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UPPER  COQUETDALE, 


XORTHUMBERLAXD : 


3ts  1bi5toi*v\  ITraDitions,  jFoll?*lorc  an^  Scenerv. 


HV 


DAVID    DIPPIE    DIXOX, 


ArillOR    OK 


''WJiittinghaui   J'a/e,"  •'History  of  RotJibiirv   C/iinr/i"  eVr, 


WITH     ILI.I'STRATIOXS 
i:y 

JOHN'    TURNBULL    JJIXON. 


M:\vrASTi.i:  ri'()\r\  \ I  : 

riMNTFI)    AM)    I'CIII.ISIII' I)    l;\     I^or.IlM     |;l  DI'ATII. 

190;,. 


TO 


TllK    Rl(,IIT    JIuX.    LukI)    AkMSTROXd, 

Ol- 

Ha.MIILRI.II    AM)   Cragsidk. 
TIII.s     NOI.lMi;     I.s     RKSI'KC    ri   i;  I,l.\      I)i;i)ICATEl) 

AS    A 

T(JK1;.\    i)\     (.KATITLIU-;    1()1<     Till-;    MA.W     AC'ls 

Ol    kim»m;ss  kix  i.i\  i;i)  i;\ 

Tin-:   .\i"i"ii()K. 


545::oo 


PREFACE. 


"If  life  weTc  like  a  ilay  in  June, 

And  \vc  had  choice  of  luii^land   wide, 
Whi)  would  not  spend  an  afternoon, 
And  evening  too,   by  Coquet-side."' 


TTTHEN.  S(jine  forty  years  aoo,  the  writer  of  the 
'  '  following-  pao-es  left  the  paternal  roof  to  take  up 
his  residence  in  Rothbury,  he  well  remembers  how 
the  first  sight  he  obtained  of  the  ancient  village,  and 
the  vale  of  Cocjuet,  as  seen  from  the  ridges  of  Addev- 
heugh.  awakened  within  him  the  impression  that  the 
village,  and  its  romantic  surroundings  ot  hills  and 
dales,  must  possess  a  historx'  ot  more  than  ordinar\" 
interest,  an  impression  that  grew  upon  him  as  vears 
nulled   b\-. 

He.  therefore,  now  ventures  to  la\  before  his 
readers  a  histor\-  of  the  district,  the  outcome  of  man\' 
notes  and  jxM'sonal  observations,  made  in  the  course 
ot  his  business  journcNS  in  I '  pper  ("o(|uctdak:.  i'his. 
h<:  knows  tiill  well  ihcrc  will  !)<•  nmissions  man\'  and 
errors  not  a  lew.  Mutli  still  remains  lo  be  told,  lor 
numerous  items  ol  greal  interest  have  Ihx'II  excluded 
through  want  of  space. 


VI.  uim'i:k  (■(j(^)Ueti)  \i,k. 

I^ie  favourable  reception  i^'iven  to  the  writer's 
"W'hittinLi'haiii  \'ale"  leads  him  to  hope  that  this,  his 
second  attempt  in  local  histor\',  will  also  merit  the 
approbation  of  his  patrons.  The  author  would  here 
ask  the  learned  scholar,  and  the  critic,  to  scan  the 
pages  of  "Upper  Coquetdale"  with  kindly  considera- 
tion, and  to  remember  that  it  has  been  the  leisure-hour 
employment  of  two  village  tradesmen. 

Ill  the  gathering  together  of  material,  and   in   the 

confirmation  of  detail  for  the  work,  as  it  went  thr(ju!'h 

the  press,  the  author  found  many  friends  from  Coquet- 

head  downwards,  who  readily  trave  him   their  valuable 

advice  and  assistance.      lo  these  he  tenders  his  sincere 

thanks  ;  and  he  can  truly  say,  if  one  wants  to  hnd  out 

his  triends — ^write  a  book! 

D.  D.  1). 

Rothbitrw  DciCinber,  nji'j. 


]■:  R  RATA. 


At  ]:iage  142,  Note  2,  instead  nf  L'//n'.\-//f's.  rear!  "  Cltrisiisnn's.'" 
At  ]")atTe  174,  line  25,  instead  of  ry/S.  read  "  171 5." 
At  ]iage  217.  line  11.  instead  of  Cro7i'ii,  read  "  Rose." 
At  page  276,  line  7.  instead  of  ,f7vr^;i",  read  "  s\'(;\'rkk."' 

At  page  285,  (iniitted  :  —  ••.Mr.  II.  11.  New  ion  was  .schoolmaster  at  Holystone 
upwards  of  (orly  years,  and  still  resides  in  the  village." 

At  page  372.  lines  21-22  should  read  thus:  — "  Kdward  the  First,  l>y  a 
mandate  dated  at  Rothlun)-.  12th  July.  1292,  ordered  the  bishops  of  Si.  .Xiidrew 
and  (ilasgow  to  enquire  into  the  matter,  ^:c.,  &€.''  (Hodgson's  yVi)r/////w/'cv/(?;/(/, 
I'art  ii.,  \'ol.  i.,  ]>.  26.) 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE. 

Pl.an  of  Chew  Green  Camp           6 

Plate  of  Eight  Flints                   120 

Half-tone  Plate  of  Two  Urns  and  Stone     ...        ...         ...  139 

Harbottle  Manse       202 

Alwinton  Church      220 

Clennel  ...         ...         ...         ...         ...        ...         ...         ...         ...  240 

BiDDLESTON            .  .                          244 

Holystone         274 

Heit'I.e     296 

Cartington  Castle               ..          ..          350 

Kothbury,  1840                      ...         374 

Font — Rothbury  Church     .  .                              398 

Cragsiue,  1870  ..          430 

Thropton           456 


UPPER    COQUETDALE. 


INTRODUCTORY. 


The  Coquet  for  ever  !     The  Coquet  for  aye  ! 
The  Coquet,  the  King  o'  the  stream  an'  the  brae. 
Frae  his  high  mountain  throne  to  his  bed  in  the  sea- 
Oh  !  where  shall  we  find  such  a  River  as  he  ?"' 


THE  Coquet — which  of  all  Northumbria's  trouting- 
streams  is  the  most  famous — has  its  source  far 
up  amongst  the  Cheviot  Hills,  and  after  a  tortuous 
course  of  about  forty  miles,  passing  on  its  way  seaward 
the  villages  of  Alwinton,  Harbottle,  Holystone,  Hepple, 
Thropton  and  Rothbury,  Iirinkburn  Priory,  Weldon 
Bridge,  Felton  and  Warkworth,  empties  its  waters 
into  the  North  Sea  at  the  port  of  Amble,  opposite 
Coquet  Island. 

That  part  of  the  valley  known  as  Upper  Coquet- 
dale  is  a  wide  tract  of  hill  country  lying  on  the 
north-western  border  of  Northumberland,  e.xtending  a 
distance  of  some  twenty-five  miles  eastward  from  the 
head  of  Coquet  io  r)rinkl)urn  Priory. 


2  INTRODUCTORY. 

About  midway  between  these  two  points,  just  where 
the  river  debouches  from  its  hill-bound  passage,  stands 
the  village  of  Alwinton.  The  ten  long  miles  of  hills 
and  fells  lying  to  the  west  forms  the  higher  portion  of 
the  district,  which  shall  be  described  under  the  title 
"  Coquethead  to  x'Vlwinton."  The  fifteen  miles  of  fertile 
and  well-cultivated  country  stretching  eastward  down 
beyond  Rothbury  forms  the  lower  portion,  or  second 
division — "Alwinton  to  Brinkburn  Priory." 

Immediately  above  Alwinton  the  valley  suddenly 
contracts,  and  from  Barrow  Scar  upwards  the  waters 
of  the  Coquet  become  closely  hemmed  in  by  the 
massive  green  hills  that  rise  straight  from  its  very 
channel,  leaving  in  some  parts  scarcely  sufficient  room 
for  the  narrow  cart-road,  that  crosses  and  recrosses  the 
stream,  as  it  winds  its  way  up  the  bottom  of  the  valley 
towards  Makendon — the  last  house  on  the  English 
side  of  the  border — where  all  signs  of  a  road  cease, 
except  a  foot-track  through  the  fells  to  the  Roman 
camp  at  Chew  Green,  and  another  leading  over  Brown- 
hart  Law  into  Scotland. 

This  interesting  portion  of  the  borderland,  known 
as  Upper  Coquetdale,  is  contained  for  the  most  part 
within  the  two  large  parishes  of  Rothbury  and  Alwin- 
ton, and  lies  within  the  watershed  of  the  river  Coquet. 
From  the  solitudes  of  Chew  Green  down  to  the  sylvan 


IXTROUUCTORY.  3 

•shades  of  Brinkbuni  the  whole  district  is  rife  with 
historic  associations,  and  every  foothold  of  its  soil  is 
full  of  leo-end  and  fascinating-  folk-lore.  The  hills  and 
moorlands  around  are  studded  with  camps,  hut-circles, 
standing-stones,  and  sepulchral  cairns — rude  memorials 
of  a  pre-historic  race  that  in  early  times  occupied  the 
rising  grounds  on  the  banks  of  the  Coquet.  Roman 
causeways  intersect  the  valley  at  Chew  Green,  Holy- 
stone, and  Brinkburn,  furnishing  material  evidence  of 
the  occupation  of  these  northern  wilds  by  the  legions 
of  Imperial  Rome.  The  nomenclature  of  the  district, 
villages,  and  old  townships,  with  their  place-names, 
mark  the  Anglian  settlement  on  our  eastern  shores. 
Architectural  remains  of  mediaeval  times  are  found  in 
the  ruins  of  Harbottle  Castle  and  Brinkburn  Priory, 
Avhile  a  number  of  strongly-built  square  towers — a 
class  of  buildings  peculiar  to  Northumberland  and  the 
borders — are  grim  reminders  of  those  turbulent  days 
•when — 

"  English  lords  and  Scottish  chiefs  were  foes." 

In  short,  throu'jfhout  the  length  and  breadth  of  this 
charming  bit  of  Northumberland,  whether  it  be  amid 
the  wide  expanse  of  its  heathery  moorlands  or  the 
<rrandeur  of  its  loftv  hills,  in  its  rocky  ra\ines  and 
wooded  dells,  or  the  quiet  pastoral  scenery  of  its  low- 
lands, the  lover  of  nature,  the;  sportsman,  the  antiquary. 


4  INTRODUCTORY 

and  the  artist  will  alike  find  an  ample  field  for  enjoy- 
ment and  research.  Ofttimes  has  a  peep  of  its  mountain 
heights  and  its  wimplin'  burns  inspired  with  fresh  life 
and  vigour  the  pencil  of  the  artist  and  the  pen  of  the 
poet.  Many  of  its  lovely  landscapes  have  been  trans- 
ferred to  the  canvas  by  artists  of  note,  and  in  its 
praises  much  has  been  said  and  much  has  been  sung 
by  writers  and  poets  of  all  degrees.  Roxby,  in  the 
Fishers   Garland  ii^x  1826,  writes  thus: — 

"  I  will  sing  of  the  Coquel  the  dearest  of  themes — • 
The  haunt  of  the  fisher,  the  first  of  a'  streams ; 
There's  nane  like  the  Coquet  in  a'  the  King's  land, 
From  the  cliffs  of  famed  Dover  to  North  Britain's  strand."' 


?S-:j 


l^a. 


CHAPTER  I. 

COQUETHEAD  TO  WINDYHAUGH. 

Chew  Green — Makendon  Camp,  or  Ad  Fines — Watling  Street  —  Kelso  Monks 
and  Cottonshope  Forest — Boundary  Crosses — Scots  at  Chew  Green  after 
Battle  of  Otterburn,  13S8  —  The  Golden  Puts  —  Gamels-path  —  Wager  of 
Battle — Thirlmoor — Wardens'  Meetings — Debateable  Land  :  a  Nineteenth 
Century  Contention— Kalph  Carr-Ellison— Uuke  of  Roxburgh — Ordnance 
Survey — Old  Tavern  at  Chew  Green — Solitudes  of  Coquethead — Old  Times 
at  Coquethead — View  from  Brownhart  Law — Names  and  Heights  of  Hills — 
Border  Fray  on  Fulhope  Edge,  1399 — Makendon— Silurian  Rocks  in  Coquet 
— Fulhope  —  Blindburn — Deep  Pool — Large  Trout — Carlcroft — Wharmoor — 
Carshope — Slyme  Foot — Smugglers— Bridges  on  Coquet,  circa  1820 — The 
Ganger's  Excuse — Rowhope-burn-mouth — Windyhaugh. 

THE  Roman  Station  at  Chew  Green,  locally  known  as 
Makendon  Camp,  lies  at  the  very  source  of  the  Coquet, 
■on  the  northern  boundary  of  the  parish  of  Elsdon,  close  under 
the  shadows  of  the  lofty  crest  of  Thirlmoor.  The  station 
•occupies  a  small  eminence  formed  of  the  native  greywacke 
rock,  almost  surrounded  by  marshy  ground  ;  the  river  Coquet 
—  here  a  mere  runnel  —  winding  along  its  southern  base. 
"  Four  hundred  yards  above  the  Coquet  we  arrive  at  the 
•extensive  intrenchments  of  Chew  Green.  The  most  iiortJicrly 
^amp  is  a  parallelogram  of  about  1,000  feet  by  650  feet,  and 
contains  about  15  acres.  The  central  large  camp,  which  is 
nearly  a  square  opening  of  about  990  feet  each  way,  contains 
•about  22  acres.  This  large  intrenchment,  and  the  one  before 
mentioned  of  15  acres,  appear  to  be  the  two  most  ancient, 
if  we  may  be  guided  by  the  present  obsciu-c  state  of  the 
ramparts,  which  in  some  places,  where  the  groiuid  is  wet, 
•seem   ([uite   submerged    in  the   peat.     The   camj)  within    this 


•6  Uri'ER   COQUETDALK. 

last,  and  the  best  preserved,  occupies  the  western  part  of  the 
height,  and  from  its  position  and  the  state  of  the  rampart,, 
seems  to  have  been  formed  after  the  one  on  the  east  of  it.  It 
is  a  parallelogram  of  560  feet  by  500,  and  about  6}{  acres. 
In  the  southern  gateway  of  this  camp  there  is  that  peculiar 
inflexion  opposite  the  entrance  before  referred  to.  On  the 
east  of  this  last  camp,  and  close  to  Watling  Street,  is  a  nearly 
square  rectangular  camp,  which,  if  it  were  not  so  close  to  the 
side  of  the  large  camp,  might  be  taken  as  its  pra^torium.  It 
is  about  200  feet  by  180,  and  contains  about  three-quarters- 
of-an-acre.  The  interior  seems  to  have  been  divided  by  an 
inner  line  or  rampart,  reducing  the  area  to  about  half-an-acre.. 
This  is  a  very  peculiar  intrenchment  altogether,  particularly 
from  the  three  surrounding  ramparts — the  two  inner  of  which 
seem  to  have  been  too  small  for  works  of  defence,  unless  we 
take  them  for  supporting  palisades.  Altogether,  the  enclosure 
bears  much  the  appearance  of  a  religious  structure — the  more 
from  a  small  building  which  seems  to  have  occupied  the 
middle — the  foundation  of  which  is  still  to  be  seen.''^ 

Chew  Green  is  generally  supposed  to  be  the  Ad  Fines  of 
the  Romans — being  one  of  the  stations  beyond  tJie  ivall — that 
is,  l}'ing  to  the  north  of  the  great  Roman  barrier  that  extends. 
from  the  Tyne  to  the  Solway ;  it  is  seven  miles  north  of 
Rochester — the  Roman  Station  of  Bremenium — in  Redesdale,. 
and  stands  on  the  line  of  North  Watling  Street.  This  cause- 
way was  for  centuries,  after  the  legionaries  left  Britain,  a 
common  highway  between  England  and  Scotland  ;  and,  as  in 
laying  out  their  roads  the  Romans  frequently  followed  the 
course  of  the  older  British  trackways,  it  is  probable  that  British 
tribesmen,  Roman  legions,  Scottish  armies  and  Border  raiders,, 
smugglers  and  cattle  drovers,  have  each  in  turn^  traversed 
its  lonely  way.  As  early  as  the  twelfth  century,  the  Kelso 
monks  would  no  doubt  come  by  this  ancient  road  into  Redes- 
dale to  remove  their  tithe  two-year-old  colts  and  fillies  from. 

'  jMacLauchlan's  Memoii-,  1852-8,  p.  41.. 


^■^Ar2i 


V  L  AN    ()  V    C  1 1  !•:  \V    ( ;  K  K  K  \    C  A  M  I" . 

(MAfl.AIKIII.AN's   SUK\  KY.) 


COQUETHEAD    TO    WIXDVIIAUGII.  J 

the  stud  of  the  Umfravilles,  in  Redesdale  and  Cottonshope 
forests,  granted  to  the  brethren  b}-  Odinel  de  Umfraville,  lord 
of  Redesdale  in  1173.  The  portion  of  forest  liable  to  this 
tithe  extended  "  from  Blachope  as  far  as  unto  Rammeshope, 
and  from  Rammeshope  as  far  into  Harhope,  and  from  Har- 
hope  as  far  as  into  Goldingpottes,  and  from  Goldingpottes  as 
far  as  into  Flexlie,  and  from  Flexlie  as  far  as  Caldelaw  above 
Wilkwode,  and  so  even  into  the  head  of  Yerdhope."^  There 
have  been  found  at  various  times  within  the  boundaries  just 
mentioned  several  stone  crosses  of  rude  workmanship,  pro- 
bably the  boundary  crosses  of  the  liberties  of  the  monks  of 
Kelso.  One  was  found  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Otterburn  ; 
another  on  the  moors  above  Hepple  ;  a  third  was  discovered 
at  Chew  Green  in  18S9,  by  Thos.  Glendinning,  the  shepherd 
of  Makendon — 


Makendon  Cross. 

Size  16"  high  x  13"  across. 

(Now  in  the  Blaclc  Gate  Museum, 

Newcastle. ) 


Hepi'le  Cross. 
Size  15"  high  x  15"  across. 
(Now  in  Hcpple  Church.) 


The  following  association  of  melancholy  interest  attaches 
to  this  portion  of  W'atling  Street  and  the  Camp  of  Chew 
Green  : — On  the  morning  after  the  disastrous  battle  of  Otter- 
burn  (1388),  the  Scots  took  the  route  of  Watling  Street  by 
the  head  of  Coquet  on  their  homeward  march,  "enclosing  in 
coffins  the  bodies  of  the  Earl  of  Douglas  and  the  two  squires 
who    fell    near    liim,    they   placed    them    upon    slender    biers, 

^  Hodgson's  A^o;'///«w/wVrt«r/,  I'arl  ii.,  \(il.  i. 


p.   17  11. 


8  ■  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

constructed  for  the  purpose,  by  which  they  might  be  conveyed 
homeward,  and,  setting  fire  to  the  huts,  they  commenced  their 
march  up  Redesdale.  Reaching  very  soon  the  Roman  WatHng 
Street  they  kept  upon  it,  passing  the  station  of  Bremenium, 
and  moving  onward  behind  the  biers,  where  they  had  more 
the  appearance  of  an  extensive  funeral  procession  than  an 
army  of  brave  men  returning  to  their  native  land  honoured 
with  victory.  The  first  night  they  encamped  at  the  station 
of  Chew  Green  on  English  ground,  but  arising  early  next 
morning  they  departed  without  delay,  and  at  evening  reached 
Melrose."3 

Standing  about  a  mile  apart  on  the  moors,  along  the  course 
of  Watling  Street,  to  the  south  of  Chew  Green,  are  two  free- 
stone blocks,  already  alluded  to  as  the  "  Golding  Pottes  " — 
the  outer  Golden  Pot  and  the  middle  Golden  Pot.  Each 
block  is  about  two  feet  square,  having  a  ten-inch  socket  hole 
cut  in  the  upper  surface.  General  Roy  in  his  survey  (1774), 
describes  them  as  Roman  milliary  stones  ;  but  Hodgson,  the 
county  historian,  says,  "  they  were  erected  both  as  boundary 
stones  between  the  Parish  of  Elsden  and  Chapelry  of  Haly- 
stone,  and  as  guides  for  the  traveller  in  a  high  and  thinly 
populated  country."  A  portion  of  Watling  Street  on  the  hill 
south  of  Chew  Green  bears  the  name  of  Gamels-path,  which, 
during  the  border  wars,  was  a  general  rendezvous,  and  one  of 
the  places  appointed  by  the  Scotch  and  English  wardens 
where  a  dispute  between  two  borderers  could  be  settled  by 
single  combat.  "  Any  Scottishman  accused  of  committing 
robbery,  theft,  or  homicide,  or  any  other  crime  in  England  that 
ought  to  be  tried  by  single  combat  were  to  answer  at  places 
fixed.  Reedsdale  and  Cookdale  were  to  answer  at  Campas- 
peth."4 

It  was  here,  in  accordance  with  this  border  law,  that 
Robert  Snowdon  of  Hepple,  in  the  sixteenth  year  of  his  age, 

3  White's  Otietbiini,  p.  58. 

*  l<.idY)3X\{s  Border  History,  18 10,  p.  138. 


COQUETHEAD  TO  WINDVHAUGH.  9 

fought  and  slew  John  Grieve,  a  celebrated  Scottish  champion, 
in  a  pitched  battle  with  small-swords.5 

"  The  Earl  of  Northumberland  and  the  Earl  of  Douglas,  as 
■Commissioners  to  settle  the  terms  of  peace  between  Henry 
IV.  of  England  and  Robert  III.  of  Scotland,  met  on  the  i6th 
•of  May,  1401,  at  Gamlyspeth — Kemlyspeth — Kemolospethe — 
at  the  head  of  Coquetdale  ;  but  no  terms  were  yet  made  for  a 
final  peace."'^ 

Immediately  on  the  east  of  Watling  Street  or  "  Gamels- 
path,"7  as  it  climbs  the  ridge  from  Chew  Green,  Thirlmoor 
raises  his  dark  and  frowning  peaks  1,833  ^^et  above  sea-level ; 
its  slopes  deeply  furrowed  with  dangerous  chasms,  known 
amongst  the  shepherds  as  "  peat-hags  ;"  its  summit  crowned 
Avith  three  huge  cairns — a  well-known  landmark  from  far  and 
near. 

Chew  Green  and  Gamels-path  were  at  one  time  "  debate- 
able  land."  In  a  report  of  the  state  of  the  borders  in  1550,  we 
read  :  "  The  meats  or  boundes  of  the  Middle  Marchies,  from  the 
hanging  stone  south  and  westward,  keepeth  alwayes  the  highte 
of  the  edge  or  fell  to  heppethgate  hede  (on  Windy  Gyle),  ane 
usuall  place  of  metinge  at  Dayes  of  trewce  betweene  the 
Wardeyns  of  England  and  Scotland.  And  likewise  from 
thence  to  Kcmylpethe,  another  place  where  meetinge  hath 
bene  at  dayes  of  trewce  where  theire  is  a  litle  parcell  of  ground 
in  which  theire  hath  bene  howses  builded  in  tymes  past  called 
Kemylspethe  Walles,  claymed  both  by  the  Englishe  borderers 
to  be  of  England,  and  by  the  Scottes  to  be  of  Scotland.  In- 
soemuch  as  within  the  remembrance  of  man  theire  was  h'ke 
to  have  byne  a  great  fraye  betweene  the  Englishmen  and 
Scottes  at  a  day  of  trewce  holden  at  Kemylspeth  walles 
•clayming   the   same   to    be   parcell    of    Scotland    before   the 

5  "  The  (late  of  this  event  is  uncertain.  Il  was  some  time  before  the  Union." — 
Oeo.  Neilson's  Trial  by  Combat,  p.  318. 

''  Wy lie's  History  of  England  under  Henry  IV. 

">  This  name  is  said  to  Ite  derived  from  the  Danish  Ganicl — ohl.  — MacLaucli- 
lan's  Memoir,  1852-8,  )i.  41. 


lO  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

assuraunce  taken.  And  the  Scottes  were  forced  to  retyre 
from  thence  ao-avne  into  Scotland  around  before  the  officers 
of  England  would  o"i-aunt  anv  assuraunce  to  meete  with  the 
Scottes.  And  ever  synce  that  tyme  ye  Riddesdall  men 
make  theire  sheales  neare  unto  yt  ground  in  controuersy."  ^ 

Even  as  late  as  the  nineteenth  century  this  bit  of  land- 
was  a  bone  of  contention  betwixt  Scotch  and  English  land- 
owners. Mr.  Richard  Welford,  in  his  "  Life  of  the  late  Ralph 
Carr-Ellison,  Landowner,  Antiquary,  and  Naturalist,"  tells  us: 
"  Mr.  Carr  was  one  of  the  few  men  who  ever  made  the 
Ordnance  Survey  officials  admit  an  error  in  topographical 
nomenclature.  He  owned  the  estate  of  Makendon  at  the 
head  of  Cocjuet,  which  runs  up  to  what  is  locally  known  as 
"  the  Scotch  edge,"  where  it  "  marches  "  with  the  property  of 
the  Duke  of  Roxburgh.  In  this  district  the  boundary  line 
between  England  and  Scotland  usually  follows  the  watershed 
(or,  as  Dandie  Dinmont  expresses  it,  "the  tap  o'  the  hill, 
where  win'  and  water  shears")  between  the  valleys  of  the 
Teviot  and  Bowmont,  on  the  Scotch  side,  and  those  of  the 
Rede,  Coquet,  and  Bream ish,  on  the  English.  But  in  various 
places  the  Scotch,  like  "  Jock  o'  Dawston  Cleugh,"  have 
encroached  over  the  crest  of  the  hills. 

These  encroachments  are  usually  marked  on  old  maps  as 
"  batable,"  i.e.,  debateable  ground.  One  such  plot  of  "  batable" 
land  lay  between  the  properties  of  Mr.  Carr  and  the  Duke  of 
Roxburgh,  where,  according  to  the  contention  of  the  Scotch, 
the  march  leaves  the  "tap  o'  the  hills  and  bauds  down  by  the 
Syke,"  in  which  the  Coquet  rises,  thus  cutting  off  the  Plea 
Shank  which,  like  Dandie  Dinmont's  ground,  "  lying  high  and 
exposed  may  feed  a  hogg  or  aiblins  twa  in  a  gude  year."' 
The  spot  is  familiar  to  antiquaries,  for  the  ancient  Roman, 
camp,  "Ad  Fines,"  now  known  as  Chew  Green,  lies  just  below 
it,  and  the  Roman  road  or  Watling  Street  here  crosses  the 
moors   into   Scotland.      For   the  sake   of  peace  it   had   been 


*  WoAg^on'^  Nortkitiiiherhiiid,  Part  iii.,  Vol.  ii.,  pp.  208-210. 


CO(^UETIIEAI)    TO    WINDVIIAUCH.  11 

arranged,  at  some  former  time  between  the  owners  and  occu- 
piers, that  half  the  Plea  Shank  should  be  pastured  by  each 
part}-.  But  when  the  Ordnance  Sur\e}-  came  to  be  made,  the 
Scotch  revived  their  claim  to  the  whole,  and  by  some  means- 
or  other  contrived  to  win  over  those  who  were  conducting  the 
survey.  Little  more  was  heard  of  the  matter  till  the  maps 
were  issued,  showing  the  boundary  between  England  and 
Scotland  drawn  along  the  English  side  of  the  debateable 
ground.  Then  the  English  tenant  was  politeh'  invited  by  his 
Scotch  neighbour  to  keep  his  sheep  on  his  own  side  of  the 
new  boundary.  On  hearing  this  Mr.  Carr  took  steps  to 
obtain  all  possible  evidence  from  ancient  maps  and  documents 
in  the  British  Museum  and  elsewhere,  and  instructed  his- 
tenant  to  turn  a  (ew  sheep  on  to  the  disputed  land  in  the 
meanwhile.  Meeting  the  farmer  shorth'  afterwards,  Mr.  Carr 
said,  "Well,  Thompson,  I  suppose  }-ou  put  half-a-dozen  sheep 
or  so  on  to  the  Plea  Shank?"  "Oh,  no,  sir,"  was  the  answer,. 
"  aa  just  wysed  on  fift\'  score!"  The  result  of  Mr.  Carr's 
investigations  was  to  show  that  the  land  had  been  either 
English  or  debateable  for  centuries.  This  was  brought  to 
the  notice  of  the  officials  in  charge  of  the  Ordnance  Survey,. 
the  already  issued  maps  were  recalled  and  cancelled,  and  new 
ones,  restoring  the  Plea  Shank  to  its  old  "batable"  character^ 
were  published.  9 

A  little  to  the  north  of  the  Camp,  near  to  where  Watling 
Street  crosses  Chew  sike  and  begins  to  ascend  Brownhart 
Law  towards  Scotland,  are  seen  the  foundations  of  a  rudely 
constructed  square  building.  Judging  from  the 
many  fragments  of  seventeenth  century  earthen- 
ware and  glass,  along  w  itli  a  number  of  "  fairy 
pipes"  that  from  time  to  time  ha\"e  been  found 
in  the  "kitchen  midden,"  there  is  no  doubt  but 
this  is  the  site  of  the  old    ta\ern  that  existed 


^  Wei  ford's    .1A)I   of  iMark  ''Iwixl    Tyiw   and    'Iwced.—Moiilhly    Chronickj 
Vol.  iii.,  [..  385 


12 


UPPER   COQUETDAEE. 


here  during  the  smugg-ling  days,  when  both  salt  and  whisky- 
were  carried  across  the  border  out  of  Scotland  into  Northum- 
berland, and  when  Watling  Street  was  so  much  used  as  a 
drove-road. 


The  situation  of  Chew  Green  and  Gamels-path  amid  those 
breezy  uplands  at  Coquethead,  lying  in  the  very  heart  of  the 
Cheviots,  far  removed  from  the  route  of  the  ordinary  traveller, 
is  extremely  remote.  Isolated  from  the  outer  world  by  many 
miles  of  "mountain,  moss,  and  moor,"  its  all-pervading  stillness, 


COQUETHEAD   TO    WINDYHAUOII.  1 5 

broken  only  b}'  the  bleating  of  the  hill-sheep  and  the  plaintive- 
cry  of  the  curlew  and  the  plover,  conveys  to  the  mind  a  feeling 
of  impressive  solitude.  Yet  there  was  a  time  when  this  lone 
spot  resounded  to  the  clang  of  weapons  and  the  tramp  of 
armed  men ;  when  the  trained  legions  of  the  Romans  marched 
along  the  newly-made  Watling  Street  and  garrisoned  the 
camp  below;  when  the  moors  around  was  the  scene  of  many 
a  sanguinary  struggle,  where  now  the  bent  and  purple  heath 
hides  the  stain  of  ancient  battle. 

While  in  the  later  times  of  border  warfare,  when  the 
Wardens  of  the  Marches  held  their  courts  at  "  Kemylspethe 
Walls,"  administering  the  rude  border  laws  amongst  the 
rough  and  ready  borderers,  how  the  "baughlins"  and  the 
"  brulliements"  of  the  turbulent  clans  and  factions  would 
awaken  along  those  lonely  hillsides  echoes,  which  have  now 
for  centuries  happily  been  silent. 

"  Of  fierce  and  holder  forays,   full 
Of  darkness,   theft,  and  crime, 
When  the  Percy  and  the  Douglas 
Waged  war  in  olden  time." 

On  the  north  side  of  the  valle}-  rise  the  green  bent-covered' 
ridges  of  Brownhart  Law,  a  hill  of  1,664  feet,  which  here  forms 
the  boundary  between  England  and  Scotland.  From  the 
crest  of  Brownhart  Law  there  is  an  extensive  view  northward 
into  the  fair  lands  of  Scotland,  embracing  the  counties  of 
Berwickshire,  Haddington,  Roxburgh,  Selkirk,  and  Peebles, 
with  the  higher  lying  grounds  of  Dumfries  on  the  west ;  while 
nearer  hand  are  the  hills  of  North  Tyne,  Peel  VcU,  and 
Keilder,  with  Carter  Fell  and  the  Redeswire  at  the  head 
of  Redesdale.  The  fertile  plains  and  rich  j^asture  lands  of 
Roxburghshire,  interspersed  b)'  many  a  beautiful  patch  of 
woodlanr],  and  thickl)-  dotted  with  towns  and  villages,  Peniel 
Ileiigh,"^  llic  high    peaks  of  Rubers  Law,  Dunioii,  Penchrise 


"^  reniclhcugh,  near  Jedburgh,  a  monunKiii,  156  feel  in  height,  reared  on  an 
clevatirm  of  nearly  800  feet,  conunemorates  the  victories  of  Wellington  and  the. 
British  Army, 


14  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

Pen,  being  prominent  objects  in  the  landscape,  which,  with 
the  bold  and  picturesque  outlines  of  the  three  Eildon  hills 
visible  in  the  distance,  form  a  magnificent  jianorama  of  more 
than  ordinary  interest.  The  Cheviot  hills  on  the  Scotch  side 
terminate  somewhat  suddenly,  making  the  cultivated  plains 
appear  to  come  close  in  to  their  very  base,  in  striking  contrast 
to  the  aspect  of  the  English  side  of  the  borderland  where  : — 

"Hills  peep  o'er  hills,  and  Alps  on  Alps  arise." 

Right  in  front  looms  the  "long-backed  unbending  ridge"  of 
Thirlmoor  with  the  dreary  upland  wastes  of  Cottonshope 
extending  southwards  into  Redesdale  ;  to  the  east  and  north- 
east, as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  those  smooth,  green,  conical 
hills,  the  characteristic  formation  of  the  porphyritic  Cheviot 
range,  are  seen  rising  one  behind  another  like  huge  ocean 
billows.  On  the  south  banks  of  the  Coquet,  east  of  Thirlmoor, 
are  the  massive  heights  of  Fulhope  Edge  (i,537  feet),  Whar- 
moor  (1,250),  Bell's  Hill  (1,612),  Tindale  Law  (1,250)  Dumb- 
hope  Law  (1,265),  and  Long  Hill  (1,300).  On  the  north  side 
of  the  river  and  stretching  far  eastward  is  seen,  head  and 
shoulders  above  the  others,  the  majestic  form  of  the  Great 
Cheviot  itself  (2,676),  then  Cushat  Law,  the  "  Monarch  of 
Kidland"  (2,020),  Bloodybush  Edge  (2,001),  Yearnspath 
Law  (1,773),  Windy  Gyle  (1,965),  Shillhope  Law  (1,642), 
Lord's  Seat  (1,286),  Barra  Law  (1,374),  Toft  Hill  (1,508), 
Black  Braes  (1,654),  Mozie  Law  (1,813),  Beef  Stand  (1,672), 
Beef  Stand  Hill  (1,844),  Lamb  Hill  (1,672),  Yearning  Law 
(1,565),  Rushy  Fell  (1,580),  Wedder  Hill  (1,421),  Deels  Hill 
(1,623). 

This  truly  sublime  upland  district  of  Coquetdale  is  full  of 
thrilling  historic  associations,  which  ought  to  raise  in  the 
hearts  of  all  Northumbrians  the  deepest  feeling  of  veneration, 
for  it  was  amid  its  "  hoopes  and  valyes  "  during  those  long 
years  of  border  warfare  when  the  English  bow  and  the 
Scottish  broadsword  were  seldom  at  rest — that  the  best  blood 
of  their  ancestors  so  often  stained  the  bent  on   the  hillsides. 


COQUETHEAD   TO    WIXDYIIAUCII.  15 

and  reddened  the  waters  of  its  streams.  Tlie  writer  of  a 
charming  article  in  the  Field  a  few  \-ears  ago  said  : — "  There 
is  an  attraction  in  these  billowy  uplands  which  increases  the 
better  we  know  them  ;  beauty  in  the  mighty  stretches  of  green 
pasture,  sloping  upwards  and  backwards,  as  often  as  not 
vanishing  into  grey  mist  in  the  acres  of  wa^"ing  brake,  the 
many  coloured  rocks  and  boulders,  the  flashing  streams  and 
burns,  the  flowers  and  wild  birds,  less  wild  here  than  in  the 
peopled  lowlands.  Then  there  is  the  silence  and  all-aloneness 
of  the  borderlands,  }'OU  may  walk  all  da}'  and  see  no  one 
■except  some  solitary  fisher,  or  a  shepherd  and  his  collies  on 
the  fellside  ;  above  all,  perhaps  there  is  the  consciousness  that 
3'ou  are  treading  on  historic  ground,  where  each  hill  could  tell 
of  some  fierce  conflict,  and  where  each  valley  and  stream  is 
associated  with  the  loves,  the  passions,  and  the  death  throes 
of  buried  races."  " 

It  was  upon  the  slopes  of  Fulhope  Edge — five  centuries 
ago,  that  one  of  those  fierce  border  fights  took  place  between 
two  large  bands  of  Scotch  and  English  marchmen,  of  which 
Ave  have  the  following  record : — "  While  Parliament  were 
assembled  on  account  of  the  accession  of  Henr}'  IV.  to  the 
Throne  (1399),  the  Scots,  in  addition  to  the  calamity  of  a 
pestilence  which  ravaged  the  English  borders,  destroyed  the 
castle  of  Werk,  on  the  Tweed,  and  harrassed  Northumberland 
with  continued  inroads  ;  but  while  they  were  engaged  in  one 
of  these  fearful  forrays.  Sir  Robert  de  Umfreville,  who  then 
had  charge  of  the  castles  of  Harbottle  and  Roxburgh,  fell 
u[)on  them  at  Fulhope-law,  in  Coquetdale,  rooted  them,  and 
took  many  prisoners,  among  whom  were  sir  Richard  Ruther- 
ford and  his  five  sons,  sir  William  Stewart  and  sir  John 
Turnbuli  (who  had  got  the  surname  of  '  Out-with-the-Sword ') 
— for  which  achievement  the  King  made  him  Knight  of  the 
Garter,  and  ever  after  held  him  in  high  estimation." '^ 


"  Cheviot  Afotintaiits  Lone. — Field,  Octolici  .5i<l,  1SS5. 
'-■  \\u(\giion'ii  Norlhiimberland,  I'art  ii.,  \'i)l.  i.,  \>.  4S. 


l6  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

Leaving  Chew  Green  with  its  varied  stor}'  and  following- 
the  windings  of  the  Coquet,  we  soon  pass  the  shepherd's  house 
at  Makendon  and  that  of  Fulhope.  ^3 

Between  these  two  solitary  dwellings,  there  can  be  seen  in 
the  bed  of  the  river  a  rare  feature  in  the  geology  of  the  county, 
where  the  rocks  of  the  Silurian  age  are  exposed  to  view. 
"  Cambro  Silurian  strata  occupy  but  a  small  area  in  the 
western  part  of  Northumberland,  and  do  not  occur  in 
Durham.  They  are  highly  inclined  against  the  porphyry  in 
the  bed  of  the  Coquet  a  little  above  Philip,  and  extend 
beyond  the  source  of  that  river  into  Scotland.  In  a  deep 
ravine  eastward  of  Makendon  they  are  well  exposed,  and  the 
Roman  camp  at  Chew  Green  is  formed  out  of  them,  for  some 
of  the  rampiers  are  natural  walls  of  Greywacke  in  situ. 
Southward  of  the  Coquet  they  extend  for  some  distance  along^ 
Watling  Street.  They  are  a  prolongation  into  Northumber- 
land of  the  same  formation  which  runs  across  Berwick- 
shire." 14 

For  the  first  few  miles  of  its  course  the  Coquet  is  a  mere- 
streamlet,  and  any  stranger  ascending  the  valley  without  a: 
map  is  almost  sure  to  leave  the  channel  of  the  Coquet  and 
turn  to  the  left  up  Fulhope  Burn ;  besides,  being  as  large  a 
stream  as  the  Coquet,  the  opening  between  Thirlmoor  and 
Fulhope  Edge,  down  which  the  burn  flows,  appears  to  be  the 
more  direct  route.  It  is  not  until  the  Coquet  reaches  Blind- 
burn,  another  mile  onwards,  after  having  been  augmented  by 
the  waters  of  several  sikes  and  mountain  rills,  that  it  begins  tO' 
form  itself  into  a  succession  of  gurgling  streams  and  deep- 
pools — the  very  joy  of  the  angler.     A  quaint  old  poem  con- 


's "Fulhope."  We  have  followed  the  spelling  of  the  6-mch  Ordnance  Map, 
although  it  is  locally  termed  "  Philip,"  and  in  the  Rentals  and  Kates  for  Northum- 
berland {1663),  Hodgson's  Northumberland,  Part  iii.,  Vol.  i.,  p.  340,  it  is 
given  thus:— "Sr.  Charles  Howard— For  Wilk  wood,  ^30  ;  Ridlees,  ;,{,8o  ;  Cars- 
hope,  /40  ;  Fair  Phillips,  £'^0  {alias  Halerickburne) ;  Blind  Bourne,  £ifi ;  Foule 
Phillips,  ;^30— /270." 

'*  Baker  and  Tate's  Flora  of  Northumberland,  p.  3. 


COQUETUEAD   TO   WINDVHAUtlH.  1/ 

tains  the  following  reference  to  the  upper  tributaries  of  the 
Coquet: — 

"  First  Philhope-bum  {his  next  and  near  akin, 
As  sprung  from  Thirleniore)  to  his  aid  came  in, 
Then  Buckhanis-Walls,  Blind-burn,  and  Carles-croft  streams, 
Pour'd  in  their  forces — '  gather'd  from  th'  extremes 
Of  English  ground'  : — next  Rohope's  friendly  flood 
Joined  them  at  Slime-foot  by  a  winding  road, 
From  Rohope's  P'ells — from  whence  he  takes  his  name. 
And  from  whose  scarry  sides  his  birth  does  claim. 
Next  Barrough-burn,  whose  waters  many  a  mile 
Had  traveird,  from  the  foot  of  Windy-guile."  '^ 

In  a  deep  pool  at  Blindburn,  locally  called  the  "  Maskin,"i'' 
a  large  burn  trout  was  caught  a  few  years  ago,  weighing  no 
less  than  seven  pounds.  It  is  an  established  fact  amongst 
anglers  that  there  is  alw^ays  a  big  trout  in  Blindburn  pool. 
Blindburn  house  is  picturesquely  situated  on  the  north 
bank  of  the  Coquet,  close  to  where  the  streamlet  that  gives 
it  its  name  enters  the  main  stream.  Steep  and  lofty  hills 
close  it  in  on  all  sides.  The  lines  given  below  well  describe 
its  surroundings: — 

"Adieu  to  thee,  Blindburn,  sae  lone,  upon  thy  braes  sae  green 

Thy  sheep  now  bask  the  livelong  day  aneath  the  brent  hill-side ; 
And  pleasant  is  the  e'enin'  hour,  and  pleasant  is  the  scene 

To  watch  the  herd  wend  owre  the  sward  at  gloamin'  eventide.'' ■' 

This  extensive  pastoral  farm  consists  of  four  thousand  acres, 
and  forms  part  of  the  Biddleston  estate.  It  was  held  for 
nearly  sixty  years  by  the  Telfers,  a  well  known  famil}-, 
famous  for  being  the  owners  of  a  pure  breed  of  "  Dandie 
Dinmonts."  From  Blindburn  a  cart  road  leads  down  the 
valley,  winding  along  the  very  brink  of  the  river  without  the 
slightest  protection,  and  as  at  some  parts  the  elevation  above 
the  stream  is  considerable,  it  is  not  the  safest  of  paths  for 
vehicular  traffic.     Passing  Carlcroft,  where  the  Coquet  has  to 

'5  The  Marriage  of  the  Coquet  and  the  Alwine,  \i  2. 

'*  Maskin — probably  from  the  manner  in  which  the  water  boils  \\\>  in  the  pooL 
"  Maskin-pot"  is  an  old  name  for  tea-i)ol. — Wright's  Glossary. 
■'  Coqttetdale  Soug  Fishing,  p.  104. 

2 


iS  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

be  crossed  by  the  most  awkward  ford  of  all,  and  Carshope, 
both  of  which  are  shepherds'  houses,  overshadowed  by  the 
form  of  the  mighty  Wharmoor,  the  traveller  comes  to  where 
Rowhope  burn  enters  the  Coquet.  Here  a  large  whinstone 
rock  may  be  noticed  on  the  north  bank.  Close  to  this  rock 
there  formerly  stood  a  public-house  called  Slyme-foot,  which, 
during  the  eighteenth  century,  was  the  winter  resort  of  all  the 
neighbouring  sheep  farmers,  where  they  spent  their  time  in 
gambling  and  drinking,  whilst  their  shepherds  came  every 
day  to  receive  their  orders  and  carry  the  news. 

"  Dr.  Sharp,  then  Rector  of  Rothbury  and  Archdeacon  of 
Northumberland,  threatened  the  offenders  with  ecclesiastical 
punishment  if  they  did  not  desist  and  weekly  attend  their 
respective  places  of  worship.  His  injunctions  had  the  desired 
effect ;  and  since  that  time  no  such  riotous  assemblies  have 
been  held,  while  the  superior  knowledge  and  correct  conduct 
of  the  present  sheep  farmers  have  operated  to  produce  a 
correspondent  change  in  the  character  of  their  servants."  ^^ 
The  w^hisky  at  Slyme-foot  was  innocent  of  duty,  being  the 
product  of  the  illicit  distilleries,  then  so  numerous  amongst 
the  hills  of  Upper  Coquet.  This  contraband  traffic  was 
carried  on  in  so  bold  and  daring  a  manner,  that  the  barley 
required  for  the  manufacture  of  this  "real  mountain  dew"  was 
carted  in  open  daylight  from  the  lower  parts  of  the  valley,  and 
the  peats  were  cut  in  close  vicinity  to  the  "  still,"  without  any 
attempt  at  concealment,  the  border  smuggler  deeming  the 
inaccessibility  of  his  retreat  quite  a  sufficient  safeguard  against 
a  visit  from  the  "gauger."  One  of  the  most  notorious  ofthe.se 
smugglers  was  named  "  Rory."  The  remains  of  "  Rory's  still  " 
are  yet  to  be  seen  in  the  "  Hare  Cleughs,"  a  secluded  glen 
below  Davidson's  Linn,  on  the  Usway  burn,  said  to  be  in  the 
best  state  of  preservation  of  any  illicit  still  on  the  borders. 
Rory  had  other  stills  in  Rowhope,  Carlcroft,  Saugh  Rig, 
Kitty's   Walls,  and  Blind  burn.      So  well  concealed  was  the 

'^  Mackenzie's  Northumberland. 


CO()UETHEAD    TO    WIXDVHAUGH. 


19 


latter,  amid  the  rough  ground  up  Blind  burn,  that  on  no  less 
than  four  occasions  the  gangers,  although  within  200  yards  of 
the  spot,  failed  to  find  it.  At  that  time  "innocent  whisky" 
Avas  sold  by  the  smugglers  up  and  down  the  whole  valley,  and 
it  is  yet  in  the  memories  of  some  of  the  older  dalesmen,  those 
secret  visits  of  the  smugglers  amongst  the  farm  houses  and 


•u'  \f^J/..- 


hamlets  in  Upper  Coquctdale  and  Redewater,  who  carried 
with  them  kegs  and  "  grey-hens " '9  of  duty-free  whisk}-. 
Many  an  amusing  story  is  told  of  how  they  ran  the  gauntlet, 
anrl  of  the  narrow  escapes  both  the  buyer  and  the  seller  harl 


"' CJrey-hen — a  large  stone-ware  Ixjttle. — Northtiinhcrlami  IVoids,  l)y  Richard 
'Oliver  Heslop, 


20  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  excisemen,  who  were 
generally  well  mounted  and  armed  with  cutlass  and  pistols. 
In  those  days  there  were  only  three  stone  bridges  on  the 
Coquet  —  these  were  at  Warkworth,  Felton,  and  Rothbury  ,' 
therefore  when  the  river  and  its  mountain  tributaries  were  in 
flood,  it  was  a  difficult  and  somewhat  perilous  undertaking  for 
the  ganger  to  perform  the  duties  of  his  office,  especially  in 
the  upper  reaches  of  the  Coquet.  It  is  told  of  a  certain 
worthy  limb  of  the  law,  who  for  several  years  was  stationed 
at  Harbottle — and  with  whom,  by  the  way,  the  smugglers  were 
on  the  best  of  terms,  for  the  lonely  exciseman  had  a  weak- 
ness for  peat-flavoured  whisky — that  one  of  the  most  frequent 
entries  in  his  official  diary  was  the  pithy  remark  "stopp'd  wi" 
witters." 

Rowhope  burn,  having  been  joined  by  the  Trows  burn, 
here  issues  from  between  the  steep  slopes  of  the  Slyme  and 
Barra  Law  and  mingles  its  waters  with  the  Coquet  at 
Rowhope-burn-mouth,  or  as  the  old  fishing  song  has  it : — 

•'  Oh  !  come,  we"ll  gae  up  by  the  Trows 

Where  the  burnie  rins  wimplin'  an'  clear, 
Where  the  bracken  an'  wild  heather  grows, 
An'  the  wild-rose  is  sweet  on  the  briar." 

The  winding  road  still  follows  along  the  banks  of  the  Coquet, 
encircled  on  ever\'  side  by  lofty  green  hills.  Presently  Windy- 
haugh,  Barraburn,  and  Loungesknowe  appear  in  sight — three 
shepherds'  houses  standing  within  bowshot  of  each  other. 
Here  Barra  burn — "  whose  waters  many  a  mile  had  travell'd 
from  the  foot  of  Windy-guile" — rushes  noisily  around  the  base 
of  K}-loe  Shin,  and  joins  the  Coquet. 


WINDYHAUGH   TO   ALWINTOX.  21 


CHAPTER     II. 
■\VINDYHAUGH   TO    ALWIXTON. 

^Vinc^yhaugh— Grant  of  Fulling  Mill  to  the  Monks  of  Xewminster  by  Gilbert  de 
Umfraville  —  Loungesknowe  —  Barraburn  —  Old  Doorhead  at  Windyhaugh  — 
The  Preachin'  Trees— Windyhaugh  School  and  its  "  Maister" — The  Wedder- 
loup — Shillhope  Cleugh — Shillhope  Racks — The  Rail  End — Kateshaw  Crag — 
Policeman's  Hole — Shillmoor  and  the  Ords — French  Prisoners  of  War  at 
Shillmoor,  1813 — Shillmoor  Ford — The  Usway — Quickening  Cote — Linn- 
sheels — Linnbrigg — Passpeth— Border  Watch,  ]552--Widdrington  Owners  of 
Linnsheels,  1632 — George  Pott,  1663  —  Sir  Charles  Howard,  Wilkwood,  &c., 
1663  —  Horse  Stealing,  Sheep  Stealing,  1629  —  Curious  Conditions  in  Lease 
of  Wilkwood,  1818-  Corn  Mills  in  Upper  Coquet,  1663  and  1826 — Linnsheels 
F'ord  —Roger  Horsley's  Pele  at  Linnbrigg,  1541 — Pulilick  Roupe  at  Linljridge, 
1749 — Barrow  Scar — Barrow  Pele,  1541. 

IX  the  bed  of  the  Coquet,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river, 
opposite  Windyhaugh,  the  foundations  of  an  ancient 
building  and  fragments  of  timber  were  discernible  a  few  years 
ago  when  the  water  was  low  and  clear.  These  were  no  doubt 
the  remains  of  the  fulling  mill  of  the  monks  of  Xewminster, 
whose  possessions  in  mediaeval  times  e.xtended  to  and  beyond 
Barraburn.  Many  of  the  larger  stones  have  been  taken  out 
and  used  as  gate  posts,  and  several  are  to  be  seen  in  the 
adjacent  buildings.  Porphyry  is  the  only  stone  obtainable  for 
miles  round  ;  these  blocks  are  of  a  very  hard,  close-grained 
freestone,  unlike  any  found  in  the  freestone  quarries  lower 
•down  the  valley.  The  doorhead  of  the  (;ld  house  at  Windy- 
haugh and  other  stones  in  the  building  have  evidently  been 
taken  from  the  walls  of  the  monks'  fulling  mill. 

The  western  boundaries  of  Kidland,  once  the  lands  of  Xew- 
minster Abbey,  runs  along  the  ridges  of  Black  I^raes,  Hindside 
Xnowe,  and  the  Slymc,  down  to  the  Coquet  at  Rowhope-burn- 


'JO 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


mouth.  The  only  portion  of  Kidland  that  abuts  on  the 
Coquet  is  tliat  between  Rowhope  and  Barraburn.  Barra- 
burn  was  formerh'  called  Hepden  burn,  a  name  it  still  bears, 
near  its  source  on  Hazley  Law  (1,634  feet),  far  up  the  hills. 
abo\e  "  Murder  Cleuo;h."  In  the  Newminster  Cartulary  there 
are  records  of  grants  having  been  made  about  the  end  of  the 
twelfth  century  by  William  de  Umfraville,  and  again  by 
Gilbert  de  Umfraville,  to  the  monks  of  Newminster,  in  which 
the  following  places  and  tracts  of  land  are  particularly 
noted  : — ■"  Hangande-scauhe,  Osweiburn,  Hepden,  Rohope,. 
\^^}'ndihege,  Halrehopeburne,  Kidlandburne,  Redepeth,  Ernes- 
peth,  Holhopcriwes,  Blackdenhed,  Scorthope,  Fastside,  Alri- 
barnes,  Ruhopeburne,  and  Koket ;  "  also  a  license  for  a  fulling 
mill  ";it  Hepdenburnemuth  et  Ruthopburn  on  Coket."  ^ 

Loungesknowe  is  named  in  the  "  Rentals  and  Rates  of 
1663 "  as  "  Loundering  Know,"  the  property  of  Mrs.  Jane 
Carnaby  of  Farnham,  while  "Barra"  belonged  at  that  time  to 
three  persons,  Thomas  Pott,  Samuel  Collingwood,  and  George- 
Pott,  and  assessed  at  an  annual  rental  of  ^12.  Windyhaugh 
and  its  owner  is  not  mentioned  in  this  list,  but  on  the  door- 


head  of  the   old   house   are  cut  the  letters   i. 


1760,  the 


initials  of  James  Burn  and  his  wife  Catherine  (Young).     This- 
was  the  famous  "Sir  Burn"  of  Kidland,  whose  name  is  found 

'  License  for  Fulling  Mill. — "Gilbert  de  Umfraville,  salutem — Know  ye  that 
I,  for  the  salvation  of  my  soul  and  of  the  souls  of  my  ancestors  and  heirs,  grant  to 
the  monks  of  Newminster  the  License  of  making  and  strengthening  the  pool  of 
their  fulling  mill  at  Hep:len,  upon  my  land  on  the  southern  side  of  Coquet  between 
llepdenburnemouth  and  Ruchope  burn,  where  it  may  be  most  convenient  to  them,, 
and  of  repairing  it  as  often  as  is  necessary." — Newminster  Cartulary,  p.  78. 


WINDYHAUGH  TO  ALWINTON.  23 

in  the  Xorthumbeiland  Poll  Book  for  1734  as  having  freeholds 
in  Harbottle  and  Alwinton,  but  residing  at  "  Keadland  Lee." 

In  a  corner  of  the  meadow  at  Windyhaugh  stands  three 
venerable  ash  trees,  beneath  whose  shelter  "  preachin's"  were, 
in  former  years,  held  during  the  summer  months  by  the 
Presbyterian  ministers  of  Harbottle,  when  shepherds  and  their 
families  came  long  distances  over  the  hills,  e\'en  from  the 
Scotch  side,  to  attend  the  meetings.  We  ha\e  heard  these 
Sunday  afternoon  open-air  services  spoken  of  as  delightful 
and  refreshing,  the  quaint  old  measures  of  the  metrical 
Psalms  and  Paraphrases — so  dear  to  the  Presbyterians  of 
the  past,  and  now,  alas!  so  little  known  —  sung  b}'  the 
\igorous  voices  of  the  hill-folk  to  the  solemn  strains  of  the 
"Old  Hundred,"  "Old  124th,"  "Dundee,"  or  "Martyrdom."  The 
sweet  solitude  of  the  spot,  the  murmuring  ripples  of  the 
Coquet,  the  deep  shadows  of  the  everlasting  hills,  with  only 
the  clear  blue  canopy  of  heaven  overhead,  a  picture  of  the  • 
Covenanting  scenes  we  have  read  of;  when,  r.ome  two  cen- 
turies ago,  under  less  favoured  circumstances,  the  proscribed 
borderers  met  together  ii^  the  glens  and  on  the  hill- 
sides  of  the  Lammermoors  and  the  Cheviots  ;  gatherings  or 
"conventicles"  which  doubtless  formed  the  nucleus  of  the 
"  meeting  houses  "  now  represented  by  the  substantial  edifices 
and  large  congregations  found  at  Harbottle,  Branton,  and 
Jiirdhopecraig. 

At  Windyhaugh  we  fnid  an  undenominational  voluntary 
school,  and  although  this  is  without  doubt  the  most  remote 
school  in  the  county,  the  scholars  daily  walking  several 
miles  across  the  fells  or  down  the  valley  to  attend  it,  yet 
it  obtains  ver>'  excellent  reports  from  the  Government 
Inspectors.  Previous  to  the  establishment  of  a  school  at 
Windyhaugh,  the  elementary  education  of  the  shepherds' 
families,  living  so  ma.iy  miles  apart,  had  always  been  a 
difficult  (lucstioii.  \\  hen  Mr.  Blythe,  the  present  master, 
first    came    into    (.'ocjuet    Water,    over    thirt}-    )'ears    ago,    a 


24  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

simple  but  practical  system  for  "schooling"  the  children 
prevailed.  The  custom  was  for  the  shepherds  to  engage  a 
teacher  at  a  fixed  salary,  or  he  took  his  chance  by  charging 
threepence  a  week  for  each  scholar,  the  teacher  living 
and  boarding  with  the  shepherd  as  one  of  the  family,  his 
stay  at  each  house  depending  upon  the  number  of  children 
the  shepherd  had  as  pupils  ;  if  there  were  three  in  the  house, 
he  stayed  three  weeks,  and  so  on,  thus  going  up  and  down 
amongst  the  families  in  regular  rotation,  his  pupils  following 
their  master  to  the  various  centres  when  the  distance  was 
not  too  great.  This  primitive  arrangement  was  in  many 
respects  a  happy  one,  and  the  educational  results  fairly  satis- 
factory, while— at  least  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Blythe — the 
parents  had,  during  his  temporary  residence  with  them,  the 
advantage  of  a  genial  and  highly  intelligent  fireside  com- 
panion. There  was  a  school  of  this  description  at  Linnbriggs 
for  a  considerable  time;  also  at  Carlcroft,  Uswayford,  and 
Milkhope,  where  there  were  at  that  time  numerous  families. 

The  present  school  was  opened  in  the  July  of  1S79,  but 
for  about  three  years  before  that, date  an  "adventure  school" 
had  been  conducted  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Robt.  Cowans,  at 
Windyhaugh,  the  discontinuance  of  which,  owing  to  insufficient 
accommodation,  was  the  primary  cause  of  the  erection  of  the 
new  and  well-appointed  school-room.  Speaking  of  Mr.  Blythe, 
we  once  had  the  happiness  when  botanizing  in  the  uplands  of 
Coquet  to  have  the  "Schoolmaster"  for  our  companion,  and 
as  Mr.  Blythe  was  familiar  with  every  nook  and  crannie  of  the 
river,  his  assistance  was  most  valuable.  It  was  pleasing  to 
witness  the  affectionate  manner  the  "  maister  "  was  greeted  at 
the  shepherds'  houses  on  our  way,  and  how  kindly  he  enquired 
after  the  members  of  the  family,  his  old  pupils,  each  by  name — 
it  was  evident — 

"A  man  he  was  to  all  the  country  dear." 

Happily  for  himself,  as  well    as   others,  Mr.  Blythe    has   his 
hobbies — he  is  fond  of  geology,  botany,  and  natural  history 


WINDYHAUGH   TO   ALWINTON. 


25 


and  a  little  museum  of  local  curiosities  neatly  arranged  in 
his  schoolroom,  interspersed  with  window  plants  and  some  of 
the  rarer  ferns  of  the  locality  picked  up  in  his  rambles  through 
the  glens  of  Cheviot,  add  quite  a  charm  to  the  interior. 
Here  on  a  window  sill  lies  a  piece  of  Greywacke  rock  from 
Makendon  camp,  there  a  fine  collection  of  beautifully  veined 
•Coquet  pebbles,  while  on  another  sill  may  be  seen  fragments 
•of  seventeenth  century  pottery  and  "  fairy-pipes "  from  the 
ruins  of  the  old  hostelry  at  Coquethead,  along  with  the  key 
that  locked  and  unlocked  the  door  of  the  Slyme-foot  public 


house  a  century-and-a-half  ago.  Our  friend  Mr.  Blythe, 
besides  being  postmaster,  spends  much  of  his  bisure  time  in 
reading.  He  delights  in  the  writings  of  Hogg,  Byron,  Burns, 
Sir  Conan  Dc^yle,  Mrs.  Henry  Wood,  S.  R.  Crockett,  Sir  Walter 
Scott,  and  in  all  literature  relating  to  border  histor\'.  i'crhaps 
the  most  pfjj)ular  event  amongst  the  hill  people  is  the  annual 
concert  given  in  the  school-room,  generally  during  tlu-  month 
of  January.  A  full  description  of  one  of  these  meetings  will 
be  found  in  Chap.  V.,  where  it  is  given  as  a  sidelight  to  the 


26  UPPER   CO(^UKTI)AT.K. 

social  life  of  the  ingenuous  people  who  reside  in  this  remote 
district.  This  small  cluster  of  houses  and  school-house,  which 
is  also  the  Post  Office,  may  be  considered  as  the  central  dep6t 
for  the  higher  reaches  of  the  Coquet,  for  here  all  the  shepherds* 
supplies  are  brought  by  the  carriers,  flour  dealers'  and  grocers' 
carts,  and  left  in  the  safe  keeping  of  Mr.  Andrew  Robson,  at 
Barraburn,  who  stores  them  ujj  until  carts  are  sent  down  the 
vale  from  Makendon  on  one  hand  and  Uswayford  on  the 
other. 

A  short  distance  below  \Vind)-haugh  ihc  Coquet  has  cut 
for  itself  a  passage  through  the  solid  rock,  forming  a  long 
deep  pool,  known  as  "  The  Wedder  Loup,"  famous  for  its  big 
fish,  but  dangerously  near  the  road  that  skirts  its  brink.  The 
tradition  attached  to  this  pool  is,  that  during  the  later  moss- 
trooping  days,  when  that  respectable  border  profession  was  on 
the  wane,  a  "  lifter"  one  night  carried  off  a  nice  plump  wedder 
from  the  flock  grazing  on  the  slopes  of  Shillhope  Law.  The 
daring  sheep-stealer  had  not  proceeded  very  far  ere  the  loss 
was  discovered.  Immediately  the  owner  and  his  men  gave 
chase.  The  "Hot  Trod"  proved  short  but  decisive.  Handi- 
capped by  the  wedder  tied  around  his  neck,  hill  fashion,  he 
was  run  to  bay  at  this  particular  spot.  To  leap  the  chasm 
was  his  only  chance  of  escape  ;  therefore  all  was  risked  in  one 
desperate  bound.  His  feet  touched  the  opposite  bank  ;  he 
clutched  and  struggled,  but  in  vain — the  wedder  around  his 
neck  proved  a  very  millstone  to  the  fugitive,  dragging  him 
with  his  ill-gotten  booty  backwards  into  the  murky  depths  of 
the  pool  below.  Since  then  its  name  has  been  "  The  Wedder 
Loup." 

About  a  mile-and-a-quarter  down  the  valley  from  Windy- 
haugh,  where,  as  the  poet  sings : — 

"  Round  Shilhope  Law  young  Coquet's  sUeam — 
A  half-grown  sykc — is  wimplin'  wild," 

the  road  crosses  the  Coquet  at  Bygate   Hall  Ford,  near  the 
base  of  Dumbhope  Law,  and  ascends  the  southern  shoulder 


\V1MjMIAL(.11    T(J    ALWINTOX. 


27 


of  Shillhopc  Law,  alonc^  by  Shillhopc  Clciij^h,'-  at  a  di/./.y 
height  abo\c  the  bed  of  the  stream,  llcrc  the  road  bears 
the    name    of  Shillhope3  Racks.4      Ow   the  opposite   bank    is 


"The  Rail  l^nd,"  a  well-known  landmark  to  the  anj^ler.  On 
approaching  Shillmoor,  a  picturesque  rock,  marked  on  the 
ordnance  map  "  Kateshavv  Crajr,"  is  seen  jutting  upon  the 
roadway,  on  which  grows  in  profusion  the  rock  rose,  burnet 
rose,  maiden  pink,  (Golden  hkI,  St.  John's  wort,  wild  thyme, 
and  other  ]jlants  of  a  porphyritic  fltjra  type.  A  few  yards 
further  on,  the  stream  falls  over  a  ridge  of  rock  forming  a  fine 
cascade,  ending  in  a  stretch  of  deep  water,  where,  some  years 
ago,  an  unfortunate  policeman  was  drowned  whilst  bathing ; 
hence  the  pool  has  since  been  caller!  "  I'f>liceman's  Hole." 
The  comfortable  well-to-do-looking  farm   house  of  .Shillmocjr 


'■'  Clcugh — a  rocky  ravine. — Heslop. 

^  Hope — a  smaller  valley  branching  off  the  main  valley.  —  Il)i<l. 

*  Kack — a  cart  track — a  .sheep  track. — Iljid. 


28  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

— for  upwards  of  a  century  in  the  occupation  of  the  famous 
hill  stock  farmers,  the  Orris — now  comes  in  sight : — 

"  The  lambs  they  are  feeding  on  lonely  Shilmore, 

And  the  breezes  blow  softly  o'er  dark  Simondside  ; 
The  birds  they  are  lilting  in  cv'ry  green  bower, 

And  the  streams  of  the  Coquet  now  merrily  glide." 

An  interesting  notice  relating  to  the  Ords  of  Shillmoor, 
showing  their  long  residence  in  Coquetdale,  is  found  in  a 
paper  read  by  Mr.  Maberley  Phillips  at  a  meeting  of  the 
Newcastle  Society  of  Antiquaries,  describing  the  escape  of 
two  French  officers,  prisoners  of  war,  in  the  year  1813.  At 
that  period  there  were  no  less  than  from  20,000  to  30,000 
French  prisoners  of  war  located  in  various  parts  of  the 
kingdom. 5  A  Mr.  Geo.  Bell  had  the  custody  of  upwards  of 
one  hundred  prisoners  at  Jedburgh.  These  he  mustered  once 
a  week.  Amongst  them  were  two  officers,  Benoit  Poulet  and 
Jacques  Girot.  P^rom  the  evidence  gathered  by  Mr.  Phillips  it 
would  appear  that:  "After  the  muster  on  June  ist,  181 3,  these 
two  men  bade  adieu  to  Jedburgh,  breaking  their  parole  and 
literally  taking  '  French  leave.'  They  then  made  their  way 
into  Upper  Coquetdale,  where  they  had  previously  arranged 
with  one  James  Hunter,  who  lived  at  Whitton,  near  Rothbury, 
to  meet  them  up  Coquet  with  a  conveyance."  This  is  borne 
out  by  the  evidence  of  Mr.  John  Ord,  who  states:  "  I  am  a 
farmer  in  Coquet  Water,  between  Jedburgh  and  Alwinton. 
Have  known  Hunter  twenty  years.  He  came  to  my  house  on 
the  31st  of  May  in  a  gig,  betwixt  four  and  five  in  the 
afternoon.  There  was  another  man  with  him  at  the  time. 
Hunter  came  first.  There  were  two  carriage  carts.  They 
staid  with  me  an  hour-and-a-half,  had  a  lot  of  corn,  and  went 
off."     Hunter  afterwards  brought  the  two  French  officers  to 


5  Towards  the  close  of  the  French  war  a  relative  of  the  writer  lived  at  Berwick- 
upon-Tweed,  and  he  has  often  heard  her  relate  how  the  Berwick  townsfolk,  sorry  for 
the  "  poor  French  officers,"  supplied  them  with  wine  and  other  refreshments  as  the 
post-chaise  conveying  the  prisoners  passed  up  High  Street  en  route  for  the  various 
<lep6ts,  one  of  which  was  Jedburgh. 


WINDVHAUC;II    TO   ALWTXTUX.  29- 

Whitton,  thence   to   Newcastle   b\-  \va.v  of  Forestburn    Gate,. 
Coldrife,  and  Ponteland. 

At  Shillmoor  the  Coquet  is  again  crossed  b)-  a  rock-strewn 
ford  of  a  very  rattle-bone  description.  Horse  and  conveyance 
have  on  sundry  occasions  come  to  grief,  and  have  parted 
company  at  this  ford,  leaving  the  unlucky  occupants  in  mid- 
stream, some  floundering  in  the  waters  of  the  Coquet,  others 
perched  on  the  nether  part  of  their  dislocated  vehicle — a  fitting 
subject  for  a  Bewick  tailpiece.  Here  the  Usway,  by  far  the 
finest  of  its  many  tributaries,  joins  the  Coquet,  after  a  run  of" 
eight  miles  from  the  ver\-  foot  of  the  Great  Cheviot  itself,, 
skirting  in  its  course  "  Cheviot  Meadows "  and  the  "  Lint 
Lands;"  and  after  receiving  the  waters  of  Davidson's  Burn,  the 
Clay  Burn,  and  other  smaller  sikes,  passes  on  its  way  the 
shepherds'  houses  of  Uswayford,  Fairhaugh,  and  Battleshield.^ 
Just  above  Uswayford  there  is  a  fine  waterfall  of  considerable 
height,  known  as  "  Davidson's  Linn,"  where  the  flowering 
willow  grows  in  great  luxuriance.  "  The  Marriage  of  the 
Coquet  and  the  Alwine,"  a  poem  written  in  18 17,  from 
which  we  have  already  quoted  several  lines,  contains  the 
following  on  the  charms  of  the  Lsway: — 

"  But  none  did  noliler  in  the  train  appear 

Than  graceful  Usway,  who  brought  up  the  rear  ; 

Who,  tho'  his  streams  in  northern  mosses  flow, 

In  Cheviot's  confines,  under  Cocklaw's  brow, 

Yet  runs  so  beautifully  clear  and  fair, 

None  can  surpass — few  may  with  him  compare. 

Coquet  at  Shilmore  did  embrace  his  Ouse, 

As  being  near  a-kin  to  his  fair  spouse : 

For  Usway  is  a  Kidlander  by  Ijirth, 

Tho'  he  to  Coquet,  leads  his  naiads  forth." 

The  road  now  cuts  over  Quickening  Cote,7  a  ridge  of  fine 

*  One  of  the  best  instances  in  Northumberland  of  an  apparently  simple  deriva- 
tion being  an  absolutely  erroneous  one,  is  afforded  by  Battle  .Shield,  in  Upper 
C<xjuctdaie.  The  name  seems  redolent  of  borticr  warfare,  until  we  find  in  the 
Newminsler  Cartulary  "  that  it  was  the  '  shiel '  or  summer  farmstead  of  Henry  de 
15ataile." — C.  J.  Bales  to  "  \\hist,"  Newcastle  Daily  Journal,  April  6th,  1901. 

">  Quickening  Cote  is  a  corruption  of  Whittington  Cote,  also  known  as  "Aydon 
Shiels."  It  was  held  by  the  owners  of  Aydon  Castle,  near  Corljridge,  as  well  a.s 
by  the  owners  of  Whittington.  In  1663  it  is  described  as  "Adon  Shiels  alias 
Quicking  Court ;"  proprietor,  Mrs.  Jane  Carnaby  ;  rental,  /^So. 


20  UIM'KR   COQUETDALE. 


J 


hill  pasture,  and  winds  along  the  "  Inch,"  a  high  narrow  neck 
of  land,  having  the  Coquet  far  beneath  on  the  left  and  Ridlees 
burn  on  the  rights  while  Linnshiels  and  Linnbrigg  come  in 
sight  round  the  bend  of  the  river.  We  are  told  in  Hodgson's 
History  of  NortJmuiberland  that  in  iSio  a  cross  stood  near 
the  junction  of  Ridlees  burn  and  the  Coquet,  where  the  road 
divided,  one  way  going  up  Coquet,  the  other  by  Ridlees  into 
Cottonshope,  but  it  has  been — says  that  historian,  writing  in 
1826 — rolled  into  Ridlees  burn  and  made  into  a  stepping 
stone.  Before  reaching  Linnbrigg  the  Coquet  rushes  with 
great  impetuosity  between  rugged  and  precipitous  cliffs  of 
porphyry,  forming  a  succession  of  waterfalls,  deep  dark  pools, 
and  rippling  streams,  teeming  with  trout.  Well  did  the  writer 
•of  the  following  lines  know  this  romantic  corner  : — 

"Then  we'll  off  to  the  Coquet  with  hook,  hair,  and  heckle. 
With  our  neat  taper  gads  and  our  well-belted  creels, 
And  far  from  the  bustle  and  din  o'  Newcastle, 

Begin  the  campaign  at  the  streams  o'  Linn-shiels." 

Far  above  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river  rise  lofty  cliffs  of  a 
great  height.  The  face  of  this  steep  acclivity  is  traversed 
by  "  Passpeth,"  a  perilous  path,  nothing  more  than  a  sheep- 
track  overlooking  the  linns,  to  be  trod  only  by  those  possessed 
of  a  sure  foot  and  clear  head.  It  was  on  these  exposed  heights 
that  the  men  of  Upper  Coquet  some  three  centuries  ago  had 
to  keep  watch,  night  and  day,  to  guard  against  the  incursions 
■of  the  Scottish  Freebooters.  In  the  "Border  Laws"  is  found 
the  following  system  of  watch  and  ward  in  this  upland 
■district : — 

"  The  Day-  Watch  of  Cookdaill,  beginning  at  Passpethe. 

Allenton  to  watch  to  Paspethe  with  two  Men  every 
Day :  Setters  and  Searchers  of  this  Watch,  John  Wylkinson, 
the  Laird  of  Donesgrene,  JoJin  Wylkinson,  otherwise  called 
Gordes  John, 

The  Greyt  Kneys  to  be  watched  with  the  Inhabitants  of 
Clennell,  Newton,  and  the  Nezv-Jiall :  Setters  and  Searchers 
■of  the  same,  Persevall  Clennell  and  William  Gallon. 


WINDVHAUGH    TO   ALWIXTON.  3! 

The  Kaye-Cragge  to  be  watched  with  two  Men  o{ Bedcls- 
dan:  Percevall  Sclbc  and  Thomas  Davy  son  to  be  Setters  and 
Searchers  of  this  Watch. 

Fulbere^   Ceiilghfoot,    W/iytlawlechc,  and    Sandforth    above 

Barrow,  to  be  watched  with  the   Inhabitors  of  Barrow,  Har- 

hottill,  the    Peylles   and    the   Holystone,  the    Woddhouscs   and 

F^rrt'i?/,  with  six  Men  nightly:  Setters  and  Searchers,  P^r^^z/rt// 

Fenwyke  and  S&r  John  Hall,  Prcst. 

Item. — The  Passages  from  Allenton  to  Clenell  to  be  kept 
with  Four  Men  of  the  Inhabitors  of  Allenton,  the  Parkheyd, 
Newton,  Foxton,  and  Newhall. 

The  Passages  from  Clenell  to  Byttlesden  to  be  kept  with 
four  Men  nightly  of  the  Inhabitors  of  Clenell  and  Burroden. 
Setters  and  Searchers  of  the  Watches  betwixt  Allenton  and 
Clenell — Percevall  Unthank,  and  George  Browne,  THE  Pass- 
ages from  Byttlesden  to  Skarnwood  to  be  watched  with  four 
Men  nightly  of  the  Inhabitors  of  Byttlesden,  Cotwalles, 
Netherton,  and  Ellebaye."  ('' The  ORDER  0/ the  Watches  upon 
the  Middle  Marches,  made  by  the  Lord  Whai'ton,  Lord  Deputy 
Generall  of  all  the  three  Marches,  under  my  Lord  of  North- 
umberland's Grace,  Lord  Warden  Generall  of  all  the  said 
Marches,  in  the  Month  of  October,  ///  the  Sixth  Year  of  the 
Reign  of  our  Sovereign  Lord  King  Pldward  the  Sixth." )^ 
We  can  almost  picture  to  ourselves,  when  viewing  the  rocky 
defiles  at  Linnsheels,  those  rough  and  ready  men  of  Coquet, 
armed  with  bow  and  spear,  steel  cap  and  breast-plate,  a  thick 
woollen  muffler  around  their  neck — "  not  for  cold,  but  cutting" 
— lying  in  wait  day  and  night  on  the  lofty  western  ridge  of 
Lord's  Seat,  and  the  .stealthy  visits  of  their  officers — the  setters 
and  .searchers  of  the  watch — to  find  the  men  at  their  posts') 
ready  to  give  an  alarm  on  the  first  sight  of  a  hostile  band  of 
Scots  winding  down  the  valley  of  the  Coquet,  or  the  men  of 


*  Leges  Marchiariiin  (Nicolson),  1747,  pp.  181-3. 

9  Any  Warder  not  fDiiml  at  his  post  l>y  llic  Searcher  nf  the  Watch  was  lialile  to 
a  fine  of  si.\-and-eightpence. 


32  Uri'ER   COQUETDALE. 

Liddesdale  or  Redewater,  down  by  Ridlees  burn.  On  the 
south  side  of  the  river  Coquet,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Linn- 
sheels,  amongst  the  "  graynes  and  hoopes"  of  the  Wilkwood's,. 
Dykeham's  Edge,  and  the  Ridlees,  the  farmers  of  Redesdale,. 
according  to  the  Surv^ey  of  1541,  pastured  their  flocks  and 
herds  during  the  summer  months,  themselves  living  in 
"  sheals  "  or  "  shealings  "^° — the  probable  origin  of  the  name 
Linnsheels — the  "  shiel  "  at  the  Linn,  as  Battleshield  on  the 
Usway  was  the  "shiel"  of  Batail.  Linnsheels  (and  all  that 
part  of  the  parish  of  Alwinton  south  of  the  Coquet)  was  in- 
cluded within  the  lordship  of  Redesdale  and  Harbottle,  for 
many  centuries  the  domain  of  the  potent  Umfravilles.  In 
course  of  time  this  great  franchise  came  to  be  divided  ;  there- 
fore, in  1632,  we  find  Roger  Widdrington,  of  Cartington,  the 
owner  of  "  Lindsheildes,"  for  it  was  in  that  year  Roger's 
romantic  marriage  with  Rosamond,  the  widow  of  Bertram 
Reveley,  of  Mitford,  took  place.  The  ceremony  was  per- 
formed in  a  field  on  the  Scotch  side  of  the  border.  On 
passing  Linnsheels  the  wedding  party  was  joined  by  two  of 
Roger  Widdrington's  tenants,  Edward  Hall  and  John  Hall,, 
who  accompanied  Roger  across  the  border,  and  were  witnesses 
to  the  marriage,  for  which  all  parties  concerned  were  cited  tO' 
appear  before  the  High  Commission  Court  at  Durham. 

George  Pott,  who  also  owned  Lantern  Cleugh  (Campville)^ 
was  the  owner  of  Linnsheels  in  1663.  At  the  same  time  Sir 
Charles  Howard  was  assessed  at  ^,270  a  year  for  Wilkwood,. 
Ridlees,  Carshope,  Fair  Philips,  Blindburn,  and  P'oul  Philips,, 
places  included  within  the  ancient  bounds  of  Redesdale." 
Even   as   late  as   the  seventeenth  century  the   men  of  this 

'°  Shealins — temporary  huts  as  shelter  places.  These  sheels  were  built  of 
sods  and  covered  with  poles  carrying  roofs  of  turf  or  moor  rushes. — Heslop.  "All 
over  the  wastes,  as  they  call  them,  you  would  think  you  see  the  ancient  Nomades- 
— a  martial  sort  of  people  that  from  April  to  August  lie  in  little  huts,  which  they 
call  sheals  and  shealings,  here  and  there  among  their  several  flocks." — Gibson's 
Camden,  1610. 

"  The  lion  rampant  of  the  Howards  is  cut  on  the  newel  stair  of  Elsdon  Castle^ 
which  was  a  portion  of  the  Redesdale  lordship. 


WINDVHAUGH  TO  ALWIXTOX.  33 

district  had  e\-idently  done  "  a  little  shifting  for  their  living." 
In  the  Calendar  of  prisoners  l)'ing  in  the  "  High  Castle,"  of 
Xe\vcastle-on-Tyne,  waiting  their  trial  at  the  Assizes  of  Jul\-, 
1629,  we  find  the  name  of  "  Edward  Trumble,  sonne  of  John 
Trumble,  of  Wilkwood,  charged  with  the  felonious  stealeing 
of  one  bay  mare,  the  goodes  of  Lancelot  Ogle,  of  Darras-hall, 
gent."^-  During  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century  East 
Wilkwood  was  held  b\'  a  farmer  named  Daniel  Wood,  whose 
lease  in  1818  stated  that  he  "shall  and  will  make  use  of  one 
of  the  corn  mills  belonging  to  the  said  Walter  Selb\-  for 
the  grinding  of  all  such  corn  as  the  said  Daniel  Wood,  his 
servants,  and  cottagers  shall  have  occasion  for."  Daniel  had 
also  to  "walk  ^3  a  game  cock,  feed  a  spaniel  dog,  and  spin  four 
pounds  of  lint  ^4  yearl}'  for  the  squire  of  Biddleston."  The 
lease  from  which  this  extract  is  taken  is  signed  b\-  Walter 
Selby,  Daniel  Wood,  junior,  and  Jasper  Gibson. ^5  The  corn 
mills  belonging  to  the  Biddleston  estate  in  1663  and  1826 
were  Netherton,  Holystone,  and  Barrow.  In  1826  Robert 
Oliver  had  Netherton  Mill  ;  Joseph  Oliver,  Holystone  Mill  ; 
and  John  Anderson,  Barrow  Mill.  The  latter  was  probabh'  the 
mill  u.sed  by  Daniel  Wood.  These  mills  are  now  silent,  the 
big  water  wheels  motionless,  most  of  the  buildings  in  ruins, 
and  the  country-folk,  instead  of  having  their  "  batches  "  ^^  of 
home-grown  corn  ground  at  local  mills — the  "  lord's  mill "  of 
olden  day.s — ^are  supplied  with  flour  and  meal  stuff  by  flour 
dealers  from  centres  such  as  Rothbury. 

Once  more  the  Coquet,  now  a  considerable  stream,  has  to 
be  crossed,  from  Linnsheels  to  Linnbrigg,  b\'  a  swing  foot 
bridge    of    great    elasticity,    or    through    a    ford    full    of    big 

"  Archicologia  yEliana  (old  series),  Vol.  i. ,  p.  161. 
_      '3  Walk — to  keep  and  feed  a  gamecock. 

'*  Linen  or  flax. 

'5  Extract  from  original  lease,  kindly  lent  Ijy  Mr.  John  Rutter,  East  VVoodburn. 

''  Batch — a  small  lot  of  meal  for  family  use.  The  hinds,  when  paid  in  kind  Ijy 
corn,  &c.,  look  these  small  quantities  to  the  (local)  miller,  who  made  lliciii  into 
"latches."— Heslop. 


34  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

boulders,  dangerous  to  vehicles  when  the  river  is  flooded,  if  a 
certain  rock  well  known  to  the  hill  shepherds  is  covered  with 
water  ;  for  here  the  torrent  rushes  with  wild  velocity,  rolling 
in  its  course  the  boulders  that  fill  the  bed  of  the  stream.  A 
Border  stronghold  once  stood  at  Linnbrigg,  probably  on  the 
level  plot  of  ground  near  to  the  present  farm  buildings.  This 
Avas  the  most  western  pele  ^7  in  Upper  Coquetdale.  The 
Survey  of  1541  thus  records  it:  "At  the  Lynne  brigge  there 
hathe  bene  a  stone  house  of  thinherytaunce  of  one  Rog. 
Horseley,  but  yt  was  brounte  and  casten  downe  by  the  Scottes 
in  t)'me  paste,  and  the  owener  hathe  gathered  the  stones 
thereof  unto  a  place  of  more  strength  nere  unto  the  same,  and 
to  buylde  a  newe  bastell  house  as  his  power  wyll  serve  hym 
Intendeth."  Of  Roger  Horsley's  "stone  house"  there  is  now 
no  trace,  but  on  the  "Ducket  knowe,"  a  rising  piece  of  ground 
in  a  field  to  the  east  of  Linnbrigg,  on  the  right-hand  side  of 
the  road  leading  to  Alwinton,  there  is  a  large  pile  of  stones. 
This,  in  all  probability,  is  the  "  place  of  more  strength  "  where 
the  owner  had  gathered  the  material  with  which  to  build  his 
"  newe  bastell  house,"  but  had  not  been  able  to  do  so.  From 
the  elevated  site  of  Roger's  proposed  stronghold  there  is  a 
fine  view  westward,  embracing  Ridlees  burn  and  Coquet 
valley.  Across  the  river  may  be  seen  "  Selb}''s  Lake,"  a 
natural  sheet  of  water  abounding  with  perch,  on  the  moors 
between  Linnsheels  and  the  Wilkwoods  ;  whilst  eastward 
cornfields  and  hedgerows  appearing  in  the  distance,  and  a 
magnificent  bed  of  the  yellow  iris  in  a  sike  close  by  the  road, 
are  signs  that  the  traveller  is  now  approaching  the  lowlands. 
The  following  quaint  notice  of  a  sale,  found  amongst  the 
Records  of  Harbottle  Presbyterian  Church,  is  of  interest,  as  it 
evidently  indicates  the  decadence  of  the  Horsley  family  at 
Linnbrigg: — 

"  This    is    to    Give    Nottis     that     there    is    to    be    sold, 
at  Linbridge,  in  the   Parish  of  Allinton,  on   friday,  the   I2th 

'7  Pele  —a  four-square  tower  used  formerly  for  defence. 


WIXDVliAUGll    TO   ALWIXTOX.  35 

day  of  May  (1749),  the  goods  of  Mis  Peggy  Horsley, 
Consistting  of  Ewe  and  Lambs,  Wethers,  Dinments,  Gimers 
and  Hoggs,  Kowes  and  Calfs,  and  Kowes  wanton  Calfs,  and 
other  Young  Cattle,  with  Horses  and  implyments  of  Hus- 
bandry, and  all  sorts  of  Houshold  furnitur,  all  to  be  sold  by 
way  of  publick  Roupe,  and  six  months  Creditt  for  finding 
good  security,  the  other  Artickles  to  be  Knowen  att  the  place 
of  sale. 

"  X.B.. — There  is  A  good  Stak  of  old  hay  Also  to  be  sold." 

In  the  list  of  prisoners  to  be  presented  for  trial  at  the 
Assizes  of  January,  1629,  the  old  Border  story  of  "cattle 
lifting "  is  found  often  repeated,  for  instance : — "  George 
Wilkinson  of  Allanton,  for  suspe'con  of  the  felonious  stealeing 
of  two  sheepe,  the  goodes  of  James  Marshall  of  Lintbrigge." 

After  leaving  Linnsheels  and  Linnbrigg  the  road  and  the 
river  both  take  a  direct  easterly  course  for  two  miles  towards 
Alwinton,  skirting  the  southern  base  of  Lord's  Seat  and 
Greenside  Hill.  About  midway  between  Linnsheels  and 
Alwinton,  the  bare  shale  cliffs  of  Barrow  Scar,^^  as  well  as  the 
marked  difference  in  the  geological  formation  of  the  valley— 
the  porphyrite  of  the  round-topped  heights  on  the  north,  and 
the  rough  heatlier-clad  hills  of  sandstone-grit  on  the  south — 
cannot  fail  to  strike  the  eye  of  the  observant  tourist  as  he 
traverses  the  vale.  High  up  on  the  left  banks  of  the  river 
towers  the  green  crest  of  Lord's  Seat,  while  down  in  the 
meadows  on  the  level  haugh  stands  Barrow  Mill  with  Barrow 
Scroggs,i9  Barrow  Knocks,2o  and  Barrow  on  the  o{)posite  banks 


'*  Scar— a  rough,  bare  precipice. — Mcslop.  "  In  Barrow  Scar,  a  fine  liver 
clift'  (jf  the  Coquet  east  of  Linsheeles,  the  Ijeds  of  the  Cenicnl-linicstone  group  have 
Ijuen  laid  o|jen  to  a  depth  of  about  200  feet.  They  consist  of  ahernations  of 
jjreenish  shale.  These  strata  are  very  variable  in  iheir  character." — Memoirs  of 
the  Geohi^ical  Survey  (Hugh  Miller),  1877,  \>.  11. 

''  Scroggs  —  rough  brush wofxl. — Ileslop. 

'"  Knox,  Cnox  (Gadhelic)  — a  knoll,  hill,  or  niDund. — Diitioiiary  of  Plaic 
Names  (C.  Hlackie),  1S87.  '■^Landslips  —  such  for  instance  are  the  Barrow 
Knocks— a  wilderness  of  detached  huiiiniocks  and  irregular  terraces  of  freestone." 
^]Av//<7i>  (Hugh  Miller),  1877,  p.  120. 


36  Ul'l'KR    COQUKTDAI.E. 

of  the  Coquet.  The  modern  house  at  Barrow  stands  in  ai 
pleasant  and  sequestered  spot  on  the  northern  banks  of 
Barrow  burn,  amid  a  fine  setting  of  natural  wood  of  elm,  birch,, 
and  hazel.  The  house  itself  has  been  built  of  the  stones  of  the 
pole  tower  that,  in  the  troublous  days  of  border  warfare,  stood 
a  few  )'ards  to  the  west,  where  traces  of  the  foundations  may 
}-et  be  seen.  Several  copper  coins — half-turners  of  Chas.  II. 
— ^have  been  found  in  the  ruins  by  Mr.  John  Carruthers.  Like 
its  neighbour  at  Linnbrigg,  it  is  many  centuries  ago  since  it 
was  "  ruyned  by  the  warres."  The  Survey  of  1541  says: — 
"  At  Barrowc  a  lytle  above  Hartbottell  upon  the  southe  syde 
of  the  same  ryv'  of  Cokett  standeth  the  olde  walles  of  a  lytle 
fortresse  of  the  Inherytance  of  one  Gerrard  Barrowe  which  in 
l}'me  past  was  brounte  and  rased  by  the  Scottes  Ln  a  warre 
tyme.  And  so  remaineth  still  waste  because  the  oweners 
thereof  have  bene  but  poor  men  and  not  able  nor  of  power 
sythens  to  reparrell  the  same."  The  road  down  the  valley 
now  emerges  from  under  the  shadow  of  those  massive  green 
hills,  whose  lofty  peaks  are  the  very  glory  of  Upper  Coquet- 
dale,  and  Alwinton — the  first  village  on  the  English  side  of 
the  Cheviots — is  seen  in  the  bottom  of  the  valley,  with  its 
ancient  church,  its  snug  vicarage,  and  comfortable  hostelries. 


KIDLAND.  37 


CHAPTER    III. 

KIDLAXD. 

•(Irants  to  Monks  of  Newminstei— Boundaries  of  Kidland — Paucity  of  British 
Remains  in  Kidland  and  Upper  Coquet  —  Memmerkirk  —  Suppression  of 
Monasteries,  1536— Crown  Lands,  1 541 —Survey  of  Kidland,  1541 — Danger 
from  Thieves  —  Lack  of  Tenants  —  Names  of  Hills  and  Hopes,  1541 — - 
Boundaries  of  the  Middle  March— Wardens'  Meetings — Lord  Russell  shot, 
1585 — Northumbrian  Borderers  present — Russell's  Cairn  on  Windy  gyle — 
Knquiry  into  I^rd  Russell's  Death — Scottish  Raids  into  Coquetdale — Border 
I'risoners,  1629  — Border  Raiding  somewhat  excusable — Better  State  of 
Kidland  from  1663 — Aspect  of  Kidland  to-day — Its  Hills — \'iew  from  Cushat 
Law — Sheep  Farmers  of  Kidland  a  century  ago. 

AWAY  to  the  north,  beyond  the  \illage  of  Ah\inton, 
reaching  to  the  very  borders  of  Scotland,  there  stretches 
a  wide,  sparsely  inhabited  waste  of  steep  and  loft}'  hills,  divided 
by  narrow  winding  glens  or  hopes.  This  remote  upland  district 
was,  during  the  monastic  age  in  England,  part  of  the  possessions 
of  the  monks  of  Newminster.  Xewminstcr  Abbey  was  founded 
in  1 1 37  by  Ralph  de  Merlay  for  the  use  of  the  Cistercian 
order.  Soon  after  their  settlement  on  the  banks  of  the  VVans- 
beck,  the  Northumbrian  barons  began  to  grant  those  white- 
robed  monks  large  tracts  of  land,  with  many  other  rights  and 
]:)rivileges  throughout  the  county.  None  were  more  liberal  in 
their  gifts  to  the  Abbey  of  Newminster  than  the  l^mfravillc 
lords  of  Redesdalc  and  Ilarbottlc.  In  iiSi,  Odinel  dc 
Umfravillc  granted  a  lease  of  common  right  in  Alwcnt  and 
Kidland  for  t\\cnl}'-nine  }'cars.  The  dogs  of  the  monks  to 
lack  one  fo(jt,  that  the  lords'  u  ild  am'mals  might  ha\c  peace. 
William  de  Umfraville,  son  of  Odinel,  gave  to  the  monks  a 


38  II'I'KR   CXK^L'ETDALE. 

grant  of  "  W'itelows,  in  Cheviot  moors,  Hangandescauhe, 
Osweiburne,  Hepden,  Rohope,  Wyndihege."  Richard  de 
Umfra\-illc,  another  son  of  Odinel,  also  gave  grants  of  land 
in  Kidland,  Scorthope,  Fastside,  Koket,  Ruhopeburne,  and  a 
license  for  a  fulling  mill  at  Hepdenburnmouth  et  Ruthope- 
burn,  on  Coket.^ 

To  give  the  monks  and  their  servants  free  passage  through 
Coquetdale,  in  their  frequent  journeyings  to  and  from  New- 
minster,  to  the  hill  pastures  of  Kidland,  grants  of  right  of 
way  were  given  them  b)-  the  various  owners  in  the  valley 
through  whose  lands  their  route  lay,  notabh'  —  Bickerton^ 
Hepple,  Caistron,  Wreighill,  Flotterton,  Farnham,  Sharperton,. 
and  Clennell.  In  122S  there  was  an  "Agreement  with  Thomas, 
de  Clenill  about  rights  of  way  by  the  Alwent  into  Kideland. 
'  Luke  Talboys  '  gave  them  right  of  wa}'  through  '  Hepphale,' 
and  '  Robert  de  Hepphall '  granted  them  right  of  way  through 
all  his  lands  in  Northumberland."  -  There  was  also  an  agree- 
ment made  by  the  monks  with  Thomas,  the  rector  of 
Alwinton,  respecting  the  tithes  payable  to  Alwinton,  from 
"  Superius  Kidland,"  Holehope,  Apetreley,  Elfenseth,  White- 
burne,  Ruhope.  Thomas,  the  rector,  to  give  the  abbot  of 
Newminster  "  a  pound  of  pepper  and  a  pound  of  incense 
annually."  3  Roughly  speaking,  the  lordships  of  Kidland  con- 
sists of  about  17,000  acres.  I'he  heights  of  Cairn  Hill  (2,545), 
Score  Head  (1,750),  Butt  Roads  (1,718),  Cocklaw  (1,700),  and 
Windy  Gyle  (1,965)  form  its  northern  boundary;  as  the 
ridges  of  Wether  Cairn  (1,834),  Sting  Head  (1.500),  Cushat 
Law  (2,020),  Blood>'bush  Edge  (2,001),  and  Lint-land.s  (1,665) 
form  its  eastern  limits  ;  while  its  western  confines  extend  from 
Black  Braes  (1,654)  along  the  crest  of  Hindside  Knowe  (1,501), 
as  far  as  Rowhopeburnmouth,  at  Slyme-foot,  thence  down  the 
Coquet  to  Barraburn.      Its  southern   boundary,  commencing 


'  Newminstei'  Cartulary,  p.  78.      (See  translation  of  aVjove,  Note  i,  p.  22.), 
^  Ibid  ,  p.  163. 
3  Ibid.,  p.  81. 


KIDLANI).  39 

at  Wether  Cairn,  runs  west  by  Allerhope  burn  and  Kidlandlee 
dean  ;  leaving  the  latter,  it  takes  a  northerly  direction,  keeping 
the  tops  of  the  hills  on  the  left  bank  of  Usway  burn,  until 
it  reaches  the  summit  of  Yearnspath  Law  '1,775).  ^^orth  of 
Fairhaugh  it  crosses  the  Usway,  mounts  Middle  Hill  (1,296), 
and,  striking  Barra  burn,  follows  its  course  b}*  the  foot  of 
Kyloe  Shin  (1,418;  down  to  the  river  Coquet.  For  upwards 
of  three  hundred  and  fifty  years  (1181  to  1536^  the  monks  of 
Newminster  held  the  lordship  of  Kidland.  During  the  greater 
part  of  that  period  its  pastures  were  let  to  the  border  men  on 
the  English  side  of  the  Cheviots,  but  at  one  time  the  brethren, 
finding  tenants  scarce,  and  rents  small,  were  induced  to  farm 
it  themselves  ;  therefore,  stocking  it  with  their  own  sheep  and 
cattle,  they  sent  their  serv-ants — probably  lay  brethren — to 
tend  and  guard  the  flocks  against  the  raiding  Scots  and  men 
of  Redesdale.  Notwithstanding  these  precautionar}-  measures, 
the  wild  border  thieves  "  lifted  "  the  cattle  of  the  monks  in 
such  numbers,  besides  murdering  their  herdsmen,  that  they 
were  fain  to  give  it  up,  and  once  more  let  the  Kidland  grazing 
grounds  to  the  hardy  borderers  of  Upper  Coquet  who,  living 
near  the  spot,  were  not  only  better  able  to  hold  their  own,  but 
when  occasion  served  were  not  at  all  averse  to  replenish  their 
stocks  by  reprisal  raids  upon  their  neighbours'  herds,  for — 

"  Near  lo  Border  frontier  in  time  of  war. 
There  ne'er  a  man  Init  he's  a  freebooter." 

Along  the  banks  of  the  Kidland  streams  are  found 
numerous  foundations  of  buildings  and  enclosures,  most  of 
them  rectangular,  some  of  them  roughly  rounded,  which  have 
frequently  been  taken  for  l^ritish  dwellings.  These  are,  no 
doubt,  the  remains  of  the  summer  huts  or  "shealings"  of  the 
.shepherd  monks  of  Xewminstcr.  Traces  of  a  much  earlier 
occupation  are,  however,  foinul  .scattered  over  some  of  the 
hillsides.  On  the  western  slopes  of  Dryhopc  1 1  ill,  overlooking 
the  ^'oke  burn,  occur  a  nuinber  of  small  uKnuids  containing 
the  burials  of  a  pre-historic  race,  and  (;ii  the  same  hill  arc  a 


40  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

series  of  earthworks  and  hut-circles.  Further  down  the  valley 
of  the  Alwin  are  circular  camps — on  Clennell  hill,  Gallowlaw, 
and  Lord's  Seat,  close  in  to  Alwinton  ;  but  up  the  main  valley 
of  the  Coquet,  above  Alwinton,  the  remains  of  those  ancient 
dwellings  are  extremely  scant.  The  late  Dr.  Hardy,  who 
carefully  explored  the  Coquet  and  its  tributary  streams  far 
up  amongst  the  hills,  found  very  few  traces  of  a  pre-historic 
population,  as  the  following  extract  from  his  report  will 
shew  : — "  I  have,"  says  Dr.  Hardy,  "  been  alone  or  in  company 
with  Mr.  James  Thomson  (Shawdon)  over  the  greater  part  of 
Kidland,  or  the  remote  and  desolate  moorlands  about  the 
head  of  the  Coquet,  and  all  along  the  peaty,  swampy,  and 
broken  ground  from  the  Hanging  Stone  to  Chew  Green,  and 
southward  to  the  line  of  the  Western  Watling  Street  at  the 
Outer  Golden  Pot  and  the  head  of  Cottonshope,  and  across 
behind  Thirlmoor  and  Philip  and  Blindburn,  and  questioned 
the  shepherds  wherever  they  were  met,  without  eliciting  much 
information  on  the  subject  of  this  enquiry. 

There  are  two  classes  of  hut-dwellings  in  the  sheltered 
ravines  of  this  undulating  congeries  of  hills,  or  in  the  nooks 
of  their  many  winding  streamlets,  not  readily  separable — the 
elder  aborigines,  the  more  modern  of  tl^e  shielings  of  the 
Borderers,  who  summered  their  cattle  and  sheep  upon  the 
mountain  pastures.  These  are  less  numerous  in  the  upper 
grains  than  in  commodious  positions  lower  down  the  courses 
of  the  streams.  The  remains  of  camps  are  scarce.  Except 
the  great  sepulchral  cairns  crowning  some  of  the  hill-tops, 
as  on  Hogden,  the  Border  ridge  near  the  Windy  Gyle,  the 
three  cairns  of  Thirlmoor,  and  a  great  green  mound  at  the 
outcome  of  a  feeder  of  the  Coquet  below  Blindburn,  and 
another  on  a  hillock  near  that  place,  and  situated  to  the 
west  of  it,  the  native  tombs  are  rarely  discernible.  The 
suggestion  so  frequently  repeated  that  Barrow  (Barra)  burn  in 
Kidland,  and  the  tributary  of  the  same  name  that  enters  the 
Coquet  above  Alwinton  derive  their  name  from  the  numerous 


KIDLAND.  41 

"barrows  on  their  banks,  is  a  mere  etymological  imagination. 
Barrow  is  not  a  North  of  England  term  as  applied  to  sepul- 
chral hillocks.  In  one  of  the  early  Charters  of  Xewminster 
Abbey,  the  land  adjacent  to  the  Kidland  streamlet  is  written 
" Alribarnes."  Perhaps  there  were  "barns"  attached  to  the 
.ancient  mill  here,  whether  it  was  a  waulk4  or  corn  mill. 
Decayed  alder  trees  are  still  washed  up  by  floods  near  the  exit 
■of  the  Kidland  Barrow  (Barra)  burn.  I  examined  its  course  to 
the  extreme  uplands  with  a  special  outlook  for  barrows,  and 
saw  none.     Of  old  the  stream  was  called  Hepden  burn. 

Messrs.  John  and  Robert  Anderson  spoke  of  a  cairn  that 
had  stood  by  the  roadside  as  people  proceed  from  BUndburn 
to  Buckham's  Walls,  which  was  dug  out  about  1826,  for 
•erecting  Mr.  Telfer's  farm-house  and  other  buildings  at  Blind- 
burn.  An  urn,  which  was  broken  by  the  pick,  was  obtained 
in  it,  which  was  ornamented  in  the  British  chevron  style, 
and  contained  burnt  bones  and  ashes  ;  apparently  a  cinerary 
urn. 

Near  old  Usway  Ford,  which  lies  lower  down  the  water 
than  the  present  shepherd's  residence,  near  the  end  of  the 
Trows  fir  plantations,  a  conspicuous  landmark  in  those  wild, 
featureless  pastures,  where  a  finger-post  once  stood  in  a 
socket,  a  cist  was  dug  up.  It  "was  built  round  about  with 
stones,"  as  edging  to  it.  It  was  hollow,  and  contained  bones 
and  ashes;  the  bones  were  slender  and  small.  They  were 
sent  to  Dr.  Richardson,  Harbottle. 

Mr.  John  Anderson  found  a  triangular  heart-shaped 
(barbed)  flint  arrow-head  in  digging  his  potato  ground,  near 
Milkhope.  An  arrow  or  spear-head  of  flint  had  likewise 
been  found  at  Usway  Ford,  near  the  potato  }'ards  ;  and  an 
oval  head  (^r  "  drop,"  perforated  near  one  end,  of  a  grey  stone, 
and  very  smooth,  "  as  smooth  as  could  be  made,"  possibly  an 
amulet  or  bead,  was  met  with  tlu-re  also.  \  smooth,  pale 
brown  porphyritic  bullet,  of  the  largest  size  of  those  used  near 

*  Wauk-to  full  cloth. — Jamieson. 


42  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

Newcastle  in  the  game  of  "  Long  Bullets,"  was  got  in  the  same 
neighbourhood.  "  Fair\--pipes "  had  been  picked  out  in  old 
ash  middens  at  the  "  Horse-holes,  a  recess  in  the  green  braes 
at  Milkhope,  where  half-wild  horses  might  retire  to  at  night 
for  shelter  out  of  the  cold  winds.  There  are  remains  of  old 
erections  close  by.  These  miniature  pipes  are  also  scattered 
about  the  old  cottage  at  old  Usway  Ford.  A  fragment  of 
ancient  potter}-,  without  an}'  enamel,  was  picked  up  on  a 
mole-hill  in  the  Yoke  Haugh."5 

In  the  angle  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  Yoke  burn  and 
Sting  burn,  at  the  southern  base  of  Cushat  Law,  are  to  be 
seen  a  more  perfect  series  of  ruined  walls,  composed  of  blocks- 
of  porphyry  from  off  the  adjoining  hills.  These  are  the 
remains  of  Memmerkirk,  supposed  to  have  been  a  chapel, 
erected  for  the  use  of  the  monks'  servants  when  herding  their 
fl'ocks  in  the  distant  hill  pastures  of  Kidland.  The  full  length  of 
the  rude  foundations  is  48  feet  from  east  to  west,  iS/4  feet  from 
north  to  south,  this  being  roughly  divided  into  three  chambers; 
that  on  the  west  measuring  12  feet  by  15^  feet,  the  centre 
chamber  16  feet  by  15^  feet,  the  eastern  20  feet  by  iS}4  feet. 
On  the  north  side  of  the  main  building,  and  extending  its  full 
length,  are  traces  of  a  sort  of  aisle,  having  a  central  width  of 
i^y2  feet.  The  orientation  of  the  building  is  inclined  rather 
to  the  north-east.  A  circular  rampart  surrounds  it  on  the 
north  and  north-east,  while  the  steep  banks  of  the  two  streams 
form  a  natural  protection  on  the  other  sides.  The  Oliverian 
Survey  of  Church  Livings  in  1650  refers  to  Memmerkirk 
thus: — "That  Memberkirke  and  Kendland  may  ffittly  be 
united  to  the  said  parish  (Alwinton)  and  that  there  was 
formerly  paid  to  the  Curate  of  the  said  Fish.,  vizt.,  ffower 
pounds  thirteene  shillings  fowrepence  to  Allenton  by  the 
Crowne."  The  following  description  of  Kidland  is  found  in 
Bishop  Chandler's  Notes  on  the  Parish  of  Alwinton  dtra 
1736:  —  "Taking    in    Kidland    Ldshp.,  wch   calls   itself  extra 

^  History  Berwickshire  Naturalists'  Club,  Vol.  xi.,  pp.  293-5. 


KIDLANTX  43- 

parochl,  and  touches  on  ye  border,  Kidland  Ldshp.  belongs 
to  Sr.  Th.  Eggar  (Legard)  and  Shaftoe,  Esq.,  remains  of 

an  old  Chapel  appear  among  ye  mountains  called  Mimer  or 
Member  Kirk.  Pt.  jo}-ns  to  M.  Cheviot  or  Cheviot  Forest.  In 
K'land  Ldshp.  65  Fam.  most  Presb.  live  mostly  in  single 
houses,  called  steed  houses,  inhabited  b\-  stock  masters  and 
herds." 

At  the  suppression  of  monasteries  in  1536  the  lordship  of 
Kidland  appears  to  have  been  reserved  b\"  the  royal  spoiliator 
himself,  for  in  a  survey  of  the  borders  made  in  1541  Kidland  is 
described  as  being  the  King's  inheritance,  lately  belonging  tO' 
the  monks  of  Xewminster.  L}-ing  upon  an  exposed  frontier, 
open  to  the  ravages  of  the  numerous  bands  of  mosstroopers- 
and  broken  men  more  than  an\-  other  district  within  the 
Middle  Marches,  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  wilds  of  Kidland 
were  considered,  even  b)-  the  hard}'  borderers,  as  an  unde- 
sirable residence.  We  think  the  following  description  of 
Kidland  as  it  was  in  the  i6th  centur\-,  taken  from  the  Survey 
of  1 541,  so  full  of  interesting  detail  and  so  much  to  the  point 
that  we  venture  to  give  the  entire  extract : — 

And  westerwarde  from  the  saide  grounde  callede  "KYDLANn.'" 
Lyntlandes,  theare  is  great  waste  grounde  callede 
K)"dlandes,  of  iiij  nu'les  or  more  of  breade,  & 
vj  mylcs  or  more  of  Icnthe,  it  is  the  kinges  ma^'^s 
inharytance  as  of  the  augmentac'on  of  his  graces 
crow'e  belongynge  to  the  late  suppres.sed  monas- 
teryc  of  Xewmynster,  all  the  said  K}'dlande  is  full 
of  l)'tle  hyllcs  or  mountaynes,  and  bctwen  the  saide 
hilles  be  dyvers  valyes  in  whiclic  discende  litle 
Ryvvelles  or  brokes  of  water,  spryngynge  out  of 
the  said  hilles  and  all  fallinge  into  a  lytle  Rever^ 
()\-  broke  callede  K}'dlandc  water,  w^''  fallethe 
into  the  revcr  of  cokcttc  nere  to  the  toune  of 
al}-nntoun,  u'in  a  in\ll  of  the  castrll  of  har- 
bottcll. 


44  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

Kydland,  good       All  the  hie^hte  of  whiche  hylles  be,  fore  the  most 

grownd  cannot 

he  inhabited,      p'te  suche  wete  mossye  and  marrysye  earthe,  as  is 

aforesaide  and  in  the  said  valyes  there  is  dyvars 

p'tes  of  reasonable  goode  pasture  in  som'tyme,  all 

be  yt  as  wee  thinke  yt  cann  not  be  well  plenyshede 

or  inhabityde  w^  people  for  these  causes  hereaft' 

followynge. 

The  Causes.         Fyrst  there  ys  no  quantytie  of  corne  grounde 

I-  that  ev'  was  arrable,  or  that  by  our  estymaco'n, 

iirovvnd  forOTie  ^^Y  ^^  made  to  bere  corne  to  serve  one  ploughe, 

plowgh,  together  in  one  place  wythin  all  the  p'cyncte  of 

the  said  Kydland,  nor  yet  any  such  great  p'celles 

Want  of  of  medowe  or  pasture  together  that  were  able  to 

foTli'nrhmS'''fy"^e    above    one    household    in    one    place,    so 

hold.  that  there  can   not   in  all   Kydland,   be  founde  a 

place  where  a  towne-shippe,  or  village  mighte  be 

Danger  of         buylded   to   have   their   lyvynge  together   in   one 

norEn^Hsh^^^^  place   eyther   by   plowinge,  or    pasture.       For  as 

yt    seemeth    when    the    said    Kydland   was    lefte 

Inhabyted   there   was  but   one   house,   or  two  at 

the    most,    in    one    of   the    said    valleys    for    the 

grounde  yof  wyll   se've  none   otherwyse.       And 

as  the  countrymen   thereaboutes  reporte   &   lyke 

as  yt  semeth  to  be  true,  such    Inhabitac'on   was 

there  manteyned  when  the  countrye  of  Tyvydale, 

nowe    beinge    p'cell    of    Scotland    &    boundynge 

endlonge  all  the  northsyde  of  the  said  Kidland, 

was  Englyshe.     And  also  the  countrye  of  Ryddes- 

dale,  was  at  that  t}-me  kepte  in  suche  order  that 

thinhabytantes  thereof  dyd   not  spoyle  &  steale 
Riddesdale 
tungoverned.       their    neyghbours    goodes    &    cattalles    as    they 

now  doo,  or  elles  suerly  as  we  thynke  yt  wylbe 

very  greatt  Jeop'dye,  for  any  trewe  ma  to  Inhabyte 

w'thin   the  said   Kydland.      Allthough  they  hadd 

newe  stone  houses  buylded  in  ev'ry  hope  or  vale 


KIDLAND  45, 

of  the  same,  oneless  there  were  mo  men  kepte, 
&  founde  in  the  said  stone  houses  for  the  ma\-n- 
ten'nce  &  defence  of  the  same,  then  the  proffytes 
of  the  said  grounde  of  Kydland  \v}'ll  susteyne,  for 
the  said  grounde  of  Kydland  lyeth  so  open  on  the 
northe  syde  toward  Scotland,  &  upon  the  south 
west  p'te  towarde  the  countrey  of  R}-ddesdale. 
And  beinge  so  farre  also  fro'  the  strength  of  the 
plenyshed  ground  of  England. 

And  ov'  that  the  said  valyes  or  hoopes  of  Kyd- 
land lyeth  so  dystante  &  devyded  by  mounteynes 
one  from  an  other,  that  suche  as  Inhabyte  in  one 
of  those  hoopes,  valeys,  or  graynes,  can  not  heare 
the  Fraye  outecr}-e,  or  exclamac'on  of  suche  as 
dwell  in  an  other  hoope  or  \alle}^  upon  the  other 
syde  of  the  said  mountayne,  nor  come  or  assemble 
to  theyr  assystance  in  tyme  of  necessytie.  Where- 
fore we  can  not  fynde  anye  of  the  neyghboures 
thereaboutes  w}ilinge,  cotynnall)-  to  Inhabyte,  or 
plenyshe  wihjn  the  saide  grounde  of  Kydland, 
&  especially  in  wynter  tyme.  Allthoughe  they 
mighte  have  stone  houses  buylded  thereuppon  for 
their  defence,  And  also  have  the  said  grounde 
ffree  wihout  paynge  any  rente  for  the  same.  The 
daungers  afore  recyted  be  so  great  &  manyfest. 

In  somer  seasons  when  good  peace  ys  betwene 
England  &  Scotland,  thinhabitantes  of  dyv'se 
townes  thereaboutes,  repayres  up  wUi  theyr  cattail 
in  som'ynge  as  ys  aforesaid,  into  the  hoopes  & 
valleys  of  the  said  Kydland  and  so  have  used  to 
do  of  longe  tyme.  And  for  the  pasture  of  their 
cattail,  so  longe  as  they  would  tarye  there  they 
payed  for  a  knoweledge,  two  pens  for  a  house- 
hold, or  a  grote  at  the  most,  though  they  had 
nev'  so  many  cattalles.  And  }-et  the   poore   men 


.46  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

thoLighte  their  fermes  dere  enoughe.  There  was 
but  fewe  yeres  that  they  escaped  wth  out  a  greatter 
losse  of  their  goodes  &  cattalles,  by  spoyle  or  thefte 
of  the  Scottes,  or  Ryddesdale  men,  then  would 
have  paide  for  the  pasture  of  their  cattail  in  a 
much  better  grounde,  nor  that  was  ov'  &  besyde 
the  daunger  of  their  lives  whereyn  they  were  con- 
tynually  for  the  defence  of  their  said  cattalles  so 
longe  as  thev  abode  there. 
The  inhabitants      This  was  the  aunswere  of  the  most  subsiancyall 

•of  Cockdale  1       t    1      1  •        1 

most  defensible  oi  the  comon  people,  Inhabytantes,  m  the  towne- 
iofthT borders  shippe  of  Cockdale,  next  adjoyninge  to  the  said 
Kydland.  And  yet  suerly  the  people  of  the  said 
Cockdayle,  be  best  p'pared  for  defence  and  most 
defensyble  people  of  themselfes.  And  of  the  truest 
and  best  sorte  of  an}-e  that  do  Inhabyte  endlonge, 
all  the  frounter  or  border  of  the  said  mj-dle  m'ches 
of  England. 

And  as  we  were  there  enformed,  in  tymes  paste 
when  the  Abbottes  of  the  said  late  Supp'ssed 
monast'y  of  Newemynster,  thoughte  that  the 
proffytes  taken  for  the  pasture  of  the  said  Kyd- 
land, in  forme  aforesaid  was  not  sufficient  in 
respecte  to  the  valo^  of  the  same,  have  sente  up 
their  owne  cattailles  wth  their  herdes  &  s'untes 
in  som'  tyme  to  pasture,  in  the  said  valleys  or 
hoopes  of  Kydland,  but  their  damage  &  losses 
were  so  excessyve  greatt  aswell  in  the  steallinge 
&  spoyle  of  their  cattalles,  as  in  the  murderynge 
and  takinge  awaie  as  pryson's  of  their  herdes  and 
s'untes,  that  allwais  they  founde  the  most  p'ffyte, 
to  take  thaforesaid  small  agystemente  in  som'  tyme 
of  the  towneshippes,  Inhabytinge  next  thereunto, 
the  whiche  of  late  daies  dyd  not  excede  the  some 
of  xx%  or  xxvjs,  at   the  most.     And   the  ageste- 


KIDLAND.  47 

mente,  is  lykewyse  paide  at  this  p'sent  unto  Sj 
Oswolde  Wylstroppe,^  ferm'  unto  the  kings  mat'*^ 
of  the  demaynes  of  the  said,  late  supp'ssed 
monastery  of  Ne\vem\'nster,  as  p'ffete  app'tenute 
to  the  same. 

And  in  devysinge  howe  we  mighte  Improve  or 
encrease  the  yerely  fermes  of  the  said  agestemente, 
semynge  unto  us  to  be  very  small  in  respecte  of 
the  pasture  there  taken  for  the  same,  We  p'ceyved 
and  were  credybly  enformed,  that  suche  as  used 
the  som'ynge  in  Kydland  as  is  aforesaid,  yf  they 
were  expelled  from  the  same,  mighte  have  lyke 
som'ynge  pastures  in  other  places  upon  that  border 
of  Scotland,  not  much  farther  dystant  from  their 
dwellinge  houses  &  at  sembable  pryses  as  they 
nowe  paie,  so  that  as  farre  as  we  can  esteme  there 
can  be  made,  no  Improvement  or  encrease  of 
rentes  thereuppon  more  than  nowe  }-s  raysed  upon 
the  same.  For  when  the  peace  ys  good  &  p'fytely 
kepte  betwene  England  &  Scotland,  Then  in  hope 
of  redresse  mo  p'sons  wyll  in  som'  tyme  go  up  w^h 
their  cattail  into  the  said  Kydland,  &  other  suche 
hyghelandes  to  pasture,  And  then  suche  proffyte 
&  agestement  ys  taken  for  the  said  pasture  of 
Kydland  as  is  aforesaid. 

And  yf  yt  be  warre,  or  a  trcjublous  peace,  then 
w\ll  no  man  aventure  to  Inhabyte  or  som'  there- 
So  that  in  suche  seasons  the  said  Kydland  lyethe 
allwaies  utterly  voyde  &  wast,  allthough  the 
same  be  a  very  greatt  and  measurable  good 
grounde  and  a  greatt  nombcr  of  hoopes  &  valleys, 
that  wold  geve  muche  rente  for  pasture  yf  they 

*  "  '519)  Octoljcr.  List  of  ihe  towns  al  which  the  horsemen  and  footmen  lay 
upon  the  frontier  : — Francis  Wolstrop,  at  Bicklleston  ;  Sir  Oswald  Wolstroi),  at 
Carlington." — Historical  MSS.  Commission,  1888.  Rutland  Papers,  Vol.  i., 
p.  46. 


48 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


were   a    peaceable    quyet    countrye   the    profT}^tes 

thereof  mighte    be    taken    at    all    seasons.       The 

names,  as  well  of  all  the  said  hoopes,  graynes,  & 

The  names  of    valleys,  wtliiii  the  said  kydlandes,  as  of  the  most 

mownlayaes  yt 

divided  notable  mountaynes,  &  hylles,  that  do   Invyrone 

Kvdland.  ^  devyde  the  same  hereafter  do  appeare.     F)'rst 

begynninge  at  Whyte  stone  hoope,  Yokeburne,. 
lende  hoope,  the  Scopes,  Cleburne  gares,  Chevyott 
medowes,  the  roughe  clewghe,  the  harry  Cleves, 
hepden,  the  trowes,  a  p't  of  the  East  syde  of 
Rowehoope,  the  wardly  burne,  the  hostelles,  the 
barrows,  the  murder  clewgh,  the  well  clewgh,  the 
white  burne  shanke,  semyshawe  medoes,  Nettle 
hoope,  the  Ellyclewghes,  the  stryke  clewgh,  Kyd- 
land  lee,  Kydlande  deane,  the  blacke  house,  the 
yokeburneuppe,  the  swan'es  bank,  the  smere,  the 
wylywood,  'liareshawe  pettes,  great  holehoope, 
mydle  holehoope,  dryehoope,  &  mylkehoope. 
There  is  nere  adjoyninge  also  unto  the  said 
Kydland,  an  other  p'cell  of  wast  ground  called  .  . 
of  the  kinges  maties  Inherytance  p'cell  of  thang- 
metac'ons  of  his  graces  crowne,  late  belonging  tO' 
the  supp'ssed  monast'y  of  Alnewyke,  the  wch  hathe 
bene  and  is  occupied  onely  wth  lyke  agestment  in 
som'er  &  not  otherwyse  inhabyted,  nor  can  be 
for  the  causes  afore  rehersed  in  any  otherwyse 
plenyshed.  7 
The  head  of  Also  westwarde,  endlonge    the  said   border    & 

Riddesdale.       frounter  towardes  Scotland,  from  the  saide  grounde 


7  "  There  is  another  obscure  charter  of  a  grant  of  land  near  Coquet  to  Alnwick 
Abbey  of  nearly  the  same  date  as  that  of  Newminster.  The  land  is  called 
'  Stockerclock.'  The  deed  has  been  written  by  some  one  who  could  not  pronounce 
cleu^li.  It  looks  very  much  as  if  it  were  part  of  Carshope  and  a  portion  of  Byegate 
Hall.  The  extent  was  i,ooo  acres.  The  whole  deed  is  full  of  archaisms  in 
spelling  and  forgotten  names." — Letter  from  the  late  Dr.  Hardy  to  Mr.  A.  R. 
Blythe. 


