Mares 1972). This would seem to imply that there was no
woodland cover in which outlaws could confidently hide in a full
200 square kilometres of the Bewcastle Fells, Larriston Fells,
Liddesdale, Hermitage and Roan Fell area.

It is striking how many of the references of the 16th century,
e.g. in the valleys of Rule and Jed, tie in with the woodlands
surveyed by T. Pont at the end of the century which survey
formed the basis for Blaeu's Atlas, 1650, almost the first reliable
map found. They include several of the 'core' of ancient woodland
found today.

17th Century:

Following the Union of Crowns and the beginning of more
lasting Border peace the Scots Privy Council in 1605 described
Liddesdale and Roxburgh, including the cutting of wood by all
and sundry so 'spoyling of the haill gayme' and 'destroyand of
the wodis and treis' (Register of the Privy Council , Series I, Vol. vii).

In 1606 the King complained against various Elliots and
Armstrongs who continued this habit and in August 1611
members of the same families were accused of hunting in the
Cheviots, spoiling the woods and making trouble with the people
there (Register of the Privy Council , Series I, Vol. vii). In the same
year action was taken against various of the Turnbulls in
Wauchope, who were accused of cutting 'growand trayis within
the woidis of Spotesyde . . .', 100 'birk trayes', 500 'grit aikis',
300 'allouris', 400 'haisailles'. They 'has waistit and destroyit

BORDER WOODLANDS II - ROXBURGHSHIRE

281

the saidis woidis7 (Pitcairn, 1833).

Buccleuch lands in Hermitage were also ravaged by men from
Teviotdale who cut in the wood of 'Gorrumberrie7 (Gorrenbery)
upwards of 440 Alders and other trees 7 . . . thai haif left few or
no growand treis at all thairuntill, the same being formalie
replensheist with grite stoin of all kyndis of growand tries7
(. Register of the Privy Council , Series I, Vol. ii, 1618).

On Teviot some care of the dwindling resource was occurring
as there was a forester looking after the woods at Branxholme
and Whithope in 1657 (SRO: Buccleuch Muniments GD 224 Box
943/23).

In 1682 there was some discussion as to whether the park at
'Branksholme7 should be fenced and kept as wood 7efter the dyke
is vuilt and the old Roolts cutt7 (SRO: Buccleuch Muniments GD
224 Box 943/23). Scott of Harwood, tenant in Braidhaugh in 1663,
was accused of cutting Ash at Branxholme park 2 7greit treis7, a
great Elm and the only Oak of any worth together with other Ash
and Birch. In defence he cited the 300 trees he had protected at
Braidhaugh. The Buccleuch records also give accounts of the use
of native and imported timber, e.g. 20 great trees for the new
house at Dinley (Hermitage) (SRO: ED 224 Box 405) and
Scandinavian timber hauled from Eyemouth to Hawick in 1686
(SRO: BD 224 939 28 quoted by Whyte, 1979). A survey of
Buccleuch woods in Liddesdale revealed that 'from the head of
Liddesdale to Blaikburne foot . . . there has been several woods
belonging to Her Grace both in Liddle and Hermitage water which
are now so much waisted that there is not the least hope of a new
growth7 (SRO: Buccleuch Muniments GD 224 Box 935).

Fraser (1878) repeats the story of the Grieve family who told
that 'formerly7 a man could ride on a white horse for the 4-5 miles
between Todrig (on Borthwick) to Castlehill (on Teviot) without
anyone seeing the horse for the thickness of the leaves.

Elsewhere in the district the picture was much the same. From
the Baron Court book of Stichill quoted by Whyte the offence of
cutting green timber in the proprietor's woods was the most
common cause of prosecution of tenants by the landlord, a
reflection of the shortage of native timber.

MacFarlane's Geographical Collections bear out the generality in
the Description of the Sherifdom of Roxburgh written by W. Scott
of Harden and Andrew Ker of Sunlaws, around 1649. 'The woods
are Branxholm Wood, Colve Wood, Ancram Wood, Ellndean
Wood and Birkwood . . .'. 'Also in the shire is great store of game
and store of catell but no other elding but Peats and heath.7

Later in the Collections under 'Information concerning
Teviotdale, otherwise called the Shire of Roxburgh7 (p.172) is

282 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

stated: 'There was abundance of woods here, which are now
altogether cut down and decayed for want of haining. There is
no place named by any Forest within this Shire except Jedward
Forest. . . . . as for Parks there is but few of old except

Branxholme, which is Buccleuchs Chief House and Ffellidean
(Holydean) which belongs to Roxburgh and Fairnirhurst Park
which belongs to the Lord Jedburgh and the Park of Ancram.
There are diverse Inclosures made for accomodation about several
houses which scarcely deserve the name of Parks . .

Smout (1960) also points out the agricultural and urban
architectural changes which required increasing timber for
bridges, churches, mills, mill dams, houses, barrels etc. The paper
also cites disasters such as the blaze which destroyed Kelso in
1684 — he fails to mention the previous fire of 1645 (Moffat, 1985)
or later one of 1742 (Trainer, 1985). Such town fires must have
seriously depleted any remaining local timber supplies.

18th Century:

Douglas (1798) records 608 acres of 'natural wood' in the county
out of a total woodland of 5290 acres. He specifically refers to
natural wood at Hermitage, and Slitrig, with good woodland in
Rule Water and Jed Water. Measurements of several large trees,
including what may have been two ancient pollards, are given
at Ancrum, Ferniehurst (one of the trees still remained in 1988!),
Friars and at Cessford castle.

Somerville's record in the Old Statistical Account (c. 1792) also
mentions that the trees at Ancrum are among the oldest in the
County, and Bowden (Blaikie, 1794, OSAS) had 'some old wood
of no great extent'. Other parishes with woods were:

Castleton — natural woods along the banks of the rivers,
especially Hermitage and Liddle;

Crailing — on Oxnam Water;

Hawick — mostly scrub trees given;

Jedburgh — apparently reduced but now subject to coppice
regrowth.

Wood and scrub were also noted at Mangerton, Flatt, Blackburn-
foot, Tarras, Road, Mosspeeble, Bilhope and Branxholme Park
in the Buccleuch surveys. The Buccleuch chamberlains, Pringle
and Watt, also refer to the great number of 'heasles that are
growing everywhere if wedd and hained in time comeing wou'd
yeild money for hoops and the like' (SRO: Buccleuch Muniments
GD224, Box 935).

BORDER WOODLANDS II - ROXBURGHSHIRE

283

19th Century:

Planting was well advanced and grazing pressures on unfenced
natural woods increased. Anderson extracted the 1845 New
Statistical Account figures giving 363 acres of natural woodland
in four parishes of which over 65% was from Jed. However no
mention is made of returns from Wilton, St Boswells, Cr ailing,
Ashkirk, Minto, Hawick and Castleton, all of which are known
from cartographic evidence to have had some vestiges of natural
woodland at the time.

Present Status of Woodland:

As can be seen from the above, native woodland in Roxburgh,
as in other Border Districts, has reached a crisis point where the
few fragmented primary woodland stands may not be adequate
to sustain viable populations of dependent wildlife species in the
Region. Table 2 gives approximate figures for the relative
proportions of the main woodland categories in the District from
NCC Phase One Survey Data as at 1976. Felling, over-grazing and
conversion of primary woodland sites continues, although the
severity or reduction is not so extreme as in parts of Ettrick and
Lauderdale. Recent controls over broadleaf woodland manage-
ment have slowed the rate of reduction. Large parts of Roxburgh
contain no native woodland at all. In 40 kilometres along the north
face of the Cheviots between Mindrum and Wauchope only five
primary sites are extant and the largest is only 16 ha. This area
lacks the streamside and cleuch woodlands that are of importance
in Liddesdale and Ettrick & Lauderdale. Net decline of broad-
leaved and mixed woodland generally — i.e. not merely native
wood — since 1945 is of the order of 40% in that area of the District
within the altitudinal limits of cultivation (Edinburgh Univer-
sity/NCC data).

Alderwood, which, from stratigraphical evidence, was once
widespread in the southern part of the District and never gave
way to Oak forest, is now almost extinct and no Birchwoods exist
of any size. Valley woods on Rule, Slitrig, Jed and Liddle are the
least modified in the district and despite their small size they
contain a range of stand types from Oak and Birch to mixed Ash-
Elm-Hazel, with locally flushed stands of Alder such as at
Cragbank National Nature Reserve. On the Silurian and
Carboniferous rocks most of the woodlands are on basic-neutral
soils and no acid upland examples occur except for the fragments
on burnside of the Newcastleton Hills and Hermitage valley. Acid
Oakwood types do occur at lower altitudes on the Old Red
Sandstones particularly in Jedwater and at Ancrum where they
have been much modified by restocking with Scots Pine, Beech

TABLE 2

RELATIVE PROPORTIONS OF WOODLAND TYPES IN ROXBURGH DISTRICT AT JULY 1976 (PROVISIONAL FIGURES)

284

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

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Total: mixed deciduous (Categories 1,

2, 4, 4P, 5) 10.06 1.6

Total: Conifer (Categories 3 & 6) 89.9 14.3

BORDER WOODLANDS II - ROXBURGHSHIRE

285

and Spruce. Woodlands on Slitrig Water represent lowland,
basiphilous, flushed, valley-woodland more common on basic
substrates on south and eastern England, and with a high vascular
plant content (230 species recorded to date).

More highly modified is the dry rocky Ash-Elm woodland of
Minto Craigs which remains of interest despite fellings over the
last thirty years. The saxicolous lichens, regionally and nationally
rare flowering plants and coleoptera of the litter maintain high
scientific interest of the site. It is hoped that sympathetic
management will reinstate the main deciduous woodland once
more.

Secondary woodland carr is developed as a successional stage
on the mires at Adderstonelee, Woodhead, Lurgie Loch, Din
Moss, etc.

Much of the commercial conifer plantation in the District is
post-1945 at Wauchope, Craik and Teviothead with minor
outliers, e.g. in Bowmont. Over 20% of the District is under
coniferous plantation. The release from extensive hill-grazing
coupled with greater account taken of wildlife considerations, in
forest re-structuring, e.g. streamside management, will hopefully
provide small nucleii of ancient woodland species and
communities within the modern production forest. This is to be
welcomed together with enhanced Woodland Grant Scheme aid
for other areas and recent measures to expand areas of broadleaf
woodland could, round ancient sites, be of considerable long-term
benefit in the conservation of the genetic and landscape resource.

Copies of the woodland Inventories are held by Forest Authority
(Galashiels) and Scottish Natural Heritage (Galashiels).

REFERENCES

Anderson, M. L. (1 967). A History of Scottish Forestry, 2 Vols (ed. C. Taylor). Nelson,
Edinburgh.

Bell, G. (1986). Pers comm. Unpublished stratigraphic data from Adderstonlee and
Woodhead Mosses, Roxburgh.

Blaikie, A. (1794). In: Sinclair q.v.

Birse, E. L. (1971). Assessment of Climatic Conditions in Scotland — 3. The Bioclimatic
Sub-regions; map and explanatory pamphlet. Macaulay Institute for Soils
Research, Aberdeen.

Birse, E. L. and Dry, F. T. (1970). Assessment of Climatic Conditions in Scotland —
2. Based on Exposure and Accumulated Frost; map and explanatory leaflet. Macaulay
Institute for Soils Research, Aberdeen.

Douglas, R. (1798). A General View of Agriculture in the Counties of Roxburgh and
Selkirk. Edinburgh.

Durno, S. E. (1967). Scottish Woodland History Since Boreal Times as revealed by Pollen
Analysis of Peat Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of Edinburgh.

Fraser, W. (1878). The Scotts of Buccleuch. Edinburgh.

286 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Gilbert, J. M. (1979). Hunting and Hunting Reserves in Medieval Scotland. John Donald,
Edinburgh.

Hibbert, F. A. and Switsur, V. R. (1976). Radiocarbon Dating of Flandrian Pollen
Zones in Wales and Northern England. New Phytologist 77; 793-807.

Hume Brown, P. (ed.) (1893). Scotland before 1700. Edinburgh.

Mares, F. H. (ed.) (1972). The Memoirs of Sir Robert Carey.

Mannion, A. M. (1975). Late Quaternary Palaeogeographical Environments: A Study
from Roxburghshire. Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of Bristol.

Mannion, A. M. (1979). A Pollen Analytical Investigation at Threepwood Moss.
Trans Botanical Society, Edinburgh. 43, 105-114.

Mitchell, A. (ed.) (1905-6). MacFarlane's Geographical Collections. W. MacFarlane:
Scottish History Society, 3 vols, Edinburgh.

Moffat, A. (1985). Kelsae. Mainstream Publishing, Edinburgh.

Pitcairn, R. (ed.) (1833). Criminal Trials in Scotland. Bannatyne Club, 1829-33,
Edinburgh.

Ridpath, G. (1847). The Border History of Scotland and England. Berwick, 1848 (reprint
Mercat Press, Edinburgh, 1979).

Sinclair, Sir J. (ed.) (c. 1795). Statistical Account of Scotland 1791-99. Blackwood,
Edinburgh.

Smith, I. (1982). Fieldwork in the Parishes of Manor and Sprouston. Chronicle,
Newsletter of the Borders Local History Association, Issue No. 4, January 1982,
p. 7.

Smout, T. C. (1960). Some Problems of Timber Supply in Later 17th Century
Scotland. Scot. For. 14, 3-13.

Somerville, T. (1793). In: Sinclair q.v.

Switsur, V. R. and West, R. G. (1973). Natural Radiocarbon Measurements,
University of Cambridge; XII, 15(3), 534-544.

Tight, J. A. (1987). The Late Quaternary History ofW. Branxholme and Ringside Lochs,
S.E. Scotland. Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of Reading.

Tipping, R. In press: Holocene Evolution of an Upland Scottish Landscape — The
Bowmont Valley and the Northern Cheviot Hills. Society of Antiquaries of Scotland,
Edinburgh.

Trainer, J. L. (1985). Kelso: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. Kelso Rotary Club, Kelso.

Whyte, I. (1979). Agriculture and Society in Seventeenth Century Scotland. John Donald,
Edinburgh.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Grateful acknowledgement is made to:

Nature Conservancy Council Library Service
Borders Regional Council Library Service
Scottish Record Office Staff
Dr M. J. H. Robson, Liddesdale
Buccleuch Estates Ltd

National Library of Scotland and Map Room Staff

and especially farmers and landowners who have permitted access to their
land, maps and records so freely over the past 20 years.

A LETTER

from Mr James Bird, farmer, of Abbey Mains near Haddington
to Mr William Cunningham, grocer and flax dresser, of High
Street, Berwick, dated Saturday 23rd May 1812.

It was found in the loft of 20 Ravensdowne, once the home of
William Cunningham, by Mr Robert White who has kindly
allowed it to be printed.

Abbey Mains 23 May 1812

Dear Sir

as my Daughters quarter is out on the 27 and as they ar to Come
home to go to the Shool at Haddington I intend to send a Cart
over to Harelaw on friday the 29 to Bring them horn on the
Saterday if you will be so good as to Lete my Brother John no
and he will send in for them on Monday or tuasdy — and that
will geve them a few days to spend with their Cusens at Harelaw
we will be hapy if any of your famly will Com over with them
and stay a feu wicks hear with us.

I inclose a twinty Pund not in this to Pay for ther quarter and
washen if you will be so good as to give it to my Brother John
and he will go up and Pay Miss Carre and if he is not in twon
I will be gratly oblidged to you if you will tack this trubel you
will Pies Lete them no that they ar to be rumuvd on Mond or
tuasday and they will have all ther litel things Put into ther trunck
to be in redyness when ther ouncel sends for them they Can Tack
ther trunck with them to Harlaw and then it will com over with
them you may geve the remender of the not to Cicel and Miss
Cars accompt and she will bring it over with her — I intended
to be over my self but I think this will serve the sam Purpos —
if John Canot get them sent for on the monday or tusday you
will Pies to tack them a fue days til it is Convenent for him —
you will send 1 ston of your glob turnip sead it will Com a long
with the Cart that Cums for my Daughters — Pies Mack Oure
Best Comp? to Mrs Cuningham and famly and will be hapy to
Se any of them over to stay a fue wicks.

I remen your Most Obet humbil Sert
James Bird

287

288

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

P.S. Pleas mack our Comp*? to Mrs Care

P.S. I intended to send this with the Union Coch but just as I
was folden the Coch Pased so I tack the mails Cicel and Jean Can
wack out to the Harelaw and ther trunk you may send with some
of the Chirnside Carters Perpaps John may have on in throw the
wick but that you will manige Charge the Postige of this as I have
not Payed it.

J.B.

Addressed to

Mr William Cunningham
Marchant High Street
Berwick

NOTES

1. £20 was a large sum but boarding schools were expensive; one quoted by John
Fuller in 1799 cost £20 p.a. per pupil. Perhaps this was a reason for moving
the girls to a school in Haddington, only about IV2 miles from Abbey Mains.

2. Harelaw is just out of Chirnside.

3. Mr Cunningham appears in the 1806 Directory, but it does not mention
Miss/Mrs Carr's school. Unfortunately Directories appear only rarely at this
period and there is no such source for 1812.

4. The Union coach in 1806 reached Berwick at 2 p.m. every day except Sunday,
so presumably left Haddington about 9 a.m. The mail coach which Mr Bird
used instead left Haddington about 8 hours later, reaching Berwick after
10.30 p.m.

FIELD NOTES AND RECORDS - 1995

BOTANICAL RECORDS
D. G. Long

Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh EH3 5LR

Bryophytes

All records were made by D. G. Long during 1995. Nomenclature

follows Corley & Hill, Distribution of Bryophytes in the British Isles

(1981).

Mosses

Sphagnum recurvum var. amblyphyllum . Swampy woodland, west
end of Redpath Moss NT5936, 6 March, confirmed by M. O.
Hill. New to vc81.

Sphagnum auriculatum var. inundatum. Ditch in open moorland,
Greenside Hill, near Andrew's Cairn NT8068, 5 March. New
to vc81.

Sphagnum subsecundum. Wet hollow, south end of Longmuir Moss
NT4750, 25 June. New to vc81; only the second record for
S.E. Scotland.

Oligotrichum hercynicum. Soil at edge of set-aside field, near
Horseshoe Plantation, Mellerstain Estate NT6440, 14 October.
An unusual habitat for this local and normally upland species.

Acaulon muticum. On soil on old wall top, by road leading to Pikey
Park, Spottiswoode NT6050, 20 October.

Oxystegus sinuosus. Silty buttress of Dunglass Bridge, Hirsel Estate
* NT8241, 13 January.

Ephemerum serratum var. minutissimum . On soil in set-aside field,
near Horseshoe Plantation, Mellerstain Estate NT6440, 26
November. Second record for vc81 and first since 1924.

Pohlia camptotrachela. Soil at edge of set-aside field, near Horseshoe
Plantation, Mellerstain Estate NT6440, 14 October.

Bryum klinggraeffii . Soil in set-aside field, near Horseshoe
Plantation, Mellerstain Estate NT6440, 14 October. Second
record for vc81.

Aulacomnium androgynum. On pine log, Gordon Moss, by
Hareford Burn NT6342, 13 January. Third record for vc81.

289

290 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Zygodon conoideus. On old Elder, Leader Water, Carfraemill
NT5052, 6 March. Second record for vc81.

Thuidium delicatulum. Calcareous grassland, Billie Castle NT8559,
4 March. New to vc81.

Isopterygium pulchellum. Shady rock face, bend of Whiteadder
Water below Edin's Hall Broch NT7760, 19 May. First record
for vc81 since 1868.

Hornworts

Anthoceros agrestis. On soil in set-aside field, near Horseshoe
Plantation, Mellerstain Estate NT6440, 26 November. New
to vc81. The first confirmed report of this rare and declining
species from the Eastern Borders. This could, however, be
the same as the plant collected in 'corn fields with a peat soil,
about Gavinton' over 160 years ago by Thomas Brown and
reported as 'Anthoceros punctatus' by George Johnston in Flora
of Berwick on Tweed (1829-31), at that time the first discovery
of a Hornwort in Scotland. Unfortunately no specimen of
Brown's plant survives so the identity cannot be confirmed.

Liverworts

Petalophyllum ralfsii. In damp hollow in dunes. Primrose Bank,
The Snook, Holy Island NU0943, vc68, 18 September.
Welcome confirmation of J. B. Duncan's record of this rare
Mediterranean- Atlantic species.

Fossombronia wondraczekii . On soil in set-aside field, near
Horseshoe Plantation, Mellerstain Estate NT6440, 26
November. Second recent record for vc81.

Trichocolea tomentella. Dripping mossy rock face in ancient
woodland, bend of Whiteadder Water below Edin's Hall
Broch NT 7760, 19 May. First record for vc81 since 1849.

Fungi

Macrotiphula fistulosa. In Sphagnum in boggy Betula woodland,
Bonaparte's Covert, Mellerstain Estate NT6440, 14 October,
D. G. Long, det. R. Watling. A local Fairy Club Fungus which
appeared in several new localities in S.E. Scotland in autumn
1995.

Vascular Plants

Nomenclature follows Kent, List of Vascular Plants of the British

Isles (1992). All are field records made during 1995 except where

otherwise indicated; * refers to an introduction.

*Acer campestre. Field Maple. Bank at Carolside NT5639, 27 May,

FIELD NOTES AND RECORDS - 1995

291

M. E. & P. F. Braithwaite, well naturalised. 'Not generally
accepted as a native tree in Scotland, yet it appears to be quite
frequent (in vc81) on the Carboniferous Limestone in native-
looking habitats', F. H. Perring, 1960. Recorded in hedges
near Birgham and Coldstream NT7738, 1995, NT8541, 1993,
M. E. Braithwaite.

* Allium carinatum. Keeled Garlic. Limestone rocks by R. Tweed,
Birgham Haugh Wood NT7938, 29 April and 22 August, M.
E. Braithwaite. First record for vc81 of a plant believed first
naturalised in the Borders near Hawick, now quite widely
distributed downstream.

Botrychium lunaria. MOONWORT. Grassy Bank by Longmuir Moss
NT4750, 25 June, R. McBeath and W.F.S. party. Third extant
record for vc81.

Calystegia pulchra. Hairy Bindweed. Bankside, Mellerstain Mill
NT 6538, 23 September, M. E. & P. F. Braithwaite. Third
record for vc81.

*Carpinus betulus. Hornbeam. Bank at Carolside NT5639, 27 May,
M. E. & P. F. Braithwaite. Naturalised; first record for vc81
as naturalised.

Clinopodium vulgare. Wild Basil. Riverside rocks, Dryburgh
NT5639, 15 August, M. E. Braithwaite; crumbly bank, below
Clintmains NT6032, 30 September, M. E. Braithwaite.
Welcome evidence of survival.

* Erysimum cheiranthoides . TREACLE MUSTARD. Turnip field by
Craighouse Quarry NT6035, 30 September, M. E. Braithwaite.
First record for vc81 since 1931, at least a dozen plants with
Thlaspi arvense, Field Pennycress.

Euonymus europaeus. SPINDLE. Riverside woodland, Birkwood
Heugh NT5640, 27 May, M. E. & P. F. Braithwaite. One
superb patch. Second extant record for vc81.

[Festuca altissima. WoodFescue. Wooded burnside, Cromwells,
Bruntaburn NT5950, 3 October 1992, M. E. Braithwaite, det.
D. R. McKean. This record is an error; the plant has flowered
and is Elymus caninus, Bearded Couch, 22 July, M. E.
Braithwaite, det. D. R. McKean.)

*Glyceria maxima. Reed Sweet-GRASS. Overgrown pond, Newton
Don NT7136, 20 May, M. E. Braithwaite. A massive colony
dominates this feature. It may be the seed source for colonies
established on the R. Tweed. Recorded at Newton Don by
J. Brown 1938, the first reliable record for vc81 where it is not
now believed to have been native (cf. The Botanist in
Berwickshire, 1990).

292 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

*Hordeum jubatum. Foxtail Barley. A698 below Lochton NT7738,
23 September, M. E. & P. F. Braithwaite. Second record for
vc81 of a grass which spread to the Borders around 1980 but
has barely persisted.

Lactuca virosa. Great Lettuce. Sandy bank by R. Tweed,
Dryburgh NT5931, 15 August, M. E. Braithwaite. About
twelve plants to a height of over 2m. Recorded by G. Johnston
"Near Melrose, Roxburghshire' 1853.

Lathraea squamaria. TOOTHWORT. Gledswood NT5834, 9 May,
S.W.T. party; Earlston NT5738, 9 May, Mr Yuille, on Prunus
avium , Wild Cherry; Butterwell Wood NT7661, 19 May, D.
G. Long; Birkwood Fleugh NT5640, 27 May, M. E. & P. F.
Braithwaite. Welcome evidence of survival.

*Lychnis coronaria. Rose CAMPION. Shingle island in Leader Water
below Redpath Dean NT5836, 1 July, M. E. & P. F.
Braithwaite. A striking garden escape, single plant.

*Mahonia aquifolium. OREGON-GRAPE. Rocky bank by R. Tweed,
Dryburgh NT5931, 15 August, M. E. Braithwaite. Well
naturalised.

* Mentha suaveolens. Round-leaved Mint. Riverside, R. Tweed
below Clintmains NT6032, 30 September, M. E. Braithwaite,
det. R. M. Harley. First record for vc81 of a mint that is native
in the south of England.

Ophioglossum vulgatum. ADDERS-TONGUE. Parkland near Newton
Don NT7137, 20 May, M. E. Braithwaite. Second extant record
for vc81.

Potamogeton alpinus. Red Pond weed. Pond on Eden Water at
Nenthorn House NT6737, 26 August, M. E. Braithwaite, det.
N. T. H. Holmes. First record for vc81 since 1882. Recorded
by G. Johnston 'in the Eden, and in ditches leading into it'
1853.

*Prunus cerasifera. CHERRY PLUM. Several old trees in hedge near
Birgham NT7839, 29 April, 23 September, M. E. Braithwaite.
The earliest flowering of the plums, flowering over when
recorded. One tree ripened excellent fruit.

*Salix triandra. Almond Willow. Riverside, R. Tweed below
Clintmains NT6032, 30 September, M. E. Braithwaite. A large
sprawling bush corresponding to the cultivar var.
hoffmanniana.

Trollius europaeus. Globeflower. Wet meadow by Redpath Moss
NT6036, 1 July, M. E. & P. F. Braithwaite. One clump only.

*Valeriana pyrenaica. Pyrenian Valerian. Riverside rocks, near
footbridge at Mertoun House NT6131, 5 August, M. E.