KIDLANI).  49 

of  Kydlande,  b\-  west  the  l)'nne  brygges,  thwarte 
over  cokett,  &  so  to  the  head  of  Ryddesdale 
and  styll  endlonge  the  said  uttermost  marche 
&  border  of  England,  there  ys  a  greatt  quantety 
of  wast  groundes  of  semblable  nature,  as  ys 
afore  declared  in  the  best  valleys,  graynes,  & 
hoopes,  whereof  upon  the  southe  syde  of  the  riv' 
of  Cockett,  the  Ryddesdale  men  do  sheall  & 
pasture  wth  their  cattales  in  som',  and  lykevvyse 
there  ys  an  other  greatt  quantitye  of  semblable 
waste  grounde  lyinge  upon  the  southe  &  west  p'te 
of  Ryddesdale,  towarde  the  head  of  T}'ndall,  in 
the  wch  also  Ryddesdale  men  do  somer  &  sheall 
wih  theyr  cattales  in  forme  as  ys  aforesaid."  ^ 

Uninhabitable  and  remote,  as  the  mountain  fastenesses  of 
Kidland  were  in  those  rough  and  troublous  times  to  which  the 
preceding  account  refers,  yet  on  its  northern  confines,  amid 
the  open  moorlands  of  Windy  gyle,  justice  meetings  were  by 
the  mutual  consent  of  the  Wardens  of  the  Middle  Marches 
from  both  sides  of  the  border  held  at  regular  periods.  Here 
it  would  be  as  well  to  state  that,  for  the  better  government  of 
the  borderland,  the  district  was  divided  into  three  divisions, 
called  the  East,  West,  and  Middle  Marches.  The  East  March 
began  at  Berwick  bounds,  and  reached  to  the  Hanging  stone 
on  Cheviot.  The  Middle  March  from  the  Hanging  stone  to 
Crysshope,  or,  as  it  is  described  in  the  Survey  of  1541, — 
"  Fyrst  begynynge  at  the  hangyng  stone,  whiche  The  hanging 

stone 

ys  the  very  uttermost  p'te  of  the  said  mydle  m'ches  The  butte 
towarde  the   Este,  the  said  border  stretcheth  &  'i?''^^^'-'" .,     . 

'  Hexpethgate 

goeth  westwardc  to  the  butte  rodde,   And  from  ^'^-'i*'- 

The  Windy 

thence  to  hexpethgate  head,  and  so  styll  west  to  gole. 
the  wyndy  gole.     And  from  thence  to  the  blacke  i.rey.    ^^^ 
brcy,  And  so  westwardc  somcthinge  Inclyninec  jb;"'^'cmar's 
towarde  the  southe  by  gugges  grave,  to  hynde- 

"  Wodg^ori  ^  Norlhttnil)cr/a!t<{,  Part  iii.,  \'ol.  ii. ,  pp.  222-6. 


50  ri'ri:R  ccji^uetdale. 

B'rosvne  mars  feldc,  and  from  thence  to  browne  hartelev^, 

hiirteley. 

Kenilespeih.      &  SO  to  kemlespetli. 

jjocles.  '"""^^^  I'^-om  kemlespeth  to  the  Ahinondes  rodes,  and 
Siietehope.  SO  to  the  head  of  Spetehope,  &  from  thence  to 
Ramshopp'^''^  Philipcs  crosse,  &  so  to  Rampshepphead,  and  by 
IL^^*^^^-  ,     the  blacke  rodes,  to  the  head  of  the  water  of  Rede, 

The  water  ol  ' 

Rede  head.        And  from  tlie  head  of  the  water  of  Rede,  the  said 
uttermost  border  &  fronter  stretcheth  styll  west- 

ChiUope  rake. 

Kohbes  cross,     warde  and  t\v\-ninge  somethinge  upon  the  southe, 

The  Grene  /mi  i  i  t->     i  i  i 

nedie.  to  Chytloppe  rake,  and  so  to  Robbes  crosse,  and 

The  Bells.         ^j^^  orene  nedle,   &  so  by  archer  Cleughe  hedd, 

Black  hope  •^  '  -^  fc>  ' 

Tiead.  to  the  bslles,  and  there  tvvartynge  ov'  the  water  of 

The  Roweniiif^ 

byrke.  '    northe  tyne,  to  black  hope  head,  &  from  thence  to 

Crvssopp  bi-igV.  ^^^^  rowenynge  b\'rke,  and  so  by  Twedden  hede  to 
Crysshophead  &  to  Cryssoppebrygge."9 
The  West  March  began  at  Cryssopp  and  extended  west- 
ward. Over  each  ch\ision  there  was  appointed  a  Lord  Warden 
and  a  Deputy  Warden,  Axhilst  over  the  whole  a  Warden 
General  had  control.  Upper  Coquetdale  was  included  within 
the  Middle  Marches,  Harbottle  Castle  being  the  Wardens' 
residence,  where  a  garrison  was  generally  kept.  Hexpethgate- 
head  on  Windy  G}'le,  and  Gamelspath  at  the  head  of  Coquet, 
were  the  usual  places  at  which  the  Wardens  of  the  Middle 
Marches  held  their  meetings,  when,  during  the  time  the  truce 
lasted,  prisoners  were  exchanged  or  tried  and  sentenced,  and 
those  who  had  sustained  losses  at  the  hands  of  border  thieves 
laid  in  their  claims  for  damages.  It  was  at  one  of  these  border 
meetings  held  on  Windv  G\'le,  that  Lord  Francis  Russell,  an 
English  nobleman  of  great  promise,  was  killed  by  the  Scots. 
A  meeting  of  the  Scotch  and  English  Wardens  of  the  Middle 
Marches  was  arranged  to  be  held  at  Hexpethgatehead,  in 
Kidland.  Therefore,  on  the  morning  of  the  27th  of  July,  1585, 
Sir  John  Forster,  the  linglish  Warden,  accompanied  by  a 
retinue    of    Northumbrian    borderers,    amongst    Avhom    were 

5  WoAgsovi's  N'orthicniherlajid,  Part  iii.,  \'^o!.  ii.,  p.  208. 


KIDLAM).  51 

*' Willm  FenA\ycke  (WalHngton)  —  Richard  Fynwyck  (Stan- 
ton)— John  Horsley  (Screnwood) — Thomas  Selb}'e  fBiddles- 
ton) — Edmond  Crastir — John  Thorntoun  (Netherwitton), 
Robert  Lysley — Thomas  Woddringtone, — Milys  (?)  Forster — 
Ro.  Claveringe  (Callaly)  —  Robert  Mydd\'lton  —  Perce\a]I 
Clennell  (Clennell) — Andro  Pringelle, — George  Pryngle — John 
Heron  (Chipchase),  James  Ogle  (Causey  Park) — John  Heron — 
I-'"ra  RadcHffe  (Cartington) — Luke  Ogle  (Eglingham),  Thomas 
Procter^ John  Carnaby — Rawff  Collynwood  (Bewick) — 
Henr\-  Collingwood  (Ryle) — F!d\vard  Gra}' — Robt-  Awder 
(Prendwick) — John  Collingwood  (Titlington),  John  Colling- 
woode  the  \-ounger — Percewell  Red  (Troughend),  Thomasse 
CoUingingwood  (Eslington),  Robert  Leaylle  (Felton),  Edward 
'Shaftowe  (Bavington),  John  Halle  (Otterburn),"io  proceeded  to 
the  place  of  rendezvous;  i)r()babl\-  taking  the  route  over  the 
hills  b)'  Clennell  Street,  an  ancient  road  that  leads  through 
Kidland  by  Yearnspath  Law  and  Windy  Gyle  into  Scot- 
land. On  arrixing  near  the  spot  Sir  John  I'orster  sent  to  the 
Scottish  warden  for  the  custoniar}-  assurance  of  peace,  after 
which  it  is  said  the  Scots  made  a  sudden  attack  upon  the 
English,  and  in  the  fra\-  Lord  P'^rancis  Russell  was  slain. 
"The  spot  where  he  fell  is  on  the  ridge  of  the  mountain 
called  the  Windy-gyle,  on  the  confines  between  the  lordship 
of  Kirlland  and  Scotlanrl,  near  the  eastern  extremity  of  the 
Middle  Marches;  and  is  still  i)ointed  out  by  a  cairn,  called 
to  this  day  '  Rus.sell's  Cairn.'""  The  first  article  of  entpn'ry 
into  this  affair  by  the  Lorrl  Warden  as  given  below  ma\-  be 
<jf  some  interest  to  our  readers: — 

"I — October  I5(S5.  The  iiianiicr  of  the  slaughter  of  the 
I.  Russell. 

"  I  NirkiMis  :-'rhe  Warden  of  the  middle  marches  of 
ICiigland  came  t(j  Oswyne  Middle  the  xxviji'i  of  Julv,  15S5, 
w'l'i    the    gentlemen    of   Plngiand    to    kepe    a   truce  w^''    the 

'"  I<:iin,  Calendar  of  Harder  Papers,  \'i)l.  i.,  p.  190. 

"  Arch(rolot;ia  .liliaita  (old  .scries,  1831),  \'<il.  ii.,  ]>.  290. 


52  UPPER   COC^UETDALE. 

opposite  warden,  and  staying  there  a  certaine  space  sent 
certainc  gentlemen  to  the  opposite  warden  to  Hexpethgate- 
head  to  make  assurance  according  to  the  ancient  use  custome, 
wL-h  being  graunted  on  both  sides,  and  thereupon  proclamacion 
made  that  none  should  breake  the  said  assurance  untill  the 
next  day  in  the  morning,  neyther  in  word  nor  dede,  nor 
countenance,  upon  paine  of  death.  The  said  Warden  came 
forwarde  thinkynge  to  find  the  ^varden  of  Scotland  accom- 
panyed  after  his  accustomed  manner,  wch  they  found  contrary 
to  the  greate  mistakeinge  of  the  said  warden  of  England,  and 
all  the  gentlemen  his  companye,  the  ground  so  servinge  that 
they  could  not  discover  the  other  ptye  till  they  were  at  the 
joyneinge  together,  so  that  there  was  no  remedie,  the  forces 
of  Scotland  being  so  greate,  but  stand  to  their  former  assurance, 
where  the  said  opposite  warden  was  standinge  ranged  in  order 
of  battell  w'th  ensigne  pensell  fyfe  and  drumes,  otherwise  then 
ordinarye  custome  hath  bene  at  any  day  of  Marche  in  tyme  of 
peace  betwene  those  two  realmes,  as  in  their  procedings  did 
playnly  appere. 

"  This  is  not  accident  or  sodaine  as  ordinarilye  hath  bene, 
and  yet  hath  been  stayed  by  warden  or  comrs.  If  it  had  bene 
an  accident  or  sodaine  breakeinge  by  rascalls  as  there  was  no 
such  matter.  The  gentlemen  of  Scotland,  w^h  their  drumes, 
fife,  shot,  and  such  as  carryed  the  ensigne  &  pensells,  would 
have  tarryed  with  the  warden,  so  that  it  appeared  plainely  that 
it  was  a  pretended  matter  before  hand,  for  the  wardens  sittinge 
quietly,  calling  their  bills,  the  warden  of  England,  thinkinge 
no  harme,  the  partye  of  Scotland  seeing  the  tyme  serve  for 
their  former  devise  sodainely  brake  striking  up  a  larome  wth 
sounds  of  drumes  &  fife  w^h  ensigne  displayed  pensell,  and 
shot  &  gave  then  chardge  upon  us,  in  which  chardge  the  lord 
Russell  was  cruelly  slaine  wth  a  shot,  and  so  divers  gentlemen 
of  Scotland,  ^\■lh  their  footmen  and  horsemen  and  their  whole 
force  followed,  and  maintayned  the  chardge  fower  miles  wtn 
the  realme  of  England,  and  toke  sondry  prisoners  and  horses, 


KIDLAND.  53 

and  carr\-ed  them  into  Scotland,  \\c^i  they  den)-  to  redehver 
againc.  The  Hke  breach  of  assurance  was  never  sene,  so  that 
it  is  manifest  that  it  is  a  phiine  set  downe  matter  before. 
When  all  this  was  done,  and  the  fields  disordered,  and  the 
gentleman  was  slaine,  and  all  past  remedye,  the  warden  of 
Scotland  made  proclamacion  for  the  defence  of  the  former 
de\-ise,  when  there  \\as  but  a  small  company  of  gentlemen 
eyther  of  England  or  Scotland  left  to  heare  it,  wch  was  to  a 
small  purpose. 

"  II.  October^  1585-  The  names  of  those  that  are  chardged 
to  be  iruilt\'  of  the  lord  Russell's  death — S^'  Thomas  Carre 
of  Farniherst,  Knight,  Wm.  Carre  of  Angerem,  James  Carre 
of  Lintolee,  Robert  Carre,  brother  to  the  said  Wm.  Carre, 
..» Andrew  Carre,  lor.  of  Grenhead,  John  Rudderford  of  Hunthill, 
Da\id  Moscroppe,  deputy  Provost  of  Jedworth,  ....  Kirton, 
wardens'  sergeant,  James  Carre."  ^^ 

For  a  long  period  the  lordship  of  Kiclland  remained  in  this 
unsettled  condition,  dangerous  alike  to  the  safety  of  men  and 
cattle,  subject  at  any  time  to  the  raids  of  the  Scots,  who, 
crossing  the  Borders,  were  at  once  in  Kidland,  generally 
striking  one  of  its  many  hopes,  which  they  followed  down  to 
the  main  valley  of  the  Coquet,  as  the  bard  of  Ettrick,  with  all 
the  license  of  a  poet,  sings  to  us  : — 

"Tarn  Ker  rodo  ocr  by  the  Maiden  Crags, 
And  down  the  Osway  Burn  rode  he, 
Wi*h  fifty  warriors  in  his  train, 
A  Ijrave  and  goodly  sight  to  see. 

Their  armour  was  light,   hut  their  brands  were  bright, 
And  their  bonnets  were  steel  across  the  crown; 

And  whenever  they  spied  an  Englishman, 
They  gallo]3'd  at  him,  and  put  him  down. 

Ride  light,   ride  light,   my  kinsmen  true. 

Till  aincc  the  daylight  close  her  ee; 
If  we  can  pass  the  Biddleston  Tower, 

A  harried  warden  there  shall  be!" 


'-  Aicluioloi^ia  A-'.liaua  (old  scries,  1831),  Vol.  ii.,  p.  292. 


54  UrPKR   COQUKTnAT.E. 

Or  as  the  more  prosaic  pages  of  the  State  Papers  inform 
us,  how  on  the  23rd  of  July,  1522,  Phihp  Dacre  writes 
from  Harbottle  Castle,  to  his  brother.  Lord  Dacre,  telling 
him  that  the  Scots  had  made  an  inroad  into  Harbottle 
and  carried  of  a  cart  horse  and  "  twoo  nags  from  the  Peals, 
and  half-a-score  of  Nolt."  Again,  on  the  7th  of  August,  we 
read  that  "  twenty  Scots  pricket  at  the  horse  at  Ahvinton  and 
were  attacked  by  fourteen  Englishmen  at  Singundside  swire, 
two  of  the  Douglass's  were  slain  and  one  taken  but  all  the 
Englishmen  were  saved."  This  lively  state  of  affairs  con- 
tinued, not  only  in  the  upper  reaches  of  the  Coquet,  but  all 
along  the  border  line,  until  the  union  of  the  two  kingdoms, 
^\'hen  the  character  of  border  warfare  changed  entirely,  and 
that  which  had  formerly  been  somewhat  encouraged  by 
statesmen  of  both  nations,  was,  after  the  union  of  1602, 
looked  upon  as  a  crime.  The  borderer's  occupation  wa.s- 
gone,  and  for  his  petty  thieving  he  was  treated  as  a  common 
felon,  which  the  following  extracts,  from  the  "  Calendars  of 
prisoners  confined  in  the  High  Castle,  in  Xewcastle-upon- 
Tyne,  at  the  Assizes  for  Northumberland  in  the  years  1628 
and    1 629,"  13  will  show: — 

1629.  "  John  Brewis  Scottishman  for  the  stealeing  of 

xxviij  weather  sheepe,  the  goodes  of  S""  John 
Selby  Knight."  ..."  who  made  an  escape 
before  the  last  Assizes  forth  of  the  same  gaole 
with  Irons  on  his  legges."     .... 

1629.  "  John   Trumble   of  Yardopp,    for  suspec'cn   of 

the  felonious  stealeing  of  a  brown  bay  mare  the 
goodes  of  Lancelot  Ogle  of  Darris  Hall  Gent." 

1629.  "  Edward   Trumble  sonne  of  John  Trumble  of 

Wilkwood  charged  wth  the  felonious  stealeing  of 
one  bay  mare  the  goodes  of  Lancelot  Ogle  of 
Darras  hall  Gent."     .... 

'3  ArchcTologia  ^iiliami.  (old  series,  1831),  \'ol.  i.,  p.  149. 


KIDLAXI).  55 

Wishful,  as  a  true  Northumbrian,  to  justif\-  in  some  measure 
the  plundering"  propensities  and  lawless  deeds  of  our  border 
ancestors,  we  quote  an  extract  in  w  hich  the  w  riter,  in  the  same 
spirit  says  : — "  We  should  be  guilt)'  of  a  great  injustice,  how- 
ever, were  we  to  confound  these  antient  riexings  and  forrays 
with  the  idea  of  a  common  felon}'.  They  were  undertaken  by 
■whole  bodies  of  the  inhabitants,  and  were  rather  a  series  of 
retaliatory  inroads  originated  b\'  national  animcjsities  fomented 
by  personal  loss,  revenged  with  the  utmost  determination,  and 
looked  upon  b\'  both  parties  as  a  positive  and  public  duty, 
rather  than  that  they  were  incited  b}'  the  mere  desire  of  rapine 
and  plunder.  These  inroads,  or  the  most  of  them,  whether 
undertaken  by  Scots  or  English,  were  in  fact  nothing  more  or 
•  less  than  miniature  wars,  or  in  other  words,  a  perpetual  running 
accompaniment  (if  we  may  be  permitted  on  such  a  subject  to 
u.se  musical  phrases)  to  the  grand  crashes  every  now  and  then 
perpetrated  by  armaments  led  by  kings  instead  of  clans  led  by 
chiefs — their  object  being  the  same — the  resentment  of  injuries 
real  or  imaginary.  We  have,  therefore,  in  our  own  mind, 
entirely  relieved  our  ancestry  from  the  imputation  of  a  merely 
thievish  disposition,  and  to  rejoice  that  while  an  ever-to-be- 
blessed  change  has  come  over  the  manners  of  their  descend- 
ants, it  has  not  diminished  one  whit  their  wonted  independence, 
openness  of  heart,  high  artistic  and  imaginati\e  intellect,  and 
unbounded  hospitalit}-."'-* 

Towards  the  latter  part  of  the  sexcnteenth  centur}',  better 
and  more  prosperous  times  appear  to  have  dawned  upon 
the  borderlanrl,  due  no  doubt  to  tlu^  hHi)py  union  of  the 
thistle  and  the  r(jsc  ;  for  we  learn  from  the  "  Rentals  and 
Rates  f(jr  Northumberland,"  1663,  that  '' Kecdnall  I'pp  or 
Kidland  Extra  Parochial" — a  district  of  some  17,000  statute 
acres  in  extent,  had  a  rental  of  X350,  where  at  one  time 
the  tenants  sat  rent  free,  (jr  at  the  nominal  rent  f)f  20s.  in 
1541  ;  in   1631   it  let  for  £s^  J"   1^63  ;^350,  in  1731  ;^400,  in 

'*  Losses  in  the  Middle  Marches,  I'rcface. 


5 6  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

1800  ;^3,ooo,  while  in  the  present  day  the  rateable  value  is 
;^2,384.  The  population  in  1801  amounted  to  60,  in  181 1  to  54, 
in  1 82 1  to  62  persons,  in  1891  to  79,  and  in  1901  to  77.  The 
general  aspect  of  Kidland  has  undergone  little  change  since 
the  days  when  it  was  in  the  possession  of  the  monks  of  New- 
minster,  except  for  the  frequent  wire  fence  that  crosses  one's 
path,  or  the  blue  slate  roofs  of  the  shepherds'  houses  perched 
upon  the  hill  tops ;  and  the  recently-erected  mansion,  the 
summer  residence  of  Capt.  Leyland,  standing  on  the  heights 
of  Kidland-lee,  1,261  feet  above  sea-level,  said  to  be  the  highest 
mansion  in  the  land,  with  its  carriage  road  winding  up  the 
steeps  where  never  a  road  there  was  before.  With  these  excep- 
tions— the  rounded  summits  of  the  hills,  the  deep  narrow 
valleys,  the  rippling  streamlets,  the  waving  bracken  are  much 
the  same  ;  while  the  cloud-shadows  chase  over  hill  and  fell, 
the  mists  roll  along  the  hollows,  or  cling  to  the  mountain  tops, 
exactly  as  when  the  Border  pricker  raided  its  hopes  and 
harried  its  steadings,  or  when  the  gentlemen  of  Northumber- 
land, with  their  sturdy  retainers,  rode  along  Clennell  Street  to 
the  Warden's  meeting  at  Windy  Gyle  on  a  truce  day.  The 
hills  of  Kidland  are  steep  and  massive,  and  of  a  considerable 
height,  none  of  them  being  under  1,500  feet.  The  three 
highest  are— Windy  Gyle  (1,963),  Bloody-bush  Edge  (2,001) 
and  Cushat  Law  —  the  Coiisthotelau  of  the  Newminster 
Cartulary — (2,020).  On  the  southern  slope  of  this  hill  is  a 
spot  known  as  "  Sting  Cross,"  where,  on  a  ridge  between 
Cushat  Law  and  Hogdon  Law,  stood  one  of  the  stone  crosses 
mentioned  by  Hodgson,  ^s  which,  he  states,  was  on  the  track- 
way leading  from  Alwinton  to  Ingram  in  Breamish  water. 
May  this  not  have  been  one  of  the  boundary  crosses  of  the 
Newminster  lands,  as  its  site  is  on  the  boundary  line  or 
Kidland?  16     Hodgson   held   that   these   crosses   were  erected 


'5  Hodgson's  Northtimberland,  Part  ii.,  Vol.  i.,  p.  151  n. 

'^  Sting — a  post,  a  pole. — Heslop.     Stang — a  cowl  staff. — Bailey.     A  rood  of 
land, — Wright.     Stengle — to  enclose,  Shetl. — Jamieson. 


KIDLAND.  57 

as  a  guide  to  travellers  in  traversing  these  wild  uplands. 

From  the  summit  of  Cushat  Law — truly  named  the 
"Monarch  of  Kidland" — a  beautiful  panoramic  view  of  great 
extent  lies  before  the  tourist  who  cares  to  climb  the  heights 

o 

of  this  lofty  member  of  the  Cheviot  range.  East\\ard  are  the 
fields  and  woodlands  of  the  fertile  vale  of  Whittingham,  and 
the  hill-bound  valley  of  the  Breamish,  the  waters  of  the  North 
Sea  glistening  afar  off  in  the  sunlight,  with  a  vast  tract  of 
intervening  country  stretching  along  the  coast.  On  the  north, 
Hedgehope  and  the  Great  Cheviot  blocks  the  view;  but  in 
the  north-\\est,  far  awa\'  beyond  Windy  Gyle,  the  higher 
hills  of  Scotland  and  the  three  Eildons  can  be  discerned; 
on  the  ^^•est  are  seen  the  high  grounds  around  the  head 
waters  of  the  Rede  and  North  and  South  T\-ne,  with  the 
peaks  of  the  Cumbrian  mountains  and  the  miglit)'  form  of 
Skiddaw  looming  in  the  distance.  It  \\"as  on  the  slopes  of 
Cushat  Law  that  3,000  Scots,  led  b\'  the  Kcrs  of  Cessford, 
foregathered  in  the  autumn  of  1532,  when  a  picked  band 
of  200  men  rode  down  the  Breamish  and  "  took  up "  the 
towns  of  Ingram,  Reveley,  Brandon,  and  Fawdon ;  whilst 
another  band  of  200  making  their  way  dow  n  the  .\ln,  harried 
Great  Ryle  and  Trend  wick.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that 
while  the  shepherds'  dwelling  houses  up  Coquetwater  are  all 
built  in  the  bottom  of  the  \alley  on  the  banks  of  liie  Coquet, 
those  of  Kidland  stand  on  the  heights.  In  the  earlier  days 
of  its  occupation  by  the  monks  of  Newminster,  the  shepherds' 
•*  shealings "  were  erected  along  the  burn  sides,  as  we  can 
gatiier  from  the  description  already  given  of  Kidland  in  the 
days  of  Henry  VIII.,  when  the  outcry  or  alarm  (jf  those 
living  in  one  "  valye  or  hoope  "  could  not  be  heard  in-  tho.se 
living  in  the  next,  owing  to  the  high  hills  l\'ing  between 
them.  The  present  day  dwellings  of  Milkhopc.  Kidlandlec, 
Heigh,  Uswayford,  and  Wlmlchope  all  stand  at  an  elevation 
from  1,000  to  1,300  feet  ab(jve  the  .sea  level. 

Whitcburn  Shank.  Trows,  and   Rowhopc  evidently  occupy 


5^  UPPER   COQUETDALK. 

their  original  low-level  sites — Trows  on  the  Trows  burn 
Rowhope  on  Rowhope  burn,  and  Whiteburn  Shank  on  the 
White  burn.  Even  as  late  as  the  beginning  of  the  last  century 
the  whole  of  the  inhabited  houses  in  Kidland  appear  to  have 
stood  in  the  valleys,  for  we  are  told  : — "  The  inhabitants  of  this 
district  retained  many  of  the  peculiar  customs  and  manners  of 
the  borderers  longer,  perhaps,  than  those  of  any  other  part  of 
the  county.  Their  houses  are  always  built  in  a  low  glen,  by 
the  side  of  a  rivulet,  and  are  formed  of  whinstone,  daubed  with 
mud,  mixed  perhaps  with  a  small  proportion  of  lime.  The 
farmers  usually  pay  their  rents  yearly,  on  St.  Andrew's  day,  at 
Newcastle,  when  they  generall}-  pro\ide  groceries,  which,  with 
a  stock  of  salted  beef,  whiskey,  and  a  few  other  necessary 
articles,  serve  them  until  the  long  and  drear\'  winter  is  past, 
and  they  seldom  visit  any  other  market  until  the  succeeding 
summer."  ^7 


'7  Macketizie  and  Dent  (iSii),  Vol.  ii.,  p.  4. 


KIDLAXI).  59 


chaptp:r  IV. 

K  I  D  L  A  \  D  —  (Con t i  n  r  k u ). 

The  Shepherds  of  Kidland  and  Coquetwater — Their  IIos]iiialiiy  — (Jld  Customs  — 
A  Northumbrian  Crowdy — Winter  Provisions — I'eat  Stacks — Hay  Stacks — 
Hirsels  and  Packs — Herdings  and  (jatherings- -Dogs  and  Walking  Sticks — 
The  Hills  in  Summer — The  Hills  in  Winter — Snowstorms,  1874- 1886 — Sheep 
Stells — Summer  Mists  — Thunderstorms — Water  Spates — A  Wanderer  in  the 
Mist — A  Hungry  Man — Losing  one's  "airt"  on  Cheviot — An  Old  Veteran's 
Guide — Edmond  Bogg"s  Experience — Anglers  caught  hy  the  "roll"'  on 
Coquet —Thunderstorm  on  Cheviot — Adventure  of  a  Naturalist — Botanists  in 
Danger — The  Waterspout  of  July  2,  1S93. 

THE  shephei"d.s  who  live  tlicir  li\cs  anu)n<4st  the  remote 
hills  of  Upper  Coquet  and  Kidland  are  a  class  of  fine 
and  intelligent  men,  trustworth}-,  and  faithful  in  the  discharge 
of  their  duties  as  guardians  of  the  thousands  of  sheep  they 
ha\e  under  their  charge.  Accustomed  to  act,  on  their  own 
responsibilit}',  in  cases  of  emergenc\-,  owing  to  their  solitar)' 
calling,  they  are  full  of  resource,  and  possess  much  (jf  that 
sturdy  independence  of  spirit  .so  characteristic  of  the  borderer. 
In  religion  they  are  Presbyterians,  in  politics  Liberals,  and 
being  great  readers,  are  quite  able  to  discuss  the  topics  of 
the  day — more  especially  political  topics — with  an\-  of  their 
lowland  friends.  Their  wives  and  daughters — although  in  all 
probability  never  taught  the  theor\-  of  domestic  economy  at 
sch(X)l — are  frugal  in  the  management  of  tiicir  household.s 
without  being  niggardly,  U)V  their  kindness  and  hospitality  to 
-Strangers  is  proverbial.  Advancing  with  the  times,  the  manners 
and  customs  of  the  hill  i)o[nilation  have  greatly  changed  during 
the  last  quarter  of  a  century.     Where  once  stood  tin-  Hig  Si)in- 


6o  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

ning  Wheel  and  the  piles  of  cardings^  of  the  last  generation, 
there  now  stands  perchance  a  sewing  machine.  The  Cheese- 
press  and  Chesfit^  are  scarcely  to  be  met  with,  for  cheese  making 
is  nearl}'  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  in  the  corner,  instead  of  the 
ponderous  wooden  frame  of  the  ancient  "press"  with  its  huge 
square  stone  block  and  screw,  one  finds  a  patent  roller  mangle, 
the  supplanter  of  the  "bittle"3  of  byegone  days.  Since  the 
introduction  of  tea,  coffee,  cocoa,  and  other  foreign  produce, 
the  dietary  of  our  hill  shepherd  has — as  it  has  with  the 
whole  population — somewhat  altered,  but  the  plain  barley 
cake  and  milk — a  treat  to  the  lowlander — still  forms  part  of 
their  fare,  whilst  it  is  refreshing  to  find  that  the  wholesome 
oatmeal  crowdy4  continues  to  be  a  standing  dish  with  the 
shepherds,  old  and  young  alike.  To  our  taste  there  is  nothing 
more  delicious  than  a  well-made  crowdy  and  a  mug  of  new 
milk  for  supper  after  a  long  day's  tramp  amongst  the  hills. 
We  say  well-made,  for  the  writer  during  a  sojourn  at  the 
home  of  a  Kidland  shepherd,  attempted  one  evening  to  make 
his  own  cro^^•dy,  along  with  the  shepherd  lads.  It  seemed 
easy  enough — a  little  meal,  a  pinch  of  salt,  and  hot  water,  well 
stirred  with  the  "spoon  shank" — the  result  was  a  lumpy 
unsuppable  mixture  of  oatmeal  and  water. 

Liable  any  day  in  winter  to  be  entirely  severed  from  the 
outer  world  by  a  drifting  snowstorm,  when  for  weeks  every 
road  is  blocked,  large  supplies  of  the  necessaries  of  life  are  laid 
in  during  the  autumn.  Every  hill  steading,  of  course,  has  its 
meadow  field,  in  which  as  much  hay  as  possible  is  grown 
for  winter  use.  In  mild  seasons  the  hay  is  scarcely  touched, 
and    the    stacks    stand    over    for   the    next   year,   but    during 

'  Cardings — wool  prepared  for  spinning. 

-  Chesfit — the  vessel  in  which  the  curd  is  placed  to  be  pressed  into  cheese. — 
Heslop. 

"^  Bittle — a  wooden  beater  for  beating  flax  or  linen  cloth.  —  Ibid. 

■»  Crowdy — a  Northumberland  dish,  made  by  filling  a  basin  with  oatmeal,  and 
then  pouring  in  boiling  water.  A  vigorous  stirring  is  required  whilst  the  water  is 
being  poured. — Ibid. 


KIDLAND.  6 1 

a  severe  winter  perhaps  the  whole  of  the  stacks  are  eaten 
up  in  the  process  of  "  hayin'  the  sheep,"  after  which  the  flocks 
have  to  be  removed  to  the  low  countr}^  where  there  are  both 
turnips  and  ha\'  to  be  had  for  the  paying  for.  The  first 
objects  that  meet  the  e)'e  on  approaching  a  hill  farm  is  a 
number  of  ha}'-stacks  and  peat-stacks,  the  latter  generally 
built  as  near  the  house  as  possible.  Peat  is  used  as  fuel,  and 
the  cutting,  drying,  and  leading  of  the  peats,  sometimes  from 
a  distant  bog,  is  an  important  part  of  the  summer's  work. 
The  peat  fire  is  never  allowed  to  die  out ;  the  live  ashes  are 
kept  during  the  night  in  a  peat  hole  beneath  the  fire  grate. 
The  smell  of  the  "  peat-reek  "  5  always  denotes  the  nearness 
of  a  dwelling — a  welcome  scent  in  the  nostrils  of  the  weary, 
hungry  traveller  in  his  wanderings  up  and  down  those  endless 
hills,  for  then  he  is  certain  of  a  welcome,  and  a  refreshing  cup 
of  tea,  or  cake  and  milk,  with  the  "  top  on." 

The  enormous  flocks  of  sheep  committed  to  the  care  of 
the  shepherd  by  the  flock-master  or  hill-farmer  are  termed 
"  hirsels."  The  shepherd,  however,  owns  a  certain  number 
of  .sheep,  which  constitutes  the  principal  part  of  his  wage, 
known  as  "  packs."  As  the  whole  of  the  sheep  on  a  "  herdin'  "^ 
have  to  be  gone  through  at  least  twice  a  day,  which  neces- 
sitates a  walk  of  .several  miles  over  the  hills  and  glens,  the 
shepherds  keep  a  large  number  of  clogs  to  assist  in  "  looking 
the  sheep."  It  is  quite  a  common  sight  for  some  ten  or  a 
dozen  barking  collies  to  rush  out  on  the  appearance  of  a 
stranger  near  the  dwelling.  Collie  dogs  are  usually  good 
tempered,  and,  being  well  trained  by  their  masters,  are  seldom 
known  to  bite  unless  it  be  at  night,  when  it  would  be  very 
unsafe  for  a  stranger  to  venture  too  near.  "  The  shepherds  in 
Kidland,"  says  an  old  writer,  "  arc  peculiarly  attached  to  their 
dogs  ;  and  not  w  ithout  reason,  for  tiie  sagacity,  activity,  and 
discrimination  of  these  animals  are  trul)'  surprising,  and  wmild 

5  I'cai-rcek — smoke  from  a  peat  fire. 

''  Herdin" — The  extent  of  the  .slicpherd"s  fjrouml. 


62  uppi:r  ccx^uetdale. 

scarcely  be  creditctl  by  those  who  have  not  had  an  opportunity 
of  obscrvini^-  tlieir  actions.  On  setting  out  in  a  morning  the 
<log,  without  receiving  any  instructions,  takes  a  round  to  scour 
the  skirts  of  his  h'mits,  in  doing  which  he  is  careful  to  detect 
and  dri\-e  any  stranger  that  may  attempt  to  intrude  within 
his  liberties,  and  to  reclaim  such  stragglers  as  have  w^andered 
from  his  own  flock. "7  The  following  doggrel  rhyme,  written 
in  their  praise,  is  amusing  and  worthy  of  record: — 

"  Five  eights  are  forty  Culley  dogs, 

Sagacious  and  true, 
Safe  guardians  of  the  fleecy  flocks 

On  Cheviot's  lofty  brow. 
At  Milkhope,  Diyhope,  Kidland-lee, 

Their  value  is  well  known ; 
At  Rookland,  too,  and  Punkerton, 

Their  fame  will  ne'er  go  down."^ 

On  certain  fixed  dates  in  the  year  the  Cheviot  shepherds 
hold  what  are  known  as  "  gatherings."  These  meetings  are 
for  the  purpose  of  interchanging  sheep  that  have  strayed 
from  one  hill-farm  and  have  been  found  in  the  flock  of  an 
adjoining  farm.  This  perhaps  went  on  to  a  greater  extent 
some  years  ago  than  it  does  now,  for  most  of  those  wide- 
stretching  hill-pastures  are  in  the  present  day  enclosed  with 
the  endless  wire  fence  ;  still  a  large  number  of  sheep  stray, 
and  mix  with  other  flocks.  The  dates  and  places  where 
these  gatherings  are  held  are  as  follows: — 

Cheviot,  on  June  15th  (the  washing  gathering). 

Cheviot,  on  July  loth  (the  clipping  gathering). 

Kidlandlee,  on  July  13th. 

Coquet  Head,  July  15th. 

Cheviot,  November  loth. 

Coquet  Head,  November  12th. 

Kidlandlee,  November  13th. 

During  the  forenoon  of  the  days  mentioned,  the  shepherds 
within  the  district — which  extends  many  miles  in  all  directions 
— drive  the  stray  sheep  found  in  their  respective  flocks  to  the 


7  Mackenzie  and  Dent,  Vol.  ii.,  p.  5. 

^Figures  in  Rhymes,  by  J.  R.— J.  Bell,  Newcastle,  1S14. 


KIDLAND.  6^ 

known  rendezvous,  where  perhaps  from  five  to  ten  score, 
sometimes  more,  sometimes  less,  are  collected  in  one  flock,  a 
motley  herd  of  Chex'iots  and  Blackfaces,  hoggs,9  \vethers,i°  and 
dinmonts.ii  About  midda\-  the  "shedding"  begins,  when 
each  shepherd  looks  through  the  flock  and  sorts  out  his  ow  n 
sheep,  which  he  easih'  recognises  at  a  glance,  not  only  by  their 
"buist"^2  but  b\-  their  faces.  After  a  friendly  chat  and  a 
comparing  of  notes  on  matters  pertaining  to  their  herds  or  the 
qualities  of  their  dogs,  or  perhaps  a  hot  argument  on  politics, 
each  shepherd  drives  away  to  his  home  the  sheep  that  have  for 
some  weeks  been  missing  from  his  flock.  A  good  dog  and  a 
good  stick  are  two  important  items  in  the  outfit  of  a  hill 
shepherd,  about  which  he  is  very  particular.  Each  man 
generall)'  has  a  faxrjurite  collie,  probably  one  that  he  has 
trained  himself:  to  this  dog  he  shows  great  partiality. 

In  such  repute  are  these  sagacious  border  sheep  dogs  held, 
that  carefull}-  selected  young  dogs  are  trained  by  the  Chexiot 
shepherds  and  sent  cnit  to  the  colonies.  Two  fine  specimens 
of  the  Scotch  collie  have  recently  been  trained  by  Mr.  James 
Brown,  the  shepherd  at  the  Heigh,  in  Kidland,  and  shipped  for 
New  Zealand  to  work  on  the  extensive  sheep  runs  in  that 
colony.  So  perfectly  trained  were  these  dogs,  since  their 
arrival  in  the  colon)',  they  have  gained  prizes  amounting  to 
o\er  ;i{^6o,  besides  two  silver  cups.  The  passage  monc}'  of  a 
flog  to  Xeu'  Zealand  is  ij^io,  whilst  after  arriving  in  port,  dogs 
are  kept  si.\  weeks  in  cjuarantine — a  precautionary  measure 
against  an  outbreak  of  rabies. 

9  Hogg — a  young  shcc]5  between  the  age  of  its  weaning  and  its  first  clipjiini;. — 
llcslop. 

■°  Wether— a  castrated  ram. ^lleslop.  "They  are  caWed  wct/tef/a/u/is  whWc 
sucking;  then  'welhcr-hoi^i^s  until  shorn  or  clij^iied,  when  they  take  the  nanie  of 
shearlings." — George  Culley,  Live  Stock,  l8oi,  p.  l8. 

"  Dinmonl — a  ten-month.  A  lamb  is  called  a  hogg  in  autumn,  and  aflcr  the 
first  shearing  of  the  new  year  a  dininotit,  if  it  is  a  male  sheep,  and  a  gimmcr  if  it 
is  an  ewe. — Ileslo]!. 

'-  Buist — to  put  a  mark  or  brand  ui)on  sheep  or  cattle  liy  their  owners. — 
Brockelt. 


64  UPPER  COQUETDALE. 

The  names  t^iven  by  the  shepherds  to  their  dogs  is  an 
interesting  stud}',  in  some  instances  denoting  the  characteristic 
leaning  of  the  master — names  of  rivers,  colours  of  the  dogs,  or 
their  habits,  famil}'  names,  and  even  political  names  are  given, 
so  at  the  risk  of  being  thought  trivial,  we  here  append  a  list 
of  the  names  of  these  canine  assistants  placed  in  the  order  of 
preference,  kindl)-  forwarded  to  the  writer  by  the  shepherds 
of  Upper  Coquet : — 

MASCULINE, 

Tip,  Don,  Shag,  Tyne,  Frank,  Glen,  Sam,  Ned,  Moss,  Spot,  Laddie, 
Cheeve  (Chevit),  Clyde,  Jed,  Dick,  Pop,  Cap,  Buff,  Guess,  Pate,  Hemp,  Flint, 
Coquet,  Gled  (Gladstone),  Tom,  Sweep,  Jock,  Cheekie,  Trim,  Roy. 

FEMININE. 

Fan,  Wylie,  Nell,  Maudie,  Midge,  Beat,  Gyp,  Fly,  Violet,  Lizzie,  Phem 
( Eiiphemia),  Kit  (Kitty),   Meg,   Flora,   Lock. 

A  hill  shepherd  always  possesses  a  goodly  choice  in  walking 
sticks,  besides  those  in  every-day  use  ;  his  long  hill  stick,  a 
sort  of  alpenstock,  his  smarter  Sunday  and  "  mart "  stick  :  he 
generally  has  a  dozen  or  so  laid  up  in  store  on  the  "  latts " 
between  the  beams  of  his  kitchen  ceiling.  These  sticks  are 
mostly  made  of  hazel  saplings,  cut  with  a  block  of  the  root 
attached  to  form  the  head  ;  bundles  of  these  are  carried  from 
the  low  countr}',  for  hazels  are  scarce  in  the  uplands.  The 
shepherds  dress  their  own  sticks  at  their  own  firesides  during 
the  long  winter  nights  with  a  pocket  knife.  Some  of  these 
sticks  are  ver}'  tastefully  ornamented,  and  are  really  excellent 
specimens  of  home  handicraft — one  of  the  points  being  to 
produce  a  handy  stick,  that  is,  a  neatly  turned  "gib"  or 
crook  to  fit  the  hand  of  the  "  wearer."  It  is  told  of  an  old 
shepherd  who,  ha\'ing  had  a  new  stick  sent  him  as  a  present 
by  a  neighbouring  shepherd,  a  famous  stick  dresser,  how 
the  old  "  man  among  sheep "  inspected  the  new  stick  from 
top  to  bottom  \\-ith  a  critical  eye,  tried  it  by  walking  a  few 
paces,  muttering  all  the  while  to  himself — "  Heavy !  heavy ! 
heavy!"  and  at  length  in  disgust  threw  it  from  him,  exclaiming 
"A'll  nivvor  wear  it!"     Once  the  writer  called  at  a  shepherd's 


KIDLAND.  65 

house  near  Coquet  Head,  \\here  he  was  then  a  perfect 
stranger,  and  after  looking  \\-ith  covetous  eyes  on  a  nice  row 
of  these  home-made  sticks,  laid  neatly  up  on  the  laths  in  the 
ceiling,  ventured  to  enquire  of  the  shepherd's  wife  if  she 
thought  her  husband  would  sell  one  of  them,  when  he  was 
somewhat  disconcerted  at  receiving  the  curt  reply,  "  No,  a'm 
sure  he'll  not."  Our  disappointment,  however,  was  of  short 
duration,  for  immediately  after,  with  a  pleasant  smile  the 
good  woman  added,  "  but  a'm  sure  he'll  gie  ye  ane,"  where- 
upon we  got  the  "pick  o'  the  lot."  This  stick  has  been  our 
companion  in  man}-  a  ramble,  and  is  known  b}-  the  name  of 
"Makendon." 

The  beautiful  green  hills  of  Upper  Coquet,  which,  to  the 
tourist  accustomed  to  see  them  in  all  the  glories  of  mid- 
summer, are  so  attractive,  present  a  very  different  aspect 
when  clothed  in  their  winter  garb.  Beautiful  no  doubt  they 
are  in  their  spotless  mantle  of  snow,  a  season  of  which  tlie 
poetess  sings  thus  : — 

"  With  feathery  wreaths  the  forest  is  bound, 

And  the  hills  are  with  glittering  diadems  crown'd  ; 
'Tis  the  fairest  scene  wo  can  have  below, 
Sing  welcome,  then,  to  the  drifting  snow  ! "  '3 

It  is  all   very  well  for  the  poetess  thus  to  sing,  but  drifting 

snow  and  a  north-east  wind   on  those  exposed   heights  mean 

days  and  nights  of  arduous  and  perilous  work  to  the  shepherd. 

Much  more  to  the  point,  we  think,  are  the  lines  of  our  own 

Shakespeare  : — 

"  Wreck  to  the  seaman,  tempest  to  the  field, 
Sorrow  to  .shepherds,  woe  unto  the  birds, 
Gust  and  foul  flaws  to  herdsmen  and  to  herds." 

During  a  severe  snowstorm  the  hill-shepherds  endure  great 
privations — frequently  loss  of  life  it.self — in  their  solicitude 
for  the  safety  of  the  flocks  under  their  charge,  and  many  an 
anxious  hour  is  spent   by  their  wives  and   families,  awaiting 


'3  Eliza  Cook,  Snow. 


66 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


the  return  of  the  shepherd  and  his  lads  from  the  hills,  when 
gathering  the  sheep  into  the  stellsi4  and  other  places  of  safety 
in  the  thick  of  a  drifting  snowstorm.  To  give  some  idea  of 
the  dangerous  occupation  of  those  brave  and  hardy  men,  whose 
duty  it  is  to  herd  the  sheep  amongst  the  Cheviot  hills  in  all 
weathers,  we  give  an  extract  from  a  daily  newspaper  relating 
to  the  great  snowstorm  of  March,  1886: — "  Fresh  incidents  of 
the  late  snowstorm  are  still  coming  in  to  us  from  the  highlands 
of  Upper  Coquet.  On  Wednesday,  the  3rd  of  March — the 
day  after  the  heavy  fall  of  snow — a  snow-slip  occurred  at  the 
very  steepest  part  of  '  Passpeth-foot,'  the  western  brow  of 
'Lord's  Seat,'  about  two  miles  above  Alwinton.  A  larcre 
number  of  sheep  that  had  taken  shelter  under  the  lee  of  the 


hill  were  overwhelmed,  and  ere  they  could  be  extricated  four- 
teen of  them  had  perished.  On  the  stormy  Tuesday  (March 
2nd)  the  shepherds  at  the  Heigh,  in  Kidland,  laid  their  stock 
in  a  stell,  safely  sheltered  from  the  storm,  then  blowing  from 
the  east ;  but  during  the  day  the  wind  veered  round  to  the 
north,  entirely  filling  the  stell  with  drift,  and  enveloping  about 
fifteen  score  of  sheep  in  from  ten  to  twenty  feet  of  snow. 
After  strenuous  exertions  on  the  part  of  the  shepherd  and  his 
men,  all  of  the  sheep  were  got  out  alive  by  seven  o'clock  on  the 
Wednesday  night.     Since  then  the  whole  of  the  stock,  including 


'*  Stell — an   enclosure  for  cattle ;    generally  a  circular  wall,  with  a  narrow 
opening  at  one  side. — Heslo]^. 


KIDLAND.  67 

even  the  shepherd's  cow,  have  been  removed  to  the  lowlands. 
Far  up  Coquet,  where  the  hills  are  \"ery  precipitous,  several 
snow-slips  have  taken  place.  At  one  part  a  perfect  avalanche 
has  slidden  down  the  face  of  '  Wharmoor' — a  huge  hill  on 
the  south  bank  of  the  Coquet  between  BHndburn  and  Carlcroft 
— entirely  obliterating  the  channel  of  the  Coquet,  and  filling 
u[)  the  bottom  of  the  valley  to  a  depth  of  fifty  feet.  Another 
immense  snow-slip  has  taken  place  on  '  Puncherton  Scroggs' 
— a  steep  hillside,  partially  covered  with  trees  and  underwood, 
on  the  east  bank  of  the  Alwin — which  in  its  course  carried 
everything  before  it  through  the  Alwin,  landing  trees,  bushes, 
and  rocks  on  the  haugh  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream. 
E\-ery  da\'  during  the  past  week  the  shepherds  have  been 
engaged  in  what  is  termed  'fleein'  the  sheep' — that  is,  bringing 
them  down  from  the  hills  to  the  low  country,  and  very  soon 
there  will  not  be  a  '  hirsel'  left  on  the  Cheviot  range."  Snow- 
slips  are  of  frequent  occurrence  amongst  the  bare  and  pre- 
cipitous hills  of  Upper  Coquet  after  a  heavy  fall  of  snow. 
]\Ian\'  years  ago  a  shepherd,  named  Thomas  Turnbull,  of 
Milkhope,  in  Kidland,  while  looking  round  his  stock,  was 
buried  by  a  snow-slip  in  a  deep,  narrow  valley  between  Milk- 
hope  and  Wholohope,  where  his  bod\-  lay  for  several  weeks 
under  an  enormous  weight  of  snow.  The  following  record  of 
this  sad  event  is  found  in  the  Rothbury  Parish  Register  of 
Burials: — "  1820,  Jan.  27th,  Thomas  Turnbull,  Milkhope,  Kid- 
land  Township,  Allenton  i'arish,  aged  42  :  he  lost  his  life  by  a 
huge  wreath  of  snow  (nerw  helming  him  18  feet  deep."  "About 
ten  or  twehe  years  ago  (1H74  or  thereabouts)  the  shepherd's 
cottage  at  Fairhaugh  on  the  Uswa)',  had  a  \ery  narrow  escape 
from  being  buried  beneath  an  axalanche  of  snow.  The  shep- 
herd was  out  at  the  time,  and  when  he  came  to  the  i)i-ow  of  an 
fjpposite  hill  he  was  alarmcfj  to  see  that  a  iiuge  bank  of  snow 
had,  during  his  absence,  sh'|)|)e(l  in  the  direction  of  his  cottage, 
in  which  he  had  left  his  wife  and  fainiU'.  IIo\\c\er,  on  \entur- 
ing  down,  he  found  to  his  great  rehef,  that  although   the  hay 


68  uimM':r  coquktdale. 

stack  and  an  outhouse  had  been  thrown  down  by  the  weight 
of  snow,  his  cottage  was  safe,  but  only  by  a. few  feet."  ^5 

During  the  summer  of  1886  the  writer,  under  the  guidance 
of  Mr.  John  Anderson,  of  Milkhope,  viewed  the  scene  of  an 
enormous  snow-sUp  in  the  same  valley  where  Thomas  Turn- 
bull  was  overwhelmed  in  1820.  This  was  on  the  side  of  the 
hill  opposite  "  Wholohope  Braes,"  where,  during  the  great 
snowstorm  of  March,  1886,  a  snow-slip  took  place  which, 
commencing  about  900  feet  up  on  Wholohope  hill  and  sliding 
down  with  tremendous  force  to  the  bottom  of  the  steep  valley, 
filled  it  up,  thrusting  a  huge  mass  of  snow  up  the  side  of  the 
hill  opposite  to  a  height  of  over  200  feet ;  part  of  this 
avalanche  of  snow  lay  in  the  ravine  until  the  latter  part  of 
May.  For  months  after  the  occurrence  traces  of  its  devas- 
tating course  could  be  seen  in  the  uprooted  trees  and  bushes — 
rocks  and  heaps  of  debris  lying  in  the  burn  at  the  bottom  of 
the  valley.  On  a  wild  stormy  night  amongst  these  hills  a 
person  could  easily  perish  within  a  few  yards  of  a  dwelling. 
Some  years  ago  a  shepherd  named  Rogerson  having  lost  his 
way,  was  found  perished  to  death  in  a  sheep  stell,  close  to 
Uswayford.  Not  having  the  least  idea  he  was  so  near  to  a 
human  habitation,  he  had  sought  shelter  from  the  storm 
within  the  walls  of  the  stell ;  here  he  had  sat  down  exhausted, 
when  the  fatal  sleep — "  The  sleep  that  knows  no  waking  " — 
overcame  him.  It  was  only  the  other  year  that  the  shepherd 
of  Cottonshope  Head  lost  his  way  on  his  own  ground. 
Fortunately,  his  wife  had  the  forethought  to  place  a  lamp  in 
the  window  of  their  cottage,  and  but  for  its  light  he  in  all 
probability  would  have  had  some  difficulty  in  reaching  his 
home,  which  he  managed  to  do  very  much  exhausted  with  his 
struggle  in  the  blinding  snow.  Again,  in  the  December  of 
1874,  during  a  terrific  snowstorm,  Henry  Hall,  a  fine  young 
shepherd  lad,  in  service  at  Blindburn,  perished  in  the  snow 
whilst  attempting  to  cross  over  the  hills  out  of  Scotland  into 

^^  Newcastle  Daily  Journal,  March  15th,  1886. 


KIDLANT).  69 

Coquet  water.  He  had  set  out  from  his  father's  house  at 
Whitton  Aluir,  on  Tuesday,  December  15th,  but  owing  to  the 
severity  of  the  storm  and  the  depth  of  snow  no  tidings  of  his 
movements  could  be  obtained  on  either  side  the  border  until 
the  following  Monday,  December  21st,  when  he  was  then 
found  to  be  missing.  Immediateh'  the  shepherds  of  the 
district  formed  themselves  into  search  parties,  and  explored 
the  hills  far  and  near.  At  last  the  body  of  the  poor  young 
fellow  was  found  l}'ing  at  the  foot  of  a  rock  in  a  remote  part 
of  Blindburn.  The  late  H.  H.  Emmerson,  who  then  resided 
at  Great  Tosson,  near  Rothbur}',  was  so  moved  by  this  pathetic 
occurrence  that  he  painted  a  striking  picture,  which  now  hangs 
in  the  staircase  at  Cragside,  representing  a  Northumbrian  hill 
shepherd  lost  in  a  snowstorm,  with  his  faithful  collie  b)-  his 
side.  The  sad  and  untimel}'  death  of  this  young  shepherd  lad 
was  much  lamented  by  the  warm-hearted  hill  folks,  with  whom 
he  was  a  great  favourite. 

In  summer  time  these  high  lands  are  liable  to  certain 
atmospheric  phenomena,  that  cause  more  inconvenience  than 
danger,  such  as  thick  mists,  thunderstorms,  and  waterspates. 

Amusing  stories  are  told  of  travellers  losing  their  way 
when  the  mist  lies  thick  on  the  hills,  but  a  night  spent  under 
the  shelter  of  a  rock  in  summer  weather  is  not  \cr)'  hurtful  to 
an  ordinarx'  moi-tal,  while  the  novelt\-  of  the  situation  efives 
a  spice  of  humour  to  the  adventure.  Some  years  ago,  when 
it  was  the  custom  for  the  master  tailor  and  his  apprentices  to 
go  to  the  houses  of  their  customers  to  "  make  and  mend,"  many 
a  week  was  spent  b_\-  a  well  known  and  highl}'  respected 
merchant  taiUjr  and  his  men  amongst  the  hills  of  Coquet, 
making  up  the  home-spun  tweed  suits  of  the  shepherds.  One 
autumn  evening,  after  ha\-ing  been  working  for  some  days  at 
Blindburn,  the  master  despatched  two  of  his  lads  to  Bycgate 
Hall,  a  distance  of  about  thicx-  nn'lcs  over  the  hills.  After 
ascending  the  steep  front  of  Wharmoor,  and  while  skirting 
rounrl  the  heights  of  Bell   Hill,  the)-  were  suddenly  enveloped 


■JO  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

in  a  dense  mist.  Being  comparative  strangers  to  the  locality, 
they  soon  lost  their  '•  airts,"  and  were  presently  brought  to  a 
standstill  by  finding  themselves  on  the  very  brink  of  a  scar 
or  precipice.  Not  daring  to  move  another  foot,  they  sat 
down,  wrapped  themselves  in  a  plaid,  and  waited  patiently 
for  the  morning,  only  to  find,  when  the  sun  broke  on  the 
scene,  Byegate  Hall  not  a  hundred  yards  from  where  they 
were  sitting.  The  two  tailor  lads  did  not  hear  the  last  of 
this  exploit  for  a  long  time. 

It  is  also  told  of  a  Cockney  who,  while  spending  his  summer 
holiday  at  Harbottle,  took  several  walking  excursions  amongst 
the  green  hills  of  Coquet.  On  one  occasion  our  tourist  called 
early  in  the  day  at  an  "  out-bye  "  shepherd's  house,  where  he 
was  entertained  to  a  mid-day  meal  of  white  girdle  cake  and 
milk.  There  was  also  placed  upon  the  board  some  barley 
cake,  commonly  called  "  barley  dick."  The  sight  of  this 
"  outlandish  stuff,"  as  he  called  it,  tickled  the  fancy  of  the 
Londoner  very  much,  and  he  was  surprised  to  learn  that  it 
was  the  staple  bread  of  the  shepherds.  The  "  gude  wife," 
however,  gave  him  a  "shive"  to  put  in  his  pocket,  in  case  he 
became  hungry  on  the  hills.  Looking  rather  disdainfully  at 
the  piece,  he  said,  "All  right;  it  will  do  for  my  museum. 
I  shall  take  it  home  to  London  as  a  curiosity."  So  it  was 
wrapped  up  in  a  bit  of  newspaper,  and,  placing  it  in  his 
pocket,  he  thanked  his  kind  hostess  and  started  off.  During 
the  afternoon  a  thick  mist  fell  on  the  hills,  and  late  in  the 
evening  there  was  a  knock  at  the  shepherd's  door.  On  the 
"  gude  wife  "  answering  the  knock,  to  her  astonishment  there 
stood — tired  and  hungry  and  dazed — our  sprightly  tourist  of 
the  morning.  He  had  been  walking  for  hours  in  the  ex- 
pectation that  he  was  on  the  right  road  to  Harbottle,  instead 
of  which  he  had — as  lost  people  generally  do — simply  gone 
round  in  a  circle,  and  here  he  was  at  the  very  spot  he  had 
started  from  in  the  early  part  of  the  day ;  but,  mark  the 
moral,  there  was  no  barlej>  cake  in  his  pocket.     After  a  good 


KIDLAND.  71 

supper  the  shepherd  put  him  on  the  right  path,  with  another 
piece  of  the  despised  barley  cake  for  his  museum. 

The  writer  himself  once  had  the  curious  experience  of 
losing  the  points  of  the  compass,  when  on  the  top  of  Cheviot 
with  Mr.  John  Anderson  of  Milkhope,  who  knew  every  foot  of 
it.  We  had  reached  the  "  Pole."  Presently  a  heavy  mist 
rolled  over  the  summit.  After  resting  a  while  I  deliberately 
started  off  in  a  direction  that  appeared  to  be  due  east,  but 
suddenly  the  voice  of  the  hill  veteran  stopped  me  with — 
"  Where  are  ye  gang?  "  "  To  the  Bizzle  ;  isn't  this  the  road  ?" 
"  No,"  said  he,  "  that's  the  varra  road  we  cam'."     "  But  look 

here  at  my  compass,  John."    "  Het  }'e  an'  yor  ■ compasses  ; 

div  a'  no  ken  me  airts,  think  ye.  The  wund  was  blawin'  o'  me 
left  cheek  when  we  cam'  up,  an'  its  blawin'  o'  me  left  cheek 
still  ;  come  on,  a'  tell  ye  this  is  the  road." 

Mr.  Edmond  Bogg,  in  his  interesting  book,  "  The  Border 
Country"  gives  an  amusing  account  of  losing  his  way  in 
crossing  the  Cheviot  Hills: — "  P'or  the  present  let  us  leave 
the  lower  vale  and  hark  away  to  the  midst  of  the  dark  range 
of  Cheviot  Hills — their  rugged  sides  furrowed  with  numerous 
streams,  and  where  a  traveller  may  wander  for  hours  and  not 
meet  a  single  human  being.  There,  on  the  extreme  border- 
land of  England,  between  the  trackless  wilds  of  Wingate  Eell 
on  the  north-east  and  the  wilderness  of  Thirlmoor  on  the 
.south-west,  the  numerous  branches  of  the  Coquet  have  their 
birth.  The  writer  has  good  reasons  for  remembering  his  first 
sight  of  the  Coquet,  and  to  no  thirsty  traveller  could  the 
stream,  prattling  through  dark  mountain  recesses,  have  been 
more  welcome.  Two  (jf  us  had  left  Yetholm  late  one  Sunday 
afternoon,  intending  to  reach  Rochester  the  same  evening, 
which  afterwards  proved  to  be  an  impossible  feat. 

"  Passing  for  .several  miles  along  the  side  of  the  Bowmont, 
w(!  turned  into  the  Cheviot  range  just  to  the  west  of  Wingate 
I'"cll.  'i"lu;  writer  intended  following  a  barel}'  perceptible 
track  winding  through  a  depression  in  the  range  u{  hills;  but, 


72  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

unfortunately,  my  companion,  whose  experience  of  mountain 
climbing  was  nil,  seemed  determined  upon  following  a  well- 
marked  sheep  track  which  passed  over  the  brow^  of  the  highest 
hill  westward.  My  anticipations  were  fully  realized,  for  after 
an  hour-and-a-half  of  struggling  up  the  mountain,  and  thence 
o\er  its  brow,  knee-deep  in  heather,  now  and  again  startled  by 
the  burr  of  a  brace  of  black-cocks  gluttering  away  from  our 
feet,  the  sheep  tracks  vanished,  and  the  only  object  in  sight, 
except  the  tops  of  other  hills,  was  a  large  cairn  of  stones, 
perhaps  marking  the  boundary  of  the  two  kingdoms.  It  was 
now  about  seven  o'clock  on  an  August  evening,  and  to  add  to 
our  discomfort  wreaths  of  mist  began  to  float  along  the  glens 
and  climb  up  the  side  of  the  hills,  first  hiding  the  objects  and 
then  passing  away,  giving  an  awesome  and  eerie  look  to" 
this  wild  scene.  Once  I  thought  I  had  surely  discovered  a 
shepherd  in  the  distance,  and  after  running,  stumbling,  and 
shouting  for  upwards  of  a  mile,  found  my  supposed  shepherd 
to  be  another  cairn.  I  felt  convinced  that  the  object  had 
moved,  but  the  deception  was  caused  by  the  action  of 
floating  mist,  whose  soft  fleecy  outlines  gradually  united  with 
the  clouds  until  the  atmosphere  became  saturated  with  fine 
particles  of  dew.  To  make  matters  worse,  my  companion 
became  thoroughly  fatigued,  and  wanted  to  sleep  on  the  damp 
heather.  It  was  now  nearly  dark,  and  as  we  struggled  on  in 
the  increasing  gloom,  with  our  faces  to  the  south,  drizzling 
showers  were  swept  across  the  hills.  Suddenly,  in  the  glen  far 
below,  I  caught  sight  of  a  bright,  moving  object,  and  near  to 
loomed  the  outline  of  a  building.  Bidding  my  friend  not  to 
move  far  away,  I  quickly  descended  the  steep  side  of  the  glen, 
slipping,  sliding,  and  falling  many  times  ere  I  reached  the 
bottom.  The  building  proved  to  be  an  outlying  shelter  for 
shepherds,  and  was  in  ruins.  But  the  other  object  we  had 
seen  glistening  was  the  infant  Coquet,  murmuring  and  falling 
down  the  mountain  slopes ;  and  never  was  stream  more 
welcome,  for  by  keeping  it  in  sight  we  knew  ere  long  we 
should  find  some  habitation. 


KIDLAND.  73 

"  On  ascending  to  where  I  had  left  my  companion,  I  found 
he  had  disappeared.  After  whistling  and  calling  for  nearly 
half-an-hour  I  heard  a  shout  from  the  depths  below.  He 
appeared  to  have  found  it  rather  lonesome  waiting  on  the 
mountain  side,  and  had  followed,  but  in  descending  struck  too 
far  north,  and  thus  had  missed  me.  We  now  hurried  along 
the  mountain  slope,  keeping  the  Coquet  well  in  \iew,  but  little 
dreaming  that  both  of  us  were  to  receive  a  total  immersion  in 
its  waters  that  evening.  In  the  act  of  crossing  a  small  tribu- 
tary which  came  leaping  and  brawling  through  the  mountains, 
my  foot  slipped,  and  I  fell  full  length  into  the  middle  of  the 
stream.  I  can  fully  assure  my  readers  I  was  not  long  in  that 
position,  but  I  hardly  forgave  the  chuckle  which  my  companion 
gave  at  my  ducking  until  he  himself  landed  into  a  deep  cut, 
half  filled  with  peaty  water,  which  drained  a  piece  of  reclaimed 
moorland  adjoining  the  first  house  which  now  hove  in  sight. 
Then  it  was  m}'  turn  for  merriment,  and  we  laughed  till  our 
sides  ached  at  the  whole  fun  of  the  thing,  and  the  miserable 
plight  we  presented.  Here  we  crossed  the  Coquet  b}'  a  rude 
bridge  to  the  house,  which  stood  on  the  east  side.  But  our 
rambling  on  this  night  was  not  yet  ended,  for  the  good  lady  of 
the  house  flatly  refused  us  admittance,  but  informed  us  that  we 
should  most  likely  find  accommodation  with  a  family  named 
Cowans,  of  Windy  Haugh.  Being  fortunate  enough  to  refresh 
ourselves  with  a  glass  of  milk,  we  again  started  on  our  journey. 
The  rain  had  now  passed  away,  and  just  as  we  approached  our 
haven  of  refuge  the  full  moon  rose  from  behind  tlic  hills, 
burni.shing  the  Coquet  with  rays  of  silver;  peace  most  pro- 
found— the  only  sound  which  broke  the  silence  w  as  the  gentle 
ripple  of  its  glittering  water  at  our  feet,  whil-^l  in  front  the 
mountains  lay  desolate  and  dark  in  shadow.  A  dwartcd  tret-, 
contorted  and  storm-swept,  like  a  solitary  sentinel  in  that 
otherwise  treeless  region,  stood  l)olrlly  out  in  front  of  the 
moon,  making  a  striking  feature  in  that  halo  n\  light  for  the 
middle  distance  in  a  wildf;rncss  of  hills. 


74  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

"'Windy  Hau<^h '  is  a  shepherd's  house,  tenanted  by  two 
generations  of  a  family  named  Cowans,  and  stands  in  a  plot 
of  meadow  in  a  hollow  of  circling  hills,  just  by  the  west  bank 
of  the  Coquet.  A  single  narrow  plank  gives  means  of  access 
from  the  east.  We  crossed  gingerly  enough,  not  wishing  for 
the  doubtful  pleasure  of  another  dip.  The  Cowans  had  retired 
to  rest,  but  were  not  long  in  responding  to  our  knocking,  and 
after  about  five  minutes'  waiting  we  were  ushered  into  the 
kitchen  ;  fresh  fuel  was  heaped  on  the  fire,  and  a  good  honest 
supper  soon  prepared.  After  a  hearty  repast  we  were  shown 
into  the  parlour,  where  a  beautifully  clean  feather  bed  was  in 
readiness  for  each  of  us,  \\'hich  felt  to  our  wearied  and  aching 
limbs  a  perfect  paradise.  Next  morning  we  found  our  clothes 
thoroughly  dr}-,  the  kind  hostess  having  spread  them  before 
the  fire  overnight ;  and  now,  rested,  refreshed,  and  brushed, 
with  polished  boots,  we  were  ready,  if  occasion  required,  '  to 
take  a  walk,'  as  Dr.  Johnson  was  wont  to  say,  '  down  Fleet 
Street.'  We  shall  not  soon  forget  the  homely  kindness  shown 
to  us  in  our  wandering  at  that  hospitable  cottage,  the  haven  of 
anglers,  nestling  among  the  Cheviot  Hills." 

For  a  tourist  or  an  angler  to  be  caught  in  a  thunderstorm 
amongst  the  hills  of  Coquet  is  an  experience  not  readily 
forgot.  The  unprotected  loneliness  of  the  situation  and  its 
surroundings,  with  the  loud  deep  crash  of  the  thunder,  as  it 
reverberates  in  a  thousand  echoes  from  hill  to  hill,  has  an  awe- 
inspiring  effect  on  even  the  stoutest  heart.  Then  comes  the 
spate  that  quickly  fills  every  little  burn  and  sike  ;  these  rushing 
madly  down  to  the  main  stream  soon  converts  it  into  a  foaming 
flood.  This  sudden  influx  of  water  into  the  course  of  the 
Coquet,  causes,  in  an  incredible  short  space  of  time,  a  heavy 
volume  to  sweep  down  the  channel  in  a  solid  wall,  sometimes 
a  foot  or  a  couple  of  feet  in  height,  or  as  it  is  locally  termed 
the  water  comes  down  in  a  "  roll."  ^^     This  takes  place  so 

'*  Roll,  similar  to  what  is  termed  "Bore" — the  head  or  first  flowing  of  the 
water. — Wright. 


KIDLAND.  75 

unexpectedl}-  that  often  persons  find  themselves  on  the  wrong 
side  of  the  stream  without  an)-  chance  whatever  of  crossing. 
A  Windyhaugh  shepherd  lad,  some  years  ago,  was  fishing  in 
the  Coquet,  just  above  Barra  burn,  on  the  opposite  side  to 
Windyhaugh.  On  hearing  a  noise  he  looked  up,  and  saw  the 
water  coming  down  in  a  "  roll."  xA-t  once  he  ran  to  the  single 
plank  that  there  crosses  the  stream.  As  he  stepped  on  ths 
plank  the  flood  had  reached  it,  and  by  the  time  he  had  got  to 
the  other  side  he  was  in  imminent  danger  of  being  washed  off 
the  slender  footway  b}-  the  rush  of  turbid  waters. 

On  another  occasion,  two  anglers  from  the  low-country 
were  fairly  entrapped  b}'  the  "  roll.'  They  were  fishing  above 
Shillmoor,  and  although  they  had  heard  distant  thunder,  not  a 
drop  of  rain  had  fallen  near  them,  and  the  Coquet  was  as  clear 
as  crystal,  but  a  strange  noise  up  the  vallev  attracted  their 
attention.  One  of  them,  who  was  a  little  higher  up  the 
stream,  having  had  some  previous  experience  of  the  danger, 
immediately  called  to  his  companion  to  leave  the  channel, 
e.xclaiming — "run  for  }-or  life,  for  the  \\ittor's  comin'  doon!" 
Hurrymg  with  all  speed  to  Shillmoor,  where  their  horses 
were  put  up,  they  quickly  saddled  and  bridled,  but  ere  their 
feet  were  in  the  stirrups,  they  were  overtaken  by  the  wall  of 
water,  that  in  a  moment  transformed  the  shallow  stream  into  a 
mountam  torrent ;  but  putting  spurs  to  their  horses  they 
breasted  the  stream,  much  to  the  consternation  of  the  good 
folks  of  Shillmoor,  w ho  in  \  ain  endeavoured  to  prexent  them, 
and  got  safely  through,  the  water  reaching  their  saddle  flaps. 
Seeing  that  the  Coquet  had  to  be  crossed  again,  at  Linnsheels, 
a  mile  further  down,  there  was  a  race  over  Quickening  Cote  to 
head  the  flood.  However,  on  reaching  Linnsheels,  the  "roll" 
had  outstripped  them,  rendering  the  ford  through  the  Co(]uet 
impassable.  Placed  in  a  fix  between  the  foaming  streams  of 
the  Coquet  on  their  left,  and  Ridlees  burn  on  tlieir  right,  it 
was  decided  to  tr}-  the  lesser  stream  of  Kidlecs  burn — which 
was  also  in  flood — by  a  rock)-  and  dangerous  ford.     After  much 


^6  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

floundering,  and  a  good  wetting,  the  two  adventurers  happily 
arrived  safely  on  the  opposite  bank,  then  spurring  their  horses 
to  the  south  round  the  head  of  Selbv's  Lake,  East  Wilkwood, 
and  the  "  Swire,"  they  reached  the  bridge  over  the  Coquet,  at 
Ahvinton.  Here  they  dismounted,  and,  leading  their  jaded 
steeds  carefully  along  the  "  old  "  rotten  bridge,  reached  the 
Vicarage,  thence  over  Parsonside  on  their  homeward  way,  wet 
and  somewhat  exhausted. 

As  the  hill  population  is  scant  and  widely  scattered,  loss  of 
human  life  by  lightning  seldom  occurs,  but  numbers  of  sheep 
are  frequently  found  dead  after  a  thunderstorm,  having  been 
struck  by  fire,  and  many  a  hill  side  bears  witness  to  the  power 
and  velocity  of  the  electric  fluid.  A  few  years  ago  we  saw 
on  the  northern  slopes  of  Thirlmoor  the  spot  where  a'thunder- 
bolt  had  fallen,  which  had  ploughed  up  the  face  of  the  hill  in 
a  most  remarkable  manner.  We  found  a  large  central  chasm 
in  the  peaty  turf,  with  a  number  of  radiating  grooves  or 
furrows,  extending  a  distance  of  over  thirty  yards  from  the 
centre.  The  bolt  had  evidently  exploded  on  reaching  the 
earth,  sending  out  its  fragments  with  great  force  on  all  sides, 
similar  to  the  bursting  of  a  shell. 

A  friend  of  the  writer  was  once  overtaken  by  a  violent 
thunderstorm  when  alone  on  the  heights  of  Cheviot.  Being  of  a 
philosophical  turn  of  mind,  he  quietly  descended  from  the  cre.st 
of  the  hill,  and  lying  prone  amongst  the  heather  for  safety, 
viewed  the  storm  in  all  its  terrific  grandeur  around  and 
beneath  him  with  no  small  enjoyment,  but  at  the  penalty  of 
being  thoroughly  soaked  by  the  deluge  of  rain.  This  he  soon 
remedied  so  soon  as  the  storm  was  over,  by  stripping  off  his 
clothes,  sitting  patiently  half  clad  until  they  were  somewhat 
dried  in  the  scalding  sunshine.  This  same  gentleman,  who 
was  an  ardent  botanist  and  entomologist,  was  once  pursuing  a 
very  rare  moth  on  the  summit  of  Cheviot,  when,  paying  more 
attention  to  the  specimen  on  the  wing  than  to  his  footsteps,  he 
never   knew  until   he  found   himself  up   to   the  waist   in   the 


KIDLAND.  TJ 

middle  of  a  " moss-hag." ^7  Scrambling-  out  as  best  he  could, 
his  underparts  wet,  not  with  pure  water,  but  with  a  thick 
muddy  coating  of  a  black  peat}'  substance.  As  he  could  not 
\ery  well  present  himself  to  civilized  society  in  such  a  plight, 
he  took  off  his  nether  garments,  and  having  washed  them  in  a 
pool  of  water,  spread  them  out  to  dry  on  a  large  rock,  behind 
which  he  sat  himself  down,  never  thinking  for  a  moment  but 
that  he  was  perfecth'  safe  from  intrusion  on  such  a  lonely  spot 
as  the  "  tap  o'  Chee\'ut."  Presently  he  heard  voices,  and  on 
peering  cautious!}'  round  the  corner  of  his  rocky  shelter,  he 
was  much  disconcerted  at  seeing  a  party  of  ladies  and  gentle- 
men approaching  the  spot  where  he  la}'.  Whether  they  had 
observed  the  "  washing  "  laid  out  to  dry,  or  had  caught  sight 
of  the  unfortunate  naturalist,  one  cannot  sa}- ;  but,  greatly  to 
his  relief,  the  unwelcome  visitors  turned  aside  and  disappeared 
over  the  brow  of  the  hill.  Once  we  accompanied  this  dear 
good  man  on  a  botanizing  tour  around  the  hills  of  Cheviot, 
and  intent  on  finding  a  rare  plant,  a  specimen  of  which  both 
of  us  were  eager  to  possess,  we,  with  all  the  foolhardiness  of 
botanists,  climbed  and  edged  our  way  along  the  face  of  a  steep 
hill-side,  alive  to  nothing  but  the  coveted  plant,  when,  to  our 
dismay,  we  found  wc  were  on  the  brink  of  a  declivity  some 
hundreds  of  feet  above  the  valley.  To  return  was  almost 
impossible;  so  telling  me  to  "  lie  close  to  the  hill  and  mind 
my  feet,"  after  a  somewhat  perilous  few  minutes  wc  gained  a 
place  of  safety,  with  a  feeling  of  thankfulness  that  we  had 
escaped  harm,  and  a  resolve  to  be  more  careful  in  our  future 
ramblings  after  flowers. 

Of  all  the  records  of  Cheviot  spates,  probabl}-  the  heaviest 
and  most  destructive  that  ever  fell  in  that  hilly  region  took 
place  during  a  severe  thunderstorm  on  Sunday  afternoon, 
Jul}'  2,  1893,  when  many  acres  of  Bloodybush  Edge  was 
literally    scooped   out    b}'    the    force    of  the   water.      As    the 

'7Moss-IIaj{ — a  projecting  mass  of  peal  forming  an  escarpment  on  a  peat  moor. 
These  liags  form  miniature  ravines  on  tlic  surface.  —  Ileslop. 


78  UPPKU   COQUETDALE. 

ridges  of  this  high  hill  forms  the  watershed  of  the  Breamish 
on  the  north-east,  Usway  burn  on  the  west,  and  Alwin  on  the 
south-east,  these  three  streams  were  at  once  gorged  with  an 
enormous  volume  of  black  peaty  water,  causing  them  to  over- 
flow their  banks,  doing  irreparable  damage  to  the  meadows 
and  potato  garths,  and  washing  away  all  the  foot  bridges 
in  their  mad  descent,  more  especially  in  the  valley  of  the 
Breamish.  The  Usway  came  down  in  a  big  flood,  but  scarcely 
so  heavy  as  the  Alwin  or  the  Breamish,  while  the  Coquet 
above  Shillmoor  was  never  moved.  The  whole  course  of  the 
Coquet  from  Alwinton  to  far  below  Rothbury — a  distance  of 
some  twenty-five  miles  from  the  scene  of  the  disaster — 
retained  for  several  weeks  traces  of  this  remarkable  flood  in 
the  form  of  a  black  water  mark  all  along  its  banks.  The 
following  extract  from  the  Alnwick  Gazette  gives  an  excellent 
description  of  this  "  waterspout": — 

"  A  hill  in  the  Cheviot  range,  about  three  miles  S.  by  W. 
from  Cheviot  Hill,  is  known  by  the  name  of  'Bloody-bush  Edge,' 
and  is  so  marked  on  the  Ordnance  map.  The  name  is  sugges- 
ti\-e,  and  almost  certainly  points  to  a  sanguinary  encounter 
ha\ing  taken  place  there  in  those  bygone  ages  which  are 
spoken  of  \w  the  locality  as  '  times  of  trouble.'  Who  were  the 
combatants,  which  side  was  victorious,  and  what  was  the  total 
of  the  'butcher's  bill'  are  problems  which  probably  defy  all 
historic  research.  That  it  was  a  combat  of  exceptional  severity, 
resulting,  it  may  be,  in  reducing  both  sides  to  the  condition  of 
the  far-famed  '  Kilkenny  cats,'  may  possibly  be  inferred  from 
its  having  given  its  name  to  the  hill — the  said  name  being  the 
only  remaining  relic,  as  far  as  I  can  discover,  of  a  desperately 
contested  battle.  A  recent  visit  to  the  hill,  however,  suggests 
the  thought  that  the  spirits  of  the  old  combatants,  not  content 
with  the  former  carnage,  fought  their  battle  over  again,  with 
all  the  potent  agencies  which  may  be  at  the  command  of 
'  spirits  from  the  vasty  deep.'  Macbeth's  witches  could  have 
wrought  no  more  terrible  havoc  than  is  now  to  be  seen  on  this 


KIDLAND.  79 

hill-side.  It  is  literally  torn  to  rags  and  tatters.  For  a  space 
of  at  least  30  acres  or  40  acres  the  upper  layer  of  peat  has 
been  ploughed  up  to  the  depth  of  some  five  feet,  and  the  moor 
bed  beneath  laid  bare.  Enormous  masses  of  this  dark  peaty 
soil  have  been  hurled  right  and  left,  piled  one  on  the  top  of 
the  other,  and  a  vast  quantity  of  blocks  of  earth  have  been 
carried  hundreds  of  }'ards  down  the  hill,  so  as  to  present  the 
appearance  of  a  broad  stream  of  blocks.  As  if  further  to  bear 
out  the  idea  of  two  contending  armies,  there  are  two  distinct 
areas,  which  I  ma\'  call  '  centres  of  disturbance,'  situated  nearly 
on  the  line  of  the  meridian,  and  separated  by  some  fifty  yards, 
in  each  of  which  the  moor  bed  has  been  laid  bare  ;  the  blocks 
of  peat  (many  tons  in  weight)  have,  as  I  said,  been  tossed 
about  and  heaped  on  the  top  of  each  other,  and  from  each 
centre  there  has  flowed  down  into  the  valley  a  broad  stream  <>f 
the  torn-up  surface  of  the  hill. 

"  The  cause  of  all  this  devastation  was  the  somewhat  rare 
phenomenon  of  a  waterspout,  which  fell  here  about  i  p.m.  on 
Sunday,  July  2,  of  this  \-ear.  The  hill  with  the  sanguinary 
name  which  witnessed  this  phenomenon  lies  within  the  water- 
shed of  the  Breamish,  which,  in  its  upper  reaches  among  the 
Cheviots,  is  a  '  brawling  torrent,'  well  known  for  the  suddenness 
with  which  its  spates  descend.  But  on  this  occasion  it  fol- 
lowed the  prevalent  fashion  of  '  record  breaking '  by  utterly 
surpassing  all  its  previous  known  performances.  It  swe])t 
away  its  bridges  ;  it  destroyed  long  stretches  of  the  road  that 
had  been  confidently  built  out  of  the  reach  of  its  waters  ;  it 
came  down  with  a  suddenness  and  power  for  which  neither 
the  memor)'  of  the  'oldest  inhabitant'  nor  the  rumour  of  ]:)ast 
trariition  could  find  any  parallel.  The  phenomenon  had  the 
usual  accompaniments  of  witches'  work  'in  thunder,  lightning, 
and  in  rain,'  and  they  were  so  unstinted  thai  many  of  the 
good  folks  in  the  neighbourhood  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
Noah's  deluge  was  commencing  again,  in  an  hour  and  a  hall 
it  was  all  over,  and  the  flood  passed  away  as  suddenly  as  it 


8o 


UPPER   COCIUETDALE. 


came.  The  flood  in  the  Breamish  came  clown  hke  a  wall,  and 
rose  and  fell  again  in  the  space  of  an  hour  and  a  half,  and  this 
would  seem  to  indicate  that  the  fall  of  the  waterspout  lasted 
much  more  than  a  few  seconds.  It  is  simply  appalling  to 
contemplate  what  would  have  been  the  result  if  the  water- 
spout, instead  of  falling  in  the  wilds  of  the  Cheviots,  had 
descended  upon  the  hill-side  of  some  thickly  populated 
town."^s 


ii 


^^  ui"", 


^^i"»5:;". 


''■Y«'('4«'i''';',j;')''i'' '■'  -Mill"'"'''     ' 


'8  Waterspout  aiid  Washout  in  the  Cheviots,  by  the  Rev.  Jevon  J.  Muschamp 
Perry,  Vicar  of  St.  Paul's,  Alnwick. 


KIULAND  8 1 


CHAPTER    V. 

K  I  D  L  A  N  D  —  (C  o  N  T  I  N  u  E  D  ) . 

I'robable  Origin  of  some  Kidland  and  Coquet  Place-Names — An  Interesting  Study 
— Loneliness  of  the  Coquet  Hills — Strong  Attachment  of  Old  Residents  to 
their  Hill-Homes^Coal  Smoke  versus  Peat-Reek — Losing  the  Days  of  the 
Week — The  Monk  at  Memmerkirk— "  Sir  Burn,"  of  Kidland,  circa  1747- 1767 
— The  late  John  Brown,  of  Carlcroft,  and  Sir  Walter  Scott — Presentation  at 
Philhope  (Fulhope) — Rejoicings  at  Kidland — House-Warming  at  Carlcroft — 
A  Border  Gathering. 

THE  writer  of  that  able  article  on  the  "  Waterspout,"  just 
quoted,  remarks  upon  the  probable  origin  of  the  name 
"  Bloodybush  Edge,"  which  reminds  us  of  several  more 
place-names  in  Kidland  and  Upper  Coquet  full  of  meaning, 
as  all  those  old  place-names  are,  for  "connected  as  local 
etymology  is  with  the  rise,  progress,  and  gradual  decay  of 
languages,  it  must  surely,  on  this  ground  alone,  be  interesting 
to  every  scholar.  Besides,  it  often  affords  curious  and  in- 
structive notices  with  respect  to  the  colonisation  of  countries, 
which  are  nowhere  else  to  be  found — the  barrow  may  be 
removed — the  stone  monument  may  be  dashed  in  pieces  by 
some  modern  Goth — the  entrenchment  may  be  worn  out  by 
the  plough — but  a  local  name  is  often  nearly  as  imperishable 
as  the  mountain  or  the  river,  of  which  it  is  the  designation." ' 
In  attempting  to  solve  the  derivation  of  any  place-name,  we 
are  well  aware  the  theorist  is  beset  with  many  and  great 
difficulties  ;  but,  as  a  number  of  standing  stones  and  other 
natural  objects  bearing  significant  names  occur  throughout 
this  hill-district  and  give  rise  to  much  speculation,  wc  venture 
to  present  to  our  readers  a  selection  of  the  more  curious  and 
striking  amongst  them.    Several  of  these  we  shall  not  attempt 

'  Archceologia  Ailiana  (old  series),  vol.  i.,  p.  242. 


82  UPPER  COQUETDALE. 

to  elucidate,  whilst  in   our  endeavour  to  explain  others  we  do 
not  wish  to  be  thought  dogmatic. 

Far  up  at  the  head  of  Carlcroft  burn,  between  Black  Braes 
and  Beefstand  Hill,  a  spot  is  pointed  out  as  "The  Deil's 
Mother's  Grave."  Further  down  the  burn  we  find  "  Gugge's 
Grave,"2  a  rock  containing  a  cave-like  recess,  which  gives  the 
name  of  "  Gugge's  Sike"  to  a  small  rill,  and  "  Gugge's  Hope" 
to  the  little  valley  through  which  it  runs  ;  both  of  these  may 
refer  to  some  old-world  legend.  Then  again,  a  long  way  up 
the  valley  of  the  Coquet,  there  is  "  Deil's  Hill,"  and  near  the 
summit  of  Windy  Gyle  an  upright  rock,  some  three  feet  in 
height,  bears  the  name  of  "  Split  the  Deil."  In  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Coquet  Head  we  have  "  Foulhope,"  suggestive  of  evil, 
but,  more  probably,  it  signifies  wet,  marshy  ground.  "  The 
Dodd "  is  a  hill  with  a  round  top.  Up  Fulhope  burn  there 
are  "Saddler's  Knowe"  and  "Saddler's  Slack."  We  should  say 
"  Sadler ; "  for  during  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  Sir  Ralph  Sadler 
was  warden  of  these  marches.  Over  in  Ridlees  Burn  district 
occur  "Witch  Crag,"  "Green  Gairs,"  and  "Hollow  Gairs," 
referring,  no  doubt,  to  the  green  strips  of  pasture.  West  of 
Tindal  Law  is  "  Raker  Crag."  ("  A  rake  is  an  outlying  feeding 
ground.)  Portions  of  a  hill  near  to  the  Trows,  known  as  the 
"  Rasters  of  Shorthope,"  are  most  likely  the  "  Roosters  "  (wet, 
boggy  places.)  Close  to  Riddleshope  is  "  Woolbist  Law " 
(  Woolati,  a  place  for  cattle) ;  a  little  to  the  east  are  "  Hogg 
Knowe  "  and  "  Gimmer  Knowe,"  which  need  no  explanation. 
"  The  Hanging  Stone,"  on  the  west  end  of  Cheviot,  the  eastern 
bounds  of  the  Middle  Marshes,  projects  or  "hangs"  from  the 
side  of  the  hill.  "  Skelly's  Cairn,"  in  Kidland,  commemorates 
some  person  now  unknown.  At  Barraburn,  the  lower  ridge 
of  a  hill  is  known  as  "  Kyloe  Shin  "  {Shin,  slope  of  a  hill) ;.  an 
old  drove  road  to  the  Cocklaw  crosses  over  this  ridge.  , 

Li   "  Russell's    Cairn,"    on    the    summit    of  Windy    Gyle, 
"  Scotsman's    Ford,"    "  Drummer's    Well,"    and    "  Bloodybush 
^  Gugge's  Grave,  mentioned  in  Survey  of  1541. 


KIDLAXD.  83 

Edge,"  all  in  the  same  locality,  we  may  find  traces  of  that 
murderous  onslaught  b)'  the  Scots  on  a  day  of  truce,  held 
near  Windy  Gyle,  on  the  28th  July,  1585,  when,  as  already 
stated.  Lord  Russell  was  shot — "  Russell's  Cairn  "  marks  the 
place  where  he  fell  —  and  his  men  were  pursued  for  several 
miles  into  English  ground.  In  direct  opposition  to  the  Border 
Laws,  the  Scot?  were  fully  armed,  and  had  banners  flying 
in  order  of  battle,  with  fife  and  drums  —  equipments  not 
allowed  at  warden's  meetings.  "  Scotsman's  Ford,"  and  the 
hill.  "  Bloodybush  Edge,"  are  both  in  the  line  of  retreat. 

"  Lindhope,"  in  Kidland,  the  burn  that  runs  through  this 
romantic  "  hope  "  or  valley,  is  remarkable  for  the  number  of 
its  little  waterfalls  and  deep  pools  or  ''linns!'  The  following 
tell  their  own  interesting  story: — "  Deerbush  Hill,"  "Corby 
Linn,"  "  Brock's  Holes "  (badger),  west  of  Tindale  Law ; 
"  Raven's  Cleugh,"  on  the  eastern  base  of  Thirl  moor;  "  Brown- 
hart  Law,"  above  Makendon  ;  and  "Swinessank,"  "Hindside," 
"  Raven's  Crag,"  in  Kidland,  w  ith  "  Hogden  Law  "  close  by. 
"Cushat  Law,"  the  highest  hill  in  Kidland,  evidently  derives 
its  name  from  the  wild  pigeon,  the  Ring  Dove  or  the 
Stock  Dove,  which  bears  the  common  name  of  "  Cushat  "  in 
the  north  of  England.  In  the  Newniinster  Cartulary  the 
name  of  this  hill  is  rendered  Cousthotelau.  The  New  English 
Dictionary  gives  the  following  Anglo-Saxon  forms  of  spell- 
ing "cushat": — Cusciite,  cuscote,  cusceote.  In  the  Catliolicon 
Anglicuin  it  is  given  as  cowschotc.  On  comparing  the  two 
modes  of  spelling — Catliolicon  A  ng'licn  m  —  Cow  schotelau 
(1483;;  Newniinster  Cartulary — Cousthotelau  (1231)  —  it  is 
evident  that  one  and  the  same  is  here  intended.  The  name 
of  "  Kidland  "  itself  ma)-  refer  to  those  da\'s  when  the  wild 
deer  browsed  along  its  verdant  slopes  and  in  its  bosky  dells  ; 
while  another  of  its  place-names,  Heigh — locall)-  pronounced 
lliihe — we  arc  told  by  Dr.  Isaac  Taylor,  "is  a  place  sur- 
rounded by  a  hedge,  and  appears  to  have  been  usually  an 
enclosure  for  the  purposes  of  the  chase." 


84  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

With  reference  to  the  names  of  the  streams  that  wind  their 
way  through  the  deep  glens  of  the  Coquet  hills,  we  shall — 
regardless  of  those  truthful  words  of  Pope,  "  Fools  rush  in 
where  angels  fear  to  tread " — append  the  following  notes. 
MacLauchlan,  in  his  *'  Memoirs,"  when  speaking  of  the  Coquet^ 
says  : — "  The  name  of  this  stream  we  suppose  to  be  derived 
from  the  British  Cock — red,  in  allusion  to  the  colour  of  the 
water  from  the  peat  out  of  which  most  of  it  is  drained."  3 
Again,  "  The  root  Coc  is  evidently  of  Oriental  origin  ;  it  enters 
into  the  river  Cocytus,  of  Epirus,  and  was  one  of  the  mytho- 
logical rivers  of  hell  (?),  which  ran  with  blood,  apparently 
corresponding  with  the  British  Cockett  of  Northumberland."4 
Alwin  may  be  from  the  British  All  (white  or  clear)  aon 
(water) — All-aon  (Alwin).  5  Usway  is  "so-called  after  King 
Oswv."^  The  name  of  this  stream  is  rendered  as  "  Oswei- 
burne "  in  the  Newminster  CarUilary,  probably  the  earliest 
form  of  its  spelling  we  possess,  which  rather  supports  the 
theory  of  its  royal  origin.  Allerhope  burn  takes  its  name  from 
the  alders  or  allers  that  grew  along  its  banks.  Sting  burn  has 
its  source  near  to  the  site  of  the  Sting  or  boundary  cross  of 
the  Newminster  lands.  Yoke  burn — its  name  might  refer  to 
its  primaeval  oak  woods.  "  Yak  "  is  still  occasionally  heard  in 
the  north  as  a  term  for  the  oak  tree. 

The  all-pervading  loneliness  of  the  wilds  of  Upper 
Coquet  has  already  been  alluded  to  in  a  previous  chapter. 
P'or  the  thoughtful  tourist,  the  solitude  of  those  interminable 
hills  is  solemnly  impressive,  and  he  no  doubt  will  realize  the 
lines  : — 

"  No  eye  to  watch,  and  no  tongue  to  wound  us, 
All  earth  forgot,   and  all  heaven  around  us," 

for  as  each  day  the  sun  rises  and  sets,  the  self-same  outline  of 

3  MacLauchlan's  Memoir,  1852-8,  p.  41. 
■•  Our  British  Ancestors,  Lysons,  p.  289. 
5  Words  and  Places,  Dr.  Isaac  Taylor,  p.  143. 
^  Hist.  B.N.C.,  vol.  xii.,  p.  44S. 


KIDLAXD.  85 

hills  and  dells  ever  meets  the  eye,  with  neither  sic^ht  nor  sound 

to  mark  the  difference  in  the  days  of  the  week — all  are  alike. 

With  the  hill-folks  this  is  as  nothing,  for  :  — 

"  The  man  to  solitude  accustom'd  long, 

Perceives  in  everything  that  lives  a  tongue." 

Very  much  attached  are  some  of  the  older  inhabitants  of  this 
remote  region  to  their  hill-side  dwellings.  One  of  them,  when 
on  a  visit  to  some  friends  at  the  small  village  of  Harbottle, 
described  it  as  "a  fair  country  side  o'  hooses" — so  much  was 
she  struck  at  the  sight  of  a  collection  of  dwelling-houses, 
remarking  at  the  same  time — "aa'  couldna  bide  the.  reek  o' 
thae  toons."  Being  accustomed  to  peat  as  fuel,  the  fumes 
of  the  coal  smoke  was  not  pleasant  in  her  nostrils.  There  is 
an  oft-repeated  legend  of  one  of  the  Xewminster  monks,  the 
chaplain  at  Memmerkirk,  in  the  days  when  Kidland  was  in 
their  possession,  who  kept  record  of  the  da\'s  of  the  week  by 
making  a  bee  skep  each  day  ;  but  one  Sunday  morning  his  lay 
brethren  were  shocked  to  find  him  busily  engaged  at  his  daily 
task,  instead  of  being  robed  in  cassock  and  surplice  ready  for 
mass  ;  he  had  either  mislaid  or  miscounted  a  skep,  for  instead 
of  having  the  sixth  in  hands  for  Saturday,  he  was  intent  at 
work  with  the  seventh,  which  meant  Sunday.  We  have  our- 
selves heard  of  a  similar  miscalculation  having  being  made  by 
a  shepherd's  wife  living  in  a  lonely  house  at  the  foot  of  the 
Cheviot  Hills.  It  was  winter  time,  her  husband  was  down  in 
the  low  countr\'  "  turnipin'  sheep,"  only  herself  and  children 
were  in  the  solitary  house.  For  several  weeks  she  had  not  seen 
a  human  being,  until  one  Sunday  morning  her  nearest  neigh- 
bour, who  lived  a  few  miles  further  up  the  glen,  looked  in  on 
his  way  to  the  "  Meetin',"  when,  to  his  astonishment,  he  found 
the  poor  woman  up  to  the  elbows  in  the  wash  tub.  She  had 
religiously  kept  the  day  before,  which  was  Saturday,  by 
wearing  Sunday  clothes  and  reading  Sunday  books,  then  the 
next  morning,  expecting  it  was  Monday,  had  commenced 
to   wash ;    certainly  the   good   woman    was   quite   excusable, 


86  UPPER   COQUETUALE. 

and  no  Kirk  Session  could  take  her  to  task  for  breaking  the 
Sabbath. 

Without  the  following  amusing  description  of  an  olden  type 
of  Coquetdale  sheep  farmer,  our  account  of  Upper  Coquetdale 
would  scarcely  be  complete  : — 

"  Illustrations  of  the  character  of  '  Sir  Burn,'  of  Kidland, 
Coquetdale.  From  Robert  White's  manuscripts  : — Nearly  one 
hundred  years  ago,  James  Burn,  an  extensive  stock  farmer, 
lived  at  Kidland  Lee,  in  Coquetdale.  It  was  customary 
with  him  indiscriminately  to  call  both  man  and  woman  Sir ; 
hence  among  his  neighbours  he  was  usually  named  Sir  Burn. 
He  was  kind-hearted,  liberal  to  the  poor,  and  fond  to  an 
extreme  of  hearing  news.  When  none  save  his  own  family 
were  likely  to  be  present  with  him  during  the  long  winter 
evenings,  he  ordered  one  of  his  servant  girls  to  go  up  to 
an  eminence  near  the  house,  which  commanded  an  exten- 
sive view,  and  endeavour  to  descry  some  poor  people,  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  them  an  invitation  to  lodge  at  Kidland 
Lee,  and  tell  him  all  they  heard  of  country  affairs.  In  the 
winter  season  during  a  storm,  instead  of  riding  about  and 
seeing  his  flocks  duly  attended,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  lying  in 
bed.  Here  he  received  the  various  shepherds  as  they  entered 
the  house— listened  to  every  particular  about  their  respective 
charges — gave  them  the  necessary  orders — and  then  laying 
hold  of  a  large  bottle  of  whisky,  which  he  always  kept  within 
his  reach,  he  bestowed  it  liberally  upon  them,  telling  them  '  it 
wad  keep  oot  the  cauld,'  and  admonishing  them  to  pay  strict 
attention  to  the  various  hirsels  under  their  care, 

"  In  his  preambulations  over  the  country,  and  amongst  his 
own  people,  he  was,  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  accustomed 
to  ride  a  white  pony,  and  had  a  cur  dog  accompanying  him, 
more  remarkable  for  his  noise  than  any  other  quality.  When 
he  had  occasion  to  pass  a  flock  of  sheep,  and  ran  some  danger 
of  scaring  them  by  reason  of  the  continued  barking  of  the 
animal,  instead  of  commanding  it  to  be  silent,  he  resorted  to 


KIDLAND.  87 

the  more  effectual  method  of  pelting  it  with  small  stones,  a 
full  supply  of  which,  to  meet  contingencies,  he  regularly 
stowed  away  in  his  pockets,  before  mounting  on  horseback. 

"  Being  a  married  man,  his  wife  brought  him  three  daughters, 
and  from  the  time  of  manhood  till  his  death  he  steadily 
attained  the  ascendancy  as  lord  and  master  over  his  house- 
hold. In  the  time  of  sheep-shearing  he  gave  employment  to 
a  large  number  of  clippers,  chiefly  his  own  men,  all  of  whom 
were  supplied  with  victuals  from  the  farm-house.  It  was 
customary  then,  as  now,  to  have  oatmeal  porridge  for  break- 
fast, and  in  cooking  the  same,  on  account  of  the  abundance  of 
whey  which  the  dairy  of  a  farm  produced,  that  liquid  was 
often  employed  instead  of  water.  One  morning  Sir  Burn 
observed  this  meal  for  the  clippers  served  up  in  large  wooden 
dishes,  and  set  out  in  the  open  air  to  cool.  The  food  appeared 
not  to  be  of  so  substantial  a  kind  as  he  wished— in  short,  he 
considered  it  too  thin  for  hard-working  men  ;  and  the  calves 
being  at  hand,  waiting  to  be  served,  he  ordered  a  female 
servant  to  mix  a  quantity  of  milk  with  the  porridge  and  give 
it  to  the  young  animals.  Taking  the  men  into  the  house, 
much  to  the  chagrin  of  his  wife  and  daughters,  he  speedily 
caused  the  best  food  within  it  to  be  produced,  consisting  of 
excellent  cheese,  butter,  mutton,  ham,  white  cakes,  and  other 
delicacies,  and  told  his  followers  to  put  aside  all  bashfulness 
and  eat  freely.  When  they  finished  he  observed,  '  Now,  lads, 
ye  may  thank  mc  for  what  ye've  got ;  siccan  cheer  wasna 
intended  for  you.' 

"One  of  his  daughters  married  a  Mr.  Davidson,  of  Feather- 
wood  ;  Mr.  Redhead,  of  the  Windy-haugh,  married  another  ; 
and  the  third  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Horsley,  of  Alwinton. 
Some  time  after  marriage,  Mrs.  Horsley  considered  herself 
not  over  well  used  by  her  husband,  and  they  did  not  agree 
together.  On  one  occasion,  it  would  appear,  lie  had  struck 
her.  This  was  not  to  be  patiently  endured,  and,  therefore,  she 
embraced  the  first  opportunity  of  returning  to  Kidland  Lee, 


88  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

that  she  might  lay  a  statement  of  her  grievance  before  her 
father.  While  she  was  telling  him  he  appeared  to  listen  to 
her  with  great  attention,  and  then  remarked,  'Aye,  has  the 
fallow  had  the  impudence  to  strike  my  daughter?'  'Indeed 
has  he,  father!'  continued  she.  'Then  I'se  be  upsides  wi' 
him,'  said  Sir  Burn  ;  'if  he's  struck  my  daughter  I  shall  make 
him  a  weel-paid7  wife,'  and,  accordingly,  taking  a  horse  whip, 
he  mounted  his  white  pony  and  drove  Mrs.  Horsley,  on  foot, 
home  to  her  husband  at  Alwinton. 

"  Perhaps  the  most  singular  of  all  Sir  Burn's  proceedings 
was  the  way  in  which  he  tested  what  sort  of  stuff  his  shepherd 
lads  were  made  of  when  they  first  entered  his  service.  He 
was  partial  to  strangers,  and  for  the  most  part  made  his  selec- 
tion from  young  men  who  resided  at  a  good  distance  from 
Coquetdale.  This  was  his  mode  of  operation.  He  behaved 
kindly  to  the  youth  for  a  few  days  after  entering  to 
Kidland  Lee — pointed  out  to  him  the  boundaries  of  the 
different  farms — enquired  into  the  good  qualities  of  his  dog — 
and  told  him  if  he  faithfully  discharged  his  duty  as  a  servant, 
he,  himself,  as  a  master,  would  endeavour  to  make  him  com- 
fortable. He  then  watched  an  opportunity  to  find  some 
defect  in  the  lad's  conduct,  and  on  detection  of  this,  he 
charged  him  flatly  with  it — became  to  all  appearance  angry 
with  him— stormed  away  mightily — and  would  have  seized 
the  young  man,  and  not  hesitated  even  to  strike  him.  If  the 
lad  stood  to  him  manfully — gave  him  word  for  word — returned 
his  abuse — and  when  the  grappling  moment  came,  seized  hold 
of  him  also,  and  either  struck  him  again,  or  threw  him  down, 
all  was  right ;  the  quarrel  abated,  and  he  was  the  hand  just 
suited  for  the  place.  If,  on  the  contrary,  the  stripling  was 
bashful — said  nothing  in  reply  to  the  charge — and  bore  meekly 
all  that  was  put  upon  him.  Sir  Burn,  most  unfeelingly, 
couched    his    dismissal    in    these    words: — '  Gae    way,    gae 

">  Meaning  well-beaten,  or,  in  other  words,  he  would  return  the  compliment 
with  interest. 


KIDLAND.  89 

way  !  If  }'e  canna  take  your  ain  pairt,  }-e'll  ne'er  take  mine  !' 
His  motive  in  thus  dealing  with  his  new  servants  was 
essentially  selfish ;  his  lands  lay  far  and  wide  among  the 
hills,  and  he  knew  that  much  promptitude  and  decision  were 
required  in  keeping  the  marches  clear  of  the  flocks  of  his 
neighbours.  Hence,  a  simple  lad  might  be  imposed  on  ;  but 
a  bold,  resolute  youth  who  would  at  all  times  oppose  any 
encroachment,  was  a  better  servant  inasmuch  as  he  would  be 
more  able  and  ready  to  defend  his  master's  interest."^ 

For  upwards  of  forty  years — 1 860-1901 — there  lived  at 
Carlcroft,  on  the  Coquet,  a  family  named  Brown.  John  Brown 
and  his  wife,  a  w^orthy  couple,  belonged  to  the  Scotch  side  of 
the  borders,  but  in  i860  they  removed  with  their  family  out  of 
Liddesdale  and  settled  in  Coquet-water.  Air.  and  Mrs.  Brow^n 
were  known  and  respected  by  all  in  Upper  Coquet,  and  both 
being  of  an  intelligent  and  observant  turn  of  mind,  were  well 
versed  in  local  incident  and  hill-lore. 

On  the  2 1  St  of  August,  1897,  John  Brown  died  at  Carlcroft, 
in  the  75th  year  of  his  age,  and  in  1901  his  widow  and  her 
family  left  Carlcroft,  and  now  reside  at  Chartners,  in  the  parish 
of  Rothbury.  John  had  the  distinction  of  having  been,  in  his 
early  days,  personally  acquainted  with  Sir  Walter  Scott.  His 
father  was  gardener  for  several  years  to  Sir  Walter  at  Abbots- 
ford,  and  John  could  relate  many  interesting  stories  of  that 
prince  of  border  writers,  and,  like  the  Ettrick  Shepherd,  he 
frequently  spoke  of  him  as  "  Wattie."  Seeing  at  the  present 
day  that  every  link  connected  with  Sir  Walter  Scott  is  care- 
fully treasured  up,  we  think  the  following,  as  showing  his  kind 
and  genial  nature,  is  worth  preserving:  —  One  of  old  John's 
earliest  recollections  was  of  being  knocked  over  by  a  pla)'ful 
rush  of  the  baronet's  pet  dogs.  Sir  Walter,  gently  lifting 
Johnnie  up,  laughingly  said:  "Stand  close  to  the  wall 
the  next  time,  mv  little  fellow,  and  then  the  dogs  cannot 
knock    you    down."      John    .said    that   when    Sir   Walter  was 

**  Richardson's  Borderer's  '/'able  Book,  vol.  iii.  (Legendary),  pji.  257-60. 


90  UrPER   COQUETDALE. 

standiiiL^  talking  to  any  one  he  generally  placed  the  point  of 
his  walking-stick  upon  the  foot  of  his  lame  leg,  therefore  this 
shoe  was  always  worn  out  long  before  the  other.  John  Brown 
was  a  boy  ten  years  old  when  Sir  Walter  Scott  died,  but  he 
could  remember  that  dark  and  stormy  afternoon  (Wednesday, 
September  26th,  1832)  when  the  funeral  procession  left 
Abbotsford  for  Dryburgh  Abbey.  Sir  Walter's  own  servants 
carried  his  remains  to  the  grave,  and  John  Brown's  father 
was  one  of  those  who  nightly  watched  the  tomb  of  his 
late  revered  master.  This  was  in  the  days  of  "  body- 
snatchers  " — Burke  and  Hare  and  others  of  that  ilk — when  it 
was  customary  on  both  sides  of  the  border  to  watch  a  newly- 
made  grave  to  prevent  the  removal  of  the  body.  Many  more 
of  old  John's  reminiscences  of  Sir  Walter  Scott  might  have 
been  preserved,  if  Captain  Cuttle's  maxim,  "  when  found,  make 
a  note  of,"  had  only  been  acted  upon  by  those  who  were 
fortunate  enough  to  hear  them  related. 

With  great  pleasure  we  cull  a  selection  of  extracts  from 
the  newspapers  of  the  day9  to  shew  that  even  in  this  hurry- 
scurry  age  the  shepherds  of  Coquet  can  still  enjoy  those  social 
meetings  of  which  their  fore-elders  were  so  fond,  and  which  tend 
to  encourage  friendly  intercourse  amongst  neighbours,  break 
the  monotony  of  their  solitary  hill-life,  and  create  a  good 
feeling  betwixt  the  shepherd  and  the  flock-master : — 

Interesting  Presentations  at  Philhope. 

"  A  very  interesting  meeting  was  held  at  Philhope  on 
the  24th  inst.  (November,  1899),  when  a  large  number  of 
friends  and  neighbours  gathered  to  congratulate  and  do 
honour  to  Mr.  William  Crozier,  Philhope,  and  Mr.  Edward 
Anderson,  Wilkwood.  These  two  worthy  and  much-esteemed 
old  herds  have  both  entered  on  their  82nd  year,  and  are  still 
herding  every  day,  hale  and  hearty,  with  undimmed  eye  and 

5  Having  received  the  cuttings  without  their  headings,  we  are  sorry  the  names 
of  the  newspapers  in  which  they  appeared  cannot  be  given. 


KIDLAND.  91 

unabated  vigour.  The}-  were  both  baptized  in  the  same 
month  in  the  }'ear  18 18,  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hope,  then 
minister  of  Birdhopecraig.  Mr.  Hope  was  the  last  minister  of 
the  '  Old  Kirk  '  on  the  Craig  of  Birdhope,  built  in  1720  by  the 
Covenanters,  still  standing,  but  now  used  as  a  coach-house. 
Mr.  Crozier  and  Mr.  Anderson  were  born  and  brought  up  at 
Spithopehead  and  Blackblakehope,  Redewater,  within  two 
miles  of  each  other,  and  have  been  companions  all  their  lives. 
Both  of  their  mothers  were  born  at  Cankercleugh,  near  Chew 
Green,  or  Ad  Fines  Roman  Camp,  the  last  camp  on  this  side 
of  the  Border.  The\^  have  both  attended  Birdhopecraig 
Church  all  their  lives,  and  Mr.  Anderson  has  been  an  elder  in 
the  congregation  for  33  years.  A  beautiful  oak  easy  chair 
in  Morocco  leather  was  presented  to  each  of  them,  bearing  the 

following  inscription  : — '  Presented  to  Mr. ,  on  his  81st 

birthday,  by  the  congregation  of  Birdhopecraig  and  other 
friends.'  The  presentation  was  made  by  the  Rev.  T.  Newlands, 
of  Birdhopecraig,  in  an  appropriate  speech,  seconded  by  Mr. 
John  Ord,  of  Quickeningcote,  and  the  two  old  men  replied  with 
much  feeling.  A  more  interesting  sight  has  not  been  seen  in 
the  district  for  many  a  day  than  '  Auld  Willie '  and  '  Auld 
Xed '  sitting  side  by  side  talking  '  sheep,'  while  the  young 
folks  danced  to  the  strains  of  Mr.  \Vm.  Dunn's  violin  till  the 
moon  arose.  An  excellent  tea  and  supper  was  provided  by 
Miss  Crozier  and  other  lady  friends,  and  the  two  old  herds' 
birthdays  will  not  soon  be  forgotten." 

Rejoicings  at  Kidland. 

"In  September,  1900,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lcyland,  of  llagger- 
stone  Castle,  entertained  all  the  people  on  their  Kidland  estate 
t(j  a  supper  and  dance,  in  honour  of  Mrs.  Cholmondeley's 
marriage,  which  occurred  some  time  ago.  Upwards  of  forty 
sat  down  to  an  excellent  supper,  and  splendid  arrangements 
were  made  for  the  comfort  and  entertainment  (jf  the  guests. 
The  chairs  were  ably  filled  by  Messrs.  Brown  (Heigh),  and 


92  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

Rutherford  (Kidland) ;  and  Messrs.  Scott  and  Fortune  acted 
as  croupiers.  After  supper,  the  wedding  cake  was  handed 
round,  along  with  a  well-filled  bumper.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leyland 
then  made  their  appearance,  and  were  enthusiastically  received. 
The  healths  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leyland,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cholmon- 
deley,  Master  Christopher  Leyland,  and  Mr.  Wm.  Forster 
(agent)  were  proposed  in  fitting  terms,  and  cordially  responded 
to  by  all  present.  Immediately  after,  the  company  adjourned 
to  the  ballroom,  when  dancing  was  opened  to  the  well-known 
strains  of  the  'Keel-Row,'  which  was  carried  on  with  vigour 
till  daylight  tipped  the  mountain  tops.  During  the  evening 
several  songs  were  given,  rendering  agreeable  variety  to  the 
proceedings ;  and  excellent  music  was  supplied  by  Messrs. 
Anderson  and  Wood,  Milkhope.  The  popularity  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Leyland  in  the  district  was  shown  by  the  large  company 
present  on  the  occasion,  and  by  the  great  heartiness  of  the 
proceedings." 

A  House-Warming  in  Upper  Coquetdale. 
"  On  the  28th  August,  1901,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  D.  Forster,  who 
with  their  children  had  been  spending  some  weeks  at  Carlcroft, 
in  Upper  Coquetdale,  gave  a  house-warming  to  the  shepherds 
of  the  district,  their  friends,  and  neighbours.  About  a  hundred 
and  twenty  availed  themselves  of  Mr.  Forster's  kindness.  On 
arriving,  the  visitors  partook  of  tea,  and  dancing  began  at 
eight  o'clock  to  the  well-known  strains  of  the  '  Keel-Row,' 
led  off  by  Mrs.  Forster  and  Mr.  Oliver,  Mr.  Forster  and  Mrs. 
Oliver.  Refreshments  were  plentifully  supplied  during  the 
evening,  and  a  sumptuous  supper  was  served  at  ten  o'clock, 
after  which  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Forster's  healths  were  proposed  by 
Mr.  Oliver  and  most  cordially  received.  Songs  were  sung  at 
intervals  by  Messrs.  Beech,  Tully,  and  Walter  and  John  Oliver, 
and  dancing  continued  with  unabated  enjoyment  until  five 
o'clock  next  morning,  when  a  baby,  in  its  cradle,  was  lifted 
into  one  of  the  conveyances,  its    mother — who    lived    lower 


KIDLAND.  93 

down  the  valley — having  kindly  offered  her  assistance  to  Mrs. 
Forster's  maids  during  the  evening,  but  could  not  leave  her 
little  one  behind." 

A  Border  Gathering. 

"Once  a  year,  if  weather  and  circumstances  allow,  the 
many  friends  and  well-wishers  of  the  worthy  schoolmaster  of 
Windyhaugh,  up  Coquet,  assemble  from  far  and  near  to  assist 
him  by  a  Concert  and  Social  Gathering  at  Lounges  Knowe. 
The  weather  was  what  any  might  have  prayed  for.  After 
such  a  lot  of  wind  and  rain  that  the  poor  sheep  had  never  had 
a  decent  dry  lie  for  a  month,  a  frost  set  in,  and  the  morning 
broke  quiet  and  fine.  Many  of  us  had  to  come  a  good 
distance,  so  acting  on  the  advice  of  'Sam  Slick'  that  an  early 
start  makes  easy  stages,  we  were  all  soon  asliir,  and  after 
giving  an  eye  to  the  stock  we  took  the  hill.  And  what  a  day 
it  got  out.  Even  those  whose  landscape  is  bounded  by  the 
Cheviot  range  and  to  whom  the  Border  hills  are  familiar,  were 
bound  to  confess  it  was  a  grand  day — dry  overhead  and  under 
foot ;  the  air  as  sweet  as  a  nut,  and  with  frost  enough  to  make 
the  hoggs  and  ewes  go  for  the  rough  land  and  help  to  get 
them  into  fettle  for  the  trying  times  of  April  and  May.  There 
are  those  of  our  readers  who,  it  may  be,  only  get  their 
holiday  in  the  summer's  height,  but  the  winter  when  not  too 
snowy  is  a  real  good  time  for  seeing  the  hills.  Do  they  not 
owe  their  present  beauty  and  outlines  to  the  ice  and  frost  of 
lf)ng  ago ;  were  not  their  lovely  or  rugged  sides  moulded  as 
brae  or  burn  when  the  winters  were  worse  than  they  are  now  ? 
I>ast  Friday  showed  the  Cheviots  in  glory.  On  the  side  where 
the  sun  had  lifted  the  rime  we  had  them  looking  as  though 
they  had  been  bathed  in  a  Jul\'  morning  mist,  and  left  the 
grass  and  heather  sparkling  with  diamonds,  while,  as  we 
climbed  the  sides  from  north  or  cast  the  frost  and  ice  pre- 
sented most  lovely  appearances,  all  the  more  unusual  since  we 
have  had  no  hard  weather  since  January,  1895. 


94  Ul'PER   COQUETDALE. 

"As  the  time  for  the  gathering  grew  near  we  saw  first  one, 
then  another,  coming  down  Shilhope's  rocky  slope,  or  stepping 
the   shepnerd's   footbridges   from   Rowhope,   Bygate,   and  the 
Usway.     We  seldom  meet  in  the  winter  unless  'Jake'  adver- 
tises the  hounds   for  our  '  march,'  so  we  value  the   Lounges 
Knowe  covert  all  the  more  for  its  object  and  the  chance  we 
get  of  a  good  crack.     There  they  were,  friends  from  Kale,  or 
Bowmont  and  Breamish,  hailing  kin  from  Rede  and  Coquet- 
dale,  a  strange  group  made  up  of  shepherds  and  hinds,  with 
farmer,   gentry,  parson,   and   priest,    and   several  new  comers 
from  in-bye  to  give  us  a  song,  while  all  met  to  help  Mr.  A. 
Blythe  to  keep  up  the  school  which  ministers  to  the  needs  of 
such  a  wild  and  romantic  district.     Farther  from  town  or  train 
than  probably  any  day  school  in  the  north,  the  worthy  dominie 
toils  here  at  all  seasons  (barring  holidays  in  Yetholm),  and 
gives  such  satisfaction  to  the  inspectors  that  his  children  pass 
over   90  per  cent,   in   the  Government  examinations.      They 
labour  under  many  difficulties,  for  when  the  weather  is  quiet 
along  the  low  country,  it  will  almost  certainly  be  a  wind  or 
rain  and  a  half  a  spate  up  the  hills,  hindering  regular  attend- 
ance and  spoiling  many  bairns,  who  have  six  miles  each  way 
to  tramp  or  plodge,  from  regular  teaching.     Then,  of  course, 
the  school  room  must  be  kept  bright  and  warm  in  the  long 
winter  days,  and  for  these  expenses  the  annual  concert  is  held. 
For,  gentle  reader,  think  how  far  Mr.  Blythe  has  to  send  for 
fuel — thirty-eight  miles  at  least  to  Elsdon  Pit,  and  then  it  takes 
two  days'  journey  for  a  horse  to  bring  8  cwt.      Much  as  he 
and  we  love  the  reek  from  a  peat  fire,  yet  the  peat  cannot  be 
won  in  this  condition,  and  the  supply  even  on  some  hill  farms 
is  not  as  good  as  it  was.    To  help  in  finding  means  for  fuel  and 
light  in  this  wild  outlying  spot,  beloved  of  angler  or  tourist, 
was  this  gathering  held  therefore.     Punctual  to  time  the  enter- 
tainment began,  for  Mr.  Jacob  Robson  is  always  '  there,'  at  a 
hunt,  or  a  breakfast,  or  a  school  concert,  it's  always  the  same 
with  this  honoured  master  of  the  Border  Foxhounds. 


KIDLAND. 


95 


"After  the  concert  we  gathered  in  Lounges  Knowe  Cottage 
byre  for  a  cup  of  tea  and  a  chat.  This  crack  after  the  enter- 
tainment is  always  much  reUshed,  for  then  we  hear  the  news 
from  far  and  near,  and  from  this  social  board  we  missed  a 
good  few  faces.  Some  are  dead,  others  were  at  home 
wondering  if  the  farm  would  be  taken  on  again,  or  if  the 
Cheviot  wool  would  go  up  once  more  in  face  of  the  McKinley 
tariff,  and  a  few  who  always  tramped  miles  to  this  had  got 
hold  of  some  new  fangled  religious  opinions  which  forbid 
simple  pleasures,  but  allow  money-making  with  stock.  Supper 
over,  we  stood  about  a  A\"hile  glorying  in  the  bright  night,  as 
bright  as  many  a  da}',  and  then  we  all  got  back  to  the  school 
again,  where  we  danced  until  the  Border  hounds  came  along 
to  the  Brockholes  at  eight  a.m.  and  gave  us  a  fine  view  of 
a  meet  attended  by  only  a  few  riders,  but  a  crowd  of  foot 
people  who  will  always  turn  out  for  the  present  master  of  this 
wonderful  pack.  As  the  morning  wore  away  we  parted  with 
a  '  piece '  in  our  maud  or  pocket,  that  we  might  reach  home 
in  time  to  see  how  things  were,  and  get  a  good  sleep. 

"We  telt  all  the  better  for  our  outing,  and  it  is  said  by 
those  who  know  that  at  B\'rness  Church  at  Oxnam  and 
Hounam  Kirk,  and  at  Vetholm  and  Alwinton,  the  singing 
last  Sabbath  was  an  improvement  on  many  a  service.  And 
reason  why?  We  had  stretched  our  lungs  with  healthy 
exercise,  and  went  to  our  duty  with  a  conscience  that  we 
had  tried  to  help  a  good  cause  and  a  schoolmaster  who  needs 
encouragement  in  his  lonely  task  near  Coquet  Head." 


96  UPPER   COQUETDALK. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

THE   FAUNA   AND   FLORA   OF   KIDLAND   AND   UPPER 

COQUETDALE. 