FIELD NOTES AND RECORDS - 1995

293

Braithwaite, naturalised. Recorded by J. Hardy 'sides of
footpaths, Mertoun House' 1886. At 60m the lowest altitude
record in the Borders.

Viburnum opulus. Guelder Rose. Wooded bank, Langtonlees
Cleugh NT7542, 19 May, D. G. Long & P. Lusby, four plants.
Wooded bank, Edin's Hall NT7760, 8 May, D. G. Long & R.
McBeath, five plants. Only records since 1957 for vc81.

ZOOLOGICAL RECORDS

Lepidoptera

A. G. Long and D. G. Long

Aphantopus hyperanthus Linn. RINGLET. Spottiswoode NT6049,
vc81, 3 on 22 July, D. G. Long.

Agrochola macilenta Hiibner. Yellow-line Quaker. 1 at
Spottiswoode NT6049, vc81, 28 September, D. G. Long.

Agrotis exclamationis Linn. Heart and Dart. Tweedmouth
NT9952, vc68, 15 June, A. G. Long.

Allophyes oxyacanthae Linn. GREEN-BRINDLED CRESCENT.
Tweedmouth NT9952, vc68, 25 September, A. G. Long.

Anthochares cardamines Linn. Orange Tip. Wood below Edin's
Hall Broch NT7760, vc81, 8 May, D. G. Long.

Chloroclysta miata Linn. Autumn Green Carpet. 1 at
Spottiswoode NT6049, vc81, 13 September, D. G. Long.

Coenonympha pamphilus Linn. Small Heath. Longmuir Moss
NT4750, vc81, 25 June, D. G. Long.

Crocallis elinguaria Linn. Scalloped Oak. Spottiswoode NT6049,
vc81, 8 August, D. G. Long.

Dasypolia templi Thunb. Brindled Ochre. 1 at light, Spottiswoode
NT6049, vc81, 12 September, D. G. Long.

Erannis defoliaria Clerck. MOTTLED UMBER. 3 at light, Spottiswoode
NT6049, vc81, 19 November, D. G. Long.

Hepialus humuli Linn. GHOST MOTH. 2 at Church House, Foulden
NT9355, vc81, 23 June, D. G. Long.

Idaea seriata Schrank. Small Dusty Wave. Tweedmouth NT9952,
vc68, 12 July, A. G. Long.

294

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Lacanobia oleracea Linn. Bright-line Brown-EYE. Tweedmouth
NT9952, vc68, 26 July, A. G. Long.

Lycaeana phlaeas Linn. Small Copper. 1 at Spottiswoode NT6049,
vc81, 15 August, D. G. Long.

Maniola jurtina Linn. Meadow Brown. Spottiswoode NT6049,
vc81, 9 July, D. G. Long.

Naenia typica Linn. Gothic. Tweedmouth NT9952, vc68, 5
August, A. G. Long.

Omphaloscelis lunosa Haw. Lunar Underwing. Tweedmouth
NT9952, vc68, 15 September, A. G. Long.

Opisthograptis luteolata Linn. Brimstone Moth. Tweedmouth
NT9952, vc68, 12 July, A. G. Long.

Peribatodes rhomboidaria Denis & Schiff. Willow Beauty.
Tweedmouth NT9952, vc68, 26 July, A. G. Long.

Spilosoma luteum Hufn. Buff Ermine. Tweedmouth NT9952, vc68,
10 June, A. G. Long.

Vanessa atalanta Linn. Red Admiral. Spottiswoode NT6049, vc81,
3 on 22 July, and 1-3 seen regularly up to 4 November, D.
G. Long.

Vanessa cardui Linn. Painted Lady. 1 at Spottiswoode NT6049,
vc81, 14 October, D. G. Long.

A LETTER FROM ST ABBS
K. J. Rideout

Even after ten years as the Ranger at St Abbs Head I am still
amazed at the variety of wildlife that is seen on the Nature Reserve
during the year. The following is a summary of my personal
highlights during 1995.

Numbers of breeding Shags increased by 50% to 173 pairs giving
hope for a quick recovery after the disaster of 1994 when so many
birds starved during the prolonged winter gales. A count of 105
Puffins ashore on the evening of June 27th, though tiny compared
to the big colonies on the Fame Islands and Isle of May, was
nevertheless a record count for St Abbs Head.

A pair of Wheatears successfully raised 4 young and Sedge
Warblers occupied a record 14 territories around Mire Loch.
Ruddy Duck and Dipper were seen on the Reserve for the first
time.

FIELD NOTES AND RECORDS - 1995

295

Migration highlights of the year were Wryneck, Bluethroat and
Red-backed Shrike in May; a brilliant exciting 'fall' on 8th
September which included around 115 Redstart, 70 Pied
Flycatcher, 25 Whinchat, 3 Icterine Warblers, 2 Wrynecks and 2
Barred Warblers; Greenish Warbler and Common Rosefinch at
the end of September and a late Red-breasted Flycatcher in
November.

It was an exceptionally good year for flowering in the grasslands
particularly the Spring Sandwort and Rock Rose. Fragrant
Orchids reappeared after an apparent absence of nearly 20 years
and a new site found for Haresfoot Clover.

Butterflies benefitted from the settled, hot weather in August
and numbers of Grayling, Meadow Brown, Ringlet and second
brood Small Copper were very high. Dark Green Fritillaries
continued to be recorded more regularly and Peacocks were seen
for the first time since 1987.

All these sightings brought tremendous interest and enjoyment
to myself and many other people. They also demonstrate the
importance of St Abbs Head as a site for nature conservation. I
wonder what 1996 has in store?

ARCHAEOLOGICAL NOTES - 1995

NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND

Jenny Bell's Well, Holy Island

This well lies on the south western foreshore opposite St
Cuthbert's Island and was first recorded on the 1792 enclosure
map of the island. The second stage of a project by the
Archaeological Practice of the University of Newcastle revealed
its stone structure. The well, almost circular in plan, consists of
a dry stone revetting wall and a flight of steps in the south east
side leading from the water up to a stone pathway. The well has
been cleared to a depth of 1.5m and it appears to be a collecting
pool for natural spring water. Further work here has involved
landscaping, provision of seating and safety precautions.

Deidre O'Sullivan and Robert Young of Leicester University are
involved in an ongoing excavation of a 9th to 10th century A.D.
settlement site at Green Shiel in the northern dune system of Holy
Island. Most of the buildings and walls examined have been
robbed, probably to provide for a tramway built to the west of
the site in order to facilitate the removal of limestone to kilns
further inland. Although no pottery was found, a coin identified
as an Anglo Saxon styca, dates the building to the 9th century.

Cocklawburn

A Countryside Stewardship Scheme at Cocklawburn, south of
Berwick upon Tweed, has resulted in the provision of two
interpretive panels. One of the panels tells the story of the
industrial archaeology of the area — the lime kilns and the people
who lived at the now vanished settlement of Philadelphia.

Towers and Bastles Survey

A survey, commissioned by Northumberland County Council
and funded by English Heritage, has been completed of all the
lesser defensible buildings in Northumberland (with the exception
of those in the National Park). Categories of building excluded
from the survey were major castles, artillery fortifications,
monastic and church buildings and sites showing as earthworks.
This overview showed a total of 290 buildings categorised as hall
houses 13th to 14th century, towers 14th to 15th century, strong
houses 16th to 17th century and bastles thought to be late 16th,
early 17th century. A detailed report of the structures identified

296

ARCHAEOLOGICAL NOTES - 1995

297

in the Berwick district is held in the Sites and Monuments Record
in County Hall.

The Monuments Protection Programme

This programme is ten years old and its key aim is to review
the archaeological resource of England in order to identify which
sites are of national importance and therefore should be protected.
This work in Northumberland has been progressing well. A major
nationwide mapping project has been embarked upon which
should help define regional characteristics. Hopefully another
new initiative is to be introduced next year and this will involve
assessment of the archaeological resource of the county's towns
since historic towns are some of the largest and most complex
sites in the country. County Council staff have prepared for
scheduling proposals for a range of sites in the Northern Cheviots
and have also followed up the 'Strategy for Coastal Archaeology'
launched in 1994. This will add several monastic cells associated
with St Cuthbert and other early Northumbrian saints.

High Rochester Roman Fort

Further survey has relocated the line of the Roman aqueduct
from Petty Knowes towards the fort's south gate. A ground radar
survey has confirmed the presence of an enclosure partially
underlying the fort. This would suggest that the fort was built
on the site of an earlier defended enclosure.

Dere Street: three separate areas were selected for trenching
with the main trench showing extensive Roman occupation close
to the line of Dere Street. Documentary history of the site since
1552 is now completed.

Otterburn Training Area

Further aerial photographs have been added as well as maps
to map sites. Test trenching at Todlaw Pike cairnfield revealed
that the cairns were quite substantial and two trenches across the
High Rochester to Bridge of Ain Roman Road revealed the road
surface. Surveys at Davyshiel and Penchford indicated the
remains of coal mining. Further aerial reconnaissance is still
required in certain areas.

Elsdon Tower

This is one of the best known 'pele' towers of Northumberland
giving the appearance of a late mediaeval tower, updated and
altered internally in the late 18th and 19th centuries. However,
recent repairs have produced certain anomalies which makes it
difficult to reconstruct the original building history of the tower.

298

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Milfield Basin Archaeological Landscape Project

Many of its features have been dated to the late Neolithic/ early
Bronze Age. However recent research demonstrates that certain
features may be early Neolithic. There has been limited excavation
of the Coupland Enclosure — this ritual monument may be the
earliest henge to be discovered in Britain.

Ingram and Upper Breamish Valley Landscape Project

The University of Durham's work continued with the discovery
this year of an Early Bronze Age food vessel urn at Turf Knowe,
demonstrating that the area was in fact inhabited much earlier
than previously thought.

Miscellaneous

The summer drought of 1995 revealed another Roman
temporary camp northwest of Edlingham beside the Devil's
Causeway. Also two ditched enclosures, visible as cropmarks,
were found at Tweedmouth on land earmarked for industrial
development.

THE BORDERS REGION

Excavation is still continuing in the Earlston area but little of
interest has been found recently.

The material for the above notes was kindly supplied by Mr
John Dent of Borders Region (01835 824000) and Miss Sara
Rushton of Northumberland (01670 534060).

A FLANGED AXE HEAD FOUND NEAR WOOLER

T. G. Cowie and G. A. C. Binnie

Bendor lies to the west of Wooler on the A697. In a field to the
east of Bendor and on the north of the road is a standing stone,
map reference NT92 9647/2946. It is known locally as the Battle
Stone, because of a mistaken connection with the Battle of
Homildon. Mr George MacKendrick was field walking some three
or four years ago and found a bronze flanged axe head about 200
metres from the standing stone.

The axe is of the wing-flanged type. From the curved butt, the
sides diverge to an expanded cutting edge. The flanges are
strongly faceted, and curve in over the septum; there is a median

ARCHAEOLOGICAL NOTES - 1995

299

pitted surface. The length of the axe head is 105mm, the width
of the cutting edge is 41mm, and of the butt 19mm. It weighs
160 grammes.

This is a small example of a Middle Bronze Age flanged axe
of the variety known as the Ulrome type, named after the site
of a find in Yorkshire (Schmidt and Burgess, 1981). These are
thought to have developed from earlier indigenous types of
flanged axes, possibly with some continental influence. As no
examples of this type have been found in definite association with
other types of object or even other types of axe, their date is rather
uncertain. However, on typological grounds it can be argued that
they probably belong to the so-called 'Taunton phase' of the
Bronze Age, between the 15th and 12th centuries B.C. Their
distribution in northern Britain is very scattered, with examples
from Aberdeenshire to Yorkshire.

This axe head may well have had a long working life as a
woodworking tool. However it is unlikely that it had simply

bevel on each face. The cutting edge is damaged and worn. Slight
traces of a brown patina survive, but the axe head has been
chemically stripped leaving a heavily disfigured dark grey/black

PHOTO: NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF SCOTLAND

300

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

been lost or casually discarded as it would have represented the
product of a very considerable investment of resources and
craftsmanship. At the very least, it might be expected that when
such axe heads reached the ends of their working lives they wTould
have been recycled for their metal. Given that this axe head was
still functional, it is much more likely to have been a deliberate
deposit or offering, for instance to mark the boundary of a farming
settlement or some special place in the contemporary landscape.
In this context, its relative proximity to the standing stone at
Bendor may be significant, while the discovery of a Bronze Age
cist five or ten metres to the west of the stone in about 1880 may
also be relevant (Short, D. C., 1931).

It is expected that the axe head will be deposited in the Museum
of Newcastle University.

Archaeological discoveries can turn up virtually anywhere. It
is therefore important to note that the law of Treasure Trove in
Scotland differs from that in England. In Scotland all newly
discovered objects, whether of precious metal or not, belong to
the Crown. The Crown does not always exercise its claim, but
all objects found should be reported so that a decision can be
taken. A leaflet on the law relating to Treasure Trove is available
from the Archaeology Department, National Museums of
Scotland, Edinburgh.

REFERENCES

Schmidt, P. K. and Burgess, C. B. 1991. The axes of Scotland and Northern England,
94-99, Munich 1981 ( = Prahistorische Bronzefunde, IX/7).

Short, D. C. 1931. 'A Bronze Age Cist at Humbleton', History of the Berwickshire
Naturalists' Club, 7, 387.

The illustration is published by courtesy of the Trustees of the National Museums
of Scotland.

FIELD SECRETARIES' REPORT - SEASON 1995

The field meetings were arranged by a sub-committee consisting
of the President (Rev. A. C. D. Cartwright), Mrs Sheila Romanes,
Mrs Isobel McLelland, Rev. Geoffrey Burton and Mr Neil
Robertson, with Dr G. A. C. Binnie acting as convener.

Mrs Sheila Pate, Dr D. R. C. Kempe, Mr G. C. McCreath and
Mr L. McDougal have all helped in past seasons and the thanks
of the Club is due to these members for their help as well as to
Miss R. I. Curry who is responsible for arranging the buses and
organising the passengers.

18th May, Thursday. HOLY ISLAND CHURCH, PRIORY AND
CASTLE.

About 120 members of the Club assembled at St Mary's Parish
Church at 11 o'clock. In the absence of the Vicar members were
addressed by Canon Kate Tristram, Curate of the parish. In her
talk Canon Tristram linked the history of the church to life on
the island and the development of the Priory during the Middle
Ages. From the church members visited the English Heritage
Exhibition Centre and the Priory. By lunch time heavy showers
were influencing the proceedings. In spite of the showers most
members visited Lindisfarne Castle and some crossed 'the stank'
to see the garden designed by Gertrude Jekyll in 1911 to a plan
drawn by Sir Edward Lutyens. The plan of the garden was drawn
in relation to two vanishing points to the north and west, a device
to make the garden look bigger from the castle than it actually
is. The garden is still in the early stages of rehabilitation by the
National Trust.

N.R.

21st June, Wednesday FOGO AND SWINTON PARISHES.

This meeting was held in two of the five parishes of the Club
President, the Rev. A. C. D. Cartwright.

In Fogo Kirk the President gave an address on the history of
the kirk and parish and pointed out some of the interesting
features of the church. These included the south aisle, unique
in the county if not in Scotland, the box pews and the Laird's
Lofts at either end of the building. The communion cups were
on display and were used at a short communion service for Club

301

302 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

members who wished to partake. The cups are thought to be the
oldest still in use in Scotland, and were presented by George
Trotter of Mortonhall and Charterhall in 1662.

A picnic lunch was taken nearby in the grounds of Charterhall,
by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Alexander Trotter.

The Club members re-assembled in Swinton Kirk after lunch
and the President gave a short talk on the history of the kirk and
of the village. Swinton was developed as a model village and a
plan was available to members who wished to look at Swinton
in more detail. The President pointed out the interesting details
of the church including the numerous coats of arms including
boars, the swine of Swinton. The bell dates from 1498, and is one
of the oldest in use in Scotland.

Sir John Swinton, Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire, gave a talk
on the Swinton family, illustrated with references to what could
be seen in the church.

Tea was taken in the village hall and was provided by members
of the Women's Guild.

A.C.D.C.

19th July, Wednesday. BOWHILL HOUSE AND COUNTRY
PARK AND AIKWOOD TOWER.

The restoration of Aikwood Tower whetted the appetities of
members for this visit. The Tower could only accommodate three
consecutive parties each of forty, so application for admission had
been keen. Those unable to gain places at Aikwood visited only
Bowhill, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch.

The weather on a fine, fresh July day contributed to everyone's
pleasure in the beauty of Ettrick Forest.

Members were received at Aikwood by Lady Steel who invited
her guests to note the solid exterior of this peculiarly Scottish
building and its architectural features. The old oak door with its
tiding pin (metal knocker) was of special interest. In the Byres
of Aikwood members were treated to a lively history of the
inhabitants, and the building and its restoration. The story was
illuminated by Judy Steel's recital of her own poems and the
singing of Hilary Bell. Members toured the Tower and the garden.
Marjorie Lyon's flower paintings, Jake Harvey's sculpture,
elderflower cordial and Selkirk bannock were an appropriate
ending.

All members viewed a video 'The Quest for Bowhill' in the Little
Theatre. It provided an introduction to the history of the Douglas
and the Scott families, and to Bowhill and its contents. Members
enjoyed inspecting its treasures and felt privileged to be viewing

FIELD SECRETARIES' REPORT - 1995

303

what was obviously not just a great house but the family home
of the Duke and Duchess.

As always a special memory remained: for most it seemed to
be Sir Joshua Reynolds' painting in 1777 of little Lady Caroline
Scott, as she came in from the cold, wearing her stout shoes, with
her hands in her red muff.

Many remarked on the warmth and helpfulness of Mrs Mary
Carter, the Museum Curator, and her helpers at Bowhill.

I.D.M.McL.

16th August, Wednesday. STEVENSON HOUSE and
HADDINGTON

Stevenson House is rather hidden away on the right bank of the
River Tyne; its Georgian facade belies its early provenance back
in the 13th century. It drew an excellent attendance but only a
small number were able to avail themselves of the conducted tour.
The approach was through its avenue of mature trees, many of
them limes, heavy with fragrance and buzzing bees. It was high
summer and I was reminded of the rustic verse of William Barnes
— 'cloudless sunshine overhead ... in linden lea' — as we took
our lunch in the policies, sporting a wide selection of sun hats.

We then proceeded to Haddington, to the site of the royal palace
(hence Court Street) in which Alexander II was born. Haddington
House, c. 1650, and other fine houses abound, notably the so-
called Thomas Carlyle house from which he married, and the Old
Masonic Lodge with its Venetian window. An unusual emblem
for a lowland town is the rampant goats, but explained by their
being sent from Norway by an international businessman of that
country when trading in the town. The River Tyne is a prominent
and picturesque feature, but has also its downside, in that serious
flooding with much hardship and misery has occurred through
the centuries and as late as 1948. A plaque in Sidegate marks the
waterline in 1775. The river is crossed by the Victoria Bridge and
the fine Auld Brig. Here is Nungate, a happy blending of the old
and the new in the architecture of the riverside homes. Another
such example is St Mary's which the Lamp of Lothian Trust and
other bodies have restored using traditional and modern materials
and technology with remarkable effect.

Our guides from the various Haddington societies let us into
the secrets of a town which was previously, perhaps, little more
than a stage on the way to Edinburgh.

G.R.W.B.

304 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

21st September, Thursday. ALNWICK: ST MICHAEL'S
PARISH CHURCH, ALNWICK CASTLE & GARDENS, AND
ALNWICK ABBEY & HULNE PRIORY.

St Michael's Parish Church is close to the Castle, and its history
and the building itself reflect that closeness. Mr Joe Kent, a
member of the congregation of the church, presented the history
of the church and pointed out its interesting features.

Alnwick Castle is the ancestral home of the Duke of
Northumberland and overlooks the Ain where the old trunk road
enters Alnwick from the north. In addition to the public rooms
and two small museums, this year for the first time the Castle
Gardens were open to the public.

A visit to the remains of the important monastic establishments
of Alnwick Abbey and Hulne Priory was arranged for more
energetic members of the Club who did not wish to view the
interior of the Castle and its contents. Cars are not allowed in
the Duke's Park, and it is about 45 minutes walk each way to
Hulne Priory from the entrance gate beside Alnwick Abbey.

Alnwick Abbey was founded in 1147 by Premonstratensian
monks. The large 15th century gatehouse is all that remains.

The interior of Hulne Abbey was open for the visit, and a picnic
lunch was taken there. The abbey was founded in 1240-1242 by
the Carmelites and is amongst the best preserved in England.
There is a 15th century curtain wall and a tower of 1486, and
amongst the Georgian additions is a summerhouse of 1778.

The return journey was by the Forest Lodge entrance to the
Park. Brizlee Tower, a Georgian gazebo, is now too unsafe to be
entered by visitors. It is still impressive at close quarters, but was
not visited on this occasion. There is a fine view from the tower.

Tea was taken in the restaurant in the Castle.

G.A.C.B.

20th October, Friday. BERWICK BARRACKS.

Members and friends met in the new parish rooms of the parish
church by permission of the Vicar and the churchwardens.
Refreshments were provided by ladies of the congregation.

The speaker was Mr J. M. McDonald, Planning Officer of
Berwick upon Tweed Borough Council. He introduced his talk
on the Barracks in the parish centre, pointing out that it was now
thought that the architect who designed the Barracks was
Nicholas Hawkesmoor. The work was completed in 1721.

The party moved to the exterior of the main entrance gate and
the Barracks was viewed from the outside. The final description

FIELD SECRETARIES' REPORT - 1995

305

was given in the Barrack Square. The Clock Block was built in
1739 and was pointed out as the home of one-eighth of the Burrell
collection, which is in the Borough Museum and Art Gallery. The
Club's Ross Library is also housed in the Clock Block and many
members took the opportunity to inspect it.

G.A.C.B.

Extra Meetings

25th May, Thursday. ST ABBS NATURE RESERVE.

Some 40 members and friends met Mr Kevin Rideout, warden
of the reserve, and his assistant at Northfield Farm Visitor Centre.
One party went as far as the bottom of Kirk Hill, but did not
inspect the recently confirmed site of St Ebba's monastery on the
summit.

The other party went to the lighthouse and its garden and
returned by Mire Loch. Sea pinks were flowering in great
profusion, and there were large numbers of Yellow Vetch ( Vicea
lutea), Lady's Smock ( Cardamine pratensis), and Thyme. Purple
Milk Vetch ( Astragalus danicus), Black Medick ( Medicago lupulina),
and King Cup ( Caltha palustris) were pointed out.

A red-backed shrike and its store of bumble bees on thorns had
been seen in the lighthouse garden, but did not reveal itself to
members. A migrant male redstart was seen in the gorse by Mire
Loch and some of the three pairs of wheatears on Kirk Hill were
spotted.

The sea birds were there in their usual spring profusion,
guillemots, kittiwakes, fulmars, razorbills and shags. The
kittiwakes were observed flying regularly to and from the fresh
water of the Mire Loch for their annual fresh water bath.
Sticklebacks and tadpoles were seen in the outlet from the Loch.

G.A.C.B.

June 8th, Thursday. ELBA AND ABBEY ST BATHANS OAK
WOOD SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST.

About 35 members and friends met at Elba, where Mr David Long
of Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden was introduced. The 1983
footbridge across the Whiteadder was crossed and the copper
mines of 1770 and 1825 were noted. Swifts and a grey wagtail
were seen here and further upstream there was a dipper. A
common sandpiper and a redstart were heard but not seen.
The party made its way to the 'Wild Wood', which lies on the

306 HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

steep slopes below Edin's Hall broch which descend to the
Whiteadder. The ground was much wetter than expected because
of the recent rain which made walking difficult, so that some
members left the main party to inspect the broch. The slope faces
north and there has been no deliberate tree planting so that native
trees at all stages of development are to be found. Native tree
species found in the Wild Wood include Alder, Ash, Birch, Bird
Cherry, Blackthorn, Hazel, Honeysuckle, Rowan, Sessile Oak and
Sycamore.

This used to be a favourite resort of the Club founder. Dr
Johnston, and later of James Hardy. Johnston's favourite flower,
and the Club's emblem, the wood sorrel ( Oxalis acetosella) was
present in abundance. Sweet Woodruff ( Gallium odoratum),
Meadow Saxifrage ( Saxifraga granulata), Water Aven (Geum rivale),
Large Bitter Cress ( Cardamine amara) were also seen.

G.A.C.B.

WINTER LECTURE - Friday, November 24th, 1995.

OTTERBURN TRAINING AREA

Lieut. -Colonel R. N. R. Cross, O.B.E., Range Officer

Otterburn Training Area is an Army Field Training Centre of
58,000 acres of countryside, mainly rough moorland, owned by
the Ministry of Defence. The area lies entirely within the
Northumberland National Park. It stretches from the Scottish
Borders in the north to Elsdon and Otterburn in the south. Each
year over 30,000 troops use Otterburn for training; it is the largest
artillery live firing range in the U.K. The army units who come
to Otterburn plan and execute their own training programmes.
Some 15 to 20 different units can be firing on the range on the
same day.

Included in the area are 31 farms which support more than 100
people. Farming consists of rearing hill sheep and some cattle
which significantly benefits the economy of the region. The MOD
has actively encouraged farming in the training area and works
together with the farmers to cause as little disturbance as possible
to the flocks. The Otterburn area also includes 4,000 acres of
woodlands which are used for infantry training.

The range is a huge wildlife sanctuary. There are eleven Sites
of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The wildlife which have found
a home on the training range include blackcock, badgers, roe deer.

FIELD SECRETARIES' REPORT - 1995

307

adders and herons — there are three heronries. It is claimed that
the grey squirrel has not yet penetrated the locality, this leaving
the red squirrel unchallenged.

The Romans were active in the area. Dere Street, the main
Roman road to the north, passes through the Otterburn area and
runs via High Rochester and the camp at Chew Green. Public
access is permitted but has to be restricted at times for reasons
of safety and security — the area is subject to MOD byelaws.
When firing stops the barriers are raised and the red warning flags
are lowered to indicate the range is safe for visitors to enter. This
occurs about 100 days per year.

The Army has preserved this beautiful, rugged landscape by
skilled conservation and by adopting a sensible land management
policy. This talk and excellent colour slides, clearly showed how
farming, forestry, conservation and wildlife are managed on a
very large estate whose primary purpose is military training.

A collection was taken at the end of the lecture, and the £33
realised was given to the Army Benevolent Fund.