Herbage  of  Upper  Coquet— Grasses  and  Sedges— Scarcity  of  Flowers  on  Hill-sides 
— Charming  Variety  by  the  Waterfalls  along  the  Burn-sides-  Club  Mosses- 
Wild  Fruit — Bird  Life,  from  the  Mountain  Blackbird  to  the  Raven— The 
Falcon's  Eyrie— The  Raven's  Nest— The  Eagle  a  Frequent  Visitor— The 
Angler  and  the  Herons  —  Foxes  —  Weasels  and  Stoats  —  Wood  Ants  and 
Vellow  Ants  —  Adders  not  Frequent  in  Kidland  or  Upper  Coquet, 
Numerous  South  of  the  Coquet,  on  Barrow,  the  Wilkwoods,  and  Dykeham's 
Edge  Grounds— Bird  Life  and  Hill  Scenery  by  the  late  John  Cordeaux — A 
List  of  Plants. 

THE  porphyrite  hills  of  Kidland  and  Upper  Coquet  "  are 
fine  feeding  grounds,  sound  of  surface,  and  clad  with 
verdure."  The  drier  portions  of  the  hills  are  mostly  covered 
with  Annual  Meadow-grass  and  Sheep's  Fescue-grass.  The 
former  is  not  only  one  of  the  sweetest  of  grasses,  but  it  is  one 
of  the  commonest  of  plants,  growing  alike  in  lowland  meadow 
and  on  mountain  top.  Then  there  is  the  Mat-grass,  Ueers- 
hair,  Rose-bent  or  Stool-bent,  and  Flying-bent,  which  also 
yield  an  abundance  of  food  to  the  hill  sheep  in  spring.  In 
the  very  early  months  of  the  year,  when  the  hill  sides  are  bare 
and  barren,  the  sheep  nibble  with  much  relish  the  sweet, 
tender  shoots  of  the  Hare's-tail  Cotton-grass,  as  it  shews  itself 
amid  the  moisture  of  the  moss-flows  and  peat-bogs,  which, 
when  it  flowers  further  on  in  the  summer,  enlivens  moorland 
and  fell  with  its  silky  tufts  waving  in  the  breeze,  and  although 
this  plant  belongs  to  the  sedge  tribe,  it  is  known  amongst  the 
.shepherds  of  Cheviot  as  "  moss  "  or  "  silky-ling."  The  hills 
and  fells  of  Upper  Coquet  do  not  yield  much  to  repay  the 


FAUNA  AND   FLORA.  97 

search  of  the  botanist,  unless  it  be  a  fairly  good  variet}-  of  the 
sedge  tribe,  which,  with  the  Annual  Meadow-grass,  sparts,  and 
bents  already  noted,  form  the  greater  part  of  those  upland 
pastures.  On  the  ridges  of  the  higher  hills — and  plentiful 
on  the  Great  Cheviot — are  found  the  common  Club-moss 
{Lycopodiinn  clavatuvi)  and  the  Savin-leaved  Club-moss  {Lyco- 
podiuni  alpi7tuiji) ;  the  former  is  the  Deer-horn-moss,  the  latter 
the  Wolf-claw,  of  the  hill  shepherds.  We  ha\e  frequentl}- 
seen  the  hat  of  a  young  Cheviot  shepherd  neath'  decorated 
with  a  spray  of  Deer-horn-moss,  gatheied  on  the  hill  when 
going  his  daily  round.  Wordsworth,  in  the  following  lines, 
alludes  to  this  as  being  a  custom  in  the  North  of  England  : — 

"  Or  with  that  plant  which  in  our  dale 
We  call  Stag's  horn  or  Fox's  tail, 

Their  rusty  hats  they  trim  ; 
And  thus  as  happy  as  the  day, 
Those  Shepherds  wear  their  time  away."' 

The  paucity  of  the  hill-side  flora  is  somewhat  compensated 
for  by  the  charming  variety  found  amongst  the  bogs  and 
mosses,  and  along  the  margins  of  the  sikes  and  little  burns, 
as  they  brattle  on  their  way  through  the  deep  dells  whicli 
open  into  the  main  valley  of  the  Coquet.  The  lover  of  wild 
flowers  will  there  find  plants,  mosses,  and  ferns  in  profusion. 
Up  those  picturesque  ravines  occur  mnnberless  waterfalls,  from 
ten  to  fifteen  feet  high,  over  which  the  little  streamlets  tumble 
into  deep  brown  pools  below  ;  the  rocks  on  either  side,  clad  in 
a  ;ich  velvet-like  drapery,  formed  by  mosses  of  the  most  lovely 
hues,  with  a  surrounding  growth  of  purple  foxglove  and  grace- 
ful lady  fern,  of  crancsbills,  vetches,  and  honeysuckle — over- 
hung, perhaps,  by  the  birch,  the  oak,  or  the  alder— which 
combine  to  make  a  picture  worthy  the  pencil  of  a  liirkct-Foster. 
Amongst  other  flowers  found  in  those  cool  sequestered  dells  are 
the  Burnet  Rose,  with  its  pale  cream  blossoms,  the  gay  St. 
John's  Wort  and  Golden  Rod,  saxifrages,  pink-flowered  sedums, 
an  occasional  primrose,  and  the  handsome  large- flowered 
Forget-me-not  (Myosotis  sylvatica),  with  here  and  there  green 

7 


98  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

tufts  of  spleenworts,  and  the  delicate  Cystopteris  peeping  out 
of  the  nooks  and  crannies  in  the  rocky  cliffs  overhead.  On 
the  green  hill  slopes  the  common  Bracken,  the  Male  fern,  and 
Mountain  Buckler  grow  in  large  masses,  and  in  some  rocky 
sweeps  of  porphritic  debris  are  dense  patches  of  the  Mountain 
Parsley-fern,  while  many  a  sunny  bank  is  covered  with  the 
sweet-scented  Wild  Thyme,  Eyebright,  the  ubiquitous  Tor- 
mentil,  the  yellow  Mountain  Pansy,  and  the  azure-blue 
Hairbell.  Decking  the  rocky  scars  are  seen  the  showy  purple 
spikes  of  the  Flowering  Willow,  the  small  but  rare  Dianthus 
or  Maiden  Pink,  interspersed  with  the  golden  yellow  of  the 
lovely  Rock  Rose.  In  the  meadows,  near  the  shepherds' 
houses,  one  is  sure  to  find  the  Grass  of  Parnassus,  a  unique 
flower  frequent  in  the  North  of  England,  but  rare  in  the 
southern  counties  ;  also  the  Melancholy  Plume-thistle,  with  its 
huge  hoary  leaves,  without  prickles,  and  its  large  handsome 
purple  flowers,  one  on  a  stalk.  Along  with  the  Ragged  Robin, 
the  Spotted  Orchis,  Common  Twayblade,  and  Moonwort, 
there  is  an  abundance  of  the  Troilius  or  Mountain  Globe 
Flower.  This  flower  resembles  the  Buttercup,  but  does  not 
open  its  petals  so  much.  It  is  the  Luckan  Gowan  of  the 
Scotch.  Allan  Ramsay,  in  his  "Gentle  Shepherd,"  thus 
speaks  of  it : — 

"  We'll  pu'  the  daisies  on  the  green. 
The  Luckan  Gowan  frae  the  bog  ; 
Between  hands  now  and  then  we'll  lean, 
And  sport  upon  the  velvet  fog." 

Lofty  and  exposed  as  this  region  is,  it  is  not  altogether  devoid 
of  wild  fruits.  There  are  found  the  Blaeberry,  the  Crowberry, 
the  Cranberry,  the  Red  Whortleberry  and  the  Heckberry,  the 
Common  Bramble  and  the  Stone  Bramble,  but  the  finest  fruit 
of  all  grows  on  Cheviot,  on  Cushat  Law,  Bloody  bush  Edge, 
Windy  Gyle,  and  Thirlmoor  ;  this  is  the  Mountain  Raspberry, 
or  Cloudberry,  the  Rnbus  Chamcsinorus  of  the  botanist,  but 
known  to  the  hill  shepherds  by  its  good  old  Saxon  name  of 


FAUNA   AND    FLORA.  99 

"  Noop."  The  plant  grows  about  six  inches  high,  and  has 
in  June  a  single  white  blosso'-n,  slightly  tinged  with  rose. 
The  fruit  ripens  in  August,  and  is  then  of  a  deep  orange 
colour.  It  is  also  found  on  some  of  the  lower  hills,  but  the 
Avriter  has  never  found  it  in  fruit  at  an  altitude  under  r,8oo 
feet. 

Once,  when  ranging  over  the  hills  of  Kidland  and  Upper 
Coquet,  in  company  with  the  late  Dr.  James  Hardy,  my 
note-book  on  the  avi-fauna  of  the  district  tells  me  we 
saw  the  Whinchat,  Wheatear,  Meadow  Pipit  or  Tit  Lark 
in  great  numbers,  the  Kestrel,  the  Sparrow  Hawk,  the 
Mountain  Blackbird,  the  Curlew,  and  the  Heron.  Following 
the  channels  of  the  burns  were  the  Pied  and  Grey  Wagtail, 
the  Willow  Wren,  and  along  with  the  Sandpiper  there  was 
the  Waterhen  and  the  Water  Ouzel  or  Dipper — a  little  reck- 
less white-throated  fellow  alwa\'s  on  the  move  from  stone  to 
■stone.  The  Magpie  is  now  a  scarce  bird  up  there,  and  the 
Jay  is  altogether  unknown.  The  Peregrine  Falcon,  which 
nests  every  year  in  the  Rizzle— a  rock}-  ra\-ine  on  the  north 
■end  of  Cheviot — is  frequently  seen  soaring  aloft  watching  for 
its  prey,  and  a  pair  of  Ravens  bring  forth  their  brood  each 
year  in  Raven's  Crag,  near  Milkhope  ;  while  the  Osprey  and 
the  Golden  Eagle  are  seen  now  and  again  by  the  shepherds 
when  out  (;n  the  hills.  We  have  just  been  informed  by  Mr. 
Millar,  the  Biddleston  gamekeeper,  whose  range  includes 
Raven's  Crag — it  being  part  of  the  Biddleston  estate — that  in 
the  spring  of  1901  the  Falcon  nested  in  Raven's  Crag;  but  in 
1902  the  Raven  forestalled  the  Peregrine,  and  took  possession 
of  the  nest  early  in  the  spring.  The  two  birds  have  never 
been  known  to  locate  themselves  in  this  range  of  crags  during 
the  same  season.  Mr.  John  Anderson,  of  Rothley  West  Shield, 
who  had  the  herding  at  Milkhope  for  many  years,  once  wit- 
nessed a  prolonged  anrl  savage  aerial  combat  between  the 
Raven  anrl  the  I'alcon  over  the  possession  <>(  this  much- 
•coveted    eyrie,    on    which    occasion    the    Ra\'cn     completely 


lOO  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

vanquished  the  Falcon.  Mr.  Millar  has  also  observed' 
numerous  Falcons  during-  the  past  summer  of  1902  soaring 
among  the  hills  of  Kidland. 

The  following  notes  on  Eagles  amongst  the  Coquet 
hills  have  bssn  kindly  supplied  by  Mr.  Alek.  Crammond,  of 
Davyshieldhope,  Otterburn,  late  of  the  Trows.  The  shepherd's, 
house  at  the  Trows  stands  at  the  very  foot  of  Windy  Gyle,, 
on  the  English  side  of  the  border. 

On  the  14th  of  October,  1 881,  during  a  heavy  gale  of  wind,, 
a  small  eagle,  probably  an  Ospr«iy,  alighted  on  a  manure  heap, 
in  front  of  the  house  at  the  Trows,  not  above  a  dozen  yards, 
from  the  door.     The  bird  was  of  a  grey  slate  colour,  and  was 
evidently   exhausted    by   the   violence    of   the    storm.      After 
resting  a  k\v  minutes  the  eagle  "  sailed  away."     On  another 
occasion   Alek,  when    out   on   the   hill,  saw  a  large  eagle  fly 
away  from  the  carcase  of  a  dead  sheep.     Again,  in   1890,  he 
and  his  father  observed  an  eagle  come  out  of  the  "  Gyle  "  burn 
and  soar  to  the  top  of  Windy  Gyle,  where  it  sat  until  they  got 
close  up  to  the  spot.     He  described  the  bird  as  "looking  as- 
big  as  a  collie  dog."     The  eagle  was  perched  on  a  rock,  and 
several    carrion    crows    that    were    flying    about    were    much 
excited,  wheeling  round  the  dangerous  stranger  and  making 
sudden  swoops  as  if  to  attack  him.     The  eagle,  hovvever,  took 
no  notice  of  the  Corbies.     As  recently  as  xA.pril,  1902,  when, 
Alek  was  one  evening  "  looking  the  sheep,"  he  observed  what,, 
he  says,  "  was  the  largest  eagle  he  had  yet  seen."     The  eagle 
was  perched  on  the  summit  of  the  east  cairn  on  Windy  Gyle. 
On  approaching  nearer,  the  noble  bird  soared  away  towards, 
the    fastnesses   of  the   Great   Cheviot.     It    is    quite    probable 
that  the  eagle  has   at  one  time  nested  amongst  these  hills  ;,. 
"Ernespeth"^  frequently  occurs  in  \.\\ft  Newminster  Cartulary 
as  a  place-name  of  the  monks'  lands  in  Kidland.     "  In  1883  a 
female  Osprey  was  shot  b}-  George  Fife,  keeper  at  Barrow 


'  Ernespeth — a  trace  of  this  name  may,  perhaps,    be  found   in.  "  Yarnspath. 
Law,"  on  the  Usway. 


FAUNA   AND   FLORA.  lOI 

Scaurs."-  An  eagle  was  also  seen  at  Kelso  Cleugh — a  shep- 
herd's house  at  the  foot  of  Windy  Gyle,  on  the  Scotch  side — 
in  1888,  which  caught  up  a  grouse  ;  but  on  George  Wallace,  a 
shepherd  lad  from  Kelso  Cleugh,  perceiving  this,  he  ran  and 
waved  his  plaid,  shouting  loudly  all  the  while,  when  the  eagle 
suddenly  dropped  his  prey  and  flew  off.  A  story  is  told  of 
one  of  a  party  of  anglers  from  Rothbury,  when  fishing  above 
Windyhaugh,  being  very  much  startled  by  a  huge  bird  sud- 
denly rising  from  the  bed  of  the  Coquet,  close  to  where  he  was 
fishing.  Hurrying  back  to  his  companions,  in  a  state  of  great 
excitement,  he  enquired  "  if  there  were  any  eagles  up  Coquet? 
for  he  was  certain  he  had  seen  one."  Being  "  town  bred,"  he 
had,  much  to  their  amusement,  mistaken  a  "  Heronseugh  "  for 
an  Eagle. 

Foxes,  Rabbits,  Weasels,  and  Stoats,  are  yet  fairly  numer- 
ous, with  an  occasional  Badger  ;3  while  the  Polecat,  which 
formerly  haunted  the  natural  woods  near  the  Coquet,  is  now 
quite  extinct.  The  Otter  is  seldom  seen  above  Harbottle,  but 
the  Mole,  the  Water  Vole,  and  the  Common  Shrew  frequent 
the  level  haughs  near  the  streams. 

Besides  the  Common  Ant  and  the  Wood  Ant  {Foniiica 
rufa),  the  late  Dr.  Hardy  says :  "  I  formerly  recorded  the 
larger  Yellow  .Ant  i^Fonnica  iivtbratd)  as  a  Northumbrian 
species.  Its  stations  were  under  stones  on  the  Suer  Hill,  and 
in  Langleyford  Vale,  also  on  the  Watch  Law.  More  lately  my 
attention  has  been  directed  to  a  large  colony  formed  by  this 
species  near  the  base  of  the  green  hill  slopes  of  Kidland,  in 
the  form  of  clusters  of  jjiled  up  heaps  of  fine  cla}',  crowded 
over  a  grassy  bank  facing  to  the  Aluin  river,  near  the  foot  of 
Alrihope  Bum,  Milkhope.  There  is  a  smaller  collection  of 
similar  hillocks  (jii  the  steep  verdant  bank  below  Kidlandlee 
and  in  Wliitehunihope." 


»  Hist.  B.N.C.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  129. 

3  One  was  found  sleeping  at  VVhitel)iirnshank  (Kidland),  and  killed  liy  Miirdic, 
the  shepherd,  and  his  dog  ;  il  was  a  female,  and  weighed  iglbs.  —  Ibid. 


I02  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

Adders  (  Vipera  beriis)  are  not  often  heard  of  up  Coquet 
or  in  Kidland,  but  among  the  sandstone  crags  and  heather  of 
the  Wilkwoods,  Barrow,  and  Dykeham's  Edge,4  these  reptiles 
are  so  numerous,  the  shepherds  during  the  early  spring  hold 
what  they  term  "etherin'  da}s,"5  when,  in  the  bright,  warm 
sunshine  of  a  spring  morning,  the  adders,  as  they  crawl  from 
their  hiding  places,  where  they  have  been  hibernating  during 
the  winter,  are  somewhat  sluggish,  and  slow  in  their  move- 
ments, therefore  easily  killed  b>-  the  shepherds.  One  da\-,  in 
the  summer  of  1902,  as  Mr  William  Xichol,  of  Dykeham's 
Edge,  was  engaged  in  cutting  drains  on  these  moors,  he  killed 
no  less  than  nine  adders,  and  the  next  day  killed  five,  ranging 
in  size  from  about  18  to  20  inches.  The  largest  adder  he  has 
met  with  up  there  measured  23  inches ;  this  individual  he 
killed  in  Ramsay's  Wood,  on  Wilkwood  ground.  Mr.  Edward 
Anderson,  of  West  W^ilkwood,  not  long  ago,  found  a  large 
hag- worm  {Anguis  fragitis)  in  a  boggy  part  of  his  ground,  near 
Selby's  Lake,  which  he  dul}-  despatched,  for  the  shepherds 
deem  it  part  of  their  dut}'  to  clear  out  ever\-thing  in  the  form 
of  a  snake,  and  good  is  their  reason,  for  frequently  their  cows, 
sheep,  and  dogs,  and  even  their  children,  are  severely  bitten 
by  adders. 

The  Coquet  would  appear  to  be  the  adder's  boundar}-  line, 
as  the  river  here  flows  between  the  bare  green  hills  of  porphyry 
that  lie  to  the  north,  where  adders  are  seldom  found,  and  the 
rough  heather-clad  hills  of  sandstone  lying  on  the  south,  where 
they  are  swarming.  Then  again  in  the  valley  of  the  Breamish, 
which  lies  on  the  extreme  north  of  Kidland — a  distance  of 
about  eight  miles,  the  adder  re-appears ;  Linhope  Burn,  a 
tributary  of  the  Breamish,  and  Linhope  Linns,  are  infested 
with    vipers.      This    local    immunity   from   reptiles    is    rather 

■»  Dykeham's  Edge  — the  hill-folk  have  a  tradition  that  Dykeham  was  a 
border  robber  ;  a  secluded  spot  in  the  locality  is  known  as  Dykeham's  Dell. 
Edge — a  ridge.  —  Heslop. 

5  Etherin'  days— days  set  apart  for  killing  adders.  "  Ether''  is  the  common 
name  for  adder  in  Northumberland. 


FAUNA  AND   FLORA.  lOJ 

difficult  of  explanation.  It  ma\-  arise  from  the  absence  of 
heather,  and  the  sheltering  recesses  found  in  the  sandstone 
rocks,  so  suitable  to  the  reptiles  for  the  purposes  of  hiberna- 
tion in  winter  and  the  bringing  forth  of  their  young  in  summer; 
or  it  may  perhaps  be  the  scarcity  of  food  in  the  district. 
Adders  feed  upon  frogs,  mice,  moles,  water-voles,  and  young 
rats,  ant  eggs,  small  birds  and  their  eggs,  lizards,  and  slow- 
worms.  Small  birds  are  not  plentiful  in  the  hill  district,  and 
moles  and  water-voles  are  found  only  along  the  banks  of  the 
streams,  while  the  lizard-tribe,  that  is,  the  sand-lizard  (Lacerta 
agilis),  the  water-newt  (Lacerta  aquatica),  and  the  slow- 
worm  or  hag-worm  —  the  favourite  food  of  the  adder,  is 
rarely  met  with.  The  sand-lizard  is  occasionally  seen  in 
the  upland  meadows,  as  at  Carlcroft  and  \Vind}^haugh  on 
Coquet.  Mr.  D.  Graham,  at  Fairhaugh,  on  the  Uswa)-,  has 
observed  the  sand-lizard  in  the  meadow  there,  as  well  as  the 
water-newt  in  a  pool  near  the  house ;  both  of  these  little 
harmless  creatures  are  known  by  the  name  of  "  ask." 

On  the  question  of  adders  in  Kidland,  Mr.  John  Anderson, 
of  Rothley  West  Shield,  writes  thus: — "As  regards  adders 
and  hag-worms  in  Kidland,  I  may  tell  you  I  lived  sixty  years 
of  my  life  there,  and  only  knew  of  two  adders  and  two  hag- 
worms  ever  having  been  seen  in  all  that  time." 

Mr.  Wm.  McLean,  of  Kidlandlee,  another  old  resident,  also 
says  : — "  I  have  seen  very  few  adders  on  the  Kidland  hills  ; 
during  the  time  I  lived  at  Rowhope  I  just  remember  of  one 
being  killed  at  Bygate  Hall  ford,  and  another  above  the  Trows 
going  up  to  the  Windy  Gyle.  Our  gamekeeper  says  he  killed 
one  on  Cock  Law,  and  another  near  to  Davidson's  Linn,  on 
the  Usway,  above  Usway  Ford,  not  long  ago,  but  we  have 
never  seen  a  hag-worm." 

Mr.  Wm.  McLean,  junior,  also  informs  us  that  he  herded 
on  Kidlandlee  for  fourteen  years,  and  never  saw  an  adder. 

A  few  are  found  on  Ridlees,  Linnsheels,  and  Quickening 
Cote — hill  farms  south   of  the  Coquet,  clo.sely  adjoining  the 


I04  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

\\'ill< woods  and  Dykeham's  Edge,  where,  as  we  have  already 
stated,  adders  are  found  in  such  great  numbers.  Near  a  small 
rill  that  crosses  the  road  between  Linnsheels  and  Alwinton, 
known  as  "  The  Apostles'  Sike,"  two  adders  were  killed  in 
the  month  of  April,  1901,  by  Mr.  Mark  Ions  and  Mr.  William 
Nichol,  both  of  which  measured  about  20  inches.  These  two 
full-grown  adders  were  no  doubt  mates,  for  in  early  spring,  so 
far  as  our  experience  goes,  adders  are  mostly  found  in  pairs. 
The  Coquet  Head  shepherds  all  tell  the  same  tale  of  no 
adders  being  seen  or  heard  of  in  their  locality.  The  writer 
himself  may  add  that,  in  his  many  rambles  up  Coquet  and  its 
tributaries,  he  never  met  with  a  reptile  of  any  description. 
Other  details  respecting  the  habits  of  adders  and  ring  snakes, 
which  are  frequently  mistaken  for  adders,  is  given  under  the 
head  of  "Adder  Stories"  in  a  subsequent  chapter. 

As  a  further  description  of  the  fauna  and  avi-fauna  of 
this  hill  country,  we  will  quote  the  words  of  the  late  John 
Cordeaux,  an  accomplished  ornithologist,  who  says  : — "  During 
the  heat  of  the  day  all  the  bird  life  of  the  district  appears  to 
collect  near  the  burns.  Wild  duck  and  teal  rise  from  the 
quiet  pools  ;  the  blackgame  startle  us  as  they  spring  from  the 
bracken  on  the  brae.  One  hot  day  in  July  we  noted  no  less 
than  seventeen  species  in  a  distance  of  three  miles  up  the 
Eelrig — a  lonely  burn  leading  into  the  Coquet  above  Blind 
Burn;  these  were  the  heron,  lapwing,  wheatear,  whinchat, 
grey  wagtail,  dipper,  common  sandpiper,  kestrel,  merlin, 
sparrow  hawk,  curlew,  mountain  linnet,  ring  ousel,  meadow 
pipit,  wren,  sandmartin,  and  carrion  crow — all   more   or  less 

characteristic  birds  of  the  hill  country." "  The 

peregrine  falcon,  locally  distinguished  from  any  other  as  the 
'  hunting  hawk,'  is  becoming  very  scarce.  Mr.  John  Anderson, 
the  shepherd  at  Milkhope,  told  us  he  had  seen  the  '  hunting 
hawk '  beating  up  the  Alwine  one  day  in  the  first  week  in 
August  this  summer  (1885).  When  he  first  came  to  Milkhope, 
thirty-four  years  ago,  a  pair  of  peregrines  came  every  spring 


FAUNA   AND   FLORA.  105 

and  tried  to  establish  an  eyrie  in  the  White  Raven's  Crag, 
north  of  Puncherton  Hill,  but  they  were  invariably  driven 
away  by  the  ravens.  On  one  occasion,  when  crossing  the  hill 
near  his  house,  he  was  attracted  by  the  alarm  cries  of  the 
curlew.  A  peregrine,  in  hot  pursuit,  came  down  like  a  bolt 
on  the  whaup's  back.  Both  birds,  clinging  together,  made 
several  complete  somersaults  before  reaching  the  '  haugh.' 
He  ran  down  the  hill  and  drove  the  falcon  from  his  quarry, 
the  curlew  being  quite  dead,  with  a  great  rip  down  its  back." 

Mr.  Cordeaux  excels  in  word  painting.  This  is  our  excuse 
for  giving  in  full  his  most  delightful  description  of  the  hill 
scenery  of  Upper  Coquet  at  sunset : — "  It  is  pleasant,"  says 
Mr.  Cordeaux,  "after  hours  in  the  sun,  to  walk  home  b\-  hill 
paths,  and  to  feel  the  big  cool  splashes  of  rain  on  face  and 
hands,  and  scent  the  sweet  smell  of  the  hills  drawn  out  by  the 
falling  shower,  wading  through  acres  of  fern  on  slopes  where 
wild  thyme  and  yellow  pansy  peep  through  the  short  sweet 
herbage  ;  but  pleasanter  far  to  drive  back  when  the  shadows 
of  the  giant  fells  are  lengthening  from  the  west,  and,  like  the 
index  to  a  dial,  slowly  blotting  out  sunshine  on  the  further 
slope,  and  stealing  the  golden  rii)ple  from  the  bracken.  We 
follow  the  river  course,  now  dead  on  turf,  then  rattling  over 
broken  whinstone  ;  past  level  reaches  where  the  cloudscape  is 
reversed,  now  dashing  the  water  aside  as  we  plunge  through  a 
ford  ;  first  on  one  bank  and  then  on  the  other,  skirting  rock- 
girc  pools,  where  the  grey  heron  rises  like  a  wraith,  or  the 
querulous  lapwings  are  coursing  over  the  shingle,  watching 
the  flight  of  sandpiper  and  dipper,  or  listening  to  the  whccplc 
of  the  whaup,  far  away  amongst  the  silent  mist-clad  hills. 
Then,  as  wc  cross  the  Coquet  by  the  new  bridge,  and  rise  the 
steep  bank,  we  turn  for  a  final  look  at  'Cheviot's  inouiilains 
lone,'  c;n  which  the  night  is  now  fast  settling  down.  The 
white  mists  cling  close  to  .Alw  iiiton  haughs,  but,  l)c)'ond  this 
sea  of  motionless  vapour,  the  distant  uplands,  with  the  great 
gap  towards   Linnshicls,  rests   like   puiplc  shadows  against  a 


I06  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

background  of  saffron,  graduating  abovj  into  the  rosy  flush  of 
the  afterglow. 

"Two  hours  later,  as  we  stand  at  the  door  of  our  temporary 
home,  there  is  a  feeling  of  frost  in  the  air,  and  the  stars  glitter 
with  winter  sharpness ;  the  moon  is  rising  over  Harbottle 
Crags,  casting  strong  lights  and  shadows,  and  fashioning  the 
serrated  ridge  into  the  likeness  of  a  mighty  fortress  ;  the  last 
loiterer  in  the  village  has  turned  in  ;  we  listen  to  the  distant 
barking  of  a  collie,  the  cry  of  some  night  bird,  and  the  cease- 
less rush  of  Coquet  round  the  Dexil's  Elbow  below  the  Castle 
Rock  ;  but  the  air  is  chill,  and  we  turn  indoors  again  to  the 
snug  well-lit  parlour  for  a  final  pipe  and  a  crack  ;  there  is 
much  grouse  talk  and  much  fish  talk,  and  then,  as  old  Pepys 
has  it,  '  well  contente  to  our  bed.'  "^ 

Plants  found  in  Upper  Coquet  and  Kidland. 

The  list  given  below  does  not  profess  to  be  complete,  or  to 
consist  of  rare  plants,  but  it  will  in  some  measure  illustrate  the 
typical  flora  of  the  district.  The  greater  portion  have  been 
noted  by  the  writer  in  his  rambles  throught  this  most  in- 
teresting tract  of  the  borderland,  while  a  few  are  taken  from 
Baker  and  Tate's  Flora  of  Northumberland  and  Durham. 

Anemone  nemorosa.  Wood  Anemone. 

Ranunculus  hederaceus.  Ivy-leaved  Crowfoot. 

Caltha  palustris.  Marsh  Marigold. 

Trollius  Eurojireus.  Mountain  Globe  Flower. 

Corydalis  claviculata.  White  Climbing  Corydalis. 

Cochlearia  officinalis.  Common  Scurvy-grass. 

Draba  verna.  Whitlow-grass. 

Cardamine  amara.  Large-flowered  Bitter  Cress. 

Arabis  thaliana.  Rock  Cre.ss. 

hirsuta.  Hairy  Rock  Cress. 

Sisymbrium  thalianum.  Wall  Cress. 

Helianthemum  vulgare.  Common  Rock  Rose. 

\'iola  palustris.  Marsh  Violet. 

lutea.  Yellow  Mountain  Violet. 

*  Field,  October  17th,  1885. 


FAUNA   AND    FLORA. 


107 


Plants  i-oixn  in  Uiter  Coc^ 

Parnassia  palustiis. 
Drosera  rotiindifolia. 
Polygala  vulgaris. 
Dianthus  delloides. 
Lychnis  flos-cuculi. 

diuina. 
Sagina  procumbens. 
Stellaria  uliginosa. 
Hypericum  quadranguluni. 

pulclirum 

hirsutum. 
Geranium  sylvaticum. 

Kobertianum. 
lucidum. 
Oxalis  acetosella. 
Trifolium  medium. 
Anthyllis  vulneraria. 
Astragalus  glycyphyllus. 
Vicia  sylvatica. 
Orobus  tuberosus. 
Prunus  spinusa. 

pad  us. 
Rubus  chamiiemorus. 
saxatilis. 
Idreus. 
Rosa  spinosissima. 
Pyrus  aucuparia. 
Epilobium  augustifolium. 

alsinifolium. 
Circsea  lutetiana. 
Sedum  villosum. 
Saxifraga  stellaris. 

granulata. 
Chrysospleniuni  oppositifolium. 

alternifolium. 
Hedera  helix. 
Adoxa  moschalellina. 
Conium  maculatum. 
Pimpinella  saxifraga. 
Angelica  sylvestris. 
Daucus  carota. 
Lonicera  periclymcnum. 


UET  AND  KiDi.ASU—fContmrtcdJ. 

Grass  of  Parnassus. 

Round-leaved  Sundew. 

Commnn  Milkwort. 

Maiden  Pink. 

Ragged  Robin. 

Red  Campion. 

Procumbent  Pearlwort. 

Bog  Stitchwort. 

Square-stalked  St.  John's  Wort. 

Small  Upright  St.  John's  Wort. 

Hairy  St.  John's  Wort. 

Wood  Cranes's-bill. 

Herb  Robert. 

Shining  Crane's-bilJ. 

Common  Wood-sorrel. 

Zig-zag  Clover. 

Kidney  \'etch. 

Sweet  Milk  \'etch. 

Wood  \'etch. 

Tuberous  Bitter  \'elch. 

Sloe  or  Blackthorn. 

Bird  Cherry  ( Heckben y ). 

Cloudberry  ( Noop). 

Stone  Bramble. 

Connn(jn  Raspberry. 

Burnet-leaved  Rose. 

Mountain  Ash. 

Flowering  Willow. 

Chickweed-leaved  Willow   Herb. 

Fnchanter's  Nightshade. 

Hairy  Stonecrop. 

Starry  Saxifrage. 

While  Meadow  Saxifrage. 

Common  Golden  Saxifrage. 

AUernate-Iea\ed  Golden  .Saxifrage. 

Common  Ivy. 

Connnon  Moschatell. 

Connnon  Hemlock. 

C'omiiion  liuriiet  Saxifrage. 

Wild  Angelica. 

Wild  Carrol. 

I  loneysuckle. 


io8 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


Plants  found  in  Ui'I'er 

Galium  saxatile. 

cruciatum. 
verum. 
palustre. 
sylvestre. 
Asperula  odorata. 
Valeriana  officinalis. 

dioica. 
Hieracium  murorum. 
I>eontodon  taraxacum. 
Lapsana  communis. 
Cnicus  lanceolatus. 
arvensis. 
heterophyllus. 
Centaurea  nigra. 
Artemisia  vulgaris. 
Antennaria  dioica. 
Solidago  virgaurea. 
Senecio  sylvaticus. 
Achillea  millefolium. 
Campanula  rotundifolia. 
Vaccinium  Myrtillus. 
Vitis  IdiTea. 
Erica  tetralix. 
cinerea. 
Calluna  vulgaris. 
Gentiana  campestris. 
Polemonium  coeruleum. 
Myosotis  sylvatica. 
arvensis. 
versicolor. 
Melampyrum  pratense. 
Digitalis  purpurea. 

(var.)  alba. 
Scrophularia  nodosa. 
Pedicularis  palustris. 
sylvatica. 
Rhinanthus  crista-galli. 
Origanum  vulgare. 
Ajuga  reptans. 
Teucrium  scorodonia. 
Pinguicula  vulgaris. 


Coquet  and  K\l^\.\•SD—( Contimted). 

Heath  Red-straw. 
Cross-wort. 
Yellow  Bed-straw. 
Water  Bed-straw. 

Sweet  Woodruff. 

Great  Wild  Valerian. 

Small  Marsh  Valerian. 

Wall  Hawkweed. 

Common  Dandelion. 

Common  Nipple-wort. 

Spear  Plume  Thistle. 

Creeping  Plume  Thistle. 

Melancholy  Plume  Thistle. 

Black  Knap-weed. 

Mugwort. 

Mountain  Cud-weed. 

(iolden  Rod. 

Mountain  Groundsel. 

Common  Yarrow. 

Hairbell. 

Bilberry  (Blaeberry). 

Cowberry. 

Cross-leaved  Heath. 

Fine-leaved  Heath. 

Common  Heather. 

Field  Gentian. 

Blue  Jacob's  Ladder. 

Upright  Wood  Scorpion-grass. 

Field  Scorpion-grass. 

Party-coloured  Scorpion-grass. 

Common  Yellow  Cow-wheat. 

Purple  Foxglove. 

White  Foxglove. 

Knotted  Figwort. 

Marsh  Lousewort  (Red  Rattle). 

Pasture  Lousewort  (Red  Rattle). 

Yellow  Rattle. 

Common  Marjoram, 

Common  Bugle. 

Wood  Sage. 

Common  Butterwort. 


FAUNA   AND    FLORA. 


109 


Plants  found  in  Upper 

Lysimachia  nemorum. 
Plantago  lanceolata. 
Mercurialis  perennis. 
Rumex  acetosella. 
Empetruni  nigrum. 
Salix  aurita. 

nigricans. 
Orchis  mascula. 
maculata. 
Listera  ovata. 

cordata. 
Iris  pseud-acorus. 
Luzula  sylvatica. 

campestris. 
Eriophorum  vaginatum. 

anguslifoliiim. 


Coquet  and  Kiui.asd  —  ( Con^i/i//e<i). 

Wood  Loosestrife. 

Ribwort  Plaintain. 

Dog's  Mercury. 

Sheep's  Sorrel. 

Black  Crow  Berry  ( Craa-crook). 

Round-eared  Sallow. 

Dark-leaved  Sallow. 

Early  Purple  Orchis. 

Spotted  Orchis. 

Common  Tway-blade. 

Heart-leaved  Tway-blade. 

Yellow  Iris. 

Great  Wood  Rush. 

Field  \\'ood  Rush. 

Hare's-tail  Cotton-grass. 

Narrow-leaved  Cotton-grass. 


Ferns  and  Mosses. 


Polypodiuni  vulgare. 

Phegopteris. 
Dryopteris. 
Allosorus  crispus. 
Lastrea  Oreopteris. 
filix-mas. 
dilatala. 
Polysticum  aculeatum. 
Cystopteris  fragilis. 
Athyrium  filix-fcemina. 
Aspleniuni  Adiantum-nigrum. 

Irichomancs. 
Blechnum  boreale. 
Fteris  aquilina. 
Botrychium  lunaria. 
Lycopodium  clavatum. 
alpinum. 
Selago. 
Equisetum  sylvaticum. 


Common  Polypody. 

Beech  Fern. 

Oak  Fern. 

Mountain  Parsley. 

Heath  Fern. 

Male  Fern. 

Broad  Prickly-toothed  Fern. 

Common  Prickly  Fern. 

Brittle  Bladder  l-"crn. 

The  Lady  Fern. 

Black  Spleenwort. 

Common  Wall  Spleenwort. 

Northern  Hard  P'ern. 

Common  Brake  (Bracken). 

Common  Moonworl. 

Common  Club-moss  (Staghorn). 

Savin-leaved  Club-moss  (VVolfclaw). 

Fir  Club-moss. 

Wood  Horse-tail. 


I  lO  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

BRITISH    PERIOD. 

AI.WINTON    PARISH. 

■Gallow  Law  Cainp — Terrace  Marks  on  Lord's  Seat — Clennell  Hill  Camp — 
Discovery  of  a  Burial  Mound  at  Harbottle  Peels— Cairns  on  Harbottle  Hill — 
Stone  Hammers,  Axes,  Querns,  Urns,  and  Flint  Arrow  Points  found  in 
Alwinton  Parish — Camp  at  Lanterside — Farnham  Flints— Harecleugh  Camp 
— The  Five  Kings  on  Woodhouses  Beacon. 

ROTHRURY    PARISH. 

Camps  at  Swindon,  Whitefield,  Hetchester,  Caistron,  and  Bickerton — Food 
Vessels — Querns — Red  Deer  Antlers  found  at  Hepple — Barrows  opened  at 
Plainfield  (1862)  and  Low  Trewhitt  (1837) — Bronze  Axe  found  at  Warton 
(1897) — Bronze  Dagger  at  Cartington  (1890) — Tosson  Burgh  Camp — Canon 
Greenwell  on  its  Pre-Roman  occupants — Bronze  Swords  found  on  Simonside 
(1868) — Bronze  Axe  found  on  Tosson  Burgh  (1890) — Cists  and  Urns  found 
in  Tosson  Quarry. 

IMMEDIATELY  on  emerging  from  amongst  the  densely 
packed  hills  around  the  upper  sources  of  the  Coquet  into 
the  more  open  valley  near  Alwinton,  traces  of  an  early 
occupation  are  met  with  in  greater  abundance  than  amid 
those  higher  altitudes  described  in  the  previous  chapters. 
Only  a  short  distance  to  the  north  of  the  village  of  Alwinton, 
where  Hawsden  burn  issues  from  a  deep  cleft  in  the  hills,  high 
up  on  the  left  bank  of  the  stream,  cresting  the  western  brow 
of  Gallow  Law,  are  the  ramparts  of  an  ancient  strongly  forti- 
fied camp  ;  while  on  the  lower  slopes  of  Lord's  Seat — a  hill 
rising  to  the  west  of  the  ravine — occurs  a  series  of  narrow 
clearly  defined  benches  or  ridges,  somewhat  resembling  river 
terraces.  Similar  ridges  are  seen  near  to  Gunnar  Peak  camp 
in  North  Tynedale  ;  Reaveley  Hill  and  Greave's  Ash  in  the 
upper  valley  of  the  Breamish,  localities   that   have  all    been 


BRITISH    PERIOD.  •  III 

centres  of  an  early  British  occupation.':  Care  must  be  taken 
not  to  confuse  these  traces  of  terrace  cultivation  with  the  rigs 
and  balks  of  the  Common  field  of  the  village,  occasionally 
found  near  villages  of  ancient  origin,  but  belonging  to  a  much 
later  period.  In  the  case  of  those  narrow  terraces  seen  on  the 
face  of  Lord's  Seat,  at  Alwinton,  their  peculiar  formation, 
their  close  proximity  to  Gal  low  Law  camp,  as  well  as  the 
■distance  from  the  village — for  the  villagers  would  naturally 
prefer  their  cultivated  strips  on  the  surrounding  alluvial  flats — 
seem  to  point  to  their  connection  with  a  primitive  system  of 
cultivation,  coeval  with  the  occupation  of  the  camps  and  hill 
forts  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood.  On  Clennell  Hill, 
about  a  mile  to  the  east  of  Gallow  Law,  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Alwin,  are  the  outlines  of  another  circular  camp,  while  the 
sandstone  hills  on  the  south  side  of  the  Coquet  extending 
from  Harbottle  down  by  Holystone  are  strewn  with  relics  of 
this  remote  age.  In  fact  the  whole  valle}'  of  the  Coquet 
between  Alwinton  and  Rothbury  is  remarkably  rich  in  the 
material  works  of  its  early  inhabitants.  Camps  and  cairns, 
earthworks,  burial  mounds  and  standing  stones  are  scattered 
along  the  hill-sides  and  over  the  wide  stretches  of  moorland 
on  both  sides  of  the  river.  Some  years  ago  these  remains 
attracted  the  attention  of  Canon  Greenwell,  who  then  made  a 
course  of  systematic  excavations  in  the  two  parishes  of  Alwin- 
ton and  Rothbury,  which  are  duly  recorded  in  "  Greenwell's 
British  Barroivs  (\?>yy)''  a  work  of  infinite  value  to  the  student 
of  the  British  period  in  Northumberland.  From  its  page.s — 
so  full  of  faithful  detail — we  shall,  by  the  kind  permission  of 
the  learned  author,  draw  largely  in  our  attempt  to  describe 
the  pre-historic  remains  that  have  been  discovered  in  the  two 
parishes  mentioned. 


'  "These  terraces  have  been  considered  Ly  many  persons,  antl,  I  ihink,  with 
every  probabiHty,  to  be  the  places  upon  which  some  cereal  crop  was  grown  under 
a  system  of  agriculture  not  quite  intelligible  to  us. — Greenwell's  British  Barrows, 
p.  114. 


112  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

"  The  accidental  discovery  of  a  cist  in  ploughing  at  Har- 
bottle  Peels  led  me,"  says  Canon  Greenwell,  "  to  examine  the 
site,  and  I  found  that  upon  the  spot  had  once  been  placed  a 
cairn,  which,  within  man's  recollection,  had  been  removed  to 
furnish  the  materials  of  a  neighbouring  wall.  The  place, 
indeed,  proved  to  be  prolific  of  interments,  though  not  pro- 
ductive of  anything  in  the  shape  of  weapon  or  implement. 
In  consequence  of  the  entire  removal  of  the  cairn,  it  was 
impossible  to  make  out  where  the  centre  had  been,  or  what 

the  limits  of  its  circumference The  bodies  had 

been  principally  interred  in  cists,  the  first  of  which  was  placed 
north-east  and  south-west,  and  was  2 54^  feet  long,  2}^  feet 
wide,  and  1 1  inches  deep.  It  was  made  of  four  stones  set  on 
edee,  with  one  at  the  bottom  and  another  as  a  cover.  Like 
all  the  others,  it  was  sunk  to  its  full  depth  below  the  surface. 
At  the  west  corner  was  found  a  '  food  vessel;'  but  no  remains 
of  the  body  were  discovered  in  this  or  in  any  other  part  of 
the  site  of  the  barrow  which  was  explored.  The  cists  were 
too  near  the  surface  and  too  much  exposed  to  the  admission 
of  air  and  moisture  to  have  allowed  any  unburnt  bones  to 
have  remained  undecomposed.  The  vase  (or  '  food  vessel ') 
is  6  inches  high,  6}4,  inches  wide  at  the  mouth,  and  3^  inches 
at  the  bottom  ;  it  is  covered  over  the  entire  surface  with 
encircling  lines  of  oval  impressions.  At  a  distance  of  4^  feet 
north  of  the  last  (the  measurements  being  from  centre  to 
centre)  was  a  second  cist,  quite  like  it  in  structure,  lying  north 
and  south  ;  it  was  3^  feet  long,  2)^  feet  wide,  and  i  foot 
7  inches  in  depth.  In  the  south-west  corner  was  a  'food 
vessel,'  in  shape  like  Fig.  i,  5  inches  high,  6%  inches  wide 
at  the  mouth,  and  2^^  inches  at  the  bottom.  It  has  four  thick 
and  unpierced  ears  at  the  shoulder,  and  is  covered  for  a  space 
of  3^  inches  below  the  rim  (the  pattern  being  carried  over  the 
lip  of  the  rim  and  the  ears)  with  encircling  bands  of  lines, 
made  by  a  sharp-pointed  instrument,  arranged  herring-bone 
fashion.      On   the   inside  of  the   sandstone   slab   forming  the 


BRITISH   PERIOD. 


"3 


south  side  of  the  cist  was  a  very  peculiar  figure  cut  in  outline 
with  some  fine-pointed  tool,  the  marks  left  by  which  are  as 
sharp  as  if  made  onl}'  yesterday.  It  is  reniform,  or  perhaps 
more  like  the  shape  of  a  human  foot,  5^  inches  long  and 
3  inches  wide  at  the  broadest  part.    It  is  possibly  an  abnormal 

form  of  the  sculptured  pits  and  circles, which, 

though  they  have  usually  their  place  on  rocks  and  earth-fast 
stones  or  '  standing  stones,'  have  on  several  occasions  been 
found  in  association  with  burials,  and  often  engraved  on  the 
underside  of  a  stone  placed  as  a  cover  for  a  cinerary  urn  or 

a  deposit  of  burnt  bones Immediately   north   of 

the  cist  just  noticed  was  a  cinerary  urn  reversed,  and  full 
of  the  burnt  bones  of  an  adult ;  it  was  so  far  sunk  into  the 
ground  that  its  rim  was  lyi  feet  below  the  natural  surface. 
Though  very  much  decayed,  sufficient  was  left  of  it  when 
discovered  to  show  that  it  had  been  i  foot  4  inches  high,  and 
ornamented  on  the  overhanging  rim  with  lines  of  twisted- 
thong  impressions,  arranged  in  a  pattern  of  chevrons  set  on 
edge.  Three  feet  south-east  of  the  cist  was  a  deposit  of  burnt 
bones,  the  remains  of  a  child,  laid  upon  the  natural  surface 
in  a  round  heap  8  inches  wide.  Six  feet-and-a-half  north- 
west of  the  same  cist  was  a  'food  vessel'  (Fig.  i)  placed  on 


Fir;    1. 


114  UPPER   COf^UETDALE. 

the  surface  of  the  ground,  with  no  visible  remains  of  the  body 
which  it  had,  no  doubt,  once  accompanied.  It  has  four 
un pierced  ears  at  the  shoulder,  and  is  4^3  inches  high,  5^ 
inches  wide  at  the  mouth,  and  2i/(  inches  at  the  bottom. 

"It  is,  with  one  exception,  the  most  beautiful  specimen  of 
its  class,  both  in  fabric  and  ornamentation,  I  have  ever  met  with. 
The  style  of  decoration  will  be  best  understood  by  reference 
to  the  figure.  The  markings  appear  to  be  due  to  different 
applications  of  the  same  pointed  instrument,  which  has  some- 
times been  drawn  over  the  moist  clay  ;  at  other  times  inserted 
directly  into  it,  by  which  means  both  lines  and  dots  have  been 
produced.  It  possesses  the  unusual  feature  of  being  orna- 
mented on  the  bottom,  w^here  is  a  cross,  formed  by  two 
transverse  lines,  with  a  series  of  dots  along  each  side  of  the 
limbs.  This  rarely  occurs  on  vessels  of  any  kind  ;  the  class 
to  which  the  name  of  '  incense  cup '  has  been  given  being  that 
where  such  ornamentation  is  most  commonly  applied.  A  few 
'  drinking  cups '  also  possess  this  feature,  as  also  do  some 
cinerary  urns  and  'food  vessels.'^  Ten  feet  north-north-east  of 
the  second  cist  was  a  third,  constructed  in  the  same  way,  lying 
west-north-west  and  east-south-east,  being  3  feet  2  inches  long, 
I  yl  feet  wide,  and  the  same  in  depth.  The  cover-stone  had 
been  displaced  by  the  plough  at  some  former  time.  At  the 
north  corner  was  a  '  food  vessel,'  a  rude  representation  in  its 
form  of  Fig.  i  ;  it  is  5  inches  high,  nearly  the  same  in  width 
at  the  mouth,  and  2]/^  inches  at  the  bottom,  and  has  four 
unpierced  ears  at  the  shoulder.  It  is  ornamented  over  the 
whole  surface  (including  the  inside  of  the  lip)  with  a  rather 
carelessly-drawn  herring-bone  pattern  composed  of  lines  made 
by  a  sharp-pointed  tool.  Eighteen  feet  north  of  the  last  was 
a  fourth  cist,  lying  north  and  south,  3  feet  in  length,  2  feet 
wide,  and  2]^  feet  deep,  the  cover-stone  of  which  had  also 

^  Cinerary  urns  are  those  vessels  which  contain  a  deposit  of  Ijurnt  bones. 
"  Food  vessels"  are  generally  associated  Ijoth  with  burials  after  cremation  and 
by  inhumation. 


BRITISH    PERIOD.  II 5 

been  removed.  There  was  nothing  found  in  it.  At  a  distance 
of  6^  feet  north-west  from  the  cist  first  named,  and  placed  on 
the  natural  surface,  was  a  'food  vessel,'  somewhat  like  Fig.  i, 
but  having  no  ears  ;  it  is  6'^{  inches  high,  the  same  in  width 
at  the  mouth,  and  27^  inches  at  the  bottom.  The  upper  part, 
for  a  depth  of  2j/j^  inches,  is  ornamented  with  a  herring-bone 
pattern  of  finely-drawn  lines  made  by  a  sharp-pointed  instru- 
ment, the  rest  of  the  vase  being  plain.  Nine  feet  north-west- 
by-west  from  this  vase  was  a  deposit  of  burnt  bones,  those  of 
an  adult,  probably  a  man,  laid  upon  the  natural  surface. 

"  Thus  it  appears  that  the  cairn  had  covered  nine  inter- 
ments, six  of  unburnt  and  three  of  burnt  bodies;  and  it  is  not  a 
little  singular  that  no  weapon,  implement,  or  ornament  was 
met  with  in  association  with  any  of  the  burials.  This  fact 
(and  there  are  many  others  like  it)  is  certainh-  a  difficult  one 
to  explain,  when  the  question  with  regard  to  the  purpose  of 
placing  various  articles  with  the  dead  is  considered,  and  the 
view  is  held  that  they  were  meant  to  be  of  service  in  another 
scene  or  stage  of  existence.  For  here  we  have  a  number  of 
burials  taking  place  under  circumstances  implying  much  pains 
and  labour  in  the  disposition  of  the  several  interments,  and 
yet  we  find  that  nothing  which  might  be  supposed  to  be 
needed  for  a  future  use  had  been  deposited  with  the  dead. 
On  the  whole,  fully  admitting  all  the  difficulties  in  the  way, 
and  not  being  at  all  able  to  explain  them  even  to  my.sclf,  I 
incline  to  the  belief  that,  where  weapons,  implements,  and 
ornaments  arc  found  accompanying  an  interment,  they  were 
placed  there  under  the  impression  that  in  an  after-life  they 
would,  in  one  way  or  another,  be  useful  to  the  person  with 
whose  body  they  were  associated. 

"On  the  side  of  the  river  Coquet  opposite  to  that  on  which 
the  last-described  cairn  was  situated,  and  to  the  west  of  the 
village  of  Ilaj-bottle,  upon  a  spur  of  the  higher  ridge  which 
bounds  the  valley,  were  placed  two  cairns.  One  had  been 
completely  rifled    long  ago,  the  other   I   examined,     it   was 


Il6  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

32  feet  in  diameter,  and  still  23^  feet  high,  though  some  of  the 
stones  had  been  removed  from  off  the  top.  There  was  a  circle 
of  stones  round  the  base.  At  a  spot  7^  feet  east  of  the 
centre,  and  on  the  natural  surface,  was  a  deposit  of  burnt 
bones  of  an  adult  laid  in  a  round  heap  i  foot  in  diameter. 
Three  feet  south-east-by-south  of  the  centre,  and  9  inches 
above  the  surface  level,  was  a  second  deposit  of  burnt  bones, 
those  of  an  adult,  laid  like  the  first  in  a  round  heap,  and  also 
I  foot  in  diameter.  On  the  natural  surface,  and  immediately 
beneath  this  deposit,  were  a  (ew  burnt  bones,  apparently 
belonging  to  a  burial  distinct  from  that  found  above  them. 
Three  feet  north-west  of  the  centre  was  a  large  earth-fast 
stone,  having  a  flat  stone  laid  alongside  of  it  to  the  north-east. 
From  this  point  the  cairn  had  been  commenced  by  regular 
courses  of  stones  set  on  edge  and  inclining  inwards.  There 
was  no  appearance  of  there  ever  having  been  an  interment  at 
the  centre.  The  second  deposit  of  burnt  bones  was,  however, 
placed  just  beyond  the  edge  of  the  flat  stone  above  mentioned, 
and  it  was  probably  the  primary  interment."  3 

Besides  the  British  remains  discovered  at  Harbottle  by 
Canon  Greenwell,  which  have  just  been  described,  a  number 
of  stone  implements  and  weapons  belonging  to  the  same 
period  have  at  various  times,  been  found  in  the  immediate 
vicinity.  A  perforated  stone  hammer  of  porphyry,  triangular 
shaped,  slightly  fractured,  4^2  inches  long,  a  ^  inch  hole  in 
centre,  bevelled  on  both  sides  of  the  hammer  to  i  )4  inches,  was 
found  in  1892,  by  Mr.  Wm.  Davidson  of  Harbottle,  in  the  bed 
of  the  river  Coquet.4  The  late  Mr.  G.  R.  Turnbull  of  Harbottle 
had  a  very  fine  perforated  stone  hammer  that  was  picked  up 
on  the  banks  of  the  Coquet,  near  Alwinton.  A  porphyry  quern 
— z.e.,  the  upper  stone  of  a  hand  corn  mill — lay  for  many  years 
in  the  garden  of  Mr.  John  Clark,  the  Harbottle  estate  wood- 
man, at  Sheepbanks.    There  is  in  the  Alnwick  Castle  Museum 

3  Greenwell's  British  Barrows,  pp.  422-6. 

*■  Now  in  the  Museum  of  the  Newcastle  Society  of  Antiquaries. 


BRITISH   PERIOD.  11/ 

a  perforated  hammer  of  trap  rock.  It  was  found  close  to 
a  cist  which  contained  bones,  ashes,  and  an  urn,  about  two- 
hundred  yards  north-west  of  East  Bank,  Burradon,  Ahvinton, 
and  was  presented  by  Mr.  Thomas  Walby  in  1859.  The  faces 
have  been  rendered  concave  in  the  direction  of  the  cutting 
edge.  The  butt  end  is  smaller  than  the  cutting  edge,  and  is 
rounded.  Both  ends  have  been  injured  by  use.  The  shaft 
hole  is  oval  in  form,  and  is  slightly  contracted  towards  the 
centre.  The  stone  is  somewhat  weathered.  The  length  is 
7  inches,  and  the  breadth  2^  inches.  5  A  beautiful  example 
of  a  stone  axe  was  found  on  the  farm  of  Low  Burradon 
by  Mr.  R.  G.  Huggup,  who  kindly  gave  it  to  the  writer. 
The  axe,  which  is  made  of  a  close  grained  quartzite,  is 
334^  inches  long,  2}i  inches  wide  at  the  cutting  edge, 
tapering  to  i}4  inches  at  the  butt,  and  shows  signs  of  use 
both  at  the  cutting  edge  and  the  butt.  Two  stone  celts  were 
discovered  by  Canon  Greenwell  near  Burradon  some  years 
ago,  which  are  figured  in  "  Evan's  Ancient  St07ie  Iiupkinenis." 
One  is  a  beautiful  flint  weapon  of  a  rare  form,  8^  inches  long, 
2j^  inches  across  the  cutting  edge,  and  ly^  inches  at  the  butt. 
The  other  is  of  dark  coloured  porphyry  4^  inches  long, 
2  inches  wide  at  the  cutting  edge,  tapering  to  i  inch  at  the 
butt.  The  "  food  vessel "  (Fig,  2)  was  found  in  a  cist  on  the 
top  of  a  quarry  at  Screnwood,  near  Netherton.  It  is  rudely 
made  of  coarse  clay,  ornamented  at  the  top  with  the  charac- 
tcris*^ic  zig-zag  marking,  which  has  evidently  been  done  with  a 
knotted  thong  and  notched  stick.  It  is  5  inches  high  and 
41^  inches  diameter  across  the  top.  This  urn  is  now  in  the 
Cragside  collection.  In  tlic  \illage  of  Netherton  there  are 
numerous  mounds,  hollow  ways,  and  intrenchments,  relics  of 
an  early  race,  and  on  an  eminence  at  the  soutlicrn  border  of 
the  township,  called  "Robert's  Law,"  the  late  John  Smart,  of 
Trcwhitt  Hall,  found  traces  of  an  ancient  cam)),  in  which  were 
a  number  of  querns  or  hanrl  mill-stones.  There  is  also  a  very 
5  Catalogue  of  the  .Museum  at  .Mnwick  Castle. 


ii8 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


large  barrow  or  mound  on  the  west  side  of  the  Rithe,  opposite, 
Trewhitt  House.  But  to  return  to  the  banks  of  the  Coquet : 
the  late  Joseph  Elliott,  of  Holystone,  who  died  in  1894,  at  the 
ripe  old  age  of  86  years,  found  a  finely  polished  stone  axe  in 
the  Coquet  gravel  at  Holystone,  which  in  i860  he  gave  to 
Canon  Greenwell,  in  whose  superb  collection  it  now  is.  On 
another  occasion  when  Joseph  Elliott  and  the  late  David 
Bolam  of  Warton   Burn  were  cuttmg  drains  on   the  farm  of 


Fig.  2. 

High  Farnham,  they  unearthed  three  British  urns  which  were 
unfortunately  broken  beyond  repair  by  the  spade.  Although 
numerous  cairns  and  mounds  stud  the  moors  between  Har- 
bottle  and  Holystone,  no  earthworks  or  camps  are  met  with 
until  we  reach  the  southern  slope  of  the  hill  overlooking  Holy- 
stone, where  in  a  field  in  front  of  the  house  at  Campville,  or 
Lanternside,  are  seen  sections  of  the  high  ramparts  and  ditch 
of  what  has  been  an  extensive  camp  with  a  double  rampart. 


BRITISH    PERIOD.  II 9 

A  subsidiary  range  of  earthworks  that  appear  on  the  opposite 
bank  of  the  Dove  Crag  burn,  in  Hne  with  those  in  the  field, 
seems  to  be  a  continuation  of  the  camp  itself;  if  so,  this  presents 
rather  an  uncommon  feature,  probably  the  beetling  cliffs  of 
the  deep  and  rocky  ravine  that  intersects  the  camp' would  be 
thought  a  sufficient  defence.  A  somewhat  curious  note  re- 
lating to  this  place  is  found  in  Mr.  H.  MacLauchlan's  Memoir 
of  Watling  Street.  "  Perhaps  the  name  of  Lantei'u  or  Lantron, 
as  we  have  seen  it,  ma}'  be  derived  from  the  British  IJan,  an 
enclosure;  and  fron,  a  breast.  The  Side  is  evidently  more 
recent,  the  name  would  thus  agree  with  the  nature  of  the 
place.  The  breastwork  or  rampart  seems  to  have  been  made 
since  the  Roman  Road."  This  refers  to  the  Roman  causeway 
that  leads  ■  from  '  Rochester  in  Redesdale  to  Whittingham  on 
the:  Aln,  and  crosses  the  field  near  the  camp. 

On  Holystone  Common — a  large  tract  of  moorland  l>'ing 
to  the  south  of  Holystone  burn,  and  about  half-a-mile  from 
the  camp  just  mentioned — there  are  several  cairns,  some  of 
which  were  opened  some  years  ago.  When  Canon  Greenwell 
was  pursuing  his  researches  amongst  the  British  remains  in 
Upper  Coquetdale,  he  examined  two  of  the  cairns  that  had 
not  been  much  interfered  with.  The  first,  which  measured 
24  feet  in  diameter  and  3^  feet  in  height,  was  formed  of  stones 
with  a  slight  admixture  of  earth,  and  was  found  to  contain 
two  burials  of  burnt  bodies,  and  a  cist  in  which  there  was  no 
trace  of  an  unburnt  bone,  but  a  "  food  vessel "  lying  on  its  side 
was  found  in  the  east  corner  of  the  cist ;  the  vase  is  4  inches 
high,  4)4^  inches  wide  at  the  mouth,  and  2]/i  inches  at  the 
bottom.  The  cist,  which  lay  north-west  and  south-cast,  was 
2  feet  long  and  14  inches  wide,  made  of  four  side-stones 
and  a  cover.  In  the  second  cairn,  wliich  was  al.so  24  feet  in 
diameter,  but  only  \]/i  feet  high,  some  of  the  stones  having 
been  removed,  were  eight  burials  of  bodies  that  had  been 
burnt,  also  a  number  of  flints  and  three  urns.  Amongst  the 
human  bones  were  the  bones  of  a  young  goat  or  shcc[),  "and 


120  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

the  presumption  is  that  part  of  an  animal,  in  the  shape  of 
food,  had  been  placed  with  the  human  bodies  on  the  funeral 
pile."  Besides  a  small  vessel  of  pottery  placed  upright  on  the 
soil  amongst  a  quantity  of  charcoal,  there  was  found  a  larger 
urn,  6j^  inches  high,.  4}4  inches  wide  at  the  mouth,  and 
3  inches  at  the  bottom,  with  an  overhanging  ornamented 
rim,  ij/^  inches  deep,  containing  a  smaller  vessel,  in  shape  a 
miniature  cinerary  urn,  3^^  inches  high,  2^  inches  wide  at 
the  mouth,  and  2  inches  at  the  bottom,  an  overhanging  rim 
I  inch  deep,  ornamented  with  vertical  lines.  While  Canon 
Greenwell  was  engaged  in  his  work  on  Holystone  Common, 
he  observed  an  intelligent-looking  boy  standing  by,  eagerly 
watching  the  proceedings.  The  Canon  spoke  kindly  to  the 
lad,  and  finding  that  he  was  greatly  interested  in  what  he  had 
seen,  explained  to  him  about  the  cairn  and  its  contents,  the 
modes  of  burial,  and  other  information  relating  to  the  burial 
customs  of  the  early  inhabitants  of  the  valley.  At  the  same 
time  he  also  told  him  to  pick  up  every  piece  of  flint  he  might 
happen  to  see  in  the  fields  when  ploughing  or  harrowing.  The 
result  of  this  friendly  chat  between  the  man  of  science  and 
the  ingenuous  country  lad  is  the  fine  collection  of  flint  imple- 
ments that  have  been  gathered  in  the  fields  at  Low  Farnham 
by  Mr.  John  Nicholson,  of  the  Sheepbanks,  for  he  it  was  who 
attracted  the  attention  of  Canon  Greenwell  on  Holystone 
Common  some  forty  years  ago. 

On  the  opposite  page  we  give  drawings  of  eight  typical 
shaped  flints  —  four  barbed  arrow-points,  one  leaf-shaped 
arrow-point,  and  three  knives  or  scrapers. 

Besides  this  selection,  there  are  upwards  of  fifty  other 
specimens,  and  a  large  quantity  of  flint  chippings.  As 
there  is  no  flint  found  in  the  neighbourhood,  it  probably 
formed  an  article  of  barter  between  tribes,  and  during  the 
winter  months  the  occupants  of  a  settlement  or  camp  may 
have  employed  themselves  in  making  these  implements  from 
the  flint  got  in  exchange  for  other  commodities,  which  may 


^^ 


'  ■^^'^, 


%M 


BRITISH    PERIOD. 


121 


account  for  the  quantity  of  chi'ppings  found  on  one  spot, 
in  a  field  known  as  the  "  Nun's  Close,"  all  of  which  bear  the 
marks  of  workmanship.  Farnham  is  in  the  parish  of  Alwinton, 
five  miles  west  of  Rothbury,  one  mile  east  of  Holystone,  and 
stands  on  the  gently  rising  slopes  of  the  eastern  bank  of  the 
river  Coquet,  which  here  runs  from  north  to  south. 

About  two  miles  down  the  river,  beyond  Holystone,  are  the 
remains  of  Harecleugh  camp  (Harehaugh),  whose  deep  triple 


5? 


/x*— ' 


'--sZrj:^::::;;:^^ 


ramparts  furrow  the  summit  of  an  almost  inaccessible  promon- 
tr)rial  ridge  that  stretches  across  the  valley.  It  has  evidently 
been  a  place  of  great  strength  ;  roughly  speaking,  its  diameter 
within  the  ramparts  measures  270  feet,  and  the  ditches  arc  15 
feet  wide.     The  base  of  the  hill  is  protected  on  the  south  by 


122 


URPER   COQUETDALE. 


Swindon  burn,  on  the  east  by  the  river  Coquet,  and  on  the 
north  by  Harecleugh  burn.  These  streams  at  that  early  period 
would  be  surrounded  with  swamps  and  marshy  ground  which 
would  act  as  the  first  line  of  defence.  The  most  remarkable 
and  the  strongest  portions  of  the  fortifications  are  on  the 
western  side,  where  there  are  no  natural  defences  ;  there  we 
find  three  high  earthen  ramparts  with  corresponding  deep 
ditches.  Each  rampart  would  probably  be  surmounted  by  a 
stockade  of  stout  wattles. 

On  the  moors  to  the  west  of  this  are  a  number  of  cairns 
or  mounds,  and  on  the  hill  beyond  an  alignment  of  standing 
stones    called    "The    Five    Kings."     Those    rude    relics   of   a 


pre-historic  age  stand  on  the  heathery  and  boulder-strewn 
slopes  of  Woodhouses  Beacon,  a  hill  rising  some  900  feet  above 
sea  level.  The  summit  of  the  hill  is  crowned  by  an  immense 
cairn  of  stones,  many  yards  in  extent,  which  may  have  some 
connection  with  the  monoliths  below.  Four  only  of  these 
stones  are  now  standing,  the  fifth  having  been  removed  to 
make  a  gate-post.  This  piece  of  vandalism  was  perpetrated 
some  years  ago,  before  the  coming  of  Mr.  Rich,  the  present 
owner,  otherwise  we  should  have  still  had  "  The  Five  Kings  " 
complete,  for  Mr.  Rich,  with  a  true  antiquarian  spirit,  is 
making  it  his  care  to  preserve  as  much  as  possible  the  many 


BRITISH    PERIOD.  1 23 

relics  of  past  ages  found  on  his  estate.  The  stones  are  stand- 
ing in  a  row,  roughly  speaking  east  and  west,  reading  from 
left  to  right  on  the  illustration.  Xo.  i  is  8  feet  high  ;  No.  2 
is  5  feet ;  Xo.  3  is  5  feet ;  and  Xo.  4  is  7  feet.  The  distances 
between  the  monoliths  are  as  follows  : — From  Xo.  i  to  2  is 
17  feet ;  Xo.  2  to  3  is  10  feet ;  and  from  Xo.  3  to  4  is  19  feet. 
The  alignment  at  present  measures  46  feet ;  when  there  were 
five  stones  the  full  extent  was  6^,  feet.  In  whatever  locality 
large  standing  stones  occur,  there  generall}-  clusters  around 
them  local  legend  and  folk-lore.  It  has  been  said  that  the 
whole  countryside  around  belonged  to  five  brothers  who  were 
five  kings,  and  these  stones  were  erected  to  their  memory. 
Care  must  be  taken  not  to  confound  so-called  "  standing: 
stones  "  left  on  the  hills  during  the  glacial  period  with  those 
that  have  actually  been  "  set  up."  Alignments  and  stone 
circles  have  long  presented  a  most  difficult  problem  for  the 
antiquary  to  solve.  These  lichen  covered  memorials  of  a  far 
past  race,  untouched  by  tools,  being  formed  of  the  rough  surface 
blocks  of  the  sandstone  hill  on  which  they  stand,  from  their 
position  and  the  manner  in  which  they  are  "set  up"  shew  un- 
mistakable evidence  of  organized  labour  and  deliberate  design, 
and,  as  Canon  Greenwell  remarks,  what  is  called  "  The  Five 
Kings  has  probably  formed  part  of  what  once  constituted  a 
megalithic  circle,"  or  is  possibl}-  a  portion  of  an  avenue. 

A  circular  enclosure,  with  one  rampart,  is  discernible  on 
the  hill-side  south  of  the  Elsdon  road,  between  Swindon  and 
Woodside  bridge.  The  low-lying  site  of  this  earthwork 
near  the  ba.se  of  the  hill,  clo.se  to  Swindon  burn,  pro- 
babl)-  indicates  a  cattle  enclosure.  On  a  rocky  bluff  one 
mile  south-east  of  Harecleugh  camp  we  find  another  pre- 
historic stronghold,  generally  known  as  W  hitefield  camp. 
The  following  paper  read,  on  the  spot,  b)-  the  writer,  to  the 
members  of  the  Xewcastle  Society  of  Antiquaries,  on  their 
visit  to  Sir  J.  W.  li.  Riddell,  liart.,  Whitefield  House,  in  the 
summer  of  1901,  when  there  was  akso  exhibited  a  number  of 


124  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

flint  arrow  heads  and  other  antiquities  of  the  Ancient  British 
period  will  best  describe  it : — "  A  few  minutes  ago  we  were 
standing  within  the  walls  of  a  well-appointed  modern  British 
dwelling ;  we  now  stand  within  the  precincts  of  an  ancient 
British  dwelling.  A  striking  contrast  they  would  present 
were  it  possible  to  have  seen  the  two  side  by  side.  This 
camp,  in  its  primitive  state,  would  be  surrounded  by  a  massive 
rampart  of  earth  and  stones,  surmounted  by  a  high  strong 
fence.  Arranged  within  the  rampart  there  would  be  a 
number  of  circular  huts,  with  small  doorways  facing  the 
south,  having  pointed  roofs  covered  with  sods  and  heather ;  a 
fire  of  wood  burning  on  the  large  stone  flag,  usually  found  in 
the  centre  of  each  hut  circle,  the  smoke  escaping  as  best  it 
could ;  a  numerous  colony  of  men,  women,  and  children, 
moving  hither  and  thither,  using  such  domestic  implements 
and  tools,  weapons  of  war  and  of  the  chase,  as  the  members 
are  now  inspecting.  With  weapons  such  as  these  flint  arrow- 
points,  spear  heads,  and  bronze  axes,  did  the  pre-historic 
inhabitants  of  the  valley  fight  their  battles,  hunt  the  British 
ox  in  the  woodland  glades  along  the  banks  of  the  Coquet,  the 
wild  boar  among  the  thickets  of  Swindon  burn,  the  red  deer 
on  the  heights  of  Kill-buck,  the  wild  cat  on  Cat's-law,  the 
prowling  wolf  in  his  lair  at  Wolfershiel,  the  raven  on  the 
lofty  cliffs  of  Ravensheugh,  or  the  eagle  on  Earnslaw,^  This 
hill-fort  is  known  as  Whitefield  camp,  Soldiers'-fauld,  and 
Witches'-neuk.  The  latter  is  derived  from  a  legend  that 
*  Meg  o'  Meldon,'  in  one  of  her  midnight  flights  on  broom 
shank  or  stalk  of  ragwort,  rested  on  the  rocks  that  form  its 
northern  defence.  Roughly  speaking,  the  camp  measures  270 
feet  from  east  to  west,  by  212  feet  from  north  to  south, 
surrounded  by  a  single  rampart  of  great  strength,  with  a 
corresponding  deep  ditch,  which,  on  the  south-east  lines  of 
defence,  is  yet  some  twenty  feet  deep.  There  have  been  two 
entrances  to  the  camp  ;  one  in  the  north-east  corner,  the  other 

*  Proc.  Soc.  Antq.,  Newcastle,  vol.  x.,  p.  49. 


BRITISH   PERIOD.  12$ 

in  the  north-west  corner.  In  selecting  the  position  of  these 
entrances  defensibihty  has  been  the  object,  as  they  are  both 
placed  at  points  where  there  is  a  steep  ascent,  rendering  the 
approach  somewhat  hazardous.  The  north-east  entrance 
passes  straight  through  the  lines  of  defence  below  the  level 
of  the  ramparts,  but  above  the  level  of  the  ditch.  That 
on  the  north-west  also  leads  right  through  the  earthworks 
in  the  same  manner,  but  it  is  defended  by  an  earthwork 
on  the  south  side  of  the  opening,  thus  causing  the  path  to 
lead  out  of  the  enclosure  in  an  oblique  direction,  which 
continues  down  the  north  slope  of  the  hill  until  it  reaches  the 
level  plateau  below.  On  this  plateau  is  a  number  of  small 
mounds,  supposed  to  be  burials.  Several  of  these  were  opened 
some  years  ago  b}-  Mr.  James  Brook,  of  Hepple,  who  found 
most  of  them  to  contain  a  small  quantity  of  dark  brown 
substance.  From  the  elevated  ramparts  of  '  Soldiers'-fauld  * 
seven  other  well-defined  camps  are  visible — Callaly  Castle  hill 
on  the  north.  Old  Rothbury,  West  Hills  and  Tosson  Burgh 
on  the  east,  Caistron,  Hetchester,  and  Harecleugh  in  the 
immediate  locality,  besides  numberless  cairns  on  the  hill  tops 
and  earthworks  on  the  slopes  of  the  hills,  all  of  which  have 
their  origin  in  pre-historic  times. 

In  and  near  Hetchester  camp,  which  is  on  the  brow  of  a 
hill  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Coquet  from  Whitefield  camp, 
have  been  found  many  objects  of  interest.  Canon  Greenwell 
has  in  his  collection  a  beautifully  formed  urn  of  the  '  food 
vessel'  type  (Fig.  3),  shewing  markings  o{  rather  an  uncommon 
character,  which  was  found  near  Hepple."  In  a  foot  note  at 
page  424,  British  Barrozvs,  he  thus  describes  it : — "  I  possess 
a  very  small  '  food  vessel,'  with  four  perforated  ears,  being 
only  i^  inches  high,  2]^  inches  wide  at  the  mouth,  and 
i^  inches  at  the  bottom,  on  which  is  a  cross  of  twisted-thong 
impressions." 

Several  cjuerns,  a  few  defaced  Roman  coins,  and  large 
quantities  of  antlers  of  the  Red  Deer,  have  from  time  to  time 


126 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


been  laid  bare  by  the  quarrymen  when  removing  earth  from 
the  top  of  the  Hmestone  ;  this  process,  of  many  years'  con- 
tinuance, has  almost  destroyed  the  outline  of  the  ramparts  of 
Hetchester.  In  the  Nevvminster  cartulary  we  find  this  place 
called  "  Heichester,"  probably  to  distinguish  it  from  the  low- 
lying  camp  or  enclosure  on  the  monks'  lands  at  "  Kestern," 
[  close  on  the  banks  of  the  Coquet. 


The  level  lands  lying  on  the  north  side  of  Wreighill — on 
which  Hetchester  camp  is  situated — have  also  yielded  their 
quota  of  pre-historic  relics.  Tate  s  MS S.  contains  the  following 
record: — 1862. — "Three  barrows  were  opened  at  Plainfield,  one 
a  cairn  which  was  25  feet  in  diameter,  and  was  set  round  with 
stones,  and  2  feet  high.    Within  was  a  cist  5  feet  long,  E.  to  W., 


BRITISH    PERIOD. 


127 


and  an  urn  7  inches  high,  jar-shaped,  with  chevron  ornament, 
but  broken.  The  second  about  lOO  yards  N.W.  on  a  '  knowe,' 
12  feet  in  diameter,  set  round  with  stones.  Within  were  a 
cist  and  a  large  urn  with  chevron  ornament,  but  broken. 
Another,  east  of  Plainfield,  in  a  field  called  the  Bank — a  low 
cairn  with  a  broken  urn.  At  Low  Trewitt,  near  the  burnside, 
on  a  rising  ground  on  a  fine  loam,  a  cist  was  found  S.W.  by 
N.E.,  4  feet  long  by  16  inches  broad,  containing  a  tulip- 
shaped  urn,  about  9  inches  high,  ashes  inside  (i837)."7  Mr. 
MacLauchlan,  in  his  Memoir,  p.  52,  remarks  further  on  this 
point : — "  The  marks  of  occupation  about  it,  and  above  it  on 
the  moor,  would  lead  to  the  idea  that  it  had  been  an  ancient 
settlement;  there  is  a  tumulus  planted  with  trees,  a  little  west 
of  the  house,  and  about  a  quarter-of-a-mile  further  west,  on 
the  north  side  of  the  rivulet,  a  cist  was  dug  up,  formed  of 
large  flag-stones  placed  in  the  form  of  a  rectangle,  with  a 
large  stone  as  a  corner,  and  within  the  cist  was  an  urn  con- 
taining ashes  and  bones.  The  name  of  the  tumulus  is  Maiden 
Knowe,  and  in  the  first  part  (of  the  name)  we  are  disposed  to 
see  a  Celtic  orign." 

A  fine  quern  of  sandstone  was  turned 
up  on  Plainfield  Moor  some  years  ago, 
and  now  lies  at.  the  front  door  of  the 
farm  house  at  Plainfield. 

In  1897,  William  Lindsa)^  found  a 
bronze  socketed  celt,  3^  inches  long  and 
two  inches  wide  at  the  cutting  edge 
fFig.  4),  in  a  field  at  Warton.  This  bronze 
implement  is  now  in  the  Cragside  collec- 
tion. A  little  further  down  the  valley, 
in  a  field  between  Whittle  and  Cartington 
liank  Head,  a  bronze  dagger,  8  inches 
long,  i]/:^  inches  at  the  widest  part  of  the  blade  (Fig.  5),  was 
found  in  a  cist  beneath  a  mound  by  John  Clark  about   1890. 


'Proc.  B.N.  Club,  vol.  xi.,  p.  297. 


128 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


:'^t^ 


?;'iVJ 


iWf: 


T4 


iM 


1 


Passing  a  small  camp  on  Bickerton  hill  the 
next  of  importance  is  Tosson  Burgh,  about 
three  miles  east  of  Whitefield,  situated  on  a 
prominent  spur  of  the  Simonside  hills,  near 
Great  Tosson.  Having  had  the  privilege 
of  being  associated  some  years  ago  with 
Captain  Hedley,  in  the  survey  of  Tosson 
Burgh,  Lorden-shaws,  and  Old  Rothbury 
camps  we  shall,  by  his  kind  permission,  make 
use  of  his  reliable  description  and  measure- 
ments. "The  Burgh  (pronounced  Bruff)  hill 
is  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  from  Great 
Tosson,  near  Rothbury.  Its  verdure  makes 
the  hill  a  land-mark  on  account  of  the 
contrast  its  colour  affords  to  that  of  the 
surrounding  heather  and  gray  rocks.  The 
hill  itself  is  steep  on  its  north  side,  and 
midway  on  the  slope  is  a  terrace.  On  the 
west  and  east  side  the  slope  of  the  hill  is 
gradual,  on  the  south  side  it  is  severed  by  a 
narrow  and  shallow  ravine  from  a  rocky  and 
heather-covered  plateau,  extending  to  Spital 
hill,  on  which  is  the  burial  ground  described 
by  Mr.  Dixon. 

"The  Burgh  hill  camp  occupies  the  sum- 
mit of  the  hill  (746  feet).  It  is  roughly 
oval,  lying  N.W.  and  S.E.  by  N.E.  and 
S.W.,  and  is  348  feet  by  168  feet,  and  con- 
tains 17  acres.  The  rampart  has  been 
thrown  up  partly  from  the  inside  of  the 
camp  and  partly  from  the  outside.  In 
places  it  almost  appears  to  have  a  ditch 
both  inside  and  outside.  The  rampart  on 
the  north  side  is  now  very  ruinous,  and 
seems  never  to  have  been  of  large  size  ;  the  natural  strength  of 


,% 


'PJ 


'-■^i 


Fig.  5. 


BRITISH    PERIOD.  I  29 

this  side  would  render  much  artificial  protection  unnecessary. 
From  the  south-east  corner  the  defences  round  the  south  and 
south-west  sides  consist  of  a  rampart  and  ditch,  both  much 
altered  by  time  and  cultivation.  In  its  highest  part  the 
rampart  is  now  nine  feet  high  from  the  bottom  of  the  ditch. 
The  defences  would  in  all  probability  be  further  strengthened 

by  a  stockade  on  the  top  of  the  rampart 

There  appears  to  have  been  an  entrance  to  the  camp  on  the 
east  side,  as  the  ditch  ends  abruptly  there.  Another  entrance 
is  at  the  west  end,  and  a  third  seems  to  have  existed  near 
the  centre  of  the  south  side.  In  the  narrow  ravine  to  the 
south  of  the  camp  there  is  a  rampart,  or  what  seems  to  be  one, 
raised  in  the  centre  of  the  depression,  and  with  an  opening 
through  it  opposite  to  what  was  probably  the  south  gateway. 
This  mound  or  rampart  extends  along  the  entire  south  face  of 
the  camp,  disappearing  opposite  its  west  end,  but  continued  for 
150  yards  east  of  the  camp  ;  here,  however,  it  may  be  natural, 
as  it  is  difficult  to  recognise  in  this  and  other  hollows  to  the 
east  of  the  camp  anything  artificial.  A  ditch,  however,  which 
runs  across  the  slope  of  the  hill  from  north  to  south,  and 
about  a  hundred  yards  east  of  the  camp,  is  probably  a  portion 

of  the  defences It  must  be  admitted,  however,  that 

the  ditches  and  mounds  to  the  east  of  the  camp,  and  on  the 
face  of  the  hill,  eighty  yards  south  of  it,  are  very  puzzling, 
and  but  for  their  absolute  want  of  connection  and  continuity 
might  well  claim  to  be  artificial  ;  some  of  them  have  probably 
been  formed  by  the  traffic  to  and  from  the  camp,  and  by  the 
flow  ^>f  drainage  water. 

I  have  described  Burgh  liill  camp  somewhat  minutely, 
on  account  of  its  interest  as  an  early  place  of  defence,  and  as 
being  very  possibly  the  stronghold  of  the  people  whose  burial 
ground,  near  Spital  hill,  has  been  extensively  excavated  by 
Lord  Armstrong,  under  the  superintendence  of  Mr.  Dixon, 
who  has  given  a  description  of  the  burials  there.  Three 
hundred    yards    south-east    from    Burgh    hill    camp    are    two 

9 


I30  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

circular  spaces  surrounded  by  a  mound  about  two  feet  high, 
and  respectively  23  and  17  yards  in  diameter.  .  .  .  Those 
are  beyond  a  doubt  the  ruins  of  (ancient)  sheep  stells."  Capt. 
Hedley  further  remarks :  "  It  is  very  remarkable  that  we 
should  find  so  many  ancient  British  strongholds  grouped 
together  within  such  a  narrow  compass,  and  in  such  wild  and 
inaccessible  situations  as  do  not  appear  suitable  to  a  com- 
munity certainly  possessed  of  flocks  and  herds,  and  almost  as 
certainly  practising  some  system  of  agriculture,  though  it  may 
have  been  a  rude  one.''^ 

On  the  22nd  of  August,  1890,  the  members  of  "The 
Durham  and  Northumberland  Architectural  and  Archaeolo- 
gical Society "9  visited  Tosson  Burgh,  when,  seated  on  the 
ramparts  of  the  camp,  they  listened  with  great  interest  to  an 
address  from  the  President  on  the  people  who  occupied  this 
country  before  the  Roman  invasion.  In  the  course  of  his 
remarks  Canon  Greenwell  said  he  did  not  think  he  could  have 
occupied  a  more  appropriate  spot  to  speak  of  the  Ancient 
Britons.  "  They  were  assembled  on  the  outskirts  of  a  camp, 
one  which-  possessed  a  commanding  site  and  a  most  extensive 
view  of  the  valley  of  the  Coquet,  both  up  and  down  its  course. 
He  desired  to  address  a  few  words  to  them  about  the  people 
to  whom  he  attributed  the  camp  and  other  early  remains  in 
the  valley  of  the  Coquet.  Pre-historic  times — the  time  before 
the  occupation  of  Britain  by  the  Romans — had  been  divided 
into  the  stone,  bronze,  and  iron  periods.  It  was  due  to 
the  discrimination  of  the  archaeologists  of  Denmark  that 
this  nomenclature  had  been  adopted.  About  the  facts  of 
how  and  when  bronze  was  introduced  into  Britain,  it  was 
difficult  to  come  to  a  positive  conclusion,  but  he  thought 
they  might  regard  it  as  coming  in  with  a  conquering 
people.  They  had  been  accustomed  to  regard  the  ancient 
Briton  as  a   kind  of  savage  who  walked   about  with  only  a 

**  Arch,  ^liana,  vol.  xv.,  pp.  33-6. 

9  Transactions  of  the  Society,  vol.  iv. ,  p.  12. 


BRITISH   PERIOD. 


131 


>«.ti 


coating  of  paint  as  a  dress.  In  such  a  climate  as  this  such 
a  dress  would  be  impossible,  and  there  was  no  doubt,  if  we 
may  judge  b}-  the  things  discovered,  that  they  were  almost  as 
well  clothed  as  we  are  at  the  present  day.  He  then  discoursed 
at  length  upon  the  weapons  used  by  the  ancient  Britons,  and 
stated  that,  not  ver\'  far  from  where  they  were  sitting,  some 
fine  examples  of  swords  had  been  found  ;  and  as  recently  as 
the  previous  Thursday  a  very  good  specimen  of  a  bronze  axe 
had  been  discovered  by  Lord  Armstrong's  workmen  while 
trenching  on  the  moor  not  a  mile  from  the  spot  on 
which  the}'  were  seated.  He  next  spoke  of  the  \: 
ornaments  used  in  the  bronze  period,  and  of  the 
clothing  worn.  With  regard  to  the  position  under 
which  these  people  lived  as  to  government,  he 
thought  it  was  tribal  rather  than  of  the  rule  of  a 
general  head  over  the  whole  country."  The  swords 
referred  to  by  Canon  Greenwell  are  now  in  the 
Alnwick  Castle  Museum,  and  are  thus  described 
in  the  Catalogue,  Nos.  230  and  231,  p.  53:  "Two 
leaf-shaped  bronze  swords  ;  one  of  them  is  i  foot 
9  inches  long,  it  is  perfect  excepting  that  it  is 
broken  at  its  lower  extremity ;  it  has  four  ri\ct 
holes  in  the  handle,  in  which  three  of  the  rivets 
remain.  (Fig.  6.)  The  other  is  i  foot  2  inches  and 
a  quarter  long,  but  the  upper  part  of  the  blade^and 
the  handle  plate  are  wanting.  The  pommels  of  the 
handles  of  these  swords  are  made  of  lead,  a  circum- 
stance which  renders  them  quite  unique.  Three 
bronze  rings  were  found  with  these  swords,  w  hich 
were  probably  used  in  fastening  the  swords  to  their 
belts.  They  were  found  in  August,  1868,  on  the  side  of  the 
.Simonside  Hills,  near  Great  Tosson,  Iv'ing  under  a  rock,  by  a 
boy  and  a  girl  who  were  gathering  ferns.  The  children  at  first 
mistook  them  for  adders,  and,  before  approaching  too  near,  pro- 
vided themselves  with  stones  for  destroying  the  reptiles." 


;9o.i 


m 


Vu:.  6. 


n,2 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


The  flanged  bronze  axe  (Fig-.  7)  was 
found  on  Tosson  Burgh,  in  1890;  it  is  5 
inches  long,  and  2  inches  wide  at  the  cutting 
edge.  The  discovery  of  this  axe  completes 
a  set  of  three  types  of  axes  in  use  during 
what  is  now  known  as  the  bronze  period, 
viz.:— The  flint  axe,  Fig.  11,  found  on  Crag- 
side  hill;  the  socketed  bronze  celt,  Fig.  4, 
from  Warton  ;  and  the  flanged  bronze  axe, 
Fig.  7,  at  Tosson.  It  was  rather  a  curious 
circumstance  that  the  Tosson  axe  was  dis- 
covered by  a  workman  when  trenching  in  the 
"  Long  Planting,"  close  to  Burgh  hill  camp, 
only  a  kw  days  previous  to  a  meeting  of  the 
Durham  Society,  at  Tosson,  in  1890,  when, 
much  to  their  amusement,  the  members  were 
informed  by  the  learned  president  that  the 
exhibitor  of  the  axe  "  had  had  it  dug  up  the 
day  before  expressly  for  their  edification  !"  A  very  fine 
socketed  bronze  celt  was  turned  up  by  the  plough  some  years 
ago  in  a  field  at  the  bottom  of  the  Burgh  hill,  which  has, 
unfortunately,  been  lost  sight  of 

The  two  amber  buttons  or  amulets  (Fig.  8),  were  found  by 


Fig.  8. 


some  workmen  when  cutting  drains  on   Simonside.      Many 
years  ago  four  cists  were  discovered  in   a   limestone  quarry„ 


BRITISH    PERIOD.  1 33 

near  Great  Tosson.  In  one  of  them  was  a  body,  probably  that 
of  a  woman,  the  cist  containing  in  addition  a  jet  button  and  a 
"food  vessel."  Another  held  a  body  with  a  jet  button  similar 
to,  though  rather  smaller  than  the  other.  There  was  also  in 
this  cist  a  "food  vessel"  in  shape  like  Fig.  9,  S}i  inches  high, 


Fig.  9. 

7^  inches  wide  at  the  mouth,  and  3^  inches  at  the  bottom  ; 
it  is  ornamented  on  the  inside  of  the  lip  with  four  encircling 
lines  of  twisted-thong  impressions,  and  on  the  upper  three 
inches  of  the  vessel  with  bands  of  lines  arranged  herring-bone 
fashion,  and  made  by  the  application  of  very  thick  and  loosely 
twisted  thong.  The  other  two  cists  contained  each  the  remains 
of  an  unburnt  body,  but  with  no  associated  article  in  either 
case.  An  iron  javelin  or  spear-head,  and  a  small  bronze  buckle, 
are  said  to  have  been  found  in  one  of  the  cists,  but  both  the 
objects  named  seem  to  be  so  evidently  of  later  date  as  to  make 
it  probable  that  they  belonged  to  some  post-Roman  interments 
which  had  taken  place  at  the  spot  many  centuries  later  than 
the  era  which  saw  the  construction  of  the  cists  in  which  the 
vases  and  buttons  were  found.  It  is  a  fact  that  some  bodies 
interred  at  full  length,  and  with  the  heads  to  the  west,  were 
discovered  at  the  same  place,  and  it  is  more  than  likely  that 
with  one  of  them  the  iron  spear-head  had  been  associated." '° 

'"  Greenwcll's  /iri'/t's/t  Barrows,  pp.  43 1 -2. 


134  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

BRITISH    PERIOD. 

Burial  Mounds  on  Simonside,  opened  1889 — Lordenshaws  Camp — Extensive 
Ramparts — Entrance  Defences — Hut  Circles — Alignment  of  Stones — In- 
scribed Rocks — Ancient  Trackway — Cist  Found  at  Hospital,  1902— Polished 
Stone  Axe — Canon  Harcourt— Food  Vessel  near  Rothbury,  1833 — Querns  in 
Mr.  Donkin's  Garden  Rockery — Collection  of  Flint  Arrow-points,  Rothbury 
— Garley  Pike — Pike  House  Camp — Craghead  Camp — Urn  Found  at  Bull 
Bush,  1876 — Ancient  Camp  near  Brinkburn  Priory — Quern  at  Crag  End — 
Hut  Circles  at  Whitefield — Bronze  Sword  Found  at  Cragside,  1888 — Flint 
Axe,  1889 — Barrow  Digging  on  Debdon  Moor,  1902— On  Cartington  Moor 
— Old  Rothbury  Camp  described  by  Captain  Hedley— Curious  Mound — 
Large  Hut  Circle — Kate's  Cist — Cartington  Cove — West  Hills  Camp. 

TO  complete  the  record  of  ancient  British  remains  found  in 
the  township  of  Great  Tosson,  we  here  give,  at  the  risk 
of  being  tedious  to  our  readers,  some  account  of  the  barrow 
opening  on  Spital  hill  and  Simonside  in  1889.  One  day 
duiing  the  summer  of  that  year  John  Rutherford,  a  workman 
employed  on  Lord  Armstrong's  estate  at  Great  Tosson, 
brought  to  us  a  package  carefully  wrapped  up  in  his  red 
pocket  handkerchief,  which  we  were  agreeably  surprised  to 
find  contained  fragments  of  a  British  cinerary  urn,  found 
on  the  hill  that  afternoon  whilst  he  and  his  companion 
were  trenching  the  ground  for  the  purpose  of  planting  trees. 
He  said  that,  on  attempting  to  dig  into  a  mound,  they 
came  upon  a  large  slab  of  the  local  freestone,  and  having 
an  idea  there  was  something  valuable  or  wonderful  under- 
neath, they  dug  a  trench  through  the  centre  of  the  mound, 
when,  unfortunately,  the  spade  of  one  of  them  struck  the 
urn  and  broke  it.  Thinking,  however,  that  their  discovery 
was  of  some  interest,  they  carefully  gathered  up  the  broken 


BRITISH    PERIOD.  1 35 

urn  with  its  contents.  We  immediateh'  sent  the  frafj- 
ments  to  Lord  Armstronp^,  with  an  account  of  how  and 
where  they  had  been  found.  His  lordship  at  once  took  an 
interest  in  the  matter,  and,  accompanied  b}'  his  agent  (Mr. 
W.  Bertram)  and  the  writer,  proceeded  to  Simonside,  and 
marked  several  mounds  thought  likel}'  to  contain  burials. 
At  the  same  time  his  lordship  placed  at  our  disposal  a  gang 
of  intelligent  workmen,  on  whom  we  could  place  reliance. 
Most  of  the  burials  were  found  on  the  "  Spital  hill,"  whose 
relative  position  to  the  British  camp  on  Tosson  Burgh  has 
already  been  described.  The  "  Spital  hill "  is  one  of  the 
northern  outliers  of  the  Simonside  range,  about  two  miles 
south-west  from  Rothbury,  and  rises  to  the  south  of  Great 
Tosson  in  three  distinct  shoulders  or  ridges,  the  summit  of 
each  ridge  being  a  level  plateau  of  some  acres  in  extent, 
heather  clad,  and  bestrewn  with  slabs  and  boulders  of  rough 
sandstone.  The  lower  ridge  is  denoted  between  the  "joo  and 
800  contour  lines  on  the  Ordnance  Map  ;  the  second  ridge 
between  the  800  and  900  lines  ;  the  third  and  highest  between 
the  900  and  1,000  feet  lines,  on  which  stands  a  large  and 
conspicuous  pile  of  stones  known  as  "Willie's  Cairn."  About 
a  mile  southwards  from  this  cairn  are  the  rugged  peaks  of 
Simonside,  rising  some  1,400  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
Altogether  there  were  ten  mounds  excavated,  with  more  or 
less  instructive  results,  five  of  which  we  shall  now  describe. 

NO.  I — BURIAL  AFTER  CREMATION. 

This — the  accidental  discovery  of  the  burial  referred  to — 
occurred  on  the  second  ridge.  The  cairn  containing  the  burial 
was  20  feet  in  diameter,  3  feet  high,  ft^rmcd  of  earth  and 
stones  overgrown  with  heather,  and  devoid  of  ;ui)-  method  in 
the  arrangement  of  the  stones.  At  or  near  the  centre,  in  a 
cavity  a  little  below  the  natural  surface  of  the  ground,  a  small 
cinerary  urn  was  discovered  standing  upright,  protected  by  a 
circle  of  stones  set  on  edge  arountl  it,  with  a  larger  slab  placed 


136  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

on  the  top.  A  considerable  quantity  of  calcined  stones  and 
charcoal  were  found  in  the  cairn  on  the  same  level  as  the 
interment.  The  urn  contained  burnt  bones  ;  but  it  was  so 
much  broken  that  it  was  scarcely  possible  to  piece  the  frag- 
ments together.     There  was  only  one  burial  in  this  cairn. 

NO.  2 — BURIAL  BY  INHUMATION. 

About  200  yards  west  of  burial  No.  i,  on  the  north-western 
verge  of  the  same  ridge,  there  is  a  large  mound  of  irregular 
form.  On  its  south-western  margin,  at  a  depth  of  3  feet  from 
the  surface  of  the  mound,  the  excavators  struck  upon  a  large 
slab  of  freestone,  4  feet  8  inches  by  i  foot  10  inches.  Beneath 
this  slab  was  a  perfect  well-shaped  cist,  formed  of  four  clean 
level  side-stones,  placed  nearly  due  east  and  west,  3  feet 
4  inches  long,  i  foot  10  inches  wide  at  the  west  end,  2  feet 
I  inch  at  the  east  end,  and  20  inches  deep.  The  cist  was 
clear  of  any  intrusive  soil,  and  on  a  level  bed  of  the  native 
peat  earth  lay  the  remains  of  a  body  on  its  left  side,  in  a 
contracted  position,  that  is,  with  the  knees  drawn  up  towards 
the  head,  the  head  slightly  bent  forward,  in  the  north-west 
corner  of  the  cist.  Neither  "  food  vessel "  nor  flint  imple- 
ment was  found  in  the  cist.  After  careful  examination, 
Dr.  Barrow,  of  Rothbury,  reported  the  remains  to  be  those 
of  a  male  adult,  probably  between  30  and  40  years  of  age, 
from  5  feet  2  inches  to  5  feet  4  inches  in  height.  The  skull 
is  distinctly  brachy -cephalic  or  round-headed,  belonging  to  a 
race  who  are  generally  supposed  to  have  supplanted  the  older 
dolicho-cephalic  or  long-headed  race  of  people  in  Britain. 

NOS.  3  AND  4 — BURIALS  BY  INHUMATION. 

NO.  5 — BURIAL  AFTER  CREMATION. 

NO.  6 — BURIAL  BY  INHUMATION. 

About  TOO  yards  west  of  burial  No.  5,  on  the  same  ridge, 
and  about  200  yards  east  of  "  Willie's  Cairn "  underneath  a 
mound    of  earth   and    stones,  a   cist   of   unusual    shape  was 


BRITISH    PERIOD.  1 37 

discovered,  empty.  The  peculiarity  of  its  form,  as  well  as 
an  uncommon  arrangement  of  seven  thin  slabs  of  stone,  each 
2j^  inches  thick,  placed  along  the  edges,  and  across  the 
corners  of  the  cist  below  the  cover,  as  if  to  give  the  large  slab 
a  level  bed,  was  the  source  of  much  speculation.  The  direction 
of  the  cist  is  N.W.  and  S.E.  The  space  available  lengthwise 
to  contain  the  body  of  a  person  would  be  about  3  feet  6  inches, 
although  the  full  length  from  the  extreme  point  to  the  base 
is  4  feet  4  inches,  the  width  at  the  base  is  20^  inches,  and 
the  depth  17  inches;  the  slab  cover  measured  3  feet  9  inches 
by  2  feet  8  inches,  and  3  inches  thick. 

NO.  7 — BURIALS  AFTER  CREMATION  AND  BY  INHUMATION. 

About  120  yards  north  of"  Willie's  Cairn"  a  larger  mound 
than  any  of  the  preceding  was  opened.  It  measured  26  feet 
in  diameter,  6  feet  in  height,  and  contained  three  burials, 
viz: — two  cists  and  a  cinerary  urn,  also  two  "food  ves.sels." 
The  central  cist,  which  doubtless  contained  the  primary  burial, 
lay  E.  and  W.,  was  3  feet  long  and  2  feet  deep  beneath  the 
natural  surface  of  the  ground,  rudely  lined  with  stones,  and 
had  three  covering  slabs  ;  no  remains  were  discernible  ;  but  in 
the  .second  cist,  which  was  5  feet  S.S.W.  from  the  central  one, 
having  a  direction  S.W.  and  N.E.,  and  measuring  3  feet 
3  inches  long,  20  inches  wide,  19  inches  deep,  with  two 
covering  slabs,  there  was  found  a  large  (ieposit  of  calcined 
bones  and  ashes,  evidently  the  remains  of  several  burnt  bodies 
in  a  fragmentary  condition,  placed  in  the  cist  after  cremation. 
Judging  from  the  reddened  appearance  of  the  closely  sur- 
rounding stones  and  soil,  it  is  probable  that  the  bodies  were 
burnt  on  the  site  of  the  burial.  Tlicre  were  no  flints,  nor 
implements  of  any  kind,  found  amongst  the  contents  of 
this  cist.  In  the  same  mound,  at  a  distance  of  4  feet  cast 
of  the  central  cist,  the  cinerary  urn  (Fig.  A)  was  found 
standing  in  an  inverted  position  on  a  flat  stone  on  the  natural 
surface  of  the  ground.     This  stone  shewed  no  traces  of  having 


138  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

been  through  fire  ;  therefore,  in  this  case  the  body  or  bodies 
had  not  been  burnt  on  the  place  of  interment,  but  the  contents 
of  the  urn  shewed  that  the  funeral  pyre  had  been  on  a  spot 
not  far  off,  for  the  bones  and  ashes  within  the  urn  were  mixed 
with  the  native  peat  soil  and  pieces  of  local  sandstone. 
Eighteen  inches  south  of  this  cinerary  urn  a  smaller  urn  was 
found,  and  about  3  feet  S.E.  of  the  central  cist  a  second  was 
found.  Both  were  standing  upright,  and  on  the  same  level 
as  the  larger  one,  and  both  were  evidently  of  the  ordinary 
"  food  vessel "  type.  One  only  has  been  preserved  (Fig.  B) 
which  measures  5^  inches  high,  5  inches  diameter  at  top, 
and  5}^  inches  diameter  at  widest  part.  It  exhibits  no 
attempt  at  ornamentation,  but  has  had  two  handles  on  the 
rim,  portion  of  one  handle  or  ear  yet  remains.  A  few  weeks 
after  its  exhumation,  the  cinerary  urn  Fig  A,  which  meas- 
ured 12  inches  high,  12  inches  diameter  at  widest  part,  and 
9^  inches  diameter  at  the  top,  vvas  emptied  of  its  contents 
in  the  presence  of  Lord  Armstrong  and  party,  at  Cragside, 
when  a  flint  implement,  3  inches  long  and  i^  inches  wide, 
was  found  near  the  top  ;  one  side  of  the  flint  is  neatly  flaked, 
the  other  side  is  flat  just  as  the  piece  has  been  split  off  the 
core.  Further  down  near  the  centre  of  the  urn,  which  was 
quite  full  of  burnt  bones,  pieces  of  sandstone,  and  peat  soil, 
were  found  several  shreds  of  pottery,  probably  of  another  urn, 
all  of  which  had  apparently  been  gathered  up  in  a  promiscuous 
manner  and  placed  in  the  urn  with  the  burnt  remains.  The 
urn  bears  the  usual  characteristic  scorings  of  ancient  British 
pottery.  The  overhanging  rim,  2]/^  inches  deep,  is  ornamented 
with  alternate  scores  of  vertical  and  horizontal  lines  ;  below 
the  rim,  for  a  space  of  3  inches,  the  urn  is  covered  with  a  zig- 
zag pattern.  It  is  evident  our  British  ancestors  had  regard 
to  the  due  proportions  and  graceful  outline  of  their  funeral 
urns,  for  as  a  rule,  the  diameter  at  the  widest  part  is  much 
about  the  same  as  the  height  of  the  urn. 


t^.^/xoN  noi> 


Fig.  a. 


1303 


Fig.  C. 


UKITLSH    rERIOl).  I  39 

NO.    8 — BURIAL   AFTER    CREMATION. 

NO.    9 — CAIRN    ON    RAVENSHEUGH. 

NO.    10 — r'ROBARLE    BURIAI,   BY   INHUMATION. 

Having  been  informed  by  Mr.  Geo.  Turnbull,  the  farmer  at 
Great  Tosson,  that  there  was  a  very  large  cairn  on  the  northern 
slopes  of  Ravensheugh,  just  below  two  standing  stones,  called 
h)'  the  country  people  "  Kate "  and  "  Geordie,"  under  his 
guidance,  we  proceeded  to  the  spot,  and  found  an  enormous 
pile  of  stones  on  a  projecting  ridge,  having  a  steep  declivity  in 
front  with  the  hill  rising  behind.  The  cairn  measured  27  feet 
from  E.  to  W.,  and  30  feet  from  X.  to  S.  The  four  men  after 
^Jigging  3-t  this  cairn  for  a  day-and-a-half,  when  at  a  depth  of 
ten  feet  from  the  apex  of  the  mound,  came  upon  a  rudely-built 
cist  of  four  rough  slabs  of  freestone,  and  a  cover  of  irregular 
shape  and  colossal  proportions,  but  the  superincumbent  weight 
of  stones  had  completely  thrust  the  side  stones  of  the  cist, 
which  were  standing  on  the  natural  surface  of  the  ground,  out 
of  their  original  position.  The  cist  was  entirely  filled  up  with 
sand  and  bracken  roots,  which  was  careful!)'  removed  and 
examined,  but  no  trace  of  a  burial  was  discovered.  The  base 
of  the  cairn  consisted  of  a  number  of  large  rock  boulders, 
placed  around  in  a  somewhat  systematic  manner,  which  formed 
the  first  layer  or  foundation.  Near  the  centre  of  the  cairn  a 
pit-marked  stone  was  met  with  (Fig.  C) ;  the  hollows  are  very 
similar  to  the  markings  on  the  rocks  at  Lordenshaw's  camp, 
two  miles  distant.  Several  authorities  state  that  when  a  cist 
is  found  empty  in  the  centre  of  a  cairn  under  circumstances 
such  as  we  have  related,  there  has  been  no  burial,  and  those 
empt)'  barrows  have  been  spoken  of  as  cenotaphs,  monuments 
raised  to  commemorate  but  not  to  c(jntain  the  dead.  Canon 
Grcenwcll  says  "up  to  the  time  he  publisherl  British  Barrows, 
he  came  to  the  conclusicjn  that  there  were  no  such  thin^rs  as 
cenotaphs,  but  he  had  since  altered  his  opinion.  I  Ic  opened  a 
barrow  last  year  in  the  ICast  Riding  of  Yorkshire,  the  largest 


140  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

in  that  part  of  the  country,  and  whilst  finding  bones  of  animals 
in  good  preservation,  there  were  no  signs  of  a  body  having 
occupied  the  grave.  The  grave  had  never  been  disturbed  from 
the  time  the  mound  was  erected." ^  At  all  events,  whether 
cenotaph  or  burial  mound,  the  site  of  this  more  than  ordinary 
pre-historic  memorial,  erected  by  a  people  whom,  it  is  evident, 
had  the  greatest  respect  for  their  dead,  has,  for  pleasant- 
ness of  situation,  been  well  chosen.  Standing  as  it  does  in  a 
sheltered  rocky  defile,  under  the  shadow  of  the  lofty  crags  of 
Ravensheugh,  the  peaceful  valley  of  Chesterhope  stretching 
along  the  front  of  the  hill,  with  Chesterhope  burn  winding 
its  way  by  Wolfershiel  and  the  Twizel,  around  the  base  of 
Tosson  Burgh  ;  while  beyond  is  the  rippling  waters  of  the 
Coquet,  and  in  the  distant  north  are  seen  the  round-topped 
hills  of  the  Cheviots. 

East  of  the  Spital  hill,  amongst  the  heath  on  the  banks  of 
Routing  burn,  there  is  a  small  enclosure,  rather  oblong  in 
form,  some  fifteen  yards  in  diameter,  with  a  single  rampart 
and  ditch,  usually  called  Newtown  camp.  In  the  cultivated 
fields  on  the  lower  slopes  of  Ne.vtown  farm  a  number  of  flint 
arrow-points  and  "scrapers"  have  been  picked  up  by  the  work- 
people, one  of  the  best  collectors  being  Miss  Mary  Bootieman, 
who  periodically  brings  her  "  finds  "  to  the  writer.  A  mile  east 
from  this,  along  the  base  of  the  hills,  is 

LORDENSHAWS  CaMP. 

"This  camp  occupies  the  summit  of  a  lofty  ridge — an  eastern 
spur  of  the  Simonside  range — at  an  elevation  of  879  feet  above 
sea  level,  and  about  two  miles  south  from  the  village  of  Roth- 
bury.  The  view  from  the  site  of  this  camp  is  extensive  ;  on 
the  west  stretches  the  fertile  valley  of  Upper  Coquetdale,  the 
round  and  verdant  hills  of  the  Cheviots  forming  its  northern 
boundary,  with  the  black  heather-clad  sandstone  hills  beyond 
Holystone   and    Harbottle   closing   in   the   view  on   the  west, 

'  Proc.  Soc.  Antqs.  Newcastle,  vol  iv.,  p.  174. 


BRITISH   PERIOD.  14! 

Looking  eastward  the  winding  valley  of  Lower  Coquet  opens 
out  to  view,  while  some  twenty  miles  off  glisten  the  waters  of 
the  North  Sea  ;  Coquet  Island  and  Druridge  Bay  being  clearly 
discernible.  About  a  mile  to  the  south-west  of  the  camp  rises 
Spy  Law  or  the  'Beacon,'  a  prominent  hill  1,181  feet  above 
the  sea.  On  its  summit  are  a  hugh  cairn,  and  a  circle  of  stones 
36  feet  in  diameter  ;  the  circle  is  formed  of  the  stones  gathered 
from  the  hill,  and  thrown  up  without  any  attempt  at  regular 
building,  such  as  is  found  in  the  walls  of  hut  circles  with 
sunk  foundations.  Although  it  does  not  occupy  so  prominent 
an  outshoot  of  the  Simonside  range  as  the  sentinel-like  camp 
on  Tosson  Burgh — whose  verdant  cone,  in  marked  contrast 
with  the  surrounding  heath-clad  sandstone  hills,  forms  a 
conspicuous  landmark  throughout  the  district.  Yet,  from  the 
ramparts  of  Lordenshaws,  nearly  the  whole  of  the  neighbouring 
camps  are  visible — Old  Rothbury  and  West  Hills  on  the  north 
bank  of  the  Coquet,  above  Rothbury ;  Garley  Pike  and  the 
Pike  camp  on  the  east ;  the  camp  at  Ewesley  Railway  Station 
on  the  south  ;  and  on  the  west  New  Town,  Tosson  Burgh,. 
Whitefield,  Harecleugh,  Hetchester,  and  Castron  ;  while  in  a 
range  from  the  north-west  to  the  north-east  can  be  seen 
Roberts  Law,  Cartington  Pike,  Dcbdon  Moors,  Cragside  Hills^ 
Shirlaw  Pike,  and  the  heights  of  Rimside  Moor  stretching 
down  towards  Long  Framlington,  on  all  of  which  are  numerous 
earthworks,  hut  circles  and  burial  mounds  of  pre-historic  origin. 
Located  as  it  is  on  the  summit  of  a  moorland  ridge,  with  nearly 
an  even  slope  on  all  sides,  its  outline  unbroken  except  a  section 
of  the  outer  rampart  on  the  eastern  line  of  defence,  which  an 
earthen  dyke  intersects,  enclosing  a  piece  of  ground  termed 
in  the  parish  tithe  map  as  '  Old  Improvement,'  this  camp  is 
one  of  the  most  complete  in  the  valley.  Its  defences  consist 
of  three  ramparts,  with  a  deep  ditch  between  the  two  outer 
ones,  which  in  several  places  yet  measure  12  feet  in  depth. 
The  outer  rampart  encloses  within  a  circumference  of  474 
yards,  an  area  of  3483  acres,  the  inner  one,  within  a  circuit 


142 


UPPER  COQUETDALE. 


of  225  yards,  encloses   1-282  acres,  thus   leaving   2-201   acres 
between  the  outer  and  inner  lines  of  defence." 

"  In  form,  the  camp  is  an  irregular  oval,  the  northern  section 
of  the  inner  rampart  extending  from  the  eastern  entrance  to 
the  western,  being  nearly  semi-circular,  whilst  the  rampart  on 
the  south  side  run  in  a  fairly  straight  line  from  the  western 
gateway  in  a  south-easterly  direction  ;  it  then  turns  abruptly 
to  the  north,  and  terminates  at  the  eastern  gateway.  The  two 
entrances  to  the  camp  are  unique,  more  particularly  that  on 
the  eastern  side,  which,  with  its  grey  lichen-covered  gateposts 
still  ///  situ,  appears  almost  in  its  primitive  condition.     This 


entrance  is  defended  by  earthworks  to  the  right  and  left,  which 
extend  from  the  inner  to  the  outer  ramparts,  forming  a  pass- 
age 66  feet  long  by  18  feet  in  width,  the  width  of  the  gateways 
being  8  feet  4  inches. 2  The  western  entrance  has,  at  the  present 
day,  an  earthwork  only  on  the  south,  with  one  side  of  the  gate- 
way on  the  north  remaining.    This  portion  of  the  fortifications 


=  In  Christie's  Early  Fortifications  in  Sc ot/aiid  {iSgS),  is  found  the  following 
note  at  p.  217,  on: — "Defences  of  Entrances. — Hornworks  thrown  foiivard 
to  flank  the  entrance.  These  are  rare,  perhaps,  from  their  liability  to  destruction 
owing  to  their  exposed  position.  I  only  know  of  five  instances,  in  some  of  which 
the  indications  are  very  slight." 


BRITISH   PERIOD. 


143 


may  have  been  destroyed  by  the  thirteenth  century  builders 
of  Robert  Fitz  Rogers'  deer  park  wall,  that  passes  close  to  the 
west  side  of  the  camp.  Within  the  camp  are  several  well 
defined  remains  of  hut  circles  ;  one  of  these  measures  19  feet 


in  fiiamctcr,  having  walls  two  feet  high,  in  a  good  state  of 
preservation,  the  doorwa>'  on  the  south,  and  the  floor  paved 
with  flat  stones ;  a  large  flag  in  the  centre  appears  to  have 
been  under  the  action  of  fire.     A  small  hut  is  incorporated  in 


144  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

the  ramparts  on  the  south-west  line  of  defence,  not  far  from 
the  western  gateway.  Slight  traces  of  what  would  appear  to 
have  been  a  made  way,  is  observable  traversing  the  interior  of 
the  camp,  running  east  and  west  from  gate  to  gate.  From  the 
eastern  gateway  a  hollow  way  leads  down  towards  the  south- 
east into  the  slack  between  the  camp  and  Garley  Pike ;  here 
is  a  spring  of  water  and  a  small  burn  or  sike,  which  would 
probably  be  one  of  the  water  supplies  of  the  camp." 

"  During  the  occupation  of  the  camp  the  constant  traffic  of 
men  and  animals,  and  perhaps  a  flow  of  surface  water  would,, 
in  the  course  of  time,  deepen  this  roadway  to  its  present 
dimensions,  which  has  a  varying  depth  of  from  four  feet  to 
nine  feet."  3 

A  line  of  stones  described  in  the  parish  map  as  "  large 
stones  set  in  a  line,"  extends  across  the  morass  or  slack 
between  the  hills  already  noticed.  Regarding  these,  Canon 
Greenwell  says  : — "  Three  lines  of  stones  placed  apart  are 
still  to  be  seen,  which  (although  the  stones  comprising  them 
are  but  of  small  size)  appear  to  be  representations  of  the 
megalithic  linear  structures  found  elsewhere,  and  of  which 
the  lines  of  Carnac  are  the  grandest  and  best  known 
examples. "4  In  the  space  between  the  outer  and  inner  ram- 
parts, on  the  south  and  south-eastern  side  of  the  camp,  is 
a  series  of  earthworks  which  extend  from  the  inner  to  the 
outer  rampart  forming  small  enclosures,  these  being  within 
the  outer  line  of  defence  might  be  used  as  cattle  pounds,  for 
in  close  proximity  are  the  remains  of  hut  circles.  Several 
large  rocks  in  the  vicinity  of  the  camp  bear  those  mysterious 
markings  found  on  sandstone  rocks  in  the  vicinity  of  other 
British  camps  in  North  Northumberland.  These  archaic 
sculptures  consist  of  small  pits  or  hollows  and  concentric 
circles  with  and  without  radial  grooves,  the  meaning  of  which 
yet    exercises    the   minds    of    many   of    our   most    eminent 

3  Arch.  /Eliana,  vol.  xiii.,  p.  229. 

*  Greenwell's  British  Barrows,  p.  226. 


BRITISH    PERIOD.  1 45 

antiquaries,  one  of  whom  wisely  remarked  : — "  as  to  the  origin 
and  signification  of  which  it  were  still  folly  to  be  \vise."5 

The  rock  containing  the  greatest  number  of  these  pit  and 
circle  markings  is  on  the  west  side  of  the  old  deer  park  wall, 
and  about  240  yards  west-south-west  from  the  camp.  There 
is  a  second  rock,  rather  difficult  to  find,  154  yards  north-west 
from  the  large  rock,  although  much  smaller ;  it  contains  an 
interesting  example  of  the  "  horse-shoe "  inscription,  a  form 
not  found  so  frequently  as  the  pits  and  circles.  On  the  north- 
east side  of  the  hill  on  which  the  camp  is  found  is  a  number 
of  grave  mounds.  Two  of  the  largest  have  been  excavated. 
The  first  was  32  feet  in  diameter  and  5  feet  high.  xA  cist  was 
was  found  in  the  centre,  lying  nearly  east  and  west.  The  cist 
was  3  feet  8  inches  long,  i  foot  10  inches  wide,  and  2  feet 
3  inches  deep,  formed  of  four  side-stones  and  a  large  cover. 
There  was  no  trace  of  a  burial.  This  cist  can  yet  be  seen 
with  its  covering  slab  l3'ing  near,  on  the  lower  ridge  of  the 
hill  on  the  way  to  the  camp,  after  climbing  the  last  stile  on 
the  footpath  from  Rothbury  to  Lordenshaws.  The  second, 
which  was  within  20  yards  of  the  former,  was  26  feet  in 
diameter  and  4  feet  high,  a  cist  was  discovered  in  the  centre 
of  the  cairn,  which  lay  E.N.E.  by  W.S.W.  It  was  2  feet 
8  inches  long,  i  fcot  8  inches  wide,  13^  feet  deep,  made  with 
four  side-stones  and  a  cover,  3  feet  long  by  2^  feet  wide. 
The  cist  was  completely  filled  in  with  sand.  No  trace  of  bone 
was  discovered,  the  body  having  totally  gone  to  decay  ;  but 
amongst  the  sand  was  a  little  charcoal,  together  with  two 
small  pieces  of  pottery.'^  A  line  of  small  stones  may  be 
traced  from  these  two  burial  cairns,  leading  up  the  ridge 
amongst  the  heather  towards  the  camp. 

A  n  ancient  trackway,  which  seems  to  have  led  down  the 
little  valley  of  Whitton  Dene,  enters  the  river  Coquet  below 
the  Little  Mill.     It  is  most  probable  there  would  be  frequent 

^ History  0/  Northitiii/ierlaud  (\Z%),  p.  6. — C.  J.  Bates. 
'Grcenwcll's  Btilish  Barrows,  p.  430. 

10 


146  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

communication  between  the  various  settlements,  and  as  this 
road  trends  up  towards  Lordenshaws  camp,  it  was  probably 
part  of  a  highway  up  and  down  the  main  valley  of  the  Coquet, 
as  here  and  there  along  the  course  of  the  river  are  seen  traces 
of  old  hollow  roads.  During  the  summer  of  1902,  a  stone- 
lined  grave  was  discovered  in  a  field  on  the  northern  bank  of 
Whitton  Dene  burn  in  the  following  manner: — On  the  12th  of 
June,  1902,  as  the  workmen  employed  by  Mr.  Thos.  Muckle, 
builder,  Rothbury,  were  digging  the  foundations  for  an  exten- 
sion of  an  isolation  hospital,  in  a  field  on  the  south  side  of 
Silverton  Lane,  about  a  mile  south  from  the  village  of  Roth- 
bury, they  struck  upon  a  cist  or  stone-lined  grave.  The  site 
occupies  the  summit  of  ridge  500  feet  above  sea-level.  The 
cist  has  been  sunk  beneath  the  surface  of  the  ground,  as  the 
covering  slab  is  yet  fully  two  feet  below  the  natural  level. 
The  following  measurements  were  kindly  supplied  by  Mr. 
Muckle,  who  took  every  care  to  preserve  the  cist-vaen  intact, 
only  a  portion  of  the  cover  was  removed.  The  grave  lies  about 
east  and  west ;  when  opened  it  was  full  of  surface  water,  and 
no  remains  were  found.  Length  of  cist,  3  feet ;  width  at  west 
end,  18  inches;  width  at  east  end,  16  inches;  depth,  about 
18  inches.  Somewhere  in  the  near  locality  a  very  fine 
stone  axe  was  found  by  Canon  Harcourt,  Rector  of  Rothbury 
(1822-70).  It  is  now  in  the  Alnwick  Castle  museum.  It  is 
described  thus:  "No.  31.  A  celt  found  in  Rothbury;  it  was 
presented  by  the  Rev.  C.  G.  Vernon  Harcourt.  It  is  made  of 
a  close  grained  greenstone,  polished  all  over,  and  has  a  fine 
edge.  It  is  straight  across  the  top.  Length  five  inches,  breadth 
at  cutting  edge  two  inches  and  three-quarters."  Fragments  of 
a  "  food  vessel  "  were  also  found  near  the  town  of  Rothbury  in 
1833,  made  of  a  coarse  material,  and  rudely  constructed.  This 
is  also  in  the  Alnwick  Castle  museum.  At  the  present  day 
querns  are  often  seen  on  garden  rockeries,  where,  as  a  rule, 
they  are  carefully  preserved.  We  know  of  a  quern  of  porphyry 
from  the  Harbottle  district,  and  one  of  sandstone  found  in  the 


BRITISH   PERIOD.  I47 

gravel  of  the  Coquet,  below  Rothbury,  both  of  which  adorn  a 
rockery.  Mr.  Robert  Donkin,  Haw  Hill  House,  has  three  very 
fine  specimens  of  British  querns  lying  on  the  lawn  in  front 
of  his  house — one  each  from  the  vallevs  of  the  Breamish 
(porphyry),  the  Coquet  (sandstone),  the  Wansbeck  (sand- 
stone). 

We  ourselves  have  a  fair  collection  of  flint  arrow-points, 
knives,  scrapers,  and  axes,  all  of  which  have  been  found 
within,  or  near  to  the  pre-historic  camps  and  burial  places 
located  on  the  banks  of  the  Coquet  between  Alwinton  and 
Brinkburn.  Beside  the  line  of  stones  on  the  northern  ridge 
of  Lordenshaws  hill,  the  remnant  of  another  row  is  met  with 
on  the  north  side  of  Garley  Pike,  where  the  line,  as  it  ascends 
the  hill,  is  broken  b\'  a  wire  fence,  man}-  of  the  stones  having 
been  used  as  bases  for  the  iron  posts  of  the  fence.  The 
remains  of  several  hut  circles  in  good  preservation  are  plainly 
to  be  seen  on  the  summit  of  Garley  Pike.  About  a  mile  down 
the  moors  east  from  Garley  Pike  are  the  ramparts  and  ditch 
of  Pike  House  camp,  which  is  o\al  in  form,  and  roughly 
speaking,  180  feet  in  diameter.  The  entrance  appears  to  have 
been  on  the  east,  but  a  modern  fence  intersects  the  western 
lines  of  the  camp.  Further  down  the  hill  on  the  south  side 
of  the  railway,  nearly  opposite  to  Crag  Head,  there  is  a 
strongly  entrenched  camp.  On  its  most  exposed  sides  next 
the  rise  of  the  hill,  triple  ramparts  are  found,  but  on  the  north, 
•where  the  steep  ascent  forms  a  natural  defence,  two  ramparts 
have  been  deemed  sufficient.  The  entrance  has  evidently 
been  on  the  south-east,  as  a  track-wa)'  leads  from  the  lines 
at  that  point.  The  camp  is  circular  and  measures  about 
170  feet  diameter  within  the  inner  rampart.  At  V>w\\  Bush, 
on  the  southern  confines  of  the  parish,  a  cist  was  discovered 
a  few  years  ago,  containing  an  urn,  which  is  now  in  Alnwick 
Castle  mu.seum,  described  in  the  Catalogue  as:  "No.  17.  This 
is  a  small  heavy  urn  formed  of  coarse  materials,  and  appar- 
ently badly  baked.     It  was  found  in  1876  in  digging  a  drain 


148 


UPPER  COOUETDALE. 


near  the  Bull  Bush  cottage,  on  Mr.  Stephenson's  farm,  in 
Rothbury  South  Forest.  It  was  in  a  cist  formed  of  flat  stones, 
having  a  flag  both  at  bottom  and  top,  and  covered  above 
by  about  six  inches  of  gravel.  Calcined  bones  were  found 
in  it ;  some  are  in  it  now.  Height,  4  inches  ;  width  at  top, 
4^  inches  ;  at  bottom  3  inches."  7 

The  hill  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Coquet,  behind  Brink- 
burn  Priory,  bears  signs  of  an  early  occupation.  "  The  ancient 
camp,"  says  Mr.  MacLauchlan,  "on  the  hill  above  the  Priory 
of  Brinkburn  is  about  300  yards  long  and  100  wide.  It  is  of 
an  irregular  figure,  gently  falling  towards  the  east,  and  towards 
the  south  being  slightly  convex.  It  contains  about  seven 
acres  ;  is  precipitous  on  the  north,  south,  and  west  sides,  and 
is  cut  off  from  the  east  by  a  formidable  rampart,  extending 
about  100  yards  in  length  from  the  declivity  on  one  side  to 


\7 


l*, 


(90? 


Fic.  10. 


that  on  the  other.  It  apparently  had  a  ditch  on 
the  east,  faint  traces  of  which  are  still  observable. 
The  rampart  has  four  openings  through  it  at  present, 
but  which  was  the  original  one,  or  how  many  there 
were,  must  be  a  matter  of  conjecture.  Perhaps  the 
south-east  corner  one  was  originally  there.  We  find 
a  hollow  way  passing  out  of  this  corner  of  the  camp, 
which  seems  to  have  had  a  branch  near  the  foot  of 
the  hill  towards  the  bridge."^  The  finding  of  a 
quern  at  the  Cockshott  farm,  a  stone  axe  in  a  field 
at  Todstead,  a  flint  implement  at  Healey,  and  cup- 
marked  rocks  near  the  mouth  of  the  Black  burn  on 
Pauperhaugh  farm,  indicate  the  existence  of  a  pre- 
historic settlement  somewhere  in  the  vicinity. 

Cragside  Hill,  embracing  a  wide  expanse  of 
lakes,  crags,  hills  and  heather,  extends  from  the 
banks  of  the  Black  burn  westward,  beyond  Debdon 
burn,  to  the  western  edge  of  the  moorland  heights 


7  Catalogue  of  Museum  at  Alnwick  Castle,  p.  Ii. 

^  MacLauchlan's  ^'^//'c'ly  ^  ^a^/^r;;  IFat/in^-  Sireei  {i8^j-g),  p.  12. 


BRITISH   PERIOD. 


149 


that  overlook  the  valleys  of  the  Coquet  and  the  Rithe  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Thropton.  These  moorlands  are  thickly 
strewn  with  relics  of  a  primitive  people.  Immediately  north 
of  Crag  End  farm  ancient  earthworks  are  traceable,  near  which 
a  sandstone  quern  was  dug  out  a  few  years  ago  by  Mr.  John 
Todd,  of  Crag  End.  In  and  around  Whitefield  farm,  some 
two  miles  over  the  moors  to  the  north,  is  a  number  of  hut 
circles  and  earthwork  enclosures.  In  a 
somewhat  sheltered  spot  to  the  west  of 
Whitefield — almost  within  the  policies  of 
Cragside — there  are  six  hut  circles,  each 
9  feet  in  diameter,  and  two  larger  ones 
about  20  yards  apart  to  the  east,  as  well 
as  a  number  of  burial  mounds.  In  1888 
a  bronze  sword,  36  inches  long  (Fig.  10), 
was  found  in  the  bed  of  the  stream  that 
flows  through  Cragside  grounds,  and  pre-  |^ 
sented  to  the  Newcastle  Society  of  Anti- 
quaries by  Lord  Armstrong.  A  fine 
specimen  of  a  flint  axe  or  adze  (Fig.  ii) 
was  found  on  Cragside  Hill  in  1889,  by 
Robert  Taylor,  one  of  the  workmen,  who 
gave  it  to  Lord  Armstrong,  It  is  t,^ 
inches  long,  ij4  inches  wide  at  the  cut- 


ft 


:f).  1903 

Fig.   II. 


ting  edge,  and  is  now  in  the  Cragside  collection.  Debdon 
moor,  which  lies  to  the  north  of  Rothbury,  immediately 
behind  Addeyheugh,  is  dotted  with  burial  cairns,  which,  in 
the  opinion  of  the  late  Mr.  Scott,  had  been  the  bur}Mng  place 
for  Old  Rothbury  camp.9 

During  the  autumn  of  1902,  accompanied  by  Miss  Adye, 
from  Cragside,  and  having  the  help  of  two  careful  diggers — 
James  Tait  and  William  Ballantyne — we  opened  two  of  the 
burial  mounds  on  Debdon  moor.  The  first  was  16  feet  by  1 1 
feet  in  diameter.     This  cairn,  although  .s}-stcmatically  built  of 

^  GnUe  to  Roihbury  (1885),  p.  4.  — Rev.  A.  Scott. 


I50  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

stones  and  earth,  contained  no  burial ;  but  in  the  second 
mound,  which  was  formed  exactly  in  the  same  fashion,  but 
larger,  for  it  measured  20  feet  in  diameter  and  3  feet  high, 
there  was  found  a  cinerary  urn  standing  in  the  south-west 
corner  of  the  mound.  There  was  no  cist,  but  several  large 
stones  were  placed  around  the  urn,  which,  from  some  outward 
pressure,  had  thrust  the  urn  out  of  its  position,  and  it  was  so 
thoroughly  imbedded  in  the  soil,  that  it  was  not  possible  to 
remove  it  entire.  The  vessel  showed  the  usual  notched  mark- 
ings, and  contained  peat  soil,  calcined  bones,  and  other  remains 
of  a  burnt  body.  There  was  neither  sherd  nor  flint  imple- 
ment with  this  burial.  The  mound  is  close  by  the  footpath  over 
the  hill,  and  only  a  few  yards  distant  from  a  large  "  standing 
stone."  When  Canon  Greenwell  was  carrying  out  his  investi- 
gations in  Coquetdale,  he  opened  two  grave-hills  out  of  a 
group  of  three,  placed  nearly  together  in  rather  an  unusual 
position,  in  a  hollow  between  the  hills  on  these  moors.  The 
first  was  34  feet  in  diameter  and  3  feet  high,  constructed 
entirely  of  stones.  At  the  centre  was  a  cist,  laid  N.  and  S., 
3  feet  2  inches  long,  2  feet  2  inches  wide,  and  2  feet  deep. 
The  body  (that  of  a  full-grown  person)  which  had  once 
occupied  it  had  gone  almost  entirely  to  decay,  nothing  being 
left  except  the  middle  portion  of  the  right  femur.  The  second 
cairn  had  a  circle  of  eight  stones,  the  inner  diameter  of  which 
was  14^  feet,  round  the  base.  The  interment  was  found  at 
the  centre,  where,  in  a  hollow,  i^  feet  in  diameter  and  i^  feet 
deep,  was  a  deposit  of  burnt  bones,  those  of  a  person  in  middle 
life,  intermixed  with  pieces  of  charcoal.  Amongst  the  whins 
on  Chirnells  moor  several  small  sculptured  stones  may  be  seen, 
while,  on  the  opposite  ridge,  a  very  fine  arrow-point  was  found 
and  given  to  the  writer  by  Mr.  W.  Woodcock  of  the  Red 
Chirnells. 

We  shall  finish  this  somewhat  prolonged  chapter  on  the 
Ancient  British  relics  in  Upper  Coquetdale  with  an  account 
of  Old  Rothbury  camp,  when  we  shall  again  avail  ourselves 


BRITISfl    PERIOD.  151 

of  the  lucid  notes  of  Capt.  Hedley : — "  Half-a-mile  N.W.  from 
Rothbury,  and  immediately  behind  the  Penny  Stone  Quarry, 
is  situated  the  camp  of  Old  Rothbury.  It  occupies  the 
western  extremity  of  the  freestone  range  which  encircles 
Lord  Armstrong's  grounds,  at  Cragside,  and  the  village  of 
Rothbury.  The  situation  is  naturally  a  strong  one  on  its 
northern  and  western  sides.  To  the  east  it  is  sheltered  by 
a  higher  plateau  of  the  same  formation,  but  this  shelter  is 
gained  at  the  expense  of  security,  as  the  site  is  overlooked 
and  commanded  from  this  plateau  within  bowshot  of  the 
ramparts. 

"  The  camp  area  is  intersected  N.  and  S.  by  a  road,  and 
E.  and  W.  by  a  farm  fence.  Such  portions  as  lie  to  the 
north  of  this  fence  have  been  under  cultivation,  and  conse- 
quently the  defences  have  been  very  much  destroyed. 

"The  eastern  lines,  immediately  north  of  the  gateway, 
mentioned  below  are  in  particularly  fine  preservation.  They 
consist  of  two  ramparts  and  two  ditches,  the  dimensions  of 
which  are  as  follows:- — Depth  of  first  ditch,  5  feet  8  inches; 
height  of  first  rampart  from  outer  ditch,  7  feet  4  inches  ;  depth 
of  inner  ditch  8  feet  6  inches ;  height  of  inner  rampart, 
7  feet. 

"  The  defence  of  the  south  side  has  consisted  of  two  ram- 
parts and  two  ditches.  Of  these,  little  that  is  instructive  now 
remains.  The  situation  here  is  marshy,  and  possibly  the  stones 
composing  the  ramparts  have  been  extracted  to  use  for  other 
purposes.  The  ramparts  end  abruptly  at  their  western 
extremity,  and  leave  a  passage  35  feet  wide,  which  may  have 
been,  and  probably  was,  one  of  the  camp  gateways.  The 
wcs»-  side  of  the  site,  at  least  southward  of  the  stone  wall 
mentioned  as  intersecting  the  camp,  is  naturally  very  well 
defended,  for  here  the  freestone  range  ends  in  a  rugged  and 
inaccessible  crag.  Northward  of  the  stone  wall,  wIiltc  the 
natural  position  is  weaker,  a  rampart  of  stone  has  been  con- 
structed.    Of  this    little    remains    but    heaj^s    of   rubble    and 


153  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

refuse,  as  the  stones  suitable  for  walling  have  been  taken 
away. 

"  Several  circular  dwellings  may  be  traced  in  the  angle 
between  this  rampart  and  the  modern  stone  wall.  These 
possess  no  special  features  of  interest,  but  have  only  escaped 
by  their  situation  near  the  crag  face,  where  an  insufficiency  or 
soil  prevented  cultivation. 

"Much  detritus  covers  the  crag  face  at  the  north-east  corner, 
and  this  seems  to  have  been  taken  advantage  of  for  use  as  a 
roadway,  probably  to  the  well  situate  near  the  base  of  the 
hill,  within  the  outer  ramparts,  and  not  far  from  Kimmernod 
house. 

"  The  north  face  of  the  camp  site,  though  covered  with  soil 
and  stone  rubbish,  is  still  very  steep,  and  has  been  regarded 
as  sufficiently  strong  to  need  no  further  protection  than  that 
afforded  by  a  rampart  and  ditch  scarcely  traceable  now,  and 
probably  at  no  time  very  large.  This  defence  runs  round  the 
base  of  the  hill,  and  includes  the  well  of  the  camp  within  its 
circuit. 

"  A  fine  entrance  to  this  camp  may  be  seen  at  the  S.E. 
corner,  where  a  ledge  of  rock  forms  an  excellent  passage  to 
the  hill  face  overhanging  Rothbury.  This  gateway  may  have 
had  some  connection  with  a  rampait  and  ditch,  which,  first 
seen  near  the  County  Hotel,  run  up  the  hill  face  towards  the 
camp,  and  join  in  a  portion  of  their  course  a  deep  gully  known 
as  Anton's  Letch,  which  once  used  to  harbour  a  ghost.  To  the 
north  of  this  south-east  entrance  the  outer  rampart  is  recurved 
to  meet  the  inner,  thus  forming,  as  may  be  seen  in  other 
examples,  a  traverse  to  the  right  hand  on  entering. 

"  The  total  area  enclosed  by  the  inner  part  of  Old  Rothbury 
is  3'429  acres,  within  a  circuit  of  530  yards.  A  curious  feature 
in  this  camp  is  a  mound  of  earth  and  stone.  It  may  have  been 
a  portion  of  a  camp  which  existed  here  when  the  present  double 
ramparted  area  was  enclosed,  or  it  may  be  the  remains  of  a 
division  or  defence  for  enclosing  the  flocks  and  herds  of  the 


BRITISH    PERIOD.  153 

f 

tribe  or  community  who  occupied  the  camp.  What  militates 
against  either  suggestion  is  that  the  termination  of  the  embank- 
ment near  the  centre  of  the  camp  is  quite  distinct,  and  its 
further  course  across  the  area  is  not  to  be  traced  even  with  the 
aid  of  the  imagination.  A  third  suggestion  is  that  it  may 
have  been  constructed  specially  as  a  shelter  from  the  north  to 
a  group  of  ten  or  twelve  hut  circles  clustered  under  its  southern 
side.  The  most  easterly  of  these  circles  is  of  very  great  dia- 
meter, viz.,  56  feet,  the  one  next  to  it  being  20  feet  across, 
whereas  the  ordinary  diameter  is  16  feet.  Without  any  great 
stretch  of  the  imagination,  we  may  regard  this  very  large 
circle,  which  was  probably  never  roofed  in,  as  a  place  of 
general  assembly,  and  the  larger  circle  next  it  as  the  abode 
of  some  person  of  greater  consequence  than  those  housed  in 
the  lesser  huts.  .  .  .  Round  about  the  camp  are  scattered 
hut-circles  and  earthworks,  the  particular  uses  of  which  are 
not  very  apparent.  It  is  probable  that  those  earthworks  are 
co-aival  with  the  camp,  and  were  used  at  such  times  as  the 
camp  was  not  occupied.  The  camps  known  as  '  British,'  seem 
from  their  situation  and  construction  to  have  been  made,  not 
for  permanent  residence  or  to  withstand  a  siege,  but  only  to 
retire  to  in  times  of  danger,  and  to  form  a  defence  against 
surprise. 

"A  large  oblong  rock,  jutting  out  from  the  southern  face  of 
the  hill  on  which  the  camp  stands,  is  known  as  "  Kate's  Kist." 
It  has  a  horizontal  cleft  near  its  top.  Whether  this  curious 
name  is  a  freak  of  modern  local  nomenclature,  or  whether  it 
enjoyed  a  more  extended  use,  going  back  to  pre-Roman  times, 
it  is  not  for  us  to  suggest."^" 

Below  the  camp  also  is  Cartington  Cove,  a  recess  or  cave 
which,  local  tradition  says,  is  connected  by  a  subterranean 
passage  with  Cartington  Castle,  three  miles  distant !  .  .  . 
The  rock  at  Cartington  Cove  had  at  one  time  a  series  of 
incised   concentric   circles   and    central    hollows,  which   were 

"^Arcb.  -T'liana,  vol.  xiii.,  \>.  230. 


154 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


calted  in  the  locality  "  Cups  and  Saucers."  Canon  Greenwell 
has  in  his  collection  of  ancient  British  relics  a  "  drinking  cup," 
found  in  a  cist  at  Old  Rothbury.  On  a  lower  ridge  of  the 
hill,  about  half  a  mile  to  the  west  of  this  camp,  are  the  double 
ramparts  of  the  circular  camp  of  West  Hills,  whose  lines  are 
in  a  much  more  perfect  condition  than  those  of  Old  Rothbury. 
Its  diameter  within  the  inner  rampart  is  167  feet,  that  of  the 
outer  411  feet.  The  camp  occupies  the  western  edge  of  a 
rocky  bluff  overlooking  the  valley,  which  in  feudal  times  was 
the  Gallow  hill  of  the  lords  of  Rothbury,  but  now  the  site  of  a 
pleasant  Northumbrian  farmhouse. 


. .  I .  \it^1ltll-.\f»^M^-/Ji/  ^.1'  ,(/Ji 


•*>;r»"»liC''*-'- 


>,;lll//' 


THE   BORDERLAND.  1 55 


CHAPTER     IX. 

THE     BORDERLAND. 

Roman  remains  at  Chew  Green,  Holystone,  Trewhitt,  and  Brinkburn — Shaft  of 
Anglian  Cross  in  Rothbury  Church — Anglo-Saxon  Townships  and  Villages — 
"Folc-lands"  or  Commons— The  Norman  Conquest — Change  of  Owne  — 
Norman  Lordships  in  Coquetdale — Scottish  Wars— Pele  Towers  and  Bastle 
Houses — Border  Watchers  (1549) — Scotch  Raids  into  Coquetdale  (1584-89) 
— Mottoes  of  old  Border  Families— Plundering  Propensities— Jethert  Justice 
— The  Borderer  described — Muster  of  the  Armed  Men  of  Coquetdale  on 
Roberts  Law  (1538)— List  of  Names  and  Places  — Old  Names  still  extant  in 
Coquet  Valley — The  Borderers'  Weapons— A  Border  Ballad. 


% 


flTH  the  exception  of  the  elaborate  fortifications  of 
Chew  Green  camp,  at  Coquethead,  very  sHght  traces 
of  the  Roman  period  are  found  in  Upper  Coquetdale.  The 
undoubted  work  of  the  Roman  is  certainly  met  with  at  Holy- 
stone, Trewhitt,  and  Brinkburn,  but  these  remains  consist 
only  of  portions  of  their  famous  paved  causeways.  That 
which  crosses  the  Coquet,  1,300  yards  east  of  Brinkburn 
Priory,  is  called  the  Eastern  Watling  Street,  to  distinguish  it 
from  the  other  Watling  Street,  which  goes  through  Redesdale 
by  Woodburn  and  Rochester,  then  onwards  bv  Chew  Green 
into  Scotland.  This  branch  starts  from  Portgate  on  Tyne 
and  leads  through  the  country  by  J^olam,  Angerton,  Brink- 
burn,  I'ramlington,  and  Bridge  of  Aln.  The  road  seen 
midway  between  Trewhitt  Hall  and  High  Trewhitt  is  another 
branch  which,  leaving  the  Watling  Street  at  Rochester  in 
Redesdale,  traverses  the  moors  eastward  to  Holystone,  thence 
by  Sharperton,  the  Trevvhitts,  Lorbottle,  and  Callaly,  joining 
the  Eastern  Watling  Street  near  to  the  Bridge  of  Aln.  A 
fine  .section  oC  this  branch  can  be  seen  on  the  moors  west  of 
Holystone,  well  paved  with  large  stones,  and  about  ten   feet 


156  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

wide.  Wherever  the  road  crosses  a  cornfield,  its  course, 
during  the  summer  months,  is  easily  discerned,  for  the  corn- 
stalks on  it  are  much  shorter,  and  the  grain  ripens  much 
sooner  than  in  the  other  parts  of  the  field. 

The  fragments  of  the  tenth  century  Churchyard  Cross  at 
Rothbury  are  the  only  structural  remains  that  survive  to  tell 
the  story  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  settlement  in  Upper  Coquet 
valley;  yet  the  nomenclature  of  the  district — names  of  villages 
and  townships,  language  and  dialect — all  testify  how  largely 
those  characteristic  marks  of  the  Teuton  pervade  the  valley, 
and  also  shew  how  tenaciously  a  language  clings  to  a  people, 
while  all  things  else  change.  For  upwards  of  200  years 
after  the  departure  of  the  Romans  somewhat  of  a  blank 
occurs  in  the  pages  of  our  history.  Traditions  there  are  in 
abundance,  which,  when  other  lights  are  dim,  it  is  not  always 
wise  to  entirely  reject,  for  often  within  the  husk  of  the  legend 
a  few  facts  and  figures  are  preserved. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  fifth  century  three  tribes  of 
Anglo-Saxons — Jutes,  Angles,  and  Saxons — crossed  the 
North  Sea  from  the  opposite  shores  of  Jutland  and  Sleswick 
in  their  high-prowed  keels,  and  colonised  the  coast  of  Britain 
from  the  Forth  southward.  Rivers  and  estuaries  were  the 
invaders'  highways  into  the  interior  of  the  country,  and  it 
may  have  been  then  that  the  first  band  of  Angles  entered 
the  mouth  of  the  Coquet,  and,  having  formed  a  settlement 
at  Warkworth,  ascended  the  stream,  and  spreading  over  the 
valley,  eventually  reached  the  higher  lands  of  Upper  Coquet, 
where  we  find  townships  and  villages  bearing  true  Teutonic 
names  even  to  the  present  clay. 

Allowing  for  the  vagaries  of  modern  spelling,  we  should 
say  the  place-names  given  below  denote  the  principal  Anglo- 
Saxon  settlements  in  the  district : — Framlington,  Rothbury, 
Thropton,  Hepple,  Holystone,  Harbottle,  and  Alwinton  ; 
while  Brinkburn,  Hesley  Hirst,  Whitton,  Snitter,  Cartington, 
Netherton,  Burradon,  Biddleston,  Clennell,  Sharperton,  Farn- 


THE   BORDERLAND.  1 5/ 

ham,  Wreighill,  Flotterton,  Warton,  Bickerton,  the  Tossons, 
and  the  Trewhitts,  were  probably  their  lesser  townships. 
"The  smallest  political  division  was  the  mark — the  plot  of 
land  in  some  fruitful  plain  or  valley  by  the  side  of  a  stream,  of 
which  a  family  or  little  community  took  possession.  But  in 
the  earlier  times  great  forests  and  wastes  surrounded  the 
clear  land  of  the  settlement ;  and  these,  because  forming  the 
boundary,  were  called  mark-lands ;  they  were  not  appropriated 
to  individuals,  but  were  reserved  as  the  common  property  of 
the  settlement,  where  all  could  depasture  their  cattle,  and 
whence  all  could  obtain  wood  and  other  products  of  the  forest 
and  moor-lands.     They  were  the  people's  property,  and  could 

not  be  alienated,  and  hence  were  called  folc-lands 

The  commons  or  moors,  over  which  the  inhabitants  of  several 
villages  and  towns  had  commonable  rights,  are  remains  of 
these  folc-lands."  I  Until  the  division  and  enclosure  craze  of 
the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  when  those  ancient 
pasture  lands  were  divided  amongst  the  freeholders  and  the 
adjoining  large  landowners,  there  were  many  such  commons 
in  Upper  Coquetdalc.  AUvinton  (enclosed  1863),  Harbottle 
(1817),  Holystone,^  Hepple  (1805),  Thropton  (1815),  Roth- 
bury  (1831),  Whitton  Chirnells  (1807),  and  Framlington 
(1855),  all  possessed  their  acres  of  common  lands,  rights- 
of  pasture  in  which  were  also  claimed  by  some  of  the 
adjoining  townships.  "  Each  little  village  of  the  old  English 
community  possessed  a  general  independence  of  its  own,  and 
lay  apart  from  all  the  others,  often  surrounded  by  a  broad 
belt  or  mark  of  virgin  forest.  It  consisted  of  a  clearing,  like 
those  of  the  American  backwoods,  where  a  single  family  or 


'Tate's  I  list,  of  Alnwick,  vol.  i.,  p.  36. 

'There  is  no  award  of  Holystone  Common  to  be  found  in  the  County  Records 
at  the  Moothall,  Newcastle,  Init  Mr.  P.  Dodds  kindly  informs  me  that  the  Common 
was  not  divided.  After  ihc  late  I'trcival  T.  Clenncll,  of  Harhollle  Castle,  bought 
the  lands  belonging  to  the  Selby  estate,  at  Holystone  and  Woodhall,  he  also  bought 
up  the  rights  to  the  Common  from  C.  I'orslcr,  Campville,  and  the  Duke  of 
Northumberland. 


158  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

kindred  had  made  its  home,  and  preserved  its  separate  inde- 
pendence intact.  In  the  middle  of  the  clearing,  surrounded 
by  a  wooden  stockade,  stood  the  village,  a  group  of  rude 
detached  huts.  The  marksmen  each  possessed  a  separate 
little  homestead,  consisting  usually  of  a  small  wooden  house 
or  shanty,  a  courtyard,  and  a  cattle-fold.  But  while  in 
America  the  clearing  is  merely  a  temporary  phase,  and  the 
border  of  forest  is  soon  cut  down,  so  as  to  connect  the  village 
with  its  neighbours,  in  the  old  Anglo-Saxon  fatherland  the 
border  of  woodland  heath,  or  fen,  was  jealously  guarded  as  a 
frontier  and  natural  defence  for  the  little  predatory  and  agri- 
cultural community.  Whoever  crossed  it  was  bound  to  give 
notice  of  his  coming  by  blowing  a  horn,  else  he  was  cut 
down  at  once  as  a  stealthy  enemy.  The  marksmen  wished 
to  remain  separate  from  all  others,  and  only  to  mix  with  those 
of  their  own  kin.  In  this  primitive  love  of  separation  we  have 
the  germ  of  that  local  independence  and  that  isolated  private 
home-life  which  is  one  of  the  most  marked  characteristics  of 
modern  Englishmen. "3 

This  peaceful  home-life  of  our  Anglo-Saxon  forefathers 
did  not  at  all  times  prevail,  for,  besides  the  devastating  descents 
of  the  Danes,  tribal  disputes  and  family  feuds  were  not  unfre- 
quent  amongst  them.  John  Richard  Green  tells  us  that  each 
"township,"  as  the  village  was  then  called,  from  the  "tun"  or 
rough  fence  and  trench  that  served  as  its  simple  fortifications, 
formed  a  ready-made  fortress  in  war,  while  in  peace  its 
entrenchments  were  serviceable  in  the  feuds  of  village  with 
village,  or  house  with  house. 

The  Norman  Conquest  wrought  many  and  great  changes 
in  the  old  English  life — in  its  government  and  customs,  as 
well  as  ownership.     With  some  few  exceptions  4  the  Norman 

3Angle-Saxon  Britain. — Grant  Allen  (S.P.C.K.),  pp.  17-13. 

"  "  The  small  fiefs  of  Dilston  and  Chevington  were  held  by  Knights  of  English 
origin,  while  the  thanes  of  Halton,  Callaley,  Hepple,  and  Roddam,  retained  those 
manors  and  their  dependencies  by  a  less  honorable  tenure." — Hist,  of  Northum- 
berland, C.  J.  Bates,  p.  no. 


THE   BORDERLAND.  I  59 

overlord  took  the  place  of  the  Saxon  thane,  and  the  bulk  of 
the  population  became  servile  to  their  conquerors,  whose  aim 
it  was  to  sponge  out  as  much  as  possible  the  individuality  of 
the  Saxon  ;  their  language  was  banished  from  court,  super- 
seded in  legal  documents  by  Latin  and  Norman  French. 
While  nearly  everything  in  daily  use  was  re-named  by  the 
Norman,  a  Saxon  sewer  became  a  Norman  tailleur ;  a  Saxon 
flesher,  became  a  Norman  butcher ;  ox  flesh,  became  beef; 
calf's  flesh,  veal ;  sheep's  flesh,  mutton  ;  swine's  flesh,  pork  ; 
and  deer's  flesh,  venison.  Presently  we  find  the  townships 
and  manors  in  Upper  Coquetdale  grouped  together  into 
baronies  and  lordships.  Redesdale  and  Harbottle,  once  the 
possessions  of  the  Saxon,  Meldred,  son  of  Akman,  was  granted 
to  Robert  de  Umfraville.  Ralph  Fitz-Main  holds  Cartington, 
as  the  King's  forester  for  Northumberland.  Robert  Fitz- 
Roger  has  the  lordship  of  Rothbury,  with  its  members — 
Tnropton,  Snitter,  and  Newtown.  Ivo.  Tailbois  is  lord  of 
Hepple.  Caistron  is  part  of  the  barony  of  Greystock.  Gilbert 
Batail,  a  kinsman,  of  the  Umfravilles,  holds  Netherton; 
Chirmundisden,  Biddleston,  Clennell,  Alwinton,  Burradon, 
Netherton,  Sharperton,  and  Farnham — Coquetdale  manors, 
being  part  of  the  barony  de  Vescy,  of  Alnwick — are  held  by 
the  Umfravilles  of  Harbottle  ;  while  Brinkburn  and  Framling- 
ton  belong  to  the  barony  of  Mitford. 

Strongly  fortified  castles  now  began  to  be  erected  in 
Northumberland.  Norham,  about  1121;  Bamburgh,  1131; 
Alnwick,  1 138  ;  Warkworth,  1205  ;  Prudhoe,  1 172  ;  Harbottle, 
1 1 57.  These  strongholds  were  held  by  the  great  barons, 
while  sheriffs  were  appointed  by  the  King  over  each  county 
to  collect  the  King's  taxes,  and  the  feudal  system  thus  became 
firmly  established  throughout  the  land.  In  those  far-off  days, 
following  on  the  Norman  Conquest,  lands  were  generally  held 
for  personal  service  of  one  kind  or  another,  cither  in  capite 
(that  is,  direct  from  the  King)  or  from  an  overlord.  Each 
estate  thus  held  from  the  Crown  was  held  by  its  tenant  on  the 


l60  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

condition  of  military  service  at  the  ro)'al  call  ;  and  when 
the  larger  holdings  were  divided  by  their  owners,  as  was 
commonly  the  case,  into  smaller  sub-tenancies,  the  under- 
tenants were  bound  by  the  same  conditions  of  service  to 
their  lord. 

As  time  went  on,  strongholds  began  to  be  erected  on  the 
various  manors  by  the  sub-feudatories,  but  on  a  smaller  scale 
than   the  ponderous   castles    of  the   barons.      These  fortified 
mansions  or  border  towers  could  not,  however,  be  built  with- 
out a  royal  license,  until  after  the  devastations  of  the  Scotch 
army  before  the  battle  of  Neville's  Cross  (October  17,  1436), 
when  the  Crown,   instead   of  regarding  them   with   jealousy, 
rather  encouraged  their  erection,  as  a  line  of  defence  against 
the  incursions  of  the  Scots.     In   Upper  Coquetdale— without 
including   Harbottle    Castle — there   were    border  strongholds 
known  as  pele  towers,  at  Linnbrig,  Barrow,  Alwinton,  Clennell, 
Biddleston,  Cote  Walls,  Burradon,   Low  Trewhitt,  Farnham, 
Flotterton,     Harecleugh    (Woodhouses),     Hepple,    Thropton, 
Cartington,    Great    Tosson,    Whitton,    and    Elyburn    (Lee) ; 
besides   a   large    number    of   fortified   farm-houses   or    bastle- 
houses — later  erections — such  as   are  known  to  have  existed 
at  Harbottle,  High  Shaw,  The  Craig  and  the  Raw,  Netherton, 
Bickerton,  Warton,  Newtown,  Whitton,  Brinkburn   Hope,   as 
well  as  many  of  the  old  farm-houses  in  Rothbury  Forest.     In 
1549   an   elaborate   plan   of  watch  and  ward  was  established 
along  the  borders.    A  cordon  of  sentinels  was  stationed  on  the 
tops  of  the  higher  hills,  and  from  sunset  to  sunrise  watchers 
were  set  at  all  fords  and  passes  by  which  it  was  possible  for 
an  enemy  to  approach. 

Over  and  above  the  order  of  the  Coquetdale  watches, 
already  given  in  a  previous  chapter,  the  various  passes  and 
fords  in  the  higher  reaches  of  the  river  were  carefully  guarded 
every  night  by  men  out  of  the  neighbouring  townships,  whose 
pay  consisted  of  fourpence  a  night  each  man.  The  passes 
and  fords  in  Upper  Coquetdale  were  watched  as  follows  : — 


THE   BORDERLAND.  l6l 

"  Betwene  Grene  Lyghton  and  Heppell     ...  xij  (men) 

Betwene  Heppell  and  Tharneham iiij 

Betwene  Tharneham  and  Sharperton      ...  iij 

Betwene  Sharperton  and  Allaynton         ...  iiij 

Betwene  Allaynton  and  Clennell     ij 

Betwene  Clennell  and  Byttylsden    ij 

Betwene  Byttylsden  and  Scranwood       ...  iiij 

Betwene  Scranwood  and  A}-lename        ...  iiij  "5 

The  need  of  such  precautionary  measures  on  the  part  of 
the  Borderers  against  the  inroads  of  the  Scots  into  the  fertile 
pasture  lands  of  Upper  Coquetdale  will  be  easily  understood 
by  a  perusal  of  the  list  given  below,  which  shews  a  small 
portion  only,  of  the  losses  sustained  by  the  men  of  Coquet- 
water  towards  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

1584,  May — Complaints  of  Forstcj'  and  others.  —  By  Sir 
John  Forster  against  Read  Marten  Ellott  of  the  Hueghe- 
howse,  Jocke  Ellott,  his  brother,  Arche  Ellott  of  the  tlill.  Will 
Ellott  of  the  Stretchellhill,  alias  Will  Henhead,  Jeymeye 
Ellott  of  the  Armitage  borne,  called  Jeymes  Gawen,  Yll 
Hobbe  of  the  Ramsgill,  son  to  Gawen  of  the  Rowghelie, 
Arche  Ellott  of  the  Shawes,  brother  to  Edie  Ellott  of  the 
Shawes,  Arche  Nixon,  alias  Coefoole  of  the  Steile,  and  nebles 
Clemey  Crosier,  and  others  above  20  score,  for  stealing  from 
his  place  called  the  Ridleie  borne  in  the  forest  of  Harbottle, 
on  the  3<^'  May,  1584,  seven  score  kye  and  oxen,  with  insight,^ 
worth  40I.  sterling. 

By  Sandie  Hall  of  Ycrduppc,  against  Erauncis  Arm- 
stronge  of  Whittawghe,  Hobbe  Armstronge  of  Whittawghe, 
Eckie,  young  Tom,  Elley,  and  Ebbey  Arm.stronges,  all  of  the 
Gingells,  Tom  of  Glendennengs  son,  his  brother  Christie  the 
same  Toms  son,  ICckic  Armstronge  of  the  Harlawe,  called 
Eckis  Tom,  Dickie  Armstronge  of  Driauppe,  Edie  Ellott  of 
the  Shawe-s,  Willie   Ellott   of  Thorlosoppe.  Clemey  Crosier, 


5  Hoflgson's  Northumlicrland,  J'arl  III.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  240. 
*  Insight — Household  goods. — HcsloiJ. 

11 


1 62  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

called  nebles  Clemey,  Davie  Ellott  the  Corlen,  and  Hobbie 
Ellott  of  the  Burneheades,  and  lOO  others,  for  running  an  open 
foray  at  the  Slymefoote  on  the  Middle  Marches,  stealing  300 
kie  and  oxen,  40  horses  and  meires,  spoiling  30  "  sheles,"7  to 
the  value  of  lool.  "  Englishe,"  and  taking  20  prisoners. 

Sundry  incursions  and  day  forays  done  in  the  Middle 
March,  since  the  last  of  April,  1587,  by  the  opposite 
realm,  chiefly  in  Cookedale  and  Rydsdale,  without 
redress,  laying  the  said  frontiers  waste,  and  forcing 
the  inhabitants  to  beg  and  leave  their  dwellings  even 
more  than  in  time  of  war. 

Fernehurst  tenants,  &c.8 — 30th  April,  20  of  West  Tevedale 
took  24  oxen  and  kye  from  the  Lennt  brigges  in  the  day  time, 
within  2  miles  of  Harbottle. 

Fernehurst. — On  25th  May,  8  of  West  Tevedale  took  4 
horsse  from  other  4  "  carrage  men "  of  Rothbury,  within 
2  miles  of  Morpeth,  and  cut  2  fingers  from  one  of  them. 

Bothwell.9 — On  29th  May,  80  of  Ledesdale  and  West 
Tevedale  ran  a  day  foray  to  Harbottle,  and  took  60  oxen 
and  "  kye." 

Cessford.^° — 30th  June,  16  of  E.  Tevedale  took  16  oxen 
and  kye  and  one  horse  from  Lurbottle,  and  hurt  i  man  in 
pursuit.  On  6th  Jul)',  20  of  the  same  country  took  10  oxen 
and  kye  from  Thropton.  On  the  15th  July,  12  of  same  took 
out  of  Strangwood  (Screnwood),  John  Horssley's  house,  120 
sheep.  On  i8th  July,  30  of  E.  Tevedale  took  out  of  Warton, 
within  2  miles  of  Harbottle,  and  hurt  3  men,  30  oxen  and 
kyne,  6  horses.  On  7th  August,  the  Laird  of  Buckclugh,  ^^ 
with   200   men,    burned   the   Woodsyde,  in   Riddesdale,  and 

'  Sheles — Shepherds'  houses. 

^  The  tenants  of  the  Kers  of  Ferniehurst. 

9  Bothwell — Lieutenant  on  the  Scottish  Borders,  a  favourite  of  Mary,  Queen 
of  Scots. 

'°  Cessford — The  clan  uf  the  Kers  of  Cessford. 

"Scott  of  Buccleuch,  termed  by  Lord  Dacre  "chief  maintainer  of  all  mis- 
guided men  on  the  Borders  of  Scotland." — Letter  to  Wohey,  July  i8th,  1528. 


THE   BORDERLAND.  1 63 

murdered  one,  John  Dunne.  On  9th  August,  160  of  W. 
Tevedale  burned  Xetherton,  within  2  miles  of  Harbottle,  and 
carried  away  80  cattle. 

1590. — Willian:!  Loren  complains  upon  Robert  Armstrong 
"  Robine  the  Taillor,"  Rinion  Armstrong  of  Tweeden,  Matthew 
Armstrong,  Adam  Ellott,  son  to  Davie  of  Dunlies," Alexander's 
Arche,"  Armstrong,  &c.,  for  coming  to  Trewhit  the  26th 
January  last,  breaking  Robert  Storie's  house,  taking  away  a 
black  mare,  price  4I.,  money  and  insight  5  marks,  carrying  said 
Robert  prisoner  to  Scotland,  and  keeping  him. 

Jock  Sanderson,  Anton  Wilkingson,  and  Clement  Wilking- 
son  of  the  Lynbrigges,  complain  upon  Hobb  Nixon  of 
Kelleley,  Jenken  Nixson,  his  brother,  Geordie  Nixson  of  the 
Lareston  burne,  John  Noble,  Martin  Ellott's  man,  Clemy 
Croser,  Martin's  son,  Jock  Sheill,  Robin  Ellott's  man,  Steven 
Sheill,  his  brother,  for  stealing  13  kye  and  oxen,  3  horses  and 
meares,  and  insight  worth  61.  sterling,  on  6th  March  last. 

The  Laird  of  Varren,  John  Snawdon  of  Lynbrigges,  John 
Wilkenson  of  Dunsgren,  George  Gren  of  Allenton,  with  the 
rest  of  the  town  of  Allenton  and  Linbriggs,  complain  upon 
Will  Ellott  of  Fidderton,  Hobb  Ellott,  larde  of  the  Burne 
heades  "  Quintins,"  Arche  Croser,  Renyon  Armestrong  of  the 
•Gyngills,  and  200  others,  for  reiving  100  kye  and  oxen,  20 
horses  and  meares,  spoiling  the  town,  and  taking  20  men 
prisoners,  23rd  June,  1589. 

Sir  Cuthbert  Collingwood  complains  upon  Jock  Burne  of 
the  Coatt,  younger,  Mark,  Charlie,  and  George  Burne  of  Elis- 
heugh,  Richie  Frame,  Thome  Burne  of  Autenburne,  and  Jocke 
Younge,  "  Blackhall,"  who,  "  in  forcible  manner,  entred  the 
outter  courttinge  of  Harbottle  castle,"  and  took  Go  kye 
and  oxen,  14th  August,  1588. 

*'  Maister  Slingsbie  persoun  (rector)  of  Rothburie,"  and 
Thomas  Dickesoun,  upon  Will  Davisoun  of  the  Marchc 
■cleughc,  Jamye  Hall  of  Hevisyde,  younger,  and  Robert  Hall 
•of  same,   his   brother,   Will    Davi.soun    of  Throgdenn,   John 


l64  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

Davisoun,  his  brother,  and  Peter  Hall  of  Hevisid,  for  stealing- 
20  kye  and  oxen,  20th  July,  1588. 

Jenkin  Humble  of  Wartoun,  upon  Jamy  Hall  of  Heviside, 
thelder,  Jamye  Hall  and  Hob  Hall,  his  sons,  Willie  Hall  of 
Hevisyd,  Jamy  Hall  of  Capupp,  James  Robsoun  of  the 
Burewens,  Rinioun  Robsoun,  the  younger  of  Middlesknowes, 
for  stealing  24  kye  and  oxen,  6  young  nolte,  and  4  calves, 
13th  August,  1588. 

George  Gren  of  Allentoun,  upon  Hobb  Oliver  and  Will 
Burne  of  Hownam,  for  12  kye  and  oxen  stolen  from  Pigdenn, 
January,  1587.  - 

The  Laird  of  Trewhitt,  upon  Jock  Bume  of  the  Coatt, 
Thome  Burne  of  Autonburne,  Charlie  and  Marke  Burne  of 
Elisheugh,  for  theft  of  16  kye  and  oxen,  and  insight  worth  20 
nobles  sterling,  at  Candlemas,  1587. 

Lewes  Pott  of  Trewhitt,  upon  George  Davisoun  of  Throg- 
den,  William  Mowe  of  Mow  mayns,  Henry  Davisoun  of  the 
Burne  fitt,  and  Thome  Younge  of  the  Townheed,  for  6  kye  and 
oxen,  a  meare,  and  insight,  worth  40s.  sterling,  at  Lammas, 
1587. 

William  Gibsoun  of  Shipbankes,  upon  Thomas  Burne  of 
Autenburn,  Jock  Young,  "  Blackhall,"  Mark  Young  of  the 
Cove,  for  10  kye  and  oxen,  a  nage,  and  insight,  20s.  sterling, 
July,  1587. 

Thomas  Reed  of  Burrotoun  and  John  Reed,  his  brother,, 
upon  James  Hall  of  Hevisid,  younger,  James  Robsoun  of  the 
Burvens,  John  Mow,  son  to  Launce,  and  20  men,  for  reiving 
24  k}'e  and  oxen  and  a  horse,  worth  lol.  sterling,  4  September, 
1589. 

Percevall  Clennell,  upon  Giles  Dowgles,  "  Gile  the  gose " 
of  Over  Chatto,  for  6  kye  and  oxen,  at  Christmas,  1587. 

Francis  Radclif  of  Cartingtoun,  esquier,  upon  John  Mowe, 
young  laird  of  Mowe,  "  for  troubling  his  mann  Raiphe  Fen- 
wick,    Roger    Fenwick,   and    Edward    Hall,   in    their    lawful 


THE   BORDERLAND.  1 65 

troad^s  j'li  following  xxx^ie  sheipp,"  driven  b\-  him,  taking 
them  prisoners,  robbing  them  of  2  horses,  with  furniture,  a 
dag,  13  a  dager,  a  speare,  a  steal  cappe,  a  Ham  (?),^4  on  Sunday, 
1st  February,  1589. 

Hewy  Rotherford  of  Myddletoun  hall,  upon  Dand  Davi- 
soun  of  Hosley,  Robert  Davisoun,  Hatherlandes,  for  theft  and 
reset^5  from  the  Newtown  in  Rothburie  forest,  of  16  kye  and 
oxen,  a  mear,  "  couler  whitt,"  price  40s.,  and  insight  5  marks, ^6 
about  last  of  November,  15  89."  ^7 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  Borderers  on  both  sides 
of  the  Cheviots  were  alike  in  their  plundering  propensities, 
"  knowing  no  measure  of  law  but  the  length  of  their  swords," 
amongst  whom  it  was  truly  said,  "  The  King's  \\rit  runneth 
not."  Therefore,  as  one  might  imagine,  these  raids  were  not 
forgotten  b}-  those  on  the  English  side,  and  many  a  reprisal 
raid  of  Northumbrian  borderers — frequently  led  by  the  Warden 
of  the  March  himself — harried  the  vales  of  the  Kale  and  the 
Bowmont  or  the  lands  of  Teviotdale  and  Liddesdale,  when, 
regardless  of  whose  cattle  they  lifted,  they  repaid  themselves 
with  interest.  Some  idea  of  the  state  of  turmoil  and  blood- 
shed on  the  Borders  during  the  sixteenth  century  ma\-  be 
gathered  from  the  account  Lord  Evers  rendered  of  his  plun- 
dering expeditions  into  Scotland,  which  tended  to  increase  the 
rancour  then  existing  between  the  two  nations.  In  1544 
Evers  and  Sir  Brian  Latoun,  with  an  army  of  borderers, 
ruthlessly  devastated  the  whole  length  of  the  Scottish  borders 
from  Liddesdale  on  the  west,  when  they  destroyed  192  towns, 
towers,  barmekins,  parish  churches,  and  bastlc  houses,  killed 
403  Scots,  took  816  prisoners,  carried  off  10,386  cattle,  12,492 

"Trode — A  footpath— A  track. — Wright. 
'3  Dag — A  large  pistol. 

'••Liam — Lyam  a  thong  used  to  lead  a  hound.— Wright. 
'5 Reset — To  harl)our  an  outlaw. — Ileslop. 
'^Mark — A  coin  of  the  value  of  13s.  4d. — Wright. 

''Calendar  of  Border  Papers. — Hain,  pp.    138,  262,  263,  267,  349,  351,  359, 
360,  361,  362,  364,  365. 


l66  Uri'ER    aJC^UETDALE. 

sheep,  1,296  horses,  200  goats,  850  bolls  of  corn,  besides  an 
enormous  quantit)-  of  "  insight  gear."  "  Indeed,  the  history  of 
this  part  of  Northumberland  was  once  nothing  more  than  an 
eternal  see-saw  of  victories  and  reverses,  both  sides — Scotch 
and  English  alike — being  alwa\'s  ready  for  a  fra}',  and  very 
loth  to  spoil  it  b}-  inquiring  too  minutely  into  the  cause 
thereof.  If  the  English  went  too  long  without  killing  some 
stray  Scot,  the  Scotch  made  up  for  it  by  killing  an  English- 
man, and,  as  it  was  a  point  of  honour  on  both  sides  not  to 
apologise  for  accidents  of  this  kind — at  least  not  till  after  the 
fight — the  materials  for  a  quarrel  were  always  handy," ^^ 

A  complaint  of  the  Scots  against  Cuthbert  Musgrave, 
captain  of  Harbottle  Castle,  ran  thus  : — "  The  instruction  for 
Ross  herald  say  that  Cuthbert  Musgrave,  in  the  month  of  July 
last,  came  with  five  hundred  Englishmen,  at  ten  o'clock  fore- 
noon, to  the  lands  of  Yetholm  and  Kirk  Yetholm,  in  Scotland, 
and  seized  and  carried  off  three  thousand  five  hundred  sheep 
and  five  hundred  nolt,  whereof  the  deput}'-warden  refused  to 
make  redress,  alleging  the\'  had  acted  b\'  order  of  Lord 
Wharton,  warden-depute  of  all  the  Marches,  under  the  Duke 
of  Northumberland."     (Keith;. 

The  mottoes  of  some  of  the  Border  families  were  symbolic 
of  their  predatory  profession.  "  We'll  hae  moonlight  again  " 
was  the  motto  of  "  Wat  o'  Harden."  "  Best  riding  by  moon- 
light "  was  the  old  motto  of  the  Buccleuchs,  "  Strong  in 
Arms  "  is  the  motto  of  the  Armstrongs  of  Cragside.  The  late 
Lord  Armstrong,  a  descendant  of  the  Liddesdale  family,  was 
often  heard  to  say  that  he  came  of  a  notorious  family,  for  it 
was  an  old  saying — ''  The  Elliotts  and  the  Armstrongs  ride 
thieves  all." 

When  on  a  border  fora}-,  nothing  came  wrong  to  the  raid- 
ing mosstrooper,  provided  it  was  not  "  too  heavy  or  too  hot." 
An  amusing  story  is  told  of  Walter  Scott,  of  Harden — a  fine 
type  of  the  old  Scottish  borderer,  best  known  amongst  his 

•8 "Times,"  October,  1868. 


THE   BORDERLAND.  1 67 

kinsmen  as  "Auld  Wat  o'  Harden."  Upon  one  occasion  when 
the  village  herd  was  driving  out  the  cattle  to  pasture,  the 
old  laird  heard  him  call  loudh',  to  drive  out  Hardens  cow. 
''Hardens  cow  /"  echoed  the  affronted  chief — "  Is  it  come  to 
that  pass?  by  my  faith,  they  shall  sune  say  Harden's  kye 
(cows)."  Accordingly  he  sounded  his  bugle,  mounted  his  horse, 
set  out  with  his  followers,  into  Northumberland,  it  is  said,  and 
returned  next  day  with  "  a  bow  (herd)  of  kye,  and  a  bassend 
(brindled)  bull."  On  his  return  with  this  gallant  prey,  he 
passed  a  very  large  haystack.  It  occurred  to  the  provident 
laird,  that  this  would  be  extremely  convenient  to  fodder  his 
new  stock  of  cattle  ;  but  as  no  means  of  transporting  it  were 
obvious,  he  was  fain  to  take  leave  of  it  with  this  apostrophe, 
now  proverbial :  "  By  my  soul,  had  }-e  but  four  feet,  ye  should 
not  stand  lang  there."  ^9 

James  IV.  and  James  V.  of  Scotland  did  all  in  their  power 
to  keep  order  on  the  borderland,  and  to  afford  their  subjects 
justice  and  protection.  The  Scottish  clan  of  Turnbull  had 
been  guilty  of  great  excesses,  when  James  IV.,  by  a  night 
march,  coming  suddenly  to  Jedburgh,  executed  stern  justice 
upon  the  astonished  offenders.  Their  submission  was  made 
in  a  singular  and  characteristic  manner.  Two  hundred  of 
them  met  the  King,  at  the  water  of  Rule,  holding  in  their 
hands  the  naked  swords  with  which  they  had  perpetrated 
their  crimes,  each  having  round  his  neck  the  halter  they  well 
deserved.  A  few  of  the  worst  of  them  were  hung  —  many 
were  imprisoned,  and  the  rest  were  discharged  after  having 
been  bound  over  to  keep  the  peace. ^o  In  later  days,  during 
the  reign  of  Charles  I.,  mosstrooping  was  still  in  vogue,  and  it 
wasonly  by  his  mother  wit  that  "Christie's  Will"  saved  his  neck. 
His  real  name  was  William  Armstrong — a  lineal  descendant 
of  Johnnie  Armstrong,  of  Gilnockie,  who,  with  forty-si.x  of 
his  followers,  were  strung  up  on  the  trees  in  Curling  Rig  by 

■' Introduction  to  Scott's  "  Minstrelsy  of  the  Border." 
»"Ibid. 


1 68  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

James  V.,  about  1529.  Christie's  Will  was  lying  in  Jedburgh 
jail  for  horse  stealing,  when  the  Earl  of  Traquair  happened  to 
visit  the  town,  and,  knowing  Christie's  Will,  inquired  the  cause 
of  his  incarceration.  W'ill  replied  he  was  in  for  stealing  two 
tethers  (halters) ;  but,  upon  being  more  closely  questioned, 
admitted  that  there  were  two  delicate  colts  at  the  end  of  them. 
The  joke  amused  the  Earl  so  mnch,  that  he  used  his  influence, 
and  succeeded  in  releasing  Christie's  Will  from  bondage. 
Some  time  after,  Lord  Traquair  was  engaged  in  a  lawsuit,  in 
which  he  knew  the  president,  who  had  the  power  of  giving 
his  casting  vote,  was  against  him,  therefore  he  engaged  his 
friend  Christie's  Will  to  help  him,  by  kidnapping  the  judge 
while  taking  his  airing  on  Leith  sands,  and  conveying  him,  it 
is  said  to  Harbottle  Castle,  where  he  was  kept  in  durance  vile 
for  three  months,  until  the  trial  was  over. 

Numbers  of  Border  riders  were  executed  without  the 
formality  of  a  trial,  and  it  is  even  said  that,  in  mockery  of 
justice,  assizes  were  held  upon  them  after  they  had  suffered. 
The  following  is  told  of  Lord  William  Howard  of  Naworth 
Castle,  a  Warden  of  the  Marches  in  the  time  of  Queen  Eliza- 
beth. This  nobleman  was  much  attached  to  letters,  and  to 
interrupt  his  hours  of  study  was  an  offence  cautiously 
avoided  by  the  domestics,  particularly  as  one  intrusion  had 
been  attended  with  fatal  consequences. 

His  lordship  was  one  day  engaged  with  his  books,  when  a 
retainer  burst  into  the  apartment  to  tell  his  master  that  he 
had  captured  a  Scots  mosstrooper,  and  to  inquire  what  he 
should  do  with  him.  "  Hang  the  fellow  !  "  said  Lord  William, 
peevishly,  an  expression  intended  only  to  convey  his  dis- 
pleasure at  the  intruder.  The  servant,  however,  accustomed 
to  the  most  perfect  obedience,  construed  the  passionate  ex- 
pression into  a  command  ;  and  a  iew  hours  afterwards,  when 
his  lordship  directed  the  man  to  be  brought  before  him  for 
examination,  he  was  told  that,  in  compliance  with  his  order, 
ihe  man  had  been  hanged ! 


THE    BORDERLAND.  1 69 

This  summary  method  of  execution  was  known  on  the 
Borders  as  "  Jethart  Justice,"  a  proverb  still  extant,  which 
signifies  trial  after  sentence.  A  similar  proverb  exists  in 
Devonshire  as  "  Lydford  Law." 

"  I  oft  have  heard  of  Lydford  Law, 
How  in  the  morn  they  hang  and  draw, 
And  sit  in  judgment  after." 

In  a  pla}-  of  the  seventeenth  century  (1654),  a  Northum- 
brian borderer,  on  being  asked  where  he  belonged,  replies  :  "  I 
was  born  in  Redesdale,  in  Northumberland,  and  come  of  a 
wight^i  riding  surname,  call'd  the  Robsons ;  gude  honeste 
men,  and  true,  savying  a  little  shiftinge^z  for  their  living. 
God  help  them !  silly,  pure  men."  Sir  Walter  Scott,  in 
Marniion,  depicts  the  character  of  a  Borderer  thus  : — 

"  Not  so  the  Borderer — bred  to  war, 
He  knew  the  battle's  c'in  afar, 

And  joy'd  to  hear  it  swell. 
His  peaceful  day  was  slothful  ease  ; 
Nor  haq3,  nor  pipe,  his  ear  could  please, 
Like  the  loud  slogan  yell. 

On  active  steed,  with  lance  and  blade, 
The  light-armed  pricker  plied  his  trade — 

Let  nobles  fight  for  fame  ; 
Let  vassals  follow  where  they  lead. 
Burghers,  to  guard  their  townships  bleed. 

But  war's  the  Borderer's  game. 

Their  gain,  their  glorj',  their  delight, 
To  sleep  the  day,  maraud  the  night. 

O'er  mountain,  moss,  and  moor ; 
Joyful  to  fight  they  took  their  way, 
Scarce  caring  who  might  win  the  day, 

Their  booty  was  secure." 

At  this  period  every  Northumbrian  borderer  could  wield 
his  brand,  as  well  as  guide  the  plough  or  herd  the  cattle. 
The  Muster  of  1538,  from  which  we  extract  the  list  of  Coquet- 
dalc  yeomen  who  assembled  on  Robert's  Law,  near  High 
Trcwhitt,  is  of  great  interest.     It  not  only  records  old  family 

"  Wijjhl — Strong. — Jamieson. 
"Shiftingc — Raiding  and  catlle  stealing. 


I/O  UPl'ER   COQUET  I)  ALE. 

names  but  shows  the  number  of  men  able  to  bear  arms, 
man)^  of  whose  descendants  are  still  to  be  found  in  the  valley 
of  the  Coquet. 

Musters  for  Northumberland  in  1538. 

"  The  avewe  of  musters  tayk}'n  by  Sir  Cuthbt.  Radclyffe 

(of  Cartington),   Knight   Constable   of  the    King's  Castell   of 

Allnwyke,  and    Robt.   Collingwode    (of   Eslington),  Esquyre, 

the  xvii.  and   xviii.  day  of  Apryle,  the   xxxth  yere  of  oure 

sourayne  Lorde  Kinge  Henry  the  eight,  takyn  on  Abberwyk 

More  and  Robert's  Lawes  for  Cocdale  ande  a  part  of  Bourghe 

Ward,  by  vertewe  of  the  King's  comyschone  to  theym  dyrecte 

wyth  others.     Daited  at  Westmynster  the  fyrst  day  of  Marche 

the  yere  of  the   reyne   of  oure   saide   Sourayne    Lorde   afore 

sayd." 

Neytherion —  Ed.  Gybson. 

John  Bollem.  John  Kyrspe. 

John  Turner.  Thomas  Bart. 

Ed.  Chamberlan.  Will.  Kyrspe. 

George  Heslope.  John  Thomson. 

Robt.  Bollem.  Hahle  with  horse  aad  hartiess. 

James  Bollem. 
..  , ,        .  ,  ,  ,  ,  Al.I.ENTON — 

Hable  with  horse  ana  harnes. 


Neytherrton 


James  Wylkinson. 
John  Steynson. 
Willme  Horsley.  j^^^g  Wylkinson. 


Robt.  Turner. 


Cuthbt.  Hall. 


Georg  Turner.  Alexand.  Past. 

John  Steynson.  WiUime  Pot. 

Rye.  Turner.  Thomas  Gybson. 

William  Tyndell.  Q^o^ge  Brown, 

Robt.  Boddyll.  QgQ^gg  Wylkinson 

James  Boddill.  j^^^t^  Patonson. 

Robt.  Browne.  Willime  Dykson. 

Hable  men  with  horse  and  harnes.  Thomas  Browne. 

Persevalle  Lylburn.  jobe  Gibson. 

Not  able.  George  Wylkinson. 

John  Kyrspe.  Rye.  Foreste. 
Rye.  Kyrspe.                                                    Able  with  horse  and  harnes. 

Willime  Kyrspe.  George  Browne. 


THE    BORDERLAND. 


171 


Ichn  Why'. 
George  Biokyt. 
D.iv'e  ("yl^son. 
IFaiitt!/^^  both  horse  and  /tames. 

SCHARPERTON"  — 

Robt.  Clenell. 
James  Pott. 
Thomas  Whetryd. 
Willme  Whetrede. 
Hable  with  horse  ami  harnes. 

Robt.  Wylkinson. 
George  Pole. 
Pet.  Browne. 
Thomas  Wall  is. 
George  Care. 
Wanting  both  horse  and  harnes. 

Bekerton — 

Willme  Snawdon. 
Robt.  Snawdon. 
Henry  Snawdon. 
Robt.  Snawdon. 
John  Snawdon. 
Wille  Snawdon. 
Pet.  Snawdon. 
Hable  with  horse  and  harnes. 
John  Dounsyre. 


RolH.  Dounsyre. 
Wylhne  Snawdon. 
Not  hable,  wanting  bothe  horse  and 

harnes. 
Farxelawe — 

Robt.  Brome. 
Andro  Swayne. 
Hable  with  horse  and  harnes. 
Sande  Horsyley. 
Not  able. 

Mekvll  Tossox — 

Wilhne  Gallon. 
John  Scharpperlon. 
John  Grene. 
Willme  Scharpperlon. 
Hable  zuitk  horse  and  hams. 
Jolm  Watson. 
James  Morley. 
Thomas  Wylkinson. 
John  Sche]">hyrd. 
Willie  Day. 
John  Sharpperton. 
Cuthbt.  Wellthewe. 
Willme  Taller. 
Thomes  Brone. 
Not  hable,  wantinge  bothe  horse 
and  harnes. 


ROTin:iii;R\-  PARVCH,  of  the  North  Sydc  of  Kokyl. 

HELliV—  Dave  Hume. 

Rog.  Gren.  Wille  Sperman. 

Rye.  Turner.  Sander  Robynson. 

Robt.  Bullman.  Pet.  Dychant. 

Jcjhn  Browne.  Dd.  Browne. 

Thomas  Brone.  John  Paxton. 

Leonard  Grenc.  Gawen  Lang. 

Roland  Sleynson.  John  Edgarc. 

Ed.  Steynson.  Ed.  Maven. 

Robt.  Brown.  Robt.  Turner. 

Ed.  Maywhene.  Thomas  I'"urdc. 

ROTMEnKRY —  Ed.  Rycardson. 

Vmffray  Glenwhame.  Jnhii  liugon. 

John  Atkinson.  John  Marchei. 


172 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


Thomas  Watson. 
Payt.  Thomson. 
Not  able. 

Rye.  Leddell. 
Jemes  Scott. 
Willme  Dave. 
Robt.  Tayller. 
Thomas  Dave. 
John  Vrpethe. 
liable  with  horse  and  harnes. 

Thropton — 

Edward  Cartington. 
Gylbt.  Cartington. 
Henry  Butemont. 
Robt.  Clark. 
John  Grene. 
Willme  Taller. 
Ed.  Cooke. 
Hable  ivith  horse  and  harnes. 

Snytter — 

Ed.  Blenk'. 
Robt.  Storer. 
Robt.  Dave. 

Sand,  Watson. 
Slorre  Wasson. 
John  Barker. 
Willme  Storer. 
Thomas  Storer. 
Robt.  Olyvor. 
Sande  Sparke. 
John  Storer. 
liable  tvith  horse  and  harnes. 

Wharton — 

Hewe  Sparke. 
Edward  Trewyt. 
John  Trewyt. 
Hable. 
Ed.  Thomson. 
Hewe  Trewyt. 
Willme  Browyr. 
Not  hable. 


Flotterton — 

John  Rychertson. 
James  Watson. 
Hable. 
Ed.  Robson. 
Nycoll  Homle. 
Willme  Prangwhorn. 
Not  hable. 
Krestron — 

Georg  Dychant. 
Thomas  Tode. 
John  Tod. 

Hable. 
Robt.  Tod. 

Not  able. 
Hepeli. — 

Georg  Ogle. 
John  Bellton. 
(jeorg  Hope. 
Hable. 
Ed.  Cok. 
—  Rycardson. 
Sande  Holgell. 
John  Pott. 

N'ot  hable. 
Wryghyi.l — 

John  Gallon. 
Hable. 
Willme  Y'ose. 
Ed.    Dychant. 
Robt.  Trewyt. 
Sande  Toode. 
Not  hable. 
Ev  Trewitt — 

Ed.  Gallon. 
Robt.  Gallon. 
Roger  Sperman. 
Ed.  Homel. 
Robt.  Heslope. 
Hable  with  horse  and  harnes. 
Robt.  Spore. 
Mychell  Wellthewe. 
Not  hable. 


THE   BORDERLAND. 


173 


Lyttell  Tossyone — 

Wyllme  R}-chaidson. 

James  Rychardson. 

Georg  Rychardson. 

Sande  Swayne. 
Hable  with  horse  and  harnes. 

Willme  Hommell. 
Not  hable. 
Neyther  Trewvte — 

Ed.  Stoore. 

Perc.  Dennat. 

John  Swayne. 
Hable  -with  horse  and  harnes. 

Ed.  Swayne. 
Not  hable. 
Cartington — 

James  Sniyihe. 

Henry  Tod. 

James  Wylkinson. 

John  Cragt^. 

John  Wylkinson. 

Cuthbt.  Magge. 
Hable  with  horse  and  harnes. 
The  Forest  or  Rothbery — 

John  Hall. 

Thomas  Browne. 

Rye.  Lyghton. 
Habyll  with  horse  and  harnes. 

Thomas  Pott,  th'  elder. 

Thomas  Pote. 

Roger  Huntley. 

Willme  Brodryk. 

Rynyoiie  Brown. 

Willme  Swayne. 
Habyll  men  wantyng  bothe. 
Bytellsden — 

Percevall  Selbe. 

Crystfero  Selbe. 

Cuthbt.  Selbe. 

Olyver  Selbe. 

James  Selbe. 

Willme  Davyson. 

John  Schanke. 


John  Robson. 

Willme  Steynson. 

Willm  Wylkinson. 

John  Gray. 

Ro])t.  Davyson. 

Ed.  Trewhate. 

Perc.  Davyson. 
Hable  with  horse  and  harnes, 

John  Gybson. 

Robt.  Nesbit. 

John  Gowrley. 

John  Wylkinson. 

Georg  Gybson. 

John  Robson. 
Habell  men,  wantyng  bathe  horse- 
and  harnes. 
Clenell — 

Perc.  Clenell. 

Rog.  Clenell. 

John  Selbe. 

Rog.  Brown. 

Robt.  Whyt. 

Thomas  Grene. 

Ed.  Brown. 
Hable  with  horse  and  harness. 

Willme  Gallon. 

Roland  Harbottell. 
Not  able. 
Newtox — 

Sande  Rede. 

John  Herryson. 

John  Wylkinson. 

Robt.  Wylkinson. 
Hable  with  horse  and  harnes. 
Harden— 

Willinc  Astaye. 

Rolle  Hell. 

John  Bell. 
Hable  with  horse  and  harnes. 

FOXOEN — 

Georg  Gibson. 
Hable. 
John  Scott. 

Not  abic:'"^ 


'3  Arch.  .Kliana,  vol.  iv,  (Old  Scries),  pp.  165-6-7-5!. 


1/4  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  most  of  the  men  on  the  muster  roll 
are  "  Able,  with  horse  and  harness,"  which  meant  they  were 
fully  equipped  and  armed  ready  for  the  field.  We  learn 
from  a  document  of  1605  what  the  arms  of  the  borderers 
usually  consisted  of: — "Proclamation  shall  be  made  that  all 
inhabiting  within  Tynedale  and  Riddesdale,  in  Northumber- 
land ;  Bewcastledale,  Willgavey,  the  north  part  of  Gilsland, 
Esk,  and  Leven,  in  Cumberland  ;  East  and  West  Tividale, 
Liddesdale,  Eskdale,  Ewsdale,  and  Annerdale,  in  Scotland 
(saving  noblemen  and  gentlemen  unsuspected  of  felony  and 
theft,  and  not  being  of  broken  clans,  and  their  household 
servants,  dwelling  within  those  several  places,  before  recited), 
shall  put  away  all  armour  and  weapons,  as  well  offensive  as 
defensive,  as  jacks,24  spears,  lances,  swords,  daggers,  steel-caps, 
hackbuts,25  pistols,  plate-sleeves, ^6  and  such  like  ;  and  shall 
not  keep  any  horse,  gelding,  or  mare,  above  the  value  of  fifty 
shillings  sterling,  or  thirty  pounds  Scots,  upon  the  like  pain 
of  imprisonment. "27  Bows  and  arrows  were  also  in  use, 
more  particularly  amongst  the  English  borderers,  during  the 
days  of  border  warfare.  The  Northumbrians  were  skilled  in 
archery,  but  the  Scots  were  better  supplied  with  firearms." 

Other  musters  there  have  been  in  Upper  Coquetdale  since 
that  of  1538.  In  1648  the  Royalists  of  the  district  rendez- 
voused at  Cartington  Castle.  The  Northumbrian  Jacobites, 
in  17 1 8,  mustered  their  forces  on  Plainfield  Moor.  While  on 
the  night  of  the  "  False  Alarm,"  in  1804,  the  rallying  points  of 
the  Coquetdale  Rangers  were  at  Rothbury  and  Netherton. 

As  it  bears  on  the  subject  of  this  chapter,  we  quote  the 

following  ballad  by  the  late  Mr.  Joseph  Crawhall,  which  gives 

a  graphic   and    rather   amusing   description  of  one  of  those 

lawless  expeditions  not  at  all  uncommon  amongst  our  unruly 

forefathers  : — 

'■'•'Jack — A  defensi%'e  jacket,  quilted  with  leather. 

°5  Hackbut— A  kind  of  firearm  anciently  used. — Jamieson. 

'^  Plate-sleeves — Armour-plated  sleeves. 

=7  Introduction  to  Scott's  "  Minstrelsy  of  the  Border." 


THE   BORDERLAND.  175 


A  Border  Fray  in  thk  Middle  Marches  (1570),  an'  what 
hecam'  o'  the  Meenister. 

Eigh  !  aa  aa  aa, 

Eigh  !  aa  aa  aa.  -^ 
Hue  an'  cry — hoond  an'  home — ca'  to  the  fray, 
For  the  Scots  hae  been  Rotbarrie  waie  i'  the  mirk,^' 
An'  left  na  a  galloway,  sheepe,  hogge,  or  stirke. 
Fired  a'  the  haudins',  3°  an'  harried  the  Kirk, 

Au'  faur  waur  then  a' ; 

Oh  !  wae  ti'll  us  wae. 
The  Meenister's  missin',  they've  lifted  him  tae. 

Eigh  !  aa  aa  aa, 

Eigh  !  aa  aa  aa. 
Tell't  at  the  Mercat-cross — follow  the  fray, 
Don  your  plait,  3'  soond  the  bell,  kinnle  the  beaken  flame  ! 
Up  wi'  the  brennin  strae, 3=  loudly  the  slogan  raim^s — 
Scoor  weel  the  border — we  maun  hae  the  cattel  hame. 

Up,  lads — awaie. 

It'll  be  an  ill  day 
("/in  3-t  we  get  na  back  beasties  an'  Meenister  tae. 

Eigh  !  aa  aa  aa, 

Eigh  !  aa  aa  aa. 
We're  het  on  the  scabbit  loons — see  hoo  they  flae, 
Climmin'  yon  hill  ayont  Harbottle  craigs  ; 
Noo,  lads,  aye  readie,  lay  spurs  till  yer  naigs, 
An'  we'll  no  fash  the  Warden  to  touzle^s  their  craigs.  3* 

But,  Gude  save  us  a' ! 

Mischance  the  loons  fa', 
Nae  sicht  o'  the  Meenister's  'mang  them  ava  ! 


'^Eigh  !— aa,  aa,  aa — A  gathering  cry. 

=^  Mirk— Dark. 

'"'i^audins — Holdings,  i.e.,  pele  towers  and  strong  houses. 

3'  Plait — Armour. 

3=' Brennin  Strae — i.e..  Hot  Trod,  a  wisp  of  straw  or  tow  mounted  on  the  top 
of  a  spear  and  set  on  fire  and  carried  through  the  Border  country.  Its  display  was 
the  signal  for  every  man  to  arm  and  follow  lhc|  pursuit  on  the  track  of  a  marauder, 
the  "  war  path  "  of  the  Borderers. — Heslop. 

3' Slogan  raim — To  shout  the  war  cry.  Some  of  the  well-known  Northumbrian 
Slogans  were  "  .\  Percy!  A  Percy!!  Thousands  for  a  Percy!"  .\  I'cnnykc  ! 
A  Fennyke  !  !     \  Kennyke  !  !  !     A  Bulmer  !     A  Bulmer  !  ! 

^Gin  we  get  na— If  we  do  not  get. 

35Touzle — To  handle  roughly. 

3*  Their  Craigs — Their  necks. 


176 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


Eigh  !  aa  aa  aa, 

Eigh  !  aa  aa  aa. 
They're  catchet  reed  hancUt,  an'  noo  for  the  fray, 
Belch  oot  yer  colyvers,  3'  guid  men  an'  trewe. 
Wow  !  that's  a  scatterer — we  hae  them  noo, 
An'  as  ana  expackit,  the  deevils  cry  "  hoo."  ^^ 

Tether  the  owsen,  lads,  ah  na,  they  winna  stir, 

Rayther  lets  tether  thae  hell  kaimins  sinister, 
But-whaurs  cor  Apostle  ?     Hoots  !  dei'l  tak  the  Meenister  !' 


37Colyver — A  large  gun. 
3^  Hoo — Cry  of  surrender. 


HARBOTTLE   CASTLE.  1 77 


CHAPTER    X. 

HARBOTTLE    CASTLE. 

The  Umfraville  lords  of  Redesdale  and  Harbottle — Erection  of  the  Castle  by 
Hen.  n. — An  important  Border  Fortress — Besieged  by  the  Scots  (i  174,  1296, 
131 1,  1318) — Park  re-stocked  with  Deer  from  North  Tynedale — Narrow- 
escape  of  being  razed  to  the  ground  by  Royal  Mandates  (Hen.  HL  and  in 
J332) — Castle  damaged  Ijy  Scots  (1351) — Margaret  of  Scotland  at  Harbottle 
(1515) — Birth  of  a  Princess — Survey  of  1541  Castle  Decayed — A  convenient 
place  for  a  garrison — Soldiers'  Pay  (1584) — Ten  Towns  of  Coquetdale  owing 
Service  to  the  Castle — Redesdale  Men  a  Trouble  to  the  Wardens — A  Capture 
and  a  Rescue  (1518) — The  last  Tailbois  owner  (1541) — Crown  Property  until 
Jas.  I.  grants  it  to  Earl  of  Dunbar  (1604) — The  Widdringtons,  Clennells, 
Fenwicke-Clennells — Extent  of  Castle — View  from  Castle  Mound. 

THE  interesting  manor  of  Harbottle  dates  from  a  very 
remote  period,  and  carries  us  back  to  those  days  when 
the  fair-haired  Saxons  ruled  over  the  land.^  when  probably 
the  mound,  on  which  the  ruins  of  the  great  feudal  castle  now 
stand,  was  their  "moot" — or  place  of  justice.  Surrounded  by 
rugged  hills  and  breezy  moorlands,  and  many  spots  of  historic 
interest  within  easy  distance,  Harbottle  is  nowadays  one  of 
the  favourite  summer  resorts  for  tourists  and  visitors.  Close 
by  flows  the  river  Coquet,  with  its  pools  and  streams  so  dear 
to  the  angler,  or  as  the  poet  has  it : — 

"  'Neath  Harboltlc's  auld  castle  wa', 

Aniang  the  cliffs  she  boils  amain  ; 
Frae  rifted  rock  to  woody  shaw  ; 

Frae  stalwart  craig  to  auld  grey  stane. 
Down,  spcedin'  hameward,  she  is  gane 

Past  lanely  Hepple's  ruin'd  peel ; 
And  wha  begins  aboon  the  whins, 

At  Fl'jttcrton  may  load  his  creel. "^ 


'  Harbottle— Har,  an  army.  Harsiiip  or  Hearship,  an  armed  raid.  Har 
enters  into  the  names  of  several  places  in  Northumberland,  as  //a^low-hill, 
Z/arbottle,  Zr^tfrpath  (the  name  of  a  road  dividing  the  township  of  Ray  and  Kirk- 
whclpington).  "//ar  is  Anglo-Saxon  //fr<:,  an  army,  host;  herc-hoXQ,  abode  uf 
the  army  ;  /«f;-«-palh,  road  [ux  an  army."     Note  by  Prof.   VV.  IV.  ij'/w/.  — Heslop. 

'  Coquetdale  Fishing  Song  (1842). 

12 


178  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

Harbottle  Castle,  in  days  gone  by,  would  doubtless  be  the 
central  feature  in  the  western  division  of  the  vale,  for  within 
its  walls  dwelt  the  potent  Umfraville  lords  of  Harbottle  and 
Redesdale,  who  ruled  their  little  principality  with  almost  regal 
powers.  Apart  from  the  commanding  site  on  which  it  stands, 
amid  the  wilds  of  Upper  Coquetdale,  there  cluster  around  the 
old  grey  ruins  of  Harbottle  Castle  many  thrilling  associations, 
full  of  interest  to  all  who  take  pleasure  in  the  history  of  this 
northern  county.  Situated  at  the  very  limits  of  the  cultivated 
portion  of  the  valley,  on  the  verge  of  a  hilly  and  unfrequented 
region,  as  well  as  being  the  extreme  outpost  of  the  English 
over  against  Scotland  in  that  part  of  the  borderland,  the  castle 
during  the  days  of  border  warfare  occupied  a  most  important 
and  strategical  position — 

"  Whose  ponderous  grate  and  massy  bar, 
Had  oft  rolled  back  the  tide  of  war." 

Older  than  the  castle,  there  had  been  a  stronghold  and 
probably  a  mote  hill  like  those  at  Wark  and  Elsdon,  on  which 
the  ancient  inhabitants  held  their  meetings  to  settle  disputes, 
and  to  award  justice.  Dugdale  quotes  a  charter  that  tells  how 
the  royal  franchise  of  Redesdale,  which  included  Harbottle, 
was  held  in  Saxon  times  by  Maldred,  son  of  Akman,  but  as 
Domesday  book  does  not  give  the  names  of  the  Saxon  land 
holders  on  this  side  of  the  Tees,  we  lack  that  minute  detail 
respecting  pre-conquest  owners,  such  as  the  southern  counties 
possess.  In  1076,  William  the  Norman  gave  the  lordship  of 
the  valley  and  forests  of  Redesdale  to  his  kinsman  Robert  de 
Umfraville,  otherwise  Robert  cum  barba,  Robert  "  with  the 
beard,"  to  be  held  by  the  service  of  defending  that  part  of  the 
country  from  enemies  and  wolves,  with  that  sword  which  King 
William  had  by  his  side  when  he  entered  Northumberland. 
The  boundaries  of  this  princely  domain  included  the  whole 
of  the  parishes  of  Elsdon  and  Corsenside,  with  those  parts  of 
the  parish  of  Alwinton  and  the  chapelry  of  Holystone  which 
lie  south  of  the  Coquet,  from  Harehaugh  to  Rowhope,  and 


HARBOTTLE   CASTLE.  1 79 

south  of  the    march    between   England    and    Scotland,   from 
Rowhope-burn-head  to  Coquet-head  above  Makendon. 

Of  the  founder  of  Harbottle  castle  there  is  no  uncertainty, 
for  "  No  sooner  had  Henry  of  Anjou  resumed  possession  of 
Northumberland,  than  he  began  to  fortify  it  against  Scotland. 
By  a  rare  exercise  of  royal  prerogative,  he  erected  two  castles 
on  ground  belonging  to  private  subjects  ;  with  the  aid  of 
the  whole  county  of  Northumberland  and  the  bishopric  of 
Durham,  he  built  the  castle  of  Harbottle  at  the  head  of 
Coquetdale  ;  while  William  de  Vesci,  now  Sheriff  of  North- 
umberland, began  by  his  orders  to  restore  in  1158  the  castle 
of  VVark-on-Tweed,  which  had  been  destroyed  by  David  of 
Scotland  twenty  years  previously.  The  site  of  Harbottle  was 
owned  by  Odinel  de  Umfraville,  that  of  Wark  by  the  family 
of  Ros.  The  donjons  of  both  castles  placed  in  ancient 
mounds  were  probably  octagonal  in  outline,  with  open  court- 
yards in  the  middle."3  Harbottle  castle  was  built  soon  after 
the  year  11 57,  and  the  masons  had  not  long  left  their  work 
before  it  suffered  from  hostile  attacks,  for  in  1 174  "  the  men  of 
Galloway,  after  wasting  Redesdale,  appear  to  have  captured 
the  castle  of  Harbottle."4  During  the  early  part  of  the 
thirteenth  century  Richard  de  Umfraville  began  to  repair 
and  fortify  the  castle,  but  having  shortly  before — in  1218 — 
complained  that  Philip  de  Ulcotes,  who  had  been  a  powerful 
favourite  of  King  John,  was  building  a  castle  at  Nafferton, 
where  no  castle  had  previously  existed,  to  the  detriment  of 
his  castle  and  lands  of  Prudhoe,  a  writ,  in  the  name  of  Henry 
HI.,  commanded  Ulcotes  to  stay  the  work.  Thereupon 
Ulcotes  revenged  himself  by  obtaining  royal  letters  ordering 
the  destruction  of  Umfraville's  castle  at  Harbottle.  It  needed 
the  protection  of  Hubert  de  Burgh  to  prove  that  Harbottle 
was  not  an  adulterine  stronghold.5 


3  Hist,  of  Northmitberlaud.—Q,.  J.  Hales,  p.  123. 
*■  Ibid.,  p.  130. 
5  Ibid.,  ]).  134. 


l8o  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

This  saved  the  castle  from  demolition,  for  it  was  so  strong' 
in  1296  that  "Robert  de  Ros  and  the  Earls  of  Athol  and 
Menteith,  with  a  horde  of  40,000,  besieged  the  castle  of 
Harbottle  for  two  days  in  vain,  killing  the  deer  in  the  park." 

After  peace  was  restored  on  the  border,  the  park  was 
re-stocked  with  bucks  and  does  from  Tynedale,  for  on  the  5th 
of  October  in  the  same  year,  the  King  of  Scotland  commands 
the  bailiff  of  North  Tyne  to  give  from  the  woods  and  parks 
of  John  Comyn  of  Badenah  20  live  bucks  and  80  does,  to 
Gilbert  de  Umfraville,  wherewith  to  stock  his  park  of  Har- 
bottle. 

Robert  Bruce,  in  131 1,  came  by  Harbottle  on  his  way  into 
Tynedale,  and  in  13 18  the  castle  was  taken  by  the  Scots 
and  dismantled,  but  was  again  speedily  restored.  Four  years 
after  it  narrowly  escaped  being  demolished,  for  in  1322  a 
treat\'  had  been  entered  into  between  Edward  II.  and  Robert 
Bruce,  one  of  the  conditions  being  that  Harbottle  Castle,  then 
held  by  the  Scots,  should  be  delivered  to  Edward's  commis- 
sioners in  their  private  capacity.  If  a  final  peace  were  not 
concluded,  it  was  either  to  be  restored  to  Bruce  or  to  be  com- 
pletely dismantled  before  the  expiration  of  the  truce.  When 
the  time  came,  all  hope  of  peace  being  at  an  end,  John  de 
Penrith,  the  constable,  was  ordered  to  demolish  it  with  as  little 
delay  as  possible.^  A  writ  was  served  on  John  de  Fenwick„ 
sheriff  of  the  county,  who  was  ordered  to  be  personally 
present,  along  with  "  Roger  de  Horsley,  Gilbert  de  Burghden,, 
and  Richard  de  Emeldon."  How  the  castle  fared  at  the 
hands  of  those  Northumbrians  we  are  not  informed,  but  they 
appear  to  have  performed  their  duty  lovingly,  for  some  twelve 
months  after  we  find  it  again  in  the  hands  of  Robert  de 
Umfraville.  But  in  1351  Scottish  warfare  had  so  seriously 
weakened  the  defences,  that  Gilbert  de  Umfraville  set  forth, 
in  a  petition  to  the  King  and  Parliament,  that  it  was  so  much 
ruined  by  the  wars  with  the  Scots  as  to  be  insufficient  for  the 

*  Jlis^.  of  Northiimbeiiand. — C.  J.  Bates,  p.  162. 


HARBOTTLE   CASTLE.  l8l 

custody  of  prisoners,  and  he  therefore  desired  that  all  persons 
taken  within  the  liberty  of  Redesdale  should  be  kept  in 
Prudhoe  Castle,  until  he  could  repair  that  of  Harbottle.  This 
request  was  granted  for  ten  years. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  interesting  events  in  the  annals  of 
Harbottle  Castle  occurred  in  15 15,  when  it  was  the  residence 
of  Lord  Dacre,  Warden  of  the  Middle  March.  Here,  on 
October  7th,  15 15,  he  received  Margaret  of  Scotland  and  her 
husband  Angus,  and  here  was  born  soon  afterwards  their 
daughter  Margaret,  Lady  Douglas,  mother  of  Lord  Darnley 
and  grandmother  of  James  I.  of  England.  On  the  i6th  of 
November  the  Queen  and  her  infant  daughter  were  removed 
to  Cartington  Castle,  thence  to  Brinkburn  Priory,  and  on  to 
Morpeth,  being  carried  all  the  way  in  a  litter  by  Lord  Dacre's 
servants.  Dacre  described  his  situation  as  "  uneaseful  and 
costly,  by  occasion  of  the  far  carriage  of  everything,  and  so  we 
were  minded  to  move  her  Grace  to  Morpeth  as  soon  as  conven- 
iently she  may.  Nevertheless,  she  has  a  wonderful  love  of 
apparel.  She  has  caused  the  gown  of  cloth  of  gold  and  the 
gown  of  cloth  of  tynsen,  sent  by  Henry,7  to  be  made  against 
this  time,  and  likes  the  fashion  so  well,  that  she  will  send  for 
them,  and  have  them  held  before  her  once  or  twice  a  day  to 
look  at.  She  has  within  the  castle  22  gowns  of  cloth  of  gold 
and  silks,  and  yet  she  has  sent  to  Edinburgh  for  more,  which 
have  come  to-day.  She  is  going  in  all  haste  to  have  a  gown 
of  purple  velvet,  lined  with  cloth  of  gold,  gown  of  bright 
crimson  velvet,  furred  with  ermine,  three  gowns  more  and 
three  kirtles  of  satin.  These  five  or  six  days  she  has  no  other 
mind  than  to  look  at  her  apparel."^ 

P'requent  reference  is  made  in  various  documents  of  the 
fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries  as  to  the  utility  and  condition 
of  Harbottle  C'astle.  In  the  list  of  castles  and  fortalices  of 
141 5  it  appears  as  the  castle  of  Sir  Robert  Umfravillc,  thus — 

7  Henry  \III.,  her  brother. 

^  Calendar  of  State  Papers,  ii.,  p.  316. 


l82  UPPER   COQUETDALE, 

"  Castrum  de  Harbotle — Robtr.  Umfrevill  Chlr."  The  castle, 
at  this  time,  really  belonged  to  Sir  Gilbert  de  Umfraville, 
the  nephew  of  Sir  Robert,  Sir  Gilbert  being  at  the  time  in 
France?  with  Henry  V.  The  return  of  border  holds  made  in 
the  reign  of  Henr}'  VIII.  (1509),  which  gives  the  owners  and 
the  garrison  in  each,  informs  us  that  Harbottle  Castle  is  held 
by  Sir  George  Tailbois,  Lord  Dacre  the  governor,  and  that  the 
garrison  consisted  of  eighty  men. 

About  1538  John  Leland,  the  Royal  Antiquary  of  Henry 
VIII.,  briefly  describes  Harbottle  Castle  thus:  —  "Coquet 
cummithe  by  herbottell,  a  goodly  castle,  and  thens  to  linne 
briggs,  sumtyme  of  stone,  now  fallen.  Therabout  was  great 
buyldinge,  but  now  desolation." 

The  Survey  of  Border  Fori  resscs  ill  i^^t,  S3.ys: — "Harbottle 
Castle  in  great  decay,  a  very  convenient  place  for  to  lodge  a 
garrison  of  100  horse,  for  the  Kepar  of  Riddesdale."  The 
report  goes  on  to  state  "  Apon  the  Southe  syde  of  the  ryv' 
of  C'ockett  ys  a  stronge  place  &  metely  for  the  defence  of 
all  that  countrye  as  well  against  the  Invasion  &  Incourses 
of  Scottes  in  tyme  of  warre,  as  for  defence  of  the  theftes 
&  spoyles  of  the  Riddesdayle  men,  standeth  the  castle  of 
Harbottell  within  the  said  country  of  Ryddesdayle."io 

During  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  (1584)  the  Border  Com- 
missioners drew  up  a  report  on  the  state  of  the  castles,  towers, 
and  fortresses  in  Northumberland,  in  which  is  recorded  : — 

"  Harbuttle  Castell  belonginge  to  her  majestye  standinge 
about  eight  myle  south  southwest  from  the  towre  of  Woller 
aforesaid  and  within  VI  myles  of  Scotlande,  decaied  for  want 
of  reparacions  by  longe  contynuance.  This  castle  or  fortresse 
we  thincke  to  be  one  of  the  most  fit  for  the  consideracions 
aforesaid  and  for  rewling  the  brockill "  and  disobedient 
subjectes   there   to  be  fullye  repaired,  the  charges  of  which 

5  Arch.  ALliana,  Vol.  xiv.,  p.  I4«. 

'°  Ibid.,  p.  44. 

"  Brockle — uncertain. — Heslop. 


HARBOTTLE    CASTLE.  1 83 

reparacion  we  esteeme  to  two  hundreth  fortye  pound.''^^  'Yhe 
repairs  just  mentioned  appear  to  have  been  carried  out  shortly 
after  the  report,  for  the  garrison  at  the  end  of  1584  consisted 
of  a  hundred  soldiers,  horsemen  and  footmen,  besides  their 
officers,  whose  pay  was  as  follows  : — "  Captain  at  4s.  per  diem, 
lieutenant  at  2s.,  ensign  at  I2d.,  two  "  sargents  "  at  I2d.  each, 
the  "drom"  at  I2d.,  the  100  soldiers  at  8d.  a  piece/'^s  Besides 
this  garrison,  forty-nine  men  could  be  called  out  from  "  The 
ten  towns  belonging  to  Harbottle  Castle,  viz. : — Clennell,  7. 
Newtowne,  2.  Nether  Allanton,  3.  Parkhead,  i.  Over  Allan- 
ton,  I.  Bydeston,  14.  Netherton,  5.  Farnton,  i.  Sharperton, 
7.  Burrodon,  6.  Total,  47.  Newehall,  i.  Lyntorigges,  i."h 
The  men  of  Redesdale  were  at  all  times  a  source  of  trouble 
to  the  warden  at  Harbottle.  Coquetdale  men  were  more 
easily  kept  in  order,  probably,  from  the  close  proximity  of 
Harbottle  Castle  and  the  warden's  machinery  of  pillory  and 
stocks,  dungeon  and  gallows.  In  15 18,  Lord  Dacre  arrested 
ten  of  the  principal  chiefs  of  Redesdale,  and  having  put 
them  in  irons  within  the  dungeon  of  Harbottle  Castle,  sent 
for  the  gaoler  and  the  bailiff  of  the  shire  to  convey  then  to 
Morpeth.  Dacre,  to  prevent  a  rescue,  summoned  his  Harbottle 
tenantry,  to  the  number  of  eighty,  to  which  were  added  his 
own  household  servants.  Setting  out  from  Harbottle,  the 
prisoners  were  safely  conve}-ed  as  far  as  Rothbury  gate,  where 
they  were  handed  over  to  the  gaoler  and  his  escort ;  but  the 
prisoners'  friends,  the  sturdy  men  of  Redewater,  being  apprized 
of  the  movement,  crossed  down  the  moors  bchii.d  Simonside, 
and  overtaking  the  convoy  at  a  straight  path  in  Rothbury 
forest,  killed  the  bailiff  and  six  of  his  escort,  took  the  gaoler 
and  four  of  his  men  prisoners,  and  having  released  their  ten 
kinsmen,  fled  for  refuge  into  Scotland. 

In  1541,  the  last  of  the  Tailbois  owners  of  Harbottle  died 

"  Arch.  yEliana,  Vol.  xiv.,  p.  74. 

'3  Calendar  0/ Border  Papers.— ^z\u,  p.  172. 

'*  Ibid.,  )).  23. 


184  UPPER   COQUETDALK. 

without  issue,  and  then  the  lordship  became,  by  exchange,  the 
propert}' of  the  crown  until  1604,  when  James  1.,  "  for  divers 
good  causes  and  considerations  "  granted  it  to  George  Home, 
Earl  of  Dunbar,  from  whom  it  passed  to  the  Howards,  thence 
to  the  Widdringtons,  who  sold  it  to  a  member  of  the  Clennell 
family,  one  of  whom  bequeathed  it  to  Thomas  Fenwick,  who 
took  the  name  and  arms  of  Clennell.  The  castle  and  estate 
are  now  in  the  possession  of  Thomas  Clennell  Fenwicke- 
Clennell.  After  the  Union,  border  fortresses  such  as  Harbottle 
were  happily  not  required,  therefore  the  modern  mansion 
now  known  as  Plarbottle  Castle  was  built  by  one  of  the 
Widdringtons,  who  used  the  old  fortress  as  a  quarry.  "  Some 
of  the  border  strongholds  fell  before  a  royal  mandate,  for 
James  I.,  in  order  to  extinguish  the  memory  of  past  hostilities, 
proscribed  the  use  of  the  name  Borders  and  substituted  that 
o^  the  Middle  Shires,  and  ordered  all  places  of  strength  therein 
to  be  demolished,  excepting  the  habitations  of  noblemen  and 
barons,  their  iron  gates  to  be  converted  into  ploughshares,  and 
the  inhabitants  to  betake  themselves  to  agriculture  and  the 
peaceful  arts."is 

Of  the  extent  of  Harbottle  Castle,  a  fair  idea  can  be 
obtained  from  the  ruins  existing  at  the  present  day.  "  Built, 
as  we  have  seen,  about  1 160,  it  had,  like  most  Norman  castles 
a  donjon  or  keep,  a  barbican  or  entrance  gateway,  an  inner 
and  an  outer  bailey,  enclosed  by  curtain  walls,  which  were 
strengthened  by  mural  towers.  Around  the  keep  was  a  fosse, 
or  ditch,  and  around  the  whole  enceinte  was  another  deep  fosse 

which  was  crossed  by  a  draw-bridge Outside  the 

entrance  gateway  was  a  barmekyn,  an  outer  defence  chiefly 
for  the  protection  of  cattle. 

On  the  south  side  stood  the  keep,  on  a  conical  hill,  rising 
steeply  out  of  the  hill  on  which  the  other  parts  of  the  castle 
were  placed.  ...  Of  small  extent  is  the  area  on  the  top, 
so  that  the  erections  there,  though  high,  were  never  of  great 

'5  Ridpath's  Border  Hist. ,  p.  706. 


HARBOTTLE   CASTLE.  I 85 

extent.  According  to  the  survey  of  1523  the  hall,  of 
which  the  foundations  remain,  was  48  feet  long  and  30  feet 
broad.  ,  .  .  The  two  baileys  are  overlooked  by  the  keep, 
the  inner  one  lying  towards  the  north-west,  and  the  outer  one 
to  the  north-east,  and  they  are  still  divided  from  each  other 
b\'  a  wall,  partially  ruined,  running  from  the  keep  to  the  outer 
curtain  wall.  In  this  part  were  a  round  tower  and  the  chapel 
and  the  great  chamber.  .  .  .  Here,  too,  were  the  draw-well, 
the  kitchen,  the  brew-house,  the  bake-house,  and  the  horse-mill. 
The  draw-well  remains,  and  some  portions  of  the  curtain  wall 
are  standing  on  the  south  and  west  sides,  and  the  foundations 
of  the  whole  are  traceable.  Fragments  there  are  of  a  tower  on 
the  north  side,  where,  probably,  the  postern  was  situated, 
which  required  an  iron  gate,  6  feet  9  inches  high,  and  3  feet 
9  inches  broad.  Fewer  remains  there  are  of  the  outer  ward. 
On  the  east  side  stood  the  barbican,  or  entrance  gateway, 
whose  iron  gates  were  10  feet  3  inches  high,  and  9  feet  9  inches 
broad.  A  protecting  tower  was  incorporated  in  the  wall  north 
of  the  gate.  The  outer  wall  was  six  feet  thick,  and  twenty- 
seven  feet  high.  Within  the  outer  bailey  were  the  stables, 
with  lofts  above  them  which  were  used  as  granaries  and 
lodgings  for  the  garrison.  Of  these  buildings,  and  of  the 
outer  wall,  there  are  few  traces  ;  but  the  moats  around  the 
keep,  and  around  the  outer  wall,  are  still  very  distinct.  The 
most  prominent  remains  of  the  keep  are  two  great  masses 
of  masonry,  one  of  which  seems  to  have  slidden  down  the 
hill  out  of  its  place,  and  the  other  hangs  out  of  the  perpen- 
dicular on  the  hill-side."^6. 

The  engraving  on  next  page  shows  the  north-west  face  of 
the  ruins  of  the  keep,  with  its  "oilets,"  or  arrow-holes,  through 
which  there  has  doubtless  whizzed  many  a  grey  goose  wing. 

From  the  summit  of  the  castle  mound  a  fine  view  is 
obtained  of  the  surrounding  country,  with  its  numerous 
places  of  interest.     On  the  north  are  the  green  hills  of  the 

'«  ///s/.  li.N.C,  Vol.  vi.,  p.  434. 


1 86 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


Cheviots,  traversed  by  "  Clennell  Street,"  an  ancient  trackway 
leading  over  Bloodybush  Edge  and  Windy  Gyle  into  Scot- 
land. Right  in  front  the  rocky  bluffs  of  "  Gallow  Law,"  the 
old  place  of  execution  for  the  manor  of  Alwinton,  frowns  over 
the  village  as  in  days  of  yore  ;  and  Lord's  Seat,  a  massive 
green-backed  hill  of  1,300  feet,  guards  the  valley  on  the  west ; 
while  on  the  southern  banks  of  the  Coquet  is  the  "  Swire,"  an 
old  road  over  the  moors  out  of  Redewater,  leading  down  a 
slack  into  the  valley  of  the  Coquet ;  while  the  "  Drake  Stone," 
a  huge  sandstone  rock  some  thirty  feet  high,  computed  to 
weigh  about  2,030  tons,  and  "  Cauldlaw  Kip  "  form  the  rocky 
summit  of  Harbottle  Crag,  with  the  long  heathery  ridge  of 


zrij-^v^-.'  ■»^/- 


mmmmmmsS::;-^mig:^ 


'j-Ttt- 


^^lu.^::^j. 


':OXm^^ 


UjM-^, 


"      .  IB/ 


"  Gallow  Edge  "  stretching  south-east,  the  place  of  execution 
for  the  Harbottle  lordship.  Closer  in,  the  Coquet  is  seen 
winding  along  the  northern  base  of  the  mound,  where  a  sharp 
bend  in  the  stream  is  locally  known  as  the  "  Devil's  Elbow." 
On  the  slopes  beyond  the  river  are  the  "  Camp  hills,"  the 
probable  camping  ground  of  the  Scots  when  besieging  the 
castle,  a  number  of  cannon  balls  having  from  time  to  time 
been  found  in  the  northern  face  of  the  escarpment.  "  Park 
House,"  in  the  same  locality,  denotes  the  deer  park  of  the 
Umfravilles. 

As  we  gaze  upon  the  ruins  of  Harbottle  Castle,  and  see 
how   extensive  its   defences    have  been,  we   can    more  easily 


harbottlp:  castle.  187 

understand  the  great  importance  attached  to  this  old  border 
fortress — and  can  almost  picture  to  ourselves  those  motley 
bands  of  border  warriors — following  the  red  banner  of  the 
Umfravilles  passing  through  the  barbican — bent  on  Scottish 
raid  or  border  fight — watched  perchance  by  loving  eyes  from 
the  lofty  turrets  of  the  keep  as  they  disappear  amongst  the 
hills  beyond  Alwinton,  Clennell,  or  Biddleston,  while  the 
crumbling  walls  around  truly  tell  us  : — 

"  Those  martial  terrors  long  were  fled, 
that  frown'd  of  old  around  its  head  ; 
The  battlements,  the  turrets  grey, 
Seem'd  half  abandoned  to  decay  ; 
On  barbican,  and  keep  of  stone, 
Stern  Time  the  foeman's  work  had  done." 


l88  UPPER   COQUETDALE 


CHAPTER    XI. 

HARBOTTLE     VILLAGE. 

Picturesque  village — Old  channel  of  the  Coquet — Village  and  villagers  in  feudal 
times  — Rentals  and  Services  (i245-i3o8-i6i8)~Crown  lands  (1568) — 
Ancient  tenures  —  Freeholders  ( 1663- 1710- 1715- 1747- 1774)  — Names  of 
villagers  (1828) — Harbottle  of  to-day — Health  and  longevity  by  the  late 
Dr.  Richardson — Census  returns  from  1801 — "  Harbottle  Castle"  the  modern 
mansion  of  the  Fenwicke-Clennells — Old  feudal  rights  of  the  Umfravilles 
— Their  Prison — Gallows — Assizes — Fairs  and  Weekly  Markets  at  Har- 
bottle— Harbottle  Fair  of  the  past — Harbottle  Lough  and  its  legend— Pine 
Trees — Heronry — Nature  and   Nature's   Music — Pleasures  of  Country  Life. 

BENEATH  the  shelter,  and  on  the  sunny  side,  of  the  castle 
mound  lies  the  little  picturesque  village  of  Harbottle  ; 
its  cottages  and  gardens,  its  neat  Presbyterian  Church  and 
Town  Hall,  with  the  charming  mansion  of  the  Clennells 
standing  amid  its  well-kept  pleasure  grounds  on  the  banks  of 
the  Coquet,  present  a  pleasing  picture  of  an  old  English 
village. 

The  village  itself  is  supposed  to  stand  on  the  margin  of 
the  old  channel  of  the  Coquet.  The  conformation  of  the 
valley  is  best  seen  from  the  hill  above  the  Drake  Stone, 
where  the  original  course  of  the  river  can  be  traced.  Hugh 
Miller,  in  his  "Geological  Memoir"  (p.  120)  tells  us: — "But 
the  most  interesting  change  of  channel  in  Coquetdale  is  at 
Harbottle,  in  the  main  valley.  The  buried  channel  there  lies 
parallel  with  and  beside,  or  perhaps  underneath,  the  village. 
The  curious  loop  of  the  river,  known  as  the  Devil's  Elbow,  is 
a  scoop  in  the  bank  almost  at  the  very  point  at  which  the 
modern  gorge  leaves  the  ancient  valley,  and  is  doubtless 
caused  by  the  softness  of  the  deposits  that  occupy  the  latter." 

During  the  early  centuries  of  the  Umfraville  occupation  of 


HARBOTTLE   VILLAGE.  1 89 

Harbottle,  the  huts  of  the  lord's  villans  would,  in  all  probability, 
cluster  under  the  protecting  walls  of  the  castle,  on  the  site 
where  the  modern  village  of  Harbottle  now  stands.  Of  this 
early  village  or  of  its  occupants  few  records  exist.  "  In  1245, 
it  was  found,  after  the  death  of  Gilbert  de  Umfreville,  the 
famous  baron,  that,  in  the  manor  of  '  Hyrbotl,'  there  were 
408  acres  and  3  roods  of  land,  worth,  at  rack  rent,  5^  an  acre. 
Item.  983^  acres  of  meadow,  of  which,  20  at  rack  rent,  were 
worth  6d  an  acre,  and  78^,  worth  2d.  Item.  Two  mills,  worth 
the  yearly  rack  rent  of  £1"  us.  4d.  Item.  A  borough, ^ 
which,  with  the  herbage,  yielded  a  rent  of  £^  I2s.  od." 
In  1308  it  is  recorded: — "The  Castle  of  Harbottle,  which 
is  worth  nothing  annuall}-  within  the  enclosed  ground, 
because  there  are  great  and  lofty  buildings  there,  which  take 
much  to  support  them.  Also,  there  is  there  a  certain  park, 
containing  in  circuit  about  one  league,  in  which  are  wild 
beasts  ;  the  sale  of  the  underwood  of  which  yields  nothing, 
but  the  agistment^  of  it  is  worth  6s.  8d.  Also,  there  is  a 
certain  borough  called  Harbottle,  the  rent  of  which  is  worth 
£2."  Again,  a  valuation  of  the  lands  which  Robert  Umfraville, 
late  Earl  of  Angus,  held  in  capite  of  the  King,  made  in  1331, 
says  : — "  The  site  of  the  castle  of  Harbottle,  which  is  worth 
nothing.  A  certain  borough  there  at  £2  13s.  lod.  A  certain 
plot  of  ground  at  Operesfield,  near  Herbotel,  6^-  .  ,  .  and 
one  bovate  of  land  in  Wolrig,  near  Harbottle,  5s."3 

In  1523,  at  the  command  of  Lord  Dacre,  a  number' of 
armed  men  were  stationed  in  most  of  the  villages  on  the 
borders  "  as  well  as  for  the  defence  of  the  said  border,  as  to 
the  annoysance  of  the  Scotts."4  The  township  of  Harbottle 
undertook  to  board  and  lodge  eighteen  of  these  soldiers  at  a 
charge   of  two-and-eightpence   a  week.     They  were    lodged 

'  The  village  of  Harbottle. 

'  Agistment  is  payment  for  the  feeding  of  cattle. 

3  \\oAi^9,ox\%  Northumberlattd,  I'ait  II.,  vol.  !.,  p.  107. 

^  Ibid.,  Part  II.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  476. 


I90  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

with  "Ann  Lighten  and  Hew  Grene,"  two  housholders  in 
Harbottle  at  that  time.  The  "Feodary's  Book"  of  lo  EHzabeth 
(1568)  records  "that  the  castle,  manor,  and  vill  of  Harbotle, 
Yerduppe,  Hedsope,  Hallyston,  Kestreon,  Wedhouse  (Wood- 
houses),  Grysles  (Grasslees),  Wedsay  (Woodside),  Hyrnehouse 
(Ironhouse),  Ley  Carike  (Low  Carrick),  and  other  manors 
in  the  'province'  of  Redesdale,  were  Crown  lands."  The 
Harbottle  Rentals  of  161 8  give  some  interesting  details 
relating  to  Harbottle,  shewing  the  names  of  the  villagers  at 
that  date,  as  well  as  field  and  place-names.  Freeholders. 
Willm  Browne  of  Harbotle,  for  a  close  called  Hopperclose, 
late  John  Wilkinsons,  iiijd.  Willm  Browne,  for  the  moyety 
of  a  pcell  of  ground  in  Harbotle,  called  the  Hopperclose,  and 
another  pcell  called  the  Stonehouse,  late  Wilkinsons,  iiijd." 

At  Martilmas.  HARBOTTLE  TowNE,  Andrewe  Routher- 
forth  iijs  vjd  ob.  John  Swayne  iijs  ijd  ob.  Thomas  Gibson 
xviijd.  The  said  Thomas  Gibson  xix^-  George  Trumble 
xvjd.  Ralphe  Smyth  xiiijd.  Willm  Gibson  ijs-  George 
■Carre  xs  iiijd  q.  Thomas  Gibson,  junior  xxijd  ob  qd- 
Alexander  Routherforth  ijs  v^-  The  said  Alexander  ijs  vijd. 
Laurence  .  .  .  xvijd-  Mabell  Browne  vd-  Robert  Swayne 
ijs.  Henry  Browne  iijs  jjd  ob.  The  foresaid  Robert  Swayne 
ijs  iiijd-  George  Swayne  xvd-  Robert  Browne  xixd-  Anne 
Smyth  iijs  ijd  ob.  Alice  Wabye  ijs-  John  Wabye  xxjd- 
Henry  Browne  ijs  viijd-  The  said  Henry  Browne  xiiijd. 
sa  m  liiijs  ijd.  SOPPETHAUGHE,  the  said  Tenants  of  Harbottle, 
for  pcell  of  Soppothaughe  somer  pasture,  iijs  iiijd.  5 

It  is  interestmg  to  note  the  change  that  gradually  came 
over  the  modes  of  tenure  by  which  lands  were  held  by  the 
"  villans  "  of  an  overlord.  "  The  manorial  system,  on  which 
the  social  organization  of  every  rural  part  of  England  rested, 
had  divided  the  lands  for  the  purpose  of  cultivation  and  of 
internal  order,  into  a  number  of  large  estates  ;  a  part  of  the 
soil  was  usually  retained  by  the  owner  of  the  manor  as  his 
s  Arch.  ALliana,  vol.  ii.,  o.s.,  pp.  316-7. 


HARBOTTLE   VILLAGE.  191 

demesne  or  home-farm,  while  the  remainder  was  distributed 
amongst  tenants,  who  were  bound  to  render  service  to  their 
lord. "6  Norden,  who  wrote  in  1607,  says,  "  Is  not  every 
manor  a  little  commonwealth,  whereof  the  tenants  are  the 
members,  the  land  the  bulke,  and  the  lord  the  head  ?  "  The 
first  step  towards  the  creation  of  regular  tenants  and  small 
freeholders,  was  probably  the  granting  of  leases,  and  the 
commutation  of  personal  labour,  for  money  rent,  when  the 
villans  who  had  held  their  acres  by  the  labour-rent  of  cultiva- 
ting the  lord's  demesne,  began  to  pay  an  equivalent  in  money. 
In  some  cases  the  land  virtually  became  the  property  of  the 
villan  himself,  by  the  payment  of  a  lump  sum.  Another 
class  arose  who  held  their  farms  as  customary  tenants  on  the 
old  law  of  gavel-kind  ;  an  example  of  this  custom  will  be 
found  in  the  chapter  on  Woodhouses. 

In  1663,  Sir  Edward  Widdrington  was  the  owner  of  the 
castle  lands  as  well  as  of  several  manors  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Harbottle,  while  in  the  village  of  Harbottle  there  were 
three  freeholders — Cuthbert  Rutherford,  William  Pott,  and 
John  Smith.  The  names  of  the  Harbottle  Freeholders  as 
given  below  are  taken  from  the  Northumberland  Poll 
Books — William  Potts  (1710).  John  Rutherford,  Joseph  Potts, 
Ralph  Smith  (171 5).  Thomas  Common,  Percival  Clennell, 
Esq.  (1747;.  John  Horsley,  James  Kilpatrick,  William 
Marshall,  Thomas  Pitloe,  Gideon  Pitloe,  Thomas  Willis 
(1774).  The  Harbottle  Directory  of  1828  records  the  follow- 
ing names: — George  Bolam,  shoemaker  ;  Jane  Clark,  victualler, 
*'  Unicorn  "  ;  Thomas  Clennell,  Esq.,  Harbottle  Castle  ;  John 
Common,  victualler, "Ship";  Thomas  Lamb,  surgeon  ;  Thomas 
Xcsbit,  shoemaker  ;  Rev.  James  Patterson,  Presbyterian 
Minister;  Gideon  i'itloh,  grocer  anrl  draper;  Richard 
Thompson,  shopkeeper  and  tailor.7 

Harbottle  village  of  to-day  consists  of  two  irregular  rows 

'  Green's  Hist,  of  Eni^land. 

7  Parson  and  White,  vol.  ii.,  p.  477. 


192  UPPER   COQUETUALE. 

of  houses  which  stand  on  each  side  of  the  public  road.  The 
two  most  prominent  buildings  are  the  Town  Hall,  at  the 
east  end  of  the  village — which,  by  the  kind  permission  of 
Mr.  Fenwicke-CIennell,  is  used  for  public  meetings — and  the 
Presbyterian  Church  at  the  west  end.  There  are  also  the 
Parish  Schools,  the  village  inn,  several  comfortable  lodging 
houses  for  visitors,  a  Police  Office,  and  the  Post  Office,  of 
which  Miss  Herbert  has  been  the  respected  postmistress 
for  upwards  of  twenty-five  years.  There  is  also  a  resident 
doctor,  an  immense  boon  to  the  inhabitants  of  a  wide  district, 
extending  from  Holystone  to  the  Scotch  border.  Dr.  Bedford 
is  the  present  medical  gentleman,  a  great  part  of  whose 
practice  —  lying  as  it  does  amongst  the  shepherds  of  the 
Cheviots,  with  whom  he  is  very  popular  —  entails  many  a 
long  and  lonesome  journey.  Pleasant  enough  it  is  on  a  fine 
summer's  day  to  ride  over  the  hills,  but  in  the  winter  months 
it  requires  no  small  amount  of  courage  to  face  the  driving 
snow,  amid  the  trackless  wilds  of  Upper  Coquet.  For  many 
years  Dr.  Richardson,  a  man  of  superior  intellect,  was  the 
medical  adviser  for  Harbottle  and  the  district.  The  keeping 
of  greyhounds  was  one  of  the  doctor's  hobbies,  and  he  had 
a  monument — a  couchant  figure  of  his  famous  dog  "  King 
Death  " — erected  in  the  garden  in  front  of  "  Waterloo  House," 
his  residence  at  Harbottle,  which  bore  the  following 
inscription  : — 

"KING    DEATH, 

Winner  of  the  Waterloo  Cup,  Waterloo  Plate,  &c., 

Born  i8th  Feb.,   1862.     Died  i6th  Dec,  1872. 

Flere  et  nieininisse  7-elictnvi  estP 

Dr.  Richardson  wrote  the  following  letter  to  the  "  Times  '* 
some  years  ago,  on  the  health  and  longevity  of  the  population 
of  Upper  Coquet,  in  which  he  made  some  valuable  and 
interesting  statements :  — "  The  large  parish  of  Alwinton 
with  Holystone  is  situated  upon  the  southern  slopes  of  the 
Cheviots,  includes  the  upper  vale  of  the  Coquet,  and  extends 


HARBOTTLE   VILLAGE.  I93 

about  20  miles  in  length,  and  several  in  breadth,  comprising 
44.472  acres.  The  occupations  of  the  inhabitants  are  almost 
equally  divided  between  the  tending  of  sheep  and  the  culti- 
vation of  cereals,  upon  lands  which  rest  in  nearly  similar 
proportions  upon  freestone  and  porphyry.  During  the  }-ear 
1874,  six  deaths  occurred  in  this  parish,  being  at  the  rate 
of  47  per  thousand.  This  mortality  was  lower  than  usual  ; 
during  the  previous  ten  years,  the  number  was  106,  an  annual 
average  of  yo  per  thousand.  Of  these  106  deaths  there  were 
16  between  70  and  80  years  of  age,  and  curiously  29  above 
80  years,  considerably  more  than  one  quarter  of  the  total 
deaths  occurring  in  people  above  80  years  old,  or  273'6  per 
thousand.  Within  two  miles  of  my  house  I  know  nine 
octogenarians,  and  a  tenth,  our  parish  clerk,  died  last  week 
at  the  age  of  83.  In  this  village  of  Harbottle,  with  120 
inhabitants,  there  were  37  children  under  14  years  of  age,  and 
during  the  last  twenty  years  no  child  has  died,  and  for  nearly 
four  years  no  one  until  the  case  just  mentioned.  I  may  add 
another  instance  of  the  large  proportion  of  children  existing 
and  their  immunity  from  death.  .A  farmer  in  this  parish,  and 
his  three  shepherds  who  have  occupied  their  present  situations 
nearly  thirty  years,  have  among  them  47  children,  and  not  a 
single  death  has  occured  in  these  families.  The  inhabitants 
have  abundance  of  plain  substantial  food,  excellent  water, 
good  residences  as  a  rule,  and  regular  but  not  severe  work  in 
a  pure  bracing  atmosphere,  and  are  highly  intelligent,  and 
generally  abstemious." 

The  census  returns  (jf  Harbottle  t(jwnsiiip  shew,  in  common 
with  other  rural  districts,  a  gradual  decrease  in  the  population: 

1801  — 128.        1811  — 152.        1821  — 181.        1831  — 165. 

1841  — 162.        1851  — 159.        1861  — 159.        1871  — 170. 

1881  — 159.        1891^ — 113.        1901  — 119. 
In  the  centre  of  the  village  an  elegant  fountain,  erected  by 
public  subscription,   in    1880,   to   the   memory  (jf  Mrs.    \\    V. 
Clenncll,  contains  the  following  inscription: — 

13 


194  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

"  Mrs.  Clennell,  of  Ilarbottle  Castle,  died  Nov.  17th,  1879. 

"  She  devoted  the  powers  of  an  active  mind,  the  impulses  of  a  generous  heart, 
and  the  industry  of  a  busy  life,  to  the  welfare  and  happiness  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Harbottle  and  the  neighbourhood. 

"To  perpetuate  her  name  and  virtues,  they  erected  this  fountain.  August, 
1880." 

The  Harbottle  Castle  of  modem  times,  built  by  the 
Widdringtons  in  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
and  which  has  since  been  much  enlarged  and  beautified,  is 
the  charming  seat  and  residence  of  Mr.  Thomas  Clennell 
Fenwicke-Clennell.  The  mansion  is  delightfully  situated  on 
the  banks  of  the  Coquet,  surrounded  by  ornamental  pleasure 
grounds  and  extensive  plantations.  The  sight  of  this  fine  old 
Enp-lish  mansion  and  its  environments  of  hill  and  woodland  at 
once  attracts  the  attention,  and  excites  the  admiration  of  the 
traveller  as  he  approaches  Harbottle  from  the  east,  bringing  to 
his  mind  those  well-known  lines  of  Mrs.  Hemans: — 

"  The  stately  homes  of  England, 
How  beautiful  they  stand  ! 
Amidst  their  tall  ancestral  trees. 
O'er  all  the  pleasant  land." 

The  squire  of  Harbottle,  who  gracefully  performs  the  duties 
devolving  upon  him  as  a  county  gentleman,  keeps  a  pack  of 
foxhounds,  is  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Deputy-Lieutenant  for  the 
County,  and  in  1902  filled  the  important  and  honourable  office 
of  High  Sheriff  for  the  County.     He  is  a  member  of  the  old 
Northumbrian  clan  of  Fen  wick,  whose  slogan — A  Fenwyke  ! 
A    Fenwyke  !  !     A    Fenwyke  ! ! ! — was    never    heard    in    vain. 
"  Many  border  battlefields  bear  witness  to  their  deadly  strife 
with  their  Scottish  neighbours.     The  Fenwyke  of  Northum- 
berland were  a  fierce,  resolute,  and   warlike   band  ;    and   not 
only  sustained  the  shock  of  many  a  Scottish  inroad,  but  were 
ever  ready  to    avenge   the   real   or  supposed   wrongs   of  the 
English  by  a  furious  raid  into  the  territories  of  the  enemy. 
In  the  ballad,  The  Raid  of  the  Reidswire,  we  meet  with  the 
following  verses  on  this  warlike  clan: — 


HARBOTTLE   VILLAGE.  195 

We  saw  come  marching  ower  the  knows, 
Five  hundred  Fenwicks  in  a  flock, 
With  jack  and  speir,  and  bowes  all  bent. 
And  warlike  weapons  at  their  will." 

The  House  of  Percy  ever  ranked  the  "  Fearless  Fenwicks  " 
amongst  the  most  constant  and  valiant  of  its  retainers.  In 
border  warfare  the  banner  of  the  gorged  phoenix  in  the  burning 
flame  always  appeared  with  that  of  the  silver  crcscetit.^ 

The  Umfraville  lords  of  Harbottle  at  an  early  period 
possessed,  and  exercised,  almost  unlimited  power  over  their 
extensive  lordship  of  Redesdale  and  Harbottle.  The  courts 
of  the  franchise  were  held  at  Harbottle  Castle,  where  it  also 
had  its  gaol  and  a  gallows.  Besides  which,  they  claimed 
"waif,  infangenthef  and  outfangenthef,9  and  free  chase  and 
assize  of  bread  and  ale,  a  market  at  Harbottle  every  week  on 
Tuesdays,  and  a  fair  on  the  eighth  of  September, ^°  with  the 
profits  arising  from  these  privileges." 

A  hill  to  the  south  of  Harbottle,  known  as  "  Gallow  Edge," 
is  a  reminder  of  the  baron's  right  of  capital  punishment, 
and  the  last  generation  could  remember  the  village  stocks 
standing  on  the  bank  in  front  of  the  "  Unicorn  Inn,"  and  of 
the  squire — Thomas  Clennell — holding  a  court  every  Monday 
morning  in  the  large  room  at  the  "  Unicorn." 