L. H. Cleat

LIBRARIAN'S REPORT - 1995

In 1985 Mrs Elizabeth Ross donated her late husband's library
to the Club, and it forms the substantial basis of the Club library.
Most members no doubt know that this has been held since 1993
in its own quarters in Berwick Borough Museum. There it is
available for reference and is used by a regular trickle of readers.

On 24th August the library was re-named the Stanley Ross
Library at a ceremony conducted by the President, the Rev. A.
C. D. Cartwright. An inscription and a photograph of the Rev.
H. S. Ross were unveiled. Mrs Ross, her daughter and her two
grandsons were present, and as a small token of thanks have been
made life members of the library.

The following volumes were acquired as gifts:

Berwickshire Civic Society Newsletters, 5-11, given by the Society.
The librarian would like to obtain copies of the first four
issues.

Crockett, W. S. (1897). A Berwickshire Bard , the Songs and Poems
of Robert McLean Calder , donated by Mr G. B. Millican.
Cowie, T. G. (1988). Magic Metal: Early Metalworks in the North-
East (of Scotland), given by the author.

MacFadyen, C. C. J. (1994). Whiteadder River Geological Site of Special
Scientific Interest , given by the publishers.

National Monuments Records of Scotland (1995), data held on
Berwickshire churches.

Scottish Historical Review (1903-1970), incomplete, given by Major
General Sir John Swinton.

Purchases have continued to be made. The Borders Family
History Society has continued to record the gravestone
inscriptions of Roxburghshire, and this year the Society published
the list for Maxton, and moved into Berwickshire with Stichill and
Hume, followed by Mertoun, Polwarth and Fogo parishes. It is
perhaps worth mentioning that two ladies in Norham Local
History Society have conducted a similar exercise for Norham
churchyard, and the indexed typescript is available in Berwick
Borough Archivist's department.

Other works bought were:

Allan, A. (1900). History of Channelkirk.

Coldstream and the Coldstream Guards (1994).

308

LIBRARIAN'S REPORT - 1995

309

Long, A. G., reprints of articles on geological subjects published
in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
MacDonald, J. S. M. (1994), The Place Names of Roxburghshire.
Milfield: a Tale of Yesterday (1994).

O'Sullivan, and Young, R. (1995). Lindisfarne, Holy Island.
Slinn, Joy (1995). A Souvenir History ofHaggerston Castle , 1070-1931.

Strang, C. A. (1994). Borders and Berwick: an Illustrated Architectural
Guide.

Swan, G. A. (1994). Flora of Northumberland.

Tabraham, C. J. Smailholm Tower.

Thompson, J. B. (1995). The Charterhall Story.

At the suggestion of a member the Club now subscribes to
Northern History, an annual journal dealing with the six northern
counties of England.

Leaflets were obtained dealing with Swinton and Ladykirk
churches and with St Michael's Church, Alnwick. A typescript
of an article published in the Northumberland Gazette on 'The Ice
Houses of South Northumberland' was given by the author. Dr
D. R. C. Kempe, a Club member.

G.A.C.B.

LIBRARIAN'S FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR
ENDED 30th JUNE, 1995

INCOME

£

EXPENDITURE

£

Opening balance

73.95

Postage

2.87

Sales of Histories ....

483.90

Books

259.49

262.36

Closing Balance

295.49

£557.85

£557.85

FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30th JUNE 1995 - PREMIUM ACCOUNT

310

TREASURER'S REPORT - 1995

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found them to be correct and in order.

OFFICE BEARERS OF THE CLUB - 1992 - 1995

1992 - 1993

Presidents: Miss Ruth Lister, B.A., and G. C. McCreath, Esq.
Dr G. A. C. Binnie, Field Secretary Co-ordinator, Librarian.

B. H. Cato, Esq., M.A., LL.B., Corresponding Secretary.

M. C. Trousdell, Esq., Treasurer.

Mrs Janet Cowe, B.A., M.Ed., Editing Secretary.

Mrs Sheila Pate, S.R.N., Past President.

MEMBERS OF COUNCIL
Mrs S. Romanes, M.A.

Rev. Geoffrey Burton
R. H. Gourlay, Esq.

F. B. Lough, Esq., F.C.A.

Mrs E. J. Russell

Captain R. M. Sinclair

Chris Badenoch, Esq. (co-opted)

C. G. W. Green, Esq., B.A. (co-opted)

1993 - 1994

President: Mrs Sheila Romanes, M.A.

Rev. A. C. D. Cartwright, Vice-President.

Dr G. A. C. Binnie, Field Secretary Co-ordinator, Librarian.
B. H. Cato, Esq., M.A., LL.B., Corresponding Secretary.
M. C. Trousdell, Esq., Treasurer.

Mrs Janet Cowe, B.A., M.Ed., Editing Secretary.

Geoffrey C. McCreath, Esq., Past President.

311

312

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

MEMBERS OF COUNCIL
Rev. Geoffrey Burton
R. FI. Gourlay, Esq.

F. B. Lough, Esq., F.C.A.

Mrs E. J. Russell
Captain R. M. Sinclair
Mrs K. Tansley

C. G. W. Green, Esq., B.A. (co-opted)

1994 - 1995

President: Rev. Alan C. D. Cartwright, B.Sc., B.D.

Mrs Isobel D. M. McLelland, B.A., D.C.E., Vice-President.
Dr G. A. C. Binnie, Field Secretary Co-ordinator , Librarian.
B. H. Cato, Esq., M.A., LL.B., Corresponding Secretary.

M. C. Trousdell, Esq., Treasurer.

Mrs Janet Cowe, B.A., M.Ed., Editing Secretary.

Mrs S. Romanes, M.A., Past President.

MEMBERS OF COUNCIL

Rev. Geoffrey Burton
F. B. Lough, Esq., F.C.A.

Mrs Kathleen Tansley
Major-General Sir John Swinton
Miss R. I. Curry
R. C. Ward, Esq.

C. G. W. Green, Esq., B.A. (co-opted)

LIST OF MEMBERS

(1 January 1996)

* Those marked with an asterisk are Past Presidents

LIFE MEMBERS Admissio

Aitchison, Mr Henry A., Lochton, Coldstream, Berwickshire TD12 4NH 1946

*Binnie, Dr G. A. C., Ladykirk, Norham, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1XL 1965

Cockburn, Mr J. W,, Heriot Water, Cockbumspath, Berwickshire TD13 5YH 1925

Dudgeon, Mrs P. M., Cherry Trees, East Ord, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2NS 1954
Dykes, Mrs M. E., Cambuslea, Cockbumspath, Berwickshire TD13 5YR 1955

*Hood, Mr J., Cove Farmhouse, Cove, Cockbumspath, Berwickshire TD13 5XD 1932

Hood, Mr T„ 26 Eyre Crescent, Edinburgh EH3 5EU 1937

Lumsden, Professor W. H. R., 16a Merchiston Crescent, Edinburgh EH10 5AX 1981
‘McDougal, Mr J. L., Blythe, Lauder, Berwickshire TD2 6SJ 1950

Middlemas, Mrs E. M., The Old Rectory, Howick, Alnwick, Northumberland

NE66 3LE 1951

Pape, Miss D. C., Ubbanford Bank Cottage, Norham, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 2JZ 1933

* Robertson, Mrs L. Mackenzie, 4 Hermitage Lane, Kelso, Roxburghshire

TD5 7AN 1950

Ross, Mrs H. S., c/o Hardie, 30 Leicester Road, New Barnet, Hertfordshire

EN5 5EW 1971

Stoddart, Miss S. G., Mill Valley, Ayton, Eyemouth, Berwickshire TD14 5Q] 1982

Stott, Mr F., Wynfield House, Mount Road, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon

Tweed TD15 2BA 1951

Swan, Mrs C. H., Harelaw, Chimside, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3LF 1946

Thorp, Mr R. W. T., Charlton Hall, Chathill, Northumberland 1955

Willins, Miss E. P. L., The Shielings, St Abbs, Berwickshire TD14 1951

HONORARY MEMBER

Cramp, Dr Rosemary, 5 Leazes Place, Durham DH1 IRE 1958

CORRESPONDING MEMBER

‘Long, Dr A. G., 33 Windsor Crescent, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1NT 1955

ORDINARY MEMBERS

Abemethy, Mr I., 47 Main Street, Heiton, Kelso, Roxburghshire TD5 8JR 1988

Adams, Mr, 3 Megstone Court, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2ES 1995
Adams, Mrs, 3 Megstone Court, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 2ES 1995

Aitchison, Mrs H. H., Whinfaulds, Burnmouth, Eyemouth, Berwickshire

TDM 5SY 1991

Aitchison, Mrs R. H., Karingal, Lochton, Coldstream TD12 4NH 1993

Aitken, Mrs H. M. W., Woodside, 9 Clouds, Duns, Berwickshire

TD11 3BB 1989

Alison, Mr A. S., Midway, Weddels Lane, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 1HG 1986

Alison, Mrs A. S., Midway, Weddels Lane, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 1HG 1986

313

314

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Almond, Mr J. M., 4 Buston Barns, Warkworth, Morpeth, Northumberland

NE65 OXX 1995

Ashby, Mr B. A., 'Sixpenny Jacks', Yetholm, Kelso, Roxburghshire TD5 8RU 1989
Askew, Major J. M., Ladykirk House, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1SU 1958

Badenoch, Mr C. O., 38 Gala Park, Galashiels TD15 1EU 1980

Baillie, Mr R. S. G., Allanbank, Lauder, Berwickshire TD2 6RW 1987

Bainbridge, Mr J. W., 41 Castle Terrace, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1NZ 1981

Baird, Mrs N., Easter Crowbutt, Chirnside, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3XT 1990

Bankier, Mrs L., "The Granary", Grindonrigg, Duddo, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 2NN 1990

Batters, Mrs M., Hillcreast, Homcliffe, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2XS 1986

Bell, Mr M. R., 12 Market Street, Wooler, Northumberland NE71 6LQ 1993

Bell, Mrs M. R., 12 Market Street, Wooler, Northumberland NE71 6LQ 1993

Binnie, Mrs G. A. C., Ladykirk, Norham, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1XL 1965

Birrell, Miss E. E., 3 Beverley Close, Brunton Park, Gosforth, Newcastle upon

Tyne NE3 5NU 1988

Blair, Mrs D., 5 Devon Terrace, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1JE 1991

Blake, Sir Michael, Bart., Dower House, Tillmouth, Cornhill-on-Tweed,

Northumberland TD12 4UR 1988

Blench, Dr J. W., 1 Countess of Buchan Way, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1PH 1976
Booth, Mr W. H., Athens Wood, The Hirsel, Coldstream TD12 4LT 1989

Booth, Mrs E. M., Athens Wood, The Hirsel, Coldstream TD12 4LT 1989

Boston, Miss Isobel Y., 16 Low Greens, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1LZ 1984

Braddock, Mrs M. W., Ayrefield, Well Square, Tweedmouth TD15 2AL 1994

Braithwaite, Mr M. E., Clarilaw, Hawick, Roxburghshire TD9 8PT 1978

Brewes, Mrs L., Laburnum Cottage, Crookham, Cornhill-on-Tweed,

Northumberland TD12 4SX 1990

Brodie, Mrs M. B., 45a Church Street, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1EE 1989

Brotherstone, Mrs E. M., Pouterlyne Park, Duns TD11 3QL 1995

Brown, Dr J. A. H., Delgany, Old Cambus, Cockburnspath, Berwickshire

TD13 5YS 1988

Brown, Mrs J. M., 'Glendevon', Coldingham Road, Eyemouth, Borders 1993

Brown, Mr R. Lamont, 2 Crawford House, 132 North Street, St Andrews

KY16 9AF 1970

Brunton, Mrs E. R., The Lees, Homcliffe, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2XN 1989

Bryce, Miss E. M., 3 Pinnaclehill Park, Kelso, Roxburghshire 1995

Buckham, Mr A., 9 Gorse Lane, Langlee, Galashiels TD1 2LY 1979

Buckle, Mrs E. L„ 3A Trinity Place, Duns TD11 3HN 1995

Buglass, Miss E. T., 1 Countess of Buchan Way, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 IP A 1965

Burge, Mr O. A., Whiteside, Greenlaw, Duns, Berwickshire TD10 6XW 1991

Burns, Miss E. E., 'Annecroft', 2 Kilnknowe Cottages, Coldingham 1993

Burns, Mrs Kate A., The Coach House, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3NW 1984

Burton, Rev. G. R. W., 7 Ford Village, Ford, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2QG 1989

Burton, Mrs G. R. W., 7 Ford Village, Ford, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2QG 1989

Bush, Mrs P. M. E., Wilton Cottage, Chirnside, Berwickshire TD11 3XR 1976

Butler, Mr D. W., Aljoroan, Cow Road, Spittal, Berwick upon Tweed 1995

Butler, Mrs D. W., Aljoroan, Cow Road, Spittal, Berwick upon Tweed 1995

Calder, Mrs, Lintlaw Burns, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3QK 1991

Campbell, Mrs Diana, Newtonlees, Kelso, Roxburghshire TD5 7SZ 1986

Campbell, Dr R. B., The Tweed Foundation, The Steading, Drygrange,

Leaderfoot, Melrose TD6 9DJ 1995

Candlish, Mr, The Elms, Duns, Berwickshire 1991

Candlish, Mrs, The Elms, Duns, Berwickshire 1991

Cartwright, Rev. A. C. D., The Manse, Swinton, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3JJ 1986
Cartwright, Mrs M. E. L., The Manse, Swinton, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3JJ 1986