The  weekly  market  ceased  long  ago,  and  the  fair  has  been 
discontinued  for  several  years.  Harbottle  fair  was  in  days 
gone  by  the  great  event  of  the  year  in  that  upland  district, 
at  which  all  the  farmers  and  shepherds  out  of  Coquet  and 
Redewater  foregathered,  and  not  only  were  large  numbers  of 
hill  sheep   and  cattle  sold,  but  many  other  transactions    of 

*  Denham  Tracts,  p.  126. 

'Infangenthef — "  A  i)rivilcge  to  pass  judgiiicnt  upon  any  theft  commilled 
within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  lords  of  certain  manors  by  their  own  servants,  as 
^)«//a«^(?«/^(?/" signified  the  like  liberty  when  theft  was  committed  by  a  stranger."  — 
Ileslop. 

'"  In  the  early  jwrt  of  the  last  century  there  were  two  fairs  held  at  llarbollle, 
July  8th  and  September  19th. 

"  llo<]gson's  JVorf/itif/ider/atid,  Part  11.,  vnl.  i.,  p.  25. 


I-9<3  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

sale  and  barter,  there  took  place.     But  Harbottle  fair  served 
another  purpose  most  congenial  to  the  border  men ;  it  afforded 
a  convenient  opportunity,  and  was  a   favourite  time,  for  the 
settlement  of  personal   and   family  grudges,   therefore   many 
were  the  free  fights  that  took  place  between  the  men  of  Rede 
and    the    men    of  Coquet.      It    is    told    that    one   very  quiet 
Harbottle    Fair    Day,    Willie    Herdman,  a    Redewater    man, 
evidently  out  of  patience  at   the  pacific  state  of  affairs,  was 
heard    to    exclaim    as    he    paraded    down    the    village    street 
"  Sic  a  fair  !   here  we  are  !  its  eleven  o'clock  i'  the  fornyun  an' 
nivver  a  blow  struck  yet!"     The  ancient  custom  of  "riding 
the  fair "  was  also  duly  observed,  when  the  Duke  of  North- 
umberland's ^^  bailiff — who,  at    the    period    of  which    we    are 
speaking,  was  one  \\'ill    Robson  of  Over   Acres   Cottage,  in 
Redesdale — accompanied  by  the    Duke's  piper,  a    retinue    of 
farmers,    and    others    attending    the    fair,    perambulated    the 
boundaries  of  the  village  and  read    the  proclamation,  which 
was  generally  prefaced  by  Will  the  bailiff  announcing  in  an 
authoritative  tone  of  voice  "  Wait !   till  this  paper  he's  read.'^ 
The  fair  having  been  "  called,"  the  company  repaired  to  the 
two  hostelries  the  "  Unicorn  "  and  the  "  Ship,"  where  refresh- 
ments were  provided  ad  libitiivi  at  the  expense  of  the  lord  of 
the  manor.     The  field  known  as  "  The  Fair  Ground  "  lies  at 
the  base  of  the  hill  between  the  Manse  and  a  fir  plantation, 
through  which  a  footpath  leads  up  past  the  Drake  Stone  to 
Harbottle  Lough,  a   lonely  eerie   tarn   in   the   hollow  of  the 
hills — a    stretch    of   long   heather   and    sphagnum    marks   an 
old   extension  of   the   lake.      The   west   end   of   the  lough   is 
packed    with    a    dense    growth    of    buckbean,    horsetail,    and 
rushes.     The  water  is  always  pure  and  very  cold — so  cold  that 
it  was  said    to  be  certain  death  to    attempt    to  sv/im  across. 
We,  however,  know  of  several  who  have  performed   the  feat 
and  are  still  ali\-e  to  tell  the  tale.     A  number  of  large  round 
blocks  of  sandstone  is  to  be  seen   lying  about  on  the  top  of 

'^  Lord  of  the  Manor. 


HARBOTTLE   VILLAGE.  1 97 

the  hill  ;  these  are  rejected  mill-stones,  which  puzzle  strangers 
very  much  as  to  their  origin.  Tradition  says  there  was  once  a 
scheme  on  foot  to  drain  the  lough,  but  on  the  workmen 
proceeding  to  the  hill  top  beyond  the  Drake  Stone,  they  were 
much  alarmed,  and  forthwith  fled  on  hearing  the  following 
warning,  uttered  in  sepulchral  tones,  issuing  from  the  depths 
of  the  dark  mountain  tarn  : — 

"  Let  Alone  ;    Let  Alone  ! 
Or  a'U  droon  Harbottle, 
An'  the  Peels 
An'  the  bonny  Ilallystone." 

In  the  dense  pine  woods  below  are  seen  the  nests  of  the 
heron,  for  Harbottle  is  one  of  the  few  places  in  Northumber- 
land  that  possesses  a  heronry  -,^3  here  they  nest  among  the  fir 
trees,  usually  one  nest  in  a  tree.  Frequently  the  quarrelsome 
birds  fight  for  the  ownership  of  the  tree,  and  on  one  occasion 
an  expelled  pair  left  the  heronry  and  built  their  nest  on  a 
tree  in  the  park  in  front  of  Harbottle  Castle.  The  village  of 
Harbottle  stands  in  the  midst  of  surroundings,  the  favourite 
haunts  of  birds  and  animals  not  commonly  met  with,  at  least 
in  such  numbers  in  the  lower  parts  of  the  valley.  We  ourselves, 
when  staying  overnight  in  the  little  village,  have,  during  the 
early  hours  of  the  morning,  listened  to  the  scream  of  the 
heron  from  her  lofty  perch  amid  the  firs,  the  hooting  of  the 
owl  in  the  ivy,  the  snappish  bark  of  the  fox  prowling  amongst 
the  brackens  on  the  hill  side,  the  soft  cooing  of  the  cushat  in 
the  wood,  and  the  shrill  cry  of  the  whaup,  mingled  with  the 
deep  baying  of  the  foxhounds  in  their  kennels  beyond  the 
castle,  with  many  another  chord  of  nature's  music,  so  dear  to 
the  lover  of  country  life  ;  or  as  the  poet  expresses  it : — 

"  The  fall  of  waters  and  the  song  of  birds, 
And  hills  that  echo  to  the  distant  herds  ; 
Are  luxuries  excelling  all  the  glare 
The  world  can  boast,  and  her  chief  fav'iitcs  share." 


''  .Mr.  William  Davison,  gamekeeper  at  Harbottle,  kindly  informs  me  there 
are  twenty  ne.sts  in  the  heronry  this  year  (190;). 


198  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

HARBOTTLE    PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH. 

Established  about  17 13 — Meetings  held  in  dwelling  house,  on  site  of  Cherry  Tree 
Cottage — First  Meeting-house  built  (1756) — Minister  resides  at  Woodhall 
(1736-44) — Origin  of  Congregation — Scottish  element — Covenanters  in 
Coquetdale  and  Redesdale — Rev.  A.  H.  Drysdale  on  Presbyterianism  in 
Northumberland — Foundation  Stone  of  New  Church  laid  in  1854 — Opened 
in  1855— Rev.  John  Scott  present  Pastor,  Office-bearers — The  Manse — 
List  of  Ministers  (1713-1903) — Extracts  from  Church  Records  (1736-91) — 
Quaint  Entries — Curious  Church  Accounts — Ba]Dtismal  Registers — Place- 
names — Local  Family  Names — Public  Notices  —  Primitive  Recipe  for  Cough 
— A  Harbottle  Rhyme. 

HARBOTTLE  Presbyterian  congregation  was  first  estab- 
lished about  the  year  171 3,  and  was  then  known  as 
"The  Protestant  Dissenting^  Congregation  of  Harbottle."^ 
The  members  at  that  time  met  for  worship  in  a  dwelHng- 
house  which  stood  on  the  site  of  Cherr\'  Tree  Cottage. 
Judging  from  various  documentary  evidence,  it  would  appear 
that,  between  1748  and  1759,  the  congregation  had  left  their 
old  place  of  worship,  and  it  was  probably  then 3  that  they 
built  their  first  meeting-house,  which  was  a  plain,  square 
building,  with  a  thatched  roof,  having  eight  windows  and 
two    doorways    in    the    south    front,    according    to    the    usual 

'  "Originally,  in  England,  the  terms  'Puritan,'  'Precisian,'  'Presbyterian,' 
though  not  synonymous,  were  applied  to  the  same  ecclesiastical  party." — History 
of  the  Presbyterians  in  England,  p.  4,  A.  H.  Drysdale. 

-'  "Tlie  Protestant  Dissenting  Congregation  of  Harbottle,  County  of  North- 
umberland and  Diocese  of  Durham,  commonly  known  by  the  name  of  the  Scotch 
Church  in  that  place,  has  existed  as  a  distinct  congregation  of  Dissenters  for 
upwards  of  one  hundred  years.  Their  first  minister  was  a  Mr.  Bell,  ordained 
among  them  before  they  had  any  house  built  for  public  worship.  No  register 
appears  to  have  been  kept  during  his  ministry,  or  it  cannot  be  found."  The  above 
is  from  an  entry  in  the  Harbottle  Baptismal  Register,  by  the  Rev.  James  Paterson, 
who  was  minister  at  Harbottle,  1811-1846. 

3  "There  is  in  the  village  a  Presbyterian  Chapel,  which  was  built  in  1756, 
and  is  now  under  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  James  Paterson." — Parson  and  White, 
Vol.  ii.,  p.  475  (1828). 


HARBOTTLE    PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  I99 

"  Meeting-house"  style  of  architecture  in  vogue  at  that  period. 
This  building  served  the  congregation  until  1834,  when  it  was 
taken  down,  and  the  more  ecclesiastical-looking  edifice  of 
to-day  erected  on,  or  near  to,  the  same  site. 

A  document,  dated  Sept.  8th,  1748,  refers  to  "  the  Meeting- 
house"  thus:  "Know  all  men  by  these  presents  that  I,  William 
Richardson,  late  of  Cartington  Mill,  and  now  of  Grange  Mill, 
in  the  Count}'  of  Northumberland,  Miller.  Having  a  Right 
Title  Interest  and  Privilege  of  and  Into  the  Tenth  part  of  the 
Meeting-house  of  Harbottle,  and  proportionately  to  all  pewes, 
seats,  and  other  the  privileges  that  belong  or  appertain  unto 
the  same  tenth  part  of  that  Meeting-House. 

Sold  to  George  Scott, 

Minister  of  the  Gospel  in  Harbottle, 

for  £T)    10  O.     Sep.  8,  1748." 

The  second  document,  of  December  27th,  1759,  speaks  of 
''the  Old  Meeting:"  "This  is  to  testifie  to  all  concerned  that 
I,  Mathew  Lenox,  have  sold  to  William  Marshall,  Tailor,  in 
Harbottle,  m}-  part  and  full  share  of  the  Old  Meeting  of  the 
Dissenting  Congregation  of  Harbottle,  for  one  pound  twelve 
shillings  sterling  money,  and  that  I  make  over  to  the  said 
William  Marshall  my  right,  and  do  give  up  all  pretensions 
and  claims  of  it  to  him.  And  further,  that  my  son,  Edward 
Lenox,  shall  give  up  with  and  sign  away  the  right  of  the 
same.  In  witness  whereof  I  here  subscribe  my  name. 
(Signed)  (Signed) 

Andr.  Mader,  witness.  Matthew  Leno.x. 

John  Riddell.  Edward  Leno.x." 

The  third,  entitled  a  "Deed  of  Transfer,"  June  26th,  1760, 
describes  the  property  as  "  Formerl)'  a  dwelling-house,  but 
hath  been  lately  used  and  enjoj'ed  as  a  mccting-house  for  a 
Congregation  of  I'rotestant  Dis.senters." 

Then  follow  the  names  of  ten  persons,  evidently  members 
of  the  Congregation,  in  whom  the  jjropert}'  may  have  been 
vested,  ending  with  two  names  ]jri)babl\'  of  the  new  owners. 


200  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

"James  Burne,  of  Kidlandlee,  gentleman4 

Geo.  Henderson,  Barrow  Burn,  husbandman 

Matthew  Lennox  of  Hartside,  yeoman 

William  Marshall,  Byegate  Hall,  gentleman 

William  Burne,  ffarnham,  gentleman 

James  Chrisp,  Flotterton,  husbandman 

Thomas  Robson  of  Northfield-head,  husbandman 

Andrew  Huggon,  Makendon,  husbandman 

John  Potts,  Clinch,  yeoman 

Robt.  Stott,  Whitechesters,  Roxburghshire,  husbandman 
on  the  one  part,  and 

William  Marshall  of  Harbottle,  taylor 

Ninian  Bell  of  Holystone,  dyer 

on  the  other  part." 

We  had  for  some  time  been  under  the  impression  that  the 
origin  of  the  Harbottle  Congregation  was  due  to  the  influx  of 
those  Scottish  Covenanters  who  during  the  storm  of  persecu- 
tion that  raged  so  violently  on  the  Scottish  side  of  the  borders 
towards  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century,  sought  refuge 
amongst  the  hills  of  Northumberland.  Peden's  Pyke,  a 
prominent  hill  in  Redesdale,  is  named  from  the  famous 
preacher  Alexander  Peden,  a  zealous  adherent  to  the 
Covenanting  cause,  who,  when  a  refugee  in  Northumberland, 
held  meetings  on  its  heathery  slopes.  William  Veitch,  another 
eminent  minister  and  leader  of  the  Covenant,  lived  for  some 
years  at  Fallowlees,  a  remote  spot  on  the  moors  south  of 
the  Simonside  hills,  in  the  parish  of  Rothbury,  where  he  held 
conventicle  meetings.  The  preaching  of  those  earnest, 
strong-minded  men  must  have  exercised  a  great  influence 
upon  the  people  around  them,  and  would  no  doubt  largely 
increase  the  followers  of  the  Presbyterian  form  of  worship 
in  the  district.  It  will  also  be  observed  from  the  extracts  we 
give  from  the  earlier  records  of  the  Harbottle  Congregation 
how  much  the  Scottish  element  prevailed,  both  in  the  number 
*  "Sir  Burn"  of  Kidlandlee. 


HARBOTTLE   PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  201 

of  members  joining  from  over  the  border,  and  in  the  frequent 
visits  from  Scotch  Presbyterian  ministers.  But  since  reading 
the  Rev.  A.  H.  Dr}'sdale's  admirable  "  History  of  the  English 
Presbyterians  " — from  whose  pages  the  following  extract  is 
taken — we  must  admit  the  logic  of  his  argument.  "  North- 
umberland," says  Mr.  Dr\'sdale,  "  has  long  been  the  most 
Presbyterian  county  of  England.  To  this  northern  border 
Presbyterianism  retreated  when  overthrown  elsewhere,  and 
here  it  chiefly  entrenched  itself  and  continued  to  hold  its  own, 
when  the  rest  of  the  country  seemed  almost  unaware  of  the 
existence  of  such  a  system  in  its  orthodox  form  on  English 
soil.  Proximity  to  Scotland  does  not  suffice  to  explain  how 
religious  life  and  methods  in  Northumberland  have  been  to  so 
large  an  extent  moulded  by  Presbyterian  influences.  Presby- 
terianism was  no  recent  upstart  there,  and  no  mere  intruder 
from  the  North.  Its  venerable  career  and  associations,  how- 
ever chequered,  give  it  a  right  to  be  considered  a  native  plant, 
indigenous  to  this  soil ;  and  those  who  mingle  with  the  North- 
umbrian Presbyterians  are  soon  made  aware  how  quickly  they 
resent  the  idea  of  their  own  Presbyterianism  being  in  any 
sense  "Scotch,"  either  of  recent  importation  or  of  foreign 
development.  The  Ministers  were  largely  Scotch,  or  Scotch 
trained  ;  but  the  Congregation  were  English,  with  Scottish 
settlers  worshipping  with  them. "5 

The  foundation  stone  of  the  present  church  was  laid  on 
the  sixteenth  of  y\ugust,  1854,  by  "James  C.  Stevenson, 
Junior,  Esq.,  of  Laygate."'^  The  ministers  present  at  the 
ceremony  were  the  Rev.  Samuel  Cathcart,  pastor  of  the 
Congregation,  Rev.  Duncan  Lennie  of  Glanton,  Rev.  James 
Anderson  of  Morpeth,  and  the  Rev.  James  Blythe  of  Branton. 


5  Hist,  of  the  Presbyterians  in  England. — A.  H.  Drysdale,  p.  567. 

*  Mr.  James  Cochrane  Stevenson  (son  of  the  late  James  Stevenson,  St.  Rollox 
•Chemical  Works,  (Glasgow)  who  was  afterwards,  for  twenty  years,  M.I'.  for 
South  Shields,  is  a  gentleman  well  known  on  Tyneside  for  his  lil)eral-minded 
generosity.  Mr.  Steven.son  has  left  the  north,  and  now  resides  in  the  south  of 
England. — Ex  inform.  .Mr.  J.   .M.  Moore,  Harton  Hall,  South  Shields. 


202  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

There  was  also  a  large  gathering  of  the  members  of  the 
Congregation  and  other  friends.  The  new  church,  which 
contains  500  sittings,  was  opened  for  public  worship  on 
Thursday,  Jul}'  12th,  1855,  by  the  Rev.  Alex.  Munro  of 
Manchester.  A  public  meeting  was  afterwards  held,  presided 
over  by  the  Rev.  S.  Cathcart,  when  the  ministers  whose  names 
are  recorded  above,  took  part  in  the  proceedings.  During  the 
course  of  the  evening  a  tea  was  provided  for  all  present,  by 
the  following  ladies,  the  record  of  whose  names  may  be  of 
interest  to  local  readers  : — Mrs.  Thompson,  Mrs.  Cathcart,  Mrs. 
Dodds,  Mrs.  Crozier,  Mrs.  Grey,  Miss  Robertson,  Miss  Dodds^ 
Mrs.  Davison,  Miss  Hedley,  Miss  Oliver,  Mrs.  Turnbull,  Mrs. 
Chisholm,  and  Miss  Burns.  The  opening  services  were  con- 
tinued on  the  following  Sunday  by  the  Rev.  John  Purvis  of 
the  Free  Church,  Jedburgh.  The  Rev.  John  Scott,  the  present 
highly  esteemed  minister,  has  for  upwards  of  thirty-two  years 
been  pastor  of  the  Congregation.  The  elders  to-day  are  : — 
Messrs.  Andrew  Crammond,  Robert  Cowans,  Wm.  T. 
Davison,  Thos.  Rutherford,  Thos.  Dagg,  Wm.  Kirkwood,. 
James  Rutherford. 

Those  who  know  Harbottle  will  remember  the  Manse,, 
standing  within  its  pleasant  garden,  encircled  by  its  green 
meadow-lands — under  the  sheltering  heights  of  Harbottle 
Crag  and  the  Drake  Stone,  with  the  avenue  of  pine  trees 
beyond — the  very  picture  of  comfort  and  cheerfulness,  where  a 
kindly  welcome  awaits  all  comers.  At  what  date  the  present 
Manse  became  the  property  of  the  Congregation  we  have  not 
been  able  to  ascertain,  but  we  can  gather  from  the  church 
records  that  George  Scott,  who  was  minister  from  1736  until 
1755,  resided  for  the  first  eight  years  of  his  pastorate  at 
Woodhall,  a  hamlet  about  a  mile  from  Harbottle.^'*- 

The  early  records  of  Harbottle  and  its  register  of  baptisms 

*A  Since  the  above  was  written,  Mr.  Scott  kindly  informs  us  that  the  site 
on  which  the  Manse  stands,  was  purchased  from  the  late  Mr.  Walter  Selby  of 
Biddleston,  June  29,  1846.      Previous  to  that  date  there  was  no  Manse. 


t-l 

o 

< 


S! 


•vtl;.^ 


HARBOTTLE    PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  203 

are  contained  in  two  small  volumes.  These  are  of  great 
interest,  and  of  infinite  value  to  the  student  of  local  history, 
for  in  their  pages  are  found  the  famil)-  names  of  the  dalesmen 
who  lived  in  the  district  during  the  eighteenth  century,  and 
the  quaint  entries  throw  a  light,  not  to  be  found  elsewhere, 
on  the  social  condition  of  the  people  ;  their  occupations  and 
customs,  man}'  of  which  are  now  entirely  obsolete.  The 
records  have  apparently  been  kept  on  odd  sheets  of  paper,  and 
then  bound  up  in  their  present  form  ;  therefore  the  entries, 
with  some  exceptions,  do  not  come  in  chronological  order. 
Mixed  up  with  the  register  of  baptisms  are  scraps  of  all  sorts 
of  information  and  curious  memoranda.  Several  of  the  entries 
are  found  on  the  backs  of  hand-written  public  notices  that 
appear  to  have  been  affixed  to  the  doors  of  the  Meeting-house, 
and  afterwards  used  by  the  minister  and  his  office-bearers  for 
their  notes  and  accounts. 

The  names  of  the  Presbyterian  Ministers  given  below  have 
been  gathered  from  various  sources,  but  chiefly  from  the 
records  of  the  congregation  : 

James  Bell,  17 13.  George  Scott,  1736. 

Robert  Trotter,  1755.  Madder,  1761. 

James  Murra)-,  1768.  William  Lauder,  1799. 

Gavin  T.  Hamilton,  1809.  James  Paterson,  181 1. 

Samuel  Cathcart,  1846.  John  Scott,  1871. 

The  first  three  entries  tell  of  the  coming  of  George  Scott 
in  1736,  in  which  year  the  records  begin. 

"  1736,  Nov.  14,  to  a  Lad  that  brought  2  Letters  from 
Branton  about  Mr.  Scott's  tryals  b}-  order,  o"'-  O"^''-  G^'-" 

"  Mr.  George  Scott  was  ordained  at  Ilarbottle,  Dec.  ye  7th, 
being  Tuesda)-,  1736,  by  Mr.  Thos.  Willis,  Minr.  at   Hranton, 
who  preached  the  ordination  Sermon,  he  also  ga\c  the  charge. 
Ministers  who  imposed  hands  besides  Mr.  Willis  were: — 
Mr.  Jas.  Chisolm,  Minr.  at  I'iidhojjccrag. 
Mr.  Jas.  Oliver,  Minr.  at  Framlington. 
Mr.  Hugh  Kenned}',  Minr.  at  Cavers. 
Mr.  Wm.  Turnbull,  Minr.  at  Abb(;tsrulc." 


J04  UPPER   COQUETDALE, 

"  1736.  Begun  to  sing  the  1st  Psal.  in  the  meeting  house 
at  Harbottle,  Dec.  12,  1736,  being  the  first  Sabath  after  Mr. 
Geo.  Scot  was  ordained." 

"  May  10,  1737.  Read  a  testimonial  from  Walter  Grey  for 
himself  and  family,  subscribed  and  written  by  appointment  of 
the  Session  of  the  Parish  of  Inveresk,  subscrd.  by  Mr.  John 
Smith,  Minr."7 

"  1737.  Jail-  ye  9,  Thos.  Bell  for  a  half-hour  Glas  to  New 
Castle,  o  o  6." 

"Jan.  22,  For  nails  when  the  Glas  Case  was  put  up  for  my 
own  seat,  o  o  o}4-" 

"  May  22,  to  Sandy  Young  by  the  Meetings  order  for  the 
Glas  frame,  o  i   6,  o  i  4."^ 

"  ^737,  March  13,  to  a  poor  man  by  Mr.  Scot's  order, 
I  penny." 

"  ^737)  July  13,  for  Drink  when  the  meeting  house  was 
thatched,  o   i   6." 

"July  16,  for  tackets  to  Andrew  Burn  for  the  meeting 
house  windows,  o  o  0-2." 

"  Aug.  24,  for  lock  to  the  meeting  house  door,  1/6." 

"Oct.  10,  for  a  gallon  of  Drink  to  the  Woodhall,9  o  o  10." 

"  Oct.  16,  for  a  quart  of  Drink  and  a  Penny  Loaf,  o  o  5d." 

"  Oct.  28,  for  Drink  at  the  Laying  of  the  Steps,io  o  o  8d." 

7  At  the  present  day,  when  a  member  of  a  Presbyterian  congregation  removes 
out  of  one  district  into  another,  it  is  usual  to  obtain  from  their  minister  what  they 
term  "their  lines,"  which  they  hand  over  to  the  pastor  of  the  congregation  they 
intend  to  join. 

^  Preaching  by  the  "hour  glass "  was  very  common  in  the  days  when  watches 
were  scarce  and  clocks  not  easily  obtained.  The  glass  was  generally  placed  on  a 
frame  near  the  pulpit,  so  that  the  preacher  could  watch  the  progress  of  the  sand 
from  one  bulb  to  the  other,  and  thus  regulate  the  length  of  his  sermon. 

9  Probably  for  refreshment  for  the  men  when  some  work  was  being  done  at 
the  Woodhall,  then  the  residence  of  the  minister. 

'°  There  were  scarcely  any  bridges  in  those  days,  and  we  have  no  doubt  the 
frequent  entries,  "for  drink  at  the  laying  of  the  steps,"  refers  to  the  placing  of 
.stepping-stones  in  the  Coquet.  "Drink"  to  workmen  is  a  common  entry  in  all 
Church  accounts  at  this  period. 


IIARBOTTLE   PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  205 

"  Dec.  30,  to  Thos.  Common  for  mending  the  Window- 
Board,  003;    Pins  for  the  Linen,  00   i." 

The  order  of  the  Seats  in  the  Meeting  house,  July  21, 
1737,  North  side,  numb,  (i)  Wm.  and  Jas.  Bell,  Peg  Camel," 
in  Alenton,  Mary  Robson,  m  Harbottle. 

2.  Edwd.  Robson  in   Battleshiel  haugh,  Mark  Armstrong, 

Betty  Miller,  Peels,  Margt.  Davyson,  Alenton,  5  to 
sit  there. 

3.  Jas.  Broady,  in  Hepell. 

4.  John  Robson,  in  Peels. 

5_  James  Trumell,  Reedlees. 

6.  John  Robyson,  Newhall. 

7.  Joh.  Cuningham,  Wm.  Henderson. 

8.  Jas.  Burn,  in  Peels. 

9.  Tho.  Sanderson,  Edge  houses. 

10.  Geo.  Potts,  Peels. 

11.  P^dward  Potts,  Carshope. 

12.  Tho.  Henderson,  Barrow  burn. 

13.  Jas.  Stevenson,  Linbridge." 

"  Sabaths  when  there  was  no  Sermon — 

Jan.  16  (at)  Fallstone.  Sep.  18  (at)  Wooler. 

Feb.  27  Birdhop.  Cr.,  Sac.  Oct.  30         Scotland. 

June   5  Birdhopcraig,  Sacra.  Now  27  Wooler. 

July    3  Branton,  Sacra. 

1738.- 

Feb.  26  Branton,  Sacra.  July   2  Branton,  Sacra. 

Mar.  26  Newcastle.  Sep.  17  Bellingham." 

May  14  Wooler. 

"  TESTIMONIAL.S    RECEIVED," 

"  Test :  from  John  Heymers,  a  single  person  at  Craig 
Shiel,  dated  at  Jedb(urgh),  Dec.  27,  1737,  by  order  of  ye 
last  session." 

"Test:  from  Tho.  Crosier  and  his  family  at  Brownrig, 
subscd.  at  Hindhope,  July  3,  1739,  by  Wm.  Hall  and  Tho. 
Thomson,  I-llders  at  Oxenam." 

"  Peg  Camel — Margaret  Campbell. 


2o6 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


"1738,  Oct.  ye  15,  to  Peg  Miller  in  Harbottle,  by  Mr. 
Scott's  order,  oH'-  i*-  o^l-" 

"July  3,  1739.  Given  by  Mr.  Scot,  seven  pounds,  which 
he  collected  from  the  Congregation  of  Harbottle,  with  what 
he  gave  himself,  for  building  a  Meeting  house  at  Framlington 
and  at  Branton,  to  Mr.  James  Oliver,  Minister  at  Framlington." 

"1739,  May  17,  to  Mary  Robinson,  for  bread  before  the 
rest  came,  O  o  2." 

"  May  19,  for  2  pound  of  Butter,  at  3 — 6." 

"EXAMINATIONS,    1739.^^ 


I  (at)  Craig,  Dec.  18. 


7  (at)  Burrodon,  Jan.  10. 

8  Allentone,  Jan.  18. 
High  Trughet,  Jan.  22. 
Netherton,  Jan.  24.^3 
Skreenwood,  Jan.  29." 


9 
10 
1 1 


2  Peels,  Dec.  20. 

3  Flotterton,  Dec.  25. 

4  Sharperton,  Dec.  26, 

5  New  Hall,  Dec.  27. 

6  Harbottle,  Jan.  4  ( 1 740). 

"  1741,  May  25.     Outlays  at  the  Sacramenti4 

6  Gallon  of  Drink  ... 

Bread 

Cakes  and  seasoning  with 

9  Quarts  of  Wine  ... 

Carying 

Brandy 

Cheese 

Butter  

Pens  and  Ink  (i^d.) 
To   Robert   Marchell   for 
Alnwick 


flower. 


his   Journey  to 


.     0 

5 

0 

.    0 

4 

4 

.     0 

7 

0 

.     0 

12 

7 

.     0 

0 

8 

.      0 

6 

0 

.    0 

3 

9 

.     0 

I 

0 

.      0 

0 

1-3 

) 

.     0 

^ 

11" 

"  Examination  of  Candidates  for  the  Sacrament,  which  was  at  that  time 
celebrated  twice  a  year,  but  in  earlier  times  only  once  a  year. 

'3  The  house  of  John  Buddie  of  Netherton  was  one  of  the  eight  houses  in  the 
district  licensed  for  Nonconformist  meetings.  This  licence  was  granted  at  the 
October  Sessions,  1701. — jirck.  Ailiana,  Vol.  xv.,  p.  154. 

'■•  As  many  of  the  members  came  long  distances,  refreshments  were  provided 
for  them,  of  which  they  partook  at  "  intermission,"  between  the  forenoon  and 
afternoon  services.  This  was  the  custom  as  late  as  i860,  in  widely  scattered 
congregations  such  as  Harbottle,  Branton,  and  others. 


IIARBOTTLE    PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  20/ 

(Circa.  1741)  "from  Robert  Marchell  for  ye  Scotts  Half- 
pennys,  o  o   10-2." 

"  1 74 1,  Jan.  17.     No  Coll.,  being  few  folk  and  Bad  day." 

"  1742,  Jan.  10.  Joh.  8,  24,  one  exercise,  being  a  stormy 
day." 

"Jan.  17.  Joh.  8,  29.  A  stormy  day  of  Wind,  and  ye 
waters  very  high,  one  exercise." 

"Jan.  24.     Joh.  8,  32.     Job  5,  7.     A  pleasant  day." 

"  1743,  to  James  for  Jon.  Horsley  in  Thropton,  for  his 
father's  Buryal,  o  5  o." 

"  Sep.  20,  for  a  Bible  for  the  Pulpit  to  Mr,  Bryson,  o  7  o." 

"Oct.  13,  for  carrying  the  Bible,  o  o  3." 

"  1744.  Mr.  Scott,  Removed  from  Wood  Hall  to  Har- 
bottle.  May  ye  nth,  the  eleventh  being  flitting ^5  Friday." 

"  1744,  June  I  ith,  tokens  14  score  and  16." 

"Nov.  12,  14  score  and  14." ^^ 

"April  II.     National  Fast.     Lsa.  58,  i,  and  Amos  4,  I4."i7 

"June  I.     Shor(ter)  Catechism  begun." 

'3  "Flitting  Friday." — May  11  and  12  are  yet  the  two  "flitting  days"  in 
Northumberland,  when  the  farm  servants  "shift,"  or  remove,  from  one  form  place 
to  another. 

■'  Communion  tokens  were,  and  are  still,  used  by  many  Presbyterian  congre- 
gations. Below  are  drawings  of  two  Harbottle  tokens,  made  of  lead  : — "  H.  B. , 
1757,"  size  Yz  inch  square.     "  II.  B.,  1819,"  size  ^  inch  square. 


In  1744  there  appears  to  have  been  a  membership  of  aiiout  llirce  hundred. 
As  bearing  on  the  subject,  we  here  quote  an  extract  from  the  Notes  of  Bishop 
Chandler  in  his  "  Parochial  Remarks  on  his  Visitation  (Circa.  1736).  S])eaking 
of  the  parish  of  Alwinlon,  in  reference  to  Presbyterianism,  he  states:  "8  Lied, 
meeting  houses  where  is  service  and  the  calech.  The  cheif  is  at  Harbottle,  a.  m. 
from  the  C.  where  service  3  successive  Sundays  and  ye  4th  .Sunday  at  Windy- 
haugh,  5  m(iles)  from  the  c(hurch)." 

'7  Defeat  abroad  in  the  French  War  and  danger  at  home  from  llie  Jacoljite 
Rising  were  probably  the  cau.sc  of  the  "National  l-ast." 


208  UPPER   COQUETDAI.E. 

"Aug.  12,  first  Sabath  ye  Dulpit  was  removed." 

"  Sept.  23.     Acts  2,  34.     Titus  2,  19.     A  very  wet,  rainy 

season,  and  hath  been  for  a  long  time,  and  is  still  threatening 

An  Easterly  wind  and  Dark  Fogg,  it  has  been  rainy  weather 

since  the  beginning  of  September,  and  broken  weather  before, 

the   corn   is   likely  to   be   bad   if   Providence    prevent    it    not 

speedily," 

"  Dec.  27,  for  the  Bridge,  o   10  o."        % 

"  Dec.    29,   for  the   steps,  034;    for   Drink   at  ye  steps, 

o  o  6." 

"  Nov.  5,  when  the  couple  feet  was  mended,  a  qwt.  of  ale 

and  a  I.oaf,  o  o  5." 

"  1745,  Dec.  18,  Wednesday,  National  Fast  Day,  Psal,  83." 
"April    15,    Adam    Scott,    Schoolm(aster)    from    Askirk 

Biddlestone." 

"  July,  Thos.  White,  Schoolmr.,  Hallystone  from  Oxnam." 
"  Ale  to  mr.  Cleanels  mowers,  the  first  day  8  pints  of  ale, 

2  loves,  ye  second  day  9  pints  of  ale,  too  loves,  ye  third  day 

five  pints  and  3  penny  loves. 

"Sep.    19,  to  John  Common  for  Isibell    Maxwell's  Coffin, 

030;    for  ye  steps,  026;    for  a  quart  of  ale  at  Setting  ye 

tent,  o  o  4." 

"  1747,  Jan.  7,  National  Fast,  Isai.  26-11." 

"  1749,  April  25,  National  Thanksgiving  for  peace."is 

"  Harbottle,  Sep.  ye  17,  1749.    Sabath  Day,  a  very  Stormy 

day  and  waters  very  great,  a  very  loud  wind." 

"Our  late  Minister,  Mr.  Geo.  Scott,  Dyed  Aug.  15,  1755. 

Mr.    Trotter    accepted    the    call     from    this    Congregation    at 

Alnwick,  Nov.  5  following." 

"  This  book  is  all  done  away  and  out  of  date  and  obsolete. 

Old  things  are  past  away,  behold  all  things  are  become  new — 

Thursday,  July  10,  1760  (Signed)  John  Dixon,  Harbottle." 


'^  Peace  was  proclaimed  on  Feb.  2,  1749. 


HARBOTTLE    PRESBVTKRIAN    CHURCH.  200 

BAPTISMS   SINCE  MR.   SCOTT'S   ORDINATION. 
(Extracts.) 

1736,  "  Margaret  Dr.  (Daughter^  to  Walter  and  Elizabeth 
Turnbull,  in  Trughet  Mill,i9  Dec.  13,  1736." 

1737,  "Mary  Dr.  to  Thomas  and  Isabel  Wait,  in  Sharper- 
ton,  Seive  Maker,  March  )'e  7th." 

1737,  "  Isibell  and  Anne  Drs.  to  William  and  Margt.  Hall, 
Slime  foot,  July  23." 

1737,  "William  S.  (Son)  to  Thomas  and  Christian  Oliver, 
in  Cobdone,2o  Nov.  7." 

1737,  "  Anne  Dr.  to  George  and  Isibell  Turnbull,  in 
Dunghopburn,2i  Feb.  }'e  6th." 

1738,  "Mary  Dr.  to  George  and  Anne  Buddie,  in  Netherton, 
Nov.  16." 

1739,  "Matthew  S.  to  John  and  Isibell  Anderson,  in 
Clennell  Mill,  March  22." 

I739>  "Christian  Dr.  to  Geo.  Oliver,  in  Saughridgc, 
Nov.  28." 

1 741,  "Betty  Dr.  to  Matthew  and  Jane  Bell,  in  Peels  Fulling 
Mill,  June  2  [." 

1742,  "Margaret  Dr.  to  Thomas  and  Isibell  Gibson  in 
Edgehouses,  May  ye  2nd." 

1742,  "(I  got  not  the  child's  name)  to  James  and  Betty 
Riddell,  in  Heally  Dod,  Octob.  25,  p.  Elsden." 

1743,  "  Mary  Dr.  to  John  and  Margt.  Coughran,  Holystone, 
March  21." 

1744,  "  Jennet  Dr.  to  Geo.  Crawford  and  Elizabeth,  Borrow- 
ton  field  houses,  March  12." 

1744,  "Catherine  Dr.  tcj  Thomas  and  Jennet  Davidson, 
Dryhope,  March  19th." 

1744,  "  Isibell  Dr.  to  William  Smail,  in  Flint  Craigc, 
Nov.  13." 

''  Low  Trewhitt  Corn-mill. 
"  Near  Alnliam. 
"  Dumbhopc  burn. 

14 


2IO  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

1/45,  "William  S.  to  Alexander  Mow,  Gallowlaw  near 
Alenton,  April  22." 

1745,  "James  S.  to  John  Thomson,  Servt.  at  East  Wilk- 
wood,  the  child  born  at  Long  Craig,  Alnham  par.,  Feb.  to." 

1746,  "Thomas  S.  to  George  Fogan,  Harbottle,  Servt  at 
Cuttleside,  April  13." 

1746,  "William  S.  to  Edward  Potts,  in  Iron  house,  Elsdon 
Parish,  May  12." 

1746,  "  Alise,  wrong  named  Elizabeth,  Dr.  to  William  and 
Isibell  Burn,  Pipers  Shaws,  the  father  Buryed  the  Day  ye 
child  was  Baptized,  his  Brother  Geo.  Burn  was  in  Stead  of  the 
parent,  Baptized  June  ye  4th." 

1746,  "William  S.  to  John  Moe,  Old  Swanks  Rot.  p.,  Sep. 
10." 

1747,  "  James  S.  to  Nathanael  Marchell,  Hallistone  Fulling 
Mill,  March  5." 

1747,  "Jean  Dr.  to  Thomas  Common,  in  Cowd  Peel, 
March  31,  P^lsdon  p." 

1747,  "Sarah  Dr.  to  Mr.  Robert  Horsley,  Clennell,  March 

31." 

1747,    "Elizabeth   Dr.   to    James   Crozier,  near    Rothbury 

Bridge  So.  End,  July  27." 

1749,  "  Elizabeth  Dr.  to  John  Hall,  Wardlaw  burn,  April 
ye  5." 

1750,  "James  S.  to  William  Bollume,  at  Todd's  house  near 
P^allow  lees,  July  31,  Roth.  Parish." 

1750,  "Robert  S.  to  Andrew  Bell,  Shoe  maker,  Netherton, 
Aug.  10." 

175 1,  "  Michell  son  to  Robert  Crawmond,  Pipershaws  near 
Woodhouses,  March  21." 

"Thomas  Marchell  in  Lowngesknow  has  paid  me  all  he 
was  due  for  Baptisims,  J  any.  4,  1752." 

2^  A  public-house,  called  the  "Old  Swan,"  once  stood  near  the  "Swan  Well," 
by  the  side  of  the  road  leading  along  the  northern  slopes  of  Simonside  from  Great 
Tosson  to  Forest-burn  Gate. 


HARROTTLE    rRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  211 

1752,  "James  S.  to  James  Rankin,  in  Wardhill  in  Rothbury 
forest,  not  in  our  Congregation,  March  29." 

1752,  "Gabriel  S.  to  Thcmas  Rae,  in  Foxtone,  Jan.  11." 

1753,  "William  S.  to  James  Thomson,  in  Pattons  Sheill 
Wood  Side,  March  5,  Elsdone  Parish." 

1753,  "Jennet  natural  Dr.  to  James  Purvise,  fuller  in 
Hally-Stone  Mill,  July  i." 

1754,  "Jane  Dr.  to  Gedion   Pittilloeh,  Harbottle,  April  28." 

1754,  "Richard  S.  to  Henry  Oxley,  Fuller  at  Newton 
fulling  Mill  near  Rothbury,  Nov.  25." 

1755,  "Jean  Dr.  to  Thomas  Sprote,  Newtown  Corn  Mill, 
Jan.  1st,  Rothbury  Parish." 

1755,  "Andrew  S.  to  Thomas  Pattin,  Weaver  in  Heigh, 
April  9th." 

1/55)  "  James  S.  to  John  Mitchell,  Hartlaw  house,  June  16, 
Alnham  parish." 

1755,  "James  .S.  to  Joseph  Broady,  Fairnilaw,  July  7,  Roth. 
Parish. 

1755,  "Anne  Dr.  to  George  Davidson,  Wright  in  Ncthcr- 
ton,  July  27.     (Mr.  Scott's  last  Baptism)." 

1755,  "Andrew  S.  to  Robert  Hogg,  Craig  Shiel,  Dec.  16. 
The  first  Mr.  Trotter  Baptized." 

We  here  give  copies  of  the  public  notices  already  mention- 
ed, which  are  found  intersper.sed  throughout  tlic  \olumcs.  The 
clean  side  ha\ing  been  used  for  memoranda  connected  with 
the  Congregation. 

(Circa.  1750-60.) 

"This  is  to  give  notice  that  at  .Alnham  Northficld,  to  be 
.sold  by  way  of  publick  Roup  on  Thursda\'  tlic  26th  Da\'  of 
instant,  about  seaven  hundred  Weathers,  great  jjart  of  tlu-in 
four  year  old.  Ruls  of  the  Roup  will  be  heard  at  the  sale, 
six  months  credit  given." 

"  This  is  to  Give  Notice  to  all  I'recholds  and  farms  in  the 
Parish  of  Aliiigtf)n  and  Keadlanlordship  to  have  the  Lanrl-tax 


212  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

read}'  on  tuesda}'  and  Wednesday  first,  for  it  is  due  on  Friday 
the  iQth  of  tliis  Instant." 

"  This  is  to  szive  Notice  that  there  is  to  be  sold  at  Borroton 
on  Wednesday  the  22nd  of  this  Instant,  By  way  of  Roup, 
Belonging"  to  Edward  Lenox,  Such  as  Cows  with  Calfe,  Milk 
Cows  and  Yeild  Cows,  and  a  Young  Mare  with  fole,  there  is 
Milk  Vessel  with  a  large  Rim,  and  a  Kart  with  all  traping, 
there  is  six  Months  Credit  by  Security,  and  Sixpence  the 
Pound  for  Redy  Money  Abaite.  The  Sail  will  begin  at  twelve 
O'clock." 

"  This  is  to  give  Notice  that  there  is  to  be  sold  at  Wood- 
houses  by  way  of  Roup,  on  Friday  first  the  loth  of  this 
Instant,  at  Twelve  Months  Credit,  the  Stock  of  Charles 
Bulman,  consisting  of  Cows,  Oxen,  young  Cattle,  and  a  Bull, 
Ews  and  Lambs,  and  Hogs,  and  Horses  ;  those  that  pa)- ready 
Money  shall  have  Twelve  pence  in  the  pound  abated." 

"This   is   to  Give   Notice    that    the    Highshaw,  Ironhouse 

in   the    parish   of   Elsdon    is   to  be   Lett,   Either  together  or 

Separate,  who  Ever  Inclines  to  take  the  Same  may  apply  to 

Mr.  J(-ihn  Gallon  who  will  Treat  with  them  about  the  Same." 

(A  Recipe  evidently  for  a  Cough.) 

"  A  handfull  of  the  inner  Bark  of  Rowintree  as  much 
Rough  big  (barley),  a  quarter  of  a  b  of  Prunes,  put  them  into 
3  Gills  of  Spring  Water  and  boil  it  into  a  pint,  then  strain  it 
and  add  a  *  sugar  Candie,  then  Boil  it  into  a  Large  Gill 
Like  a  Syrup,  and  give  it  in  the  morning  or  any  time  of  the 
day." 

"  HarbdtUe  Castle  stands  on  wheels, 
If  ye  gied  a  gud  kick 
It'll  run  to  the  Peels." 

(0/d  Rhyme). 


ALWINTON.  213 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

ALWINTON. 

Its  situation  and  surroundings — A  Manor  of  the  Alnwick  Barony  of  de  Yesci — 
Held  b}'  the  Umfravilles— Subsequent  Owners  —  Horsley — Heton  —  Ogle — 
Freeholders  1568,  1663,  1710,  1734,  1747,  1774 — Villagers  in  1828 — Alwinton 
of  to-day  —  The  Post  Office— Red  Lion  —  Rose  and  Thistle — Well-known 
Hostelries — Resort  of  Anglers — Sheep  Show  and  Sports — Site  of  Old  Hall — 
"  Run  and  Rig"  Farming — Old  Cottages — Field  names  —  Effect  of  Floods — 
First  sight  of  Alwinton  from  the  Pine  Avenue. 

ALW'LNTOX  is  the  first  village  that  meets  the  eye  of  the 
tra\-eller  as  he  crosses  over  the  Cheviot  hills  out  of 
Scotland  into  Coquet  water.  The  little  village  consists  only 
of  a  few  scattered  houses  standing  on  the  level  haugh-lands 
that  lie  between  the  Coquet  and  the  Alwin.  It  is  sheltered 
on  the  north  by  the  heights  of  Lord's  Seat  and  Gallow  Law, 
with  a  fine  view  to  the  south  of  the  dark  pine  woods  of 
Harbottle,  the  Swire/  and  Barrow  Knocks.  On  the  left  are 
seen  the  church  and  vicarage  pleasantly  situated  on  the  north 
bank  of  the  Coquet,  immediately  below  the  junction  of  the 
Coquet  and  the  Alwin.  The  meeting  of  these  two  mountain 
streams  forms  the  subject  of  a  poem,  several  lines  of  which 
ue  have  already  quoted: — 

"  \or  were  the  daughters  of  the  Kidland  race 
Less  eager  in  their  strife,  who  best  should  grace 
Fair  Alwine's  nuptials  : — down  from  ev'ry  side 
They  iiaste  to  give  attendance  on  the  bride. 
They  strew  the  paths,  whereon  she  is  to  pass. 
With  choicest  jiebbjes,-  and  the  greenest  grass  ; 
Whereon  her  pure  and  most  Iransjiarent  stream 
(jliding,  might  l)olh  .set  (jff  herself  and  them  ; 

'Swire — In  1522  a  border  fight  took  place  between  the  Scots  and  English  at 
Siiii^mtdswire,  near  Alwinton.      I'r'ibably  at  the  iiwire.     See  p.  54. 

*  Pebbles — Fragments  of  water-worn  chalcedony  or  agate,  locally  known  as 
"Coquet  ])cbble.s."  Those  beautifull) -veined  agates  make  a  charming  selling  (or 
brooch  or  pin. 


214  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

For  she  is  Kidland's  pride,  and  Kidland  vies 

For  mountain  beauties — highland  properties — 

With  all  the  fells — in  all  the  county  round 

For  verdure  and  for  pasturage  renown'd. 

Rookland,  and  Punkerton,  and  Kidland-lee, 

Dryhope,  and  Milkhope,  and  the  charming  Heigh, 

Flowing  with  milk,  and  rich  and  fleecy  flocks, 

And  fam"d  for  Coleys — guardians  of  the  stocks 

The  busy  nymphs  their  garlands  all  prepare 

Of  wild  thyme  neatly  wove  with  maiden-hair  ; 

Chaplets  of  rushes,  tipt  with  silver  flow'rs, 

Pick'd  from  the  Cushet-law,  and  mossy  moors. 

And  thus  adornVl  they  wait  upon  the  bride, 

Sweet  Ahvine  :— now  in  wedlock  to  be  tied  :  — 

They  dance  from  shelf  to  shelf,  and  round  her  throng. 

The  Linns  their  music — Alwiue  all  their  song — 

Then  down  to  th'  open  plain  they  all  repair. 

To  meet  trim  Coquet  at  his  temple  there. 

For  he  could  not  ascend— as  fates  ordain'd — 

To  meet  her  at  the  temple  of  her  land 

At  I\IeminerkiiJ<  — much  in  those  days  renown'd, 

Tho'  now  in  ruins — near  level  with  the  ground. 

Yet  he  supply'd  this  want  of  courtesy. 

With  this  memorial  to  posterity. 

That  wheresoe'er  he  should  his  Ahvine  claim. 

That  place  for  evermore  should  bear  her  name. 

Hence,  to  this  day,  Kidland,  whose  temple's  down, 

Performs  its  marriage  rites  in  Alivintou."  ^ 

Although  that  famous  baron,  Gilbert  de  Umfraville,  Earl 
of  Angus  and  lord  of  Redesdale  and  Harbottle,  who  flourished 
1 245-1 306,  held  200  acres  of  land  and  "eight  bondages"  in 
Ahvinton,  besides  the  royalt)'  of  the  manor,  the  patronage  of 
the  Church,  the  right  of  capital  punishment,  and  an  assize  of 
ale  and  bread  ;  \'et  the  manor  itself  was  a  member  of  the 
Alnwick  barony,  which  the  Umfravilles  held  under  the  "  de 
Vescies"  for  military  service.  In  the  escheats  of  8  Edwd.  II. 
(13 1 5)  the  following  ten  towns  in  Upper  Coquetdale  are 
described  as  part  of  the  Alnwick  baron)-  of  "  Henricus 
de  Percy"  thus:  — " Feoda  viilit  dicti  Henrici.  Ahventon, 
Clenhi),  B'ydelsden,  Burthdon,  Scharperton,  Thirnou,  Nedder- 
ton,  Faudon,  Angerham,  and  Thirnymesden  \illa."4     Shortly 

3The  Marriage  of  the  Coquet  and  the  Alwine  (1817),  pp.  3,  4,  '5,  6. 
*»  Hodgson's  Nortluimberla)id ,  part  iii.,  vol.  i. ,  p.  6o. 


ALWINTON.  2 1  5 

before  the  death  of  this  baron,  the  Horsleys  appear  to  have 
had  an  interest  in  Ahvinton,  for  in  i3o6"Ricusde  Horsley" 
has  Hberty  of  free  warren, 5  and  in  1308  a  Richard  Horsley — 
probably  the  same  person — is  found  to  be  the  owner  of  Linn- 
sheels,  with  Ahvinton  and  lands  and  tenements  there,  also  the 
manors  of  "  Aldensheles  "  and  Farnham.^  In  1353  Thos.  de 
Heton  holds  several  of  the  Alnwick  manors,  and  "  Alwenton 
Sect'  cur,"7  while  in  1371  "  Robt.  de  Ogle,"  the  owner  of 
Hepple,  is  also  possessed  of  the  two  manors  of  Farnham  and 
Ahvinton.  The  Feodar}''s  Book  for  1568S  records  the  follow- 
ing as  owners  in  Ahvinton  : — George  Hetherington,  Peter 
Brown,  Alexander  Hall, 9  and  the  Rates  and  Rentals  of  1663 
gives  the  names  of  eleven  proprietors,  viz.: — Sir  Edward  W'id- 
drington,  Capt.  Selb}-,  Mr.  John  Clennell,  George  Wilson, 
George  Parte  (?  Pratt),  Robt.  Potts,  George  Wilkinson,  John 
Robson,  Elizabeth  Browne,  Garrett  Wilkinson,  and  Mr.  John 
Thirlwall.  The  freeholders  in  Ahvinton  in  17 10  were: — John 
Young,  Clement  Trumble,  William  Pratt,  Robert  Brown, 
George  Wilkinson.  The  name  of  James  Burn  of  Kidlandlee 
occurs  in  the  list  of  1734.  Those  of  1747  are  William  Brown, 
George  Pratt,  John  Young,  James  Burn.  In  1774  we  find 
George  Kirkup,  Robert  Xesbit,  Robert  Turnbull,  Clement 
Turnbull.io  The  principal  inhabitants  of  the  village  in  1828 
were: — Rev.  Thomas  Bland,  incumbent,  curate  of  Ahvinton 
and  Holystone  ;  Isabella  Burn,  shopkeeper  ;  Thomas  Clarke, 
.'•choolmaster ;  Christopher  Kirkuj),  tailor;  John  Nevison, 
blacksmith;  Violet  Scott,  shopkeeper  ;  John  Davison,  farmer ; 
Robert  Turnbull,  farmer." 


^  llodgson^s  JVor(/ium6er/a>ti/,  part  iii.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  394. 
« Ibid.      398. 

'Ibid.     Part  iii.,  vol.  i.,  p.  77. 

^  Fcodary — Is  an  officer  bcloiifjiiii^  to  the  Court  ol  Wards  and  Liveries,  whose 
office  it  was  to  survey  and  value  the  land  of  the  Ward,  iKic. 
">  IhAQSon's  Norlhumberland,  part  iii.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  lix. 
"^  County  I'oU  B.joks. 
"  I'arson  and  White,  vol.  ii.,  p.  453. 


2l6  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

A  large  farm-house,  two  excellent  inns,  the  post  office  and 
a  few  cottages  now  constitute  the  ancient  village  of  Ahvinton. 
The  "  Red  Lion  "  which  was  for  many  years  kept  by  Harmah 
Jordan — a  well-known  hostess — has  been  rebuilt  in  modern 
style.  The  old  "  Rose  and  Thistle  "  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  road,  is  a  favourite  rendezvous  for  anglers,  and  who  is 
there  amongst  the  many  followers  of  the  gentle  art,  that 
yearly  resort  to  the  famous  streams  of  Upper  Coquet,  but 
knows  mine  host  of  the  "Thistle" — Mr.  John  Common — with 
his  wonderful  fund  of  stories  and  entertaining  river-lore,  for 
John  himself  is  an  expert  with  the  angle. 

The  little  post  office  and  telephone  office,  which  in  a 
manner  is  the  centre  of  the  district  and  forms  an  important 
factor  in  the  amenities  of  a  wide  and  thinly  populated  hill 
country,  has  been  for  upwards  of  forty  years  in  the  hands  of 
one  family,  a  member  of  which — Mrs.  Nichol — is  the  present 
postmistress. 

The  Annual  Sheep  Show  at  Ahvinton,  usually  held  early 
in  September,  is  a  great  gala  day  with  the  inhabitants  of 
Upper  Coquet,  when  there  are  exhibited  some  of  the  finest 
specimens  out  of  the  hill  flocks  of  the  Coquet  and  the  Rede. 
Wrestling  and  other  sports  also  form  an  interesting  feature  in 
the  day's  proceedings.  In  former  years  horse  races  were 
held  at  Ahvinton,  and  a  football  match  was  played  between 
the  men  of  Redewater  and  the  men  of  Coquet,  in  the  real 
old  border  fashion.  The  Redewater  cry  during  the  game  was 
"Tarset  and  Tarry  burn  yet,  yet,  yet!"  the  cry  of  Coquet 
being  "  Coquetside  for  ever,"  and  as  if  to  keep  up  border 
tradition  the  play  frequently  finished  up  with  a  friendly 
fight.  12 

'-  Party  feeling  between  the  dales  was  occasioually  expressed  in  doggrel  verse. 
The  following  is  a  specimen  of  one  current  in  Upper  Coquetdale  during  the  last 

century  : — 

"  Upper  Redewitter  for  mosses  and  bogs, 
The  main  o'  their  leevin'  is  titties  and  hoggs  ; 
An'  if  an  aad  ewe  chance  to  dee  o'  the  rot, 
There's  nae  loss  at  her,  she's  gud  for  the  pot." 


ALWINTON.  217 

The  hall  of  the  Horsleys  and  the  Selbys  has  disap- 
peared long  ago  and  its  site  is  now  marked  b}^  a  clump 
of  ash  trees  and  sycamores.  The  farm  was  formerly  held 
in  "run  rig"  b\-  James  and  Thomas  Selby,^3  and  the  spits 
were  laid  out  on  the  plan — James  and  Thomas  alternately. 
James  lived  in  the  old  hall,  and  eventually  the  property  was 
purchased  b}'  the  Selbys  of  Biddleston.  The  modern  farm 
house  at  Alwinton  was  once  known  as  "  Pratts  Yett."i4  The 
malt  barn  and  thatched  cottages  were  swept  away  years 
ago.  The  ruinous  walls  of  a  building  3'et  standing  opposite 
to  the  "  Crown  and  Thistle "  are  the  only  remains  of  old 
Alwinton.  These  very  primitive  dwellings  had  roughly  hewn 
oak  beams  and  couples,  the  ends  of  which  were  sunk  in  the 
ground  to  prevent  the  thrust  on  the  walls  and  to  support 
the  wattled  and  thatched  roofs.  A  small  streamlet  called 
"  Hawsden,"  "  Howsden,"  or  "  Hawisden  "  burn  flows  through 
the  village — the  name  of  which  ha-s  been  the  subject  of  much 
speculation  amongst  antiquaries.  ^5 

As  field-names  are  of  interest  to  the  philologist,  and  also 
throw  valuable  sidelights  on  local  history,  we  here  give  a 
selection  of  those  around  Alwinton: — 

East  Allenton. — Gallow  Law  Field,  Round  Knowe  Field, 
Common  Piece,  Swid  House  Bree,  Cow'd  Thorn,  Broom  o'  the 
Heugh,  Horse  Close,  Russell's  Croft,  Mauchlin's  Close  or  Duns 
Green. ''^ 

West  Allenton. — Stone  Close,  Howe  Meadow,  Wheat  Close, 


'Mlisl.  B.N.C.,  vol.  xii.,  p.  39. 

'^Pratt's  ^'ett  (f^atc).  The  name  of  William  I'ratt  occurs  in  ihc  list  of  ,\i\vin- 
ton  Freeholders,  1710. 

'SHaw.stlen— It  is  recorded  in  the  Charier  Rolls,  18  Edward  I.  (1290)— "No. 
79,  Thomas  de  Clenhill — Clenhili  ct  Hnllisdon  libera  warren,"  on  which  the 
following  note  is  made  in  \\i.A^^un\  Norlhuiuherland,  part  ii.,  vol.  i.,  y.  93: — 
"  We  apprehend  that  the  ground,  over  which  Thomas  Ciennell  had  free  warren, 
laid  on  the  west  side  of  the  ,\lwen,  opposite  to  Ciennell,  ant!  that  it  derived  its 
name  from  a  craggy  ravine  called  [[•■!!>s,!,it  I.v  some,  and  by  others  Hoscden  to  this 
day"  (1827). 

■''Duns  Green — This  is  an  old  name.  "The  I^ird  of  Dones-grene "  was  a 
setter  and  searcher  in  the  border  watch  of  1541.     See  p.  30. 


2  1 8  UlTKR   COQUETDALE. 

Can-  Close,  Six  Ridges, '7  Charit)'  Croft,  South  Quarterlands, 
Bulls'  Bounds,  North  Quarterlands  or  Burn  Mouth,  Meggy's 
I^ee. 

Barrozv. — Blanket  Haugh. 

The  Rev.  John  Hodgson,  who  visited  Redewater  and 
Upper  Coquetdale  in  the  September  of  i8io,  wrote  thus: — • 
"  Harbottle  Castle  is  two  miles  above  Hallystone.  Its  green 
mounds  and  grey  walls  rise  up  proudly  in  the  valle}',  and  even 
\-et  seem  to  threaten  the  traveller  no  passage  to  the  moun- 
tainous districts  of  the  Coquet,  without  leave.  I  dined  very 
comfortably  here,  and  rode  from  Harbottle  to  Alwinton,  where 
I  met  with  a  very  clever  and  sensible  old  lady  sitting  at  a 
cottage  door,  and  gleaned  much  information  from  her. 

The  difference  of  soil  between  this  countr}'  and  the  Reed- 
water  is  as  striking  as  the  difference  of  feature.  The  Reed 
has  neither  boldness  nor  fertility  ;  the  hills  seem  to  be  laid 
alongside  of  it  asleep,  and  to  suffer  all  the  natural  wants  of 
indolence.  About  Alwinton  the  hills  lift  up  their  green  heads 
and  spread  out  their  broad  shoulders  with  all  the  strength 
and  vigour  natural  to  industr)'.  There  are  a  few  farms  about 
Harbottle  and  High  Alwinton  in  a  high  state  of  agriculture, 
and  there  could  not  be  a  more  sweetly  sequestered  spot  than 
Clennell."i8  \  solitar}-  house,  called  Angryhaugh,  stands  on 
the  south  bank  of  the  Coquet,  west  of  the  church,  in  the 
centre  of  a  patch  of  green  verdure  that  shows  amongst  the 
heather  of  Barrow  Knocks.  The  origin  of  the  name  "  Angry- 
haugh "  is  said  to  be  from  "  Anger — a  meadow,  a  pasture 
ground."  19 

The  haugh  lands  around  Alwinton  are  mostl}'  on  gravel 
beds  ;  therefore,  the  surface  is  liable  to  be  broken  up  by  the 
river   in   flood.     Before   the   erection   of  the   bridge  o\er  the 


'7  Six  Ridges — No  doubt  refers  to  the   "run  and  rig"  system  of  the  Selbys 
already  mentioned. 

'**  Memoir  of  the  Rev.  John  Hodgson  (Raine),  vol.  i,  p.  68. 
'9 Hist.  B.N.C.,  vol.  xii.,  p.  40. 


ALWINTON.  219 

Ahvin^o — and  e\en  more  so  when  there  was  no  bridge  over 
the  Coquet — all  communication  with  the  upper  parts  of  the 
valley  was,  during  a  flood,  entire!}-  cut  off  b\-  the  swift-running 
waters  of  the  Coquet  and  the  Alwin.  At  that  period  a  flood 
lasted  much  longer  than  in  the  present  day  of  universal 
drainage,  and  "  Stopp'd  wi'  witters  "  was  then  an  unpleasant 
realit\-.  A  charming  view  of  Alwinton  and  its  surroundings 
is  obtained  from  the  road  leading  from  Harbottle.  The 
church  and  vicarage  nestling  amid  a  greener}-  of  trees  on 
the  right,  the  village  itself  and  its  fields  and  meadows  lying 
awa}-  beyond,  among  the  foot-hills  of  the  Cheviots,  with  the 
silvery  streams  of  the  Coquet  and  the  Alwin  in  the  fore- 
ground, at  once  strike  the  e}-e  of  the  tourist  as  he  emerges 
from  the  shadows  of  the  dark  pine  avenue. 

"  The  morn  is  grey  and  green  ihe  brae,  ihe  wind  is  frae  ihe  wast  ; 
Before  the  gale  the  snavs  -wliite  clouds  are  drivin"  light  and  fast  ; 
The  airly  sun  is  glinlin"  forth,  owre  hill,  an'  dell,  an"  plain  ; 
And  Coquet's  streams  are  glittrin",  as  they  rin  frae  nuiir  to  main." 

—  Coquetdale  Fishing  Song,  1841. 


-"".\Uvin    Bridge,   erected    liy   ])iil)lic   suhscriplion,   and    ()])ene<l   Jul)-    iQlh, 
iSSi."     liuildcrs:   Koijerl  I). iw^-nn  :ind  Son,  Kolhbury. 


220  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


CHAPTER    XIjV. 

ALWINTON    CHURCH. 

Dedicated  to  St.  Michael — Norman  foundation — Early  English  work — Elight  of 
ten  steps  into  Chancel — Norman  Window — Low  Side  Window — Mortuary 
Aisle  of  the  Clennells — Burial  A^aults  of  the  Selbys  and  Fenwicke-Clennells — • 
List  of  Selbys  buried  in  their  Vault — Coat-of-Arms  on  gable  of  "  Biddleston 
Porch" — Historical  Notes,  1223-1245,  1541-1570,  1628-1634,  1650,  1729,  1736 
— Communion  Plate  — Old  Sundial — Parish  Stable — I^ist  of  "Parsons"  1223- 
1903 — Patronage — Extracts  from  the  Parish  Minute  Books  and  Parish  Register 
— Churchwardens  1719-1903  —  Parish  Clerk's  Salary  in  1730 — "  Calling" 
at  the  Church  Door— Foxes  Heads  nailed  on  Church  Door — Population  of 
the  Parish  and  Township,  1801-1901. 

THE  Church  of  St.  Michael  at  Alwinton  is  one  of  .some 
interest.  Originally  a  Norman  structure,  it  consisted 
of  nave  and  chancel.  Portions  of  this  Norman  work  can 
}'et  be  seen  in  the  small  round-headed  window  in  the  south 
wall  of  the  chancel,  as  well  as  in  the  masonry  of  the  wall  itself. 
This  window,  of  which  the  illustration  shews  the  exterior, 
measures  3  feet  10  inches  b}-  9  inches.  During  the  Early 
English  period  the  chancel  has  been  lengthened,  and  at  the 
same  time  the  na\'e  widened  b\'  the  addition  of  north  and 
south  aisles  and  a  south  transept.  The  arcade  of  three  bays 
on  the  north  side  of  the  nave  is  thirteenth  century  work,  the 
lower  courses  of  the  west  wall  of  the  nave  ma)'  be  part  of  the 
original  Norman  edifice,  which  has  been  strengthened  by  two 
buttresses  when  the  Early  English  builders  rebuilt  the  church 
on  its  pre.sent  lines.  There  are  three  windows  in  the  south 
wall  of  the  chancel,  the  eastern  being  a  two-light  decorated, 
the  small  Norman  light,  shewn  in  the  illustration  on  next 
page,  and  the  third,  a  shoulder-headed  "low  side"  window. 
A  curious  feature  in  the  plan  of  Alwinton  Church  is  the 
great    height    of    the    chancel    floor   above    the    level    of   the 


"::«U^ 


'J 


-J 

O 
H 
2 


J 
^ 


ALWIXTON   CHURCH. 


22  I 


mm 

fit:?*- 


^±x;^:^--- 


I90^ 


nave,  due  to  the  steep  slope  on 
which  the  church  is  built.  It  re- 
quires a  flight  of  ten  steps  to  gain 
the  chancel  from  the  nave,  and 
other  three  steps  lead  up  to  the 
altar.  In  the  east  wall  of  the  north 
aisle  there  is  an  original  Earh- 
English  lancet  window,  and  a  small 
piscina  of  a  ver\'  simple  form  in  the  p 
south-east  angle  of  the  aisle,  pro- 
bably a  relic  of  the  mortuary  chapel 
of  the  Clennells.  The  piscina  recess 
is  10  inches  in  width,  the  basin  or 
sink  9  inches  in  diameter. 

A  large  corner  stone  ma\-  be  observed  in  the  soutii- 
east  angle  of  the  chancel  outside  wall,  having  the  diamond 
broaching  similar  to  what  is  found  built  into  churches  near 
the  line  of  the  Roman  wall.  The  block  is  2  feet  long,  1 5 
inches  high,  and  I2  inches  in  thickness. 

A  rudely-made  font  of  freestone,  now  standing  in  the 
church}'ard  against  the  south  wall  of  the  Biddleston  porch^ 
is  undoubtedly  the  font  ordered  by  Archdeacon  Sharp  to  be 
made  and  placed  by  the  time  of  his  next  visitation,  circa  1730. 
On  the  erection  of  the  neat  stone  font,  now  in  use,  this  piece 
of  eighteenth  centur\-  \\(jrk  was  discarded. 

In  1 85  I  the  church  was  restored  while  the  Rev.  Aislabie 
Procter  was  vicar.  This  much-needed  restoration  was  not 
bcffjrc  time,  for  the  church  had  fallen  into  a  wretched  con- 
dition, as  well  as  having  suffered  from  several  .serious  altera- 
tions during  the  eighteenth  centurx',  in  a  st)le  characteristic 
of  that  period  ;  every  window  opening  had  been  filled  u  ilh 
common  sash  frames,  and  to  make  these  fit,  the  mullicjns  were 
taken  out,  and  the  tracery  above  plastered  up  to  admit  the 
woodwork.  Outside,  the  earth  was  piled  high  against  the 
chancel  walls,  and  the  water  rin  in  a  stream  d(jwn  the  flcjor. 


222  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

The  pillars  of  the  south  arcade  were  also  so  much 
dilapidated  that  they  had  to  be  entirely  rebuilt.  The  plan 
now  consists  of  nave,  with  north  and  south  aisles,  a  south 
transept  known  as  the  "  Biddleston  porch, "^  and  a  chancel 
in  the  south  wall  of  which  is  a  piscina,  with  a  modern  vestry 
built  on  the  north  side.  On  the  floor  are  several  seventeenth 
century  tombstones,  amongst  which  are  the  following : — 
[gJeORG  BOLIM  1  WHO  DEPARTED  THIS  LIFE  |  SEPTEMBER  | 
THE  9  1679;  THE  BODY  OF  JOH[n]  BVDDELS  OF  |  NETHER- 
TON  I  WHO  DEPARTED  |  THIS  LIFE  FEB.  19  1698  ;  HERE 
LVETH  THE  BOD  |  V  OE  (sic)  ;  lAMES  V0V[NG]  WHO 
DEPARTED  THE  |  25  DAY  OF  MARCH  |  1 692  '  and  a  frag- 
ment in  the  chancel  ....  THE  BODY  |  .  .  [mJichael  p[ot]  | 
....    1614  SON  I  .  .    1662. 

Beneath  the  floor  of  the  north  aisle  rest  many  generations 
of  Clennells,  whilst  in  a  large  vault  beneath  the  chancel  lie  the 
Selbys  of  Biddleston. ^  Several  mural  tablets  record  the  burial 
of  various  members  of  this  ancient  family.  In  the  Clennell 
mortuary  aisle  are  the  tombs  of  Luke  Clennell  of  Clennel,  who 
died  in  1745,  and  of  Sarah,  his  wife,  the  daughter  of  Wilfrid 
Lawson  of  Brayton  ;  also  of  Thomas  Clennell  of  Clennel,  who 
died  in  1701.  Under  the  south  aisle  is  the  family  vault  of  the 
Fenwicke-Clennells  of  Harbottle  Castle.  On  the  wall  is  a 
tablet  with  this  inscription  : — "  M.S.  |  Perc  :  Clennell  :  Arm  : 
de  Harbottle  castle  |  in  comitatu  Xorthumbriensi  |  qui  obiit 
12  Mar.  A.D.  1796  |  yEtatis  82  |  Amico  benignissimo  Thomas 
Clennell  |  Hoc  posuit  monumentum." 

'Inserted  in  the  gable  of  the  south  transept  or  "Biddleston  porch"  on  the 

S 
outside,  IS  a  rude  coat  of  arms,  havinir  above  it  the  letters^    \      below  I.  H.  S., 

1.    A., 

and  at  either  side    16 72.     These   may   be   the  initials    of  Thomas   Selby,    of 

Biddleston,  and  his  wife.      His  name  appears  as  owner  of  Biddleston  in  1663. 

"  We  have  l^een  informed,  on  good  authority,  that  the  following  members  of 
the  Selby  tamily  are  buried  within  this  vault.  The  last  interment  took  place  in 
1868.  John  Richard  Selby,  1815  ;  Thomas  Selby,  63  years,  1816 ;  Thomas 
Selby,  38  years,  1818;  Maria  Selby  (Houghton  Hall,  Yorkshire),  1823  ;  Catherine 
Selby,  65  years  (York),  1826  ;  Alice  Selby,  34  years,  1826  ;  Catherine  Selby,  9 
years,  1827  ;  Thomas  Selby,  24  years,  1848  ;  Walter  Selby,  45  years,  1S68  ;  Laura 
Anne  Selby,  36  years,  1868. 


ALWINTON    CHURCH.  223 

Since  the  restoration  of  1851  the  church  has  been  further 
embellished.  Some  of  the  windows  have  been  filled  with 
stained  glass,  including  the  chancel  window,  which  is  in 
memory  of  Mar}-,  wife  of  Ct)Innel  Massey  Drew,  7th  Hussars, 
and  daughter  of  Anthony  Wilkinson  of  Clennel.  The  two 
lancet  lights  at  the  west  end  were  filled  with  stained  sflass  in 
1884  to  the  memory  of  the  Rev.  Aislabie  Procter,  who  was 
vicar  of  Alwinton  44  years,  1833-1877.  The  bell  in  the  turret 
on  the  west  gable  of  the  nave  is  inscribed  : — "  Mr.  Tho.  Selb\\ 
of  Bitelson,  Esq.  and  Mr.  Louk  Clennell,  of  Clennel),  Esq. 
gifters  of  this  bell  to  the  Parish  of  Alinton  R.M.  Fecit  Ed. 
[?  A.D.]  171 1. "3  The  registers  which  belong  to  Alwinton 
and  Holystone  begin  in  the  year  17 19.  The  older  registers, 
which  would,  no  doubt,  contain  entries  full  of  local  informa- 
tion, have  unfortunatel}'  been  lost. 

A  few  historical  notes  relating  to  Alwinton  and  its  church 
may  be  of  some  interest.  From  the  Newininster  Cartulary 
we  learn  that  an  agreement  was  made  in  1223  between 
"Magister"  Thomas,  rector  of  Alwinton,  and  the  abbot  of 
Newminster,  respecting  the  tithes  of  Kidland.  The  former 
claimed  the  tithes  from  Newminster  abbey  for  Kidland,  with 
its  appurtenances,  "  Superius  Kidland,"  Heppeden,  and  other 
places  named  ;  this  is  followed  in  the  same  year  by  an  agree- 
ment for  arbitration  between  them,  William  de  Mikeley, 
seneschal  of  Gilbert  de  Umfraville,  being  one  of  the  arbitra- 
tors, and  for  the  sake  of  peace  it  was  arranged,  saving  the 
privileges  of  the  monks,  that  Newminster  should  give  to  the 
parson  half  a  mark  of  silver  and  a  pound  (A  pepjjcr  and  a 
pound  of  incense  annually  at  Michaelmas,  the  parson  promis- 
ing to  obtain  the  sanction  of  the  Pope  and  of  the  Hishop 
of  Durham  to  the  arrangement. 4  Kidland  is  an  extensive 
district  amongst  those  green  hills  stretching  northwards  to  the 
bounds  of  Scotland,  the  whole  of  which  at  one  lime  belonged 

5  Wilson,  Churches  of  Lindisfarnc,  \>.  98. 
*66  Sur.  Snc.  ]iiiljl.,  ]).  81. 


224  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

to  the  monks  of  Newminster.  These  good  brethren,  what 
with  wayleaves,  rights  of  way  to  osier  beds  and  marl  pits,  had 
their  fingers  in  ahnost  ever}'  estate  in  Upper  Coquetdale. 
There  is  no  doubt  but  that  a  church  was  standing  here  at 
least  a  century  before  this  "Pepper  grant  "of  1223,  previous 
perhaps  to  the  erection  of  Harbottle  Castle,  which,  as  we  have 
seen,  \\'as  built  circa  1160,  the  little  Norman  window  in  the 
chancel,  its  size,  and  its  extreme  simplicity,  point  to  the  first 
half  of  the  twelfth  century. 

In  1245,  Alwinton  church,  then  valued  at  £\^6  13s.  4d., 
and  the  vicarage  ^^^13  6s.  8d.,  besides  the  portion  of  Holystone, 
was  in  the  gift  of  Gilbert  de  Umfraville,  lord  of  Redesdale, 
William  de  Lexington,  being  vicar.  We  have  an  interesting 
thirteenth  century  notice  of  Alwinton  church  that  throws  a 
strong  side-light  on  the  lawlessness  of  that  period.  Thomas 
de  Holms  was,  for  some  transgression,  taken  prisoner  by 
Gilbert  de  Umfraville,  but  becoming  appellant  {i.e.  turning 
king's  evidence)  he  escaped  from  Harbottle  castle  and  fled  to 
Alwinton  church,  where,  before  the  coroners,  he  forswore  his 
country  and  sought  to  leave  it,  but  two  of  Umfraville's  men 
went  in  pursuit  and  overtook  him  on  Simonside,  where  they 
beheaded  the  fugitive,  and,  taking  his  head  back  to  Harbottle, 
hung  it  on  the  gallows  there.  This  unscrupulous  chieftain 
Gilbert  de  Umfraville  had  also  a  gallows  at  x^lwinton,  the  site 
is  preserved  to  us  in  the  name  of  a  hill  known  as"Gallow-law," 
a  prominent  green  knoll  overlooking  the  village  and  manor  of 
Alwinton.  We  might  remark  in  passing  that  all  manors  or 
lordships  did  not  possess  capital  rights,  there  were  only  four 
in  Upper  Coquetdale  which  had  the  power  of  life  and  death — 
Rothbury,  Hepple,  Harbottle,  and  Alwinton.  About  the  same 
time,  Ralph,  the  nephew  of  the  vicar  of  Alwinton,  was  also 
taken  prisoner  by  Gilbert  de  Umfraville,  and  lay  within  the 
walls  of  Harbottle  castle  until  his  uncle  released  him  by 
paying  12  marks  to  Umfraville.  The  vicar  of  Alwinton,  like 
many  another  border  parson  in  those  rough  old  days,  lived 


ALWIXTOX    CHURCH.  225 

within  a  stoutl}'  fortified  house,  such  as  were  then  in  common 
use  all  along  the  borderland.  The  Sur\e\'  of  1541  sa\-s  : — 
"  At  Allaynton  \-s  a  h-tle  bastell  house  of  stone  the  mansion 
of  the  vycaredge  scaresl}^  in  good  repac'ons."  From  the 
Ecclesiastical  Proceedings  of  Bishop  Barnes  s  (1575-1587;  we 
learn  that  the  parish  church  of  "  Halistone  "'  and  the  chapel  of 
"  Alanton  "  had  no  incumbents,  but  were  served  by  stipendiary 
priests  ;  that  Roland  Wilkinson,  the  parish  clerk,  of  Alwinton, 
was  excommunicated  for  non-attendance  at  the  chancellor's 
visitation  at  Alnwick,  on  Jan.  25,  1577,  while  George 
Levinston,  a  Scot,  the  unlicensed  curate,  of  Alwinton,  was 
present,  but  John  Turner,  the  curate,  of  "  Halliston,"  did  not 
appear,  he  probably  having  been  excused.  On  the  30th  Jul\-, 
1570,  there  was  no  curate.  Mr.  Levinson  was  excused  from 
attending  the  visitation  of  the  30th  Jul)-,  1578,  he  being  said 
to  be  sick  and  infirm.  During  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth 
centur\',  the  parishioners  of  Alwinton  must  have  been  rather 
an  unruly  class  for  the  parson  to  keep  in  order,  for  in  1628,  at 
the  instance  of  Alexander  Myngzies,  the  curate,  three  of  the 
parishioners — John  Hearon,  John  Linton,  and  Roger  Pott — 
were  summoned  to  appear  before  the  High  Court  of  Commis- 
sion, at  Durham,  for  "  prophanation  of  the  Sacraments."*^  At 
that  period  holy  communion  was  administered  only  once  in 
the  year  at  Alwinton,  viz.,  on  l^aster  da\',  "  when  500  or  6co 
persons  usually  assemble."  One  of  the  many  complaints  was 
that  John  Hearon  on  the.se  occasions  took  his  seat  in  the  high 
part  (jf  the  chancel  at  the  east  end,  where  he  collected  the 
Easter  reckonings  when  the  hoi}-  communion  was  being 
administered  "in  the  bod}-  of  the  church,"  thereb)-  causing 
much  noise  and  disorder,  as  man}-  of  the  people  would  not 
agree  to  pay  Hearon's  demands.  The  l)ra\\  ling  was  heard  not 
on!)'  throughf)Ut  the  church,  but  in  the  churchyard.  This  is 
not  surprising  when  we  are  further  told  that  "  the  walls  of  the 


^24  .Sur.  Soa.  publ.,  pp.  9,  38,  77. 
*34  Il)i(I,  p.  7. 


l.> 


226  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

church   and   chancell   are   in   great   decay,   noe  glasse   in   the 
windowes  and  noe  doores  for  the  church,  but  it  lieth  all  open." 
This  John  Hearon,  a  descendant  of  a  powerful   Northumbrian 
family,  appears  to  have  been  an  imperious  and  troublesome 
neighbour,  for  he  had  also  taken  possession  of  the  vicar's  bastle 
mansion  and  let  it  as  an  alehouse,  so  that  the  vicar  was  obliged 
to  build  himself  a  small  cottage  to  live  in,  out  of  his  '"poor 
pension  of  14  nobles  by  year." 7     In  1634,  "William   Selbie, 
Esq.,  of  noe  certaine  abode,  was  enjoined  to  repair  the  porch 
in    Allantown   church   which   concerned   him   and  his   prede- 
cessors"; and  at  the  same  time  a  monition  was  issued  to  the 
inhabitants  to  repair  the  church  and  "  to  laie  a  cessment  for 
the  doing  thereof"     On   April  23rd,   1635,  and  subsequently, 
the  same  Sir  William  Selby  was  twice  before  the  Court  for 
clandestine   marriage,   and   for    contempt  of  jurisdiction    and 
private  baptism. ^    The  Oliverian  Survey  of  1650,  thus  describes 
Alwinton  and  Holystone  : — "  That  the  Parish  of  Allenton  and 
Halliston  is  a  Rectorye.     Sir  Edward  Wyddrington,  Baronett, 
George  Thirlwall,  Gent.,  and  Mr.  Selby,  Patrons  thereof,  Mr. 
Starbecke,  Incumbent  pro  tempore,  and  the  value  of  the  said 
Rectorie,   worth  p.  anu.  two  hundred  and  seaventye  pounds. 
That  two  partes  of  the  said  Rectory  is  under  Sequestracion 
for  the  said  Sir  Edward  Widdrington  and  George  Thirlwall's 
delinquency,  and  the  other  parte  in  Mr.  Selbye's  owne  hands. 
That  Member  Kirke  and  Kendland  may  ffittly  be  united  to 
the  said   Parish.     And   that   there  was  formerly  paid  to   the 
Curate  of  the  said  Prsh.,  vizt.,  ffower  pounds,  thirteene  shillings, 
fourepence  to  Allenton,  by  the  Crowne,  and  fifoure  pounds  by 
the  Crowne  to  Halliston."9 

When  the  Rev.  John  Horsley  in  1729-30  was  collecting 
material  for  the  History  of  Northumberland,  he  applied  to 
Archdeacon    Sharp    for    information    as    to    Alwinton    and 

7  Noble — A  gold  coin,  value  6s.  8d. 

^34  Sur.  Soc,  pp.  no,  124,  189. 

'^Yio'S.^^ori's,  Northumberland,  partiii. ,  vol.  iii.,  p.  77. 


ALWINTON    CHURCH.  227 

Holystone  being  one  parish,  and  received  the  following 
reply : — 

"  Ouer\',  Allenton  and  Holystone,  if  properly  united  ? — 
No,  otherwise  than  as  served  by  the  same  curate  by  custom 
immemorial.  For  though  Mr.  Willis  makes  St.  Mary's,  Holy- 
stone, to  be  a  chapel  to  St.  Michael's,  Allenton,  yet  they  are 
commonly  reputed  different  parishes.  The  proper  patron, 
antiently  the  Prioress  of  the  Nunner\-  at  Holystone,  after 
the  dissolution,  the  impropriators — but  they  being  Roman 
Catholics,  and  stipend  no  more  than  ^8,  the  University  of 
Cambridge  never  thought  worth  their  while  to  look  after  it, 
so  they  were  served  b}'  any  curate  the  people  approved  of, 
the  Bishop  not  interposing.  After  m\'  visiting  there,  finding 
the  present  curate  had  no  title,  I  caused  him  to  take  sequest- 
ration to  Allenton,  and  in  that  way  he  held  it  while  it  obtained, 
lately,  augmentation,  first  b\'  lot,  then  by  the  present  Bishop's 
benefaction,  who  hereupon  obtained  the  patronage  to  his  see. 
It  was  otherwise  augmented,  under  its  old  stile,  as  a  Vicarage, 
though  stripped  of  its  Vicarial  rights.  But,  to  save  expenses, 
the  present  Incumbent  has  not  institution,  but  holds  by  license 
from  the  Bishop  under  sign  Manual. 

The  Appropriation. — This  was  first  to  the  Benedictine 
Nunnery  at  Holystone.  After  the  dissolution,  both  places 
being  granted  into  lay  hands,  it  became  an  impropriation, 
which  is  now  worth  between  ^^^400  and  ^500  per  annum. 
Mr.  Selby  of  J^iddleston  has  two-thirds  ;  Mr.  Talbot,  Lady 
Sherborne  ("now  Huchcss  of  Norfolk),  and  others,  the  remain- 
ing third.  The  Duchess's  part  lately  sold  to  R.  Storrer,  sen., 
of  Rothbury.  "^ 

Bishop  ("handler,  in  his  '  Parochial  Remarks  on  his  Visit- 
ation,' supposed  to  have  been  made  in  173'"),  tlius  refers  to 
Alwinton  :— '  (',  Allenton  6i:  llal\-  Stone  Cap.  3  m.  f  Allent. 
frcnn  1'"..  to  W.  wr  it  bcjrders  on  Scotland  above  12  m.,  froni 
S.  to    N.  (taking    in    Kidkuul    Ldshp    w<"h    calls    itself   extra 

^'^  Incdiled  Coiitt  ihittioiis  to  tin  Hit.  of  Northiiniherlaitd^  p.  63. 


228  UPl'KR   C()()UKTI)ALH.    ' 

paroch)  &  tcniches  on  y^  border  about  S  in.  Held  by 
seque.strac'on,  no  house,  glebe  .  .  .  .Rest-  \\/m  Hall  c. 
sensible.  Sal.  8:5:0.  Impropria's  400/.  in  y^  Dutch,  of 
Norfolke,  &  Tho.  Selby  of  Bidlestone,  both  Papists.  Fain. 
223  of  w^^i  100  Presb.  28  Papists  meet  at  Biddleston 
a  mile  from  the  C,  at  M>'  Selby's,  Rob.  Widdrington, 
Preist.  8  Lic<'  meeting  houses  where  is  service  &  the 
catech.  The  cheif  is  at  Harbottle  a  m.  from  the  C.  where 
service  3  successi\e  Sunda\-s  and  yf  4th  Sunday  at  Windy- 
haugh  5  m.  from  )-e  c[hurch].  Jas.  Bell,  Teacher,  A  C.  School 
for  5  poor  children.  Cat  ^2  ^v^h  Sharp's  Cat.  twice  in  \'e 
chappie  Samt"^  4  times  60  come.  Kidland  Ldshp  belongs  to 
Sr  Th.  Legar  &  [blank]  Shafto  Esqi'  pays  no  tith,  but  buries 
&  christens  at  Allenton,  remains  of  an  old  Chap,  appear 
among  y^  mountains,  called  Xim[m]er  or  Member-Kirk,  pt 
joyns  to  M.  Cheviot  or  Cheviot  forest.  In  Kidland  Ldshp  65 
Fam.  most ....  li\e  mostly  in  single  houses  called  steed 
houses  inhabited  by  stock  masters  &  herds.  But  one 
Gentlem"  in  y^  Parish  a  Papist  (?)  4  part  and  }4  of  six  part 
of  \-c  land  belongs  to  Papists.' 

In   1780  Mr.  Moses,  the  vicar  of  Alwinton,  gave  129  as  the 
number  of  Roman  Catholics  in  his  parish. 

Belonging  to  the  Church  of  St.  Michael,  at  Alwinton,  there 
are  the  following  communion  vessels  : — 

I.  Cui*  of  silver  of  graceful  outline,  boss  in  centre  of  stem, 
6^  inches  high,  3i/(  dia.  at  mouth,  3  j-g  at  base,  bowl  3^-^  deep. 
Made  by  John  Younghusband,  a  Newcastle  silversmith, 
171 1.  Inscribed  round  the  bowl  is: — "Ex  dono  Madm  Eliz. 
Clennell  of  West  Lilburn  To  the  Parish  of  Allington." 

II.  Sih'er  straight-sided  Flacjon,  reeded  round  base  and  a 
little  below  top,  6  inches  high,  t,}4,  dia.  at  mouth,  4)4^  at  base. 
Spout,  flat  lid,  with  thumb  piece.  Made  in  London,  1799. 
Inscribed  on  front :—"  EX  DONO  |  THQS.  CLENELL  |  to 
THE  I  PARISH  OF  ALWINTON  |  1840." 

III.  Silver  Paten,  9^  inches  dia.,  rim,  with  moulded  edge 


ALWIXTON    CHURCH.  229 

i^  wide,  2}:j^  high,  on  open  stand  4)4  dia.,  made  in  London 
1839.  Inscribed  in  centre  EX  DOXO  |  TO  THE  |  PARISH 
1  OF  I  ALWiXTON  |  THQS  CLENNELL. 

IV.  Pewter  straight-sided  Flagox,  slightly  moulded  base, 
Sj4  inches  high,  4)4  dia.  at  mouth,  5  at  base,  rounded  lid  with 
thumb  piece,  no  spout. 

V.  Straight-side,  Flagon  of  pewter,  9  inches  high,  4}4  dia. 
at  mouth,  6  at  base.     Flat  lid  with  thumb  piece,  no  spout. 

VI.  Pewter  Patex,  with  moulded  edge,  9  inches  dia.,  3  high, 
on  stand  3^  dia.  A  rose  surmounted  b\'  crown  on  back 
twice,  and  F.  STOX  with  a  cro\\-n  above  each  letter. 

VII.  Pewter  ALMS  DiSH,  13  inches  dia.,  with  rim  ij^  wide. 
On  rim  AL  &  H.S.     On  back  WATSOX." 

The  handsome  brass  Eagle  Lectern,  and  a  series  of  stained 
glass  windows  in  the  north  wall  of  the  Clennell  Mortuary 
aisle,  were  the  gifts  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anthony  Wilkinson  of 
Clennell — who  have  been  generous  donors  towards  the  beauti- 
fying of  their  ancient  parish  church. 

An  eighteenth  century  sundial  of  three  sides,  with  the 
gnomon  yet  in  the  front  face,  is  standing  on  the  churchx'ard 
wall.  Its  original  position  was  probably  the  apex  of  the 
porch  roof 

Close  to  the  church  G^ate  there  is  an  old  house  with  a  roof 
of  grey  slates  fastened  with  sheep  shank-bones,  said  to  have 
once  been  the  vicarage.  It  is  now  the  "l\arish  Stable"  for  the 
use  of  the  parishioners  coming  from  a  distance  on  horseback 
or  driving.  'Jhis  is  a  characteristic  adjunct  peculiar  to  a  liill 
parish. 

EXTR.\CT.S    FROM    ALWI.NToX    TAKISII    liOOK.S. 

Alwinton  Parstjns — variously  tcrmcfl  "Rector" — "X'icar" 
— "  Minister  "  and  "  Curate." 

Most  of  the  names  are  taken  from  the  Alwinton  ("lunch 
Ji(joks,   others    from    Randall's  Clinrclus  of  Nortkmiibcrland^ 


"  Proc.  Soc.  Aiili</.,  Newcastle,  vol.  iv.,  \^.  9. 


230 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


the  Newminster  Cartulary,  and  Hodgson's  Northumberland. 
The  entr\'  in  the  Church  Record  Book,  where  the  "  Parsons  " 
names  are  found,  reads  thus  : — 

"  Ministers  of   Allenton    taken    from  Archdeacon  Sharp's 
account,  by  Thomas  Moses,  A.D.  1774." 

Magister  Thomas,  rector 


occurs  Jan.  27, 
occurs  1620- 


occurs 
WilHam  de  Lexington,  vicar 
Ricardus  de  Cotis,  ob. 
Galfridus,  res.  ... 
Johannes  de  Pikeworth,  res. 
WilHam  de  Hilderton,  ob. 
Thomas  de  Brandon  ... 
William  Warren,  oh.  ... 
William  Cooke 
George  Levingstone  (Scotus) 
Alexander  Myngzies  (curate) 
Jacobus  Handley 

Mr.  Starbecke,  Incumbent  pro  tcinpoi 
Alexander  Martin  .     ... 
Thomas  Bell  (A.M.  ap  Scotus) 
Johannes  Stuart,  ob.  ... 
Carolus  Stuart 
Isaac  Wallis     ... 
David  Drybrough,  ob.  17 19,  aged  89 

William  Hall,  ob 

Jacobus  Gladstaines,i2  q^^  (licensed  May  18) 

Heldly,  sequestration  occurs,  visitation,  July  24 


occurs 


1719- 


223a 

245  l> 

324^ 
340^ 

360  «^ 
37of 
38og 

h 

427! 

577^^ 
628 1 
634 '» 
650" 
657 
663  « 
67  IP 
682  q 

683  r 

719^ 

743' 
744  u 

754^" 


(a)  Newminster  Cartulary. 

(b)  Hodgson's  NotthuDiberland. 

c,  d,  e,  f,   g,  h,  i,  ni,  p,  q,  r,  s,   t,   u  are  taken  from  the  list  in  Alwinton 
Church  Book. 

(1)  34,  Surt.  Soc.  puhl.,  p.  7. 

(k),  (o),  (v)  are  from  KandaWs  list. 

(n)  WodgsoTiS  Northio/iheriand.     Part  iii.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  77. 

'-  Presented  to  the  living  by  Charles  Duke  of  Somerset. 


ALWINTON   CHURCH.  23  I 


hi  903 


Thomas  Moseses  (signs  himself  vicar)  ob.  ...        1758-1798^^' 

Thomas  Bland '4  (signs  as  curate,  1795-8)  ob.       1 798-1 832  x 
Robert  Belany,  curate-in-charge       ...  ...        1 832-1 833 y 

A islabie  Procter,  res. ...  ...  ...  ...        1833-18772 

Henr\-  Egdell  Henderson,  ob.  ...  ..         1877- 1892 a' 

Arthur  Stocqweles  Wardroper,  res ...        1 892- 1 895  l^ ' 

Barnabas  Binks,  res.  ...  ...  ...  ...        1895-1903C' 

Joshua  Harold  Booth  ...  ...  ...  1903 

I'Peter  Dodds,  Biddleston, 
Churchwardens  1  John  Nicholson,  Burradon  Mains, 
[Henry  H.  Xewton,  Holystone, 
["Dr.  Godfrey  Bedford,  Harbottle, 
Sidesmen    ...     -  Matthew  Gibson,  Biddlestone  Edge 

[William  Cragild,  Holystone, 
Clerk  and  Sexton  : — William  Storey,  Angryhaugh, 

The  patronage  of  Ahvinton  Church  appears  to  have  been 
frequently  changed.  In  early  times  the  Umfravilles  of  Har- 
bottle had  the  advowson  of  both  Ahvinton  and  Elsdon. 
About  1376  we  find  Ahvinton  connected  with  Holystone 
Priory.  "  The  Church  of  Allenton  or  Ahventon  was  appro- 
priated to  the  Priory  of  Holystone  by  King  Edw.  3rd,  Lie. 
about  11"/ 6"  (Randall).  At  the  Reformation  the  temporalities 
and  the  patronage  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  neighbouring 
landowners,  as  seen  in  the  Survey  of  1650.  Ikit  in  1744, 
James  Gladstaines  was  presented  to  the  living  by  the  Duke 
of  Somerset.  In  later  times  it  has  been  in  the  gift  of  the 
iJukcs  of  Northumberland,  but  it  was  exchanged  March  16, 
1892,  and  is  now  in  the  gift  of  the  Lord  Chancellor. 


w,  X,  y  z,  a',  b',  c'  are  taken  from  the  list  in  Alwinton  Church  Buuk. 

''Thomas  Moses  was  Rccior  of  Kirlchaugh  from  174J,  and  also  \'icar  of 
Alwinton  1758  to  1780,  he  resigned  Kirkhaugh  in  1658  and  came  to  Alwinton, 
at  which  place  he  died  in  1798. 

'■•About  1795  the  Hishoj)  of  Durham  was  petitioned  by  the  i)arishioners  to 
appoint  .Mr.  Inland,  who  had  been  Curate  for  near  seven  years  to  Mr.  Moses,  and 
also  schoolmaster,  prolably  in  his  hon)e  at  Angryhaugh.  The  latter  was  said  to  be 
very  old  and  infirm,     rroc.  Auliq.  Soc,  Newcastle,  vol.  ix.,  ji.  239. 


232  UPTER    COC^UKTDALli. 

The  earliest  list  of  minister,  churchwardens,  and  twenty- 
four  is  f(Huid  in  the  minutes  of  the  vestry  meeting  of  April  14, 
171 8,  which  are  signed  by  : — 

David  Drybrough,  Minister. 

David  Drybrough,  Churchwarden. 

John    KcUit,   James   Selbye,   also    churchwardens.       Luke 

Clennell,  John    Alder,    George   Brown,    William    Potts,   John 

Potts,  Gilbert  Pot. 

Churchwardens  and  Overseers  for  17 19  were  : — 

John  Alder,)  Percivall  Horsley,  )    Church 

John  Potts,  j  "      Robt.  Brown,  j  Wardens. 

1723. — Signatures  at  the  vestry  meeting  of  April  15,  Easter 

^londa}',  1723: — 

Wm.  Hall,  Minr.  Thomas  Dumow,     j    Church 

David  Drybrough,  )  Wardens. 

John  Potts,)  ^ 

T^  1- Overseers. 

Wm.  Potts,  J    . 

Wm.  Potts,  John  Alder,  George  Burne,  John  Potts,  Wm. 
Potts,  John  Oliphor,  Xpher  Jameson,  William  Green,  Chris- 
topher Bollam,  James  Robson. 

In  1739  the  name  of  James  Dodds  appears  amongst  the 
signatures  at  the  vestry  meeting,  ^s 

In  1729.— William  Green,  Matthew  Lenox,  and  Thomas 
Selby  were  churchwardens. 

1760. — John  Common  for  Percival  Clennell,  Esq.,  his  lands 
in  Borrowdon  ;  Andrew  Foggin  for  Makendon  ;  Thomas  Potts 
for  Woodhou-ses. 

'5  Mrs.  Oeorge  Douglas,  River  View  House,  RothVjury,  possesses  a  unique 
and  interesting  relic  of  the  James  Dodds  here  mentioned  in  his  connection  with 
Alwinton  Church.  In  the  days  when  church  pews  were  private  property,  it  was 
usual  to  have  the  owner's  name  on  the  door  of  the  pew — generally  on  a  brass  plate  ; 
but  this  memento  of  the  "  high-ljacked  pews,"  which  was  rescued  at  the  restoration 
of  the  church  in  185 1,  somewhat  resemVjles  a  notice  board,  being  an  oblong  piece 
of  wood  44  inches  by  g}4  inches,  which  probably  formed  part  of  the  pew  door,  with 
the  name  "James  Dodds,  Sharpertcn,  Deem.  4,  1751,"  carved  thereon  in  prominent 
letters. 


ALWIXTON    CHURCH. 


^}>Z 


17S7- — William  Walb}'  for  Burrowdon  ;  John  Nesbit  for 
Alwinton  ;  William  White  for  Woodhall.  (Overseers)  Henry 
Dods  and  John  Spragon. 

1766. — Henry  Dodds,  Sharperton  ;  Robert  Marshal,  Fair- 
haugh  ;  Charles  Selby,  Owicking  Coat. 

1769. — Ralph  Clavering,  Esq.,  for  Alwinton  ;  William 
Walb\-,  Junior,  for  Borrowton  ;  Jacob  Smith  for  Lantronside. 

The  following  interesting  record  tells  us  how  the  Parish 
Clerk  of  Alwinton  was  paid  for  his  services  during  the 
eighteenth  century  : — 

"  An  account  of  what  the  Freeholders,  Farmers,  and 
Tenants  pay,  or  ought  to  pay,  yearl}-  to  the  Parish  Clerk 
of  Allenton  and   Hally  Stone. 


Farms. 

Pecks 

Biddlestone,  East  Field  ... 

••     3 

..      06 

West  Field,  oats 

••     4 

..      08 

Town-Side  ... 

2 

..      04 

Elilaw 

..     4 

..      08 

Newton 

'1 

..      06 

Newhall 

I 

..       02 

Cotte  Walls          

..      ii^ 

••       03 

Foxton 

..      1% 

••       03 

Brown  Ridge,  new  bushel 

..      \% 

..       03 

Sheep  Banks,  new  bushel 

..      i>^ 

■•       03 

Burrowdon,  2  old  bolls    ... 

..    iS 

•■       36 

Netherton,  south  side 

..     7K 

••        15 

north  side 

••     5 

..       10 

About  170  bolls  of  oats. 
The  following  places,  being  highlands,  p 
Punchcrton,  one  fleece 
Rook-lane 
Lin-bridge 
Saugh-ridgc 
Shil-more 
Battle-sheel-haugh 


i\' 


wool  : — 


0 

1 

0 

0 

I 

0 

0 

2 

0 

0 

I 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

-7 

0 

^34 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


I'^air-haugh    "... 

o 

I 

O 

Lounges-know... 

o 

I 

O 

Carle-croft 

o 

2 

o 

Blind-burn 

.     o 

2 

o 

Make-a-din 

.     o 

I 

o 

Besides  eggs  at  Easter,  meal,  bread,  and  corn  at  Christmas, 
comonl}'  called  Christmas  Dows  or  Dues.  Pd.  by  ye  whole 
parish,  and  41I  every  time  he  calls  anything  at  the  church  door^ 
which  often  happens.  If  the  proclamacion  contains  several 
sorts,  as  sheep,  cows,  or  the  like,  he  had  6<i"^7 

In    the    Churchwarden's    accounts    of    1744  is    found   this- 
curious  entry  : — 

"  To  eight  foxes  ...  ...         8     o" 

while  a  note  in  the  minutes  of  the  same  vestry  meeting  says: — 
"  Foxes  to  be  paid  for,  providing  the  heads  be  fixed  upon  the 
church  door." 

The  Alwinton  registers  date  from  17 19,  the  older  ones 
appear  to  have  been  lost  or  destroyed.  Two  loose  pages  con- 
taining earlier  entries  relating  to  two  families  are  preserved  in 
the  register,  of  which  we  here  furnish  copies  : — 

"  William  Hall,  son  to  Michael  Hall,  of  Sharperton,  was 
baptized  December  ye  20,  1694  ;  others  of  the  same  family  in 
1696,  1700,  1704." 

"  Thomas  Clennell,  son  to  Luke  Clennell,  of  Clennell,  Esq.,. 
was  baptized  ye  10  of  March,  in  )-e  year  of  our  Lord  1701. 

John  Clennell,  son  to  Luke  Clennell,  of  Clennell,  Esq.,  was- 
baptized  17  of  August,  in  ye  )'ear  of  our  Lord  1703. 

Sarah   Clennell,  daughter  to   Luke   Clennell,   of  Clennell,. 
Esq.,  was  baptized  ye  22  of  July,  in  ye  year  of  our  Lord  1705. 

Luke  Clennell,  son  to  Luke  Clennell,  of  Clennell,  Esq,,  was 
baptized  in  ye  13th  day  of  September,  in  ye  year  of  our  Lord 

1709- 

'''  In  olden  limes  it  wa.s  the  custom  in  country  parishes  for  the  Clerk  to 
announce  at  the  door  of  the  church,  after  morning  service,  such  events  as  public 
.sales,  goods  lost,  cattle  strayed,  taxes  due,  and  even  the  cockfights  of  the  coming. 
week  were  amongst  the  announcements. 


ALWINTON    CHURCH.  235 

Gilfred  Clennell,  son  to  Luke  Clennell,  of  Clennell,  Esq., 
was  baptized  }-e  9  da\-  of  November,  in  \-e  \-ear  of  our  Lord 
1710. 

Parcivall  Clennell,  son  to  Luke  Clennell,  of  Clennell,  Esq., 
was  baptized  \-e  13  day  of  January,  in  ye.  year  of  our  Lord 
1714." 

A  REGISTER  OF  THE   BH^THS  OF  THE   CHILDREN  OF   PAPISTS 
AND    PROTESTANT    DISSENTERS. 

1719,  March. — Margaret,  filia  Percival  Horsley,  Linbriggs...  30 
April. — ]\Iargaret,   filia   James    Hood,   Peels  fulling 

Mill 07 

Aug. — Thomas,  filius  John  Buddie,  deceast,  Nether- 
ton   ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  04 

May. — John,  fil  :  W'm.  Pollam,  Netherton  ...  ...   27 

June. — Wm.,  fil:  Mr.  Thos.  Selby,  Saugh  ridge     ...    15 

1723,  March. — Ann,  fil:  W'm.  Marshall,  Blindburn 26 

April. — Eleanor,  fil:  Thos.  Potts,  Carle  Croft  ...  07 

1724,  March. — James,  fil:  Andrew  Burn,  Harbottle  ...   25 

April. — George,  fil:  John  Hynmers,  Peels  ...  ...  04 

John,  fil:   Robert  Gallon,  E.  Wool  Cots  ...    19 

1726,    April. — Ralph,  fil:  George  Potts,  Sharperton  ] 

Margt.,  fil:  James  Allan,  Hallystone  / 

1728,  March. — James,  fil:   Mr.  Thos.  Selby,  Saugh  ridge  ...  or 
Mary,  fil:  Andrew  Peary,  Alwinton 

1730,  April. — Patience,  fil:   Michael  Mills,  Peels  ... 

1731,  March. — Elizabeth,  fil:  James  Rob.son,  Whitside     ...   28 

April. —  ^L'lr)•,  fil:  Thomas  Greene,  Cuttle  Side      ...  04 

1732,  March. — Elizabeth,  fil:  Geo.  liuddlc,  Xethertoji       ...   30 

1733,  May. — Margaret,  fil:  Andrew  Turnbull,  Maccadean    11 

1734,  April. — Easter,  fil:    Thoinas  Chrowe,  Biddleston    ...    13 

Jane,  fil:  George  Buddie,  Pindfold, Netherton  24 

1735,  March. — John,  fil  :  Andrew  Rutherford,  l^)'c-gatc-hall  26 

1736,  April. —  Isabel,  fil  :  John  Trumble,  Netherton  ...   20 


I  [ 

27 


236 

1738, 

March 

April 

I740, 

April 

'741, 

April 

1742, 

April 

1743, 

April 

1745, 

April 

1747, 

Jan 

Feb 

UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

-Barbara,  fil :  Wm.  Common,  Wood  Hall  . 
-Ann,  fil  :  John  Smails,  New  Netherton 
-Eleanor,  fil  :  John  Young,  How  Haugh 
-May,  fil  :  Mr.  Charles  Selbye,  Elilaw 
-William,  fil  :  Mr.  Charles  Selbye,  Biddleston 
-Jane,  fil :   Mr.  Charles  Selbye,  Elilaw 
-John,  fil  :   Edward  l^otts,  Gallalaw... 
William,  fil  :  Alexander  Mole,  Gallalaw 
-Sarah  fil :    Robert  Horsley,  Clennell 
-David  fil:   James  Amory,  Netherton  Mill. 


29 

07 
18 
20 

19 
10 

5 
22 

31 
19 


MARRIAGES. 

He  died  June  loth,  1734. 

1724. — Mr.  Thomas  Clennell  \  married  at  07 

Mrs.  Philadelphia  Robbison    f  Haddon  of  ye  wall 

She  died  July  8,  1732. 

I73i,july29. — Robert   Horsley,  by  licence,  Cotte-Walls 

Elizabeth  Burn  Kidlandlee 

174^,  July  16. — Robert  Redhead   &  "1  ^ 

..        ^^         ,•  'rCoatwalls 

Mary  Burn,  licence  j 

The  following  extracts  from  the  Burial  Registers,  although 

for  the  same  years,  are  found  in  two  different  volumes,  and 

several  of  the  entries  are  in  duplicate. 

BURIALS,    VOL.    I. 

1723,  Deer. — Jane  ux. — Mr.  Ja.  Selby,  Allenton     ...  ...    16 

1724,  May. — Daniel    Macfarling,    stranger    aqua    obrutus, 

Sharperton    ...  ...  ...  ...  ...18 

1726,  June. — Eliz.  widow  of  John   Clennell,  Esq.,  Lilburn, 

Eglinghm      ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  07 

July. — John   fil  :    Matthew   Buddie,   Netherton-town- 

head 07 

1729,  April. — Martha  ux.,  Robert  Prat,  Clennell  Street    ...  01 

1730,  9  ber. — John  Buddie,  Half-pay  officer,  Netherton    ...    11 

173 1,  June. — Luke  fil :   Luke  Clennell,  P3sq.,  Clennell        ...  05 


ALWINTON    CHURCH.  237 

1733,  Ma}'. — Ann  ux.,  Michael  Hall,  Sharperton    ...  ...  09 

1735,  9  ber. — Jerhard  Handaside,  aged  95,  Harehaugh     ...  08 

1736,  Feb. — Barbara  ux.,  Michael  Hall,  Woodhall  ...    15 

BURIALS,  VOL.  H. 

1719,  Feb.  3. — James  fil :  James  Burne,  Kidland  Lee. 

Mr.  2.     John  Eccles,  casu  interfectiis,  Saugh  Ridg. 
1725,  July  6. — Mr.  Thomas   Durham   (alias)   Collingwood, 

p.  priest,  Biddleston. 
1726. — John   Charleton  carried   to  Hallyst.  early,   fearing  his 

corps  should  for  debt  be  arrested,  buried,  p.m. 

h.  9,  Sharperton. 

1729,  Nov.  10. — Jane  ux.,  Mr.  John  Alder,  Peels. 

1730,  Oct.  28. — Wm.  Charters,  killd  as  was  thought  by  water 

keepers,  Woodhouses. 

1 73 1,  June  5. — Luke  fil  :   Luke  Clcnnell,  Esq.,  Cleri'nell. 

1733,  8  ber  5. — John  Voung  (long  excommunicate,  no  service, 
no  bell  rung.;     Allenton. 

1736,  May   I. — Mr.   James   Bell,  preacher  of   the    Dissenting 

Meeting  House  at  Harbottle. 

1737,  9  ber  7. — Robt.    llewetson  died   of   wounds  or  strokes 

received  at  fishing.     Harbottle. 
1739,   Mar.    II. — Thomas   Rutherford,  found  dead   in   a  deep 

peat-hole.     By-gate-hall. 
1743-4,  March    10-13. — The    Re\-.    Mr.    Wm.    Hall,    Vicar    of 

Alenton. 
1747,  i'Y'b.  14. — Mr.  I'enne\im,  Priest,  Diddleston. 
1752,  May  8.— Mary  fil:   Mr.  Charles  Selb\-,  IClilaw. 

.Mav  20. — Catlicrine  ux.,  Mr.  James  Burn,  Kidlandlee. 
1755.  July  27.— Jane  ux.,  Matthew  Ik'li,  Peels  Wack  Mill. 
1757,  Sep.  1-4. — The    Re\-.    Mr.   James   (iladstaines,   Vicar    of 

iXlwinton. 
1762,  April  13. — Da\  id  Drybrough,  parish  clerk  almost  62  ys. 
1762,  December  17. — Jaines  ]^urn.  Kidlandlee. 
1775,  Augst  8.— Wm.  Clark,  Parish  Clark,  .Allenton. 


2^8 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


1787,  May  31. — Thomas  Selby  of  Biddlestone,  Esq.,  Biddle- 
stone. 

1796,  March  16. — Percival  Clennell,  Esq.,  Harbottle. 

1797,  Dec.  2. — The  Rev.  Thomas  Moses,  near  40  yrs  vicar, 

aged  88  years,  Allenton. 

1798,  Sep.  21-24. — Rev.  James  Murray,  Harbottle,  Dissenting 

Minister,  57. 
1803,  Apl.  2-5. — Henry  Dodds,  Sharperton,  yeoman,  76  yrs. 

1807,  July  28. — Albert   Selby  Biddleston,   Fil :   Thos.  Selby, 

Esq.,  14  yrs. 

1808,  April  25. — George  Hay,  Jedburgh,  North  Britain,  Carrier, 

80  yrs.    Perished  in  a  storm  about  a  mile  from  Whole- 
hope. 
1808,  Aug.  23. — Jane  Lauder,  Harbottle,  ux.  the  Rev.  \Vm. 
Lauder,  Dissenting  Min.  at  Harbottle,  47  yrs. 


Population  of  the  Parish  of  Ahvinton,  with  Holystone. 


1801- 
1831- 
1861- 
1891- 


-738. 
-822. 
-899. 
-1034. 


181 1— 817. 
1841— 812. 
1871— 1185. 
1 90 1 — 880. 


Population  of  Ahvinton  Township. 
1801  — 102.  1811 — 103. 

1831—85.  1841—78. 

1861—64.  1871—83. 

1891 — 60.  1901 — 58. 

Area,  58,508  acres. 


I82I- 

-901. 

I85I- 

-853- 

I88I- 

-1 177 

I82I- 

-106. 

I85I- 

-/I- 

I88I- 

-88. 

CLENNELL.  239 


CHAPTER    XV 

CLENNELL. 

Manor  granted  to  the  Clennells  by  King  John — Thomas  de  Cltnill,  122S — Monks 
of  Newminster — Right  of  Way  into  Kidland — Thomas  de  Clennill,  1271  — 
Does  homage  to  Edward  L  at  Berwick,  1296 — Prisoner  in  Castle  of  St. 
Brevel,  1302-S  —  William  Clennell,  constable  of  Harbottle  Castle,  1434  — 
Percyvall  Clennell's  Tower  at  Clennell,  1541 — Present  at  the  Death  of  Lord 
Russell,  1585— Freeholders  in  Clennell,  1568,  1628-38-63— Thomas  Clennell 
presented  as  a  Papist,  1667 — Luke  Clennell,  Sheriff  of  the  County,  1727 — 
Family  Register  in  Alwinton  Church — William  Wilkinson,  owner  of  Clennell, 
Sheriff  of  the  County,  1758— Percivall  Clennell  resides  at  Harbottle;  born 
1714,  died  1796 — Mr.  Anthony  Wilkinson  present  proprietor — The  Tower 
eidarged  and  beautified — A  delightful  Highland  residence. 

THE  ancient  village  of  Clennell,  although  not  within  the 
franchise  of  Redesdale,  is  to  some  extent  linked  with 
the  history  of  Harbottle.  From  early  times  the  Umfravilles 
held  certain  lands  and  rights  in  Alwinton,  and  claimed  the 
service  of  two  parts  of  the  freeholders  in  Clennell,  as  well  as 
the  royalties  of  the  manor.^  It  is  said  that  the  manor  was 
granted  by  King  John  to  a  member  of  the  famil}-,  who  took 
the  surname  of  Clennell,  for  service  rendered  in  the  field,  but 
the  first  recorded  owner  of  Clennell  we  have  met  with  in  our 
re.searches  is  found  in  the  Newminster  Cartulary,  where  there 
is  an  agreement,  made  in  1228,  between  "Thomas  de  Clenill  " 
and  the  monks  of  Xewmin.ster,  relating  to  certain  rights  of 
way  for  the  monks'  servants  and  their  cattle  when  passing 
through  the  Clennell  lands  by  the  "  Alwent  "  into  Kidland. 
In  1271,  a  "Thomas  de  Clennill"  is  witness  to  one  <if  the 
Newminster  Charters,  and  in  1290  he  has  a  grant  of  free 
warren    in    Clennell   and    Jlawsden.^      In    1296   "Thomas   de 

'  Hodgson's  iVbrMM«//^<'r/(7//f/ (Escheats),  part  iii.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  254. 
^  Hodgson's  A'i7////«w/'tr/rtW  (Charter  Rolls),  p.  393. 


240  urrER  coquetdale. 

Clennill  "  did  homaije  to  Edward  I.  at  Berwick,  but  from 
1303  to  1308,  he  was  kept  a  prisoner  in  the  Castle  of  St. 
Brexel  on  the  banks  of  the  Wye,  probably  for  having  taken 
the  side  of  the  Scots  against  Edward  I.,  for,  like  many  of  the 
border  chieftains,  the  Clennells  were  sometime.^  in  the  service 
of  the  Scottish  King,  and  at  others  on  the  side  of  the  English. 

\^'illiam  Clennell,  Esq.  was  constable  of  Harbottle  Castle 
in  1434,  and  in  1541  "  Persival!  Clennalle"  was  one  of  the 
"Gentlemen  Inhabitants  within  the  Middle  Marches"  and 
owner  of  Clennell  tower.  The  Border  Survey  of  1541,  says  : — • 
"  At  Clennell  ys  a  lytle  toure  of  thinherytaunce  of  one  P'cyvall 
Clennell,  gent,  newly  reparelled  and  brattyshed  by  the  same 
P'c)'vall.  And  also  he  ys  in  makinge  of  a  newe  barmekyn 
about  the  same  as  his  power  will  extende  thereunto."  Clennell 
tower  is  not  included  in  the  141 5  list  of  border  fortresses, 
neither  is  it  mentioned  in  that  of  1509.  Slight  traces  of  what 
appears  to  be  a  date  are  visible  on  the  door  head,  which  has 
been  variously  read  13 13  and  1365,  but  seeing  that  1541  is 
the  first  notice  we  have  of  the  tower,  we  must  conclude  that 
it  was  built  between  the  years  1509  and  1541.  The  tower 
measures  22  feet  from  east  to  west,  30  feet  from  north  to 
south,  and  has  walls  6  feet  thick.  The  stone  arched  basement, 
now  used  as  a  cellar,  is  divided  by  a  modern  partition,  but 
still  retains  its  original  features,  and  has  a  fine  deeply  splayed 
loop  untouched  by  the  restorer.  Over  a  window  in  the  old 
drawing  room  on  the  first  floor  of  the  tower,  is  seen  a 
piece  of  a  frieze  carved  in  bas  relief — of  an  unknown  date — 
representing  a  scene  after  the  style  of  Chevy  Chase,  pro- 
nounced b}'  the  late  Mr.  Cadwallader  Bates  to  be  "  The 
most  interesting  bit  of  ancient  work  he  had  ever  seen  in 
Northumberland." 

Percevall  Clennell,  of  Clennell,  was  with  Lord  Francis 
Russell  when  he  was  killed  by  the  Scots  on  the  heights  of 
Windy  Gyle,  in  1585.  The  names  of  the  freeholders  in 
Clennell  in   1568  were  Nicholas  P'orster,  John  Wilkinson,  and 


CLENNELL.  24 1 

Richard  Pratt.  In  the  Hst  of  freeholders,  "  Cookedale  Wardc, 
1628"  the  name  of  Robert  Clennell,  of  Clennell,"  occurs,  while 
that  of  "  George  Clennell,  of  Clennell,  Gent.,"  is  given  in  a 
similar  list  for  Coc-dale  Warde,  i6j8."  The  Rates  and  Rentals 
for  1662,  records  ]\Ir.  Thomas  Clennell  as  the  proprietor  of 
Clennell — "  the  rental  go£" — also  part  of  Newton,  "  or  the 
T}'th  15;^."  In  the  lists  of  papists  and  nonjurors  presented 
at  the  Quarter  Sessions  of  April  29,  1685,  we  have  the  name 
of  "  Thomas  Clennell  de  Clennell  xx-^>"  the  said  Thomas 
being  bound  in  the  sum  of  twent\'  pounds  to  appear  at  the 
Sessions  "  when  required  b\'  proclamation." 

Luke  Clennell  of  Clennell,  Esq.,  was  Sheriff  of  the  Count}' 
in  1727.  The  names  of  Luke  Clennell's  family  are  recorded 
in  the  Register  of  Baptisms  at  Alwinton.3  His  eldest  son, 
Thomas  Clennell,  left  a  daughter,  who  married  William 
Wilkinson,  who  thus  came  into  the  possession  of  Clennell. 
He  was  High  Sheriff  of  Northumberland  in  1758.  Percival, 
the  youngest  son,  born  17 14,  ^\■as  the  first  of  the  name  who 
took  up  his  residence  at  Harbottle  Castle,  that  part  of  the 
estate  having  been  left  to  him  by  his  niece.  The  Alwinton 
Burial  Register  contains  the  following  entry: — "  1796,  March 
16.     Percival  Clennell,  Esq.,  HarbottIe."4 

The  present  proprietor  is  Mr.  Anthon)-  Wilkinson,  Prince's 
Gardens,  London,  great-grandson  of  the  first  of  the  name  at 
Clennell,  who  has  recently  made  e.xtensi\e  additions  to  the 
mansion,  in  which  he  has  judicious!}-  incorporated  the  original 
interesting  structure,  introducing  the  electric  light  and  other 
modern  improvements,  thus  transforming  the  grim  old  border 
tower  of  the   C'lcnnclls   into  a   delightful    country   residence. 

3 Sec  i-a^ts  234-235. 

*  "  Percival  Clennell,  E.S(].,  bairisler  at  law,  was  a  very  singular  character. 
His  extensive  lands  were  all  under-let,  and  he  was  the  idol  of  his  tenantry,  whose 
prosperity  he  seemed  to  view  with  peculiar  pride  and  delight.  Though  possessed 
of  an  uncommon  share  of  the  milk  of  human  kindness,  yet,  from  living  single  and 
retired,  his  manners  were  unrefined,  and  his  langu.ige  unpolished.  I  Ic  was  remark- 
able ft)r  the  wonderful  length  of  his  foot.  lie  died  rich  in  April  (March),  1796,  in 
the  83rd  year  f)f  hisage." — Mackenzie's  Nortliiinibcrland,  vol.  ii.,  p.  49  n, 

16 


242  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

Clennell,   as   seen    from  the  hill  above,  amid  its   patriarchal 

sycamores  and  ashes  on  the  banks  of  the  Ahvin,  at  the  very 

foot  of  the  southern  range  of  the  Cheviots,  looks  the  picture 

of  rural  peace  and  retirement,  such  as  would  inspire  the  poet 

to  sing  : — 

"  And  I  said,  if  peace  may  be  found  in  the  world, 
That  best  of  all  blessings  I'll  meet  with  here." 

Some  of  the  most  expressive  field  names  in  Clennell  are — 
Clennell  Hill,  Camp  Knowe,  Wideopen,  Woodhead,  Loup 
Field. 

There  is  a  tradition  of  the  "  bonny  heir  o'  Clennell  "  having 
been  stolen  by  Will  Faa,  the  King  of  the  Gipsies,  which  forms 
the  subject  of  one  of  Wilson's  Talcs  of  the  Borders.  We 
recommend  a  perusal  of  this  tale  to  our  readers,  as  an  illus- 
tration of  the  lawlessness  that  existed  on  the  borders  in  the 
seventeenth  century. 

ADDITIONAL  NOTES. 

1283,  June  28.  (ieoffrey  de  Nevill,  keeper  of  the  forest  beyond  Trent,  order 
to  cause  Thomas  de  Clenhull  to  have  in  that  forest  two  bucks  of  the  King's  gift. — 
Calend.  of  Close  Rolls,  it  Echod.  /. ,  p.  21 1. 

1 301,  Nov.  21.  1300  foot  to  be  selected  in  the  County  of  Northumberland, 
to  be  conducted  by  Richard  de  Horsleye  and  Thomas  de  Clenhull,  so  as  to  be  at 
Linlithgow  by  the  morrow  of  St.  Lucy  the  Virgin.  —  Calend.  of  Pat.  Rolls,  30 
Edwd.  J.,  p.  I. 

130;,  May  21.  There  was  a  King's  writ  for  Thomas  de  Clenhull  and  Henry 
de  Brademothe  to  the  Constable  of  the  Castle  of  St.  Brevel,  where  Thomas  de 
Clenhull  was  kept  a  prisoner  until  Dec.  16,  1308.  His  bill  for  keep  and  other 
items  was  ;^2i  15s.  ild.  Thomas  at  3d.  per  day,  Henry  at  2d.  per  day. — Calend. 
of  Documents  relating  to  Scotland,  vol.  iii.,  p   36. 


cCv^'^'X^"^'^'^^"^'-" 


BIDDLESTON.  243 


CHAPTER     XVI. 

BIDDLESTON. 

Ancient  Seat  of  the  Selbys — Its  surroundings — Part  of  the  de  Vesci  Barony — 
Portion  of  the  Manor  held  by  the  Delavals — Warlike  deeds  of  the  early 
Selbys — John  Selby's  tower,  141 5 — Five  of  the  Selbys  at  the  muster  of  armed 
men  on  Robert's  Law,  1538 — Percy  vail  Selby,  owner  of  the  tower,  1541  — 
"The  Worshipful  Family  of  the  Selbys"— Raid  of  the  Kerrs,  1549— The 
Selbys  in  the  Rising  of  171 5 — Thomas  Selby,  Captain  in  the  Coquetdale 
Rangers,  1805— Thomas  Selby,  his  son,  Lieutenant  in  the  Cheviot  Legion, 
1805 — -The  Selbys  buried  in  Alwinton  Church — Residents  in  Biddleston 
Township,  1828 — Fieldnames — Price  of  Farm  Produce,  1S24 — Population. 

BIDDLESTON,  the  ancient  seat  of  the  Selbys,  stands  on 
the  southern  slopes  of  the  Cheviots,  peeping  out  from 
a  Druidical  grove  of  oaks  at  an  elevation  of  about  750  feet, 
guarded  on  the  north  by  a  deep  ravine  and  the  massive  green 
hills  of  Cold  Law,  Silverton,  and  Harden,  all  of  which  rise  to 
a  height  of  about  1,300  feet.  On  the  south,  the  valley  of 
the  Coquet  opens  out  to  view,  enclosed  within  the  heather- 
clad  hills  of  Simonside.  Biddleston  is  thought  to  bo  the 
Osbaldiston  of  Sir  Walter  Scott  in  Rob  Roy — be  this  as  it 
may,  it  is  a  spot  full  of  interesting  associations.  For  a 
description  of  the  ravine,  on  the  brink  of  which  stands  liiddlo- 
ston  Hall,  we  quote  the  words  of  the  late  Dr.  Hardy  : — "  The 
result  of  a  short  visit  along  with  Mr.  Dodds  to  the  upper  part 
of  Biddleston  woods,  and  an  examination  of  the  plants  among 
the  rocks  at  the  ba.se  of  Coldlaw,  that  springs  u|)  to  a  great 
altitude  immediately  behind  the  j^lantations,  where  1  was 
unexpectedly  brc^ught  into  contact  with  an  Alpine  I'^lora  in 
close  contiguity  with  the  cultivated  fields  of  agricultural 
C!oquetdale.  The  dean  or  cleugh  behind  tlu-  mansion  consists 
of  sandstone  rock,  mostly  lying  at  a  low  angle  ;    and   being 


2  44  UPPER  COQUETDALE. 

dry,  Nettles,  Herb  Mercury,  and  Enchanters  Nightshade  are 
prevalent.  Saxifj'aga  umbrosa  was  planted  out  by  the  late 
Mrs.  Selb}-,  and  thrives.  Other  plants  noticed  were  Geraniinn 
pratense  and  G.  sylvaticuui.  The  cleugh  opens  out  to  a  great 
open  glen  with  steep  grassy  sides,  ascending  far  up  to  the 
Black  Butts,  where  the  gaping  peat  rifts  are  visible  above  the 
head.  Behind  it  lies  Wheelhope  in  Kidland,  a  chief  resort  of 
foxes.  The  bare  scaurs  and  dwarf  crags  of  reddish  porphyry 
rock  here  are  well  coated  with  lichens.  Wild  thyme  and 
Mountain  bedstraw  were  abundant ;  tufts  of  Asplcniuni 
TrichoDianes  grew  not  uncommon  in  the  shadiest  chinks  of 
the  rocks ;  Polypodium  vnlgare  was  frequent,  and  near  the 
base,  Foxgloves  and  Ground  Ivy.''^ 

The  history  of  the  manor  of  Biddleston  is  rather  difficult 
to  unravel,  for,  notwithstanding  the  oft-quoted  copy  of  the 
grant  of  Vissard's  lands  to  Sir  Walter  Selby,  knight,  by 
Edward  I.,  dated  October  24,  1272,  it  is  somewhat  puzzling 
and  disappointing  to  find  that  there  is  no  mention  made  of  the 
Selb}'s,  in  connection  with  Biddleston,  in  such  early  documents 
as  the  Pipe  Rolls,  the  Testa  de  Neville,  or  the  Escheats  given 
in  Hodgson's  "  History  of  Northinnbcrlandr  For  instance,  in 
the  Testa  de  Neville  (circa.  1272J,  Biddleston  is  recorded  as  a 
member  of  the  Barony  de  Vesci  of  Alnwick,  held  by  Gilbert 
de  Umfraville  of  Harbottle,  being  one  of  the  ten  towns  of 
Coquetdale  that  rendered  service  to  Umfra\"ille. 

Again,  in    1354,    1361,   and    1409,  part  of  Biddleston  and 
the  manor  of  Seghill  were  held  by  the  Delavals.  ^     This  was 


'Hist.  B.X.C.,  vol.  xii.,  p.  53. 

^  Hodgson's  Northu))iherland,  part  iii.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  373  ;  part  iii.,  vol.  i.,  p.  76; 
part  iii.,  vol.  ii.,  p  271. 

(a)  "Lease  by  Alan  Whiteheved,  chaplain,  and  John  de  Killyngworth,  senior, 
to  Sir  William  de  la  Vale,  Knl.  of  the  manors  of  Sighalle,  Benewille,  and 
Bidelesdeti,  with  all  their  appurtenances  in  Hesilden,  from  next  Michaelmas  for 
ten  years,  by  the  yearly  payment  of  one  pound  of  cumin.  Dated  at  Sighalle,  on 
the  day  after  Michaelmas  (30  Sept.),  1371.  Test.,  Richard  de  Horsley,  Sheriff  of 
Northumberland,  Alan  de  Ketone,  Robert  de  la  Vale,  Knts." 

(h)  "  Indenture  by  which  Sir  Edward  Storour,  chaplain  of  the  chantry  of 


Sp- 


f(,;"„ 


ii'viii.  f 


III   I 


:'^ 


-'**.£ 

#.^^ 


/'.'/ 


/■  ■■'  UK 


'  ■'id' 


BIDDLESTON.  245 

probably  due  to  the  repeated  confiscation  of  the  Selby  lands. 
The  late  Dr.  Hardy,  in  his  "Notes  concerning  the  Parish  of 
Oxna?n"  3  when  speaking  of  Sir  William  Wishart,  of  Plender- 
leith,  states  : — "  From  the  Rolls  of  Scotland  we  ascertain  that 
Sir  W'm.  Wishart  was  displaced  b}'  Edward  Baliol,  who  con- 
ferred a  charter  of  Plenderlath,  dated  October  24,  1332,  on  Sir 
Walter  Selby,  the  second  of  the  Selbys  of  Biddleston.  Walter 
Selby  the  second  was  a  daring  but  unprincipled  man,  who  sold 
his  services  to  the  highest  bidder,  being,  as  Lord  Hailes 
describes  him,  '  both  a  robber  and  a  warrior,  alternately 
plundeiing  and  defending  his  countr\-.'  He  and  Walter  de 
Middleton  were  at  the  head  of  the  broken  men  of  Northum- 
berland, who  were  in  the  pay  of  Robert  I.  of  Scotland,  and 
who  b>'  his  direction  waylaid  at  Rushyford,  in  13 17,  two 
cardinals,  the  Pope's  nuncios,  and  deprived  them  of  the  Bulls 
and  secret  instructions  for  excommunicating  Scotland  ;  and 
imprisoned  Louis  de  Beaumont,  Bishop  elect  of  Durham,  in 
Morpeth  Castle,  and  his  brother,  Henry  de  Beaumont,  in 
Middleton's  castle  of  Mitford,  till  they  were  ransomed." 
During  the  next  year,  13 18,  the  Scots  surprised  and  took 
Mitford  Castle,  and  entrusted  it  to  their  old  ally,  Walter  de 
Selby.  He,  however,  on  promise  of  a  full  pardon  from 
Edward  H.,  delivered  it  up  to  Robert  de  Umfraville,  I'larl 
of  Angus.  Notwithstanding  this,  his  manor  of  Seghill,  held 
by  the  .service  of  acting  as  steward  in  the  hall  of  Tynemouth 
on  .St.  Oswin's  Day,  continued  to  be  confi.scated.  After 
this  he  espou.sed  the  quarrel  of  Edward  Baliol,  from  whom 
he  received,  as  already  stated,  the  grant  of  the  lands  and 
tenements   of   I'rendcrlath,   which   he   retained    until    1341    or 


our  Lady,  at  Selon  Dt-lavalt,  \silh  the  conscnl  of  John  Dclavalc,  cmj.,  now  patron 
of  the  said  chantry,  let.s  lo  farm  lo  rcrcevall  Selhy,  of  I{yttlis<lcnL',  j^cnt.,  all  the 
lands  callfd  the  I'riests'  lands  in  Hyltlisdene  (co.  Northuni.)  bclon^jing  to  the 
chantry  for  15  years,  at  the  annual  rental  of  5s.  4<1.  15  M:ty,  I  520."— I  list.  M.SS. 
Commission.— M..S.S.  of  Lady  Walerford,  i>|).  71,  74- 

3  Hist.  H.N.C.,  vol.  xi.,  ]).  127. 


246  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

1342,  when  Sir  Alexander  Ramsay  captured  Roxburgh  Castle, 
and  relieved  the  sheriffdom  from  English  thraldom.  In 
October,  1342,  the  brave  Sir  Walter  de  Selby,  refusing  to 
surrender  the  "  Pyle  "  of  Liddell  to  David  II.,  n^as,  after  with- 
standing a  six  days'  siege,  taken  in  the  storm  of  the  castle, 
and  ordered  to  instant  execution.  His  son,  James  de  Selby, 
was  long  detained  a  prisoner  in  Scotland,  but  appears  to  have 
been  the  possessor  of  Biddleston  during  the  reign  of  Richard  II. 
(1377- 1399),  from  whom  the  present  owners  derive  their 
descent.  In  141 5  Biddleston  Tower  was  described  as  "Turris 
de  Bidilstan  Johannus  Selby."  In  the  list  of  Border  Holds 
of  1509,  Biddleston  Tower  was  held  by  John  Selby  and  a 
garrison  of  20  men.  At  the  muster  of  able  men  with  horse 
and  harness,  that  took  place  on  Robert's  Law  for  Coquetdale 
and  Redewater,  in  April,  1538,  there  were  present  five 
Biddleston  Selbys — Perceval,  Christopher,  Cuthbert,  Oliver, 
and  James. 

The  Border  Survey  of  1541  says: — "At  Byttylsden  ys  a 
toure,  &  barmek}-n  of  the  Inherytance  of  Percyvall  Selb\', 
esqui,  in  good  repa'cons,  &  nere  unto  the  same  ys  an  other 
lytle  toure  at  a  place  called  the  Cotte  walles  in  measurable 
good  repa'cons  of  the  said  p'cyvall  Selbyes  Inherytaunce." 
The  lower  portion  of  the  walls  of  Biddleston  tower  yet  exists, 
on  which  the  family  chapel  of  the  Selbys  was  built,  about  the 
beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century.  While  some  alterations 
were  being  made  a  few  years  ago,  a  secret  passage  was  dis- 
covered in  the  thickness  of  the  wall.  The  tower  is  42  feet 
from  east  to  west,  and  32  feet  from  north  to  south.  The 
original  walls  were  6  feet  thick.  A  built-up  doorway  at  the 
ground  level  in  the  east  wall  gave  access  to  the  stone-vaulted 
basement. 

Magna  Brittannia,  1720,  thus  describes  Biddleston: — "This 
Place  about  the  Reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth  was  the  Estate  and- 
seat  of  the  Worshipful  Family  of  the  Selbys,  of  whom  William 
Selb}',  the  younger,  was  Sheriff  of  this  county  45    Eliz.     Sir 


BIDDLESTON.  247 

George  Selby,  Kt.,  5  Jac.  I.,  Sir  Ralph  Selby,  Kt.,  1 1  Jac.  I., 
and  Sir  William  Selby,  Kt.,  14  Jac.  I. "4 

Interesting  mention  is  made  of  Biddleston  Tower  in  a 
modern  Border  ballad  written  by  Hogg,  the  Ettrick  Shepherd, 
giving  a  description  of  a  raid  of  the  Kerrs,  of  Cessford,  into 
Coquetdale,  in  the  September  of   1549  : — 

"  Their  armour  was  light,  but  their  brands  were  bright, 
And  their  bonnets  were  steel  across  the  crown, 
And  whenever  they  spied  an  Englishman, 
They  gallop'd  at  him  and  put  him  down. 

Ride  light,  ride  light,  my  kinsmen  true, 

Till  aince  the  daylight  close  her  ee'  ; 
If  we  can  pass  the  Biddleston  Tower, 

A  harried  Warden  there  shall  be. 

He  reaved  the  best  of  my  brother's  steeds. 

And  slew  his  men  on  the  Five-stane  Brae  ; 
I'd  lay  my  head  this  night  in  pawn 

To  dri%e  his  boasted  beaves  away. 

For  at  Thropton  he  has  a  goodly  herd 

Just  newly  come  fra  the  low  countrye, 
And  at  Rotbury  there  are  a  hunder  head 

All  fat  and  fair  on  Rimside  Lee. 


The  weary  wounded  Scots  went  on. 
Still  with  their  drove,  full  hard  bested  ; 

For  word  had  gone  to  Biddleston  Tower 
That  waken'd  the  Ca[)tain  from  his  bed. 

He  mounted  his  horse  and  gallop'd  forth, 
His  troopers  gathering  at  the  word  ; 

.And  the  first  man  that  he  met  with 
Was  Inirly  Tam  of  Mosslnirnford. 

Turn,  Captain  of  Biddleston,  turn  and  flee! 

Thy  arm  was  never  a  match  for  mine, 
I'll  hold  at  bay  thy  men  and  thee 

Till  I'm  across  the  Border  line. 


■•The  list  of  freeholders  of  1628  gives  Alexander  Selby,  of  Biltleslon,  escj.; 
Oeorge  Selby,  of  Coalwalls,  gent.  And  the  list  of  163S,  William  Seliiy,  of  Bitlles- 
ton,  esq. ;  Thomas  Selby.  of  Coalwalls,  gent.;  Ceorge  Selby,  of  Coalwalls,  gent. 


24^  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

There  shall  thou  never  be  again, 

Thou  miscreated  burly  bear  ; 
Have  at  thee  now,  for  fight  or  feign, 

ril  have  thy  head  upon  this  spear. 

He  rade  at  Tain  with  furious  aim, 

Thinking  to  run  his  Ijody  through. 
But  little  dream'd  of  the  left  hand  skelp 

That  nickit  the  Captain  clean  in  two." 

The  Selbys  intermarried  with  many  of  the  old  local 
families  of  note.  They  \vei"e  allied  b}^  marriage  with  the 
Haggerstones,  Fenwicks,  Ogles,  Greys,  Clennells,  Claverings, 
Herons,  Widdringtons,  and  Collingwoods. 

A  brave  and  warlike  t"ace,  the  Biddleston  family  were 
invariably  mixed  up  in  all  Border  troubles,  and  few  of  the 
heads  of  the  house  died  in  their  beds.  In  the  great  civil  war 
they  espoused  the  cause  of  Charles  I.,  for  which  they  suffered 
heavily  by  fines  and  sequestrations ;  and  in  the  Jacobite 
Rising  of  171 5  they  were  found  in  the  thick  of  it,  along  with 
their  friends  the  Collingwoods  of  Eslington,  the  Claverings 
of  Callaly,  the  Talbots  of  Cartington,  and  other  Northum- 
brian families.  On  the  afternoon  of  Friday,  October  6th, 
171 5,  Ephraim  Selby,  of  Biddleston,  and  his  steward  were 
amongst  the  Coquetdale  men  who  met  the  Earl  of  Derwent- 
water  and  the  Tynedale  Jacobites  on  Plainfield  Moor. 

During  the  French  War,  at  the  beginning  of  the  last 
centur}',  the  name  of  Thos.  Selby  appears  as  captain  of  a 
troop  in  the  Royal  Cheviot  Legion  Cavalry  in  1803  ;  in  1805 
he  was  a  captain  in  the  Coquetdale  Rangers,  a  body  of  volun- 
teer cavalry  raised  in  the  district,  and  his  son  Thos.  Selby 
was,  at  the  same  time,  a  lieutenant  in  the  Cheviot  Legion. 
Whilst  still  keeping  up  the  traditions  of  this  old  Border 
family,  another  Thos.  Selby,  of  the  Northumberland  Hussars, 
the  great  grandson  of  Captain  Thos.  Selby,  of  the  Coquetdale 
Rangers,  received  the  war  medal  for  service  rendered  at  the 
front,  in  the  ranks  of  the  Imperial  Light  Horse,  during  the 
late  African  campaign. 


BIDDLESTON.  249 

The  Selbys  of  Biddleston,  in  b}'gone  times,  were  buried  in 
the  Parish  Church  of  Ahvinton,  members  of  the  famil}-  during 
the  last  century  being  laid  in  the  family  vault  beneath  the 
chancel  ;5  but  the  late  squire,  Walter  Charles  Selb)',  who  died 
in  1900,  leaxing  an  heir  to  the  estates,  was  buried  in  a 
piece  of  ground,  specially  consecrated  for  the  purpose,  in  a 
sweet  sequestered  spot,  amid  the  sylvan  surroundings  of  his 
ancestral  park  at  Biddleston. ^ 

The  residents  in  Biddleston  Township  in  1828  were: — 
"Walter  Selby,  Esq.,  Biddleston  House;  Rev.  James  Abbot, 
Catholic  Priest  ;  Thomas  Anderson,  steward  to  W.  Selby, 
Esq.  Farmers :  George  Brewes,  Newton  ;  Andrew  Brown, 
Battlesheel  haugh;  Robert  Harbot,  Rookland  ;  Robert  Storer, 
Coat  Walls  ;  Thomas  Walby,  Elelaw  ;  William  Wanless,  Bid- 
dleston ;  Matthew  Young,  Puncherton."7 

The  following  are  amongst  the  most  interesting  field 
names  around  Biddleston  : — Dove  Cote  Paddock  (Biddleston), 
Humbleton  Hill,  Steel  Pike  (Elilaw),  West  Bar  Acres,  PLast 
Bar  Acres,  South  Bar  Acres,  Cocklaw  Bush  (Netherton), 
Lady  Acre  ^Biddleston  Edge),  Cuttle  Side  Knowe,  Winlinton 
How  (Newton). 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  our  readers  to  know  the  prices  our 
forefathers  obtained  for  their  farm  [)roduce  in  Coquetdale 
some  eighty  years  ago  : — 

"  Prices  of  Farming  Produce,  1824. 

Wheat  ...  ...      14/-  per  new  ]3oll. 

Oats 18/-      „    old  Boll. 

Barley  20/-      ,,    old  l^oll. 


5  Sec  yXIwinton  Church,  Nolc  2. 

''A  neat  marble  cro.ss  marks  the  spot,  and  contains  the  simple  inscription  : — 
"Walter  Charles  Selby, 
Died   .March   5th,  1900,  Aged  41. 
Kcf|iiiescat  in  I'ace." 

r.ir'.MTi  niiil  Wliitr,  \(i\.  ii.,  ]i.  454. 


250 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


Wool — Laid,  15/6  and  16/6;  White,  26/-  and  27/-  per  stone 

of  24lb.s. 
Beef — 5/6  per  stone  of  I4lbs. 
Mutton-^5/iO  per  stone  of  I4lbs." 


Population  of  Biddleston  Township. 
1801  — 186.      181 1  — 184.      1821— 166. 
1841  — 140.      1851  — 182.      1861  — 198. 
1881  — 157.      1891  — 156.      1901  — 112. 


1831— 156. 
1871  — 121. 


BIDDLESTON   CHAPEL.  25  I 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

BIDDLESTON    CHAl'EL. 

Chapel  built  on  walls  of  old  tower — Selbys  true  to  the  fiiith  of  their  forefathers — 
Oldest  Mission  in  the  Diocese  of  Hexham  and  Newcastle — Kept  up  by  the 
Selbys — Extract  from  "The  Northern  Catholic  Calendar" — Roman  Catholic 
Recusants,  1677  -  List  of  Papists  in  Ahvinton  Parish,  1715-1745 — Names  of 
a  few  of  the  Biddleston  Chaplains. 

OUR  illustration  shows  the  south-east  view  of  the  Chapel 
at  Biddleston,  built,  as  alread)'  stated,  about  the  begin- 
ning of  the  last  century,  upon  the  walls  of  the  old  border  pele, 
and  incorporated  with  the  modern  mansion,  a  portion  of  which 
is  seen  on  the  left.  The  Selbys  have  ever  remained  true  to 
the  faith  of  their  ancestors.  A  Ralph  de  Selby  died  a  monk 
at  Westminster  in  1420  ;  one  of  the  members  of  the  family 
became  a  nun  in  a  convent  at  Liege,  and  Biddleston  has 
always  been  the  chief  centre  of  the  Roman  Catholics  in 
Upper  Coquetdale.  It  is  a  chaplainc}-,  said  to  be  the  oldest 
mission  in  the  diocese  of  Hexham  and  Newcastle,  which  has 
been  kept  up  for  centuries  at  the  sole  cost  of  the  Selb\'s  ;  it 
also  serves  as  a  mission  for  a  wide,  but  not  populous  district. 
"  The  Northern  Catholic  Calendar''  of  1884  says: — "  It  is,  as 
far  as  is  known,  the  oldest  mission  in  the  Diocese,  dating 
at  least  as  far  back  as  the  XIII.  century — three  hundred 
years  before  the  fatal  "  reformation."  There  has  been  no 
"  reff)rmation  "  here — ncj  apostacy — no  change  of  creed — no 
interruption  of  the  jjcrpetual  sacrifice.  The  famil}-  has  "  kept 
the  I'aith,"  as  well  as  its  name  and  estates,  through  ages  of 
persecution  and  penal  law — in  spite  of  allurements  of  coiut 
honours  or  state  emoluments,  it  was  Catholic  in  the  Xlllth 
century — it  is  Catholic  in  the  XIXlli." 


252  UPPER  COQUET  DALE, 

In  the  list  of  "Roman  Catholic  Recusants"-  returned  for 
Upper  Coquetdale  in  1677,  are  the  names  of  "Thomas  Selby 
of  Bittleston,  Esq.,  Charles  Selby  of  Farnham,  yeoman, 
Thomas  Clennall  of  Clennall,  Esq.,  Mary  Hall,  de  eadam, 
spinster,  Robert  Browne  of  Allanton,  yeo."2 

At  the  time  of  the  Jacobite  Rising  of  171 5  the  terms  Papist 
and  Jacobite  were,  in  the  eyes  of  the  Government,  almost 
s\-nonymous.  Lists  of  Papists  were  presented  by  the  high 
constables  of  the  various  wards  at  each  quarter  sessions. 
The  names  given  below  are  found  in  the  Session  Records 
for  August,  1 7 1 5  : — 

"  A  List  of  ye  Papists'  names  of  Allington  Parish  and 
Halleystone,  August  ye  19th,  171 5.  P^phraim  Selby,  Mr. 
Robert  King,  George  Rutherford,  John  Reed,  Thomas  Rutter, 
John  Grey,  John  Sprote,  William  Walles,  Alexander  Luke, 
John  Brown,  Thomas  Davison,  P^ranke  Scott,  all  in  Bittlestone. 
Alexander  Rutherford,  Thomas  Potts  in  Borrowtown.  Mr. 
James  Selby  in  Allington.  John  Jameson,  Marke  Scott  in 
Harbottle.  John  Robson  in  P'oxton.  George  Stewert  in 
Halleystone.     John  Gardner  in  P'airnham." 

This  system  of  espionage  was  again  revived  at  the  rising 
of  the  supporters  of  Charles  Stuart  in  1745,  when  the  follow- 
ing list  of  local  names  was  presented  by  Andrew  Bell,  High 
Constable  : — 

"  A   List  of  the   Papeses  in   Coquet    Dale,  west   Division, 

1745  ■■— 

John  Robson  in  Fairnham,  farmer,  aged  25. 
William  Reed  in  Puncherton,  farmer,  aged  60. 
Thomas  Stamp  in  Xetherton,  }-eoman,  aged  50. 
John  Trombell  in  Xetherton,  farmer,  aged  50. 
John  Peary  in  Coat  Walls,  yeom.,  aged  45. 

'Recusants — "Roman  Catholics  who  refused  to  sulmiit  to  the  discipline  of 
the  Church  of  England." — Bailey,  1749 

-  Depositions  from  York  Castle.      Siirt.  Soc.  publ.,  p.  228. 


BIDDLESTON   CHAPEL.  253 

Mark  Scott  in  Boreton,  yeom..  aged  80. 
Luke  Rutherford  in  Boreton,  yeom.,  aged  40. 
Robert  Grey  in  Bittleston,  yeom.,  aged  40. 
William  Gray  of  the  same,  yeom.,  aged  45. 
Charles  Brown  in  Bittleston,  yeom.,  aged  55. 
John  Scott  in  Bittleston,  aged  40. 
John  Gray  in  Bittleston,  yeom.,  aged  60. 
John  Sprot  in  Bittleston,  }-eom.,  aged  70. 
Thomas  Sprot  in  Biddleston,  yeom.,  aged  40. 
Mr.  Thomas  Smith  in  Bittleston,  Gent.,  aged  50. 
Andrew  Rutherford  in  Alenton,  farmer,  aged  30. 
Mr.  Thomas  Selb\'  in  Alenton,  Gent.,  aged  50. 
Mr.  Charles  Selby  in  Elilaw,  Gent.,  aged  50. 
\\'illiam  Dickeson  in  Alenton,  \-eom.,  aged  50. 
Persevel  Horsley  in  Lin  Brig,  yeom.,  aged  60. 
William  Horsley  in  Lin  Brig,  yeom.,  aged  26. 
W^illiam  Dodd  in  Harbottell,  yeoman,  aged  45. 
John  White  in  Woodhall,  }-eoman,  aged  25. 
Robert  White  in  Woodhall,  yeoman,  aged  22. 
John  Gordon  in  Holystone,  yeoman. 
Fra!icis  Scott  in  Bittleston,  yeoman,  aged  70."3 

In  early  times,  and  in  the  "dark  clays  of  persecution,"  the 
Mission  was  served  by  the  Jesuit  Fathers,  amongst  whom  was 
Father  Robert  Widdrington,  who,  towards  the  end  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  and  early  part  of  the  eighteenth,  was 
stationed  at  Biddleston  and  Long  Horsley.  The  following  is 
a  very  incomplete  list  of  its  subsequent  |)riests  : — 

Father  Robert  Widdrington. 

Rev.  Thomas  Durham  (alias  Collingwood), ob.     ...  1725 

Rev.  Pennevim,  ob. ...         ...         ...  ...  ...  1747 

Rev.  Xaylor...  ...  ...  ...  ...occurs  181 1 


'The  above  list  contains  the  names  only  of  those  belonging  to  the  parish  of 
Alwinton  with  Holystone,  and  who  probal)ly  altundod  the  services  at  Biddleston. 
John  Grey,  a  de.scendant  of  one  of  the  families  mentioned,  still  resides  at  Biddle- 
stone. 


-\=i4 


UPPER  COQUETDALE. 


Rev.  James  Abbot occurs   1828 

Rev.  Thomas  Hogget,  ob.  1886     1841-1886 

Rev.  Henry  Cartmel  (now  at  Whittingham)    1886- 1889 

Rev.  W.  Drysdale 1889-1891 

Rev.  Robert  Henry  Kerr 1903 


^;ETHERTON.  255 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

NETHERTON. 

Present  Owners — Village  of  Ancient  Origin — One  of  the  "ten  towns  of  Coquet- 
dale "  owing  service  to  Harbottle  Castle — Netherton  men  at  the  muster  on 
Robert's  Law,  1538 — Sir  Edward  Widdrington  and  Cuthbert  Collingwood  the 
proprietors,  1663 — William  Smart,  freeholder,  1747 — Its  Early  Owners,  1320, 
1327,  1346 — Names  of  Inhabitants,  1828 — Netherton  to-day — Once  famous 
for  its  Cockpits — Merry  Nights  and  other  Gatherings — The  Old  Mill — Village 
Characters,  their  sayings  and  their  doings — The  "  Eggler  kirns,"  his  eggs  and 
butler — The  Carrier  "  droons"  the  goose — A  Pun  on  Surnames — Presenta- 
tion to  Squire  Selby  in  1845 — Population. 

NETHERTON  is  a  well-known  little  village  on  the 
northern  confines  of  Upper  Coquetdale.  It  stands  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  parish  of  Alwinton,  and  its  lands  march 
with  those  of  Alnham  on  the  north  and  Rothburv  on  the 
south.  That  portion  of  the  village  known  as  the  "North  Side" 
has  been  for  many  years  in  the  possession  of  the  Selbys  of 
Biddleston.  The  "  South  Side,"  after  passing  through  the 
hands  of  various  owners,  now  forms  part  of  the  Cragside 
estate.  The  village  is  of  ancient  origin,  and  from  its  low- 
lying  situation  between  the  mountain  streams,  Netherton  burn 
and  the  Rithe,  its  name  might  be  construed  as  the  "  lower 
town."  Netherton  first  appears  as  one  of  the  "  ten  towns  of 
Coquetdale  "  which  have  already  been  referred  to.  Not  only 
did  it  furnish  its  quota  of  men  to  Harbottle  Castle  in  the  days 
of  the  Umfravilles,  but  a  number  of  men  out  of  Netherton  is 
recorded  in  the  muster  rc^ll  of  armed  men,  who,  in  153S,  met 
on  Robert's  Law,'  an  eminence  witliin  a  mile  of  the  village. 
Netherton  was  also  the  rallying  point  of  the  Upper  Coquetdale 
volunteers  on  the  night  of  the  "  I^'al.se  Alarm,"  January  31st, 

'  See  complete  list  on  j).  171. 


256  UPPER   COQUKTDAI.E. 

1804.  In  1663,  Sir  Edward  Widdrington  and  Mr.  Cuthbert 
Collingwood  were  the  owners  of  part  of  Netherton  ;  and  in 
1747,  William  Smart,  of  Belford,  is  a  freeholder  in  Netherton. 
Ori<Tinall\-  the  manor  of  Netherton  was  a  member  of  the 
barony  of  Alnwick,  held  from  the  de  Vescies  by  the  Umfra- 
villes  of  Harbottle,  for  military  service.  In  1320,  Isabella, 
wife  of  John,  son  of  Hugo,  holds  two  parts  ;  2  in  1327,  Henry, 
the  son  of  John,  has  in  "  Nedderton  8  bondagi";3  and  in  1346, 
Cecilia,  the  wife  of  John,  the  son  of  Henry,  holds  a  portion  of 
"  Naderton  vill."4  Frequent  reference  to  Netherton  will  be 
found  in  the  chapters  on  Harbottle  Presbyterian  Church, 
Alwinton  Parish  Church,  and  Biddleston  Chapel.  In  1828, 
the  principal  proprietors  were  Walter  Selb\-  and  Nicholas 
Fenwick  ;  the  residents  and  farmers  in  the  two  townships, 
north  and  south  sides,  being  Mary  Bell,  Fighting  Cocks  Inn  ; 
William  Coupland,  schoolmaster ;  Dixon  and  Best,  black- 
smiths ;  Robert  Oliver,  corn  miller  ;  Thomas  Thorburn,  Star 
Inn  ;  George  Bolam,  William  P'oster,  Thomas  Redhead, 
farmers. 

Netherton  now  consists  of  "  South  Side  "  farmhouse  and 
cottages,  a  few  detached  houses  with  gardens  in  front,  a  black- 
smith's shop,  post  office,  and  the  village  school  at  the  west 
end.  A  commodious  hotel  has  recently  been  erected  on  the 
site  of  the  Star  Inn  by  Geo.  Storey  and  Co.,  of  Rothbury,  who 
are  the  owners  of  a  freehold  in  Netherton.  The  old  Fighting 
Cocks,  known  of  late  years  under  the  sign  of  The  Phoenix,  is 
now  the  residence  of  the  schoolmaster.  Netherton  was  at  one 
time  famous  for  its  greyhound  coursing  meetings,  its  bachelors' 
balls,  merry  nights,  and  other  social  functions.  Sundial  House, 
at  the  east  end  of  Netherton,  has  a  neat  sundial  on  its  gable. 
The  Mill  House  is  yet  standing  a  little  way  out  of  the  village, 
but  the  wheel  that,  in  the  days  of  the  Olivers,  ground  the 
batches  of  corn  for  the  hinds  in  the  district,  is  now  motionless. 

During  the  early  part  of  the  last  century  Netherton,  like 

%'',■' Hodgson's  Northiiviberland,  part  iii.,  vol.  i.,  pp.  62,  67,  75. 


NETHERTON.  2$/ 

man}'  of  our  old  villages,  had  its  village  characters,  and  was 
notorious  for  its  cock  fights, 5  one  of  its  inns  flourishing,  as  we 
have  said,  under  the  sign  of  the  "  Fighting  Cocks."  Most  of 
these  old  village  characters  had  sayings  peculiar  to  themselves, 
man}-  of  which  were  without  "  rhyme  or  reason,"  but  these 
sayings  of  theirs  clung  to  them,  and  became,  as  it  were,  part 
of  themselves.  The  following  were  supplied  to  us  some 
years  ago  by  a  native  of  Xetherton,  as  "  Odd  Sayings  of  the 
Nethertonians  " : — 

"  Bonny  bairns,"  says  Jimm}-  Trummell. 

"  Come  and  see  my  fine  flowers,"  says  Lady  Bell. 

"  Plug  up  the  eyes,"  says  Jack  Dixon. 

"  Poor  Burns,  poor  man,"  says  Mary  Patterson. 

"  Fair  hackem  plackem,"  says  Jack  Best. 

"  Heard  nothing  of  it  in  our  town,"  says  Tom  Dixon. 

"  Keelly  oye,"  says  Betty  Dodds. 

"  We'll  hae  another  quart,"  says  Watty  Patterson. 

"  Look  at  ma  bonny  sovereigns,"  says  Sail}'  Brown. 

"  Hang  them  aa',"  says  Joan  Clark. 

"  Ked  aa'  away  heyem,"  says  Kit  Trummell. 

"  Aw  wadna  wonder,"  says  Bob  the  Miller. 

"  Rome  was  not  built  in  a  day,"  says  Wull  Dixon. 

"  In  the  prophecies  of  Jeremiah,"  says  Bobby  Bolam. 

"  Table  the  mone}^"  says  Willie  Middlemas. 

Walter  Patterson,  at  one  time  the  host  (jf  the  Star  Inn, 
was  also  an  "eggler,"  and  with  his  galloway  and  "creels"  went 
about  collecting  butter  and  eggs  amongst  the  farmers  of  the 
district.  One  day  Watty  arrived  at  Trewhitt  Steads,  then  in 
the  occupation  of  the  Vardys,  owners  of  the  celebrated  breed 
of  "  Vardy  "  horses.  On  that  particular  afternoon,  several  of 
the  neighbouring  farmers  were  at  the  Steads  inspecting  one  of 
these  famous  horses.  Watty  being  well  known  to  them  all  for 
his  love  of  conviviality  and  fund  of  droll  stories,  was  taken  into 

5  The  Cockpit  was  in  a  field  on  the  south  side  of  the  burn  opposite  the  village. 

17 


258  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

the  parlour,  and  ha\-ing  enjoyed  himself,  and  amused  the 
company  for  some  time,  he  arose  to  depart,  but  found  himself 
in  rather  a  helpless  condition,  on  which  the  humorous  farmers 
hoisted  the  eggler  on  to  the  back  of  his  pony,  put  a  foot  in 
each  creel  amongst  the  butter  and  eggs,  and  giving  the  horse  a 
lash  with  the  whip,  set  him  off  at  a  gallop  home  to  Netherton. 
On  arriving  at  the  door  of  his  hostelry — up  to  the  knees  in 
butter  and  broken  eggs — he  triumphantly  shouted  to  his  wife, 
"  Betty  come  oot  an'  see  yor  Watty  kirnin'."  It  is  told  of  one 
of  the  Netherton  carriers  of  the  last  century,  who  had  been  at 
Alnwick  about  Christmas  time,  and  had  goose  to  his  dinner,  of 
which  he  partook  freeh',  that  he  tried  to  "  droon  her "  before 
leaving  Alnwick,  and  made  another  attempt  at  the  Bridge  of 
Aln  Inn,  and  again  at  Adam  Pile's  at  Whittingham,  but  he 
declared  he  never  "  gat  her  drooned  till  he  gat  to  Netherton." 
The  late  Rev.  R.  \Y.  Goodenough,  vicar  of  Whittingham,  and 
the  Rev.  J.  Allgood,  rector  of  Ingram,  were  on  one  occasion 
both  at  Netherton,  at  the  time  when  John  Best  was  the  village 
blacksmith.  Mr.  Goodenough  was  extremely  fond  of  a  joke, 
so  when  John  happened  to  appear  on  the  scene,  the  vicar 
of  Whittingham,  said  to  the  rector  of  Ingram  :  "  I  am  Good- 
enough,  you  are  Allgood,  but  here  is  Best  J" 

The  surnames  of  these  two  fine  old  country  parsons  were 
often  the  cause  of  a  pun  on  names.  Once  Mr.  Allgood  and 
Mr.  Goodenough  met  a  curate  of  Simonburn  whose  name 
was  Good,  when  Mj'.  Allgood  humourously  introduced  Mr. 
Goodenough  to  Mr.  Good. 

On  Dec.  11,  1845,  Walter  Selby,  the  Squire  of  Biddleston, 
was  presented  with  a  magnificent  silver  shield,  as  a  testimonial 
of  the  great  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  his  neighbours, 
and  to  show  their  appreciation  of  his  noble  character.  This 
event  took  place  at  the  Star  Inn,  Netherton.  Mr.  Burrell  of 
Broome  Park,  in  suitable  terms  made  the  presentation.  There 
were  present  besides  Mr.  Selby  and  his  sister  Miss  Selby, 
Rev.  R.   W.  Goodenough,  vicar   of  Whittingham,   and    Mrs. 


Is'ETHERTON. 


259 


Goodenough,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Riddell  of  Felton  Park,  Rev. 
Thos.  Hogget  of  Biddleston,  Mr.  Thos.  Selby,  Mr.  E.  J. 
Clavering  of  Callal}-  Castle,  Capt.  Collingwood  of  Glanton 
Pyke,  Mr.  Jasper  Gibson  of  Hexham,  Rev.  Aislabie  Procter, 
vicar  of  Ahvinton,  Dr.  Henry  Crea  of  Whittingham,  Rev. 
Thos.  Ord  of  C'allaly  and  others,  to  the  number  of  a  hundred 
and  sixty. 

Population  of  Netherton  North  and  South  Sides. 
1801 — 91.       1811  — 120.     1821 — 125.     1831  — 115. 
1841 — 128.     1851  — 157.     1861  — 151.     1871  — 147. 
1881  — 158.     1891  — 133.     1901 — 96. 


■  --  •   ii... 


26o  UPPER  COQUETDALE. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

BURRADON. 

The  village  in  feudal  times — Held  by  persons  of  note— Thomas  de  Ogle,  1240  — 
"  Dominus  Gilbertus  Boroughdon,"  1324 — Later  owners — Fenwick — -Horsley 
— Orde — Lisle — Widdrington — Freeholders,  1628-38-63 — -Eighteenth  Century 
Freeholders — Inhabitants  in  1828 — Present  owners — Burradon  House — Mr. 
William  Forster —The  Tower  of  the  Lisles  and  Fenwicks,  1541 — The  Warden 
at  Foxton  burn,  1549 — Iron  Spearhead  found,  i86o^Place  of  resort  for 
(."lipsies  and  Beggars  in  the  Eighteenth  Century — The  Burradon  Ghost,  1800 
— Notice  of  Reward,  iSoo — Decrease  in  the  Population. 

IN  the  feudal  age  Burradon  appears  as  a  member  of  the 
barony  of  the  de  Vescies  of  Alnwick,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  it  owed  the  military  service  of  six  men  to  Harbottle 
Castle.  The  manor  was  of  considerable  extent,  and  its  owners 
occupied  important  positions,  and  took  a  leading  part  in  the 
affairs  of  the  county.  In  1324,  "  Dommus  Gilbertus  Borough- 
don "i  was  sheriff  of  Northumberland,  and  the  name  of  Gilbert 
de  Borougdon  is  frequently  found  as  witness  to  deeds  in  the 
Newminster  Cartulary.  A  Gilbert  de  Burowden  was  married 
in  1 38 1  to  Elizabeth  de  Umfraville,  the  niece  of  Gilbert  de 
Umfraville  of  Harbottle,  ^  whilst  some  years  previously 
Alianora  de  Burowden  had  married  Sir  Henry  Tailbois,  a 
member  of  another  family  of  note  in  the  north.  Sir  Henry 
Tailbois  died  in  1369.3  As  early  as  1240  Thomas  de  Ogle 
possessed  Ogle  and  half  of  Burrowden.4  Eventually  the 
families  of  Eenwick,  Horsley,  Orde,  Lisle,  and  Widdrington 
had,    probably   by  marriage,    each    an  interest    in    Burradon. 

'  List  of  SheriTs  in  Mackenzie  and  Dent's  Hist,  of  Northd.,  vol.  ii.,  p,  791. 
^Hodgson's  Nof-thtt/nberlani,  part  ii.,  vol.  i.,  p.  6. 
nbid,  p.  6. 
"Ibid,  p.  370. 


BURRADON.  26 1 

In  1 3 10  Elizabeth  Burrowden,  one  of  the  daughters  of  John 
de  Burrowden,  married  a  Fenwick.s  Roger  Horsley,  in  141 3, 
held  "  Borowden  maner  in  Cokedale."^  William  Orde,  Armig., 
was  the  owner  of  part  of  Burradon  in  1440;  7  the  Fen  wicks 
and  Lisles  in  1541.'^  In  the  Feodary's  Book,  1568,  Robt. 
Fenwyke  is  the  owner  of  part  of  Xetherton,  with  lands  in 
Burroden  ;  the  Ordes  also  held  part  of  the  village  at  that 
time.  The  freeholders'  lists  of  1628  and  1638  records  the 
following  : — 

Richard  Turner,  ol  Burrowden,  gent.  ...    1628 

William  Fenwick,  of  Burroden,  gent.  ..."l 

Michael  Hindmers,  of  the  same,  gent.  ...  ,-1638 
George  Rutherford,  of  the  same,  gent. 


:j 


In  the  "Rentals  and  Rates"  of  1663,  Roger  Widdrington, 
of  Harbottle  Castle,  and  nine  others,  are  the  proprietors  of 
Burradon,  viz. : — Willm.  Wa}-b}-,  Andr.  Rutherford,  Luke 
Browne,  Thos.  Browne,  Mich.  Hindmers,  James  Turner,  John 
Turner,  Andr.  Turner,  Mr.  Fenw'k,  of  Nunnekirk.  The 
following  names  are  found  in  the  County  Poll  Books  as  being 
freeholders  in  ]3urradon  :  1710 — James  Turner,  Wm.  Green, 
John  Hymers,  John  Burne,  Wm.  Wawby,  Henry  Ogle,  Alex. 
Rotherford.  1715 — Wm.  Walby,  Wm.  XA'illcns,  Jas.  Turner, 
John  Hymers,  John  Burne,  Wm.  Green.  1721 — Wm.  Green, 
Wm,  Walker,  Alex.  Routherford  fPapist).  1747 — John  Burn, 
Mark  Ferguson,  John  Laing,  John  Turner,  Thos.  I'otts.  1774 
— John  CoUingwood,  Esq.  At  the  beginning  of  the  last 
century  (1828)  the  principal  proprietors  were  Henry  CoUing- 
wood, Thos.  Clcnncll,  and  Thomas  Forster,  Esquires.  The 
ancient  manor  of  Ikirradon,  including  Burradon  Village,  Low 
Burradon,  and   I^urradon   Mains,  is  now  tlu-  property  of  Mr. 


''  Hodgson's  Northuiiiberlaiid,  ]iart  iii.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  1 15. 

■'Ibid,  p.  267. 

'  Iljid,  p.  273. 

*Arch.  Eliana,  %oI.  xiv. ,  p.  43. 


262  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

T.  C.  Fenwicke-Clennell  of  Harbottle,  and  Mr.  Wm.  Forster 
of  Burradon.  Burradon  House,  the  residence  of  Mr.  Forster, 
stands  on  an  eminence,  amid  a  sheltering  ckimp  of  trees, 
within  a  fine  grass  park,  having  extensive  views  to  the  south 
and  west.  Mr.  Forster  is  a  well  known  gentleman  in  the 
north  of  England,  whose  opinion  ranks  high  amongst  the 
leading  agriculturists  of  the  county,  and  who  has  been  more 
than  once  solicited  by  the  political  party  to  which  he  belongs 
to  stand  as  a  candidate  for  Parliamentary  honours. 

During  the  rough  old  "  riding  days  "  there  stood  a  stout 
border  tower  at  Burradon,  for  the  protection  of  the  owners 
and  the  villagers. 

A  portion  of  this  stronghold  was  standing  about  the 
middle  of  the  last  century,  and  was  known  as  the  "  Bassel- 
house."  In  the  Survey  of  1541  it  is  thus  described: — "At 
Borrodone  ys  a  great  toure  of  thinherytaunce  of  George 
Fenw}xke  and  Percyvall  Lysle,  in  the  righte  of  his  wyfe, 
which  for  lacke  of  necessary  repac'ons  ys  fallen  into  extreme 
ruyne  and  decaye." 

To  the  south  of  Burradon  lies  Plainfield  Moor,  where 
James,  Earl  of  Derwentwater,  met  the  Coquetdale  Jacobites 
in  the  Rising  of  171 5.  Between  the  moor  and  the  village 
flows  the  small  streamlet,  Foxton  burn,  noted  in  a  Scottish 
raid,  i  549  : — 

"  Mark  Ker,  ride  you  by  Allanton  ford, 
As  you  were  riding  a  race  to  won  ; 
And  aye  when  the  warders  challenge  give, 
Say  you  are  riding  to  Withrington. 

A  Warder  at  Foxton  call'd  him  to  a  stand, 

In  the  name  of  St.  Cleorge  and  England's  King ; 

Saying,  '  Saucy  Scot,'  where  ride  you  here, 
On  this  side  of  the  Border  ring. 

Mark  Ivor  pull'd  out  his  noble  brand, 

The  English  loon  his  falchion  keen  ; 
Two  doughty  rounds  these  gallants  had, 

Ere  ought  but  gleams  of  fire  were  seen. 


BURRAUOX.  263 

But  at  the  third  they  cross'd  and  reel'd, 

And,  at  a  fierce  and  furious  turn, 
Off  flew  the  English  Warder's  head, 

And  tottled  into  Foxton  burn." 

Besides  the  rare  and  interesting  weapons  of  the  British 
period  discovered  at  Burradon,  and  described  in  a  previous 
chapter,  there  was  found  at  Burradon,  in  i860,  a  spearhead, 
now  in  the  Museum  of  the  Newcastle  Society  of  Antiquaries, 
described  thus  : — 

"Inlaid  Spearhead. — Dr.  Charlton  presented  a  truly 
curious  spearhead  of  iron,  found  about  two  feet  underground 
at  Borrowton,  in  North  Northumberland.  The  exterior  of  the 
circular  socket  is  richl\-  inlaid  with  silver  filigree  work,  in 
vertical  compartments,  of  a  design  in  which  lozenges,  filled 
with  smaller  lozenges,  by  diagonally  crossing  lines,  and  a  sort 
of  scroll   work,  predominate."? 

During  the  eighteenth  centur}-  Burradon  was  a  favourite 
rendezvous  for  gipsies  and  professional  beggars.  One  of  the 
latter  was  once  heard  to  say  that  "  beggin'  had  sair  fallen  off 
now  ;  it  was  twunty  pund  (/'20)  a  year  less  than  when  he 
furst  startit."  Burradon  Bank,  formerly  a  farmhouse  near 
Burradon,  was  known  in  the  early  part  of  the  last  centur\' 
as  "  Lark  Hall,"  where  the  following  extraordinary  scenes  are 
said  to  have  taken  place,  giving  rise  to  the  supposed  existence 
of  "The  Burradon  Ghost": — 

"  In  January,  1800,  an  invisible  and  mischievous  apparition 
played  man)-  wonderful  pranks  at  a  place  called  Lark-hall, 
near  this  place.  The  trick  (and  we  may  venture  to  call  it 
.such)  was  conducted  with  such  surprising  address,  as  even  to 
puzzle  the  .sceptic,  and  to  .set  conjecture  at  defiance. 

Lark-hall  is  a  small  farm,  belonging  to  .Mr.  William  Walby, 
of  Bur.'-owdon,  and  was  then  rented  by  Mr.  Turnbull,  a  butcher, 
in  Thropton,  who  kept  his  father  and  mother,  two  <jld  decent 
people,  at  the  farm,  with  a  hind  and  his  family,  whose  char- 


*Arch.  .Kliana,  vol.  v.  (N..S.),  p.  143. 


264  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

acters  were  more  dubious.  The  two  families  were  divided  by  a 
partition,  formed  b\-  close  beds,  leaving  a  narrow  dark  passage 
between.  The  garrets  above  were  kept  locked  by  old  Turnbull. 
At  the  time  mentioned  above,  knockings  and  noises  were 
heard  in  Turnbull's  house  ;  the  plates,  glasses,  and  tea-ware, 
left  the  shelves  and  were  broken  ;  the  chairs  and  tables  danced 
about  the  room  in  the  most  fantastic  manner  ;  scissors,  bottles, 
wooden  dishes,  &c.,  flew  in  all  directions,  and  sometimes 
wounded  the  confused  and  terrified  spectators  :  a  poor  tailor 
was  assailed  with  a  tin  pot  full  of  water,  yet  he  still  had  the 
temerity  to  stand  to  his  post,  till  a  large  rolling-pin  descended 
from  the  laths  and  hit  him  a  blow  on  the  shoulders.  But  one 
of  the  most  curious  tricks  was  played  in  the  presence  of  the 
Rev.  \Vm.  Lauder,  latel}-  a  dissenting  minister  at  Harbottle, 
who  had  come  to  administer  some  spiritual  comfort  and 
consolation.  He  had  been  but  a  short  time  in  the  house, 
when  a  Bible  moved  from  the  window  in  a  circular  manner 
into  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  fell  down  at  his  feet ! 

These  singular  and  incredible  facts,  with  many  more  which 
we  have  not  room  to  mention,  are  certainly  true,  as  they 
were  attested  by  a  host  of  respectable  witnesses.  Twenty 
guineas  were  offered  for  the  detection  of  the  fraud,  but  with- 
out success.  Two  professors  of  legerdemain,  besides  many 
intelligent  gentlemen,  examined  the  premises  with  accuracy  ; 
but  nothing  was  discovered  that  could  lead  to  detection.     Mr. 

W.  W having  a  reputation  for  skill    in  the  sciences,  was 

suspected.  His  visits  to  Lark-hall  were  frequent,  but  some 
of  the  most  wonderful  phenomena  took  place  when  he  was 
certainly  absent. 

Some  suspicious  circumstances  were,  however,  discovered. 
Nothing  was  injured  in  the  garret ;  the  hind's  bottles  and 
earthenware  were  respected  ;  a  small  iron  rod  was  found  in 
the  passage,  which  fitted  a  hole  made  in  the  back  of  his  bed  ; 
and  the  ghost  left  the  premises  shortly  after  the  communication 
between  the  families  had    been    nailed    up.       The  affair  still 


BURRADON.  265 

continues  the  subject  of  wonder  to  the  credulous  in  ahnost 
all  parts  of  the  county.  The  hind's  daughter,  who  acted  a 
very  conspicuous  part  in  this  wonderful  deception,  exhibits 
the  most  uncontrollable  rage  when  any  attempt  is  made  to 
bring  the  subject  forward  in  discourse." ^° 


COPY   OF   THE    POSTER    ISSUED    AT    THE    TIME   OF   THE    BURRADOX    GHOST 

SCARE. 


w 


"  ADVERTISEMENT. 

THEREAS,  between  the  22ncl  and  29th  of  January  last,  some  malicious  and 
ill-disposed  Person  or  Persons  have  alarmed  and  terrified  JAMES  TURN- 
BULL  AND  HIS  WIFE  at  Lark-hall,  in  the  Township  of  Borrowton,  by  means 
of  noises  made  at  different  times,  and  frequent  knockings  performed  so  artfully  as 
to  impose  upon  Persons  of  their  advanced  years,  and  have  broke  Pots,  Kettles,  and 
other  Furniture  of  that  kind,  by  secretly  conveying  into  them  certain  Chymical 
Preparations,  as  well  as  Demolished  all  the  small  Furniture  of  the  said  JAMES 
TURNBULL  ;  with  a  view  to  impress  upon  their  minds  the  ridiculous  and  absurd 
belief  of  their  House  being  HAUNTED  by  a  GHOST  or  some  Invisible  Being 
and  thereby  terrify  them  from  their  present  situation. 

THAT  such  Daring  and  Wicked  Offenders  may  be  Punished  according  to 
Law  for  their  attempts  against  the  Lives  and  Property  of  two  Harmless,  Inoffensive 
Old  People,  as  well  as  against  the  Peace  of  the  Country.  GEORGE  TURN- 
BULL,  Tenant  of  Lark-hall,  will,  on  their  conviction,  give  a  reward  of  TWENTY 
GUINEAS  to  anyone  who  will  give  him  such  Information  as  may  lead  to  a  dis- 
covery of  them. 

Thropton,  Feb.  7th,  1800. 

J.  Catnach,  Printer."" 

Population  of  liurradon  Township. 

1801  — 109.  1811  — 138.  1821  — 179. 

1831  — 174.  1841  — 165.  1851  — 150- 

1 86 1  — 144,  1 87 1  — 121.  1 88 1  — 121. 

1891 — 82.  1901 — 6^. 

"  —  a  bold  peasantry,  their  country's  pride, 
When  once  deslroy'd  can  never  i)c  supplied." 


"^Mackenzie's  ///sfoiy  0/  JVor//it(f>i/>er/a/i</,  \ul.  ii.,  p  42. 
"  Coi)ifd  from  one  of  the  original  ])oslers  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  (ieo.  Turn- 
bull,  of  Shariicrton. 


266  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


CHAPTER     XX. 

SHARPERTON — EARNHAM — SHIRMONDESDEN. 

The  Coquetdale  Manors  of  the  De  Vescies — Extinct  Manor  of  "Shirmondesden"' 
— Thomas  of  Scharperton,  1244 — Richard  de  Horsley  holds  Earnham,  1318 
— Henry  Tailhois  possesses  lands  in  Sharperton,  &c.,  1369 — Afterwards  by 
Robert  de  Ogle,  1399 — Marquis  of  Newcastle,  1663 — Lord  Oxford,  1724 — 
Duke  of  Portland — Thomas  Potte  a  Ereeholder,  1568 — Cuthbert  Horsley  and 
Cuthbert  Carnaby  owners  of  Earnham,  1568  —  Robert  Horsley's  tower  at 
"Thernham,"'  1415 — Roger  Horsley's  tower  in  1509 — Garrison  of  twenty 
men  —  Roger  Horsley's  tower  in  1541  —  Remains  of  well  at  Earnham — • 
Carnabys  possessed  of  Earnham — Mrs.  Tane  Carnaby,  1663 — Survey  of  Ogle 
lands  in  Sharperton,  1724 — Inhabitants  in  1828 — Sharperton,  1903 — Popula- 
tion, 1801-1901 — Old  house  of  the  Potts,  name  on  door-head,  1675 — H.  D., 
1780,  on  another  house — Carved  stone  in  Sawmill— View  from  Sharperton 
Bank — Plants  near  Sharperton — Salmon  poaching — -Locality  of  extinct  Manor 
"  Shirmondesden."' 


W 


E  shall  now  describe  the  three  remaining  Coquetdale 
manors,  of  the  "  de  Vescies,"  viz. : — Sharperton,  Earn- 
ham, and  the  e.xtinct  manor  of  "  Shirmondesden,"  which  were 
held  by  the  Umfravilles  of  Harbottle  under  the  same  tenure  of 
military  service  as  xAlwinton,  Clennell,  Riddleston,  Netherton 
and  Burradon.  The  other  two  manors  that  made  up  the  "  ten 
towns  of  Coquetdale"  were  Eawdon  and  Ingram. 

Like  other  manors,  Sharperton  in  early  times  gave  its 
name  to  its  owners,  who  must  have  been  men  of  some 
importance,  for  amongst  the  jurors  on  the  inquest  of  the 
death  of  Gilbert  de  Umfraville,  of  Harbottle,  in  1244,  are  the 
names  of  Roger  de  Horsle)%  Thomas  of  Clennell,  and  Thomas 
of  Scharperton.  I 

In  1306,  Richard  de  Horsley  had  the  right  of  pasturing 
his  cattle   in   Earnham, 2  and  in    13 18  he  held  the  manor  of 


'  Hodgson's  Northumberland,  part  ii.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  loi//. 
^  Ibid.,  part  iii.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  363. 


SHARPERTON,   FARXHA.M,   AND   SHIRMONDESDEN.      26/ 

"Thirnam."3  In  1369,  Henry  Tailbois  and  his  wife  EHanora 
of  Burradon  possessed  lands  in  Sharperton,  Sheepbank,  Fox- 
ton,  and  Xewhall,-^  while  in  1399  Robert  de  Ogle  has  lands 
and  tenements  in  Farnham,  Sharperton,  and  Sheepbank. 5 
The  Marquis  of  Newcastle,  Lord  Oxford,  and  Dukes  of 
Portland  are  found  to  be  the  subsequent  owners  of  Robert 
de  Ogle's  portion.  A  plot  of  ground  at  Sharperton  is  yet 
known  as  "Ogle  lands."  The  name  of  Thomas  Potte — a 
member  of  a  famil\-  that  appeared  about  this  time  in  Upper 
Coquetdale,  and  eventual'}-  became  large  and  influential 
landowners  in  the  district — is  recorded  as  a  freeholder  in 
Sharperton  in  1568.  At  the  same  date  Cuthbert  Horsley  and 
Cuthbert  Carnaby  have  Farnham*^  between  them  ;  probably 
the  one  held  High  Farnham  and  the  other  Low  Farnham. 
In  the  list  of  Border  fortresses  141 5,  the  tower  at  Farnham 
is  described  as — "  Turris  de  Thernham  Robti  Horsley."7 
Robert  Horsle}-  died  in  his  tower  at  Farnham  in  1455,  but 
the  manor  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  Horsleys  until 
their  heiress  carried  it  to  the  Carnab}-s  of  Halton  by 
marriage.^  Roger  Horsle\'  was  the  owner  of  the  tower  in 
1509,  which  then  contained  a  garrison  of  twent}-  men.  In 
I  54 1  the  tower  was  still  in  the  hands  of  Roger  Horsley.  The 
Survey  of  that  }-ear  says  : — "  At  Tharnam  ys  a  toure  of 
thinherytance  of  one  Rog'  Horseley  in  measurable  good 
repac'ons."9  Of  the  border  pele  that  once  stood  on  the  banks 
of  the  Coquet  at  High  Farnham,  there  is  no  further  mention 
found  in  any  document  we  have  met  with,  and  the  only  trace 

^  I  lodgson's  Norlhttntberland,  398. 

^  Il)i(l.,  part  iii.,  vol.  i.,  jj.  85. 

5  Il)i(l.,  j)art  iii.,  vol.  ii.,  ]).  266. 

*  Il)i(l.,  part  iii.,   vol.  iii.,  pp.  Ixiii.-iv.,  Ixx. 

'Arch.  .■Jiliaiui,  vol.  xiv.,  |).  iS.  Note — Thernaiii,  on  the  norih  hank  of  I  he 
Coquet,  ()p|)<jsit«.'  Hoiyslonc,  has  been  wrelcheclly  corrupted  into  "  I'ernhani  and 
Eairnhan."— C.  J.  Hates. 

">  Arch.  yKliana,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  44.  • 

"■  .Margaret  Horsley,  daughter  of  Roger  Horsley,  of  "Thernham,"  aged  19,  in 
1544,   married  Cuthbert  Carnahy,  of  Aydon,  son  of  William  Carnahy,  of  Halton. 


268  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

of  this  Stronghold  of  the  Horsleys  that  now  remains  is  the 
circular  stone-lined  well  seen  in  the  plantation  on  the  north 
side  of  the  present  farm-house.  Sir  Wm.  Carnaby  of  Farnham 
occurs  in  the  freeholders'  list  of  1628,  Wm.  Potts  of  Farnham, 
gent,  in  1638.  Mrs.  Jane  Carnaby,  Michael  Pott,  Mark 
Pott,  and  Sir  Edwd.  VViddrington  were  owners  in  Farnham 
township  in  1663,  the  proprietors  of  Sharperton  at  the  same 
time  being  the  Marquis  of  Newcastle,  William  Hall,  Roger 
Pott,  George  Pott,  and  Cuthbert  Rotherford  ;  "  Shipbanks " 
and  Newhall  being  also  the  property  of  the  Marquis  of 
Newcastle.  In  the  list  of  freeholders  of  1721  is  found  the 
name  of  William  Potts  of  Farnham,  Gent.  Eventually, 
Farnham  was  purchased  b)-  the  Clennells  of  Harbottle  Castle, 
and  now  forms  a  portion  of  the  Harbottle  Estate. 

In  a  Survey  of  the  Ogle  lands  in  Northumberland,  made 
in  1724,  Sharperton  is  thus  described  : — 

"Sharperton  Township,  in  Parish  of  Holly-stone, 
consists  of  II  Farms,io  whereof  33^  belong  to  Ld.  Oxford. 
Pays  Tythe  in  kind  and  a  modus  for  Hay.  Limestone  on  the 
ground.  Three  miles  from  Cole."  Improveable  by  dividing 
with  the  Freeholders  and  Inclosing.  Freeholders  —  Wm. 
Charlton,  Mrs.  Potts,  the  poor  of  Rothbury,i2  Wm.  Storrer, 
Geo.  Potts." 

"Sharperton.  — Geo.  Potts,  House  and  garth;  Wm. 
Charlton,  House ;  Storrers,  House  and  croft ;  Mrs.  Potts, 
Michael  Hall,  The  Haugh,  Westfield  Edge  Pasture,  Ebry 
Field  lessr,  Ebry  Field  greater,  Cocklaw  Field  and  Dean 
Bank,  Holly-stone  Haugh,  Part  of  Ditto  East  of  the  River ;i3 

'"Within  the  last  few  years  the  term  "farm"  has  been  found  to  have  had  a 
very  different  meaning  from  the  present  general  acceptation  of  the  word,  and  further, 
that  every  township  or  lordship  was  divided  into  so  many  equal  ]xirts,  each  part 
being  termed  a  "farm."  For  a  fuller  account  of  these  ancient  divisions  of  land, 
we  refer  our  readers  to  an  able  paper  in  Arclucologia  .■Eliana,  vol.  xvi.,  p.  121, 
entitled  "The  Ancient  Farms  of  Northumberland,"  by  Frederick  Walter  Dendy. 

"  Three  miles  from  a  coal  pit. 

'=  Property  left  by  Dr.  John  Thomlinson,  Rector  of  Rothbury,  in  1720. 

'3 Some  of  the  modern  field  names  at  Sharperton  are— Cocklaw,  Fryer's 
Bog,  Ladyship  Field,  Clogg  Lands,  Fausit. 


SHARPERTON,   FARNHAM,   AND   SHIRMONEDSDEN.      269 


Total,  768  acres  3  roods  24  perches.  Tenants — Michael  Hall, 
I  farm  ;  \Vm.  Charlton,  i  farm  ;  Mary  Potts,  ^  farm  ;  Geo. 
Potts,  I  farm  ;   W'm.  Storrer,  ]^  farm— 3^  farms." 

"Sheep  Bank.S,  belonging  formerly  to  Sharperton,  the 
Pasture,  House  and  fold,  94  acres  3  roods  05  perches." 

"  New  Hall  FAR^L — Broad  Meadow,  Hall  butts  and  the 
bank.  East  End  and  White  Close,  122  acres  i  rood  07 
perches.     Christopher  Bolam,  Tenant." 

In  1828  the  farmers  and  others  in  Sharperton  and  Farn- 
hamwere:  Michael  Aynsley,  High  Farnham;  John  Nicholson, 
Low  Farnham  ;  John  Dixon  and  William  Redhead,  Sharper- 
ton  ;  John  Kirkup,  tailor,  Sharperton.  ^4  Sharperton  now 
consists  of  two  farmhouses  and  cottages,  one  in  the  occupation 
of  Mr.  Geo.  Turnbull,  the  other  of  the  Messrs.  Redhead,  in 
whose  famil}-  it  has  been  for  several  generations.  There  is 
also  a  Post  Office,  and  the  steam  sawmill  of  Mr.  George 
Robinson.  The  population  of  the  township  of  Sharperton, 
1 80 1  to  1 90 1  : — 


1 801 — 99.      181 1 — 74. 
1851—39-      1861—59. 


1821  — 107. 
1 87 1—  79. 
1901 —  51. 


1831  — 105. 
1881—  74. 


184I- 
1891- 


-89. 
-62. 


The  old  freehold 
of  the  Potts  has  for 
many  years  been  in 
the  possession  of  the 
Dodds  family  of 
Sharperton  and  Har- 
bottle  Peels.  Mr. 
Robert  Milbuni  is 
also  the  owner  of  a  ^'"" 
freehold;  the  remain- 
der belongs  to  Mr.  1.  !•'.  Fenwicke-Clenncll.  The  ruined  hou.se 
of  the  Potts  is  still  standing,  and  on  the  doorhead  is  to  be  .seen, 


■<  Pnrson  and  While,  1828. 


270 


UFM'ER   COC)UETr)ALE. 


f*# 


903 


cut  in  quaint  seventeenth  century  letters,  the  initials: — G  P. 
E  P.  1675.  ROGER  POTS,  of  which  we  give,  on  previous 
page,  a  drawing, 

A  stone,  now  a  window-sill  in  the  adjoining  cottage" 
contains  the  letters — A  P.  S  P.  1667.     On  the  doorhead  of  a 

more  modern  house 
adjoining  are  the 
letters — H.  D.  1780 
■ — as  shown  in  the 
illustration,  probably 
the  initials  of  Henry 
Dodds,  whose  name 
is  found  in  the  Poll 
Book  for  1774.  James  Dodds  voted  for  the  same  freehold 
in  1826.  There  is  a  carved  stone,  that  bears  the  mark  of 
antiquity,  built  into  the  wall  of  the  sawmill.  It  is  apparently 
the  head  and  bust  of  a  female,  with  a  sort  of  hood  over  the 
head,  and  was  discovered  in  a  stone  fence  at  Sharperton,  and 
built  into  the  sawmill  by  Mr.  Geo.  Robinson. 

A  delightful  and  well  known  view  of  the  upper  valley  of 
the  Coquet  is  obtained  from  the  summit  of  Sharperton  Bank. 
In  front  are  seen  the  sparkling  waters  of  the  Coquet  winding  a 
tortuous  course  through  the  flat  haugh-lands  of  "  The  Peels  " 
and  Woodhall,  with  the  castle  mound  and  the  village  of 
Harbottle  just  visible  amongst  their  woody  surroundings, 
having    the    green    heights    of    Lord's    Seat,    Shilhope    Law, 

On  the  left 
lying  low  in  a  corner  of  the 
valley,  under  the  sheltering  woods  of  Campville,  the 
heathery  hills  of  Yardhope,  Dews  Hill,  and  Woodhouses 
stretching  along  the  western  banks  of  the  Coquet,  forming 
one  of  those  charming  bits  of  hill  scenery  for  which  Upper 
Coquetdale  is  so  famous.  A  pleasant  foot-path  leads  through 
the  fields  overlooking  the  Coquet,  from  the  top  of  Sharperton 
Bank  to  Holystone.     In  this  locality  may  be  gathered  Pyrola 


and    Kidland    towering    in    the    back-ground 


is    the   village  of   Holystone 


SHARPERTON,   FARNHAM,  AND   SHIRMONDESDEN.      2/1 

media.  Grass  of  Parnassus,  Musk  INIallow,  Marsh  Cinquefoil, 
Meadow  Saxifrage,  Great  Bell-flower,  Cow  Wheat,  Vicia 
lathyroides,  Miinulus  luieus,  Plantago  media,  and  many  other 
interesting  plants.  The  river  here,  with  its  attractive  pools, 
has  ever  been  the  favourite  haunt  of  the  angler,  and  the 
streams  on  Holystone  haugh  have  for  generations  been  the 
*'  happy  hunting  ground  "  of  the  knights  of  the  "  low  and  the 
leister."  The  writer  himself,  one  night  in  the  month  of 
November,  counted  a  dozen  lights  on  the  water,  between 
Sharperton  bridge  and  Dews  Hill  wood,  when  there  were 
probably  five  or  six  bands  of  salmon  poachers  at  work. 

"At  Shilmore  they're  guid  at  the  mennim  ; 

At  Felton  they're  guid  at  the  flee  ; 
Lang  Rothbury's  streams  for  the  brandlin' ; 

But  Weldon,  old  Weldon  for  me  ; 
The  Sharperton  codgers  are  cunnin'  ; 

At  Thropton  they're  guid  at  a  thraw  ; 
But  up  wi'  the  bonnie  red  heckle — 

The  heckle  that  tackled  them  a'  ! " 

( Coqiietdale  Fishing  Soiig,  iSjo.) 

SHIRMONDESDEN. 
The  seven  Coquetdale  manors  belonging  to  the  xA.lnwick 
barony,  viz.: — Alwinton,  Clennell,  Biddleston,  Xetherton,  Bur- 
radon,  Sharperton,  and  Farnham,  are  all  on  the  north  side  of 
the  Coquet,  while  the  lands  of  the  Redesdale  lordship  lay  on 
the  south  side  of  the  river.  The  De  Vescies  and  the  early 
Percies  held  no  lands  on  the  south  side,  therefore  the  extinct 
manor  of  "  Shirmondesden  "'5  must  have  been  on  the  north 
side.  The  manor  consisted  of  a  village,  two  corn  mills,  and 
820  acres  of  land  ;  and,  judging  from  the  descriptions  found  in 
various  documents  relating  to  the  manor,  it  appears  to  have 
been  in  the  vicinity  of  Harbottle  Castle.  Most  of  liic  lands  in 
and  arounrl  Harbottle  have  already  been  accounted  for,  with 
the  exception   of  the  tract   lying  between    Park    House  and 

'5  This  iManor  is  variously  rendered— Shaumundeston,  1290;  Thirnymcsden, 
1315  ;  Shirmnndesdon,  1379;  Shirmoundcnc,  1387;  Cliermondcn,  138S;  Schir- 
niounden,  1391  ;  Sherniington,  Charinglon,  1604. 


272  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

Sharperton.  We  are  of  the  opinion  that  this  extinct  manor 
is  now  represented  in  the  lands  stretching  to  the  north  from 
Harbottle  Peels  towards  Newton.  The  late  Mr.  Cadvvallader 
Bates,  after  much  research  and  careful  study  of  the  locality, 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  this  was,  in  all  probability,  the 
"  Shirmondesden  "  of  the  De  Vesci  barony.  Mr.  Jas.  Nichol, 
of  London,  who  is  well  acquainted  with  Upper  Coquet,  and 
has  for  some  time  been  endeavouring  to  locate  this  ancient 
manor,  is  also  of  the  opinion  that  it  consisted  of  that  stretch 
of  land  lying  to  the  north  of  Harbottle  Peels,  towards 
Newton,  a  woody  tract,  which  includes  Brown  Rig  Planta- 
tion, "  now  sacred  to  foxes  and  pheasants."  This  plot  of  land 
slopes  down  to  Foxton  burn,  and  in  the  plantation  are  seen 
large  heaps  of  stones  and  debris  ;  these,  from  their  proximity 
to  the  stream,  may  be  the  remains  of  a  mill,  or  the  ruins  of 
New  Hall — another  extinct  place-name,  which  appears  to  have 
been  at  a  later  period  mixed  up  with  Shirmondesden.  Several 
boundary  stones  are  yet  standing  on  the  surrounding  moor^ 
having  N.H.  for  New  Hall  on  one  side,  and  E.  for  Biddleston 
Edge  on  the  other. 

The  following  entry,  found  in  The  Survey  of  Border 
Lands,  i6o^  (Sanderson),  doubtless  refers  to  this  manor 
when  describing  the  demesne  lands  belonging  to  Harbottle 
Castle  : — "  CUBEDALE.  The  easte  parte  conteyneth,  beinge  of 
the  parke  Shermington,  sometymes  a  towneshippe,  820  acres  " 
(p.  105).  And,  in  detailing  the  "  Tenn  Townes  in  Cubedale," 
the  Sm'vey  says  :  "  No.  10,  Charington,  sometymes  a  towne- 
ship,  and  nowe  used  as  a  demeane  to  Harbotle,  and  theriii 
valued"  (p.  117), 


HOLYSTONE.  2/3 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

HOLYSTONE. 

An  Ancient  Yillage — Its  situation — Relics  of  Early  Times — Part  of  Redesdale 
Lordship — Umfraville  founds  a  Benedictine  Priory — Proprietors  in  1663 — 
Subsequent  Owners — The  Lady's  Well — The  Priory  —  Nuns'  Close  —  St. 
Mungo's  Well — Marjorie,  the  Prioress,  does  homage  to  Edward  I.,  1296 — 
Priory  Seal — Impoverished  by  the  Scots,  I3ii^\'alue  at  the  Dis.sohition, 
1536 — Church  of  St.  Mary  the  Mrgin — Grave  Slabs — Quaint  Tombstones — 
Bell — Communion  Plate — Stained  Windows — Campville—  Romantic  Ravine 
— Rob  Roys  Cave— Dove  Crag — Fairies — Flora — Scenery — The  Salmon  Inn 
— Mill  Race— Old  Mill — Holystone  of  the  Past — Its  Houses  and  Inhabitants 
—  Its  Characters —Ned  Allan — Description  of  Ned,  1820— Ned's  Epitaph. 

THE  quaint  old  village  of  Holy.stone  is  pleasantly  situated 
in  a  secluded  corner  of  Upper  Coquetdale  on  the  eastern 
margin  of  that  wide  range  of  moorland  hills  stretching  between 
Coquetdale  and  Redesdale,  whose  heathery  ridges  in  the 
turbulent  days  of  yore  were  frequently  stained  with  the  brave 
blood  of  the  hardy  borderers  living  in  this  portion  of  the 
"  debateable  land."  The  annals  of  Holystone  carry  us  a  long 
way  back  in  the  pages  of  the  history  of  Northumbria — traces 
of  the  ancient  Briton,  the  Roman  occupation,  the  Saxon  period, 
and  relics  of  the  middle  ages  are  to  be  found  there,  while 
tradition  and  story  linger  around  every  foothold  of  its  soil. 
The  village  consists  of  about  a  dozen  houses,  besides  the 
church  and  school,  it  is  seven  miles  west  from  Rothbur)-, 
and  stands  on  the  sc^uthern  bank  of  the  river  Coquet.  It  is 
sheltered  on  the  north  by  "  Harcmoor  Law,"  with  the  upland 
moors  of  Holystone  "Common"  rising  on  the  south.  Ihc 
houses,  twenty  years  ago,  were  mostly  thatched,  but  these 
gradually  gave  way  to  the  present  neat  modern  buildings, 
which  are  more  in  keeping  with  our  ideas  of  health  and 
comfort.  Like  all  rjjd  villages,  each  house  .seems  to  lia\c 
been  built  just  where  the  convenience  or  fancy  of  the  builder 

18 


274  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

suggested,  without  any  attempt  at  order  or  uniformity,  and 
this  gives  the  village  a  more  picturesque  appearance  than  it 
would  have  had  under  the  rules  of  a  Local  Board. 

Holystone  and  the  lands  south  of  the  Coquet  were  included 
in  the  great  lordship  of  Redesdale,  which  for  centuries  was 
held  by  the  Umfravilles  of  Harbottle  Castle.  After  the 
dissolution  of  monasteries.  Holystone  is  found  to  have  been 
in  the  hands  of  various  owners.  In  1663,  the  proprietors  were 
Robt.  Pott,  Geo.  Pott,  and  Mr.  (Thos.)  Selby,  who  also  held 
the  rectory  and  the  mill.  Geo.  Pott  was  at  the  same  time  the 
owner  of  "  Lentern  Cleugh  "  (Lanternside).  After  passing 
through  the  hands  of  the  Selbys  of  Biddleston,  Dawsons 
of  Alnwick,  Forsters  of  Lanternside,  Smarts  of  Trewhitt, 
Clennells  of  Harbottle,  and  Wilkinson  of  Sunderland,  it  is 
now  the  property  of  Mr.  F.  W.  Rich  of  Hepple  Woodhouses. 

One  of  the  great  attractions  for  visitors  to  Holystone  is 
the  "  Lady's  Well,"  a  spring  of  beautiful  water  in  a  grove  of 
fir  trees,  a  little  north  of  the  village.^  The  well  is  a  quad- 
rangular basin  within  a  neatly  kept  enclosure  ;  the  key  of  the 
gate  can  be  obtained  at  the  Salmon  Inn.  A  notice  board 
informs  the  visitor  that  "In  this  fountain  called  the  '  Lady's 
Well,'  on  the  introduction  of  Christianity,  in  the  Saxon  reign 
of  Edwin,  and  early  in  the  seventh  century,  Paulinus,  an 
English  Bishop,  baptized  about  3,000  people.  Some  remains 
of  a  priory  for  six  or  eight  Benedictine  Nuns,  to  which  this 
well  belonged,  are  still  to  be  seen  in  the  adjacent  village  of 
Holystone."  A  stone  statue  of  an  ecclesiastic,  originally 
brought  from  Alnwick  Castle,  formerly  stood  in  the  centre  of 
the  well,  but  a  few  years  ago  this  was  removed  and  placed  at 
the  west  end  of  the  pool,  and  a  cross  of  stone  bearing  the 
following  inscription  was  substituted  : — 

+   IN    THIS    PLACE 

PAVLINVS    THE     BISHOP 

BAPTIZED 

THREE    THOVSAND     NORTHVMBRIANS 

EASTER     DCXXVII     + 

'  The  spring  is  said  to  discharge  560  gallons  a  minute. 


•fi-'^  •'  *-     ■   ■■'■ 


HOLYSTONE.  2/5 

Of  the  Benedictine  priory  of  Holystone  there  remains 
to-day  scarcely  a  vestige.  Only  in  the  roadwaj's  in  some  parts 
of  the  village,  more  especially  near  the  church,  large  stones  are 
visible,  evidently  old  foundations,  from  which  we  may  infer 
that  the  church  was  probablx'  within  the  precincts  of  the 
priory.  An  arch  in  the  mill  stable  may  be  part  of  the 
domestic  buildings  of  the  priory.  One  or  two  place-names 
in  the  neighbourhood  are  distinct  mementos  of  the  monastic 
age  :— "  The  Xuns'  Close,"  a  field  on  the  adjoining  farm  of 
Low  Farnham,  and  "  St.  Mungo's  Well,"  on  the  south  bank  of 
Holystone  burn,  opposite  to  the  church.  It  is  of  some  interest 
to  trace  the  route  of  the  Glasgow  saint,  Kentigern,  on  his  way 
to  St.  Asaph,  by  the  names  attached  to  wells  throughout  the 
count}'.  Somewhere  near  Wooler  there  is  a  "  Mungo's  Well  ;  " 
we  have  "  St.  Mungo's  Well  "  at  Holystone  ;  and  at  Simon- 
burn,  on  North  Tyne,  there  is  also  "  St.  Mungo's  Well."  The 
beautiful  well  at  Holystone,  known  to  us  as  "  The  Lady's 
Well,"  also  described  as  "  The  Well  of  St.  Paulinus,"  was 
formerly  "St.  Xinian's  Well."  There  appears,  therefore,  to 
ha\"e  been  from  \"ery  early  times  a  religious  halo  around 
Holystone ;  and  no  doubt  the  pious  Umfra\ille  of  seven 
centuries  ago,  attracted  b\'  the  situation  and  the  sanctity  of 
the  spot,  the  abundant  supply  f)f  pure  water,  and  its  close 
proximit)'  to  the  ri\er  Coquet,  made  choice  of  this  romantic 
spot  amid  the  hills  of  Lpper  Coquet  for  the  founding  of  the 
convent.  Besides  the  lands  around  Holystone,  the  sisterhood 
held  gifts  of  land  in  \-arious  parts  of  the  count}',  as  well  as 
houses  in  Newcastle.  In  1429,  Roger  Thornton  of  Newcastle 
devi.sed  in  his  will  one  fother  of  lead  to  the  nuns  of  Hol}'- 
stane.  Of  those  black-robed  nuns,  who  li\cd  their  li\cs  in 
the  solitudes  of  the  cloisters  at  Holystone,  we  have  very  few 
records.  No  cartulary  of  Holystone  is  known  to  exist,  there- 
fore information  is  scant.  Wc  rc.ifl  in  the  Nczoi/iiiistcr  Ccw- 
tulary  that  an  exchange  fjf  land  in  ("oquetdale  took  place 
in    1272,   between    Agnes,    I'rion.vss   of   Halistan,   and    .Adam, 


2-6  UPPER    COQUETDALE. 

the  Abbt)t  of  Ncwminster.  In  1296,  Marjorie,  Prioress  of 
Halistane,  did  homage  to  Edward  I.  at  Berwick,  and  signed 
Ragmans  Roll,  to  which  a  seal  is  attached,  described  thus  : — 
"  Seal  of  Halistane  :  Vescia  shape,  in  a  compartment  repre- 
senting a  church  with  central  tower,  the  Virgin  crowned,  and 
hoi}'  child  ;  beneath  is  a  nun  praying.  The  inscription  on  the 
seal  is:  '  T\-  \IRGENIS  FILI  SVCCERE  MARIE>  This  seal, 
with  others,  is  on  a  fragment  of  Homage,  of  which  nothing 
remains  but  the  place,  Berwick-on-Tweed,  and  the  year,  14 
seals  in  Green  wax  appended  on  5  strings  (Ragmans  Roll^ 
m.  34)." — Cliron.  and  Meiiih.  Scotland  iJ^dXxi),  vol.  2,  p.  534. 

"  On  the  nones  [the  5111]  of  Feb.  131 1[-2]  the  bishop  granted 
the  appropriation  of  the  churches  of  '  Crossanset '  [Corsenside] 
and  Hol)'stone,  with  the  vicarage  of  Harbottle  which  is 
accustomed  to  be  served  by  a  perpetual  vicar,  to  Holystone,, 
on  account  of  the  impoverishment  of  the  nuns  owing  to  the 
frequent  wars,  and  what  was  worse,  the  repeated  depreda- 
tions and  burnings  of  the  Scots,  for  the  reception  of  guests 
and  the  sustentation  of  the  poor  and  other  works  of  charity^ 
and  he  consolidates  and  unites  the  said  churches  and  the 
chapel  of  Harbottle,  to  the  nunnery  for  ever,  saving  the 
rights  and  liberties  of  the  church  of  Durham  and  successors^ 
but  lest  the  cure  of  souls  should  be  neglected  it  was  ordered 
that  a  rector  or  fit  master  should  be  appointed,  Richard 
Umfra\-ille  being  patron  of  the  monastery.  On  the  7  Feb.  in 
the  first  year  of  his  pontificate  [13 1 2],  the  bishop  issued  his 
mandate  to  the  archdeacon  of  Northumberland,  to  induct  the 
nuns  of  Holystone  into  the  vicarage  of  Harbottle.3  On  the 
6  June,   1 3 13,  letters    testimonial    were  issued  by  the  bishop' 


^  Which  may  be  rendered  thus :   "  Thou  Son  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  help  us  !" 

3  There  appears  to  have  been  a  church  outside  the  walls  of  Harbottle  Castle,. 
besides  the  chapel  within  the  walls.  A  stone  font  and  other  remains  were  found  a 
few  years  ago  in  the  garden  of  the  present  mansion.  There  is  also  a  record  of  a 
son  of  the  Unifravilles  having  been  baptized  in  the  "Church  of  the  Vill,"  on  which 
occasion  Unifraville  sent  his  men  to  meet  a  Scotch  bishop  at  "  Kemyelspethe: 
Walles,"  at  the  head  of  Coquet. 


HOLYSTONE.  2// 

^vith  reference  to  the    miserable  state  of  the  nuns  owine  to 
the  hostile  incursions  of  the  Scots  daily  and  continually. 

In  1342  the  bishop  issued  a  commission  to  Edmund 
Howard,  archdeacon  of  Northumberland,  and  John  de  Hir- 
lawe,  perpetual  vicar  of  St.  Nicholas',  Newcastle,  to  inquire 
as  to  the  election,  b}'  the  unanimous  consent  of  the  nuns,  of 
Elizabeth  de  Sussex  as  prioress,  it  being  vacant  b\-  reason  of 
the  death  of  Margery  de  Horsle)^  the  preceding  prioress,  and 
if  dul}'  approved  to  instal  her."4 

Spearman  gives  the  following  note  of  Holystone  : — 

"Escheats  I'^t,  Edward  ist,  1272.  The  Prioress  of  Holy- 
ston  held  Holyston,  Corsenhope,  &  Tenthill  in  free  alms  &  no 
service  to  the  Pro\ince  of  Redesdale,  she  also  holds  40/  Lands 
in  Kestren  in  free  alms  and  no  service.  Same  year,  Hospital 
Alwinton  holds  Mill  &  Farm  of  Sudbury,  Gift  of  Philip, 
Bishop  of  Durham,  &  20/  in  free  alms  and  no  service  and 
confirmed  by  the  King." 

At  the  dissolution  of  religious  houses  in  1536  there  were 
eight  nuns  at  Holystone  ;  the  house  was  valued  at  i^i  i  5s.  yd. 
(Dugdale),  ;^I5  los.  8d.  (Speed).  Amongst  its  prioresses 
whose  names  are  recorded  in  various  documents,  we  find 
Agnes,  1272,  Marjorie,  1296,  Margery  de  Horsley,  1342, 
Elizabeth  de  Sussex,  1342. 

Hoi.\SToxK  Cnrurii. 

The  r'hurch  of  Holystone,  rebuilt  in  1848,  consists  of  nave, 
and  chancel,  and  is  dedicated  to  St.  Mary  the  Virgin. 

There  is  every  reason  to  suppose,  from  strfictural  remains, 
as  well  as  from  documentary  evidence,  that  originall}'  a 
Nr)rman  church  sto(jd  on  the  present  site.  The  lower  portions 
of  the  na\e  walls  are  ancient.  The  original  w  indow-sills  are 
yet  seen  /;/  .svV//  about  two  feet  beneath  the  new  ones  in  the 
south  wall  ;  and  built  into  the  south  wall  of  the  chancel  arc 
three  sculptured  grave  slabs,  |)rol)abl\- connncmorating  some 

■•  I'roc.  S<JC.  Anliqs.,  Newcastle,  vol.  x.,  \>.  54. 


278  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

of  the  princely  Umfravilles,  who  for  centuries  reigned  as  petty 
kings  in  Coquetdale  and  Redesdale.  On  the  north  side  of  the 
chancel  is  a  large  stone  coffin  and  cover,  entire,  found  at  the 
restoration  of  1848;  this,  through  the  pious  care  of  the 
vicar,  Aislabie  Procter,  was  allowed  to  remain  untouched. 
Two  old  headstones,  having  rudely  cut  crosses,  stand  in  the 
churchyard  amid  others  of  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  century 
quaintness.  A  stone  pillar,  standing  at  the  door  of  the  church, 
has  evidently  been  the  pedestal  of  a  sundial.  Several  interest- 
ing tombstones  lie  on  the  floor  of  the  church  near  the  font. 
One  is  that  of  Wm.  Pot,  and  his  wife,  Elinor  Pot,  of  Farnham, 
the  Pots  being  a  leading  family  in  the  parish  some  three 
centuries  ago.  Turbulent  parishioners  they  must  have  been  ; 
one  member  of  the  family  was  summoned  before  the  High 
Court  of  Commission  at  Durham  for  brawling  in  Alwinton 
Church.  Another  was  rendered  notorious  by  giving  evidence 
against  King  Charles  I.  Traces  of  the  same  family  are  found 
at  Hepple  Woodhouses,  Yardhope,  Lanternside,  and  Sharp- 
erton.  The  other  refers  to  a  member  of  an  old  and  honourable 
Northumbrian  family,  the  VViddringtons.  A  branch  of  this 
family  had  possession  of  Cartington,  one  of  whom  was  some 
time  resident  at  Harbottle  Castle  as  deput}'  warden  of  the 
Marches.  The  Widdringtons  were  the  owners  of  Linsheels 
Farm,  two  miles  above  Alwinton,  and  in  the  Harbottle  Rentals 
of  1618  we  find  under  "  Rents  of  ^Assize  of  P"reeholders  "  that 
Roger  Widdrington,  Esq.,  pays  xviiid.  for  Linsheels  with 
Lathalghe,  to  be  paid  at  the  feast  of  St.  Cuthbert  in  summer 
and  St.  Cuthbert  in  winter.  The  feast  of  St.  Cuthbert  in 
winter  is  held  on  the  20th  of  March,  being  the  date  of  his 
death.  The  feast  of  St.  Cuthbert  in  summer  is  on  the  4th 
September,  the  date  of  the  translation  of  his  body  from  its 
temporary  resting  place  to  the  stone  church  built  at  Durham 
b\-  Bishop  Aldune  in  999,  and  dedicated  to  St.  Cuthbert. 
Copies  of  both  inscriptions  are  given  on  following  page. 


HOLYSTONE. 


2/9 


HERE     -     LYETH     -    TH 
E  -  BODY  -  OF  -  WILLIA 
M   -  POT  -  OF  -   FARNH 
AM   -  IVLY  -  THE  -  28  - 
AN  -  D  -  1650   - 
AND  - 
HIS  -  WIFE  -  ELINOR 
POT  -  NOVEMBER 


HERE  LYETH  THE 
BODY  OF  MR  ROGER 
WIDDRINGTON 
OF  HARBOTTLE 
DYED  THE  30 
DAY  OF  DECEM- 
BER    1671. 


The  bell  that  hangs  in  the  cot  at  the  west  end  of  the  gable 
bears  the  following  inscription:  "To  the  Parish  of  Hallystone, 
The  gift  of  Percival  Clennell,  of  Harbottle,  Esq.,  Second  son 
of  the  late  Luke  Clennell,  of  Clennell,  Esq.,  Deceased,  A.D. 
I788."5 

The  communion  plate  of  Holystone  consists  of  chalice, 
paten,  and  flagon  of  siher,  of  modern  date  and  of  medieval 
design,  each  piece  with  five  hall-marks:  i.,  lion  p.g. ;  ii.,  leop.  h; 
iii.,  London  date  letter  1R  for  1852;  iv.,  queen's  head;  and  v., 
maker's  initials,  LK;  and  a  brass  alms  dish. 

I.  Chalice,  7^  inches  high,  3^  dia.  at  mouth,  at  base  of 
cup  I  H  C.     Inscribed  round  edge  of  base:  "The  Gift  of  Gerard 
Handaside  to  the  Church  of  Hoh-stone.     Anno  dni.    1735. 
Remodelled  Anno  dni.  1853." 

II.  P.VTEN,  with  monogram  I  11  C.  in  centre.  Around 
underside  the  inscription:  "This  paten,  with  a  flagon  and  alms 
dish,  part  of  a  valued  testimonial  from  his  Parishioners,  is 
dedicated  to  the  Service  of  God  in  Ilolwstone  Church,  by 
Aislabie  Procter,  B.A.,  Vicar  of  AKvinton  and  Holystone,  as  a 
thankoffering  for  the  success  vouchsafed  to  his  exertion  in 
the  Restoration  of  the  Churches  of  Alwinton  and  Hol>'stone. 
Ann')  dni.  1853." 

III.  l*"L.\(i(j.\,  12  inches  high  to  top  nf  lid,  \cr)-  narrow  in 
proportion  tf)  height.     Around  the  widest  part  the  inscription: 


5  Wilson's  Churches  of  Limlisfarnc,  p.  lOO.  There  is  some  discrciiancy  in 
the  flate  said  to  he  on  the  bell  of  Holystone  Church,  as  Percivall  Clennell  died  al 
Harlwttle  in  1796,  and  was  the  fifth  son  of  Luke  Clennell  of  Clennell.— ^/w/V/Zf// 
Register . 


28o  UI'PKR    CO(,)UETI)ALE. 

*Glor\-  l)c  to  God  on  High.'  On  the  bottom:  "Dedicated, 
with  a  paten,  to  the  Service  of  God,  at  the  Altar  of  Holystone 
Church.     Anno  dni.  1853." 

W.  Brass  ALMS  Dlsh,  10  inches  dia.  Sacred  monogram 
engraved  in  centre.  In.ccribed  round  rim:  'AH  things  come 
of  thee,  O  Lord,  and  of  thine  own  ha\e  we  given  thee.'  Under- 
neath :  "  From  Aislabie  Procter,  Hoh'stone  Church.  Anno 
dni  1 853. "6  Several  of  the  A\indows  are  filled  with  stained 
glass.  The  triplet  at  the  east  end,  the  two  lights  in  the  south 
wall  of  the  chancel,  and  one  in  the  south  wall  of  the  nave, 
were  erected  b}-  the  Dawson  family;  the  remaining  two  by 
the  Wilkinsons,  of  Dews  Hill.  The  windows  in  the  north  side 
of  the  nave  are  in  memory  of  Priscilla  Pacey  and  James 
Frederick  Pacey.  The  living  of  Hol^^stone  is  joined  with 
Alwinton;  its  present  incumbent  is  the  Rev.  Joshua  Harold 
Booth,  M.A.  (For  the  names  of  its  previous  vicars,  see  the 
account  of  Alwinton  Church.) 

Campville — formerly  known  as  Lanternside — the  shooting 
box  of  Major  Thompson  of  Walworth  Hall,  Darlington, 
stands  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  from  Holystone,  on  the 
verge  of  a  romantic  gorge,  and  within  the  lines  of  an  ancient 
camp,  the  ramparts  of  which  are  quite  distinct  in  the  field 
below  the  house.  A  Roman  causeway,  leading  from  Rochester, 
Redewater,  passes  through  a  portion  of  the  camp.  In  the 
deep  ravine  close  to  the  house,  where  the  Dove  Crag  burn 
tumbles  and  tosses  in  a  series  of  waterfalls,  there  is  a  cave-like 
recess,  underneath  a  huge  overhanging  rock,  known  as  "  Rob 
Roy's  Cave."  The  cavern  is  only  accessible  b\-  a  very  narrow 
path  along  the  face  of  the  rock,  other  means  of  ingress  being 
entirely  closed  by  the  lofty  cliffs  overhead.  At  its  source  two 
miles  up  the  moors,  the -stream  has  a  fall  of  some  twenty-five 
feet  over  a  sandstone  rock.  This  rock  is  called  the  "  Dove 
Crag,"  which  in  .some  parts  rises  to  a  height  of  fifty  or  sixty 
feet.     The  situation  and  surroundings  of  the  spot  are  delight- 


6  1>. 


Proc.  Soc.  Antiqs..  Newcastle,  vol.  iv. ,  p.  293. 


HOLYSTONE.  28 1 

fully  secluded,  the  nearest  dwelling  being  the  shepherd's  house 
at  Harbottle  Craig.  In  days  gone  b}',  this  was  reputed  to  be 
one  of  the  favourite  haunts  of  the  Fairies,  and  stories  were 
told  by  the  country  folk  of  belated  travellers  when  near  the 
spot  at  the  "witching  time  of  night"  having  been  spell-bound 
bv  the  sweet  entranciniz  music  of  the  little  elves,  while  in  the 
midst  of  their  midnight  revels  at  the  foot  of  the  Dove  Crag. 
Short!}-  after  leaving  the  rock,  the  burn  enters  a  long  winding 
and  thickly  wooded  glen,  which  terminates  in  Campville 
ravine.  Its  banks  on  both  sides  are  covered  with  a  dense 
growth  of  wild  flowers  and  ferns,  while  on  the  moors  above 
the  glen,  the  sweet-scented  Bog  Myrtle,  Petty  Whin,  Cow 
Wheat  grow  in  abundance,  with  here  and  there  the  dark  green 
of  the  Juniper,  conspicuous  amongst  the  other  shrubs.  Some 
of  the  other  plants  found  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Holystone 
are  the  Trientalis  Europan — with  its  lovely  star-like  flowers, 
Myrica — the  flea-wood  of  the  Northumbrian  housewife.  Bog 
Asphodel,  Grass  of  Parnassus,  and  the  two  insectivorous  plants 
Butterwort  and  Sundew,  while  in  an  old  pasture  on  the 
ramparts  of  a  pre-historic  camp  the  Sweet  Scented  Orchis 
Gyinnadoiia  and  the  White  Butterfl\-  Orchis  are  found  amid 
a  fine  show  of  Wood  Betony.  In  the  ravine  below,  the  Oak 
and  l^ecch  I^'erns,  the  melanchol)-  Plume-thistle,  and  Marsh 
Valerian,  Honeysuckle,  and  the  brilliant  blooms  of  the  Wood 
Cranesbill — Geranium  Sylvaliaiiii — are  seen  in  endless  pro- 
fusion. Amongst  the  gravel  in  the  bed  of  the  Coquet  we 
find  the  Yellow  Mimulus,  Reseda  luteola,  J7eia  lathyroides, 
and  on  the  banks  are  Saxifraga  granulata,  Covianini  paluslrc, 
Pyrola  media.  Musk  Mallow,  and  Sweet  Cicel}'. 

"  \  llowcr  is  nol  a  tlnwcr  al(jnc, 
A  thousand  thou^hls  imot  it." 

West  of  llcjlystone  a  wild  and  mountainous  tiTict  of  moor- 
land extends  for  miles,  u])  towards  Rcdesdale,  while  to  the 
east  and  north-cast  lies  a  fertile  stretch  of  country  dotted  with 
cheerful  hamlets  and   farmhouses,  the  landscape  intersjjersed 


282 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


with  beautiful  bits  of  woodland.  The  objects  of  interest 
around  Holystone  being  numerous,  combined  with  pure 
bracing  air.  wild  hill  scenery,  and  fishing  in  the  Coquet,  a 
delightful  holiday  can  be  spent  at  this  little  out-of-the-world 
village.  Excellent  accommodation  is  to  be  had  at  that  snug 
hostelry,  the  "Salmon  Inn,"  where  the  comfort  of  the  visitor 
is  well  cared  for  by  the  present  host  and  hostess.  The  mill 
race- — the  pride  of  the  villagers — is  a  copious  runnell  of  fine 
clear  water  which  passes  through  Holystone,  and  is  the  motor 
power  for  the  wheel  of  the  corn  mill  at  the  entrance  to  the 
village. 


7"    ^'V^'T" 


During  the  early  part  of  the  last  century  there  were  from 
twenty  to  thirty  houses  in  Holystone,  with  a  population  of 
i8o;  whereas  to-day  there  is  only  half  that  number  of  dwell- 
ing houses,  and  the  population  of  the  township  has  dwindled 
down  to  8 1.  The  houses  were  all  thatched,  and  consisted  of 
one  floor  divided  into  two  apartments  by  "  box  beds,"  with 
sliding  doors,  in  which  the  villager  of  that  day  enjoyed 
"Tir'd  nature's  sweet  restorer"  on  a  "calf  bed,"7  amid  home- 
spun blankets,  the  cow  being  housed  in  the  entry,  under- 
neath the  same  roof.  Yet,  as  a  rule,  even  under  these — what 
we  would  now  consider  most  unsanitary— conditions,  the  fore- 
fathers of  the  hamlet  enjoyed  good  health  and  lived  to  a  long 

^Calf  beds— Ticks  filled  with  oat  chaff. 


HOLYSTONE.  283 

age.  Some  years  ago  there  were  fi\e  persons  living  in  the 
village  whose  united  ages  amounted  to  410  }-ears.  At  that 
time  the  residents  spoke  of  the  streets  and  squares  of  their 
little  village— "The  Wynds,"  "The  Opens,"  "Silver  Street," 
"  Donald.son's  Square,"  "  The  Rise,"  "  Burn  Side  Raw,"  and 
the  "  Qua}-,"  and  were  wont  to  speak  of  "  up  the  toon  "  and 
"doon  the  toon."  The  names  of  some  of  the  inhabitants  in 
1828  were: — Joseph  Byatt,  \-ictualler,  Letters;  Robt.  Hunter, 
blacksmith;  Robert  Hunter,  schoolmaster  ;  Joseph  Oliver,  corn 
miller.  There  were  also  tailors,  shoemakers,  weavers,  masons, 
joiners,  and  besom  makers.  Joseph  B\'att  was  also  a  webster 
and  dyer.  It  is  told  of  him  how  one  day,  when  he  had  the 
dye-pot  on,  someone  inquired  what  colour  he  was  d\-ing,  old 
Joe  said  :  "  He  intended  it  for  a  greenT 

Population  of  Holystone,  1 80 1  to  1901. 

1801  — 125.      1811— 136.      1821  — 182.      1831  — 124. 

1841  — 125.      1851  — 135.      1861  — 125.      1871  — 127. 

1881  — 122.      1891 — 91.      1901 — 81. 

Of  course,  Holystone  had  its  characters,  as  ever}'  other 
village  had  in  those  quieter  times.  One  of  those  quaint  old 
characters,  Xed  Allan,  was  a  weaver,  an  industry  now  quite 
extinct.  Xed  was  cousin  to  the  notorious  Jamie  Allan,  some 
time  piper  to  the  Duke  of  Xorthumberland. 

I-'rom  all  accounts,  otter  huntin;^  and  fishin";  were  more 
congenial  to  the  old  man's  tastes  than  sitting  at  the  loom, 
or  being  engaged  in  work  of  an\-  kind.  On  one  occasion 
Mr.  Snowdon,  of  1^'arnham — a  farm  opposite  Holystone — went 
to  .seek  Xed  to  assist  him  during  harvest.  Xed's  reply  to 
Mr.  Snowdon  was:  "Ye  should  saw  nc  mair  nfjr  ye  can  shear. 
A'll  help  nane  o'  \'e."  Ver)'  earlx-  one  winter's  morning,  Xed 
set  off  for  Harbottlc,  a  \illage  about  two  nn'K-s  distant  from 
Holystone,  .'\rri\ing  there,  he  called  up  Toinm\-  (dmmon, 
the  landlord  of  tlic  .Ship  Inn,  who,  astonished  to  see  his  friend 
at  such   an    untimely  hour,  en(|uired :  "What's  fetched  )e  here 


284  UPPER   COQUKTDALE. 

se  siine,  Ned?"  "Sunc,"  sa\^s  Ned.  "A'  the  witter  i'  the 
Htillysteyn  wuniia  m\'ek  a  crowdie  th'  smornin'."  It  was  the 
oatmeal  Ned  wanted — not  the  water. 

Blackwood's  Magazine,  May,  1820,  contains  a  racy  article 
on  "FK'-r^ishing  in  Northumberland,"  in  which  this  well  known 

character  is  thus  described  : — "  As   R was  slipping  on 

the  last  leather  which  bound  together  the  pieces  of  his 
rod,  we  were  approached  by  some  one  \\ith  rod  and  pannier, 
apparently  bent  upon  the  same  sport  that  we  had  been.  He 
was  an  old  man,  but  his  firm  step,  amongst  the  loose  shingles, 
sun-burnt  face,  and  distinct  \'oice,  proved  that  his  strength 
was  not  in  accordance  with  his  years. 

"  A  stalwart  Tinkler  wight  was  he, 
That  weel  could  mend  a  pot  or  pan, 
An'  deftly  Wull  could  thraw  a  flee. 
An'  neatly   weave  the   willow  wan/' 

Lay  of  the  Keedivatcr  Minstrel. 

He  was  in  clogs,  coarse  grey  jacket,  and  flapped  hat.  It 
was  Ned  Allan  the  weaver,  a  namesake  of  the  Wull  alluded 
to  in  the  stanza.  'Guid  da}^  to  ye.  Gentlemen.'  'Good  day, 
what  sport?'  'I've  deun  ga\' cannih^  the  afterneun,' (opening 
his  pannier).  'So  have  we;  we're  going  down  to  Harbottle.' 
'Surely.  Ye'll  be  stoppin'  at  Tommy  Commons,  I  reckon?' 
'Yes,  and  if  you  stop  there,  you  shall  not  want  a  glass  after 
your  day's  work.  What  sort  of  fishing  is  there  between  this 
and  Rothbury?  We  fish  down  to-morrow.'  'Thank  ye, 
kindly.  Ye  maun  begin  belo\\'  the  Squire's  Preserve,  ye  ken, 
and  fish  down  by  Halystaen,  and  there  away,  an'  I  warrand 
ye'll  come  on  gaily.' 

Having  supplied  Ned  with  some  silk-worm  gut,  we  left 
him,  and  made  the  best  of  our  way  to  a  late  dinner.  This  old 
man  was,  in  his  day,  famous  for  being  the  most  expert  eel- 
spearer  of  all  Coquetdale.  It  was,  as  1  have  often  heard,  a 
treat  to  see  the  admirable  skill  with  which  he  struck,  and  the 
still  more  surprising  encrg}-  with  which  he  followed  up  an 
unsuccessful  blow.     Once,  in  the  very  tempest  and  whirlwind 


HOLYSTONE. 


285: 


of  his  passion,  pursuinLj  a  large  eel  clown  a  pool,  he  fairly 
levelled  with  the  ground,  or  rather  water,  an  old  acquaintance, 
who  had  not  got  out  of  the  wa\-  in  time.  Luckily,  however,, 
the  leg  was  not  touched  b\-  the  points  of  the  fivc-tacd  leister, 
which  Allan  was  flourishing  and  launching  with  incredil)le 
activity.  '  Linn\-  W'unters!  ye  sud  steud  farther  aff,  man!' 
was  all  he  said,  in  his  rapid,  smothered  voice,  still  following  up 
the  devoted  eel." 

When  Ned  died  the  following  epitaph  was  written  by  the 
village  schoolmaster  and  poet,  Robert  Hunter,  but  no  tomb- 
stone was  ever  erected  to  this  old  Holystone  character,  there- 
fore the  epitaph  was  never  cut  in  stone,  and  only  lingers  in 
the  memories  of  a  few  persons  in  the  localit}', 

"  Here  lies  old  Ned  in  his  cold  bed, 

For  hunting  otters  famed, 
A  faithful  friend  lies  by  his  side, 

And  "  Tug'eni  "  he  was  named. 
Sport  and  rejoice  ye  finny  tribes 

That  glide  in  Coquet  river, 
Your  deadly  foe  no  more  you'll  see 

For  he  is  gone  for  ever. 

The  amphibious  otter  now  secure, 

Ovi  Coquet's  peaceful  shore, 
May  roam  at  large  for  Ned  and  Tug 

\Yill  never  harm  him  more. 
Uji  Swindon  burn  he  may  return. 

When  salmon  time  comes  on  ; 
For  pcor  old  Ned  in  his  cold  bed, 

Sleeps  sound  at  Holystone." 


286  UIM'ER    CO()UETDALE. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

WOODirOUSES   AND    HAREHAUGH. 

Moorland  Drive — Dews  Hill — Beacon  (Irange — Woodhouses  Pele — Protection 
against  Redesdale  Men — Initials  on  Doorhead,  1602 — •"  Hareclewgh  "  the 
tower  of  Roger  Hangingshaw,  154 1  —  Restored  by  the  Potte  family,  1602 — 
Woodhouses  in  1604 — Its  "Customary  Tenants" — Curious  Tenure — Sir  Edwd. 
Widdrington  owner,  1663 — Other  Owners,  1710-15-21 — James  Allan,  the 
Duke's  Piper  born  at  Woodhouses — Harehaugh— Owners  1568-1710-15-21  — 
Present  owner  Sir  John  W.  B.  Riddcll,  Bart.,  of  Hepple — Bishop  of  Whit- 
herne  consecrated  at  Harehaugh,  79c — Football,  Cockfighting,  and  frays  at 
Harehaugh  between  Redesdale  and  Coquetdale  Men — Extract  from  the  Lay 
of  the  Reedwater  Minstrel. 

LEAVING  Holystone,  with  its  historical  associations  and 
traditions,  a  pleasant  moorland  drive  across  the  common 
by  way  of  Dews  Hill,  Woodhouses — now  "Beacon  Grange" 
— and  Harehaugh,  brings  us  to  the  extreme  southern  boundary 
of  the  parish  of  Alwinton-cum-Holystone.  Dews  Hill  is  seen 
on  the  right  with  its  fine  belt  of  natural  wood  sloping  down 
to  the  river  on  the  left,  the  green  fields  of  Wreigh  Hill  and 
West  Hepple  rising  on  the  opposite  banks. 

"The  mellow  thrush,  frae  Dews-hill  wood, 
Proclaims  the  dawn  of  day. 
And  to  the  Coquet's  crystal  flood 
The  fisher  wends  his  way." 

— Coquetdale  Fis/iiiar  Song,  1821. 

Beacon  Grange,  the  summer  residence  of  its  owner,  Mr. 
F.  W.  Rich,  stands  on  a  picturesque  spot  at  the  base  of  the 
Beacon  hill,  from  which  it  derives  its  latest  name.  A  short 
distance  to  the  west  of  the  modern  mansion,  the  interesting 
remains  of  Woodhouses  pele,  the  "Hareclewgh"  of  1541, 
stands  out  prominently  in  the  landscape. 

This  relic  of  domestic  architecture,  of  which  we  give  a 
sketch  on  the  next  page,  as  it  appeared  in  1886,  belongs  to  a 


WOODHOUSES    AND    HAREHAUC^H. 


287 


class  found  on  the  borders,  perhaps  most  numerous  along  the 
fringe  of  the  Cheviot  hills,  and  presents  to  us  a  substantial 
memento  of  those  turbulent  days  in  which  our  sturdy,  hard 
headed  ancestors  fought  and  flourished — 

"  Those  clays  of  yore,  before  the  birth  of  order, 
WTien  rapine  was  the  warden  of  the  Border, 
When  will  was  law,  craft  wisdom,  and  strength  right, 
And  the  best  plea  for  doing  wrong  was  might : 
Those  good  old  times  the  poets  loved  to  paint. 
When  whip-cord  and  cold  water  made  a  saint." 

Woodhouses   pele   is   probably  the    latest   erection    of  its 
kind     in    Coquetdale,    and    belongs    to    a    class    of   fortified 


dwellings,  sometimes  called  bastlc  houses,  which  two  or  three 
centuries  ago  were  indispensable  to  the  safet\'  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  borders,  but  scarcely  so  large  and  stately  as  the 
pele  towers  of  Whitton,  Cartington,  Hepple,  and  Klsdon.  it 
forms  the  first  of  a  range  that  stretches  up  the  fells  towards 
Redesdalc,  the  other  pelcs  being  the  Craig,  the  Raw,  High 
Shaw,  and  Iron  Mouse,  all  of  which  are  in  the  jjarish  of  I'Llsdon. 


288  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

These  were  evidently  erected  for  defence  against  the  men  of 
Redesdale  and  Xt)rth  Tyne,  as  much  as  against  our  friends 
across  the  border.  Even  as  late  as  1645,  we  are  told  b\-  a 
letter  from  Sir  Henr\-  Vane  to  Sir  Thos.  Widdrington.  that 
"  Gilbert  Swinhoe  and  the  Laird  of  Graden  endeavoured  to 
raise  the  moss  troopers  or  thieves  of  Tynedale  and  Redesdale 
to  join  with  the  Rebels  of  Scotland."^ 

Although  the  date  cut  on  the 
door-head  is  1602,  the  founda- 
tions of  this  pele  were  laid 
perhaps  a  century  before.  The 
term  Woodhouses  is,  comparatively  speaking,  a  new  one.  The 
first  mention  we  have  of  it  is  in  1568,  the  name  also  occurs  in 
a  document  dated  1604,  two  years  later  than  the  door-head. 
There  are  two  lists  extant  of  our  border  towers,  well  known  to 
the  antiquary,  one  drawn  up  in  141 5,  the  other  in  1541.  The 
fortresses  of  Biddleston,  Farnham,  Hepple,  Whitton,  Cartington 
and  Thropton,  are  recorded  in  that  of  141 5,  but  it  is  not  until 
the  list  of  1 541  that  we  find  our  pele  thus  described  : — "At  a 
place  called  the  hare  clewgh  one  Rog'  hangingeshawes  hath 
latel}^  buylded  upon  his  owne  Inherytance  a  stronge  pele 
house  of  stone  in  a  convenyent  place  for  resystence  of  the 
Incourse  of  theeves  of  Ryddesdale,  and  he  ys  not  able  in 
defaulte  of  substance  to  p'forme  &  fynyshe  the  same."  There- 
fore it  would  appear  that  this  pele,  or  "  stone  pile  "  as  it  is  also 
termed,  la\'  in  the  condition  Roger  Hangingshaws  left  it  until 
the  year  1602,  when  it  was  completed  by  a  family  named 
Potte,  whose  initials  we  find,  along  with  the  date,  cut  on  a 
stone  over  the  doorway.  This  stone  certainly  does  not  appear 
to  have  been  part  of  the  original  building ;  probably  it  was 
inserted  by  the  Potte  family  when  in  1602  they  finished  the 
building.  In  a  "  Survey  of  Border  Latids  in  160^"  Wood- 
houses  consisted  of  four  houses,  two  outhouses,  and  eighty-two 
acres  of  land,  the  whole  of  which  was  held  by  five  persons  for  the 

^  Portland  Papers,  vol.  i.  (Hist.  MSS.  Comm.  Rep.),  p.  273. 


WOODHOUSES   AND    HAREHAUGff. 


289 


annual  sum  of  forty  shillings.^  One  of  the  five  was  a  William 
Potte,  whose  initials  are  those  on  the  door-head.  In  161 8,  in 
the  "  Rentall  of  the  Lordship  of  Harbottle"  for  "  Linterne 
Heugh,  Barthol.  Pott  paid  xx</.,  Thomas  Pott  xx^/..  Andrew 
Pott  xxrt'.,  Sum  VJ-.3  \Voodhou.ses,  Heme  house  (Iron  house), 
the  Rowe,  Panchford,  Herdlawe,  Gresleies,  Headshope  and  the 
Crage,  all  being  part  of  the  manor  of  Harbottle,  were  held 
at  that  period  by  "  Customary  Tenants  "  where  "  the  tenement 
after  the  death  of  the  Tennant,  is  parted  equally  among  his 
sonnes,  bee  they  never  so  manye,  both  rente  and  farme." 
The  tenants  owe  their  service  to  Harbottle  castle  to  bee 
commaunded  b\'  the  Captain  there  for  his  Ma^^  Service,  to 
serve  in  field  either  on  horse  or  foote  for  the  defence  of  the 
Border  land.  They  soe,  reape,  and  moae  each  man  his 
knowne  ground,  and  after  the  first  crope  the}-  eate  all  in 
common  w^^out  either  st\-nt  or  number."4    In  1663,  Sir  Edward 


=  Extract  from  Survey  of  Border  Lands,  1604.     Edited  by  Roundell  Palmer 

Sanderson,  1891  :  — 

i^«"'-  d*l":'e 

(^uantitie  of  Groimcle. 

Customary  Tenants. 

H0LLI.ST0.SE8   P.\RRISIIE. 

m 

Si 

Titles. 

Di„««o                    Tenants' 
P'^^^^s-                    Names. 

CO 

u 

0 

0 

5 

3 

Mead- 
ew. 

Arr- 
able. 

Pas- 
ture. 

Totall. 

li.    s.    d. 

X    0 

acr.  ro. 

acr.  ro, 

acr.ro.|acr 

ro. 

■  John  Chater,  senior 

0 

7 

6 

1 

•• 

2 

0 

2 

2 

by  .\nibrose 
his  father. 

John  Chater,  junior 

0 

10 

10 

1 

1 

3 

0 

4 

0 

by  (ieortfe 
his  father. 

Woode 

William  i'otte 

0 

10 

0 

1 

2 

0 

4 

0 

bv  Aiilhoriv 

Houses. 

bis  father 

Andrew  Charter  — 

(J 

8 

4 

1 

1 

2 

0 

3 

2 

by  Cutbberl 
his  father. 

John  Hcdiey 

0 

3 

4 

1 

0 

2 

0 

by  Itobert 

b 

his  father. 

Stimma .... 

2 

0 

0 

4 

2 

10 

0 

16  1  0  1  66  1  0 

82 

0 

Pratc8  Croftc 

..William  Hall 

0 

2 

0 

•• 

•• 

• 

. .  j  . .  1  20  i  0 

20 

0 

by  discent. 

^Arch.  Ael.   II.   (o.   s.)  330.      Here  wl-  identify  llic  initials  cut  mi  llic  door- 
head  :  — 

W.I'.        William  Potte,  Woodhouses. 
P.. I'.         FJarlholonicw  J'oUc,  Laiitern.sidc. 
T.\.M.     Tlioma.s  Potlc,  Lanlernsidc. 
*'This  appears  to  have  been  an  ancient  form  of  tenure  |)eculiar  to  the  manor 
of  Harbottle,  not  at  all  common  in  the  north  of  Iln^jland. 


19 


^90 


UIM'ER   CO(}UETDALE. 


Widdrintrton  of  Cartin<Tton  was  the  owner  of  Woodhouse,  the 
rental  then  was  i^20.  In  1710,  Nicholas  Robson  is  the 
owner ;  in  1 72 1  Geo.  Chatter  (Charter) ;  and  Capt.  Wm. 
Charters  in  1734.  Roughly  speaking  the  pele  is  an  oblong 
of  35  feet  east  and  west,  by  28  feet  north  and  south,  and   is 


..^^:-v^«?»wAk,. 


:y- 


^  )9oo 

built  about  300  yards  from  the  river  Coquet,  on  ground 
which  slopes  considerably  from  N.W.  to  S.E.  and  presents 
a  picturesque  appearance,  its  walls  of  freestone  ashlar  work 
being  beautifully  tinted  with  hues  that  age  alone  can  pro- 
duce. The  walls  at  the  basement  are  5  feet  in  thickness 
and    about    22    feet    high    to    the    eaves,   the   steep   pitched 


WOODHOUSES  AND  HAREHAUGH. 


291 


roof,  which  of  late  }'ear.s  was  thatched  with  heather,  would 
originally  be  covered  with  grey  stone  slates  fastened  in  the 
usual  way  with  sheep  shank  bones.  The  basement  has  a 
barrel  arched  roof,  and  in  the  south-east  corner  are  the 
remains  of  a  winding  staircase  leading  to  the  upper  apartment 
'which  was  lighted  b\-  the  small  windows  seen  in  the  south  wall 
and   in   the  gable.     The  windows  in   the  upper  chamber  are 


small,  clecjjl}' si)la)'ed  on  the  inside,  aiul  ha\c  been  protected 
by  stout  iron  bars.  The  accompanxing  sketch  shews  the 
smallest  of  the  windows  on  the  south  wall,  also  a  sink  or 
drain  for  domestic  {purposes;  tlic  wall  on  tlic  inside,  as  will  be 
seen  in  the  plate,  shews  the  effect  of  the  water.  The  window 
opening  is  16  inches  by  iS'4  indies,  'j'hc  only  original  door- 
way, of  which  we  give  a  sketch,  is  in  the  east  gable.  The 
square  S(;ckcts  are  yet  seen   in   the  walls  on  each  side  where 


292  UrrER   COQUETDALE. 

the  (Kiken  bar  was  placed  to  secure  the  entrance.     The  door- 
\va\-  is  5  feet  6  inches  hig-h  by  2  feet  8  inches  wide. 

Woodhouses  was  the  birth  place  of  the  notorious  "  Jimmy  . 
Allan,  the  Duke's  piper,"  who  died  in  Durham  house  of  cor- 
rection   in     i8io,    where    he    was    lying    under    sentence    of 
transportation  for  life  for  horse  stealing. 