LIST OF MEMBERS 315

Cato, Mr B. H., 2 Croft Place, High Newton-by-the-Sea, Alnwick,

Northumberland NE66 3DL 1988

Cato, Mrs B. E„ 2 Croft Place, High Newton-by-the-Sea, Alnwick,

Northumberland NE66 3DL 1988

Charters, Mrs J. V., 4 Plenderleith Court, Kelso, Roxburghshire TD5 7DF 1986

Chicken, Mrs Joan, 9 Carrick Close, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 INS 1987

Clark, Mrs Lily E., 15 Crookham Village, Cornhill-on-Tweed, Northumberland

TD12 4SX 1986

* Cleat, Mr L. H., Redbrae, Gavinton, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3QT 1982

Clements, Dr E. M. B., 16 South Lane, Seahouses, Northumberland NE68 7UN 1979
Clements, Dr M., 16 South Lane, Seahouses, Northumberland NE68 7UN 1979

Clermont, Mrs E. De, Morris Hall, Norham, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2JY 1987

Cook, Mr C. L., 25 Windsor Crescent, Berwick upon Tweed 1993

Cook, Mr R. K., 7 Well tower Park, Ayton, Berwickshire TD14 5RR 1992

Cooklin, Ms F., 3 Quay Walls, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1HB 1993

Cormack, Mrs J. M., Tweedford, Abbotsford Grove, Kelso TD5 7BN 1993

Comer, Dr R. M., Hawthorn Hill, 36 Wordsworth Street, Penrith, Cumbria 1975

Cowe, Mr F. M., 10 Ravensdowne, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1HX 1958

Cowe, Mrs J., 10 Ravensdowne, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1HX 1991

Cowen, Miss M. C., 29 Castle Drive, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1NR 1978

Cowper, Mr R., Stonends, Hillside Road, Rothbury, Northumberland

NE67 7WG 1963

Cuming, Mrs Margaret M., 4 Berrywell Drive, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3HG 1987
Cunningham, Mrs A. N., 'Bruaich', Hazlieburn, WEst Linton, Tweeddale

EH46 7AS 1993

Curry, Miss R. I., 5 Henderson Court, Well Square, Tweedmouth, Berwick

upon Tweed TD15 2AL 1974

Cuthbertson, Mrs M. I., 32 Greenwood, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 2EB 1988

Darling, Mrs B. R., The Old Manse, Gavinton, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3QT 1992
Darling, Mr J., Broadhaugh Farm, Chirnside, Berwickshire TD11 3JX 1989

Darling, Mrs J., Broadhaugh Farm, Chirnside, Berwickshire TD11 3JX 1989

Davenport, Miss N. C., 6 Seafield, Eyemouth, Berwickshire TD14 5 AH 1992

Davey, Mrs J. H., 7 Welltower Park, Ayton, Berwickshire TD14 5RR 1992

Davidson, Mr J. A. S., West Reston Mains, Reston, Eyemouth, Berwickshire

TD14 5JL 1992

Davidson, Mrs J. A. S., West Reston Mains, Reston, Eyemouth, Berwickshire,

TDM 5JL 1992

Davidson, Mr T. F., Horseley, Reston, Berwickshire TDM 5LW 1978

Davidson, Mrs T. F., Horseley, Reston, Berwickshire TD14 5LW 1959

Dickson, Mrs P., Haymarket, Bridgend, Duns 1995

Dobson, Mr T. D., The White House, Melrose Road, Galashiels TD1 3PU 1992

Doran, Mrs M. R., 1 Barefoots Drive, Eyemouth TDM 5BN 1993

Dougal, Mr William, 3 Broad Street, Eyemouth, Berwickshire TDM 5DP 1991

Dougal, Mrs William, 3 Broad Street, Eyemouth, Berwickshire TDM 5DP 1991

Drysdale, Mrs F. E. S., 'GirnaT, Old Cambus, East Mains, Cockburnspath,

Berwickshire TD13 5YS 1965

Dudgeon, Mrs E., Lickar Moor Farm, Bowsden, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 2TG 1963

Duke, Mr N., 8 Ravensdowne, Berwick upon Tweed 1993

Duke, Mrs N., 8 Ravensdowne, Berwick upon Tweed 1993

Duncan, Mr S. D., Hawthorn Cottage, Cockburnspath, Berwickshire 1990

Duncan, Mrs S. D., Hawthorn Cottage, Cockburnspath, Berwickshire 1990

Durbin, Lt. Col. J. T„ M.B.E., W.S., Purves Hall, by Greenlaw, TD6 US 1994

Edgar, Mr O. A., Lyndene, Todlaw Road, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3HT 1980

Edgar, Mrs O. A., Lyndene, Todlaw Road, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3HT 1983

Elliot, Lady, 39 Inverleith Place, Edinburgh EH3 5QD 1964

316

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Evans, Captain J., Dundee House, Harbour Road, Eyemouth, Berwickshire

TDM 5IB 1986

Evans, Miss M., 12 Carrick Close, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1PQ 1976

Fairfield, Mrs J. E. T., 8 Castle Drive, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 INS 1957

Fanner, Mrs R., The Smithy, Allanton, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3LA 1982

Finlay, Mrs M., 5 Balmoral Terrace, South Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne

NE3 1YH * 1994

Fish, Mrs Annie, Southview, Gavinton, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3QP 1990

Fish, Mrs M., 21 Barony Park, Kelso TD5 8DJ 1995

Fisher, Mr J. H., Fell House, St Aidans, Seahouses, Northumberland

NE68 7SR 1977

Fisher, Mrs J. H., Fell House, St Aidans, Seahouses, Northumberland

NE68 7SR 1977

Fraser, Mr, 14 Warkworth Terrace, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1LE 1992

Fraser, Mrs, 14 Warkworth Terrace, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1LE 1992

*Furness, Lt Col. S. J., Netherbyres, Eyemouth, Berwickshire TDM 5SE 1980

Gacek, Mrs M., 66C Church Street, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1DU 1995

Gaddes, Rev. D., 35 Winterfield Gardens, Duns TD11 3EZ 1994

Gaddes, Mrs D., 35 Winterfield Gardens, Duns TD11 3EZ 1994

Gee-Turner, Mrs M., Crailing House, Crailing, Jedburgh TD8 6TW 1995

Gibson, Mrs C. G., 33 Low Greens, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1LZ 1985

Gibson, Dr J. A., Foremount House, Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire 1974

Gilchrist, Mrs M. E., 4 Knowehead, Hutton, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1TR 1994

Gilchrist, Mrs M. H., 3 Low Greens, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1LZ 1990

Glanville, Mr S. F., 30 Bridgend, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3EX 1991

Glanville, Mrs S. F., 30 Bridgend, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3EX 1991

Gordon, Mrs A. C., Bell Hill House, Northfield Farm, St Abbs, Eyemouth,

Berwickshire TD14 5QF 1989

Gourlay, Mr Roy H., 14 Gourlay's Wynd, Duns TD11 3AZ 1985

Gourlay, Mrs Roy H., 14 Gourlay's Wynd, Duns TD11 3AZ 1985

Green, Mr C. G. W., Borough Museum, The Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed

TD15 1BT 1990

Grey, Mrs D. M., Oxenburn Dene, Comhill-on-Tweed TD12 4UW 1960

Grieve, Mrs A., 157 Etal Road, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2DU 1989
Grinham, Mr F. R., Viewforth, Horncliffe, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1992

Gross, Mrs L. T., 11 Tweed Street, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1NG 1990

Grout, Mr R. E., 3 West End, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2HE 1990
Grout, Mrs P. N., 3 West End, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2HE 1990

Haddington, Earl of, Mellerstain, Gordon, Berwickshire TD3 6LG 1978

Hall, Mrs M., Laidlaws, Spottiswood, Gordon, Berwickshire TD3 6NQ 1989

Hall, Mrs M. H., Laurel Bank, Tower Road, Ayton, Eyemouth, Berwickshire 1993

Hall, Miss S. M., 24 The Meadows, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1NY 1994

Hardy, Dr F. G., 8 Brackenfield Road, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne

NE3 4DX 1980

Harris, Mrs J., Fulbeck, Cowe Holme, Norham, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 2LG 1995

Hattie, Mrs D. Y., 28 The Meadows, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1NY 1990

Hay, Mrs A., Duns Castle, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3NW 1986

Hay, Mr E., M.A., Ramsheugh, Cockburnspath, Berwickshire TD13 5XE 1980

Henderson, Mrs J., Caim-Na Cuheen, Waterloo Park, Chimside, Berwickshire

TD11 3XH 1957

Hendry, Mr P. G., 44 Craigleith View, Edinburgh EH4 3JY 1972

Hepple, Mr J. R., Muiredge, Edlingham, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 2BL 1983
Hepple, Mrs J. R., Muiredge, Edlingham, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 2BL 1983

LIST OF MEMBERS 317

Hickman, Mr M., 10 Leet Street, Coldstream TD12 4BJ 1994

Hirrell, Miss M., 'Thomdene', 16 Woodlands Park, Coldstream, Berwickshire

TD12 4LL 1990

Hodgson, Mr T. D., Tillmouth House, Cornhill-on-Tweed, Northumberland

TD12 4UR 1981

Hogg, Mrs K. S., Chester Cottage, 17 Edgehead Road, Pathhead, Midlothian

EH37 5RL 1982

Hood, Mrs J., Cove Farmhouse, Cove, Cockbumspath, Berwickshire TD13 5XD 1988
Hope, Mr I., The Manse, Hutton, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 ITS 1990

Horsburgh, Mrs K. M., 1 Meadow Gardens, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon

Tweed TD15 2FF 1995

Hughes, Revd Alan, The Vicarage, The Parade, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 IDF 1995

Hughes, Mrs S. E., The Vicarage, The Parade, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 IDF 1995

Hutcheson, Mrs E., Trinity House, Inch Road, Kelso TD5 7JR 1987

Jackson, Mrs P., Shoreswood, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2NQ 1980

‘Jeffries, Mr H. D., 35 Castle Drive, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1975

Jeffries, Mrs H. D., 35 Castle Drive, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1993

Johnson, Mrs M., 'Thomdene', 16 Woodlands Park, Coldstream, Berwickshire

TD12 4LL 1990

Johnson, Mr P., Todlaw, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3EJ 1991

Johnson, Mrs P., Todlaw, Dims, Berwickshire TD11 3EJ 1991

King, Mrs E., 5 Longstone View, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1JH 1991

Laidlaw, Dr J., Courtbum House, Coldingham, Berwickshire 1985

Laidlaw, Mrs J., Courtbum House, Coldingham, Berwickshire 1985

Laurence, Dr B., 32 Low Greens, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1LZ 1995

Lauritzen, Mr J. D., Jaydels House, Nether Huntlywood, Earlston TD4 6BB 1994

Lauritzen, Mrs J. D., Jaydels House, Nether Huntlywood, Earlston TD4 6BB 1994

‘Liddell Grainger, Mr D. I., Ayton Castle, Ayton, Berwickshire TD14 5RD 1956

Lindores, Mrs J. G., 84 Castlegate, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1JT 1984

Logan, Mr George, Way to Wooler, Wooler, Northumberland NE71 6AQ 1985

Logan, Mrs George, Way to Wooler, Wooler, Northumberland NE71 6AQ 1985

Logan, Mrs H., Primrosehill, Duns TD11 3TL 1995

Lomas, Dr R. A., 22 Alexandra dose, Framwellgate Moor, Durham DH1 5ED 1992
Lomas, Mrs R. A., 22 Alexandra Close, Framwellgate Moor, Durham DH1 5ED 1992
Long, Mr D. G., Spottiswoode House, Westruther, Gordon TD3 6NQ 1989

Lothian, Sheriff, 1 Boon Cottages, Lauder, Berwickshire TD2 6SR 1992

Lothian, Mrs A., 1 Boon Cottages, Lauder, Berwickshire TD2 6SR 1992

Loudon, Mr D., 66 Castle Street, Duns TD11 3BE 1995

Loudon, Mrs D., 66 Castle Street, Duns TD11 3BE 1995

Lough, Mr F. B., 'Tweedsyde', 15 Castle Terrace, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 1NR 1986

Lough, Mrs F. B., 'Tweedsyde', 15 Castle Terrace, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 1NR 1986

‘Lusk, Rev J. C., 26 Ochlochy Park, Dunblane, Perthshire FK15 0DU 1970

Machin, Mrs L. F„ Rosybank House, Coldstream, Berwickshire TD14 4AZ 1993

McCrea, Ms Anne L. H., Tweedbank, Kelso, Roxburghshire 1986

McCreath, Miss A., The Shieling, Comhill Road, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon

Tweed TD15 2DY 1973

‘McCreath, Mr G. C., 'The Hollies', Homcliffe, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 1TE 1988

‘McCreath, Mrs G. C., 'The Hollies', Homcliffe, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 1TE 1958