The  road  from  Woodhouses  to  Harehaugh  winds  through 
a  romantic  dene,  lovely  in  its  wildness,  the  steeps  of  Hare- 
haugh hill  rising  abruptly  on  the  right,  the  summit  of  which 
is  crowned  by  a  pre-historic  camp  already  dealt  with,  as  well 
as  the  "  Five  Kings  "  on  Woodhouses  Beacon,  in  a  preceding 
chapter  on  the  British  period. 

Harehaugh,  now  a  farmhouse  standing  on  the  eastern  ridge 
of  the  hill,  is  in  the  occupation  of  Mr.  John  Clark,  than  whom 
none  is  better  versed  in  the  lore  of  Upper  Coquet. 

In  1568,  John  Hall  held  the  freehold  of  Harehaugh, 
Jerrard  Handiside  and  Roger  Handiside  were  the  owners  of 
Harehaugh  in  1710-15  ;  in  172 1  it  was  Jeremiah  Handyside.5 
General  Handyside,  whose  name  figures  in  Tristram  S/iancfy^ 
is  said  to  have  been  born  at  Harehaugh.  Harehaugh  is  now 
the  property  of  Sir  John  W.  B.  Riddell,  Bart.,  of  Hepple. 

This  remote  place  has  also  played  its  part  in  the  history 
of  the  vale.  We  are  told  that  "  Hexham  was  not  the  only 
Northumbrian  bishopric  that  disappeared  at  this  period  • 
Baldwulf,  Bishop  of  W'hitherne,  consecrated  at  Harehaugh 
on  the  Coquet,  in  790,  is  last  mentioned  in  803,  when  he 
assisted  at  the  consecration  of  Egbert  of  Lindisfarne  at 
Bywell."6 

Harehaugh  was  also  the  spot  where,  during  the  eighteenth 
centur)',  the  men  of  Rede  and  Coquet  played  their  football 
matches,  and  not  onl\'  held  their  cock-fights,  but  fought  their 
own  battles  as  well. 

"  In  former  days  the  inhabitants  of  Reedsdale  and  Coquet- 

5  County  Poll  Books. 

*  Hist,  of  Northumberland  (C.  J.  Bates),  p.  86. 


WOODHOUSES   AND   HAREHAUGH.  293 

side  entertained  an  antipath}'  to  each  other,  which,  when  the 
parties  happened  to  meet  at  a  race  or  cock-fight,  was  generally 
productive  of  dissension.  Their  only  offensive  weapons,  how- 
ever, being  fists  and  cudgels,  those  quarrels,  tho'  very  fruitful 
in  broken  pates  and  bruises,  seldom  proved  of  more  serious 
consequence  to  any  of  the  combatants.  The  battle  alluded  to 
below  was  fought  at  a  Cocking  on  the  Hare-haugh,  close  by 
the  stream  of  Coquet ;  where  the  Sons  of  Reed,  led  on  by  two 
champions  of  herculean  strength  and  stature,  named  Percival 
and  Alexander  Hall,  attacked  the  Coquetoj's,  and,  after  a 
desperate  and  bloody  conflict,  obtained  a  decisive  victory, 
numbers  of  the  routed  and  flying  enem}'  being,  in  their  panic, 
driven  into  the  river  to  avoid  the  vengeance  and  fury  of  the 
conquerors." 

"  The  feudal  frays  of  former  ilays, 
The  Minstrelsy  shall  tell, 
How  on  the  Hare-haitgli' s  bloody  plai)i. 
The  Pride  of  Coquet  fell. 

When  (loui^hly  Pane  and  Ellkk  Ha\ 

The  heroes  of  the  Reed, 
In  battle  stout  the  foe  did  rout, 

Wi'  iiiony  a  broken  head. 

Dire  was  the  clattering  cudgels'  thud, 

When  frae  the  Keedsdale  clan 
The  foe,  ]5ursued  thro'  Coquet's  flood, 

In  wild  disorder  ran." 

The  Lay  of  the  Needwater  Minstrel,  i8og. 

Field  Names. 

HOLV.STONE. —  Hobbies'  liank,  Wilkins'  Cio.se,  Cold  Park, 
Haremoor  Law,  Cocklaw  liush,  .Mill  ("lose,  I'la\-  Well,  Cat 
Law,  Daws  Moss,  Pedlars'  Stone,  Mungo's  Well. 

Dew.s  1 1  HI..-  The  Riding,  Tatty  Lee,  Rocky's  Wood,  Old 
Founds,  Hawk's-Xest  Wood,  Stell  Wood. 

Woodiiou.SES. — Tofl  Law,  Park  Head,  Piper  .Shaws, 
Kingshope  Burn  ^now  Keenshaw;,  The  Long  Chirn  (rocks), 
Killbuck  fa  hou.se  in  ruins,  burnt  down  in  1S35.     ,\  collie  dog, 


294 


uiM'KR  C()()r i:ti)AI.k. 


whose  IcMit;  hair  haviiii;"  been  ignited  by  a  spark  from  the  fire 
when  W'uv^  on  the  hearth,  in  its  friqht  ran  beneath  the  bed, 
thus  setting  the  house  on  tire.  W'ni.  Laicller  was  the  name  of 
tl\e  occupant  at  the  time  .  The  Beacon,  The  Five  Kings 
(standing  stones),  The  \icd  Hurn,  Birchy  Pool.  (From  plan 
dated  1753.) 


i;\I)    OK    ALWINTON    TARISII. 


HKIM'LK.  295 


R  O  T  H  B  U  R  \'     PARISH 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

IIKIM'LE. 

The  Haiony  of  Ilepple — lis  I-ands  and  Manors — Early  Owners — Dc  Ilepple — 
Tailbois — Ogle — Lord  Oxford — Duke  of  Portland — Kiddell  —  Hepple  Tower, 
I415-1509-1541  —  Proof  of  Age — Walter  Tailbois,  1372 — Taken  Prisoner  by 
Scots  —  Oallows  at  Ilepple — Robert  Snowdon,  renowned  swordsman — 
Riddells,  an  ancient  family — Whitefield  House — Charming  moorland  scenery 
—Sir  T-  W.  H.  Riddell,  Bart. —Woodside —The  Keyheugh  — Mountain 
Streams — Named  Rocks — Swindon  — (Jliver  Proudlock — Badger  Inn — John 
Wilson — Swing  P.ridge,  1826 — New  Bridge,  1873 — Elegy  on  a  Tree — 
Tinkers  burnt  o\it  at  Swindon,  1792 — Late  Owners  of  Ilepple — West  Hepple 
P'arm — Wm.  Wilson,  1814 — Jas.  R.  Storer,  1828 — James  Howey,  1881 — Mr. 
John  Howey,  1903 — Eield  Names — Population  —  Hepjile  \'illage- Its  Church 
— Parsonage— Schools  and  Post  Ofifice — Mr.  John  Clark — Ancient  Chapel 
on  Kirk  Hill  removed,  1760. 

IN  early  times  the  important  Barony  of  Hepple  consisted  of 
the  Manors  of  Hepple  and  Bickerton,  the  vills  of  Great 
Tosson,  Little  Tosson,  Motterton,  and  W'arton,  with  lands  in 
F"allowlees  and  Trewhitt.  After  the  marriaj^e  of  Sir  Henry 
Tailbois,  of  Hepple,  and  Alianora  de  JJurradon,  the  extent  of 
the  barony  was  j^reatly  increased  by  Alianora's  portion  of  her 
father's  possessions  for,  in  1369,  besides  the  above-mentioned 
manors,  ue  find  Henr>'  Tailbois  and  his  wife  .Alianora  to  have 
held  lands  in  Sharperton,  Sheepbank,  Fo.xton,  and  New  hall. ^ 
The  HeiJi^le  estate  of  to-day  is  on  the  western  confines  of 
the  parish  of  Rothbur)',  and  occupies  one  of  the  most  charming 
corners  in  Upjjer  Coquetdale.  It  also  has  an  interestini^^  history 
which  we  shall  endeavour  to  lay  before  our  readers. 

'  \\iA\:fi<m\  Northii»if>er/aii(l,  ])art  iii.  i.,  p.  5- 


296  ui'i'KR  C()(,)l:i-;ti)ALE. 

Hepple  has  ever  been  the  most  important  lordship  in  the 
parish   of  Rothbur>-.     As  early  as  1265,  in  the  account  of  the 
cornage-  of  the  County,  rendered   at  the  P^xchequer  in  the 
49  Henry   II.,    we    find    that,  while  Rothbury    is    designated 
as    part    of  the    baron}-   of   Ralph    l^t/.    Roger,   Hepple   was 
described    as  "  de  baron>'  de  Heppedale,"  complete  in   itself, 
and  held  i)i  capitc,  that  is,  direct  from  the  King.      Its  lords 
also   posses.sed    capital    rights,   a    gallows,    the    power  of   life 
and  death,  an  assize  of  ale  and  bread,  and  other  privileges, 
which  are  not  found  to  have  been  held  b\-  another  manor  in 
the  parish,  excepting  the  lordship  oi  Rothbury  itself.     After 
passing  through  the  hands  of  the  de  Hepples,  the  knightly 
Tailbois,  the  Lords  Ogle,  the  Marquis  of  Newcastle,  the  Earl 
of  Oxford,  and  the  Dukes  of  Portland,  this  charming  estate, 
with    its    well-cultivated    farms,   watered    b}-    the    streams    of 
the  silvery  Coquet,  its  picturesque  mansions — Woodside  and 
W'hitefield — surrounded  by  heath-clad  moors,  and  guarded  by 
the  rugged  heights  of  Keyheugh  and  Darden,  with  the  ancient 
village  of  Hepple  itself,  is  now  in  the  possession  of  a  member 
of  the  oldest  family  in  the  north — Sir  John  Walter  Buchanan 
Riddell,  Bart. 

The  walls  of  the  strong  border  tower  of  the  lords  of 
Hepple,  still  stand  at  the  east  end  of  the  village— one  of 
those  sturdy  square  buildings,  whose  grim  grey  walls  form 
so  familiar  a  feature  in  our  Northumbrian  landscapes. 

The  first  notice  of  a  tower  at  Hepple  is  in  the  list  of  1415, 
where  it  is  described  as  the  tower  of  Sir  Robert  Ogle,3  one  of 
the  six  Border  towers  of  which  Sir  Robert  Ogle  was  the 
owner,  the  others  being  at  Sewinshields,  North  Middleton, 
Newstead,  Flotterton,  and  the  paternal  stronghold  of  the 
Ogles  at  Ogle.     Until  the  middle  o{  the  fifteenth  century  it 

^  "Comage,  or  castle-guard  rent  of  the  North  of  England,  was  originally  a 
payment  in  lieu  of  cattle,  and  called  in  England  horngehi  and  neatgeld,  cattle  tax, 
or  ox  lay. — Hodgson."     (Heslop.) 

3  Turris  de  Heppell.     Robti.  Ogle  Chlr.' 


a. 
a. 


5,1  "  "' 


■"^:. 


■f 


■''■Sl^%^**~'*:!^'' 


-f    ^'.f- 


•1- 


IIEPPLE.  297 

was  held  by  two  owners.  In  the  Pipe  Roll  of  1206,  the  Sheriff 
of  the  County  renders  an  account  of  the  King's  taxes 
collected  by  him  for  that  )'ear.  There  it  is  found  that 
William  Bardolph  and  Ivo  Tailbois  each  pa}-  fifty  shillings 
thenage  for  "  Hepedale  in  Cokedale."  Again,  in  1363,  Robert 
de  Ogle  holds  lands  in  Hepple,  and  near)}-  at  the  same  date 
Henry  Tailbois  and  his  wife  Alianora  had  lands  in  Hepple, 
and  in  1436  Sir  Walter  Tailbois  is  said  to  have  had  in  his  own 
right  the  Tailbois  moiety  of  the  baron_\-  of  Hepple,  but  owing 
to  the  ver\-  active  part  taken  b\'  the  next  owner  (Sir  William 
Tailbois)  during  the  War  of  the  Roses  he  was  beheaded  at 
Newcastle,  and  his  estates  confiscated.  It  was  probabl)-  then 
that  the  Tailbois  moiety  of  Hepple  passed  into  the  hands  of 
the  Ogles,  the  other  half  being  already  in  pos.session  of  the 
family  b}'  the  marriage  in  1331  of  the  Hepple  heiress,  Jane  de 
Hepple,  to  Robert,  Lord  Ogle.  The  Tailbois  had  apparently 
lield  the  most  important  position  in  the  baron}-,  for,  early  in 
the  reign  of  Edward  I.,  Sir  Robert  Tailbois,  as  we  gather  from 
the  Hundred  Rolls,  had  the  right  to  erect  a  gallows,  and  had 
the  assize  of  ale  and  bread  within  the  barony.  A  trace  of  Sir 
Robert's  "furcas"  is  found  in  a  field  named  the  Gibbet-close, 
situated  beneath  a  knoll  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river 
Coquet.  I'\)llowing  upon  Sir  Robert  there  was  a  Luke 
Tailbois  4  in  13 17,  William  in  1338,  Henry  in  135 1,  and 
Walter  in  1372.  Of  the  latter  we  have  a  most  interesting 
note,  illustrative  fjf  the  maimers  and  customs  of  tho.se  days. 
At  that  period  the  heir  of  an  estate  could  not  enter  into 
pos.se.ssion  until  he  had  proved  himself  to  be  not  onl}-  the 
lawful  heir,  but  al.so  that  he  was  of  full  age.  Therefore,  proof 
•of  age  of  Walter,  .son  and  heir  of  Henry  Tailbois  of  Hepple, 
and  Alianora  of  Burradon,  was  taken  at  an  incjuisition  lu-Id  in 
Newcastle,  in    1372,  when  the  following  curious  tnidcnce  was 

*  Kfibcrt  (1l-  Hi-pjilc  iui.;  Luke  T;iill«)is  ^nuilcd  In  Xcwiniiislri  Alilic)-  right-of- 
way,  the  former  throufjh  all  hi.s  lands  in  Norlhnniherland,  and  ilic  l.iller  through 
his  lands  in  the  harony  of  Ilfjiple. — Newiiiiiisii-r  Cartulary,  y.  162,  163. 


298  Ul'I'KR    aJ(>)UKTl)ALE, 

o-iven: — "Robert  de  Louthre  deposed  that  the  said  Walter  was 
21  years  old  on  the  Feast  of  the  Purification  last  past;  that 
he  was  born  at  1  lephal  and  baptised  in  the  church  at  Routh- 
burw  He  recollected  the  day  because  he  was  a  god-father, 
lohn  de  Walington  recollected  the  da)'  because  he  had  a  son 
baptized  there  on  the  same  day.  John  Lawson  recollected 
the  day  because  he  had  a  son  buried  there  the  same  day." 

This  Sir  Walter  Tailbois,  in  the  execution  of  his  duties  as 
commissioner  in  the  defence  of  the  borders,  was  taken  prisoner 
b\-  the  Scots  in  a  border  raid.  Sir  Walter's  ransom  was 
effected  by  exchanging  a  Scottish  prisoner  named  Peter  of 
Crailing,  with  forty  quarters  of  malt  to  boot.  In  1509, 
shortly  after  Henry  VHI.  came  to  the  throne,  an  official  return 
was  made  of  all  the  towers  on  the  borders,  the  number  of  men 
in  each,  and  the  distance  from  Scotland.  Hepple  appears  in 
this  list  as  belonging  to  Lord  Ogle,  held  by  a  garrison  of 
twenty  men,  who  ccuild  be  relied  on  in  the  event  of  a  Scottish 
invasion. 

The  Border  Survey  o{  1541  thus  describes  Hepple: — "At 
Hephell  ys  a  toure  of  thinherytance  of  the  lorde  Ogle  decayed 
in  the  roofes  &  scarcely  in  good  repac'ons."5  Hepple  tower 
was  probably  built  about  the  middle  of  the  fourteenth  century,, 
shortly  after  the  marriage  of  Jane  de  Hepple  to  Robt.  Lord 
Ogle,  as  already  stated,  in  1331.  Previous  to  the  battle  of 
Neville's  Cross,  in  1346,  no  vassal  was  allowed  to  erect  a  tower 
or  fortify  his  mansion  without  a  special  licence  from  the  king,, 
for,  sheltered  behind  the  battlements  of  their  towers  and 
castles,  there  was  a  danger  of  the  great  landed  proprietors 
becoming  too  powerful.  ISut  after  the  devastation  of  North- 
umberland by  the  Scots  ow  their  way  through  the  two  counties 
of  Durham  and  Northumberland  in  1346,  the  Northumbrian 
landowners  were  not  only  allowed,  but  were  encouraged  hy 
the  king  to  erect  and  fortify  towers  on  their  estates  without 
any   licence   whatever.      Thus   a  strong  line  of  defence  was 


'^  Arch.  yJ-'Jiatia,  v(jl.  xiv.,  p.  44. 


HEPPLE.  299 

formed  against  their  northern  foes,  and  as  no  record  has  been 
found  of  a  h'cence  to  crenellate  Hepple  tower,  it  makes  it  more 
probable  that  Lord  Ogle's  tower  was  not  built  until  after 
Neville's  Cross.  Originall)-  the  tower  would  be  from  40  to  50 
feet  high,  the  usual  height  of  similar  border  towers,  surmounted 
by  a  battlement.  The  internal  dimensions  are  about  26  feet 
from  east  to  west,  17  feet  from  north  to  south,  walls  six  feet 
thick.  The  barrel-arched  vault  of  the  basement  "rises  to 
nearl}-  17  feet,  and  beneath  it  there  has  been  a  loft,  supported 
on  stone  corbels,  two  of  which  remain  in  the  western  angles. 
A  slit  for  light  at  the  west  end  is  set  in  a  round-arched  recess  of 
wide  spla\\  The  entrance  was  by  a  pointed  door  at  the  east 
end  of  the  south  wall.  The  holes  for  the  sliding  bar,  seven 
inches  square,  are  still  to  be  seen.  The  roof  of  the  passage 
between  this  outer  door  and  that  leading  into  the  vault  is 
pierced  by  a  incurtricreiK  loophole).  On  the  left,  a  straight  stair 
seems  to  have  gone  up  in  the  thickness  of  the  south  wall 
through  a  square-headed  door  now  built  up.  Be\'ond  a  small 
window  opening  in  the  west  wall,  the  first  flofjr  retains  no 
details  of  interest."^  The  internal  arrangements  of  the  tower 
have  evident!)-  consisted  of  two  floors  and  the  basement.  The 
latter  was  principally  used  for  the  purpose  of  storing  provisions 
for  winter  use.  Before  turnips  and  other  modern  feeding  stuffs 
had  been  introduced,  cattle  could  not  be  kept  and  fed  in 
any  great  numbers  during  the  winter  months.  Therefore,  the 
spare  sheep  and  o.xen  were  killed  and  salted  in  November,  and 
placed  in  the  vault  where  the  beef  would  be  in  safet)'  and 
ready  for  u.se.  Most  of  the  Border  raids  took  place  on  moon- 
light nights  during  the  months  of  .September,  October,  and 
November.  The  Border  reivers  "sought  the  beeves  that  made 
their  broth  "  while  the  cattle  were  still  roaming  the  lea,  and 
not  when  l>'ing  in  salt  within  the  walls  of  a  pele  tower. 

During  those  troublous  times  on  the  borderland,  life  and 
property  were  never  safe,  for  each  moon  brought  with  it  bands 

^  Arch.  j'ICliaiia.,  vol.  xiv.,  j).  396. 


300  UI'l'KR   COQUETDALE. 

of  ravagint^  mosstroopers.  The  frequency  of  such  little  border 
occurrences  is  well  put  b}-  Sir  Walter  Scott  in  The  Lay  of  the 
Last  Minstrel,  where  Wat  Tinlinn  of  Liddesdale  tells  the  Lady 
of  Branksome  of  the  approach  of  the  English  : — 

"They  crossed  the  Licldell  at  curfew  hour, 
And  Inirned  my  little  lonely  tower  ; 
The  fiend  receive  their  souls  therefore, 
It  had  not  been  ])urnt  this  year  and  more." 

"  Hepple  was  the  native  place  of  the  renowned  Robert 
Snowdon,  who,  in  his  sixteenth  }'ear,  fought  and  slew  John 
Grieve,  a  celebrated  Scotch  champion,  in  a  pitched  battle  with 
small  swords  upon  '  Gamble  Path,'  at  the  head  of  Coquet. 
This  circumstance  appears  to  have  taken  place  before  the 
Union — 1603.  This  Robert  Snowdon  had  a  black  horse  which 
he  greatl}'  prized.  It  was  one  night  stolen,  when  he,  accom- 
panied by  two  friends,  pursued  the  thief  to  the  Scottish 
bordeis,  where,  from  a  wretched  hovel,  his  voice  was  answered 
by  the  neighing  of  his  favourite,  on  which  the  unsuspecting 
Snowdon  dismounted  and  rushed  into  the  house,  but  while  in 
the  act  of  unloosing  his  horse,  he  was  run  through  the  body  by 
a  concealed  assassin.  The  family  of  the  Snowdons  were  all 
distinguished  for  their  intrepidity  and  dexterit)'  in  the  petty 
feuds  of  those  turbulent  times."7 

In  the  )'ear  1803,  the  Hepple  barony  was  sold  by  the 
Duke  of  Portland  to  Sir  John  Buchanan  Riddell,  Bart, 
of  Riddell  Water,  in  Roxburghshire.  Sir  John  Buchanan 
Riddell  died  in  18 19,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son.  Sir 
Walter  Buchanan  Riddell  who  died  in  1892,  when  his  nephew. 
Sir  John  Walter  Buchanan  Riddell,  the  present  owner,  became 
the  possessor  of  the  Hepple  estates.  Although  the  family 
has  only  been  on  the  south  side  of  the  border  for  little 
more  than  a  century,  yet  the  ancestral  tree  goes  back  into 
remote  history,  for  the  Riddell's  were  a  family  of  note  in 
Normandy  long  before  they  came  to  England.  In  1066  one 
7  Mackenzie's  Hisl.  Norlh/d.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  j6n. 


IIEPI'LK.  3or 

of  the  members,  Galfridus,  accompanied  William  the  Norman 
in  his  expedition  into  England  and  fought  under  his  banner 
at  the  battle  of  Hastings.  On  the  "Roll  of  Battle  Abbey" 
is  found  the  name  of  Ridel,  seigneur  of  More,  near  Rouen. 
After  the  conquest  members  of  this  illustrious  famih-  filled 
various  posts  of  honour  in  the  State.  During  the  reign  of 
Henr\-  I.,  Geoffre\'  Ridel  became  Great  Justiciary  of  England. 
From  1 1 39  to  1 152,  Gervasius  Ridel,  was  Steward  of  Henr}',. 
earl  of  Northumberland,  son  of  David,  king  of  Scotland  ;  and 
to  Walter  Ridel,  brother  of  Gerxasius,  king  Da\-id  gave 
or  confirmed  the  lands  of  "  Lillesclive "  on  Riddell  Water, 
and  Whitton  on  Kale  Water,  both  on  the  borders  of  Rox- 
burghshire, to  be  held  as  one  knight's  fee.  The  lands  thus 
granted  received  the  name  of  the  baron}-  of  Riddell.  Sir 
Walter  Scott,  in  The  Lay  of  the  Last  JMinstrel,  speaks  of 
"Ancient  Riddells  fair  domain,"  and  in  a  note  says:  "The 
famil}'  of  Riddell  ha\e  been  very  long  in  possession  of  the 
barony  of  Riddell  or  Ryedale,  part  of  which  still  bears  the 
latter's  name."^  Sir  John  Riddell  has  in  his  possession  three 
rare  and  curious  family  documents,  namely  three  papal  bulls 
of  popes  Adrian  IV.  and  Alexander  III.,  confirming  to  Sir 
John's  ancestors  the  estates  of  Lilliesleaf  and  Whitton.  "  To 
say  nothing  of  the  great  local  interest  that  attaches  to  these 
three  original  documents  of  the  twelfth  century  they  possess  a 
peculiar  value  as  examples  of  the  far-reaching  all  embracing 
power  of  the  medieval  papacy,"  as  evinced  in  the  fact  that  the 
title  to  property  in  Scotland  was  secured  by  no  less  than 
three  papal  confirmations.  The  first  is  a  bull  of  Adrian  IV. 
(Nicholas  Breakspeare,  the  onl\-  hjiglishman  who  has  ever 
yet  sat  in  the  chair  f)f  .St.  Pcterj,  addressed  from  Benevento 
on  the  ISth  of  April,  1156,  to  Anskilill  dc  Kidale.  The 
second  is  from  Pope  Alexander  III.,  dated  May  17th,  1165, 
also  addressed  to  the  knight  Anskitill  de  Ridale.     The  third 

"The  Riddell  arms  are,   Argent,    a  clievroii  joules  helween  Uiree  ears  of  rye. 
I'pr.  .sli|ipe(l  verl. 


302  UPPER   CO()UETDALE. 

is  also  from  pope  Alexander  III.  to  Walter  de  Ridale,  son  of 
Anskitill  de  Ridale,  confirming  to  him  Lilliesleaf,  Whitton, 
and  other  lands  of  his  father,  l^^ach  of  the  bulls  begin  in  the 
same  manner,  thus  : — "  Alexander  the  bishop  the  servant  of 
the  servants  of  God  to  his  beloved  son  the  knight  of  Anskitill 
de  Ridale,  greeting  and  apostolic  benediction,"  etc.  These 
.documents  derive  their  name  of  "  bull  "  from  the  leaden  seal 
or  token  attached  to  them,  and  called  in  Latin  bulla.9 

Whitefield  House,  the  residence  of  Sir  J.  W.  B.  Riddell, 
is  about  a  mile  to  the  south,  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river  Coquet,  from  the  village  of  Hepple,  and  stands  amidst 
the  wild  and  beautiful  scenery  of  those  heathery  moorlands 
that  stretch  along  the  northern  base  of  the  Simonside  hills. 
Sir  John  and  Lady  Riddell  take  a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare 
of  the  people  on  the  Hepple  estate,  their  hospitality  is  pro- 
verbial, and  they  are  ever  ready  to  promote  and  organize 
meetings— social  and  intellectual — in  the  picturesque  grounds 
of  their  Northumbrian  home.  Sir  John  Riddell  was  Sheriff 
•of  the  County  in  1897,  is  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  a  member 
of  the  District  and  County  Councils.  He  is  alsf)  a  Vice- 
President  of  the  English  Church  Union,  and  takes  a  leading 
part  in  educational  matters,  and  in  all  questions  relating  to 
the  Church  of  England,  of  which  he  is  an  ardent  member. 
He  is  a  Director  of  the  Ecclesiastical  F'ire  Office  and  of 
"  The  Pilot "  weekly  newspaper.  He  married  Sarah  Isabella, 
daughter  of  the  late  Robert  Wharton,  Esq.,  and  their  only 
son,  Walter  Robert,  is  a  Fellow  and  Lecturer  in  History  at 
Hertford  College,  Oxford,  and  a  keen  speaker  on  behalf  of 
unionist  politics. 

About  a  mile  over  the  moors  west  of  Whitefield,  Woodside, 
another  well  appointed  country  seat  belonging  to  the  Hepple 
estate,  is  met  with,  standing  in  a  secluded  and  picturesque 
situation  on  the  western  slopes  of  a  richly  wooded  hill,  over- 
looking a  peaceful  valley  watered  by  a  number  of  mountain 

"^  Arch.  yEliana.,  vol.  xii.,  p.  191. 


HEPPLE.  303 

streams,  and  enclosed  on  all  sides  b\-  rugged  hills,  forming 
one  of  the  finest  highland  landscapes  in  the  county.  Beyond, 
on  the  left,  lies  the  Ke}'heugh,  a  wild  inaccessible  spot,  the 
hiding  place  of  the  badger  and  the  fox,  and  the  nesting  place 
of  the  raven  and  the  falcon,  while  along  the  banks  of  the 
streams  the  otter  gambols  free  from  danger,  and  the  wily  adder 
basks  in  the  sunshine  on  the  warm  sandstone  rocks.  The 
Keyheugh  Scars,  formed  of  beetling  cliffs  of  gritty  sandstone, 
are  well  known  to  the  geologist,  for  here  are  found  boulders  of 
distant  origin.  Hugh  Miller,  in  his  Memoir,  sax's  : — "There 
appears  to  be  no  reason  wh}-  these  boulders,  though  decreasing 
in  number  and  lessening  in  size  as  we  pass  eastwards,  should 
not  be  found  here  and  there  throughout  the  whole  southern 
part  of  the  Map.  Except  in  one  case,  however,  they  have  not 
been  detected,  and  must  ha\e  almost  died  out.  The  single 
exception  is  at  the  west  end  of  the  Simonside  hills  in  that 
part  of  the  head  of  the  \alley  of  the  Darden  Burn  which  faces 
westward  at  fnjm  700  to  i  ,000  feet  of  elevation,  like  an  open 
cul-de-sac.  In  this  hollow  of  the  Fell  Sandstones  there  is  a 
small  sheet  of  shale-grey  till,  stuck  through  with  glaciated 
limestones,  ironstones,  &c.,  from  the  nearer  country,  and  a 
group  of  travelled  boulders  of  far  western  origin — some  Crifel 
granite,  numbers  of  Silurian  grits,  and  one  or  two  pieces  of 
fresh  red  sandstone,  certainly  from  the  St.  Bee's  group."  1° 

The  little  mountain  streams  spoken  of  are  Grasslees, 
Darden,  and  Keenshaw  burns,  who.se  united  waters,  after 
flowing  through  Woodside  park,  takes  the  name  of  Swindon 
burn.  At  the  entrance  gates  to  Woodside  a  neat  stone  bridge 
of  one  arch  is  seen  on  the  right,  known  in  the  locality  as  the 
"Coffee  Bridge."  it  was  built  in  i<S52,  and  dcri\es  this  name 
from  the  fact  of  the  workmen  having,  at  the  opening  of  the 
bridge,  been  regaled  with  coffee.  The  older  pojjulation  of  the 
valley  appears  to  have  preferred  a  more  jwtent  beverage,  for 

^''  Memoir  of  the  Geolof^y  of  Ottcvbttni  aiul  lihdoii,  18X7.    Ihij^li  .Miller,  K.R.S.E., 
&.C.     Glacial  J )eposils,  p.  104. 


304  UIM'ER   COQUETDALE. 

ill  the  recesses  of  a  i-a\inc  up  Keenshaw  burn  there  was  an 
ilHcit  still  where  old  John  Wilson  distilled  the  real  "  Mountain 
Dew"  for  the  inhabitants  of  the  barony.  Place-names  and 
named  rocks  abound  in  this  interesting  little  valley — Beadle 
Stone,  Darden  Yett,  Darden  Parlour,  The  Scars,  Rumlin 
Cleugh,  Bog\e  Hole,  and  Kitty's  Cleugh,  all  have  their  tradi- 
tions. 

During  the  nineteenth  centur}-  there  resided  at  Swindon, 
a  small  hamlet  on  the  roadside  above  Hepple,  two  notable 
characters — John  Wilson  and  Oliver  Proudlock.  At  that 
period' there  was  a  public  house  at  Swindon — a  welcome  place 
of  refreshment  for  thirsty  travellers  on  their  weary  way  from 
Rothbury  to  Elsdon.  This  way-side  inn,  of  which  Oliver  was 
the  landlord,  flourished  under  the  appropriate  sign  of  "  The 
Badger,"  for  old  Oliver  not  onh'  kept  a  cockpit  for  the 
entertainment  of  his  callers,  but  had  a  "  badger  hole  "  as  well, 
where  many  a  Dandie  Dinmont  and  Bedlington  terrier  tried 
their  mettle  in  "■  drawing  the  badger."  Numerous  amusing 
stories  are  told  of  the  scenes  that  took  place  under  the  roof 
of  the  "  Badger,"  notably  the  total  rout  of  a  band  of  Irish 
reapers  by  Oliver's  regiment  of  redcoats,  viz.,  a  hive  of  bees. 
For  this  story  we  must  refer  our  readers  to  an  interesting 
local  tale  written  some  years  ago  by  our  friend  Mr.  Lewis 
Proudlock,  of  Stobswood." 

It  was  the  genius  of  John  Wilson  that  threw  a  swing 
bridge  over  the  Coquet  at  Hepple,  an  engineering  achieve- 
ment that  has  very  properly  found  a  place  in  the  Local 
Records  of  the  county.  There  we  read  that  on  August  5th, 
1826 — "An  iron  or  suspension  bridge  over  the  river  Coquet, 
at  Hepple,  in  Northumberland,  was  opened.  It  was  projected 
by  Mr.  John  Wilson,  of  Rimpside.  Its  greatest  span  was 
ninety  feet,  and  it  was  calculated  to  support  a  weight  of 
six  tons  without  suffering  permanent  alteration.  The  expense 
of  erection  did  not  exceed  ;^30."     John  Wilson's  swing  bridge 

"  T/ie  Shepherd  of  the  Beacon,  by  Lewis  Proudlock. 


HEPPLE  305 

disappeared  long  ago,  and  the  substantial  bridge  lower  down 
the  river  was  erected  in  1873-4,  at  a  cost  of  i,' 1,700,  £gio  of 
which  sum  was  given  by  the  Riddell  family,  the  remainder, 
;^790,  being  raised  b\-  public  subscription.  The  gentle  Lewis 
Proudlock,  the  Coquetdale  minstrel,  who  died  in  1826,  at  the 
early  age  of  25  years,  resided  for  some  time  at  Swindon. 
While  there,  the  wanton  destruction  of  a  very  fine  tree  that 
grew  in  front  of  the  cottages  at  Swindon,  a  tree  that  had  been 
much  admired  by  the  first  Sir  John  Riddell,  lately  deceased, 
drew  from  the  poet  the  following  : — 

ELEGY   ON   A  TREE. 

"  Lament  ye,  Swindon,  sooty  thrang  !  '- 
Lament  it  sairly,  loud,  and  lang  ; 
Alas  !  a  muckle,  waefu'  wrang 

Ye  noo  maun  dree  ! 
For  handsomeness,  it  sure  did  bang 

'Maist  ev'ry  tree. 

It  was  by  monie  a  sangster  haunted, 
Oft  linnets  thro'  its  leaves  ha'e  chanted, 
Oft  round  its  root  ha'e  tinklers  ranted  '3 

In  merry  key. 
It  was  the  lovliest  e'er  was  planted, 

My  favourite  tree. 

It  stood  erect  upon  its  feet. 
Inclining  not  the  east  to  greet, 
Like  some  to  shun  the  western  sleet, 

That  stand  aglee  ; 
In  every  way  it  was  complete. 

That  fallen  tree. 

'-'Ihe  cottagers  of  Swindon  at  this  time  were  mostly  ])ilmen,  and  workeil  coal 
on  the  Hepple  nicjors  and  at  Ovcnslone. 

'3  At  the  close  of  the  Nineteenth  Century,  some  old  houses,  formerly  occupied 
by  colliers  enii^loyed  in  w(jrking  coal  on  Ilepple  moors,  were  taken  jjossession  by  a 
party  of  "Eaws"  or  linkers,  but  shortly  after  the  brutal  murder  of  an  old  woman 
named  Margaret  Crozier,  at  the  Raw  Pele,  by  some  of  the  gang,  in  1792,  Mr. 
Walter  Treveiyan,  accompanied  \>y  other  County  Magistrates  and  a  large /^'i'J^  f)f 
parish  c<jnslables,  proceeded  to  the  spot,  where  they  Inirned  the  houses  to  the 
ground  amidst  the  plaudits  of  an  immense  concourse  of  the  country  people,  who 
were  glad  to  be  thus  rid  of  their  undesirable  ncighlxjurs.  An  eye-witness  of  the 
spectacle  in  a  note  says  that  on  the  Sunday  morning  preceding  this  circumstance 
he  counted  seventeen  stout  young  fellows  stript,  jumping  and  running  on  the  green 
l)efore  the  houses,  some  of  ihem,  he  believes,  were  fouml  there  by  the  Magistrates. 
Mackenzie's  //is/,  of  North  Id.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  47. 

20 


306  UPPKR   COQUETDALE. 

Wae-laitli  wad  been  the  great  Sir  John, 
Had  he  been  'hvc,  but  lack,  he's  gone  !  '■' 
To  see  his  tree  that  stood  alone 

Sae  bonnily, 
Harshly  hew'd — ohon  !  ohoti  ! 

Eor  his  dear  tree  ! 

The  owners  of  Hepple  have  already  been  dealt  with  when 
describing  the  pele  tower,  but  we  may  add  that  the  Hepple 
barony  in  1663  was  the  property  of  the  Marquis  of  Newcastle.  ^5 
The  surve)'  of  Lord  Oxford's  lands  in  1724^6  gives  the  follow- 
ing interesting  particulars  regarding  Hepple.  "  Hepple  Town- 
ship, in  the  Parish  of  Rothbury,  consists  of  seven  farms,  ^7  and 
the  Demesne,  whereof  one  is  freehold.  Pays  no  great  Tithe 
nor  modus,  ^s  The  freeholder  pays  Tythe  Corn  to  his  Tenants 
of  the  Town.  Limestone  on  the  ground,  3  miles  from  Cole. 
(Here  follow  field-names  and  acreage.)  Thorny  balks,  Cold 
Flatts,  West  bank.  East  bank,  End  Law,  Stinking  Hills,  Dead 
Water  Haugh,  West  Haugh,  Great  Haugh,  the  Town 
Gate,  Hankey  Haugh,  The  Heyning.  Tenants  1724 — George 
Jackson  i  farm,  Jno.  Vint  ^  farm,  Wm.  Snowdon  i  farm, 
John  Hadley  i  farm,  Wm.  Potts  J^  farm,  Jno.  Jackson  i  farm, 
Robert  Humble  i  farm.  Tenants  of  the  Demesne — Geo. 
Potts,  Jno.  Vint.    Freeholder — Geo.  Humble."    At  that  period 

'■•  Sir  John  Buchanan  Riddell  died  in  1819. 

'5  The  Marquis  of  Newcastle  was  Sir  William  Cavendish,  better  known  as  the 
loyal  Duke  of  Newcastle.  Charles  I.,  in  1627,  advanced  SirWm.  Cavendish  (Lord 
Ogle  Viscount  Mansfield)  to  the  title  of  Baron  Cavendish  of  Bolsover  and  Bertram, 
and  Earl  of  Newcastle,  and  in  1644  he  was,  for  his  valuable  services  in  the  King's 
cause,  advanced  to  ihe  dignity  of  Marquis  of  Newcastle. 

'*  Henrietta  Cavendish  Holies,  only  daughter  of  the  Marquis  of  Newcastle, 
married,  in  1713,  the  second  Earl  of  Oxford.  A  survey  of  the  baronies  and  manors 
belonging  to -the  Earl  of  Oxford  and  Mortimer,  in  Northumberland,  in  1724,  gives 
a  full  description  of  the  Ogle  lands  in  Coquetdale.  The  Earl  of  Oxford  had  an 
<jnly  child,  Lady  Margaret  Cavendish  Harley,  who,  in  1734,  married  the  second 
Duke  of  Portland  ;  thus  the  Hepple  barony  passed  into  that  family,  in  which  it 
remained  until  1803. 

''  See  Note  10,  page  268. 

'^  Modus  is  when  either  land,  a  sum  of  money,  or  yearly  pension  is  given  to  the 
parson,  &c.,  by  composition,  as  satisfaction  for  his  tithes  in  kind.     (Bailey,  1749.) 


HEPPLE.  307 

the  village  of  Hepple  consisted  of  several  "  bastle-houses,"^9 
and  cottages  that  stood  back  from  the  highway,  north  of  the 
present  row  of  houses.  The  farmers  in  1828  were  Arthur 
Elliott,  East  Hepple  ;  James  R.  Storrer,  West  Hepple  ;  and 
Wm.  Storey,  Middle  Hepple.  The  latter  is  now  in  the 
occupation  of  Mr.  Wm.  Howey. 

West  Hepple,  a  splendid  farm  of  proverbial  fertility,  was 
held  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century  by  William 
Wilson,  in  1828  b\'  James  R.  Storrer,  and  has  since  been  for 
many  years  in  the  occupation  of  the  Howeys.  Mr.  John 
Howey  is  the  present  tenant — a  well-known  farmer  in  Upper 
Coquetdale.  The  snug  old  farmhouse  stands  on  the  brow  of 
a  hill  overlooking  the  valle}',  in  a  sheltering  clump  of 
magnificent  trees.  It  is  not  surprising  that  such  a  view  as  is 
obtained  from  the  front  garden  at  West  Hepple  should 
inspire  the  poet  to  sing : — 

"  The  laverock's  lillin'  i'  the  sky, 

And  hails  the  gentle,  genial  spiing  ; 
A'  nature  now  is  rife  o'  joy, 

An'  hill  an'  glen  wi'  music  ring  ; 
Then  grip  thy  gad,  and  don  thy  creel  ; 
Kor  ilka  thing  there's  time  and  tide  ; 
Thraw  beuks  an'  bizz'ness  to  the  deil, 
An'  gang  awa'  to  Coquet-side." 

—  Coquetdale  Fishing  Song,    1832. 

The  twenty-one  field  names  given  below  are  taken  from  a 
plan  of  the  Hepple  estate  made  during  the  first  half  of  the 
last  century,  .several  of  these  names  are  of  ancient  origin  and 
all  are  of  interest  to  lovers  of  local  history. 

Scrog  Field,  Throcklands,  Calmars,  The  Kirk, 2°  Rye  Bank, 
Hetchester,2i  High  Camp  Field, 22  West  Crutch,  Tlu-  Crutch, 23 

'9  Bastle-house,  a  fortified  house,  such  as  yet  conmicin  on  ihc  Borders.  Typical 
examples  may  be  seen  at  'I'hrnpion  and  W'oodhouscs.     (Ilcslop.) 

^''The  kirk — now  known  as  "The  Kirk  Field,"  the  site  of  the  ancient  chajiel  of 
the  barony.  A  neat  stone  cross,  erected  by  Sir  J.  W.  H.  Kiddcll,  now  marks  the 
spot. 

2i.»  Remains  of  Ancient  Hriiish  camj). 

^■J  Crutch.     Mention  is  made  of  "  le  Cruche"  in  a  thirteenth  century  iXcm], 


-oS  UPPER   COQUETDAl^E. 

Spechin  Haui^h,  Henwick  Haugh,  North  Intake,  Heath,  Kiln 
Field,  The  Soldier's  Fold,24  The  Gaws,  Brockley  Park^^s  Rushy 
Close,  The  Tongue,  Woody  Glen,  Rimpside  Field. 

Population  of  Hepple  and  Hepple  Demesne. 
i8oi— 80.     1811  —  154-     1821  — 156.     1831  — 160.     1841—84. 
1851—88.     1861  — 106.     1871  — 128.     1881 — 122.     1891  — 120. 

1901-93- 

The  village  of  Hepple  is  pleasantly  situated  on  a  gently 
sloping  piece  of  ground  north  of  the  river  Coquet,  and  about 
six  miles  west  of  Rothbury.  This  interesting  little  village  is 
almost  self-contained,  for  besides  the  two  farmhouses  of 
Middle  and  West  Hepple,  it  has  its  own  church,  parsonage, 
and  school-house,  its  village  shop  and  post  ofifice,26  also  its 
joinery  and  smith's  shops.  The  church  of  Hepple  stands  on 
a  slightly  elevated  site  in  the  centre  of  the  village.  This, 
and  the  handsome  school-house  and  master's  residence  on 
the  opposite  side,  the  spacious  parsonage  a  little  further 
down,  and  the  neat  cottages  planted  here  and  there,  are  in 
striking  contrast  to  the  plain  solid  masonry  of  Sir  Robt.  Ogle's 
tower  at  the  entrance  to  the  village,  and  present  an  object 
lesson  in  ancient  and  modern  architecture,  showing  that  pro- 
tection from  the  attacks  of  foes,  more  than  the  luxuries  of 
life,  was  the  aim  of  the  fourteenth  century  builders  of  Hepple 
tower,  while  comfort  and  elegance  of  design  mark  the  erections 
of  the  nineteenth  century  architect. 

Christ  Church,  Hepple,  consists  of  a  nave,  44  feet  6  inches 
in  length  by  18  feet  in  width  ;  chancel,  22  feet  in  depth  by  16 
feet  in  width  ;  with  organ  chamber  and  vestry  on  its  north 
side,  and  a  south  porch  to  the  nave.  The  style  is  that 
prevalent   at    the    beginning   of   the   sixteenth    century — the 

^*  Soldiers'  Fold.     Ancient  British  camp  at  Whitefield. 

'5^Brockley  Park— now  "  Midgy  Haa,"  the  haunt  of  the  badger. 

^The  post-office  has  been  in  the  hands  of  the  Clark  family  for  63  years.  Mr. 
John  Clark,  of  Harehaugh,  the  oldest  tenant  on  the  Hepple  estate,  was  post-master' 
for  32  years.     The  office  is  now  held  by  his  daughter,  Miss  Mary  Clark. 


HEPPLE  309 

latest  type  of  "  Perpendicular,"  which  has  been  treated 
in  accord  with  the  old  examples  of  the  north  of  England. 
The  building  is  of  local  stone  with  simple  mullioned  windows, 
with  very  little  tracer}'.  The  bowl  of  the  font  is  an  ancient 
Norman  one,  found  some  years  ago  in  the  "  Kirk-field " 
on  Mr.  Jno.  Howey's  farm  at  West  Hepple,  together  with  an 
ancient  grave  cover,  having  a  floreated  cross  of  peculiar  pattern 
cut  thereon,  which  is  built  into  the  wall  above  the  font.  There 
is  also  the  curious  stone  head  of  a  cross,  found  on  the  moors 
above  Hepple  man\-  }'ears  ago,  probably  a  boundary  cross,27 
which  is  also  preserved  in  the  church. ^s  A  sum  of  money  was 
left  by  the  late  Sir  Walter  Buchanan  Riddell  for  the  purpose 
of  building  a  church  at  Hepple.  This  sum  was  generously 
supplemented  by  his  nephew  and  successor.  Sir  John  Walter 
Buchanan  Riddell,  who  also  gave  the  site  on  which  the  church 
is  built,  and  an  acre  of  land  as  a  burial  ground.  The  bell  is 
one  of  the  two  removed  from  the  tower  of  Rothbur\-  church  in 
1893  to  make  room  for  a  new  ring  of  eight  bells.  Around  the 
shoulder  of  the  bell  is  the  makers'  name:  "  C.  &  G.  Mears, 
FouNDER.s,  London,  1850." 

The  Church  and  burial  ground  were  consecrated  June  5th, 
1897,  by  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Newcastle.  A  brass  plate  in  the 
wall  near  the  pulpit  bears  the  following  inscription  : — "To  the 
Glory  of  God,  |  The  honour  of  His  Church,  and  in  Memory 
of  I  Sir  Walter  Buchanan  Riddell,  Bart.,  |  The  Pious  founder 
of  Christ  Church  j  and  the  School  at  Hepple  |  Born  iSio, 
died  1892,  I  May  he  rest  in  eternal  peace." 

A  large  brass  in  the  south  wall  of  the  nave  contains  the 
following  inscription  : — 


-7  "There  was  a  cross  jilaced  hetween  llic  lands  of  I  Itpplc  and  lliosc  <if  ihe 
Nuns  of  Holystone." — Newniiiister  Cartii/aiy,  )>.  121. 

-''This  cross  was  found  on  the  moors  near  I'aunchford  hy  John  I'roudlock,  of 
Swindon,  who  handed  it  over  lo  Mr.  Thomas  Carse,  who  was  then  superinlendin^j 
the  erection  of  Hepple  church,  to  he  |)laced  in  ihc  cJHurh  there  along  with  the 
floreated  cross  slab  discovered  hy  Mr.  Carse  in  the  garden  at  West  Ilepple. 


3IO  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

'•  )^  Vo  the  Gloi'}'  of  God  |  And  in  pious  Memory  of 
throe  brothers  whose  bodies  I  h'e  in  Africa  awaitin"-  the 
Resurrection  of  the  dead. 

Charles  Sidney                         Robert  George  Henry  Edward 

Buchanan   Riddell,                   Buchanan  Riddell,  Buchanan   Riddell, 

Priest  in  the                   Lt.  Colonel  in  the  King's  Major  in  the  King's  RK 

Universities  Mission.                       Rl.  Rifles,  Rifles, 

Died  at  Magila,                      Killed  in  action  at  Died  March,  1900,  after 

June,  1886.                                Spion  Kop,  wounds 

January,  1900.  received  at  Lombard's  Kop, 

October,  1900.'' 

Thanks  be  to  God  which  giveth  us  the  victory  through  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  ^ 

A  \-ery  beautiful  memorial  window  is  dedicated  as 
follows  : — "  Gi\ing  thanks  to  God  |  for  the  blessed  Memory  [ 
of  Henr\-  Edward  Buchanan  Riddell,  |  Major  King's  Ro\'aI 
Rifles,  who  |  was  wounded  at  Lombard's  Kop,  |  October  31st, 
1899,  and  being  smitten  |  with  fever  during  the  siege  of  | 
Ladysmith,  died  at  Pieter  |  maritzburg  on  i6th  March,  |  1900, 
aged  40.  His  wife  dedicated  this  Window,  anno  Domini, 
1901." 

Inscription  on  \\'indo\v  base  reads  : — 

SANCTUS  -AIDAN-EPISCOPUS~NORTHUMBRI>C 
SANCTUS-GEORGIUS-MARTYR  -ET-PATRONUS-ANGLORUM. 
SANCTUS-OSWALDUS— REX— ET— MARTYR. 

A  series  of  five  ver}-  fine  reredos  panels,  painted  and  pre- 
sented by  Miss  Boothb)-,  has  recently  been  erected  in  Piepple 
Church.  The  outside  panels  represent  the  "  Annunciation," 
the  three  centre  panels  portray  scenes  in  the  "  Passion." 

In  the  first  }'ears  of  the  baron\-,  judging  from  the  various 
remains  that  have  been  found,  there  appears  to  have  been  a 
chapel  at  Hepple,  and  we  are  told  "  Upon  a  fine  summit  called 
Kirk-hill,  about  half-a-mile  west  of  Hepple,  stood  a  chapel, 
the  remains  of  which  were  removed  about  1 760,  for  the 
purpose  of  building  a  farmstead.     Until  this  time  the  chapel 


HEPPLE. 


311 


was  occasionally  used  as  a  burial  place  by  five  of  the  adjoining 
villages.  When  its  remains  were  removed,  the  font  and  the 
pedestal  were  in  good  preservation,  and  many  mutilated 
monuments  were  found  both  within  and  w  ithout  the  walls  of 
the  sacred  building.  In  the  chancel  a  tombstone  was  found 
standing  north  and  south,  \\  ith  a  nearl\-  obliterated  inscription, 
of  which  we  give  fragments  "  : — 

("  Here  lies Countess  of    .     .     . 

who  died     ....     her  age, 

I  loved  my  lord,  obey'd  my  king, 
■     And  kept  my  conscience  clear. 
Which  death  disarmeth  of  his  sting, 
And  Christians  all  endear. 

There  lay  my  head  to  Long-acres, 

Where  shearers  sweetly  sing. 
And  feel  towards  the  Keyheugh  scares. 

Which  fox-hounds  cause  to  ring.")"' 


■J 


3 


iRP**^ 


■'  Mackenzie's  I/ist.  of  Northld.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  7(1. 


312  UrPER   CO(^UETI)ALE. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

BICKERTON. — FLOTTERTON. — WARTON. 


BICKERTON. 

A  Manor  of  Hepple  Barony — Held  in  Socage — Thomas  de  Bikerton,  1272 — 
(irants  to  Newminster  Monks — Assize  Rolls,  1256 — False  Imprisonment  at 
Bickerton — Murder  at  Bickerton — Curious  Laws  of  Pursuit — The  Lords  Ogle 
owners,  1568-1628 — Alexander  Snawdon,  1638 — Snawdons,  1663-1715 — 
James  Forster,  1774 — Later  Owners — Now  the  property  cf  Messrs.  Snaith— 
Field  Names — Hidden  Treasure — The  term  "Socage" — Border  Watch,  1553 
— The  big  yuvven  o'  Bickerton." 


"IT  TK  shall  here  give  some  account  of  those  manors  and  vills 
VV  formerly  included  in  the  old  barony  of  Hepple,  but 
which  are  now  possessed  by  various  owners.  These  manors 
were  Bickerton,  Flotterton,  Warton,  Little  Tosson,  and  Great 
Tosson. 

Plainfield  generally  appears  in  the  records  as  part  of 
Flotterton.  Wreighhill  and  Caistron  were  not  members  of  the 
barony.  Bickerton,  from  an  early  period,  was  linked  with 
Hepple.  In  the  "Testa  de  Neville,"  circa  1272  :  "Thomas  de 
Bykerton  holds  Bickerton  for  which  he  pays  eight  shillings 
socage  I  to  the  Hepple  barony."  The  Nexvminster  Cartulary 
contains  a  grant  to  the  monks  of  a  right  of  way  to  the  osier 

'  ^^  Socage  was  a  Tenure  by  which  Men  held  their  Lands,  to  plough  the  Lands 
of  their  respective  Lords  with  their  own  Ploughs,  and  at  their  own  Charge  :  This 
slavish  Tenure  was  afterwards,  by  the  Mutual  Agreement  of  Lord  and  Tenant, 
turned  into  the  payment  of  a  certain  Sum  of  money,  and  from  thence  it  was  called 
tiberiiDi  socagium  ;  whereas  the  other  was  villanitui  socagiuni,  for  those  who  had 
their  Land  by  that  Tenure,  were  not  only  bound  to  plough  their  Lord's  Lands,  but 
they  took  the  Oath  of  fealty  of  them,  sicut  de  villanis. 

This  was  a  Tenure  of  so  large  an  extent,  that  Littleton  tells  us,  all  the  Lands  in 
England,  which  were  not  held  in  Knight  Service,  were  held  in  Socage.'^ 

Tho.  Blount,  Law  Dictionary,  3rd  ed.,  1717. 


BICKERTOX.  313 

beds  east  of  "  Espricheford,"  by  Thomas  de  Bickerton.  And 
the  Assize  Rolls  for  Northumberland,  40,  Hen.  iii.,  records  an 
extraordinary  case  of  false  imprisonment  against  Thomas  of 
Bickerton  :— "  Two  women  complained  that  he  took  them  and 
another  woman  on  suspicion  of  theft,  and  after  keeping  them 
in  a  cell  at  Bickerton  four  days  without  food  or  drink,  sent 
them  to  Newcastle  gaol,  where  one  of  the  women  and  her 
infant  child  died.  Thomas  acknowledged  the  imprisonment, 
but  said  the  women  had  robbed  him.  The  jurors,  however, 
said  that  the  two  women  were  innocent,  but  they  suspected  the 
woman  who  died  in  prison  of  the  theft.  Thomas  de  Bickerton 
get  off  by  making  a  fine  with  the  King  for  sixty  marks,  for 
which  he  had  to  giv^e  twenty  pledges." 

The  following  is  also  found  in  the  assize  rolls  of  the 
same  period  ^1256): — "Nicholas  le  Creler  wounded  Hugh  of 
Bickerton  under  the  left  breast  w  ith  a  knife  so  that  he  died 
immediately,  Nicholas  took  at  once  to  flight,  and  being  sus- 
pected was  summoned  and  outlawed.  His  chattels  were 
worth  37/-  and  were  in  charge  of  the  sheriff.  And  Nicholas, 
the  son  of  Eustace,  was  arrested  because  he  was  present  and 
did  not  come  to  give  his  evidence,  and  he  was  arrested  by 
Walter  de  Hephal  and  Robert  Tyrewen  in  Bikerton  and  is 
therefore  fined.  And  the  jurors  find  that  the  said  Nicholas, 
the  son  of  Eustace,  is  not  guilty  of  the  murder,  and  the  town- 
ship of  l^ickerton  did  not  take  Nicholas  le  Creler  and  is 
therefore  fined,  and  the  township  of  Haneshull  is  similarly 
fined  because  it  did  not  pursue  him."^  The  above  extract 
throws  a  strong  sidelight  on  the  lawlessness  of  the  period  and 
the  social  conditions  of  the  people,  as  well  as  the  customs  and 
responsibilities  of  each  township  in  the  apprehending  of 
malefactors.  In  1 5O8,  Bickerton  was  still  a  member  of  the 
Hepplc  baron\-,  in  the  possession  of  the  Ogle's,  but  in  1628 
we  find  a  fresii  owner  in  the  jjcrson  of  "  Percival  Snawdon, 
gentleman,"  whih-  in   1638  Alexander  Snawdon  and  William 

*  Surt.  Soc.  jiiilil..  J).  119. 


314  UPPER   COQUETDALli. 

Snawdon,   gentlemen,    are    the    owners.       Bickerton    appears 
to  have  remained   in  the  possession   of  this   family  for  some 

years. 

In  1663  William  Snawdon,  Widow  Snawdon,  Anthony 
Snawdon,  and  Alexander  Snawdons  were  the  proprietors,  each 
family  residing  in  their  bastle  house.  The  north  wall  of  the 
present  farm-house  is  formed  of  part  of  one  of  these  fortified 
dwellings,  and  several  green  mounds  in  the  field  adjoining 
denote  the  sites  of  others.  The  County  Poll  Book  of  17 15 
"■ives  the  names  of  William  Snawdon,  senior,  William  Snawdon, 
William  Snawdon  (2),  and  Jasper  Hall  as  freeholders  in 
Bickerton.  After  this  date  the  name  of  Snawdon  gradually 
disappears  at  Bickerton.  In  1774  James  Forster  is  recorded 
as  a  freeholder,  and  in  the  Poll  Book  of  1826  William  Mark 
Carr,  of  Hexham,  is  the  owner  of  a  freehold  in  Bickerton. 
The  Survey  of  Ogle  lands,  in  1724,  shews  that  other  families 
than  the  Snowdens  were  at  Bickerton,  for  the  lands  are  des- 
cribed as  Forster's  intack,4  Storrer's  intack,  Hall's  intack.  In 
1842  the  owners  were  William  Thomas  Greenwell,  Francis 
Mewburn,  and  Henry  Smales.  The  cheerful  farm-house  of 
Bickerton.  now  the  property  of  the  Messrs.  Snaith,  stands  upon 
a  pleasant  level,  on  the  verge  of  the  moorlands  which  form  a 

3  Burials— "  Parcival  Snawdon,  Bickarton,  Jan.  8th,  1692  ;  Alexander  Snawdon, 
Bickerton,  Jan.  13th,  1669;  Anthony  Snawdon,  Bickerton,  Jan.  loth,  1679; 
Elizabeth  Snowdon,  Bickerton,  Nov.  2nd,  16S0."    (Rothbury  Parish  Register.) 

"John  Snawdon,  of  Bickerton,  ordered  to  have  5s.,  for  killing  many  foxes,  in 
consideration  of  his  pains  for  ye  publicke  good  of  these  parts."  Easter  Vestry 
Meeting,  1660.     (Rothbury  Parish  Church  Records.) 

"A  Watch  to  be  kept  at  the  Cote  Hill,  with  Two  Men  nightly,  of  the  Inhabitors 
of  fiekerdoiie :  Setters  and  Searchers  of  these  Watches,  Persevall  Siiawden  and 
IVilliam  Hombler     (Border  Laws.) 

During  the  Seventeenth  Century,  members  of  the  Snawdon  family  are  found  to 
have  been  at  Wreighill,  Farnelaw,  Great  Tosson,  Hepple,  Newtown,  Whitton, 
and  other  places  in  the  parish  of  Rothbury. 

■•  Intack — Land  inclosed.  The  Forsters  were  thought  by  their  neighbours  to  be 
very  extravagant  in  their  manner  of  living,  and  when  they  eventually  lost  Bickerton, 
Will  Scott,  a  well  known  Coquetdale  character,  used  to  say  that  "  Bickerton  was 
beyked  rig  by  rig  i'  the  big  yuven  o'  Bickerton,  a  pie  every  day  I" 


BICKERTOX.  315 

semi-circle  on  the  south  and  west,  with  the  Coquet  haughs  and 
other  rich  pastures  on  the  north  and  east.  The  following  are 
a  few  of  the  most  interesting  field-names  on  Bickerton  farm  : — 
Scribe,  Gibbet  Close,  Intakes,  The  Cote  Hill,  Babber-dale, 
Duccot  Knowe,  Dolly  Crook,  Pillmoor,  Measley  Side.  In 
former  years  coal  w  as  w  orked  on  Bickerton  Knowe,  along  the 
northern  base  of  the  Simonside  Hills.  There  is  a  tradition 
of  the  existence  of  hidden  treasure  somewhere  on  Bickerton 
ground.  Some  years  ago,  it  is  said,  search  was  made  for  this 
treasure  trove,  and  e.xcavations  made  at  a  certain  spot,  b\' 
Government  officials,  but  without  success. 

The  osier  (the  willow)  and  the  )-ellow  iris  still  fringe  the 
margin  of  Bickerton  burn,  and  grow  in  the  swampy  ground  on 
the  hauehs,  as  the\-  did  in  those  days  when  the  monks  of 
Newminster  had  the  grant  of  right  of  way  from  Thos.  de 
Bikertone  to  the  osier  beds  to  obtain  a  supply  for  basket- 
making.  The  slopes  of  the  hill  south  of  Bickerton  are  covered 
with  a  dense  growth  of  juniper  trees.  Man\-  of  these  are  of 
elegant  shape,  as  if  trimmed  by  the  hand  of  a  gardener,  and  fit 
for  the  ornamental  grounds  of  a  gentleman's  mansion. 

"  The  peewits  are  mustering  on  Bickerton  haugh, 

And  the  swallows  are  racing  round  Hepple's  dark  lower  ; 
They're  trying  their  wings  for  they  sune  maun  be  aft 

To  the  sunny  south  land  where  nae  winter  clouds  lower. 

An'  brown  is  the  heather  on  dark  Simonside  ; 

An'  yellow  the  brakens  on  stony  Cragend  ; 
.\nd  red  are  the  woods  which  the  auld  Abbey  hide, 

Where  the  Coquet  round  Brinkburn  doth  bonnily  bend." 
Rolhbuiy,  September^  i86g. — J.  I'.  Watson. 


3l6  UPPER  COQUETDALE. 


FLOTTERTON-. 

A  Manor  of  Ilepple  Barony — Held  by  David  de  Flotwayton — Grants  to  New- 
minster  by  Wilham  de  Flotwarton — Survey  of  Ogle  lands,  1724 — Flolterton 
consists  of  eii^ht  farms — Names  of  Tenants — Field  Names — The  Estate  to-day 
— Mr.  Christopher  Wealleans,  owner — Flotterlon  House  built  1826  by 
Christopher  Wealleans — Charming  view  of  Coquet  Valley — Old  Sundial  — 
Population. 

FLOTTERTOX,  in  the  early  records  of  the  Hepple  barony, 
is  rendered  "  Flotwayton."  The  Newviinister  Cartulary 
contains  several  grants  of  lands  made  to  the  monks  of 
Newminster  by  men  who  held  Flotterton  during  the  thir- 
teenth century.  William,  the  son  of  David  "  de  Flotwaiton," 
granted  thirteen  acres  in  "  Flaynfeld  "  (Plainfield),  followed  by 
grants  of  twent\-  acres  and  eight  acres  of  arable  land  called 
"  Buklanhege,"  near  "  Bukelawe;"  also  three  acres  in  "Alriwell- 
flat,"  near  the  marl  pit,  and  forty-four  acres  with  a  toft  and 
croft ^  in  "  Flotwaiton"  with  common  rights  ;  also  one  acre  of 
arable  land  and  other  eight  acres.  There  appears  another 
grant  of  seven  acres  in  "  Kaistancrokes "  adjoining  Caistron 
for  the  monk's  infirmary  of  Seculars,  as  well  as  "  Fichelerflat," 
near  to  the  river  Coquet,  with  license  to  erect  a  mill,  also  right 
of  way  to  the  marl  pit  on  the  west  side  of  "  Staniflat "  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  Coquet.  In  all  104  acres — a  goodly  slice 
these  Newminster  monks  had  of  the  lands  of  Flotterton.^  In 
1340,  "Thomas  Shcphirde  de  Flotwayton "  was  one  of  the 
commissioners  appointed  to  assess  the  rectory  of  Rothbury, 
when  the  living  was  valued  at  i?i33  6s.  8d.3  In  the  list  of 
border  towers  of  141 5  it  is  found  that  Sir  Robt.  Ogle,  the 
owner  of  Hepple  barony,   had    a  small   tower   at   Flotterton 

'  Toft— Probably  the  piece  of  ground  on  which  the  dwelling  stood.     Croft — A 
small  close  adjoining. — (Heslop.) 

■Newminster  Cartulary,  pp.  150-53. 

^WoA^hovi?,  Northuinber land,  part  iii.,  vol.  iii. ,  xl. 


FLOTTERTON.  317 

for  the  protection  of  his  tenants.  This  fortalice  had  soon 
disappeared,  for  in  the  Survey  of  1541  there  is  no  mention 
made  of  a  tower  at  Flotterton,  nor  are  there  any  traces  of  it  at 
the  present  time.  Sir  Cuthbert,  Lord  Ogle,  was  the  owner  of 
F'lotterton,  as  part  of  Hepple  barony  in  1568  ;4  the  Marquis  of 
Newcastle  in  1663  ;  e\entually  it  came  to  the  Duke  of  Port- 
land, in  whose  hands  it  was  until  1803.5  The  Surve}'  of 
the  Ogle  lands  in  1724  contains  the  following  particulars: — 
Flotterton  Township,  in  the  Barony  of  Hepple,  consists 
of  Eight  Farms,  pa}'s  Tythe  in  kind  and  a  modus.  Limestone 
on  the  ground  five  miles  from  Cole,  Improvable  by  inclosing. 
Plain  Field,  Ely-Law,  Midridge,  East  P'ield,  Mellow  Meadow. 
The  Towngate,  Great  Haugh,  Green  Side,  Mr.  Widdrington's 
House  and  close.  Tenants,  1724: — John  Story  i  farm,  James 
Bilton  I  farm,  EHz.  Park  i  farm,  Geo.  Richardson  i  farm, 
Mary  Potts  i^  farm,  Tho.  Potts  73  farm,  Mr.  Widdrington 
i}i  farm,  John  Wauby  5  6  farm.  WHARTON  : — Mr.  Park — 
Stobb  Heads   120  a.,   ij<.,   18  p. 

Amongst  the  field  names  on  the  parish  tithe  map,  1844, 
are  East  Plain,  West  Plain,  Surmental,  West  Field,  East  Band, 
Stony  Flat,  Leazes,  Bare  Ballins,  Nelly  Hogg,  Green  Side, 
Merry  Knows,  Braxes,  Elilaw,  Plainfield  doers.  West  Midridge, 
East  Midridge. 

Population  of  Flotterton  Township  : — 
iSoi — 75.       181 1  — 115.       1821 — 92.       1831 — 95.       1841 — 64. 
1851 — yy.      1861 —  79.       1871 — 75.       1881 — 85.       1891 — 57. 
1901 — 63. 

Flotterton,  Plainfield,  and  Wreighill,  now  form  the  Flot- 
terton   estate,    which    is    the    property    of    Mr.    Christopher 


*  Extract  from  will  of  Robert,  Lord  Ogle,  1544-5.  "Item — I  gyve  and  bequeath 
to  my  young  sonne,  John  Ogle,  all  and  singular,  my  lands  and  tenements  within  my 
townc  of  flotterton  during  his  life  natiue,  and  after  the  decease  of  the  afornanied 
John,  then  to  remayne  to  my  heyres.  Item  :  I  gyve  and  bequeath  to  my  doughters 
Margerie,  Jenyc,  and  Margaret,  thre  hundrethe  marks  (jCiSo)  out  of  the  townc  of 
Mickletosson." — 2  Surt.  Soc.  publ.,  ]>.  120. 

5  See  chapter  on  Hepple. 


;iS  UPPER  COQUETDALE. 

W'ealleans,  one  of  the  most  extensive  agriculturists  in  Upper 
Coquetdale.  Flotterton  House — a  handsome  country  mansion 
— was  built  in  1826,  by  Christopher  Wealleans,  grandfather  of 
the  present  owner,  and  stands  in  a  park  of  fine  trees,  having  a 
charming  outlook  over  the  valley  of  the  Coquet.  An  interesting 
horizontal  sundial  is  on  the  lawn  in  front  of  the  house,  bearing 
the  motto  "  Ut  umbra  sic  uita."  ;'"  Life  is  as  a  shadow.") — 
J-  ^V.,  1773. 

"At  Caistron  deeps,  they're  thrashin'  on, 

An'  doun  by  Flotterton's  new  Ha' ; 
I'se  wad  a  pund,  when  night  conies  round, 

That,  creel  for  creel,  we  bang  them  a'  ! 
It's  spittin'  now  at  Dewshill  wood  ; 

At  Hepple  Peel  it's  far  frae  dry  ; 
There's  nane  but  feuls  wou'd  fish  the  peuls, 

We'se  cheat  them  a',  an'  up  the  Wreigh  ! " 

— Coquetdale  Fishing  Song,  1843. 


WARTON.  319 


WARTON. 

The  "core  of  Coqiiel" — Early  Notices  of  Warton — Elwaldus,  1272— Ilenricus, 
Nicolaus,  Walter,  1293 — A  Manor  of  Hepple  Barony,  1389-1663 — Gilbert 
Park,  owner  1724 — Bastle  Houses  at  Warton,  1717 — Lord  Ravensworth, 
-Mrs.  Crawford,  Robt.  Spearman,  owners  182S — Wm.  Pavvson — Sir  W.  G. 
Armstrong,  15^74  —  The  Potts  fiimily  —  The  Warton  Ox — Fire  at  Warton, 
1S36 — Field  Names. 

THE  model  hamlet  of  Warton  is  about  three  miles  west  of 
Rothbury,  and  is  considered  to  be  one  of  the  best  farms 
in  Upper  Coquetdale.  Owing  to  the  "super  excellence"  of 
its  soil  it  has  been  termed  the  "  core  of  Coquet."  Within  its 
acreage  are  some  of  the  richest  tillage  and  pasture  lands  lying 
between  the  Rithe  and  the  Coquet.  The  earliest  notice  we 
have  found  of  Warton,  as  a  place  name,  is  when  Elwaldus 
de  Warton  is  witness  to  a  deed  of  exchange  of  land  in 
Coquetdale,  between  Agnes,  prioress  of  Holystone,  and  Adam, 
the  abbot  of  Xewminster,  in  1272;  and  at  an  inquest  at 
Rothbur}-,  in  1293,  Henricus  de  Warton,  Nicolaus  de  Warton, 
Walter  de  Warton,  near  Rothbury,  are  amongst  the  jurors. 

In  an  agreement  between  the  abbot  of  Xewminster  and 
the  rector  of  Rothbury,  with  regard  to  the  tithes  of  Caistron 
and  Wreighill,  among  the  arbitrators  arc  the  names  of 
"  Thomam  Scot  de  Warton  and  Adam,  son  of  Rowlandi  de 
Warton,"  In  1340,  the  name  of  "Robti.  del  Halle  de  Warton" 
occurs  as  witness  to  a  deed  relating  to  the  transfer  of 
lands.  The  manor  of  Warton  in  1389  was  held  by  Walter 
Tailbois  as  part  of  the  barony  of  I  lepple.  Sir  Cuthbert  Ogle 
was  the  owner  of  Warton,  along  with  the  other  manors  of  the 
barony,  in  1568,  and  the  Marquis  of  Newcastle  in  1663.  The 
Poll  Book  of  171 5  gives  the  names  of  Gilbert  Park  and  Henry 
Potts  (jf  Warton.  The  signature  of  Mr.  Gilbert  Park 
frequently  occurs  in  Rothbury  Church  Books,  and  in  1724  he 
appears  in  the  list  of  vestrymen.  fHe  died  in  1762.;  Diu-ing 
the  troublous  days  on   the   borders,   the  chief  inhabitants  at 


320  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

Warton  li\cd  in  bastle  houses,  which  are  not  mentioned  in  the 
list  of  border  towers/  but  we  gather  from  the  diary  of  Mr. 
John  Thomhnson,  who  was  curate  to  his  uncle,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
John  Thomlinson,  rector  of  Rothbury  (1678  to  1720),  that 
these  were  in  existence  at  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth 
centur\-,  for  he  says: — -"1717,  August  26.  Went  with  Mr. 
Hrown  to  Mr.  Park's  at  Warton.  Several  old  towers  there- 
abouts for  defence  against  the  incursions  of  ye  Scotts."  In 
1828  Warton  belonged  to  Lord  Ravensworth,  Mrs.  Crawford, 
and  Robt.  Spearman.  William  Pawson,  of  Shawdon,  after- 
wards became  the  owner,  until  1874,  when  it  was  purchased 
by  Sir  William  George  Armstrong,  C.B.,  of  Cragside. 

"  This  place  is  famed  in  the  legendary  tales  of  the  neigh- 
bouring inhabitants  as  being  the  residence  of  a  choice  race  of 
warriors,  who  were  the  dread  of  the  Scottish  borderers.  Even 
so  late  as  the  middle  of  the  last  century  four  brothers  lived 
here  of  the  name  of  Potts,  who  usually  kept  the  peace  at  all 
public  sports  when  there  was  ill-blood  between  the  people  of 
Coquet  and  Redesdale."^ 

The  following  notes  relating  to  Warton  may  be  of  interest 
to  our  readers  : — 

On  Nov.  9th,  1835,  at  a  public  dinner  held  at  Rothbury,  a 
silver  cup  was  presented  to  Mr.  Robt.  Spearman,  of  Warton,  by 
a  number  of  his  friends.  This  cup  is  now  in  the  possession  of 
Mr.  George  Stephenson  of  Newbiggin  Farm,  Rothbury  Forest, 
a  descendant  of  the  Spearmans,  The  inscription  engraved  upon 
the  cup  runs  thus  : — "  Presented  to  Robert  Spearman,  Esq., 
of  Warton,  by  his  friends,  in  testimony  of  their  esteem  as  a 
man,  and  in  admiration  of  his  eminent  skill  as  a  grazier,  par- 
ticularly for  his  superior  judgment  in  selecting  and  persevering 
industry  in    fattening  the  celebrated   pure   West   Kyloe  Ox. 


'The  township  had,  however,  to  supply  men  for  the  watch  in  1553.  "■'  Coni- 
melay-hill  to  be  watched  with  two  Men  ni}i;htly  of  the  Inhabitors  of  Warton : 
Setters  and  Searchers,  George  Story  and  Hugh  Trewet." — (Border  Laws.) 

^Mackenzie  and  Dent  (1811),  vol.  ii.,  p.  48. 


WARTON.  321 

Slaughtered  6th  March,  1835;  4  quarters,  152  stones  gibs.; 
gross  weight,  200  stones  61bs."  Mr.  Stephenson  also  possesses 
a  colossal  oil-painting  of  this  huge  animal,  which  was  at  the 
time  well  known  as  the  "  Warton  Ox."  In  those  days  there 
were  no  agricultural  societies,  such  as  now  exist  in  all  parts  of 
the  country,  therefore  Mr.  Spearman,  at  the  suggestion  of  his 
friends,  had  a  cara\'an  made,  in  which  he  exhibited  the  ox  at 
Kelso,  Berwick-upon-Tweed,  and  other  border  towns,  free  of 
charge.  Mr.  Spearman  was  born  at  Rothle)'  Park,  near 
Cambo,  in  1789,  and  died  at  Thropton,  near  Rothbur}',  in 
1847.  About  four  months  after  this  presentation  a  disastrous 
fire  took  place  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Dickinson,  the  neighbouring 
farmer  to  Mr.  Spearman  at  Warton.  "  1836,  February  17th. 
About  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  a  most  alarming  fire  broke 
out  at  XA'arton  Farm,  near  Rothbur)%  occupied  b\-  Mr.  Robert 
Dickinson,  by  which  seventeen  corn  stacks,  the  barn,  and  the 
thrashing  machine  were  totally  consumed.  The  devouring 
element  spread  with  such  awful  rapidity  that  in  less  than 
half-an-hour  the  whole  presented  one  tremendous  blaze.  Mr. 
Dickinson  had,  fortunatel}-,  insured  his  property  onl}'  a  few 
weeks  before." 

Warton  now  consists  of  one  large  farm,  with  a  neat  row  of 
cottages  for  the  work  people,  and  a  commodious  farmhouse, 
in  the  occupation  of  Miss  Ord.  Warton  House  stands  on  the 
north  side  of  the  highway  leading  from  Rothbury  to  Harbottle, 
and  commands  a  delightful  view  of  the 

" fcrlile  vale, 

Where  Coquet  rolls  her  winding  way  ! 
A  vale  s<j  lovely,  sweet,  antl  gay, 
So  lavish  of  its  bounty  free. 
Amid  high  mountains  wild  and  grey." 

There  arc  several  interesting  field-names  on  Warton  I^irm, 
of  which  we  give  a  selection: — Head  Close,  Great  O.x  Close, 
Inroad  Deals,  Long  Hope,  Long  Matt,  North  Kidridge,  Stub 
Head,  Boat  Haugh,3  I'ccwitt  Haugh,  Duelling  Ilaugh.  TTithe 
Map,  1839.) 

1  A  farmer  at  Warton  some  years  ago  had  a  boat  on  the  Cc)<|uet. 

'21 


322  UIM'KR   COQUETDALE. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

GREAT   TOSSON. 

Situation  and  Surroundings  —  View  from  Tosson  Burgh  —  Owners  of  Tosson  — 
Originally  part  of  Hepple  Barony  —  Robertus  de  Maners,  1354  —  Ancrofl 
C.lebe— "Thosan"  held  by  William  Bardulf,  1244— Robt.  "  Taylleboys," 
1279— Lucas  "Tayleboys"  and  Rics.  Chartenay,  1290— Robert  de  Hepple, 
1331 — Hospital  of  St.  Leonard,  at  Alriburne — Henry  Tailbois,  1337 — Robert 
de  Ogle,  1362 — Wm.  Tailbois,  1364 — Henry  and  Alianora  Tailbois,  1368 — 
Robt.  Ogle,  1437— Cuthbert,  Lord  Ogle,  1568— Marquis  of  Newcastle,  1663 
—Lord  Oxford,  1724  — Duke  of  Portland  — Sir  J.  B.  Riddell,  1803— William 
Orde,  Nunnykirk,  1805— Sir  W.G.  Armstrong,  1883— Survey  of  1724— Hepple 
and  Tosson  Commons-  Lord  Oxford's  Tour,  1725  — Field  Names — Little 
Tosson— Old  tillage  land— The  Spital— Tosson  Pele,  1 541— Border  Watch, 
11553 — Gallon's  Faad — Royalist  Dragoons  taken  prisoners  at  Tosson,  1648 — 
Population— "  The  Royal  George"  Inn— The  Donkins  of  Tosson — The  Big 
Wedding,  1750  —  George  Turnbull,  farmer,  1878 — Tosson  Characters  — 
Cuddy  an'  his  Crawin'  Hen." 

OX  the  northern  slopes  of  the  Simonside  Hills — a  mile  and 
a  half  south-west  from  Rothbury,  just  at  that  point 
where  the  finer  herbage  of  the  valley  merges  into  the  coarser 
vegetation  of  the  hills,  and  at  an  elevation  of  500  feet  above 
the  sea  level — stands  Great  Tosson,  the  prettiest  hamlet  in 
the  parish — interesting  from  the  many  ancient  remains  and 
associations  of  past  ages  with  which  it  is  surrounded.  There 
is  found  the  camp  and  the  cist-vaen  of  the  early  Briton, ^  as 
well  as  the  ruins  of  a  pele  tower — a  hoary  relic  of  border 
strife,  but — 

"  Long  rolling  years  have  swept  those  scenes  away. 
And  peace  is  on  the  mountain  and  the  fell ; 
And  rosy  dawn  and  closing  twilight  grey 

Hear  but  the  distant  sheepwalk's  tinkling  bell." 

The  village  itself  was  once  much  more  extensive  than  it  is 
in  our  day.     During  the  first  decade  of  the  last  century  it 

'  See  chapter  on  British  period,  p.  128. 


GREAT    TOSSON.  325 

-contained,  besides  the  farms,  a  school  house,  a  blacksmith's 
shop,  a  joiner's  shop,  and  a  public-house,  flourishing  under  the 
sign  of  "  The  Royal  George,"  kept  b}- "  Baillie  Donkin."  A 
•small  field  near  still  goes  by  the  name  of  the  "  Bailiff's  Close." 
In  the  "good  old  times"  this  public-house  was  the  rendezvous 
of  all  the  worthies  in  Great  Tosson  and  the  immediate 
-neighbourhood,  where  they  met  and  indulged  ad  libituvi  in 
those  recreations  and  amusements  our  forefathers  were  wont 
to  enjoy — cock-fighting,  card-playing,  and  conviviality — drink- 
ing no  doubt  the  "  gauger-free "  produce  of  the  numerous 
illicit  stills  existing  at  that  time  amongst  the  ravines  and 
bidden  recesses  of  Simonside.^  It  now  consists  of  three  farms, 
with  good  farmhouses,  servants'  cottages,  and  steadings 
attached.  Two  of  these — Tosson  West  Farm  and  the  Tower 
Farm — are  the  propertx'  of  Lord  Armstrong  ;  the  other,  at 
the  east  end  of  the  \'illage,  belongs  to  the  living  of  Ancroft 
Parish.  The  arable  land  stretches  northward  down  towards 
the  river  Coquet,  which  flows  on  the  northern  boundary  of  the 
township  ;  while  on  the  south  the  peaks  of  Simonside  rise 
upwards  of  1,400  feet,  on  whose  heather-clad  ridges  are  the 
noted  sheep-walks  which  produce  those  health}-  flocks  that 
render  Coquetdale  famous  amongst  flockmasters  in  the  north 
of  England.  I-^-om  the  summit  of  the  "  Burgh,"  a  conical 
green  hill  west  of  the  village — there  can  be  obtained  on  a 
clear  day  a  magnificent  prospect  of  pastoral  and  mountain 
•scenery.  Looking  north  is  .seen  in  the  far  distance  the  lofty 
brow  "of  Cheviot  in  his  lonely  heiglil,"  and  the  round-topped 
crest  of  Iledgehojje.  Nearer  are  the  hills  of  Kidland,  the 
ancient  summer  pasture  of  the  flocks  and  herds  belonging  to 
the  monks  of  Newminster.  Closer  in  arc  tlu-  Hiddlestone 
hills.     In  the  west  loom  darkly  the  crags  of  Harbottlc  and 

''  In  1S36  ihure  was  an  illicit  distillery  on  Wolfcrshicl  hill,  at  the  base  of 
Kavenscleugh,  which  was  discovered  by  a  |)arty  of  niounled  excisemen  from 
Morpeth.  When  the  officers  arrived  at  the  spot  the  men  had  fled,  leaving  their 
jilant  behind  ;  but  the  owner  of  the  field  and  the  tenant  were  both  heavily  lined, 
l)eing  parties  to  the  affair. 


3-^4  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

Hol}'stoiie  ;  while  just  at  hand,  on  the  east,  are  the  hills  of 
Cartiny,ton  and  Lorbottle,  the  whole  forming  a  grand  and 
massive  border  to  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Coquet,  which 
lies  spread  out  to  \iew  studded  with  snug  hamlets,  ancient 
villages,  ancestral  mansions,  and  many  a  landmark  celebrated 
in  the  annals  of  border  warfare,  with  the  limpid  Coquet 
rippling  over  its  pebbly  channel  towards  the  little  town  of 
Rothbury. 

The  greater  portion  of  "  Tossam  Magna  "  (Great  Tosson) 
and  "Tossam  Par\-a"  (Little  Tosson)  was  originally  part  of  the 
Hepple  baron\',  and  held,  as  already  given  in  the  description 
of  the  Hepple  owners,  by  the  de  Heppals,  Tailbois,  Ogles^ 
Lord  Oxford,  Marquis  of  Newcastle,  and  Duke  of  Portland, 
until  1803,  when  it  was  purchased  by  Sir  John  Buchanan 
Riddell.  About  1805  Sir  John  sold  his  portion  of  Great 
Tosson  to  William  Orde,  of  Xunnykirk,  in  whose  famil\-  it 
remained  until  1883,  in  which  year  it  again  changed  hands, 
and  became  by  purchase  the  property  of  Sir  William 
Armstrong.  The  old  boundary  stones  are  yet  seen  on 
Simonside  hills,  having  the  letter  N  cut  on  the  east  side,. 
that  being  the  Duke  of  Northumberland's  property,  and  P' 
for  Portland  on  the  west  side  of  the  stones.  The  farm  at  the 
east  end  belongs  to  the  Parish  Church  of  Ancroft.  In  the 
escheats  of  lidward  III.,  1354,  we  find  that  "  Robertus  de 
Maners,"  the  owner  of  Etal,  near  Ancroft,  also  held  divers 
lands  in  "  Hethpole,  Tossan,  and  i\lnw}'k."3  There  was  also 
a  rent  charge  of  twenty-six  shillings  laid  on  his  property  in 
Great  Tosson  for  a  certain  chaplain,  therefore  it  is  probable 
that  one  of  the  Manners  presented  his  portion  tO'  the  Church 
of  Ancroft.  The  first  mention  we  have  found  of  Tosson  is- 
in  the  Pope  Rolls  of  6  John,  1204,  where  it  is  linked  with 
Hepple,  thus  : — "  Huphal  et  Thosan,"  a  moiety  of  both  being 
held  by  William  Bardulf4     In   1279,  "  Robertus  Taylleboys" 

^  llodgfion's  JVorf/item/>ef/and,  part  iii.,  vol.  i.,  p.  7-8. 
■•  Ibid,  part  iii.,  vol.  iii.  (Pipe  Rolls),  p.  88. 


GREAT   TOSSON.  325 

IS  the  recorded  owner  of  "  Hephale  Maner,  Tossam  Villa. "5 
Robert  de  Heppale  appears  to  have  had  an  interest  in  Great 
and  Little  Tosson  in  1332,  as  well  as  in  the  Hospital  of  St. 
Leonard  of  "  Alriburne."^  Henry  Tailbois  possesses  200  acres, 
&.C.,  in  "Tossam  Magna"  in  1337."  Robert  de  Ogle  holds 
lands  there  in  1362,^  and  in  1364  \\'illiam  Tailbois  also  has 
lands  in  Great  Tosson. 9  In  1368  Henry  Tailbois  and  his  wife, 
Alianora,  are  the  owners  of  part  of  the  village  of  Tosson,  with 
lands  there  ;io  while  in  1437  Robert  Ogle,  senior,  Aliles,  pos- 
sessed in  the  village  of  Great  Tosson  eight  messuages,  six 
cottages,  130  acres  of  land,  and  a  water  mill,  with  160  acres  in 
Falowleys."  About  1290  the  names  of  "  Lucas  Tayleboys 
and  Rics.  Chartenay  "  appear  together  in  connection  with  the 
barony  of  Hepple.^^  j,-,  t^g  Feodary's  Book  for  1568  Great 
Tosson  and  Little  Tosson  are  returned  amongst  the  posses- 
sions of  Cuthbert  Lord  Ogle;i3  but  in  1663  Great  Tosson 
and  Tosson  Mill  are  the  property  of  the  Marquis  of  Newcastle, 
Henry  Richardson  and  \Vm.  Vrwen  are  the  owners  of  Little 
Tosson  and  the  Spittle. '4 

We  shall  again  quote  from  the  Survc}-  of  the  Ogle  lands, 
1724,  in  which  Great  Tosson  and  R}e  Hill — but  not  Little 
Tosson — are  described  as  in  the  barony  of  Hepple.  Great 
Tosson  consisted  of  si.x  farms,  one  being  a  freehold,  and  a 
cottage.  The  tenants  were: — Oswald  Detchon,  i  farm;  J  no. 
Snowdon,   i    farm  ;    Cuthbert  Ladler,    i    farm  ;   Geo.   Detchon, 


5  Ibid,  pari  iii.,  v(j1.  i.,  ]).  48. 

''Ibid,  pari  iii.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  308. 

'  Ibid,  i>art  iii.,  vol.  i.,  p.  72. 

''Ibid,  pari  iii.,  vol.  i.,  |).  81. 

"  Ibid,  p.  82. 

"^Ibid,  p.  85. 

"  Ibid,  ]xirl  iii.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  272. 

'^  Ibid,  part  iii.,  vol.  i.,  p.  168. — "Chartenay,"  the  probable  origin  of  the  placc- 
nanie  Chartners,  which  was  part  of  the  old  Hepjile  ijarony. 

"  Ibid,  part  iii.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  63. 

'^  Allerdene,  then  known  as  "The  Spittle,"'  the  site  of  the  Hospital  of  St. 
Leonard. 


326  UPl'ER   COQUETDALE. 

1  farm  ;  OswaUl  Dctclion,  junr.,  i  farm  ;  the  cotta.^-e,  Wm, 
Carnaby  ;  Geo.  Humble,  freeholder.  Some  of  the  field-names 
are: — "  Intack  off  the  Greens  (Edwd.  Shotton),  The  Greens, 
Howp  l-'ield,  Steel  End '5  Intack."  Rye  Hill  was  also  divided 
into  six  farms,  one  of  which  was  a  freehold.  The  tenants 
were: — "Geo.  Humble,  i  farm;  Eliz.  Park,  2  farms;  Margaret 
Snowdon,  2  farms  ;  Geo.  Humble,  freeholder.  Field-names: — - 
Broom}'  Haugh,  Woolford  Shield,  Croft  Simon,  The  Twizals, 
Bogg  Well,  New  Intack,  Old  Intack,  Broad  Yard  Nook." 
"  Hepple  and  Tosson  Commons,  extended  from  Tosson  about 
4^4^  miles  westward  and  about  three  miles  southward,  are  very 
barren,  wild,  and  mountainous,  and  full  of  crags  and  rocks, 
which  renders  a  great  part  of  them  unimproveable.  On  the 
south  and  west  parts  of  this  ground  is  adjoining  a  great 
moore  called  Elsdon  Fell,  belonging  to  the  Duke  of  Somerset, 
which  is,  since  1724,  divided  from  these  Commons,  but  what 
boundary  he  has  left  them  I  am  ignorant  of.  About  a  mile 
south  of  Tosson  town  is  a  very  noted  craggy  hill  called  Simon 
Side,  the  perpendicular  altitude  of  which  from  the  level  of 
Coquet  river  being  a  quarter-of-a-mile.  Over  the  middle 
thereof  goes  the  boundar}'  of  the  Commons,  the  contents  of 
which  are,  according  to  the  Survey  in  1724,  5,661  acres." ^^ 

In  1725,  Lord  Oxford,  accompanied  by  his  chaplain,  made 
a  tour  through  his  possessions  in  the  north  of  England.  On 
May  27th,  leaving  Alnwick  they  visited  the  various  "Ogle 
lands  "  in  Coquetdale,  respecting  which  we  give  the  following 
interesting  notes  from,  the  diary  of  his  lordship's  chaplain  : — 

"  Some  miles  farther  we  pass  throug-h  Eslington,  part  of 
the  estate  of  Sir  Harry  Lyddell,  formerly  Mr.  Collingwood's, 
who  forfeited  in  the  late  insurrection.  Here  are  several  new 
good  farm  houses  on  this  estate  which  were  begun  by  Mr. 
Collingwood  and  carried  on  by  the  late  purchaser.  We  pass 
dose  by  Calliloe,  a  house  of  —  Clavering's,  who  was  likewise 

'5 The  '*  Stelle  End"  is  a  place-name  in  1553. 
'*  Note  to  the  Survey  of  Ogle  lands,  1724. 


GREAT   TOSSON.  327 

amongst  the  unfortunate  gentlemen  of  that  countn-  in  171 5, 
but  procured  his  pardon  by  the  interposition  of  the  late  Lord 
Covvper  on  his  behalf,  bearing  very  probabl}-  some  relation  to 
that  Lord's  wife,  who  was  a  Clavering. 

"  Not  far  from  this  house  we  pass  over  a  small  brook,  and 
come  into  Larbottle,  belonging  to  my  Lord  Oxford,  computed 
to  be  about  twelve  miles  from  Alnwick,  the  way  we  came. 
We  pass  on  without  an^-  stop  through  this  town  and  go  on  to 
another  part  of  m\'  Lord's  estate,  called  Sharperton,  lying 
upon  the  river  Cocute,  through  which  we  cross  over  to  see  a 
very  large  spring,  on  the  other  side  of  it,  called  Haliwell,  and 
the  town  it  belongs  to,  Halystane,  which  formerh-  was  a 
nunnery,  and  probably  some  Holy  stone,  as  well  as  a  Holy 
well,  which  the  good  ladies  might  have  some  peculiar 
reverence  for.  At  the  upper  end  of  this  vale,  where  the  river 
Cocute  runs,  is  Harbottle  Castle,  now  in  ruins.  \Vc  come  back 
again  from  Halistone  through  the  river,  and  go  up  a  rising 
ground  till  we  come  to  the  ruins  of  an  old  chapel  on  the 
highest  part  of  it,  called  the  Kirk  on  the  Hill,  and  lies  betwixt 
Sharperton  and  Hepple  tower.  Just  by  this  ruin  lies  a  hollow 
stone  which  seems  to  have  been  the  font  belonging  to  the 
Kirk.  They  continue  still  to  bur}-  at  this  place,  but  not  very 
frequently.  The  site  and  estate  round  about  is  my  Lord 
Oxford's,  as  is  Hepple  tower,  to  which  we  came  next,  it  is 
now  onl\'  a  hcnise  for  the  farmer,  but  was  formerK',  as  well 
as  all  the  other  towers  in  this  countrx',  a  place  of  refuge 
and  defence  for  men  and  cattle,  against  the  inciu'sions  and 
depredations  of  their  ravenous  neighbours  ;  the  cattle  were 
drove  into  the  b(jttom  part  and  their  (owners  defended  tliem 
from  the  top  of  the  tower,  with  the  [proper  arms. 

"  I-^-om  hence  rode  up  to  Plainficld,  Lord  Oxford's,  where 
the  first  rendez-vous  was  at  the  late  rising  ;  it  is  upon  the  top 
of  a  rising  grouufl,  in  the  midst  of  a  ])retly  large  open  plain, 
and  has  good  pleasant  land  about,  especially  towards  the  side 
of    the    ("ocute.        Ilcnce    we    went    on    U)    I'"lotterlon,    Lord 


32S  DIMMER    COQUETDALE. 

Oxford's,  Warton,  cross  llie  river  to  the  Rye  Hill,  up  to 
Mochill  Toston,  where,  at  the  house  of  one  Carnaby,  we 
refreshed  ourselves  with  what  provisions  we  had  brought  along 
with  us,  ha\ing  been  about  six  hours  and  three-quarters  on 
horseback,  and  rode  about  twent}^  miles. 

"  On  this  side  of  the  Cocute  is  that  high,  rocky  mountain, 
belonging  to  my  Lord  Oxford,  and  containing  many  thousands 
of  acres,  called  Symonside,  it  is  reckoned  to  be  one  of  the 
highest  in  the  country,  and  being  to  be  seen  a  great  way  from 
the  German  Ocean,  is  a  kind  of  mark  or  sight  for  the  seamen, 
and  ma\'  therefore  perhaps  have  been  originally  called  the 
Seamen's  Sight,"  though  now  turned  into  Symonside." ^7 

The  most  significant  field-names  in  the  neighbourhood  ot 
Great  Tosson  are : — Bank  House  Field,  Dirty  Doup,  East 
Detheridge,  Croft  Simon,  North  Dales,  Twizel  Wood  (Ryehill), 
Malving  Flat,  Nine  Rigs  (Allerdene),  Slide  Field,  Corby  Field, 
Hill  Field  (Wolfershiel),  Mill  Croft  (Tosson  Mill),  East  Hive 
Acres,  Ancient  Glebe,  Bailiff's  Close  (Ancroft  Glebe),  Kiln 
Field,  East  Hope,  Twizel  Banks,  Boggle  Hole,  Brough  Hill, 
Chesterhope,  Ravensheugh  (Great  Tosson),  ^^  Kiln  Field,  Lady 
Bank,  Clavering  Side,  West  Haugh,  Farnlee  North  Field 
(Little  Tosson). 

Little  Tosson  has  for  many  years  belonged  to  the  Harbottle 
estate.  An  old  pasture  field  lying  to  the  north  of  the  farm- 
house, sloping  down  to  the  Coquet,  probably  shows  the  most 
distinct  traces  of  the  curved  "  rig  and  reen "  in  the  vallev. 
This  relic  of  the  cattle- wain  wooden  plough  of  a  hundred 
years  ago,  is  best  seen  from  the  road  leading  from  Flotterton 
to  Caistron,  where  the  crooked  ridges  caused  by  the  winding 
of  the  somewhat  unwieldly  yoke  of  oxen  at  the  head-rigs  are 
quite  discernible.  ^9 

'7  Hist.  MS.S.  Commission  (1901),  vol.  vi.,  pp.  126-7. 

'*  Rothbury  Parish  Tithe  Map,  1839. 

''An  iron  goad,  a  sharp-pointed  instrument  used  by  the  "  gadsman "  in 
driving  a  team  of  oxen,  was  found  in  a  field  at  Flotterton  a  few  years  ago,  which 
is  now  in  the  Black  Gate  Museum,  Newcastle. 


GREAT   TOSSON.  329 

Allerdene,  also  known  as  Tosson  Spital,  was  the  "Hospital 
■of  St.  Leonard  of  Alriburne,"  so  frequently  mentioned  in  deeds 
relating  to  the  Hepple  barony,  of  which  Robt.  de  Heppall,  in 
1332,  had  the  advowson.  This  hospice  was  held  b}-  the 
Knights  Hospitallers  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem  in  England, 
for  the  entertainment  of  travellers,  and  had  grants  of  land 
from  numerous  landowners  in  the  locality.  The  pleasant 
farm-house,  now  in  the  occupation  of  Mr.  Thos.  Carr,  is  the 
probable  site  of  the  ancient  hospitium.  In  1715-34  "  Tosson 
Spittle  "  was  the  freehold  of  Thos.  Alder,  of  West  Lilburn. 
Edward  Donkin  was  the  owner  of  "  Allerdean  Spittle "  in 
1826  ;  it  is  now  the  property  of  Lord  Armstrong. 

The  owner  of  Rye  Hill,  and  its  quaint  old  farm-house,  in 
J774,  was  Robert  Storey,  of  Little  Tosson;  in  1826,  \Vm. 
Readhead,  in  whose  family  it  still  remains. 

Wolfershiel,  also  the  property  of  Lord  Armstrong,  lies 
close  in  at  the  base  of  Ravenscleugh.  Li  1774,  Robt.  Robson 
of  Wolfershiel  Hall  was  the  owner.  Tosson  ]\Iill,  at  the 
beginning  of  the  last  century,  was  the  joint  property  of 
Matthew  Thompson  of  Sharperton  Edge,  Robt.  Thompson 
of  Coldside,  Matthew  Thompson  of  Debdon,  and  Richard 
Thompson  of  Cold  Park. 

We  shall  return  to  the  ancient  village  of  Great  Tosson. 
The  ruins  of  the  border  tower  of  the  Ogles  stands  on  a  slight 
eminence  on  the  brink  of  a  magnificent  spring  of  water,  w  hich, 
in  days  gone  by,  would  doubtless  form  the  water  supjjly  to  its 
occupants.  Time  and  ruthless  hands  ha\c  both  dealt  hardly 
with  the  old  pele  at  Tosson.  All  tliat  remains  of  it  is  a 
portion  of  the  ma.ssive  walls  to  the  height  of  30  or  40  feet, 
the  only  p(jints  of  architectural  interest  being  the  immense 
thickness  of  its  walls — which  at  the  base  measure  nine  feet — 
and  a  window  opening  iiigh  up  in  the  wall  at  the  north-cast 
corner,  showing  traces  of  an  inside  spiral  stair.  Tlie  tower,  in 
form,  is  an  oblong  f)f  42  feet  from  east  to  west,  by  36  from 
north   to  south,  and   has  been  a  15(jrder  pele  of  the  ordinary 


-30  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

type,  with  probably  a  barmek\-n  for  the  protection  of  cattle, 
the  door  being,  as  in  most  examples  left  us,  on  the  south  side. 
The  strength  and  tenacity  of  the  masonry  is  remarkable ; 
althouijh  the  larye  outer  stones  of  ashlar  work  have  been 
stripped  off  for  building  purposes  years  ago,  the  inner  part 
of  the  wall  yet  remains  intact — the  rubble  or  filling,  com- 
posed of  small  boulders  from  the  bed  of  Coquet,  has  been  run 
in  or  grouted  with  hot  lime,  the  method  in  which  all  peles 
and  strong  houses  on  the  Borders  were  built.  There  is  no 
date  on  the  walls  to  indicate  the  time  of  its  erection,  there- 
fore its  age  must  be  left  to  conjecture  ;  and  as  the  towers 
of  Whitton,  Cartington,  Thropton,  Hepple,  and  others  in 
Coquetdale  appear  in  the  list  of  Northumbrian  fortlets  of 
1415,  and  no  mention  is  made  of  one  being  at  Great  Tosson, 
until  the  Survey  of  Bowes  and  Elleker,  in  1541,  we  may 
surmise  that  the  tower  was  built  somewhere  about  the  end  of 
the  15th  or  beginning  of  the  i6th  century.  The  Survey  of 
Border  Towers  during  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.,  1541, 
reports  that : — "  At  Great  Tosson  is  a  tower  of  the  lorde 
Ogle's  Inherytance,  not  in  good  rep'ac'ons,"  which  fact  may 
be  attributed  to  the  rava^^es  of  border  warfare.  It  was  one 
of  a  line  of  towers  extending  from  Harbottle  to  Warkworth 
as  a  defence  against  the  frequent  inroads  of  the  Scotch  free- 
booters, although  in  these  plundering  expeditions  the  Scots 
were  only  paying  back  the  lawless  Northumbrians  in  their 
own  coin,  both  parties  being  equally  blamable  in  the  matter^ 
as  an  old  historian  writes  : — "  Not  but  the  Northumbrians 
were  as  guilty  as  the  Scots  of  such  Misdemeanours  in  some 
Measure,  but  that  the  Scots  being  the  poorer  and  more 
warlike,  the  Inhabitants  of  this  County  were  the  greatest 
Sufferers."  And  no  doubt  the  constant!}'  harried  Northum- 
brian had  every  reason  to  exclaim  : — 

"  God  send  the  land  deliverance  !" 
Frae  every  reiving  riding  Scot ; 
We'll  sune  hae  neither  cow  nor  ewe, 
We'll  sune  hae  neither  staig  nor  stot." 


fJREAT    TOSSON.  33  I 

Lord  Wharton,  Lord  DepLiU'-General  of  the  Marches, 
established  in  1553  a  complete  system  of  watch  and  ward 
to  be  kept  in  every  township  throughout  the  English  Borders. 
At  Great  Tosson  there  had  "  A  Watch  to  be  kept  at  the 
Stelle-ende,  with  two  Men  nightly,  of  the  Inhabitors  of  Mykle 
Tosson,  Setters  and  Searchers,  Win.  Gallin  and  JoJui  Sharpe- 
rowe ; "  and  at  Little  Tosson,  "  A  Watch  to  be  kept  at  the 
Rakesyde  Hill,  with  two  Men  nightl\-,  of  the  Inhabitors  of 
Little  Tosson  and  Fa7-melayi\'  necessary  precautions  not  onl)' 
against  the  Scots,  but  against  the  men  of  Tynedale  and 
Redesdale,  who  were  as  little  to  be  trusted  as  the  war}'  Scot 
from  over  the  border."  It  was  also  enacted  when  the  watch 
raised  the  "  outcry,"  "  That  every  man  do  rise  and  follow  the 
fray  upon  the  Blowing  the  Horn,  Shout,  or  Outer}-,  upon  pain 
of  Death."  A  trace  of  William  Gallin,  and  a  reminder  of  the 
days  of  raid  and  foray,  is  found  in  a  strongl}--\val!ed  enclosure 
in  a  well-chosen  hidden  spot  on  the  northern  face  of  Ravens- 
heugh,  still  known  as  "  Gallin's  Faad."  Both  W' illiam  Gallin 
and  John  Scharperowe  were  amongst  the  eighteen  out  of 
Tosson  who  were  at  the  muster  of  armed  men  on  Robert's 
Law  in  i  538. 

During  the  great  internecine  struggle  of  the  seventeenth 
century  the  tide  of  war,  with  its  train  of  evils,  penetrated 
even  to  the  remote  vale  of  Coquet.  Most  of  its  leading 
families  espoused  the  cause  of  Charles  I.,  and  when,  in  the 
summer  of  1648,  the  army  of  that  unfortunate  monarch  was 
defeated  by  Cromwell  at  Prestfjn,  Sir  Marmaduke  Langdale's 
troops,  many  of  whom  were  from  the  Coc|uct  and  the  Aln, 
retreated  northwards  and  (obtained  shelter  amongst  their 
friends  in  the  neighbourhood. 

Major  Sanderson,  of  Lambert's  rarliiimcntarian  arm}-,  was 
sent  in  i)ursuit,  who,  in  a  letter  reporting  his  success,  sa}'s  : — 
"  I'"riday,  30  Junii.  According  to  agreenunt  ue  rendevouzed 
about  eleven  of  the  clocke,  at  Cliolh^rfdnl,  three  miles  north 
of  Ilcxam.     We  hasted   aw  a}-   that   niL;ht,  and    marched   si.x- 


;^J,2  Uri'KR   COQUETDALE. 

teen  miles  from  Hcxani  to  Ilarterton  ;  bated  our  horses  two 
houres ;  then  mounted  ai^ain  and  marched  from  thence.  I 
had  the  command  of  the  forlorne  hope.  The  first  towne  we 
fell  into  was  Tossons,  where  wee  took  a  lieutenant  and  sixe 
of  his  dragoons,  all  in  bed  ;  the  next  town  was  Lurbottle, 
when  we  took  60  horse  and  60  men,  all  in  bed." 

Population  of  Great  Tosson,  Little  Tosson,  and  Rye  Hill — 

1801  — 150.      181 1  — 119.      1821  —  no.      1831  — 195. 

1841 — 209.     1851 — 86.       1861 — 78.       1871  — 119. 

1881  — 154.  1891  — 132.  1901 — 94. 
The  road  from  Rothbury,  b\'  Tosson  Mill  to  Great  Tosson, 
leads  up  b\'  the  side  of  a  copious  stream  of  water — a  runnell 
from  one  of  the  numerous  springs  that  gush  from  the  northern 
slopes  of  Simonside.  The  banks  of  this  little  brawling  stream 
are  clad  with  a  profusion  of  wild  flowers  that  delight  the  heart 
of  the  botanist.  A  list  of  the  plants  found  here  will  be 
enumerated  in  our  flora  of  the  valley.  On  reaching  Tosson, 
and  passing  the  farm-house  of  Ancroft  Glebe,  the  first  object 
that  meets  the  eye  is  the  ruins  of  the  pele  tower.  On  the 
opposite  side  stands  the  Tower  farm-house,  once  the  village 
inn.  In  the  wall  east  of  the  porch  can  yet  be  seen  the  stump 
of  the  oaken  beam  on  which  swung  the  sign  of  the  "  Royal 
George."  When  it  ceased  to  be  an  inn  the  sign  was  taken 
down,  and  it  is  told  that  Cuddy  Wintrip,  the  joiner,  '' grat" 
when  he  mounted  the  ladder  with  his  saw  to  cut  it  down. 

For  upwards  of  a  century,  the  Donkins,  a  well-known 
Northumbrian  famil\-,  farmed  at  Great  Tosson.  Shortly 
before  1720,  Samuel  Donkin — the  "Patriarch" — came  into 
Coquetdalc,  and  settled  at  Great  Tosson.  He  died  at  the  ripe 
old  age  of  102,  and  was  buried  in  Rothbury  Churchyard,  on 
May  6th,  1791.  Members  of  this  numerous  family  farmed  at 
Whitton  Dene,  Rye  Hill,  Spital,  and  Plainfield.  The  wedding 
of  one  of  them — William  Donkin  of  Tosson — took  place  on 
the  7th  of  June,  1750,  and  was  remarkable  for  its  festivities 
and  the  length  of  the  cavalcade  which  accompanied  the  pair 


GREAT   TOSSON.  333 

from  the  Parish  Church  of  Rothbur)-  to  Tosson,  \\hen,  accord- 
ing to  the  custom  of  those  days — 

"  Four  rustic  fellows  wait  the  while 
To  kiss  the  bride  at  the  Church  stile  ; 
Then  vigorous  mount  their  felter'd  steeds — 
To  scourge  them  going,  head  and  tail, 
To  win  what  countr)-  call  '  the  /'«■///" 

The  Gentleman  s  Magasine,  speaking  of  wedding  customs, 
sa)'s : — "  Perhaps  the  most  extensive  entertainment  of  this 
kind  that  ever  took  place  in  Northumberland,  was  held  at 
Tosson,  near  Rothbury,  about  the  middle  of  the  last  centurj-. 
It  occurred  on  celebrating  the  nuptials  of  Mr.  William  Donkin 
and  Miss  Eleanor  Shotton,  both  of  that  place.  There  were 
provided  no  less  than  120  quarters  of  lamb,  44  quarters  of 
veal,  20  quarters  of  mutton,  a  great  quantity  of  beef,  12  hams, 
with  a  suitable  number  of  chickens,  &c.,  which  was  concluded 
with  eight  half  ankers  of  brand}'  made  into  punch,  twelve 
dozens  of  cider,  a  great  many  gallons  of  wine,  and  ninety 
bushels  of  malt  brewed  into  beer.  The  compan}-  consisted  of 
550  ladies  and  gentlemen,  who  were  diverted  with  the  music 
of  twenty-five  fiddlers  and  pipers,  and  the  whole  was  conducted 
with  the  utmost  unanimity." 

One  of  the  last  (jf  the  olden-time  Coquetdale  farmers — 
George  Turnbull  of  Great  Tosson — died  in  1S78  in  his 
seventy-eighth  )'car.  Mr.  Turnbull  was  a  man  of  local 
celebrit}-.  Me  was  possessed  of  infinite  humour,  and  his 
convivial  disposition  and  happ\'  imitation  of  the  ludicrous, 
made  him  a  favourite  in  Coquetdale.  He  resided  in  the 
parish  all  his  life,  and  was  highly  respected  by  his  neigh- 
bours. Our  space  limit  prevents  us  from  relating  the  man)' 
freaks  and  practical  jokes  perpetrated  by  the  characters  that 
once  resided  in  Tosson  ;  for  Cuddy  Wintrip,  the  joiner ; 
Clem.  Haa',  the  kilnman  ;  John  Donkin,  fhc  farmer;  and 
"Hunting  Ned" — who  once,  when  folhnving  the  fo.vhoiuids, 
put  his  horse  to  the  "'ihruin"  and  safely  leaped  the  chasm 
— were  ever  rearl)'  for  an\-  scheme  of  fun  anrl  frolic. 


334  UIM'ER   COOUETDALE. 

Lewis  Proudlock,  the  "  Coquetdale  Minstrel,"  once  kept  a 
small  schot)l  at  Tosson,  and  amongst  other  poems  of  excellent 
worth  he  wrote  an  amusini^  ballad  on  the  troubles  of  "  Cuddy 
Wintrip,"  occasioned  by  Cuddy  having  in  his  possession  a 
"  crawin'  hen,"  which  was  considered  by  the  rural  population 
■of  Northumberland  at  that  tiine  as  being  very  unlucky : — 

"CUDDIE  AND  HIS  CRAWIN'  HEN." 

'Mam;  cantrips,  charms,  as  hurtfu'een, 
And  thin<;s  vmlucky  to  be  seen, 

I'lann'd  hy  auld  schemy  Clootie, 
A  croonin'  cow,  a  crawin'  hen, 
A  whistling  maid,  fii'  weel  ye  ken, 

Are  deemed  aye  unlucky. 
Cuddle  had  a  crawin'  hen. 

And  muckle  did  it  grieve  him  ; 
For  what  ane  'twas  amang  his  ten 
That  did  of  luck  Ijereave  him. 
He  kent  na,  which  rent  aye 
His  anxious  heart  wi'  pain  ; 
Sae  tret  still,  he  fret  still 
To  know  the  odious  ane. 

"  O  dool!" — quo'  he,  "how  can  I  thrive?" 
That  hatefu'  hen  does  me  deprive. 

Of  gowd,  and  gear,  and  a' ! — 
By  her  curst  cantrip,  horrid  craw, 
A'at's  fortunate  she  drives  awa 
Frae  my  poor  cottage  wall — 
O  cou'd  I  by  some  project  sly 

This  fatal  blastie  ken  ! 
What  ane  she's,  cou'd  I  but  descry, 
Amang  my  layers  ten  ; 

Wi'  will,  then,  I'd  kill,  then, 
This  worker  of  my  wae  ; 
And  cope  yet,  and  hope,  yet, 
To  thrive  some  future  day. 

"  I'm  thinkin'  now  upon  a  plot — 
To  make  sure  wark,  the  total  lot, 

I  think,  I'se  gaun  and  kill- 
But  then  !— it  is  a  real  pity 
The  innocent  blood  wi'  the  guilty 

Relentlessly  to  spill. 
But  what,  if  I  shou'd  try  to  watch  her? 

And  see  her  when  she  craws — 

This  is  the  only  plan  to  catch  her. 

Such  light  my  judgment  thraws  : — 


GREAT   TOSSON. 


JJ 


35 


I'll  straight  then,  this  night,  then, 
Attempt  this  noble  plan  ; 
Then — heed  well,  I'se  speed  well — 
ril  nab  her  if  I  can." 

That  vera  foll'wing  morn,  'tis  said, 
He  'rose  and  to  the  hen-house  slade 

Before  the  clock  struck  twa  ; 
There,  armed  he,  wi'  a  ten-foot  lat. 
Stood  watciiing,  and  at  whiles  he  sat, 

Or  lean'd  against  the  wa'  : 
While  hail  and  rain  pour'd  down  amain 

Without  the  heath-rooft  biggin'. 
And  winds  loud  blew,  wi'  fury  flew, 
And  threat  to  tirl  its  riggin' : 
Tho'  dreadfu',  he  heedfu', 
Ne'er  minded  what  did  fa', 
But  tent  was,  and  bent  was, 
To  see  the  blastie  craw. 

At  length  a  birkie  'mang  the  rest 
Began  to  raise  her  piled  breast, 

Syne  flapt  her  wings  fu'  braw  : 
And  bade  defiance  all  around. 
By  screachin'  out  an  eldritch  sound. 

An  eerie  cantrip  craw  : 
But  Cuddie  mark't  her  out  fu'  gleg, 

Syne,  wi'  revengful  bound. 
He  took  her  wi'  his  lat  a  peg. 
And  brought  her  to  the  ground  ; 
He,  pleased  then,  her  seiz'd  then, 
And  ri'ed  her  neck  in  twain  ; 
And  glorious,  victorious, 
Cried  '  craw  ye  witch  again.'  "  ^ 


°*Thc   I'osthumous  Poetical  Works  of  Lewis   I'roudlock. 
Easton,  Jedburgh,  1826. 


-Printed   by  Walter 


J  J 


6  UPPER    COQUETDALE. 


CHAPTER    XXV  II. 

CAISTRON     AND     WREIGHILL. 

Caislion  and  Wrcis^hill  not  members  of  Hepple  Barony — The  patrimony  of  Patrick 
of  Dunbar — Grants  to  Newminster  Abbey  by  John  de  Kestern — Robert  de 
Greystock— Linked  with  Greystock  Barony,  1272— Hugh  the  Hermit  and 
John  of  ^^aydenley,  Rechises  near  Caistron— Caistron  and  Wreighill,  Crown 
k\nd.s,  1568  —  KilHngworth  and  Hall  (Caistron),  1663  —  Potts,  Dotchen, 
Humble,  and  Hall  (Wreighill),  1663- 1710- 1715  —  Halls  and  Snowdon 
(Caistron),  1774  —  Mr.  Jacob  Daglish  and  Dr.  Murray,  1903  —  Farmers  at 
Caistron,  1828 — The  Storeys  of  Caistron  —  Wreighill  once  a  considerable 
village— Ravaged  by  the  Scots,  141 2— Depopulated  by  the  Plague,  1665  — 
Beacon  on  Wreighill   Pyke— Border  Watches,   1553— George  Conghron. 

CAISTRON  and  Wreighill,  although  lying  in  the  midst  of 
Hepple  lands,  were  never  included  within  the  franchise 
of  that  barony.  These  two  old  townships  first  appear  in  the 
pages  of  history  as  the  patrimony  of  Patrick,  the  son  of 
Edgar,  and  then  of  John,  the  son  of  Patrick  de  Kestern, ^ 
who,  about  the  end  of  the  twelfth  century,  granted  certain 
lands  to  the  monks  of  Newminster,  both  in  Kestern  and 
Werihill.2  These  grants  of  lands,  granges,  rights  of  way,. 
"  pittances  of  bread  and  ale,"  and  other  privileges,  continued 
to  be  given  by  the  de  Kesterns  and  the  Greystockss  until 
a  very  small  portion  of  the  manor  of  Caistron  remained. 
Robert  de  Greystock  granted  the  whole  of  "  Maydenley  "  to 


'  The  Kesterns  were  descended  from  Patrick,  son  of  Edgar,  son  of  Cospatrick 
the  Earl,  ancestor  to  the  great  house  of  Dunbar.  — Newminster  Cartulary,  preface, 
p.  II. 

''Newminster  Cartulary,  p.  188. 

3  \io(\gsov\'s,  Northumberland,  partiii.,  vol.  i.,  p.  218.  The  following  are  recorded 
as  holding  lands  in  Caistron  in  socage  of  the  barony  of  "  de  Greystoke"  : — Henry 
de  Rodum  holds  from  John  de  Kestern  40  acres  in  Kestern  for  one  pound  of  pepper. 
John  de  Lettewell,  15  acres  for  18  denr.  (lo/b).  Roger  de  Horseleye,  25  acres  for 
I  mark  (ancient  value  30/-).  Abbot  of  Newminster,  4  caracutes  (400  acres)  free. 
Monastery  of  Halistan,  40  acres  free. — (Testa  de  Nevill,  circa.  1272.) 


CAISTRON    AMI    WREIGHILL.  337 

Hugh  the  hermit,  and  John  de  Kestern  granted  seven  acres 
to  "  Blessed  John  of  Maydenle\'  and  Hugh  of  Hepes,4  who 
appear  to  have  been  recluses  at  some  forgotten  place  on  the 
Coquet  near  Caistron,  where,  like  the  hermit  of  W'arkworth, 
they  cultivated  a  little  plot  of  ground. "5 

The  monks  also  had  grants  of  lands  and  rights  of  way  in 
Thirnham,  Sharperton,  Hepple,  Bickerton,  and  Flotterton. 
Some  years  after  the  suppression  of  monasteries,  the  Coquet- 
dale  lands  of  Xewminster  remained  in  the  hands  of  the 
Crown.  In  1568,  Caistron,  W'reighill,  and  Kidland,  the 
confiscated  possessions  of  the  monks,  are  recorded  in  the 
Feodary's  Book  as  held  b}-  the  Crown.  Luke  Killingworth 
is  the  owner  in  1663,  while  \\'m.  Hall  and  Edward  Hall  are 
the  owners  of  Caistron  Mill.  At  the  same  time  Geo.  Pott, 
Jno.  Hall,  W'm.  Hall,  Roger  Dotchen,  and  Stephen  Humble 
are  the  proprietors  of  Wreighill.  In  the  Poll  Book  of  17 10 
John  Hall  is  a  freeholder  in  Caistron,  and  Thomas  Detchin  in 
Wreighill.  In  1715  we  find  John  Hall  and  Geo.  Humble  in 
Caistron;  in  1774,  William  Hall;  and  m  1826,  John  Snowdon. 
Mr.  Jacob  Daglish  of  Tynemouth  and  Dr.  Murra)-  of  New- 
castle are  now  the  owners  of  Caistron. 

A  vivid  picture  of  the  lawlessness  of  the  thirteenth  century 
dwellers  in  Coquet  water  is  found  in  the  Assize  Rolls  of  the 
county,  where  we  read  that  William  Fisher,  of  Kestern,  was 
hanged  for  killing  Gilbert  of  Fcrnley ;  and  that  Edgar  of 
Kestern  was  taken  on  suspicion  of  stealing.  His  chattels 
were  consficated  but,  '"  7iiilla  habuil  catalla"  he  had  none. 
Caistron  is  described  in  181 1  thus: — "This  pleasant  village 
stands  upon  the  north  brink  of  the  river  Coquet,  and  was 
formerly  the  property  of  three  gentlemen,  all  of  the  name  of 
Hall,    to    distinguish    whom    they    were    denominated    Duke, 


^  John,  the  son  of  John  of  Kt-stcrn,  for  ihc  salvation  of  my  soul,  of  all  my  ances- 
tors, and  the  soul  of  Catherine,  my  wife,  and  of  my  children,  and  of  all  my  succes- 
.sors,  do  f^rant  7  acres,  &c.,  &c. — Newmiiislcr  Cartulary^  \<.  138. 

5  Ibid,  preface  16. 

22 


33S  UPPER    COQUETDALE. 

Lord,  and  Law\-er  ;  a  descendant  of  the  first  bequeathed  a 
certain  sum  (£6)  to  be  paid  annually  out  of  his  estate  towards 
the  support  of  a  schoolmaster  in  the  village."  This  school 
was  discontinued  when,  in  1872-3,  Sir  Walter  B.  Riddell  built 
the  present  school-house  at  Hepple. 