McCreath, Mrs R., Learig, High Street, Ayton, Eyemouth, Berwickshire

TD14 5QR 1989

McCulloch, Mrs Marjorie L., The Coach House, Manorhill, Selkirk TD7 5LS 1984

McDougal, Mrs J. L., Blythe, Lauder, Berwickshire TD2 6SJ 1958

318

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

*McEwan, Lady, Marchmont, Greenlaw, Berwickshire TD10 6YL 1966

McGregor, Mrs C. A., The Manse, Lauder, Berwickshire TD2 6QL 1983

Mackay, Rev H., M.A., F.S.A.Scot., The Manse, Duns, Berwickshire 1971

Mackenzie, Mrs W. G., 'Kolberg', 44 Lanfield, Coldingham, Eyemouth

TDM 5PY 1995

Mackie, Mr A. O., Linton Downs, Kelso TD5 8AF 1992

MacKinnon, Mrs A. C., Craigie Lodge, Longformacus, Duns, Berwickshire

TD11 3PE 1986

McLelland, Mrs I. D. M., Benachie, Gavinton, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3QT 1991
Marjoribanks, Cdr J. B., Homdean Bank, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1XJ 1986

Martin, Miss Patricia, William & Matilda Cottage, Tofts Lane, Homdiffe,

Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2XR 1984

Maxwell, Mr S., 16 Dick Place, Edinburgh EH9 2JL 1970

Meikle, Dr Maureen, The Pines, Hill Road, Gullane, East Lothian EH31 2BE 1981

Meikle, Mr R. W„ The Pines, Hill Road, Gullane, East Lothian EH31 2BE 1990

Meikle, Mrs R. W., The Pines, Hill Road, Gullane, East Lothian EH31 2BE 1978

Meil, Miss E., The Cottage, East Flemington, Ayton, Berwickshire TDM 5SQ 1990
Melia, Rev. M. J., 64 Ravensdowne, Berwick upon Tweed 1995

Mercer, Mrs C., 2 Trinity Park, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3HN 1989

*Millican, Mr G. B., Greenwood Lodge, Ayton, Eyemouth, Berwickshire

TDM 5QY 1979

Millican, Mrs G. B., Greenwood Lodge, Ayton, Eyemouth, Berwickshire

TD14 5QY 1967

Millican, Mr J. D., Greenbank, 1 Trinity Park, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3HN 1992

Millican, Mrs J. D., Greenbank, 1 Trinity Park, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3HN 1992

Mitchell, Mr A. D., Woodville, Gavinton, Duns, Bewickshire TD11 3QT 1974

Mitchell, Dr L. I. S., Woodville, Gavinton, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3QT 1974

Miller, Mr G. G., Sunny dale, Allanton, Berwickshire TD11 3LA 1995

Miller, Mrs G. G., Sunnydale, Allanton, Berwickshire TD11 SLA 1995

Mole, Mrs J., Greenburn, Reston, Eyemouth TDM 5LP 1992

Moore, Mr W. H., 14 Tenterhill, Wooler, Northumberland NE71 6DQ 1968

Moore, Mrs M. J., 14 Tenterhill, Wooler, Northumberland NE71 6DQ 1988

Morgan, Mr T. K., Sunnyside, Reston, Eyemouth, Berwickshire TD14 5LN 1992

Morrison, Mrs G., Moss Park, West Morriston, Earlston, Berwickshire TD4 6AZ 1978
Morse, Mrs D., The Old Vicarage, Doddington, Wooler, Northumberland

NE71 6AL 1982

Mosgrove, Mrs E., 1 Paxton Road, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1PF 1965

Mure, Mr D. J. H., The Old Schoolhouse, Gavinton, Duns, Berwickshire

TD11 3QT 1995

Mure, Mrs D. J. H., The Old Schoolhouse, Gavinton, Duns, Berwickshire

TD11 3QT 1995

Nicholson, Mr J., 3 Hide Hill, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1EQ 1993

Nicoll, Dr F. J., Westlands, Coldingham Road, Eyemouth, Berwickshire

TD14 5BZ 1992

Nicoll, Mrs F. J., Westlands, Coldingham Road, Eyemouth, Berwickshire

TDM 5BZ 1992

Pate, Mr A. W., Horseupcleugh, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3PF 1991

*Pate, Mrs A. W., Horseupcleugh, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3PF 1983

Paxton, Mrs P., 14 Bowers Crescent, Tweedmouth TD15 2HH 1995

Payne, Major P. I. C., Old Cleeve, Minehead, Somerset TA24 6HU 1974

Pearson, Mrs S., Summer Lodge, Beanburn, Ayton, Berwickshire TD14 5QY 1992
Penny, Mr J. R., Old Vicarage, 13 Castle Terrace, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 1NR 1994

Potts, Mrs M. L., Benridge, Longhorsley, Morpeth NE65 8UY 1987

Prentice, Mrs B. J., Cockbum Mill, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3TL 1990

Pringle, Miss F. C., 6 Broomlands House, Kelso TD5 7SW 1992

LIST OF MEMBERS 319

Pyle, Mrs Margaret R., Druim-an-Allt, Lennel Mount, Coldstream, Berwickshire

TD12 4NS 1987

Ramsay, The Hon Mrs, Bughtrig, Coldstream, Berwickshire TD12 4JP 1991

Rasmussen, Mrs Joan I., River Croft, Front Street, Rothbury, Morpeth,

Northumberland NE66 7TY 1995

Reay, Mrs H. M., Maythorne, 5 North Road, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1PW 1988
Roberts, Dr J. E. Holt, 13 Yard Heads, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 2HA 1978

Robertson, Mr D., Cranshaws Castle, Cranshaws, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3SJ 1991
Robertson, Mrs D., Cranshaws Castle, Cranshaws, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3SJ 1991
Robertson, Mrs F. J., 12 Lennel Mount, Coldstream, Berwickshire TD12 4SN 1981
Robertson, Mrs M., West Inchmichael, Rait, Perthshire 1975

Robertson, Mr N.,.4 Cross View, Norham, Berwick upon Tweed 1993

Robertson, Mrs N., 4 Cross View, Norham, Berwick upon Tweed 1993

Robertson, Mrs C. Home-, The Apple House, Paxton TD15 1SZ 1995

Robinson, Mrs U. M., 'Wellcroft', Gavinton, Duns TD11 3QR 1995

Robson, Mrs C., 132 Main Street, Spittal, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1RP 1995

Roche, Mrs E. M., 48 Castle Drive, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1NU 1994

Roche, Mr J. P., 48 Castle Drive, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1NU 1994

‘Romanes, Mrs S., Norham Lodge, Duns, Berwickshire 1963

Ross, Mrs M. F. E., Ridgeway, 167 Etal Road, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon

Tweed TD15 2DU 1989

Rowett, Mr P. M., Longridge Towers, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2XH 1993

Russell, Mrs E. J., Rathowen, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3NR 1985

Salthouse, Dr E. C., The Master's House, The Castle, Durham 1984

Salthouse, Mrs E. C., The Master's House, The Castle, Durham 1984

Samuel, Mrs M. P., White Crags, Burnmouth, Berwickshire TD14 5SU 1990

Sanderson, Mrs Elizabeth, Milestone House, 109 Etal Road, Tweedmouth,

Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2DU 1986

Seales, Dr W. E., 4 Langtongate, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3AE 1990

Seeker, Mrs S., 19 Cleet Court, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1HH 1988

Shaw, Mr G„ 1 Brick Court, Temple, EC4W 9BY 1990

Shaw, Mr R. E., 1 Lord's Mount, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1LY 1992

Shaw, Mrs R. E., 1 Lord's Mount, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1LY 1992

Sherwood, Mr K., 4 Cheviot Park, Wooler, Northumberland NE71 6LW 1991

Sherwood, Mrs K., 4 Cheviot Park, Wooler, Northumberland NE71 6LW 1991

Simpson, Miss J. L., 4 Ivinson Road, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 2EA 1974

Simpson, Miss Muriel, 124 Shielfield Terrace, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon

Tweed TD15 2EE 1984

Simpson, Mr P. W., 23 Moray Place, Edinburgh EH3 6DA 1979

Sinclair, Mrs E., West Lodge, Longridge Towers, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 2XQ 1977

Sinclair, Captain R., Traquair Cottage, Gavinton, Duns, Berwickshire

TD11 3QT 1982

Smith, Mr H. J., Weywood, Maxwellheugh, Jedburgh Road, Kelso TD5 8AZ 1991

Smith, Mrs H. J., Weywood, Maxwellheugh, Jedburgh Road, Kelso TD5 8AZ 1991

Smith, Mrs J. M. C., Damlee, Melrose, Roxburghshire 1980

Smith, Dr Kate Munro, The Ragged School, 51 Roxburgh Street, Kelso,

Roxburghshire TD5 7DS 1985

Smith, Mr P. C. P., Woodbine Cottage, East Ord, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 2NS 1976

Smith, Mrs A. W. L. Wilson, Cumledge, Duns, Berwickshire 1979

Souter, Mr D. C., Detchant Park, Belford, Northumberland NE70 7PQ 1978

Souter, Mrs J. M., Detchant Park, Belford, Northumberland NE70 7PQ 1974

Spellman, Mrs L., Mill Farm, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2HP 1988
Spratt, Mrs E. K., Belvedere, Broomieknowe, Lasswade, Midlothian 1990

Spratt, Mr G., Silverwells, Coldingham, Eyemouth, Berwickshire 1990

Spratt, Mrs E., Silverwells, Coldingham, Eyemouth, Berwickshire 1990

320

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Spratt, Mr F. S. D., 3 West Savile Road, Edinburgh EH16 5NG 1995

Sproule, Mrs J. E., Ladiesfield, Coldstream, Berwickshire 1972

Stalker, Mr D., K.E.T., F.S.A.Scot., Hailes Castle Cottage, Haddington, East

Lothian EH44 4PY 1986

Stawart, Mrs J., 4 Douglas Close, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 IPG 1974

Steel, Mrs Helen B., Rosebank, Ay ton, Eyemouth, Berwickshire 1987

Stephenson, Mrs K., Piper's Cottage, Blanerne, Duns TD11 3PZ 1990

Stewart, Mrs E., Southlands, Todlaw, Duns, Berwickshire 1995

Stewart, Rev. C. E., Highacre, Barefoots Crescent, Eyemouth, Berwickshire

TD14 5BA 1992

Stirling, Mrs A. H., 20 Woolmarket, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1DH 1988

Stoddart, Mrs Wm., Eversley, 30 The Meadows, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 1NY 1992

Stone, Revd R. M. R., 12 Well Square, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 2AL 1995

Stone, Mrs J. E., 12 Well Square, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 2AL 1995

Stott, Mrs F., Wynfield House, Mount Road, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon

Tweed TD15 2BA 1985

Straton, Mrs Emily K., Pouterlany, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3QL 1984

Sutherland, Miss C. A., 2 Tintagel House, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1AP 1983

Sutherland, Mrs C. M., Lowick Northfield, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2TR 1989

Sutherland, Mrs F., 10 Welltower Park, Ayton TD14 5RR 1995

Swan, Lady A. G., Blackhouse, Reston, Berwickshire TD11 5LR 1987

Swinton, Major General Sir John, Kimmerghame, Duns, Berwickshire

TD11 3LU 1970

Swinton, Lady J., Kimmerghame, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3LU 1981

Tansley, Mr P., Sandyknowe, Hutton, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 ITS 1992

Tansley, Mrs P., Sandyknowe, Hutton, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 ITS 1991

Terrell, Mrs Pauline, 20 Mayfield Gardens, Kelso, Roxburghshire TD5 7BD 1993

Thompson, Mrs, 13 Lindisfame Gardens, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed 1995
Thompson, Mrs J., 'Eweside House', CockbUrnspath, Berwickshire 1962

Thompson Major N., Nenthorn, Kelso 1995

Thompson, Mrs N., Nenthorn, Kelso 1995

Thompson, Mr R. F., East Kyloe, Beal, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2PG 1989

Tindall, Mr B. H., Hermits and Termits, 64 St Leonard's Street, Edinburgh

EH8 9SW 1992

*Totty, Mrs Margaret, Oakleas, Gavinton, Duns, Berwickshire TD11 3QT 1985

Trimmer, Miss J. R., North Cedars, Foulden, Berwick-upon-Tweed TD15 1UH 1986
Trotter, Mr A. R., Charterhall, Duns, Berwickshire 1986

Trotter, Mrs A. R., Charterhall, Duns, Berwickshire 1986

Trousdell, Mr M. C., Hillburn House, Ayton, Eyemouth, Berwickshire

TD14 5SG 1986

Trousdell, Mrs M. C., Hillburn House, Ayton, Eyemouth, Berwickshire

TDM 5SG 1986

Tyler, Miss H., 1 Queen Mary's Buildings, Queen Street, Jedburgh TD8 9EW 1995

Veitch, Mrs A., Stoneycroft, Castle Terrace, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1NZ 1974

Wainwright, Mrs V. B., 24 The Meadows, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1NY 1995

Waldie, Mr J., 'Greenbank', 141 Roxburgh Street, Kelso, Roxburghshire

TD5 7DU 1965

Waldie, Mrs J., 'Greenbank', 141 Roxburgh Street, Kelso, Roxburghshire

TD5 7DU 1978

Wall, Mrs A. W., Herringthorpe, 233 Main Street, Spittal, Berwick upon

Tweed TD15 1RR 1976

Ward, Mr R. C., 2 New Homdean, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1XH 1993

LIST OF MEMBERS

321

Watt, Mr, Fogo Mains, near Duns TD11 3RA 1993

Watt, Mrs, Fogo Mains, near Duns TD11 3RA 1993

Watt, Mrs E. A., 91 Etal Road, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2DU 1990
Whiteford, Mrs J., Borewell Farm, Scremerston, Berwick upon Tweed

TD15 2RJ 1977

Wigdor, Mr J. B., The Old Military Hospital, 69B Ravensdowne, Berwick upon

Tweed TD15 1DQ 1988

Wigdor, Mrs V. J., The Old Military Hospital, 69B Ravensdowne, Berwick

upon Tweed TD15 1DQ 1988

Williamson, Mr A. B., Laindenn Cottage, Lennel, Coldstream, Berwickshire

TD12 4EU 1987

Williamson, Mrs A. B., Laindenn Cottage, Lennel, Coldstream, Berwickshire

TD12 4EU 1987

Wood, Mrs M., Laneside, Bummouth, Berwickshire TDM 5SQ 1990

Wood, Mrs R. M., Melgund Glen, Denholm, Roxburghshire TD9 8RZ 1984

Yates, Mrs S., Heaton Mill, Comhill-on-Tweed, Northumberland TD12 4XQ 1989

LIBRARIES

Architectural & Archaeological Society of Durham and Northumberland,

Department of Archaeology, 46 Saddler Street, Durham DH1 3NU
Balfour & Newton Libraries, Department of Zoology, Downing Street,

Cambridge 1915

Borders Family History Society, Mrs C. Trotter, 15 Edinburgh Road, Greenlaw,
Berwickshire

Borders Regional Library HQ, St Mary's Mill, Selkirk TD7 5EW and Duns
Library, Newtown Street, Duns.

Central Library, New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne 1901

County Library Branch, The Parade, Berwick upon Tweed 1976

East Lothian Antiquarian Society, District Council Library HQ, Lodge Street,

Haddington EH41 3DX

Glasgow Archaeological Society Library, do Department of History &

Topography, Floor 5, Mitchell Library, North Street, Glasgow G3
Glasgow Natural History Society, do Mitchell Library, North Street,

Glasgow G3

Hawick Archaeological Society, Area Library, North Bridge Street, Hawick,
Roxburghshire TD9 9QT

Literary & Philosophical Society, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne 1909

National Museums of Scotland (The Library), Chambers Street, Edinburgh
EH1 1JF

Natural History Museum, Acquisition Section, Department of Library Services,

Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD

Natural History Society of Northumbria, The Hancock Museum, Newcastle
upon Tyne

Newcastle University Library, Periodicals Department, Newcastle upon Tyne
NE2 4HQ

Northumberland County Library, The Willows, Morpeth, Northumberland 1964

Royal Botanic Gardens (The Library), Edinburgh EH3 5LR

Royal Commission of the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Scotland,

16 Bernard Terrace, Edinburgh EH8 9NX 1978

Scottish Natural History Society (Dr J. A. Gibson), Foremount House,

Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire PA10 2EZ
Scottish Ornithologists' Club, 21 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5BT
Scottish Record Office, P.O. Box 36, HM General Register House, Edinburgh 1969

Scottish Wildlife Trust, Cramond House, Glebe Road, Cramond EH4 8NS

322

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, National Museums of Scotland, Chambers
Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF

Society of Antiquaries of London, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London 1915

Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, Black Gate, Newcastle upon
Tyne

University Library, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TR 1961

COPYRIGHT LIBRARIES

Bodleian Library, Broad Street, Oxford 0X1 3BG
British Library, 2 Sheraton Street, London W1V 4BH
National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EW
National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 3BU, Wales
Trinity College Library Dublin, College Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
University Library, Cambridge CB3 9DR

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED

1. Archaeologia Aeliana (Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle).

2. Borders Family History Society magazine.

3. Durham Archaeological Journal (Architectural and Archaeological Society of Durham
and Northumberland).

4. Transactions of the East Lothian Antiquarian and Field Naturalists' Society.

5. Glasgow Archaeological Journal (Glasgow Archaeological Society).

6. Glasgow Naturalist (Glasgow Natural History Society).

7. Transactions of Hawick Archaeological Society.

8. Transactions of Northumbria Natural History Society.

9. Scottish Bird News and Scottish Bird Report (Scottish Ornithologists' Club).

10. Scottish Botanical Journal.

11. Scottish Naturalist (Scottish Natural History Society).

12. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

13. Magazine of The Scottish Wildlife Trust.

This list has been difficult and time-consuming to compile. The
Corresponding Secretary, the Treasurer and I have tried to make it
accurate. Would members who notice errors or omissions, kindly notify
them to the Corresponding Secretary so that they may be corrected in
the next List, to be published in 1999.

HISTORY
OF THE

BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS'
CLUB

INDEX TO VOLUME 46 - 1993/1994/1995

Anniversary Addresses

1993 Observations of an Agricultural Merchant. Geoffrey C. McCreath, 1

1994 The Cholera Epidemic of 1832 in Duns and the Borders, and the

Romanes family connection. Mrs Sheila Romanes, 103

1995 A History of the Churches in the Presbytery of Duns. Rev. Alan
C. D. Cartwright, 209

Alnwick, visited: 304

Anniversary Addresses: 1, 103, 209

Archaeological notes: 87-91, 189-193, 296-300

Badenoch, C. O., author: 115, 272
Bainbridge, J. W., author: 37, 137, 237
Berwick Barracks, visited: 304
Bettess, G., author: 223
Bewick, Thomas: 199

Binnie, Dr G. A. C., author: 92, 97-99, 100, 196, 198, 200, 201-203,
298-300, 304, 305, 308-309

Border Lairds of the sixteenth century, a study of the links between
wealth and house building: 9-36, 206
Borders archaeological report: 87-88, 189-190
Botanical records: 75-77, 179-182, 289-293
Bowhill House and Park, visited: 302
Braith waite, M. E., author: 75, 179, 289
Buckham, A. G., author: 78, 79, 184
Burton, Rev. G. R. W., author: 303

Cairncross of Colmslie and Hillslap: 18-21

323

324

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Cartwright, Rev. A. C. D., Anniversary Address: 209; author: 301
Cato, B. and B., authors: 94
Cherryburn House, visited: 199

Churches in the Presbytery of Duns: 209-222; Old Bewick Church: 223-236
Cleat, L. H., author: 307

Coal Mines of North Northumberland, I — Berwickhill: 37-74; II —
Scremerston Triangle: 137-178; III — Southern Sector, Duddo to
Wandylaw: 237-271

Contents, lists of: Part 1, i; Part 2, iii; Part 3, v

Council Members, list of: 311-312

Cowie, T. G., author: 298

Cross, Lt. Col. R. N. R., O.B.E., lecturer: 306

Crustaceans: 78

Doddington Bastle, inscribed stone: 201

Edlingham Church and Castle, visited: 94
Edrom Church, visited: 196
Elba and Abbey St Bathans S.S.S.I., visited: 305
Elliot, William Ryle, obituary: 194
Entomological reports: 78-79, 182-184, 293-294

Field notes and records: 75-85, 179-188, 289-295
Field Secretaries' reports: 92-99, 196-203, 301-307
Fogo Parish, visited: 301

Glenkinchie Distillery, visited: 197

Haddington, visited: 303

Haggerston Italian Garden, visited: 200

Holy Island, Church, Priory and Castle, visited: 301

Homes of Cowdenknowes and Huttonhall: 14-18, 21-28

Hume Castle, visited: 198

Hutton Castle and Church, visited: 92

Illustrations, lists of: Part 1, ii; Part 2, iv; Part 3, vi
Index: 323

Kale Water, visited: 93
Kempe, Dr D. R. C., author: 199

INDEX TO VOLUME 46

325

Kers of Ferniehurst: 31-34
Kielder, visited: 95
Kimmerghame House, visited: 196

Ladythorne House, visited: 98
Lemmington Hall, visited: 94
Lepidoptera: 78-79, 182-184, 294-294

Letter of 1812 from James Bird of Abbey Mains to William Cunningham
of Berwick: 287-288

Librarian's reports and accounts: 100, 204, 308
Linton Church, visited: 93
List of Contents: Part 1, i; Part 2, iii; Part 3, v
List of Illustrations: Part 1, ii; Part 2, iv; Part 3, vi
List of Members: 313-322

List of Office Bearers and Council Members: 311-312
Lister, Miss Ruth, obituary: 86
Long, A. G., author: 78, 182, 293
Long, D. G., author: 75, 179, 289, 293
Longformacus, Redpath S.S.S.I., visited: 201

McCreath, G. C., Anniversary Address: 1; author: 95

McDougal, J. L., author: 93

MacDuff Castle, visited: 202

McLelland, Mrs I. D. M., author: 134, 302

Meikle, Dr Maureen M., author: 9, 206

Members, List of: 313-322

Myreton, Museum of Flight, visited: 93

North Northumberland archaeological report: 88-91, 190-193, 296-300

Obituaries: Miss Ruth Lister, 86; William Ryle Elliot, 194;

David Mackenzie Robertson, 195
Office Bearers, list of: 311-312
Old Bewick Church: 223-236
Ormiston Estate, visited: 197
Ornithological reports: 80-85, 185-188, 294-295
Otterburn Training Area, winter lecture: 306
Ovingham Church, visited: 199

326

HISTORY OF THE BERWICKSFflRE NATURALISTS' CLUB

Pate, Mrs S., author: 93, 197
Paxton House, visited: 92
Pencaitland Church, visited: 197
Pennymuir Roman Camp, visited: 93
Pringles of Torwoodlee: 28-31
Prudhoe Castle, visited: 199

Rideout, K. J., author: 80, 185, 294
Robertson, D. and L. Mackenzie, authors: 87
Robertson, David Mackenzie, obituary: 195
Robertson, Neil, author: 301

Romanes, Mrs S., Anniversary Address: 103; author: 196
Ryder, Peter F., author: 91

St Abbs Head, birds: 80, 185, 294; visited: 305

Siccar Point, visited: 97

Smailholm Tower, visited: 198

Souter, D. C., author: 85

Stevenson House, visited: 303

Stichill Forest Nurseries, visited: 198

Stoat: 85

Swinton Parish, visited: 301

Tansley, Mrs K., author: 201
Tantallon Castle, visited: 93
Treasurer: annual accounts: 101, 207, 310

Wallington Hall and Gardens, visited: 196
Wemyss Caves, visited: 202

Woodlands, Border — I Berwickshire: 115-133; II Roxburghshire: 272-286
Woodlands, Planting a Copse: 134-136

Yetholm Loch, visited: 98

Zoological records: 78-85, 182-188, 293-294

ADVICE TO CONTRIBUTORS

The History of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club has now run
continuously for 164 years. It has recorded a huge amount of
information about every aspect of life in the Borders: archaeology,
genealogy, history, sociology, topography, and all branches of
natural history. It is an invaluable repository for such primary
information.

Many people with special knowledge of Border affairs and
happenings may, perhaps, be inhibited from contributing to the
History by being unfamiliar with how to put an article together. The
following notes are designed to assist, reassure and encourage such
people; but also to be a general guide to all contributors. The
requirements are simple; but the more closely the notes are followed,
the speedier will be publication, the easier the lot of the Editing
Secretary; and the greater the likelihood that the Club will be able
to attract Editing Secretaries in the future !

Manuscripts are best typed, double-spaced, and two copies sent;
but even handwritten documents, if clearly legible, can be
considered. References in the text to other publications are most
simply done by author name(s) and date and then listed in
alphabetical/chronological order at the end of the manuscript, giving
the title of the document and, for papers in journals, the volume
and page number, for books, the place of publication and the
publisher. In this style:

Baxter, E. V., Rintoul, L. J. (1953). The birds of Scotland, Edinburgh: Oliver and
Boyd.

Boyd, H., Ogilvie, M. (1969) Changes in the British wintering population of the
pinkfooted goose from 1950-1975. Wildfowl, 20, 33-46.

Taylor, G. (1937) List of fungi observed in the neighbourhood of Cockburnspath. History
of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, 29, 303-313.

Titles of periodicals should be written in full, as above, not
abbreviated.

Sometimes text references to other publications, documents, etc.,
in the text are more conveniently done by superscript numbers, e.g.:
"the house of Netherbyres5"

and then related to a numbered entry in a list of references/
notes at the end of the paper, as e.g.:

"5. Scottish Record Office TD 7817."

When other publications have been consulted but are not
specifically cited, it may still be useful to guide readers following up
tne subject, to give a "Bibliography", citing the publications in the
same way as for references above.

Illustrations should be numbered consecutively and provided with
short descriptive legends.

Contributions may be sent direct to the Editing Secretary, or
handed to any Council Member.

Copyright. The copyright of papers published in the History will
normally be understood to pass to the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club,
as a permanently accessible institution, but authors may reserve
copyright to themselves, if they so wish, by a written request to the
Editing Secretary.

HISTORY

OF THE

BERWICKSHIRE

NATURALISTS' CLUB

Additional copies available.

The Centenary Volume, published 1933, provides an index to
the History from Volumes 1 to 27, (1831-1931)

Price £20.00

The Sesquicentenary Volume, published 1987, provides an
index to the History from Volumes 28 to 41, (1932-1980)

Price £15.00

For purchase apply to:

The Librarian, Berwickshire Naturalists' Club,
Borough Museum, The Barracks,
Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1DQ, U.K.

The Club Library is held in its own room in Berwick Borough Museum.
Access for members is available at no cost on presentation of a Club
Library ticket at the entrance to the Barracks. Tickets are available fron*
the Librarian, and visits should be made by appointment with the
museum curator, telephone 01289 330933.

PRINTED FOR THE CLUB BY

HOW & BLACKHALL, 77 MARYGATE, BERWICK UPON TWEED.

1996