In  1828,  the  farmers  at  Caistron  were  John  Snowdon  and 
George  Storey.  The  "  Storeys  of  Caistron  "  was  long  a  house- 
hold word  in  Upper  Coquetdale.  Mr.  Storey,  an  advanced 
agriculturist,  was  the  first  to  introduce  the  iron  plough  into 
the  district.  It  was  made  of  cast  iron,  and  weighed  a  stone 
less  than  the  wooden  ones,  and  cost  £4  12s.  od.  At  that 
period  there  were  forty  persons  in  Caistron. 

We  here  give  a  list  of  the  field-names  on  Caistron  farm 
(1840),  and  a  few  of  the  thirteenth  century  names  of  plots  of 
land  mentioned  in  the  Newminster  grants  : — Buck  Close,  Well 
Close,  High  Camp  Field,^  Dodridge  ^1840),  Pondene  Wite- 
chestre,  Sevenwells,  Stokewell,  Heiwelflat,  Heichester,  7  Hey- 
well,  Heyhope,  Chestres,  Ywinhope,  Benelandes;  Schuderlau, 
Dedderig,  Swannwelflat,  Haukeslau,  Brotherslaws,  Ganelok- 
furlang. 

"  Warton  is  a  bonnie  place, 
So  is  Flotterton  Haa', 
But  when  ye  come  to  Caistron 
It's  the  bonniest  of  aa'." 

{Local  Kliynie.) 

Wreighill,  about  a  mile  west  of  Caistron,  was  once  a 
considerable  village,  but  now  consists  of  cattle  folds  and  a 
solitary  dwelling.  In  18 16  there  were  twenty-eight  persons 
li\-ing  at  Wreighill  ;  at  the  present  time  there  are  only  four, 
and  an  old  resident  in  the  neighbourhood  once  told  the  writer 
that  he  could  remember  seeing  "  the  reek  of  six  chimleys 
rising  the  first  thing  in  the  morning  at  the  Wreighill."     On 

*  Camp  Field — The  remains  of  a  British  camp  are  yet  traceable  in  a  field  to  the 
east  of  Caistron,  which  is  probably  the  origin  of  its  place-name. 

'  Heichester— A  British  camp,  near  Wreighill,  is  now  known  as  Hetchester. 
There  is  a  large  tumiilus  in  a  field  below  the  camp. 


CAISTRON    AND    WREIGHILL.  339 

^Ia\-  25,  141 2,  the  village  was  pillaged  and  burnt  by  a  band 
of  Scotch  moss-troopers,  in  revenge  for  the  loss  the\'  had 
sustained  by  the  stout  resistance  of  its  defenders  in  a  previous 
raid.  In  1665  the  village  of  Wreighill  was  visited  by  a  worse 
calamitN",  when  nearlv  the  whole  of  its  inhabitants  were 
swept  away  by  the  plague.  The  contagion  was  brought  in  a 
packet  received  by  a  \oung  lad\-,  named  Miss  Handyside, 
from  London.  The  first  victim  was  the  young  lady  herself, 
and  the  dead  were  buried  in  such  places  as  it  was  supposed 
neither  spade  nor  plough  would  turn  up.  But  a  few  years  ago 
the  quarrymen,  while  working  the  limestone  for  the  neigh- 
bouring kiln,  came  upon  a  large  quantity  of  human  bones, 
supposed  to  have  been  those  \\ho  had  died  of  the  plague.  On 
the  summit  of  the  Wreighill  P\'ke,  which  rises  718  feet  above 
sea  level,  and  which  is  a  prominent  object  in  Coquet  valley, 
once  stood  a  signal-post  or  beacon.  During  the  earl}'  part  of 
the  last  century  the  post,  with  the  foot-holds  still  entire, 
formed  the  joists  of  a  stable  at  Wreighill.  In  the  "Order  of 
the  Marches  made  b\'  Lord  Wharton,"  Oct.,  1553,  watches 
were  set  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Wreighill,  as  follows : — 
"'  The  Blakestayle,  to  be  watched  with  two  Men  nightly,  of  the 
Inhabitors  of  the  Town  of  Heppell.  The  Harre-fordc,  to  be 
Avatched  with  two  Men  nightly,  of  the  Inhabitors  of  Wright-hill 
and  Kystrome  ;  Setters  and  Searchers  of  these  two  W'atches, 
Gawin  Hoinble  and  George  Dithaut.  Ellelaiues,  to  be  watched 
with  Two  Men  nightly,  of  the  Inhabitors  of  Flottertone."^ 

George  Coughron,  the  distinguished  youthful  mathematician 
who,  while  a  stripling,  excelled  all  his  competitors  in  the 
mathematical  sciences,  was  born  at  Wreighill  in  1752,  but 
died  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-one.  His  mother  was  the 
daughter  <jf  William  Snowdon,  of  Hejjplc,  a  member  of  the 
same  family  as  Robert  Snowd(jn,  the  renowned  swordsman. 

Standing  amid  the  green  mounds  of  the  ancient  \illage 
of  Wreighill,  on  the  summit  of  the  Pyke,  a  magnificent  view 

"  N'icol.son's  Border  Laws — (Leges  Marchiarum). 


340 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


is  obtained  of  Upper  Coquetdale.  Close  in  on  the  north  is 
Plainfield  Moor,  the  spot  where  the  Northumbrian  Jacobites 
met  in  1715;  beyond  are  Burradon,  ]^iddleston,  and  Harbottle, 
enclosed  b}-  the  Cheviots.  On  the  north-east  are  the  crags  of 
Cartington,  Lorbottle,  and  Callal\',  while  in  the  far  distance 
appear  the  hills  of  the  Breamish  and  Chillingham.  On  the 
east  is  the  valley  of  the  Coquet,  stretching  down  to  Rothbury, 
with  its  fertile  fields  and  pasturelands.  Away  to  the  west  are 
Redesdale  fells  ;  and  nearer  hand,  the  dark  hills  of  Holystone^ 
Woodhouses,  Hepple,  Darden,  and  the  Keyheugh  : — 

"  ]5ut  noo,  I  think,  I've  said  eneugh. 
Sec,  Sinionside  an'  dour  Keyheugh, 
An'  rum'hn',  rocky  Ravenscleugh, 

An'  Darden  snell. 
Are  croon'd  \vi"  hght,  wliile  syke  an'  seugh 

On  Billsmoor  fell 
Seem  touched  by  some  weird  wizard's  wand. 
Transforming  a'  wi'  magic  hand."' 


9  The  Borderland  Muse,  p.  55.  —  Lewis  Proudlock,  1896. 


THE    TREWHITTS.  34 1 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

THE    TREWHITTS. 

Early  Owners — Walter,  son  of  Vvo — Hepple  and  Greystock  Baronies — The  Monks 
of  Newminster — The  Canons  of  Brinkbiirn— The  Knights  Hospitallers  of 
Allerdene  —  Robert  de  Heppale,  i272---Hugonis  Gallon,  1360 — Walter 
Tailbois,  1389 — Robert  Ogle,  1437 — Thomas  Gallon,  1568 — Low  Trewit  : 
its  pleasant  situation  —  Pele  Tower,  1415-1541  —  Border  Watch,  1553  — 
Later  Owners — Widdrington,  1625 — Potts,  1663  — Boag,  1826 — Sir  Wm. 
Armstrong,  1871  —  Races  on  Trewit  Moor — The  Flora — The  Lake — High 
Trewhitt — Clavering  Owners,  1652 — Potts,  1663 — John  Pringle,  1735^ 
■  Atkinson,  Lorbottle— Mr.  Watson -Armstrong,  1897 — The  Nichols,  upwards 
of  36  years  farmers  at  High  Trewhitt— Trewhitt  Hall  built  by  John  Smart,  the 
Antiquary  :  its  Situation  and  Gardens — Splendid  Collection  of  Herbaceous 
Plants — Field-names,  1841 — Old  Field-names  from  Brinkburn  Cartulary — 
Population.. 

1"^HE  earl)'  history  of  the  Trewhitts,  when  most  of  the 
western  portion  of  the  Parish  of  Rothbury  was  included 
in  the  two  extensive  baronies  of  Hepjjle  and  Greystock, 
consists  principally  of  a  record  of  the  owners  and  holders 
of  land  and  of  cjrants  to  the  canons  of  Brinkburn  and  the 
monks  of  Newminster.  The  old  family  names,  however,  and 
the  extent  of  the  lands  they  held,  are  of  some  interest,  and 
show  how,  in  process  of  time,  the  modes  of  tenure  changed, 
and  the  amalgamation  of  the  various  parcels  of  land  into 
small  estates  came  about.  Oiu-  first  notice  of  Trewhitt  is 
found  in  the  "  Marriage  settlement  on  his  sister  by  Walter, 
son  of  ^'vo,"'  where,  amongst  (jther  places  mentioned,  is 
■"  Tirwiit  et  Cers."  This  was  probably  late  in  the  twelfth 
century.  Not  long  after,  John  de  Kestern  grants  to  New- 
minster Abbey  a  meadow  of  his  in  "  Tirwith.''^  Tw(^  of  the 
twelve  jur\Mnen  sworn  to  report  on  the  extent  i>\'  the  monks' 
pasture  lands  in  Kestern  are  Adam  and  John  of  "  rirwyt."3 

',  '■',  '^f  Neiviiiiiislif  Carl II /a ry,  \^\).  117,  141,  132. 


.14- 


UrrKR   COQUETDALK. 


Circa.  1272,  the  barons  of  Greystock  and  Hepple  both  have 
lands  in  'rrc\vhitt.4  At  the  same  time  "  Michael  de  Tyrevvic" 
holds  12  acres  for  8  denr.  (4/8). 5  Amongst  the  possessions 
of  Robert  de  Heppale  in  1277  are  "  Nethertirwhit  and  Over- 
lir\\hit."6  The  name  of  Hugonis  Galon  appears  as  an  owner 
in  "  Ovcrtirwhit  "  in  1360.7  But  the  manor  in  1364  is  held  by 
William  Tailbois  of  Hepple.^  In  1389  "  Tirwhite  Villa"  is 
still  included  in  Hepple  barony  under  Walter  Tailbois.9  In 
the  escheats  of  15  Hen.  VI.  (1437)  Robertus  Ogle,  Senr., 
Miles,  is  found  to  have  possessed,  along  with  Hepple,  the 
village  of  "  Netherwhite,"  with  four  messuages  and  60  acres  of 
land.^°  The  Feodary's  Book,  1568,  records  Thomas  Gallone 
as  the  owner  of  the  villages  of  "  Trewit  et  Trewhit."" 

According  to  the  custom  of  that  age,  when  monasteries 
and  religious  houses  were  springing  up  all  o\er  the  land,  the 
following  grants  were  made  by  the  various  owners  in  Trewhitt 
to  the  Priory  of"  Brenkbourne,"  before  the  year  1253. 

"John,  son  of  Patrick  of  Kesterne,  gave  a  messuage,  16 
oxgangs  of  land,  and  30  acres  of  meadow  in  Great  Tirwhite," 
and  "  Agnes  de  Tirwhit  gave  a  toft  and  croft  in  Upper 
Tirwhit."  There  was  also  an  "  Exchange  of  land  in  Tirwhit, 
between  the  Prior}^  and  John  and  Adam,  sons  of  Michael  de 
Tirwhite,"  besides  grants  by  "  William  Fitz-Geoffrey  of  a  toft 
and  croft  in  Upper  Tirwhit;"  "Adam  (Frater  Nich.  Parvi) 
moiet}'  of  a  mill  in  Great  Tirwhit;"  Thomas  Pltz-Alun  of 
lands  in  Upper  Tirwhit  ;  "  "  Gregory  de  Otterington  of  land 
in  Upper  Tirwhit ;"  and  "  Adam,  son  of  Helye  de  Tirwhit  of 
land  in  Tirwhit."  The  Knights  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem  in 
England,  or  Knights  Hospitallers,  who  had  a  Hospitium  for 
the  entertainment  of  Travellers  at  AUerdene  (Rye  Hill,  Spital), 
also  held  pos.sessions  in  "Tyrwyt."'^     These  goodly  acres,  the 


*  Hodg-son'.s  Northumberland,  part  iii.,  vol.  i.,  pp.  206,  212. 

5  Ibid,  p.  218. 

^  ',  ^  ',  '%  IWd,  part  iii.,  vol.  ii.,  pp.  307,  328,  S2,  2^6,  272 

"  Ibid,  part  iii.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  Ixx. 

'^  Brinkburn  Cartulary. 


THE    TREWHITTS.  343 

pious  gifts  of  the  ancient  land-owners  in  Coquetdale,  became, 
when  at  the  Reformation  all  religious  houses  were  ruthlessly- 
swept  away,  the  property  of  the  Crown,  to  be  sold,  exchanged, 
or  given  amongst  the  most  favoured  count}-  nobles  and 
courtiers  of  King  Henry  V^III. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  centur\-  the  history  of 
"  Tirwhit  "  becomes  divided  into  two  sections — High  Trewhit 
and  Low  Trewit — which,  although  they  are  one  township,  shall 
be  described  separately. 

LOW    TREWIT. 

The  handsome  farm-house,  and  hamlet  of  Low  Trewit 
occupies  a  site  on  one  of  those  many  pleasant  spots  found  in 
L'pper  Coquetdale.  Standing  on  a  gentle  incline,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Rithe, ^3  amid  a  park-like  surrounding  of  undula- 
ting green  fields,  with  the  Simonside  hills  in  the  background — 
the  little  valley  of  the  Rithe  presents  a  charming  pastoral 
scene  of  much  interest,  well  known  to  the  angler,  of  which 
Roxb}-  in  his  Coquetdale  Fishing  Song  for  1843,  thus  writes  : — 

"  Yestreen  ihc  clouds  hung  few  an'  mild, 

An'  saft  as  maidens  when  they  weep  ! 
Or  gently  lay  on  Simonside, 

Like  bairns  that  cry  themselves  to  sleejj ; 
I5ut,  now,  out  ower  the  mountain  tap, 

They're  sweepin'  wi'  an  angry  sky  ; 
The  veerin'  blast  blaws  dead  south-wast — 

We'sc  cheat  ihcm  a'  an'  up  the  Wrcigh  I" 

A  pcle  tower  once  stood  at  Low  Trcw  it,  of  which  there  is 
now  no  trace. '4     Numerous  green  mounds,  which  appear  to 

'^  Rithe — We  are  inclined  to  think  that  Rithe,  and  not  "  Wreighburn,"  is  the 
original  name  of  this  little  stream  which  rises  amongst  the  hills  l>ehind  Alnhani, 
and  enters  the  Cocjuet  at  Thropion.  It  is  over  two  miles  from  Wrcigliill,  whose 
"water  shed"  flows  towards  the  Coquet,  not  the  Rithe.  Rithe — by  which  name  it  is 
known  amongst  the  inhabitants  of  the  valley — is  Anglo-.Saxon  for  "  rimning  water," 
a  term  most  ap|)licable  to  this  brawling  mountain  torrent,  especially  in  its  upper 
reaches. 

'■•  While  s(jme  alterations  were  being  made  at  Low  Trewil,  a  small  fourteenth 
century  window  was  discovered,  which  Mr.  A.  .Snaith  preserved  by  having  it  built 
into  the  west  gable  of  the  old  farm-house.  This  window  probably  belonged  to 
Hugo  Oallon's  tower  of  14 15. 


344  UPPER   COQUET!) ALE. 

be  old  foLuulations.  are  seen  in  a  small  field  overlooking  the 
Rithe,  north  of  tlie  modern  farmhouse,  while  a  little  to  the 
west  is  a  range  of  similar  mounds,  said  to  be  the  site  of  the 
o\(\  \illage  of  Low  Trewit. 

In  1415  the  tower  was  in  the  occupation  of  Hugo  Gallon. 
The  list  o[  Border  fortlets  for  that  year  says: — "Turris  de  Tir- 
\vhit  inferioris — Hugonis  Galon."  Around  this  tower  would 
be  clustered  the  dwellings  of  the  servants  and  dependants, 
seeking  protection  from  the  outrages  of  those  evil  days.  This 
family  is  early  connected  with  Trewhitt.  We  find  in  1249  a 
*'  Henri  Galun  Jurator  on  Inq.  post.  mort.  at  Rothbury,"  while 
in  1269  "Adam  Galun"  and  "John  de  Kesterne "  were  ap- 
pointed conservators  of  the  rixer  "  Coket  "  to  prevent  the  great 
destruction  of  salmon  when  coming  up  the  river  to  spawn. 
This  thirteenth  centur}-  record,  besides  throwing  a  side  light 
on  the  local  customs  of  that  period,  tells  an  old  tale  which 
seems  to  prove  the  love  of  illegal  sport  to  be  hereditary  in  our 
sturdy  men  of  Coquet  water.  The  same  liking  for  salmon 
poaching  is  as  strong  in  this  the  twentieth  century  as  it  was 
then.  Another  employment  which  the  borderer  was  nothing 
loth  to  be  engaged  in  is  shown  in  the  following,  where  Edward 
Gallon  and  his  retainers  are  paid  the  sum  of  40s.  for  their 
services  in  1519  at  the  casting  down  of  several  border  for- 
tresses on  the  Scotch  side,  amongst  others  that  of  Cessford,  a 
stronghold  of  the  notorious  Kerrs,  a  clan  who  frequently  com- 
mitted great  havoc  in  Coquetdale.^5  In  1523  we  find  Edward 
Gallon  serving  in  the  wars  against  the  Scotch,  and  in  1525  he 
was  paid  four  marks  for  "  border  service."  Again,  on  the 
Muster  Roll  of  1538,  are  found  the  names  of  Edward  Gallon 
and  Robert  Gallon  as  able  men  with  horse  and  harness. 
According  to  the  Survey  of  Bowes  and  Ellerker  in  1541 
there  was — "  At  nether  Trewhytt  a  toure  of  thinherytance  of 
Edward  Gallon  in  measurable  good  repac'ons." 

In  the  "  Cockdail  "  watch  of  1553  it  was  ordered  : — 

'5  See  page  163. 


THE    TREWHITTS.  345 

"  Trewyck-burne,  to  be  watched  with  two  Men  nightly,  of 
the  inhabitors  of  Xethertrewt." 

"  Baxtonehughe,  to  be  watched  with  two  Men  nighth',  of 
the  Inhabitors  of  Overtrewycke ;  Setters  and  Searchers  of 
these  Watches,  John  Galland  and  George  Swanne." 

"  Overseers  of  this  Watch,  Anthony  Ogle  and  William 
Gallande." 

From  the  thirteenth,  until  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth 
ccntur}',  the  Gallons  appear  to  have  been  an  important  family 
at  Low  Trewit,  but  shortly  after  this  a  portion  of  Trewit  came 
into  the  possession  of  a  member  of  the  Cartington  family. 
Sir  Ephraim  W'iddrington  married  Juliana,  daughter  and 
•co-heir  of  Giles  Gallon  of  Trewit,  and  by  her  had  a  moiet}'  of 
Trewit.  Henry,  his  eldest  son,  li\ed  at  Low  Trewit,  and  died 
December  7th,  1625. 

In  1663,  the  owners  of  both  High  Trewhit  and  how  Trewit, 
and  the  Mill''^  were  two  persons  named  Geo.  Pott.  The  Potts 
•of  Upper  Coquetdale  were  a  large  and  influential  family,  and 
took  the  Parliamentary  side  during  the  Ci\  il  War  of  the 
seventeenth  century.  One  of  them,  "  Michael  Potts  of  Sharp- 
erton,  vintner,  was  a  witness  against  Charles  I.,  January  4th, 
1648. "'7  Therefore,  they  would  probably  procure  Low  Trewit, 
the  confiscated  estate  of  the  Widdringtons,  who  were  staunch 
Royalists,  at  a  nominal  price.  At  the  beginning  of  the  last 
■century,  Low  Trewit  was  the  ]Droperty  of  Messrs.  Henry  and 
John  Hoag.  In  187 1  it  was  purchased  by  Sir.  W.  G.  Armstrong, 
C.ll,  of  Cragside.  The  farm-house  has  been  rebuilt,  and  many 
improvements  made  on  the  farm,  which  is  composed  of  first- 
clas.s  arable  and  pasture  lands. 

Races  and  sports  were  held  in  former  years  on  'I'rcwit 
Moor,  to  which  the  rurrd  population  eagerly  lookrd  forward  to 

''An  old  upper  mill-slone  was  found  in  "  Pate'.s  Rig,"  a  field  at  l.nw  Ticwii, 
in  18S7,  liy  Mr.  James  Sliiel,  then  Lord  .Arnistrontj's  farm  steward.  The  stone 
nieasure<l  18  inches  in  diameter,  having  four  dnnl  ^,lii>,  fiii  inio  ihe  edge  of  the  hole 
at  the  centre  of  the  stone. 

■niist.  n.N.C,  vol,  xii.,  11.  81. 


346  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

as  a  holida>-,  for  "  Truffet  Races  "  was  to  them  the  great  event 
of  the  year. 

An  interesting  flora  is  found  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Trewit.  There  the  Yellow  Mimulus  grows  in  great  abundance, 
the  Meianchol}-  Plume  Thistle  is  seen  in  the  swampy  ground, 
while  the  glossy  green  leaves  and  blue  flowers  of  the  Periwinkle 
and  the  bright  yellow  of  the  Golden  Rod  and  St.  John's  Wort 
adorn  a  rocky  cliff  that  overhangs  the  Rithe.  A  fine  sheet 
of  water  eight  acres  in  extent,  formed  by  a  dam  thrown  across 
Foxton  burn,  the  work  of  the  late  Lord  Armstrong,  adds  a 
new  beauty  to  the  scene,  and  shelters  the  coot,  the  wild  duck, 
and  other  water  fowls,  its  margin  fringed  by  a  luxurious 
growth   of   rushes   and    sedges,   and   its   waters   stocked   with 

splendid  trout. 

HIGH    TREWHITT. 

High  Trewhitt,  during  the  reign  of  Charles  I.,  belonged  to 
the  Claverings  of  Callaly.  Sir  John  Clavering  and  his  three 
sons  (Sir  Robert,  Ralph,  and  Thomas)  took  an  active  part  in 
the  cause  of  the  Ro)'al  part}-  during  the  unhappy  troubles  of 
the  Great  Rebellion.  In  1644  Sir  John  was  taken  prisoner  by 
the  Roundheads,  and  died  in  London  in  1647.  His  son.  Sir 
Robert,  at  his  "  owne  chardge,"  raised  a  regiment  of  foot  and 
a  :roop  of  dragoons,  who  did  good  service  for  the  Royalists  at 
Morpeth,  Corbridge,  and  other  places.  When  the  Parliamen- 
tarians came  into  power  High  Trewhitt  was  sequestrated  and 
a  portion  of  it  .sold.  This  was  effected  in  1652.  In  1663  the 
owner  was  George  Pott,  of  the  same  family  as  the  owner  of 
Low  Trewit. 

In  the  Poll  Book  of  1747,  John  Pringle  has  a  vote  on  his 
freehold  at  High  Trewhitt.  On  the  door-head  of  the  old  farm- 
house were  the  letters  J.  P.,  1735,  which,  without  doubt, 
were  the  initials  of  the  owner,  John  Pringle.  High  Trewhitt 
afterwards  came  into  the  possession  of  the  Atkinsons  of 
Lorbottle,  but  in  1897  it  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Watson- 
Armstrong.    The  old  thatched  house  of  the  Pringles  is  now 


THE    TREWHITTS.  347 

in  ruins,  and  a  nice  farm-house  has  been  erected,  which  is  in 
the  occupation  of  Mr.  Jos.  Xichol.  The  Nichols  have  been 
residents  in  Upper  Coquetdale  for  over  two  centuries,  and  the 
present  famil}'  have  farmed  at  High  Trewhitt  for  thirty-seven 
years. 

Trewhitt  estate  proper,  consisting  of  Trewhitt  Hall, 
Trewhitt  Demesne,  and  Xetherton  Burn  Foot,  with  other 
lands  and  woodlands  at  Xetherton  and  High  Trewhitt,  in  all 
about  800  acres,  was  offered  for  sale  in  1878  b\-  Messrs. 
S.  Donkin  &  Son,  at  the  Auction  Mart,  Token  House  Yard, 
London,  when  the  bidding  stopped  at  ^42,000.  It  was  after- 
wards purchased  by  Sir  W.  G.  Armstrong,  C.B.,  of  Cragside. 

TREWHITT   HALL. 

The  mansion  house  of  Trew  hitt  stands  upon  a  commanding 
eminence  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Rithe,  surrounded  by  a 
richly-timbered  park,  and  "  lies  within  the  bosom  of  one  of  the 
most  fertile  valleys  in  England,  at  the  base  of  the  southern 
Cheviot  range  of  hills,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  most  fascmating 
highland  scenery  in  Northumberland."  The  old  Hall  stood 
where  Trewhitt  Demesne  farmhouse  now  stands.  The  modern 
Hall  was  built  in  1805  by  the  late  John  Smart,  the  eminent 
antiquary,  and  is  used  as  an  occasional  shooting  box  for 
Cragside.  At  Trewhitt  Hall  there  is  a  well  kept  garden, 
with  good  walls  for  fruit  trees,  and  the  borders  are  filled  with 
a  fine  collection  of  old-fashioned  plants  and  flowers  such  as 
our  forefathers  loxed  to  look  upon.  A  short  distance  to  the 
south  of  the  hall  is  the  site  of  the  Roman  road  which  traverses 
the  moors  from  Rochester,  in  i'ledewater,  to  Bridge  of  Aln.'^ 
To  the  north  of  the  Hall  is  ilie  rising  ground  fcjrming  part  of 
Xetherton  Jiurn  I-'oot  I-'arm,  called  "Robert's  Law."  On  it  arc 
the  remains  of  an  ancient  circular  camp. 

On    this    knoll,    in     1538,    the    martial    gathering    of    our 

warlike  ancestors  took  place,  as  already  noted, "^'  when  there 

'"  See  |>age  i  S5- 
"  See  p:if;i;  1 70. 


348  UPl'KR   COQUETDALE. 

mustered  on  Robert's  Law,  along  with  the  other  able  inhabit- 
ants of  "  Cokedailc,"  the  "  thieves  of  Redesdale,"  as  they  were 
politely  called.  We  who  now  live  on  the  border-land  ought 
to  be  thankful  that  our  lot  is  cast  in  happier  times.  No 
*' outcry,"  or  "border  fray"  alarms  us;  our  flocks  and  herds 
graze  unmolested  on  the  green  hill  sides  of  the  Cheviots  or 
amid  the  lowland  pastures,  and  all  the  vale  presents  an  aspect 
of  peace  and  plenty,  in  striking  contrast  to  the  stormy  days 

of  old. 

"Now  we  can  ride  the  Border  side 
And  brethren  meet  at  every  turn  ; 
But  then  the  meed  was  hang  and  head, 
To  ravish,  pillage,  slay,  and  burn."' 

The  following  field-names  are  taken  from  the  parish  tithe 
map  of  1 841: — Low  Trewit,  West  Moor,  Earn's  Law,  Night 
Folds,  North  Moor  ;  owner,  William  Doune  Gillon  ;  occupier, 
Christopher  Bolam.  High  Trewhitt — Well  Pill  Close,  North, 
South,  East,  and  West  Slushes,  Horse  Close  ;  owner,  Adam 
Atkinson,  the  \-ounger  ;  occupier,  Adam  Atkinson,  the  elder. 
Demesne — Carribee  Islands,  Wild  Duck  Field,  Short  Ridge, 
The  Lawn,  White  Close,  Long  Lee  ;  owner,  William  Lynn 
Smart ;  occupier,  Henry  Storey. 

Certain  lands  in  the  Trewhitts,  granted  b\-  John  de  Kestern 
to  the  canons  of  Brinkburn,  can  still  be  traced.  The  Tirwhit 
Superior  and  Tirwhit  Inferior,  mentioned  in  the  Cartulary, 
are  High  and  Low  Trewhitt.  Roberdslawc  is  Robert's  Law  on 
Burn  Foot  farm.  Pot  Acre  is  probably  Pate's  Rig  in  Low 
Trewit,  and  the  Backses  in  the  Demesne  ma}'  represent  the 
Backstajihoflat  of  the  charter,  and  the  BaxtonhugJic  of  1553, 
when  it  was  watched  with  two  men  nightly  of  the  Lihabitors 
of  Overtrewycke. 

Population  of  Trewhitt  Township  : — 

1801 — 94.       1811  —  no.     1821  — 117.     1831  — 137 

1841  — 130      1851  — 116      1861  — 108      1871  — 109. 

1881 — 98.     1891 — 96.     1901 — 93. 


CAKTINGTOX.  349 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

CARTIXGTOX. 

An  Interesting  Manor — Held  b)-  Ralph  Fitz-Main,  the  King's  Forester,  1154 — 
Ralph  Frebern,  1234— John  de  Kerlington,  1278 — Edmond,  Earl  of  Lan- 
caster, I2Q6— The  de  Beaumonts,  1339-41-69— Henry,  Duke  of  Lancaster, 
1360  —  John  de  Carlington,  1415 — Sir  Edward  Radc'.iffe,  1494 — Roger 
Widdrington,  1601— John  Talbot,  1715— ^^argaret,  Queen  of  Scotland,  at 
Cartington,  1515 — Roger  ^Viddrington,  a  Royalist  Scout,  1639 — Cartington 
Sequestrated— Castle  "pulled  down" — Castle  Repaired,  1887 — Mr.  C.  C. 
Hodge's  description — Widdiington  Entries  in  Rothbury  Parish  Registers, 
1654-96 — The  Mill  — Chirnells  Moor — Chapel  Well —  Field-names — Long 
Tenure  of  the  Crawfords — Curious  Rent  Statistics,  1815-1903 — Population — 
Surroundings  of  Cartington. 

CARTINGTON  township  is  situated  on  the  northei'n 
confines  of  Rothbun-  Parish.  The  traditions  and 
associations  interwoven  throughout  the  chequered  history  of 
this  ancient  manor  are  of  great  interest.  As  with  nearl\'  all 
the  old  vills  and  manors  in  Upper  Coquetdale,  no  record  is 
frjund  of  Cartington  until  about  a  century  after  the  Norman 
Conquest,  when  it  is  found  to  be  held  in  capite  by  Ralph  P'itz- 
Main,  the  king's  forester,  on  a  tenure  of  forest  sergeancy. 
The  Fitz-Mains  appear  to  have  been  connected  with  the 
manor  of  Cartington  until  the  fourteenth  century,  but  were 
not  the  .sole  owners,  for  we  find  the  following  names  con- 
temporary with  theirs  in  the  Pipe  Rolls  and  other  documents 
as  holding  lands  in  Cartington:  —  Richard  I'rebern  de 
Kertinden,  in  1234;  J(jhn  de  Kertington,  in  127S;  ICdmond, 
I-larl  of  Lancaster,  in  1296;  Ilenr)-  de  lieaumont,  in  1339; 
John  de  Beaumont,  in  1341  ;  Henry,  iXike  of  Lancaster,  in 
1360;  and  John  de  Beaumont,  in  1369.  After  this  the  fann'l\-, 
who  took  the  surname  of  Cartington,  appears  to  have  held 
the  manor,  rising  at  the  same  time  into  a  count)'  famil)-  of 
some  impcjrtance,  and  others  who  |)reviousl)-  had  an  interest 


350  Uri'ER   COgUETDALE 

in   the  manor  cnlircl}-  disappear.      The  John  de  Cartington, 
who  held  the  "  Turris  de  Kartyngton  "  in  141 5,  was  probably 
the  same  who,  in   1428,  and  again  in  1433,  was  elected  one  of 
tlie  knights  of  the  shire.     In  1458,  another  John  de  Cartington 
was  one  of  the  commissioners  appointed,  along  with   Henry, 
Earl  of  Northumberland,  and  others,  to  raise  a  body  of  archers 
in   the   count}'.     Towards  the   close   of  tlie   fifteentli   century 
the    name    of    Cartington    becomes    extinct  ;    and    Ann,    the 
daughter  and  heiress  of  the  last  John  de  Cartington,  having 
married   Sir  Edward   Radcliffe  of  Derwentwater,  the   manor 
was  transferred,  on  the  death  of  her  father,  about  1494,  from  a 
Cartington  to  a  Radcliffe,  only  to  be,  about  a  century  later 
(1601),  again  transferred  b\'  marriage  from  the  RadcHffes  to 
one  of  the  W'iddringtons,  an  old  Northumbrian  family,  Roger 
Widdrington  having  married   Mary  Radcliffe  of  the   Dilston 
line.     Ear]\-  in  the  eighteenth  century  the  Talbots  were   the 
owners  of  Cartington,  but  John  Talbot  being  involved  in  the 
Jacobite  rising  of  171 5,  apparently  lost   the  estate,  for  very 
soon  after  that  date  it  became  the  propert)'  of  Giles  Alcock,  a 
Newcastle  merchant;   and   in   1883  it  was   purchased   by  Sir 
\\'.  G.  Armstrong. 

When  the  early  owners  of  Cartington  had  once  made  it 
their  place  of  residence,  building  to  themselves  a  border 
stronghold,  gathering  round  them  the  various  manorial 
acces.sories,  the  mill  to  grind  the  corn  of  the  tenants,  free 
warren,  an  extensive  park  or  chase  enclosed  by  a  massive 
boundary  wall,  and  other  rights  pertaining  to  a  lordship,  we 
find  them  coming  to  the  front,  filling  important  posts  of 
honour  in  the  county,  and  taking  an  active  part  in  all  border 
tran.sactions  during  the  turbulent  age  in  which  they  lived.  In 
1502,  and  again  in  1507,  Sir  Edward  Radcliffe,  the  first  of  the 
name  at  Cartington,  was  high  sheriff  of  Northumberland, 
afterwards  a  knight  of  the  body  to  Henry  VIII.,  and  a  knight 
banneret.  He  and  his  squire,  Roger  Fenwick,  lieutenants  of 
the   Middle   Marches,  had,  for  their  service  on   the  borders, 


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CARTINtiTOX.  351 

grants  of  lands  in  Edlingham,  Shawdon,  Hepple,  Thropton, 
Yetlington,  Callaly,  and  Chirnells.  Sir  Cuthbert  Radcliffe  for 
serving  in  the  Scotch  wars,  and  for  assisting  in  the  casting 
down   of  several  Scotch  border  fortresses,  received   the   sum 

of  A- 

The  )'ear  1 5 1 5  brought  with  it  an  important  event  in   the 

domestic  annals  of  Cartington  when  Margaret,  Queen  of  Scot- 
land, having  sta}'ed  some  weeks  at  Harbottle  Castle — where 
she  gave  birth  to  a  princess,  who  afterwards  became  Lady 
Lennox  and  mother  of  Lord  Darnley — was  brought  to  Carting- 
ton  on  her  way  south.  A  letter  from  Christopher  Gurney  to 
King  Henry  VIII.,  dated  December  28th,  1515,  sa\'s: — "On 
Monday,  the  i6th  November,  the  Queen  of  Scots  removed 
from  Harbottle  to  a  place  of  Sir  Edward  Ratcliffe's  called 
Cartington,  four  miles  off,  where  she  remained  four  days. 
Removed  on  Saturday  to  the  Abbe}^  of  Bryngborne,  five 
miles  from  Cartington  ;  on  ]\Ionda\'  to  Morpeth,  where  she 
was  met  by  Lord  Ogle,  the  Abbot  of  Xewminster,  and 
other  gentlemen,  by  appointment  of  Lord  Dacre.  She  was 
so  feeble  that  she  could  not  bear  horses  in  the  litter,  but 
Dacre  caused  his  servants  to  carry  it  from  Harbottle  to 
Morpeth."  .  .  .  Of  her  reception  at  Cartington  we  are  not  told; 
no  doubt  Lad}'  .Anne  Radcliffe  would  entertain  her  Ro)-al  guest 
with  all  honour  and  attention  while  she  remained  within  the 
walls  of  Cartington.  On  the  night  of  October  29th,  1523, 
Lord  Dacre,  on  his  march  north  to  join  Surrey,  quartered  his 
troops,  part  of  them  at  Rothbur}-,  the  other  part  of  them  at 
Cartington.  During  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  Roger  W'iddring- 
ton  of  Cartington  and  Harbottle,  was  for  several  years  deputy 
warden  of  the  Middle  Marches  under  Sir  Robert  Care}-.  "  I 
allowed  him,  says  Sir  Robert,  two  horsemen,  and  he  was 
employed  by  mc  on  all  occasions,  and  for  the  time  1  remained 
there  he  did  the  Queen  and  country  very  much  good."  Roger 
Widdrington's  duty  would  not  be  an  ea.sy  one,  that  of  keeping 
the  .Scotch  freebooters  on  their  own  side  of  the  border  line. 


352  UPPER  COQUETDALF. 

Diirini;  the  great  civil  war  between  Charles  I.  and  his 
rarliament,  Roger  Widdrington  warnilv  espoused  the  King's 
cause.  When  in  1639  the  royalists  were  marching  through 
Northumberland  towards  Berwick,  he  acted  as  guide.  Edward 
Norgate,  one  of  the  officers  in  the  royalist  army,  v.riting  from 
Belford  to  secretary  VVindebank,  says  :— "  Roger  Witherington 
is  their  scout,  an  old  blade  and  well  versed  in  these  parts." 
Within  the  walls  of  Cartington  Castle  was  kept  at  that  time 
a  large  supply  of  arms  and  accoutrements,  ready  for  the  use 
of  the  Northumbrian  royalists.  On  the  morning  of  the  second 
of  August,  in  1639,  shortly  after  the  "Pacification  of  Berwick," 
two  carts  under  the  charge  of  a  commissary  left  the  gates  of 
Cartington  Castle  laden  with  150  stand  of  arms,  en  route  for 
Newcastle,  the  central  magazine  for  the  north.  Roger 
Widdrington  died  in  1641,^  and  was  succeeded  b)-  his  son. 
Sir  Edward  Widdrington,  a  baronet  of  Scotland,  who  in  1642 
was  created  an  English  baronet.  Sir  Edward  followed  in  the 
same  loyal  course  as  his  father,  for  which  he  suffered  severely 
at  the  hands  of  the  Parliamentarians,  as  may  be  gathered  from 
the  petition  presented  to  Charles  II.  in  1661,  which  states: — • 
"  In  obedience  to  the  late  King's  proclamation,  he  left  his 
dwelling  in  Northumberland  on  approach  of  the  Scottish 
army,  losing  by  spoil  and  plunder  ;^  1,900.  Raised,  with  his 
kinsman,  Lord  Widdrington  at  their  own  charge,  2,000  foot 
and  200  horse  to  serve  under  Lord  Newcastle,  and  part 
of  another  brigade  ;  was  banished  and  sequestered  after  the 
battle  of  Marston  Moor ;  his  wife  fined  ^400  for  giving 
intelligence  to  the  King's  party  ;  and  his  chief  house,  Carting- 
ton Castle,  worth  ^8,000,  pulled  down."  The  initials  E.  W. 
1654,  seen  on  a  stone  in  the  .south  wall  of  the  castle,  may 
record  his  return  to  Cartington,  or,  perhaps,  have  reference  to 
the   death    of  his  eldest  son,   Roger   Widdrington,  who   was 

'  Of  Roger  Widdrington's  romantic  marriage,  in  1632,  with  Rosamond 
Reveley,  the  widow  of  Bertram  Reveley  of  Mitford,  for  his  second  wife,  we  regret 
our  space  will  not  allow  us  to  enter  into  any  account. 


CARTIXCiTON.  353 

buried  in  Rothbun-  Church  on  the  25th  of  AIa\',  1654.  On 
the  1st  of  Jul}-,  1648,  Major  Sanderson,  with  a  party  of  Round- 
heads, made  a  forced  march  from  Chollerford,  North  T}-ne, 
and  arriving  in  Coquetdale  earh-  in  the  morning,  surprised 
Great  Tosson,  where  they  took  a  heutenant  and  six  dragoons, 
all  in  bed.  They  then  proceeded  to  Lorbottle,  and  took  sixty 
dragoons,  also  in  bed  ;  on  the  same  morning  Cartington  Castle 
stood  a  siege  of  two  hours.  The  Roundhead  officer's  report  to 
headquarters  said  : — "  Cartington  Castle,  where  Sir  Richard 
Tempest  was,  stood  out  two  hours,  but  we  lost  no  men,  onh- 
two  horses  killed."^ 

The  following  incident  in  connection  with  Cartington 
shows  how  strongly  the  belief  in  witchcraft  was  held  b\-  all 
clas.ses  in  Northumberland,  even  so  late  as  the  end  of  the 
seventeenth  century.  In  1682,  Margaret  Stothard,  the  reputed 
witch  of  Long  Edlingham,  was  accused  of  having  caused  the 
death  of  a  child  at  Lorbottle  b\'  looking  at  it  with  an  "e\il 
eye."  When  the  chikl  first  took  ill,  the  father,  ".seeing  the 
childe  in  the  sad  condition,  went  up  to  Cartenton,  to  my  ladye 
Widdrington,  and  told  her  the  childe's  condition,  and  the 
ladye's  answer  was,  that  she  could  not  understand  an)'  dis- 
temper the  child  had  by  the  circumstances  they  told  her, 
unless  the  childe  was  bewitched."  It  is  evident  that  dame 
Christiana  Widdrington,  of  Cartington,  although  shorn  of 
much  of  her  former  power,  }'et  continued  to  act  the  good 
Samaritan  amongst  the  poor  around  her. 

On  the  brow  of  the  hill,  to  the  west  of  the  castle,  a 
weather-worn  shield,  with  the  arms  of  Sir  Nicholas  Sherburne, 
of  Stoneyhurst,3  who,  in  1688  resided  at  Cartington,  is  inserted 

'Arch.  yKliana,  vol.  xiv.,  \i.  399.  ' 

^  "  Sir  Nicholas,  a  slaunch  Jacoliite.  Too  old  and  infirm  to  take  active  pari 
in  reljellion  of  1715.  Died  16  Deer  1717  and  with  liiin  ended  the  race  of  JShire- 
burne  of  Stonyhurst." 

Registry  and  Particulars  of  the  Real  Kstalcs  in  Northd  of  Sir  Nicholas  .Shire- 
burne  of  Slonyhir.st  dated  12  April  1717.  7  farms  in  Snitter,  farm  of  the  tithes  in 
Netherton,  farms  of  Newhall,  Shecpbanks,  I'arkhead,  Windyhaiigh,  Diingeburne  (?> 

23 


354  Ul'l'KR   CUQUKTDALE, 

in  the  east  i^able  of  the  so-called  nunnery,  an  alms-house 
founded,  it  is  said,  by  Dame  Man'  Charlton,  for  four  widows 
of  her  own  faitli.  The  crest  has  been  a  unicorn's  head,  and 
on  the  scroll  below,  the  third  word  of  the  motto,  TANT  QUE 
]K  PUIS,  still  remains.  Underneath  this  shield  is  a  widow's 
lozenge  containing  the  arms  of  Sherburne  and  Bailey.  This 
so-called  nunnery  is  now  the  property  of  Thropton  Roman 
Catholic  Chapel.4 

Cartington  Castle,  now  in  ruins,  is  about  three  miles  N.N.W. 
from  Rothbur\%  and  stands  in  a  small  plantation  on  the  summit 
of  Cartington  Bank,  a  shoulder  of  Cartington  Hill,  which  rises 
on  the  east  nearly  i,ooo  feet  above  the  sea,  behind  whose  bleak 
and  rocky  ridges  extend  miles  of  heathery  moorlands  in  the 
direction  of  Framlington,  Rimside  Moor,  and  x'\lnwick.  On 
the  west  there  spreads  out  to  view  the  broad  vale  of  Coquet, 
a  rich  and  beautiful  tract  of  country,  bounded  by  the  hills  of 
Holystone  and  Harbottle,  while  beyond  are  seen  the  distant 
upland  fells  of  Redesdale  ;  the  river  Coquet  winding  its  silvery 
way  through  green  haughs  and  tillage  lands  towards  the  parish 
town  of  Rothbury.  A  few  miles  to  the  north  are  the  massive 
round-topped  hills  of  the  lofty  Cheviot  range — the  ancient 
boundary  between  the  two  kingdoms — whose  southern  slopes 
were  doubtless  scanned  by  the  inmates  with  many  an  anxious 
gaze  from  the    topmost   turret  of  "  Kartyngton's"    tower    in 

Bygate  Hall,  Lungers  Know,  Burdhope,  Featherwood,  Cottonhope  and  Middle 
Quarter. 

Newhall  and  Sheepljanks  and  some  land  in  Snitter  leased  from  the  Duke  of 
Somerset. 

Certain  tithes  paid  to  the  parsons  of  Alwinton  and  Rothbury.  Yearly  at 
Rothbury  for  assigned  (?)     Pennies  2s.  8d. 

Yearly  to  the  Widows  Almshouse  of  Cartington  ;^6. 
(Archaological Jotinial,  vol.  56,  1899.)  (Signed)     \V.   Shireburne." 

■•  In  the  list  of  Roman  Catholic  Recusants,  in  1677,  are  found  the  names  of 
"Dame  Cristiana  Widdrington  of  Cartington,  widow.  Dame  Mary  Charleton  of 
Cartington,  widow.  The  widows  of  Sir  Edward  Widdrington  and  Sir  Edward 
Charleton,  who,  despite  the  many  intolerant  measures  passed  against  the  Roman 
Catholics,  were  loyal  to  their  faith. 


CARTINCTON. 


3^:) 


those  troublous  days  of  yore.  As  there  is  neither  date  nor 
armorial  bearings  on  any  part  of  the  ruins,  the  date  or  the 
builder  of  the  tower  cannot  be  determined  It  is  e\-idently  a 
structure  of  the  fourteenth  century.5  At  the  south  angle  of 
the  larger  tower  is  a  semi- 
octagonal  projecting  turret  show- 
ing a  portion  of  the  shaft  of  the 
nevvell  stair  which  led  from  base- 
ment to  roof  The  staircase  was 
lighted  bv  narrow  windows  or 
arrow-slits  pierced  here  and  there 
in  the  ascent.  Several  of  these 
are  yet  entire,  through  which  at 
times  the  "grey  goose  wing"  has 
doubtless  whizzed.  Doorwa}'s 
have  opened  out  of  the  staircase 
into  the  apartments  on  each  of 
the  various  floors.  In  the  walls 
of  the  tower  are  seen  several 
Avindow  openings  and  the  remains 
■of  a  huge  fireplace,  around  whose 
ingle  nook  we  can  easily  imagine  the  brave  knight  with  his 
sturdy  men-at-arms  foregathered,  to  recount  by  the  rudd}' 
glare  of  the  log  fire,  their  feats  of  prowess  in  the  chase  or 
•of  dought)'  deeds  of  \alour  performed  in  the  last  border  raid. 

Now  all  is  changed.     The  lofty  turret  and  s])aci()us  hall  — 
the  scene  of  many  a  revel — the  ingle  nook,  m\-  lad}-e's  bower, 


5  The  list  of  Hordcr  IlKlds  nf  1415  describes  the  lower  and  its  owner  lluis: — 
■"Turris  de  Kartynglon,  Johis.  Carlynglon."'  The  Survey  of  1541  says:  —  "At 
Cartyngton  ys  a  good  fortresse  of  twoo  loures  and  other  slronge  stone  hou.ses  of 
the  Inherytance  of  the  said  Sr.  Ctithhert  KatcIyfTe,  Kiiii^ht,  and  kei)te  in  good 
Tepac'ons. — Arch,  .h'.liana,  vol.  .\iv.,  j)]).  17-44.  I"  t'l*^  Horder  Walcii  of  155.?: — 
".\  Watch  to  be  kept  at  the  IVest-gntc  of  Car/iiif^^foii,  with  two  Men  nightly,  of  the 
Inhabitors  o(  Cartiiif;loii ;  Sir  'I'ltoiiias  Ih-ysn.  j'reste.  to  be  Setter  and  Searcher  of 
the  Watch.  Overseers  of  ihe.se  Watches,  Ser  Geori^e  Ratilyffe,  Knight,  W'iiliaiii 
<Crt/-/- of  Whettonc." 

''  Doorway  leading  into  a  garderol)e  or  clostl. 


356  UI'l'KR   COQUETDALE. 

have  disappeared.  The  courtyard,  once  i^esonant  \\-ith  the 
tramp  of  armed  men  and  the  clang"  of  weapons,  fs  now  the 
garden  of  the  peaceful  cotter,  and  the  humming  of  bees  in  the 
summer  sun,  and  the  noisy  cawing  of  the  rooks  in  the  adjoining^ 
trees,  are  the  onl\-  sounds  that  greet  the  ear,  while  a  few  old 
ash  trees,  in  a  field  near  the  ruins,  seem  old  enough  to  have 
been  standing  when,  in  1648,  the  soldiers  of  Cromwell  appeared 
before  the  walls  of  Cartington,  and  in  the  name  of  the  Parlia- 
ment demanded  surrender  of  the  loyal-hearted  Coquetdale 
Ro}'alists  who  then  held  the  place,  and  which  was  eventually' 
taken  and  dismantled. 

It  is  now  some  fifty  years  ago  since  the  tower  was  occupied,, 
and  the  last  family  who  resided  within  its  ancient  walls  were 
compelled  to  leave  in  consequence  of  fts  dangerous  condition. 
Since  that  time  the  delapidations  have  gone  on  at  a  rapid 
pace.  Walls  and  outhouses  have  been  built  with  the  stones- 
obtained  from  so  convenient  a  quarry,  and  it  seems  gradually 
to  have  fallen  }-ear  by}'ear  into  that  ruinous  state  in  which  we 
now  find  it — 

"The  portal  now  admits  the  straggling  sheep. 
The  long  grass  waves  about  the  ruin'd'  keep  ; 
The  playful  breezes  whistle  thro'  each  cell,. 
Where  bats  and  moping  owls  sole  tenants  d'well." 

To  prevent  what  there  remained  of  Cartington  Castle  from 
becoming  a  total  ruin,  the  late  Lord  Armstrong  had  it  partiall>^ 
restored  in  1887,  or  as  the  late  Mr.  Bates  remarked  : — "Lord 
Armstrong  nobl\-  resolved  to  rescue  Cartington  from  the 
destruction  that  had  overtaken  it,  and  laid  bare  its  architec- 
tural histor)'  by  systematic  excavations.  In  order  that 
nothing  might  be  done  that  could  impair  the  historical  and 
architectural  interest  of  the  fabric,  he  entrusted  the  direction 
of  the  work  to  Mr.  C.  C.  Hodges,"  of  He.xham.  Mr.  Hodges, 
with  his  wonted  skill  and  e.xtensive  knowledge  of  ancient 
architecture,  carried  out  the  difficult  task  of  restoring  the 
shattered  ruin  in  an  admirable  manner.     We  here  quote  Mr. 


CARTIXGTOX. 


357 


Hodges'  description  of  the  building  after  the  work  had  been 
■completed : — "  He  should  date  the  building  of  the  tower 
between  1360  and  1380,  and  from  some  cause  or  other  the 
first  building  appears  to  have  been  altered  and  improved  as 
soon  as  it  was  finished,  or  even  while  it  was  going  on,  for  the 
details  of  the  south  front,  especialh'  the  moulded  base  course 
and  the  entrance  doorwa}%  were  clearly  later  than  some  of  the 
windows. 

The  plan  is  one  not  altogether  unusual  in  northern  castles 
of  the  smaller  or  intermediate  type,  and  ma\-  be  called  the  first 
elaboration  on  that  of  the  simple  pele  tower.  It  consists  of 
two  divisions  or  wings  placed  at  right  angles  to  one  another, 
the  eastern  wing  having  its  greater  axis  north  and  south, 
while  the  western  wing  lies  east  and  west.  The  projection  of 
the  eastern  portion  beyond  the  remainder  is  greatest  towards 
the  north,  which  causes  the  plan  to  approach  the  L  form  so 
common  amongst  the  smaller  castles  ,,'  i 

in  Scotland.  The  compactness  of 
the  arrangements,  and  the  great 
thickness  of  the  walls,  considering 
the  late  date  of  the  building,  as  well 
as  the  excellence  of  the  workman- 
ship and  the  unusual  beauty  of  the 
details,  are  the  most  striking  features 
of  Cartington.  The  lowest  floor 
was  entered  from  the  courtyard  on 
the  south  side  of  the  tower.  It  con- 
tained a  series  of  vaulted  chambers 
with  their  floors  on  the  level  of  the 
ground — those  in  the  eastern  portion 

had  been  used  as  store  places,  those  in  the  \\e^.lcrn 
living  r(;oms.  There  were  two  staircases,  a  newel  stair  in 
a  jjrojecting  turret  at  the  south-western  angle,  and  a  straight 
stair  in  the  wall  from  the  main  .south  entrance  to  the  level 


IS 


'  Doorway  inlu  Vaull. 


35«^ 


UPrER   COi^UKTDALK. 


of  ihc  hrsl  tl  ) :)i,  and  a  newel  stair  thence  to  the  suramit  of  the 
biiildinj^-.  This  latter  newel  stair  was  continued',  to  the  ground 
as  a  communication  between  the  vaults  in  the  east  wing  and 
the  first  floor  of  the  same  portio'n..  The  great 
hall  was  on  the  first  floor,  and  appears  "to  have 
comprised  the  whole  area  of  the  western,  portion^ 
its  principal  windows  being  to  the  south.  The 
remaining  details  are  the  sill  and  jamib  of  one 
window  and  an  aumbr\'  adjoining  to  it,  a  feature: 
common  in  the  halls  of  northern  castles.  The 
kitchen  seems  to  have  been  situated  in  the 
eastern  division  for  conxenience  of  access  tO' 
the  store-places  and  the  well  in  the  basement. 

With  regard  to  the  later  his-tory  of  the' 
building,  he  might  say  that  it  probabl)-  re- 
mained unaltered  till  the  time  of  the  repairs 
necessitated  by  the  siege  of  1648.  A  great  deal 
of  work  was  done  at  that  time.  Mullioned 
and  transomed  windows  were  inserted  in  the 
walls,  the  ancient  south  door  built  up,  and 
a  new  door  made  above  it,  which  was  approached  by 
stone  steps  from  the  courtyard,  the  remains  of  which  he  had 
not  remcj\ed.  The  fcjrmation  of  the  court}'ard  on  the  north 
side,  and  the  ejection  of  attached  buildings  on  the  east  side 
and  in  the  southern  court)-ard,  were  additions  of  this  period.. 
Subsequently,  in  the  latter  portion  ot  the  seventeenth  century, 
aiul  als:j  at  two  different  times  m  the  eighteenth  century,.- 
further  changes  had  been  made,  and  the  southern  courtyard 
had  bsen  filled  up  to  the  level  of  the  first  floor  when  the  fine' 
entrance  gatewa)-  on  the  west  side  had  been  formed. "9 

The    following    antiquities    were   discovered    during    the- 
excavations  at  Cartington  Castle  : — A  small  fifteenth  century 


*  Remains  of  projecting  turret  iirevious  to  restoration  of  1887. 
">/'/■(>.  Soc.  Aiiliqs.,  Newcastle,  vol.  v.,  pp.  zjj-t,. 


CARTINGTON. 


359 


wooden  tau  cross  w  ith  the  fiy;ure  on  it  in  metal,  a  skull  and 
cross  bones  below;  iron  bits;  fi\e  iron  ke}'s,  probabl}- eighteenth 
century;  six  so-called  "fair)'  pipes;"  several  fragments  of 
Bellarmine   jugs ;    a    pewter   \essel   with    a    short    perforated 


■!^iK 


horizontally  i;)rojecting  handle  on  which  P  D  is  incised,  on  the 
back  of  the  bowl  the  pewterer's  mark  IC  with  a  spread  eagle  (?) 
above,  this  was  fuund  in  the  well  of  the  court\-ard  ;  turners  and 
half  turners  of  Charles  II.;  two  Nuremberg  tokens  ;  penny  of 
George  I.;  a  brass  seal  ha\iiig  the  initials  T.  W.  cut  thereon; 
two  sling  stones  ;  pieces  of  Venetian  glass ;  a  small  Delft 
plate  ;  fragment  of  a  glass  flagon  ;  a  piece  of  glass  in  original 
leaden  casement  ;  two  sandstone  carvings,  one  a  Picta,  the 
other  representing  the  Trinity  ;  also  the  bust  of  a  \er)'  finely 
carved  figure  of  fifteenth  icntury  date,  in  stoni-,  probabl)'  a 
portion  of  a  figure  of  the  Ules.sed  \'ii;_^in.      This  and  tin-  other 

'"Small  towfi  on  tlic  sdulh-casl  angle  of  courlyaitl. 


o 


60  UIM'KK    C()(^UKTI)AI,i;. 


two  relii^icnis  carvings   have   probabl)-  been    in   the  chapel  in 
Caitini^ton   Castle. 

The  followini^  extracts  from  the  Rothbury  Parish  Registers, 
relating    to   the    Cartington   owners,  will,  we   are   sure,  be  of 
interest  to  those  of  our  readers  who  love  to  follow^  the  history 
of   old   Coquetdale    families: — "(Ro)ger,   son    of    S^    Edward 
\\'iddri(ngton)    .    .    .     K{'n)ight  and  Barron(et)  of  Cartington, 
(borne)  ...ili  Day  of  May,  1654."     "Roger,  son  of  S'-  Edward 
Widdrington  of  Cartington,  Knig.  and  Barot->  buried  ye  25th 
Day  of  May,  1654."     "Annie,  daughter  of  Sir  Edward  Wid- 
drington, Knight  and  Bar.  of  Cartington,  buried  ye  ninth  day 
of  November,  1657."     "John  Widdrington,  gent.,  Hepple,  9  br 
(November),  14,  1662."    "  S'"  Edward  Charleton  de  Cartington, 
(buried)  Jan.  20,  1674."    "Dorothy,  uxr.,  William  Widdrington, 
Thropton,  (buried)  April    i,   1676."     "Edward    fil.    Mr.   John 
Talbot,  Cartington,  (buried)  9  br   18,  1679."     "Mrs.  Catherine 
Charleton,  Cartington,  (buried)  July  16,  1685."    "  Isabel  fil.,  Sr 
Nich.  Shirburn,  Cartington,  (buried)  Oct.  21,  1688."     "Henry 
fil.,   Edward   Widdrington,   Esq.,   Thropton,    (buried)    Sep.   8, 
1689."     "  Mr.  Francis  Widdrington,  Thropton,  (buried)   Nov. 
27,   1689."     "  Edward  fil.,  Mr.  Edwd.  Widdrington,  Thropton, 
rburied)  March   15,  1691."     "Francis  fil.,  Edwd.  Widdrington, 
E.sq.,  Thropton,  (buried)    Oct.   11,   1692."      "Francis    fil.,  Mr. 
Edward  Witherington,  Thropton,  (buried)  April  6,  1696." 

In  common  with  other  ancient  buildings,  Cartington  has 
its  traditionary  subterranean  passage,  said  to  extend  from  the 
vaults  beneath  the  tower  to  "  Cartington  Cove,"  a  deep  recess 
beneath  an  overhanging  rock  on  the  hill  side  west  of  Roth- 
bury, near  to  the  camp  of  "  Old  Rothbury."  Nothing  of  the 
kind,   however,    exists,   and    the    tradition    appears    to    have 

"  Mason's  marks  at  Carlington  Castle. 


CARTINGTON.  36 1 

-originated  of  late  }'ears.  Cartington  Mill,  now  known  as  the 
Blue  Mill,  stands  in  the  bottom  of  a  little  valley  south  of 
Cartington.  The  motor  power  to  the  mill  was  supplied  by 
the  water  of  the  burn,  which  runs  through  a  picturesque 
ravine  between  "  Spout  Hill  "  and  Cartington,  but  it  has  long 
since  ceased  to  be  a  public  mill.  In  earh'  times  all  mills 
belonged  to  the  lords  of  manors,  by  whom  the}-  \\ere  for  the 
most  part  originally  founded ;  nor  were  tenants  ^\ho  held 
the  lands  under  the  tenure  of  "  Thirlage  "  permitted  to  grind 
their  corn,  except  at  such  mills.  The  miller  was  termed 
a  "thirl  miller,"  who  levied  the  dues  of  "Sucken"  as  a  re- 
muneration for  his  work.  The  term  for  this  payment  in  the 
north  of  l^Lngland  is  "mouter"  or  "multure,"  from  "mulct,"  a 
fine,  the  miller  paying  himself  out  of  the  "batch"  he  had 
ground  with  a  measure  called  "the  mouter  dish,"  which  was 
larger  or  smaller  according  to  the  conscience  of  the  miller. 
The  "poker" — the  man  who  carried  h(nne  the  batch  to  the 
customer — was  also  said  to  have  helped  himself,  a  custom 
alluded  to  in  the  following  local  rh\-me  : — 

"  Millery  !   Millciy  !  nioonty  poke! 
Put   in   your  liimd  and  steal  a  loke  I " 

Nearly  every  lordship  in  Coquetdale  at  one  time  possessed  a 
corn  mill.  They  are  now  all  but  extinct,  although  within  the 
last  century  a  few  of  them  were  )'et  standing,  and  con- 
tinued to  grind  the  "batches"  cjf  the  farm  servants,  who  were 
formerly  paid  the  greater  portion  of  their  wages  in  grain. 
"Cartington    Miin "    is    mentioned    in    ihe    Rothbiiry    Parish 

t 

Register  of  1706.  There  were  also  mills  at  Barrow,  llarbottlc, 
Holystone,  Caistron,  Nethertnn,  Trewhitt,  Tosson,  Little  Mill, 
and  other  places  in  the  district.  The  ouiy  ihrcc  now  in  exist- 
ence are  IIol)'stonc,  Snitter,  and  the  TJninn  Mill. 

On  the  northern  ridge  of  ("hinidls  Moor,  .S.l'",.  of  Cartington, 
in  the  Snitter  township,  arc  the  rudi-  foundations  of  what  is 
locally  called  the  "Chapel,"  while  a  spring  near  by  bears  the 
name  of  the  "Chapel  Well."     No  record  is  found  of  a  chapel 


362  UrrER  COQUETDALE. 

haviiii;  existed  there,  and  as  traces  of  a  chapel  are  found  within 
the  walls  of  Cartington,  it  is  improbable  that  there  would  also- 
be  one  at  this  lone  spot.  It  is  known  that  "  well  "  worship  was 
extensively  practised  in  England  during  the  Middle  Ages,, 
and  even  until  a  later  period.  This  well  ma\-  have  been  an 
object  of  reverence,  and  in  course  of  time  m.ight  gain  a  reputa- 
tion t)f  sanctity.  Near  holy  wells  it  was  cu.stomary  to  erect  a 
shrine  or  oratory,  and  thus  the  ruins  handed  down  to  the 
present  day  would  be  termed  the  "  Chapel."  The  following 
entries  occur  in  the  Pipe  Rolls  relating  to  Chirnells  which  may 
perhaps  afford  a  slight  clue  to  the  term  "  Chapel,"  as  at  an 
early  period  a  portion  of  the  Chirnells  was  held  b}^  a  Presbyter 
or  priest.  In  1 167,  William  de  Vesci.  the  sheriff,  renders 
account  of  20s.  for  the  carrucate  of  land  which  Algar,  the 
priest,  holds  with  the  multure  of  "  Chirlund."  The  same  sheriff 
renders  account  for  20s.  for  the  land  \\hich  Robert  Frebern 
holds  along  with  the  multure  of  "  Chirlund."  Again  in 
1 178,  Roger  de  Stutville,  the  sheriff,  renders  account  of 
20s.  from  the  carrucate  of  land  which  Algar,  the  priest,  held  ; 
and  of  20s.  for  the  land  of  Robert  Frebern  held  with  the 
multure  of  "  Childerland."  P'rebern  is  no  doubt  of  the  same 
family  as  Ralph  Fresborn,  a  Xorthumbrian,  who  went  out  to 
the  Hol\-  War,  and  having  joined  the  monks  at  Mount  Car- 
mel,  was  found  there  b}'  William  de  Vesci,  lord  of  Alnw  ick, 
with  whom  he  was  permitted  to  return  to  England,  when  he 
founded  Hulne  Abbe}-,  near  Alnwick,  in  1240.  In  the 
PLscheats  of  Edward  III.,  135 1-2,  H en r\',  .second  Lord  Perc}% 
had  part  of  the  Chirnells — Treasur\-  of  Rothbury  Manor. 
"  There  is  there  a  certain  '  plac '  of  land,  called  Chirland, 
valued  by  the  year  at  6s.  8d.,  to  be  paid  at  the  two  feasts 
of  St.  Cuthbert." 

Several  of  the  field-names  at  Cartington  are  curious  and  of 
interest.      Whaupmoor,  frequented  by  the  curlew  or  whaup  ; 
Bowt  Hill,  where  ewes  are  penned  ;  Bleakhope,  a  bleak  bare 
hill  ;  Spout  Hill,  on  which  there  is  a  small  waterfall  or  spout ; 


CARTINGTOX.  363 

The  Strands,  a  .shallow  stream;  High  Mercy  is  difficult  to 
define.  On  the  hills  around  are  Crocke)-'s  Heugh,  a  rocky 
scar;  The  Priest  and  Clerk,  two  large  rocks;  Henr\-  Faa's 
Bj're,  in  which  it  is  said  one  of  the  Faa  tribe  of  that  name 
frequently  lay  a  hiding. 

The  Crawfords — a  Coquetdale  family  of  long  standing — 
have  been  the  tenants  of  Cartington  for  nearh'  a  centur\-.  Mr. 
George  Crawford,  the  present  highh'-respected  occupant,  has 
himself  farmed  its  acres  for  fift}'-five  years.  The  following 
statistics  Mr.  Crawford  has  kindl}-  faxoured  us  with,  are  both 
curious  and  interesting.  The  total  amount  paid  in  rent  from 
the  time  Mr.  Crawford's  father  entered  the  three  farms  of 
Cartington,  Whittle,  and  Bank  Head,  in  181 5 — Mr.  Craw  ford, 
of  to-day,  having  paid  one  hundred  and  ten  of  the  half-3'ear's 
rents  —  reaches  the  enormous  sum  of  ^^34,000,  being  only 
iJ^3,000  short  of  what  the  late  Lord  Armstrong  paid  for  the 
whole  estate  in  1884. 

A  well  appointed  farm-house  has  recentl\-  been  built  on 
the  brow  of  the  hill,  from  which  a  \aried  and  extensive  view  is 
obtained  of  the  charming  vale  of  Coquet. 

The  population  of  Cartington  township,  consisting  of 
Cartington,  Cartington  Bank  Head,  Whittle,  and  Sandilands 
during  the  past  ccnturs-  has  been  as  follows  : — 

1801 — 96.  181 1 —  72.  1821 — 79.  1831 —  93. 
1841 — 66.  1851  — 102.  1861 — 84.  1871  — 108. 
1881 — 74.      1891 —  72.      1901 — 51. 

Numerous  remains  of  the  earlier  occupants  of  the  \alc  are 
found  on  the  hills  and  moors  around  Cartington.  The  summit 
of  Cartington  Hill  is  ca])pcd  bj-  a  huge  cairn  of  stones,  while 
two  more  cairns  and  a  number  of  mounds,  thought  to  contain 
liritish  burials,  are  scattered  aUjng  its  up|)er  ridges.  I'his  hil! 
also  retains  traces  of  ancient  fortifications  seen  in  the  ramparts 
anrl  ditches  which  win'l  round  its  soullu'iii  :slopes. 

An  ancient  highwax-  from  Cartington,  joining  the  Alnwick 
aiui    Rolhbur}'  turnjjike,  leads    eastward    oxer  ihe  moors  by 


7,64  I'lM'KR    COOUKTDALK. 

Debdon,  with  its  "  fairy  rin.i^s."     East  of  Cartington  hill,  and 
north    of    the    old    road,    arc    the    remains    of   a    stone   wall, 
traversing  the  moor  east  and  west,  said  to  be  the  relic  of  a 
dispute  between  Adam  Atkinson,  the  owner  of  Lorbottle,  and 
the  freeholders   of  Rothbury,  which   took  place  in  the  early 
part  of  last  century,  before  the  division  of  Rothbury  common. 
The  old  squire  came  too  far  south  with  his  boundary  wall  and 
took  in  part  of  the  common,  at  which  the  freeholders  rebelled 
and  showed  in  a  ver}'  practical  manner  their  disapproval  of  the 
squire's  claim  by  proceeding  g//  masse  to  the  spot  and  throwing 
down  the  wall,  leaving  the  two  lines  of  stones  now  to  be  seen. 
Cartington  being  within  easy  distance  of  Rothbury,  and  one  of 
the  many  places  of  interest  in  the  district,  is  generally  visited  by 
strangers  staying  at  that  favourite  "  Northern  Health  Resort," 
and  sketches  of  its  grey  old  towers  will  be  found  in  many  a 
portfolio,    taken    as    an    object    of   architectural    interest,    or 
as  a  memento  of  a  pleasant  day's  outing.     The  nearest  and 
most    interesting    way   to    reach    Cartington    from    Rothbury 
is  to  take  the  footpath  over  the  hill  immediately  north  of  the 
village,  which,  after  ascending  "  Addeyheugh,"  goes  past  a  large 
rock  called   the  "  Ship  Stone,"  near  to  the  rifle  range,  where 
on  each  side  of  the  pathway  the  observant  tourist  will  see 
•ramparts  and  ditches,  tumuli  and    grave  mounds — unwritten 
memorials  of  a  prehistoric  race.     It  was  just  such  moorland 
solitudes  as  this  that  the  British  chieftain  chose  for  the  tribal 
burial    ground  ;    where,   in   a    cistvaen    or    stone-lined    grave, 
rudely  formed  of  the  unhewn  slabs  lying  around,  the  ancient 
Briton    was    laid    with    his    earthen    cup    and    his    primitive 
weapons — the  bow  and   flint-barbed   arrow,  and   food  vessel, 
indicative    of   a    belief,    however    vague,    in    a    future    state. 
Nearly  the   \\ho\c  of  the   way   this   path   leads   through   the 
wildest  of  moorland  scenery.    Stretching  northward  as  far  as 
the  eye  can  reach  is  a  wide  e.xpanse  of  rocks  and  heather, 
which   present   a  charming  sight    in   the   months   of   August 
and  September,  when — 


cartinc;ton. 


565. 


"  The  liny  heath  flowers  now  begin  to  blow  ; 
The  russet  moor  assumes  a  richer  glow  ; 
The  powdery  bells,  that  gleam  in  purple  bloom, 
Hing  from  the  scented  cups  a  sweet  perfume." 

This  briijht  sheet  of  purple  is  here  and  there  reheved  b}- 
patches  of  bracken  and  the  bright  greens  of  the  mosses  in  the 
swamps  and  sikes,  where  are  to  be  found  such  lo\ely  bog 
flowers  as  the  Grass  of  Parnassus,  Bog  Asphodel,  Marsh 
Trefoil  Pyrola  media,  Marsh  Violet,  Mountain  Globe  Flower, 
and  those  pretty  moorland  plants  Sundew  and  Butterwort. 
The  path  occasionally  crosses  a  lonely  ravine,  with  not  a 
human  habitation  in  sight,  the  silence  only  broken  b}-  the 
whirr  of  the  moor  foxvl  as  it  rises  from  its  lair  amid  the 
heather,  the  cry  of  the  golden  plo\er,  or  the  plaintive  bleating 
of  the  characteristic  black-faced  sheep,  which  on  these  moors 
are  seen  in  perfecticjn. 


T^Oe  ui'1'i:r  co(iui:ti)ALE. 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

ROTHHURV. 

Pre-Conquest  traces— Rothhury  a  Royal  Manor,  1165 — Extracts  from  Pipe  Rolls, 
1168-96,  1201 —Chanted  to  Robt.  Fitz-Roger,  1205 — Henry  de  Percy,  1332  — 
Tenants  in  i569^Losses  by  the  Scots,  1586 — Proprietors,  1663 — Eighteenth 
Century  Freeholders — "  A  Brave  Castle"  at  Rothbury,  1461  — Rothbury  Hall, 
1661 — "Old  Haa'  Hill,"  1869 — Prison  at  Rothbury,  1256 — Sanctuary  in 
Rothbury  Church,  1256 — Royal  Visits,  1201,  12^5,  1S84 — Rothbury  a  century 
ago— Old  Houses— Jacobites  at  Rothbury,  1715— Names  of  Inns,  1828 — 
Modern  Rothbury— Race  Bill,  1762— Old  Market  Cross,  1722-1827— Village 
Characters —Bernard  Rumney,  poet,  1662— Joseph  Archer,  poet,  1903  — 
Robert  Trumble,  piper,  1664— Tom  (Jreen,  piper,  1898 — "Sexton  Jack." 
1857 — Mary  the  Sexton,  1887— Mark  Aynsley,  1887— Walter  Mavin,  angler, 
1899— James  Cowans,  angler,  1903— Rothl)ury  Institutions,  1903— Rothbury 
Bridge — Fire  Engine,  17S8  — Retrospect. 

^T0  document  is  extant  to  tell  the  pre-conquest  history  of 
\  the  ancient  vill  of  Rothbury;  yet  it  is  evident  that  it 
was  a  settlement  of  some  importance  long  before  the  coming 
of  the  Normans.  The  remains  of  the  Anglian  churchyard 
cross,  of  tenth  century  workmanship,  testify  to  the  existence 
of  a  church  in  these  early  times  ;  whilst  in  the  first  recorded 
name,  in  the  Latinized  form,  "  Rodeberia,"  we  may  perhaps 
find  a  trace  of  the  origin  of  the  term.  That  it  was  the  "  bury," 
a  "  burgh,"  or  fortified  settlement  mav  be  affirmed.  Whether 
this  was  a  personal  name,  or  a  name  derived  from  a  British 
source,  or,  whether,  as  has  been  conjectured,  it  owes  its  origin 
to  the  "  rood  "  or  cross  ;  these  are  questions  as  yet  unanswered 
by  the  evidence  obtainable.  Of  this  early  period  the  names  of 
several  townships,  comprised  in  the  present  parish,  also  show 
that  numerous  Anglian  colonies  had  established  themselves 
on  the  banks  of  the  Coquet  around  Rothbury  ;  probably  the 
names  and  the  boundaries  of  these  townships  are  in  our  day 
much  the  same  as  they  were  in  those  far  off  pre-conquest 
times. 


ROTllHURV.  367 

For  upwards  of  a  centur\-  after  the  Conquest,  Rothbury  with 
its  adjacent  lands  and  forest,  remained  in  the  hands  of  the 
Crown.  In  the  early  Pipe  Rolls ^  are  found  frequent  entries  of 
payments  made  by  the  "villata  and  burg"^  of  Rothbur}'  to  the 
sheriff  of  the  count)',  whose  dut}-  it  was  to  collect  the  royal 
taxes.  William  de  Vesci,  the  sheriff  in  1 165,  renders  an 
account  of  five  marks  from  the  men  of  *'  Roebiri,"  which  sum 
he  pays  into  the  king's  treasurw  In  1 188  "Roebiri"  is  charged 
^^"3  2s.  lod.  tallage,3  and  in  1196  the  "\illata  de  Robiri  "  pay 
£2  i6s.  4d.  and  the  "burg  de  Robiri"  ^i  2s.  od.  tallage. 
Again  in  1201,  when  Robert  Fitz-Roger  was  sheriff  of 
the  county  and  constable  of  the  Castle  of  Newcastle  — 
the  men  of  Robiri  rendered  an  account  of  five  marks  for 
one  palfre\',  for  having  their  town  of  Robiri  at  the  old  firm, 
namely,  i^20,  and  of  increment  of  i^io.  In  1205  King  John 
granted  his  manor  of  Rothbury  and  his  forest  of  Rothbur\'  to 
Robert  Fitz-Roger,  baron  of  VVarkworth.  This  grant  included 
all  the  original  rights  and  privileges  of  the  manor.  He  had 
power  to  apprehend  and  tr\-  malefactors  within  his  lordship, 
and  a  gallows4  whereon  to  hang  them  ;  but  the  goods  of  these 
felons  became  the  property  of  the  crown.  He  had  also  an 
assize  of  ale  and  bread,  a  tumbril  or  ducking  stool,  and  a 
pillory.  All  lost  property  and  stray  cattle  within  the  lordship 
were  also  claimed  by  Robert  Fitz-Roger.5  Therefore,  in  the 
Pipe  Rolls  of  10  John,  1209,  is  entered  the  sum  of  ;^20,  jmid 
by  Robert  Fitz-Roger  for  his  manor  of  "  Robire;"  and  in  17 
Hen.  HI.,  1233,  his  son,  "John  Fitz-Robert,  has  an  acquittance 

^  Pipe  Rolls  or  Great  Rolls,  so  called,  "fioin  coiisistinp;  of  membranes  or 
skins  of  parchment,  for  each  sherifilklty  in  the  Kingdom,  annually  all  sowed 
together  at  the  head,  and,  thus  united,  out  of  many,  forming  one  Cneat  Roll ;  ami 
the  Pipe  Roll,  from  the  whole,  when  rolled  uji,  being  in  the  form  of  a  Pipe.'''' — 
\\(A^'!f^ri%  NorlliHinberlaiid,  jiart  iii.,  vol.  iii.,  preface  ]>.  vi. 

-  "  Villata  and  Inirg" — villagers  and  town. 

*  Tallage — a  tax  on  goods  brought  mto  manor. 

••The  place-name  (iallowfield,  a  spot  midway  between  Rothbury  and  Tlnop- 
ton,  denotes  the  site  of  Fitz-Rf)ger's  gallows. 

SThe  pound  or  jiin-fold  still  e.xists  in  the  Fair  ( Iround,  near  the  County  Hotel. 


368  UIM'KR   COQUETDALE. 

b\-  writ  for  three  fees  in  Neuburn  and  Robiry  and  Werk- 
\vorthe."6  Rothbury  was  in  the  hands  of  the  "F'itz-Rogers"  of 
Warkwortli,  who  eventually  assumed  the  surname  of  Claverinf:;^ 
from  their  manor  of  Clavering  in  Essex,  until  1332,  when  John 
de  Clavering — the  last  Clavering  baron  of  Warkworth — died 
without  an  heir,  and  the  barony  was  granted  by  Edward  III. 
to  one  of  the  Percies. 

It  would  appear  that  long  before  his  death  John  de 
Clavering  made  a  feoffment  in  favour  of  the  King,  for  the 
first  record  of  the  grant  to  the  Percies  reads  thus  : — ■'  In  2 
Edward  III.,  1329,  an  indenture  was  made  betwixt  the  King 
and  his  beloved  kinsman,  Henry  de  Percy,  that  in  considera- 
tion of  the  latter  supporting  him  with  men  and  arms  all  his 
life,  and  by  payment  to  the  Crown  of  an  annual  fee  of  fifty 
marks,  he  was  to  hold  the  castle  of  Warkworth  and  all  the 
appendant  manors  and  lands  in  Northumberland  which  had 
belonged  to  John  de  Clavering,  and  after  the  decease  of  the 
said  John  they  should  belong  to  Henry  Percy  and  his  heirs." 
This  included  the  manor  of  Rothbury,  with  its  members — 
Thropton,  Snitter,  and  Newtown,  and  thus  Henry  de  Percy, 
second  Lord  Percy  of  Alnwick,  became  lord  of  Rothbury  ; 
since  which  time — except  during  occasional  short  periods  of 
attainder — the  manor  has  continued  in  the  Percy  family,  who 
still  hold  large  tracts  of  land  in  the  parish,  the  Duke  of  North- 
umberland being  also  lord  of  the  manor. 

Until  1869  the  Dukes  of  Northumberland  held,  according 
to  custom,  courts  leet  and  courts  baron  within  their  manor  of 
Rothbury.  In  1846  the  ancient  county  courts  or  shiremotes 
were  re-instituted,  which  gradually  superseded  the  courts  leet, 
but  it  was  not  until  1869  that  the  Rothbury  court  was  discon- 
tinued. For  many  years  Sir  Walter  Buchanan  Riddell,  Bart, 
of  Hepple,  was  steward  and  judge. 

In  remote  valleys,  such  as  Upper  Coquetdale,  old  names 

'  The  Pipe  Roll  extracts  are  from  Hodgson's  Noi-thtimberlaiid,  part  iii.,  vol.  iil., 
pp.  7,  44,  60,  78,  103. 


ROTHIJURV.  369 

die  hard  ;  therefore,  in  the  present  day,  there  are  still  found 
famil)'  names  that  have  been  for  centuries  in  the  parish  of 
Rothbury.  The  muster  roll  of  1538,  given  at  page  171, 
and  the  following  extracts,  contain  the  names  of  the 
ancestors  of  several  families  \-et  lixing  in  the  localit}-.  The 
names  of  the  Earl  of  Northumberland's  tenants  in  Rothbur\% 
in  1569,  were  "Thomas  Swanne,  Willims.  Mawe\'\'n,  Robts. 
Teylor,  Edwardus  Dytchen,  Rogerus  Grene,  Cuthbertus 
Bettx'man,  Georgius  Carre,"/  most  of  whom  held  a  few  acres 
of  land  with  a  house.  Several  of  the  above  names  also  occur 
in  a  list  of  the  losses  inflicted  b\-  the  Scots  on  the  inhabitants 
of  Rothbury  in  1586,  which  also  gives  a  startling  picture  of 
the  uncertainty  of  riches  that  consisted  of  sheep  and  cattle  in 
those  days  of  "  border  raids  and  rei\"ers." 

Rothbury  —  Ikon  Davide,  20  yeowes  and  insight  \\L 
John  Richardson,  xij.  }-eowes  and  one  neigh,  iiijV,  viii..v.,  one 
naige,  a  cowe,  and  a  bagge  of  swordels.  Ihon  Carre,  x.  k\"ne, 
one  neige,  xijV.  George  Robinson,  v.  k\-ne  and  shepe  and  two 
neiges,  xjV.  Henry  Waughe,  his  horse  and  geare,  x/.  Robert 
Maven,  iiij.  oxen,  iiij.  kyne,  and  x.  shepe,  xij/.  Elizabeth 
Taylor,  ij.  kine,  ix.  shepe,  iij/.,  xvjj-.  Riehard  Lange,  30  shepe, 
a  kowe,  vijV.  Elizabeth  Jlfaz'ene,  two  kine,  x\s.  Jcmiet  Stell, 
two  kine,  xb.  William  Burrell,  xx''^  sheap  and  one  kowe,  \l. 
Anthonie  Tomer,  two  oxen,  iiij.  score  sheape,  and  a  naige, 
xxx/.s 

Towards  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century  freeholders 
begin  to  appear  in  Rothburx'.  The  Rentals  and  Rates  of 
1663  gives  the  Earl  (jf  X<jrthumberland  as  the  owner  of 
Rothbury  Demesne,  Rothbury  East  Mill,  Rothbury  Eorest,  and 
part  f)f  the  town  of  Rothbury,  the  Duke's  rental  of  the  latter 
amounted  to  ;^24,  while  three  freeholders  have  the  remainder 


'Survey  of  the  possessions  of  llic  l"-arl  of  Norlhumberland  (rebel).  —  Hall 
and  Homhrelon,  1569. 

""A  V}<joke  of  ihe  losses  in  ihc  Middle  Marches  of  Enj^land  by  tlie  Scolls" 
1586),  p.  II. — Usual  value  of  an  ox  13/4,  a  cow  10/-,  an  old  .sheep,  welher,  or 
ewe  2/-,  a  hogge,  and  a  goat  l6d. — p.  13. 

24 


^;-0  Uri'KR   C0(^UET1)AIJ:. 

valued  at  the  following  rentals: — Henry  Pott,  £S  ;  Thomas 
Ogle,  £4  ;  George  Gibson,  £2.  The  Poll  Books  of  the  next 
centiu-}'  shew  a  great  increase  in  the  number  of  small  free- 
holds. In  the  Poll  Books  of  i/io,  171  5,  1734,  1747,  and  1774, 
are  found  upwards  of  thirty  owners. 

The  names  of  some  of  those  eighteenth  century  freeholders 
w  ill  no  doubt  be  of  interest  to  the  Rothbury  feeeholders  of 
to-day,  whose  properties  they  now  possess.  17 10 — Richd. 
Wharton,  Oswald  Detchon,  Alex.  Mavin.  J  no.  Swan,  Wm. 
Robson,  Jeremiah  Brown,  Geo.  Douglass,  J  no.  Simpson,  Wm. 
Mavin,  Wm.  Clennell,  Wm.  Redhead,  Robt.  Redhead.  171 5 — 
Chas.  Hall,  Robt.  Richardson,  Henry  Tate,  Edwd.  Ogle,  Wm. 
Swan,  Thos.  Gibson,  Thos.  Mavin,  John  Dixon,  Robt.  Potts, 
John  Selby,  Wm.  Wood,  Wm.  Graham.  1734 — Edwd.  Hall, 
Geo.  Oliver,  Robt.  Grey,  Chas.  Redhead,  John  Graham. 
1747 — John  Mavin,  Robt.  Storer,  Robt.  Douglass,  Robt. 
Mavin,  Thos.  Robson,  John  Redhead,  Paul  Mavin,  Ralph 
Carnaby,  Wm.  Clark,  Richd.  P'letcher,  Joseph  Harle,  Christ. 
Milburn,  Wm.  Milburn,  Robt.  Nesbit,  James  Ogle,  Henry 
Richardson,  Robt.  Robinson,  Thos.  Bell,  Matthew  Buddie, 
Geo.  Clennell,  Jas.  Carnaby,  John  Cockburn.  1774 — Wm. 
Readhead,  Gabriel  Readhead,  John  Robson,  Sam  Donkin, 
Roger  Detchon,  Thos.  Farquhar,  Michael  Graham,  Wm.  Potts, 
Thos.  Storrer,  Christopher  Snawdon,  Edwd.  Vint.  At  the  risk 
of  being  tedious  we  shall  here  give  the  names  of  most  of  the 
freeholders  in  1826:  —  Edwd.  Store}',  Geo.  Storey,  Jno. 
Stephenson,  Jas.  Turner,  Wm.  Wintrip,  Henry  Wallace,  Edwd. 
Wilson,  Jno.  Beautamont,  Wm.  Bolam,  Jas.  Browell,  Jos.  Bell, 
Ralph  Carnaby,  Thos.  Clennell,  Thos.  Carmichael,  Robt.  Carr, 
Thos.  Doores,  W^m.  Davison,  Wm.  Dixon,  Samuel  Donkin, 
Thos.  Davidson,  John  Forster,  Wm.  Gardner  Samuel  Gardner, 
Jos.  Hindhaugh,  Robt.  Heron,  John  Heron,  Robt.  Hall,  Robt. 
Ilderton,  Thos.  Judson,  Andr.  Laidler,  Chri.st.  Milburn,  David 
Maxwell,  Wm.  Milburn,  Wm.  Robertson,  Geo.  Rutherford, 
Lancelot  Reed,  Robt.  Spearman,  Wm.  Soulsb}-,  Henry  Storey. 


ROTHBURY, 


37  i 


When  a  Xorman  baron  obtained  possession  of  a  manor, 
he  usually  erected  therein  a  fortress ;  therefore,  in  the  extensive 
and  important  manor  of  Rothbur\-  there  would  no  doubt  be  a 
stronghold  of  this  description,  and  although  no  traces  are 
now  to  be  seen  of  such  a  building,  tradition  jjoints  to  the 
burial  ground  known  as  the  "  Haa-Hill,"  a  knoll  overlooking 
the  Coquet  about  fifty  }-ards  south-west  of  the  Parish  Church, 
as  the  site  of  that  "  bra\e  castle,"  described  b\-  Camden  to  be 
part  of  the  lordship  of  Rothbur\-,  which  on  the  attainder  of 
the  Earl  of  Northumberland  in    1461,  was  granted  for  life  to 


Sir  Robert  Ogle,  warden  of  the  luist  Marches.  Our  sketch 
shows  Rothbury  Hall,  the  church,  anil  bridge,  with  the  old 
lock-up  on  the  left,  as  they  appeared  in  I1S43.  In  1661, 
■"Rothbury  Mall  "  was  in  the  occupation  of"  William  Thirluail, 
gentleman."  As  late  as  the  middle  of  last  ccntur\-  the  u|)pcr 
portions  of  the  "old  hall"  were  still  inhabited,  but  in  1.S69, 
when  the  ground  on  w  hich  the  ruins  stood  was  being  prepared 
to  form  an  extension  of  the  churchyard,  its  walls  were  razed 
to  the  ground — its  foundations  dug  out  and  levelled  up,  and 
not  a  fragment  is  now  to  be  .seen  of  the  massive  masonr)-  of 


:>/ 


UPPER  COQUETDALE. 


its  walls,  its  stcMic  arched  vaults,  or  strong  dungeon  chambers. 
The  prison  mentioned  in  the  following  record  of  feudal  times 
doubtless  refers  to  the  dungeon-like  chambers  which  formed 
the  basement  of  this  ancient  building.  On  the  24th  April, 
1256,  the  township  of  ''Roudirj'"  sent  twelve  jurors  to  the 
pleas  of  juries  and  assizes,  held  at  Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 
before  Richard  de  Thurkelby.  Amongst  other  cases  they 
presented,  that  Robert  of  Creylinge  and  James  "  le  Scot,"  two 
strangers,  were  taken  on  suspicion  of  latceny  by  the  bailiffs 
of  William  de  Valence,  brother  to  Henry  III.,  who  at  that 
period  had  the  care  of  the  barony  of  Warkworth,  and  put  iii 
William's  prison  at  "  Rozvebyrer  James  le  Scot  was  delivered 
to  the  sheriff  for  trial,  but  Robeit  of  Creylinge  effected  his 
escape  out  of  the  prison,  and  took  sanctuary  in  Rothbury 
Church,  where,  before  the  coroner,  W^illiam  of  Baumburgh,  he 
confessed,  and  abjured  the  kingdom,  and  William  de  Valence 
had  to  answer  for  his  escape — while  the  town  of  Rothbury 
was  fined  for  not  retaking  him. 

Rothbury  has  the  distinguished  honour  of  having  been^ 
visited  by  three  English  monarchs.  King  John  was  at  Roth- 
bury in  1 201,  when  he  signed  the  town's  charter.  Edward  I.,  in 
1275,  ratified  a  truce  with  the  Scots,  and  despatched  it  from 
Rothbury;  whilst  Edward  VII.,  when  Prince  of  Wales,  was 
the  guest  of  the  late  Lord  Armstrong,  at  Cragside,  in  1884. 
The  village  of  Rothbury,  as  seen  b)-  the  two  Plantagenet 
kings  in  the  thirteenth  century,  would  probably  consist  of  a 
fortress,  a  church,  and  a  collection  of  miserable  mud  hovels,, 
in  which  dwelt  the  villeins  of  the  manor. 

Less  than  a  century  ago  the  houses  in  Rothbury  were 
either  thatched  with  heather  and  straw  or  covered  with  old- 
fashioned  grey  stone  slates.  One  or  two  of  the  older  houses 
have  been  restored  and  somewhat  modernized,  but  most 
(jf  them  have  been  swept  away.  The  following  dates  and 
initials  were  cut  on  some  of  the  door-heads: — "  16.  T.  E.  80. 
G.    R.    F.    1687.     G.    S.    1725.     T.    M.    F.    1734.     D.    1690.'" 


ROTHBURV 


73 


J/0 


One  that  stood  in  Church  Street,  with  the  date  1685  on 
the  door-head,  was  the  original  workhouse ;  and  an  old 
house  which  stood  across  the  road,  a  little  above  the  Jubilee 
Hall,  as  seen  in  our  engraving,  was  removed  in  1891,  the 
onl}'  remaining  thatch  representing  the  Rothbury  of  a 
hundred  and  thirt)*  years  ago,  when  it  was  described  as 
■"  a  poor  town  of  two  streets,  which  are  not  paved,  and 
the  houses  are  mostly  thatched  ;  they  co\-er  them  with 
sods,  for  warmth,   and   thatch   with   heather,   which   will    last 


thirty  years,"  The  "Three  Half  Moons" — now  a  shapeless 
ruin,  whose  crumbling  walls  ha\e  stood  at  least  for  three 
centuries — was,  some  thirty  years  ago,  the  ])rincipal  inn  in 
the  village,  where  public  meetings,  courts  of  justice,  courts 
leet,  and  excise  sittings  were  held,  and  uiidc-r  whose  ancient 
and  liospitablc  roof  fon-gathercd  all  classes,  from  the  peasant 
to  the  peer,  and  where  man}'  a  con\i\ial  party  made  them- 
selves merry  until  "some  wee  short  hour  a\-oiU  the  twal,"  in 
those  easy  going  days  of  the  past.       The  old  imi  [possesses 


374 


UPPER   C0<)UL:TI)ALE. 


associations  of  some  historic  interest.  It  was  under  its  roof 
that  the  amiable  but  ill-fated  James,  Earl  of  Derwentwater, 
slept  on  the  ni^ht  of  October  6th,  17 15,  having  that  day 
marched  from  Greenrig,  North  T>-ne,  to  Plainfield  Moor,  in 
Coquetdale,  at  the  head  of  a  small  band  of  Northumbrian 
Jacobites,  where  the\'  were  met  by  their  Coquetdale  friends. 
The  little  army  stayed  all  night  at  Rothbury,  and  proceeded 


-una 


■  •,^-.,.  •  .<-'\j^-C  't:  "%%."/■■.  ^\-i0H.  1903' 


the  next  da\-  to  W'arkworth.  The  room  in  which  the  Earl 
slept  was  afterwards  known  as  the  "  Earl's  Chamber."  Our 
engraving  shows  the  old  doorwax-  of  the  "  Three  Half  Moons  " 
in  1903.  Rothbury  as  it  would  appear  in  the  early  days  of 
the  last  centur\- — and  long  before  railways  and  telegraph  wires 
were  dreamt  of — when  there  was  no  post  office,  letters  only 
arriving  twice  a  week,  and  lying  at  the  shop  of  Philip  Nairn 


1  ■}  I    I    ■        ■> 


.^/'^*  -;r'  i  y;^i-^y^ 


i 


^  1  ^fi^ 

•  ?  '-"  ■  -^::::Z/^^'-» ^w  ^#'  v  i..  'f,  1  i  v^& 


5 


,  ..<<-' 


,.54' 


:"S/;:  1^^ 


KOTHBURV 


3/:> 


until  called  for — when  the  names  of  the  public-houses  were 
"  The  Three  Half  Moons  "  (of  which  Rachel  Maxwell  was  the 
well-known  hostess,  "The  Malt  Shovel,"  "The  Fox  and 
Hounds,"  "The  Golden  Fleece"  (the  hostess  being  Jenny 
Snawdon),  "  The  Black  Bull," "  The  Rifleman  "  (kept  by  Ben 
Perry),  and  "  The  Fighting  Cocks  " — has  been  well  described 
by  Thomas  Doubleday: — "Rothbur\'  is  cheerful  at  sunn}'  mid- 
day, but  dimly  sober  towards  evening,  for  then  the  hills  close 
in  again,  and  in  their  gorge  the  town  of  Rothbur\-  stands.  Its 
site  has  evidenth-  been  selected  for  shelter,  being  shut  in  by 
hills,  save  towards  the  west.  To  the  north,  behind  it,  the  hills 
are  steep  and  broken  into  crags,  amidst  which  the  goat  — 
numerous  here  —  alone  finds  footing.  To  the  south  are  the 
hills  forming  a  portion  of  the  great  Simonside  ridge.  And 
to  the  east  the  crags  close  in  and  cross  each  other,  as  if 
determined  to  bar  the  Coquet  from  further  passage.  The 
town  has  all  the  marks  of  hoar  anliquit}'  on  its  asjject. 
The  stone  bridge  of  four  arches,  which  here  spans  the 
Coquet,  bears  the  marks  of  age.  The  low  tower  of  the 
church,  which  stands  near  the  ri\er,  is  weather  worn,  and 
the  whole  structure  the  worse  for  time.  The  houses  have 
all  the  impress  of  time,  and  the  ver\'  orchards,  with  their 
moss-grown  trees,  seemed  to  ha\e  smiled  for  }-ears  gone  b\-, 
and  for  generations  now  buried.  The  old  market-cross  is 
half  in  ruins  ;  the  very  stocks  in  the  church\'ard,  like  a  tooth- 
less mastiff,  seem  to  have  lost  their  terrors  amidst  the  ravages 
of  age.  Rothbury  is,  in  short,  the  beau  ideal  oi  a  dim,  old 
border  town — too  insignificant  to  be  defended,  and  too  humble 
to  tempt  the  hand  of  the  plunderer — a  collection  of  grey  old 
houses  that  might  have  been  standing  when  Flodden  Field 
was  fought,  or  when  the  moon  was  shining  above  the  conflict 
at  Otterburn."9 

Since   Thos.    Doubleday  wrote   the    above,  Rothbur\-  has 
much  improved  ;  its  houses  are  substantial  and  well  built,  and 
'CtKjueldalc  Fi.shing  Songs,  1852,  preface,  p.  22. 


376  UPPER    COQUKTDALE. 

its  banks,  post-office,  court  house,  shops,  and  other  buildings 
will  compare  favourably  with  those  of  any  other  country  town 
The  number  of  houses  and  hotels  fitted  up  for  the  reception 
of  visitors  has  also  greatl}'  increased,  and  year  by  year  its 
reputation  as  a  health  resort  is  becoming  better  known.  Its 
charming  and  romantic  situation,  sheltered  from  the  cold 
east  winds  by  rugged  and  picturesque  hills,  with  its  clear, 
bracing  air,  its  wild  mountain  scenery,  with  fishing  in  the  most 
beautiful  of  Northumbria's  streams — the  Coquet — and  its  close 
proximity  to  the  lovely  grounds  of  Cragside,  at  once  offers 
attractions  which  no  other  locality  in  the  north  of  England 
can  surpass.  There  is  ample  accommodation  in  the  town  for 
all  classes.  Amongst  the  principal  hotels  are  : — "The  County 
Hotel,"  situate  at  the  west  end,  which  contains  upwards  of 
seventy  rooms  ;  "The  Station  Hotel,"  near  the  railway  station ; 
"The  Railway  Hotel,"  in  Bridge  Street ;  "The  Queen's  Head," 
at  the  east  end  ;  and  "  The  Turk's  Head,"  in  the  centre  of  the 
town.  There  are  also  "The  Blue  Bell  Inn,"  "Newcastle  House," 
and  "The  Sun  Inn;"  a  boarding  house;  and  a  temperance 
hotel,  besides  a  number  of  private  houses,  which  are  all 
specially  adapted  to  the  use  of  visitors  during  the  summer 
months. 

In  the  centre  of  the  village  green  stood  the  old  Market 
Cross,  which  was  erected  in  1722,  and  demolished  in  1827.  The 
building  was  octagonal  and  roofed,  and  probably  had  replaced 
the  more  ancient  "  mercat  crosse."  A  few  yards  to  the  west  of 
the  cross  lay  the  large  block  of  stone  and  the  stout  iron  ring, 
relics  of  bull-baiting  times.  Cockfighting  was  also  carried  on 
to  a  great  excess  in  Rothbury,  where  there  were  no  less  than 
five  cockpits. 

The  following  copy  of  an  old  Rothbury  Race  Bill  shows 
the  prominent  part  cockfighting  took  in  a  programme  of  sports 
during  the  eighteenth  century.  Card  playing  was  also  a 
favourite  pastime  in  the  long  winter  evenings,  when  it  was 
customary  to  have  geese,  ducks,  pigs,  joints  of  meat,  articles 


R(JTHBURV.  377 

of  furniture,  either  fought  for  in  the  cockpit,  or  carded  for  at 
night  after  the  "cocking"  was  over : — 

ROTHBURV   RACES. 

To  be  run  for  on  Rothbury  Haiigh,  on  Wednefday  the  7.%th  Day  of 

April,  1762. 

A  Purse  of  GOLD,  by  Horfes  «S:c  rifing  four  years  old  ;  Heats  two 
Miles  each,   to  carry  nine  Stone. 

On  Thursday  the  29th  Day  of  April,  a  Pltrse  of  GOLD  by  Horfes, 
&c  that  never  ftarted  for  above  20/,  or  ever  won  above  10/.  Heats 
four  miles  each.  Give  and  Take  :  14  Hands  to  carry  nine  stone, 
and  fo  in  Proportion,  allowing  to  every  Horfe,  &c  that  is  rifing  fix 
Years  old  four  Pounds,  and  to  every  Horfe,  «S:c  that  is  rifing  five  years 

old    12  Pounds. 

On  Friday  the  30th  of  April,  a  PuRSE  of  GOLD,  for  Hunters  and 

Hacks,   that  never   ftarted  for   20/  or   ever  won    5/  Heats  four   Miles 

each,  to  carry  nine  Stone. 

Bridles  and  Saddles  are  included  in  all   Weights,   without  allowance 

for  Wafte. 
The  Entrance-money  will  be  eafy. 
Three  to  enter  and  ftarl  each  Day,  or  no  Race. 

All  Horfes  &c  limited  to  Age,  to  be  fufficiently  certified  for ;  and  to 
be  .shewn  and  entered  at  the  Town-cross,  in  Rothbury,  on  Friday  the 

23d,  between  Two  and  Six  in  the  Evening. 
All  Owners  of  Horfes  to  be  fubject  to  Articles. 

N.B.  No  Horfes  &c,  are  allowed  to  come  upon  the  Race-ground,  but 
the  Horfes  &c  that  run  for  the  above  Prizes,  under  the  penalty  of  40,f. 
*,*  There  will  be  a  Main  of  Cocks  each   Day. 

During  the  middle  age.s,  when  weekly  markets  and  statute 
fairs  were  of  greater  importance  than  they  arc  in  these  days, 
the  market  cross  was  the  centre  of  the  whole  commerce  of  the 
district ;  from  its  steps  nj)-al  proclamations  were  read,  and 
other  public  announcements  gi\en.  In  1291,  Robert  Fitz- 
l-ioger  obtained  from  ICdward  I.  a  charter  for  a  \\eckl\'  market 
to  be  held  on  Thursdays,  and  a  faii-  \carl\-,  on  the  e\e,  day, 
and  morrow  of  .St.  Matthew  the  Apostle,  within  his  manor 
of  Rothbury,  whether  there  was  then  a  market  cross  we 
have  no  record,  aufl  it  is  n(A  until  tlic  lieginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century  that  ue  have  any  account  of  Rothlnny 
Market  Cross. 


-;S  Uri'KR   COQUETDALE. 

The  old  market  cross  of  which  we  are  accustomed  to  speak 
was  erected  in  1722,  to  shelter  the  countr\-  folks  when  attend- 
in--  the  weeklx-  market  with  their  produce  —  butter,  eggs,, 
ptuiltr)-,  &c.  It  was  a  square  building  with  a  hipped  roof,  and 
had  four  open  sides,  round-arched,  similar  to  Stamfordham 
market  cross.  About  the  beginning  of  the  last  century  the 
cross  was  in  so  ruinous  a  condition  that  it  was  considered 
dangerous.  Therefore,  in  1827,  instead  of  having  it  restored,, 
the  freeholders  had  the  building  demolished,  and  every  stone 
of  it  removed.  Luckily  a  person  who  had  a  little  of  the 
antiquary  in  his  composition,  got  a  mason,  for  half  a  gallon 
of  ale,  to  carr\'  a  stone  containing  an  inscription,  into  his 
erarden.  This  stone  is  now  built  into  the  gable  of  the  house 
of  Mr.  John  H.  Clark,  and  contains  the  names  of  Archibald 
Douglas,  Robert  Snawdon,  and  Robert  Readhead,  all  of 
whom  were  men  of  some  note  in  the  parish  at  that  period 
(1722).  There  was  a  great  to  do  about  it  amongst  the 
villasiers,  and  the  vandals  who  had  been  instrumental  in  its 
destruction  were  threatened  w  ith  legal  proceedings.  An  old 
woman  composed  a  long  doggerel  rhyme  in  memory  of  the 
cross,  from  which  we  quote  three  stanzas  ;  there  is  neither 
poetry  nor  beauty  in  the  lines,  but  the\-  are  valuable  in  pre- 
serving a  record  of  the  cross  and  of  its  destruction,  as  well  as. 
the  names  of  several  old  Rothbur\'  families: — 

"  Ve  ancient  inhabitants  mourn  for  the  los.s 
Of  that  venerable  pile,  I  mean  Rothbury  Cross, 
Where  oft  in  my  childhood  I  happy  did  ]ilay 
With  youthful  companions,  long  since  away. 

There  were  the  Grahams,  and  the  Milhurns,  the  Storers  and  .Storeys, 
The  Clennels,  the  Snawdons,  the  Todds  and  the  Dores, 
The  Matthews,  and  Mavins — that's  just  half-a-score  ; 
Believe  me,  dear  neighbours,  there  are  very  few  more. 

If  the  age  of  the  Cross  you  are  wishful  to  know, 
To  the  'Black  Bull'  yard  I  a.sk  you  to  go. 
Where  with  letters  inserted,  conspicuous  to  view, 
Is  seventeen  hundred  and  seventy-two." 

A  few  of  the  older  inhabitants  of  Rothbury  could  remember 
the  ruins  of  the  cross ;  and  a  very  old  man  once  told  the  writer 


ROTHBURV.  379 

that  he  could  recollect,  when  a  bo)-,  of  watching  the  country- 
men ofoin"-  into  the  .shelter  of  the  cross  to  trv  on  the  leather 
breeches  they  were  about  to  bu\-  at  the  October  fair.  He  also 
informed  us  of  the  price  of  salt  and  tobacco  at  that  time. 
When  the  pig  was  killed,  his  mother  sent  him  to  Philip 
Nairn,  a  shopkeeper  in  Rothbury,  for  "a  styen  o'  saat,  an'  a 
>-erd  o'  baccy."  The  salt  cost  five  shillings,  the  tobacco  one 
penn}'.  Xear  the  cross  stood  the  pillor}-,  and  not  far  distant 
were  the  village  stocks;  a  man  named  "Archie  Deedles  "  was 
the  last  person  confined  in  the  stocks,  about  the  \-ear  1820, 
for  being  drunk  and  disorderly.  Clo.se  by  was  the  bull  ring, 
described  to  us  b\-  an  old  Rothburian.  who  knew  the  spot  well, 
as  being  "a  fearful  big  st\-en  flag  wi'  a  greet  iron  ring  in't  a.s 
thick  as  yor  airm."  For  man\'  \-ears  past  this  open  space  in 
the  centre  of  the  village,  commonly  known  as  "  the  cross,"  has 
been  the  rendezvous  of  all  the  tinkers,  besom  makers,  muggers, 
and  gipsies  that  travel  the  countr)-,  who,  without  let  or 
hindrance  encamped  upon  it. 

Recently,  howe\er,  b\'  the  consent  of  the  lord  of  the 
manor  and  the  Urban  Council  of  Rothbury,  this  piece  of 
ground  has  been  enclosed,  and  a  ver\-  beautiful  Anglian  cross 
erected  to  the  memory  of  the  late  Lord  and  Lad\-  Armstrong, 
which,  besides  being  an  adornment  to  the  \illage,  adds  greatly 
to  the  interest  of  this  historic  spot.  The  cross  is  formed  of 
fine-grained  freestone  from  the  quarries  on  Cragside  hill,  and 
stands  on  a  base  of  five  steps,  its  total  height  being  22  feet 
7  inches.  The  fuur  sides  of  the  shaft  and  the  limbs  of  the 
cross  are  divided  into  exquisitcl)'-car\ed  panels.  The  designs 
on  the  west,  north,  and  east  sides  of  the  shaft  represent 
nature  in  its  various  phases,  in  w  hich  the  artist  has  introduced 
in  a  charming  manner  a  number  of  birds  and  animals  amid  a 
flowing  tracery  of  the  oak  and  the  \ine,  interwoven  with  other 
foliage  of  a  conventional  character;  while  the  south  side 
contains  the  endless  knot-w(*rk  pattern  similar  to  that  on  the 
fragment  of  the  original  Rothbur)-  Crcjss,  which  now  forms  the 


-^So 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


Stem  of  the  font  in  the  Parish  Church.     The  inscription  on  the 
base  reads : — 


••^^■z  ^yrrr^^ij!;'^' 


"THIS    MONUMENT   WAS    ERECTED    IN    THE    YEAR   1902, 

ON  THE  SITE  OF  THE  ANCIENT  MARKET  CROSS,   BY 

THE    INHABITANTS    OF    ROTHBURY    AND    OTHER    FRIENDS, 

IN    ADMIRATION    AND    GRATEFUL    REMEMBRANCE 

OF   THE    LONG    AND    USEFUL   LIVES   OF 

WILLIAM    GEORGE    BARON    ARMSTRONG   OF  CRAGSIDE,   C.B. 

(1810-1900),    AND    OF    MARGARET    HIS   WIFE   (1807-1893)." 

The  cross  was  unveiled  on  Saturday,  August  2nd,  1902,  by- 
Sir  Lowthian  Bell,  Bart.,  the  late  Lord  Armstrong's  oldest 
frienfl,  on   which    occasion    there    was    a    large    concourse  of 


ROTHBURV.  381 

people  to  witness  this  most  interesting  ceremony.  Near  the 
south-east  angle,  outside  the  enclosure,  there  was  erected  at  the 
same  time  a  substantial  lamp  of  three  lights,  a  most  useful 
adjunct  to  the  village,  the  Coronation  gift  of  Mr.  Robert 
Donkin,  of  Haw  Hill  House,  on  which  there  are  two  shields.. 
One  contains  this  inscription — "  To  commemorate  the  Corona- 
tion of  their  Gracious  Majesties  King  Edward  VH.  and 
Queen  Alexandra.  August  9th,  1902."  The  other — "Erected 
b\'  Robert  Donkin  and  Presented  to  the  Town  of  Rothbury." 

Besides  the  various  eminent  men  of  the  past,  of  \\hom: 
Rothbury  and  Coquetdale  can  boast,  there  ha\e  also  been 
several  village  characters,  who,  in  bygone  times,  played  their 
parts  in  the  social  life  of  Rothbury.  About  the  middle  of  the 
seventeenth  century  there  flourished  in  Rothbury  Bernard 
Rumney,  the  village  poet  and  musician,  the  author  of  "  Ecky's- 
Mare,"  a  curious  and  amusing  ballad,  a  reprint  of  ^\•hich  is 
found  in  "  Bell's  Northern  Bards,"  Bernard  Rumney  was  one 
of  the  Churchwardens  of  the  Parish  in  1662,  and  his  death  is 
recorded  in  the  Parish  Register  of  June  11,  1690.  His  initials 
"  B.  R.  1660"  are  cut  on  a  large  stone  block  in  the  "  Newcastle 
House"  yard.  This  stone  was  originally  one  of  the  jambs  in  the 
old  ingle  nook  of  the  "Black  Bull  Inn."  Rothbur}'  is  .still  happy 
in  the  possession  of  a  \-illage  poet,  in  the  person  of  Mr.  Joseph 
Archer,  who  has  frcjm  time  to  time  written  a  number  of  poems 
of  such  excellence,  that  it  is  a  matter  for  regret  that  his 
fugitive  productions  have  not  \et  appeared  in  a  complete 
\olume.  Although  Mr.  Archer  is  an  octogenarian,  he  still 
retains  the  poetic  spark,  and  his  effusions  frequently  appear  in 
the  pages  of  the  Parish  Magazine.  Contemporary  with 
Jiernard  Rumnc\-  there  was  also  Robert  Trumble,  the  village 
pi[)er,  who,  in  Jul)-,  1664,  married  l^li/abeth  Urpeth.  There 
ma}-  have  been  a  strong  friendship,  or,  perhaps,  relationship, 
between  the  two  seventeenth  century  village  musicians,  for  wc 
learn  from  the  Parish  Registers  that  the  piper's  first-born  son 
was  named  Bernard.    "  Down  to  a  domparativel}'  recent  period 


^82  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

a  piper  was  attached  to  every  Border  town  of  note.  The  office 
was  in  general  considered  hereditary.  About  the  commence- 
ment of  spring  and  close  of  harvest  it  was  the  custom  of  these 
miurator\'  musicians,  who  were  nearlv  the  sole  depositories  of 
all  the  oral,  musical,  and  poetical  traditions  of  the  north,  to 
make  a  progress  through  a  certain  district,  beyond  which  they 
must  not  pass,  in  respect  of  the  rights  and  privileges  of  their 
brethren.  Their  simple  but  stirring  tales,  or  historic  or  love 
ballads,  sung  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  Northumbrian 
pipes,  inx'ariably  was  considered  as  a  sufficient  recompense 
both  for  bed  and  board."  i° 

Durintj  the  eighteenth  centur\-  the  Duke  of  Northumber- 
land's  piper  was  James  Allan,  a  native  of  Rothbury  parish,  and 
towards  the  end  of  the  nineteenth  centur}-,  Tom  Green  was 
the  Duke's  piper  for  upwards  of  forty  years,  having  succeeded 
his  father,  William  Green,  of  Morpeth,  in  1849.  Tom  was 
proud  of  having  played  the  pipes  before  three  Dukes  of  North- 
umberland, besides  attending  the  fairs  and  courts  at  Corbridge, 
Ovingham,  Newburn,  Stagshawbank,  Warkworth,  Harbottle, 
North  Shields,  Tynemouth,  Bellingham,  Elsdon,  Wark-on- 
Tyne,  Alnwick,  and  Rothbury,  where  the  Duke  of  Northumber- 
land is  lord  of  the  manor.  Tom  never  once  failed  an  appoint- 
ment, and  always  did  the  journey  there  and  back  on -foot,  often 
a  distance  of  fifty  and  sixty  miles.  In  the  great  snowstorm 
of  March,  1888,  although  in  his  sixt\'-third  year,  Tom  set 
forth  from  Rothbury,  amid  the  drifting  snow,  over  the  mcTors 
on  his  way  to  Alnwick  Castle,  where  he  was  due  to  play  at 
the  Duke's  audit  the  following  day.  On  this  memorable 
occasion,  "  the  lad  "  nearly  perished  in  the  snow  on  the  wilds 
of  Rimside  Moor.  When  through  failing  health  he  was 
obliged  to  resign  the  post  he  had  held  so  long,  the  Duke 
kindly  granted  him  a  liberal  pension,  as  well  as  a  house  and 
garden  at  Rothbury  Gate,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  days,  with   the  rod  and  the  gun  as  his  companions,  for 

'°  Denham  Tracts,  p.  279. 


ROTHBURV.  383 

Tom  was  an  expert  with  the  rod,  and  could  fill  his  creel  or 
land  a  good  bull  trout  with  skill  and  dexterit}^  He  died  in 
1898,  seventy-three  years  of  age. 

Some  fifty  years  ago,  John  Watson,  the  sexton  of  Rothbury 
Church,  was  a  well-known  character,  who  went  by  the  name  of 
*'  Saxon  Jack."  He  was  also  the  village  constable,  and  many 
were  the  thrilling  stories  of  his  exploits  in  the  apprehension 
of  prisoners,  and  the  locking  of  them  up  in  the  "old  kitty," 
which  stood  at  the  south  end  of  Rothbur}-  bridge.  The  writer 
has  in  his  possession  the  stout  lock  and  key  of  this  "  lock  up," 
which  were  found  amongst  the  ruins  a  few  years  ago.  On  the 
death  of  John  Watson,  in  1857,  his  widow.  Mar}-  Watson,  also 
known  as  "  Mary  the  Sexton,"  with  the  assistance  of  her  son, 
the  second  John  Watson,  performed  the  duties  of  the  office 
for  a  number  of  years.  Mary  Watson  was  born  in  1800,  and 
died  in  1887,  having  lived  to  see  five  rectors  of  Rothbur\-,  viz., 
Dr.  Watson,  Levison  Venables  Vernon,  C.  G.  Vernon  Harcourt, 
Dr.  Ainger,  and  Canon  A.  O.  Medd.  She  was  a  keen  observer, 
had  a  most  retentive  memory,  knew  the  pedigree  of  every 
family  in  the  parish,  and  was  well  versed  in  the  folk-lore  of 
Coquetdale.  She  could  remember  the  laying  of  the  founda- 
tion stone  of  the  bridge  over  the  Rithe,  at  Thropton,  in  18 10. 
Clem  Haa,'  the  kilnman,  was  her  uncle,  whose  name  was  often 
associated  with  Cuddy  Wintrip,  the  joiner,  of  Tosson,  another 
local  celebrity,  in  those  days  of  practical  joking  in  the  early 
part  of  the  ninteenth  century,  when  the  famous  Donkins  ruled 
in  Great  Tosson. 

Old  Mark  .\ynslcy,  who  died  in  1887,  in  his  eightieth 
}-car,  was  a  notj'.ble  village  character.  Mark  was  a  native  of 
Rothbur)'  and  lived  all  his  life  in  the  \illage.  By  trade  a 
shoemaker  he  was  exceedingly  fond  of  the  rod  and  line,  in 
the  use  of  which  he  was  most  proficient,  aiul  the  old  man  was 
wont  to  boast  of  having  taught  the  late  \j)V(\  Armstrong  how 
to  throw  the  line,  "  when  they  were  lads  together."  Lord 
Armstrong    in    his    early    days    spent    the    greater    part    of 


384  UPPER  COQUETDALE. 

his  holida}-s  in  fishing  in  the  Coquet  at  Rothbury.     In  later 
years  Lord  Armstn-nLi"  was  exceedingly  kind  to  Mark,  and  it 
was  amusing  to  hear  the  old  man  talking  to  his  lordship  of 
their  fishing  exploits  in  days  gone  by.     Mark  was  much  given 
to    ornithological    jnu'suits,    and    during    the  winter    months 
devoted    his    leisure    hours    to    the    capture    of    goldfinches,, 
or  as  he  would   say  "a've  been  catchin'  gooldspinks,  hinney.'" 
George  Humble,  the  person  with  whom  Mark  served  his  time, 
had  a  tame  otter,  "Ben."     The  otter  became  much  attached  to 
Mark   the  apprentice,  would  follow  him   like  a  dog.  and  was- 
most  obedient  to  his  call.     "  Ben  "  was  the  terror  of  all  the 
dogs  in  the  village,  and  if  a  strange  dog  entered  the  shop,  the 
otter,  who   generally   lay   in    a   corner   amongst    the    leather,, 
seized  him  in  a  moment  and  it  was  with  difficulty  he  could 
be  drawn  off.      The  freaks  of  this  curious  animal  were  often 
the  theme  of  conversation  with  Mark  and  visitors  to  Rothbury, 
as  he  sat  on  his  shop  stool,  or  when  fishing  by  the  banks  of 
the  Coquet.     One  of  the   most  amusing  episodes  was  when 
fishing  with  a  heavy  salmon  rod  and  a  long  line  in  the  Coquet,, 
opposite  to  the  Crag   End,  Mark   hooked   a  sheep  that  was 
grazing  on  the  bank  behind  him,  which  gave  the  old  angler 
a  run  of  nearly  a  mile  over  the  moor,  away  from  the  river,  ere 
he  could  free  his  tackle  from  amongst  the  wool  of  this  rather 
unweildy  catch,     His  language  during  the  race  consisted  of  a 
string  of  adjectives  not  found  in  modern  dictionaries. 

Probably  one  of  the  best  known  characters  in  Rothbury 
during  the  nineteenth  century  was  Walter  Mavin,  the  cele- 
brated Coquet  angler.  Walter  died  in  Sept.,  1899,  at  the 
patriarchial  age  of  eighty-five,  and  was  the  last  connecting 
link  between  the  older  and  younger  generations  of  Rothbury. 
Old  Walter  was  a  delightful  companion,  of  a  genial  disposition, 
and  a  universal  favourite,  not  only  amongst  the  villagers  but 
with  the  numerous  visitors  annually  resorting  to  Rothbury 
during  the  summer  months,  who  were  accustomed  to  purchase 
fishing  tackle  and  obtain  advice  on  piscatorial  matters  from 


ROTHBURY.  385 

the  old  man,  whose  abilit}'  as  an  angler  was  well  known  in  the 
north  of  England.  Like  his  contemporary,  Mark  A}-nsle\-,  he 
had  been  the  companion  of  the  late  Lord  Armstrong  on  man\' 
a  fishing  excursion  ;  and  the  writer  has  frequently  heard  the 
village  angler  and  the  peer  discussing,  in  a  friendly  chat,  those 
happy  days  on  the  Coquet.  Walter  was  full  of  Coquetdale 
folk-lore,  and  to  him  the  writer  is  indebted  for  man}-  an  old 
Rothbury  stor}\  In  his  early  days,  like  other  youths,  Walter 
was  fond  of  a  cock-fight  and  a  little  bit  of  salmon  poaching, 
otherwise  his  was  a  character  without  guile — one  of  nature's 
gentlemen  ;  and  to  us  the  memory  of  Walter  Mavin  is  still 
very  dear. 

An  eminent  writer  on  Angling  thus  speaks  of  W'alter  : — 
"  On  my  return  I  found  Mr.  Mavin,  a  fisherman — and  a  real 
one  too — who  had  been  sent  to  me  by  an  acquaintance  to 
show  me  the  water.  He  advised  me  to  go  down  below  the 
town  in  the  evening  and  try  the  fly,  as  the  river  would  then 
be  clear  enough  for  it. 

"  The  next  day,  with  ]\Ir.  Mavin  to  cicisbeo  me,  I  went 
down  the  water  about  three  miles  ;  we  got  away  too  late, 
however,  and,  although  I  began  well,  the  fish  soon  went  off. 
1  thought  myself  a  pretty  good  performer  for  trout  with  the 
single-handed  rod,  but  I  soon  found  out  that  m\'  attendant 
was  a  better  one.  He  was  wading,  and  I  was  fishing  from  the 
bank,  and,  of  course,  he  had  all  the  advantage  of  knowing  the 
stream,  and  fishing  with  the  most  killing  flies,  &c.  Jiut  he  was 
picking  up  fish  after  they  had  done  rising  at  me  ;  and  on 
looking  at  his  flies  for  the  cause,  I  found  he  was  fishing  with 
fine  single  hair,  and  with  a  light,  long  double-handed  rod, 
which  he  worked  to  perfection.  I  was  no  longer  surprised. "" 
A  monument  is  shortly  to  be  erected  to  the  memory  of  Walter 
Mavin,  in  R<jthbury  Churchyard,  by  his  old  friends  and 
arlmirers. 

Mr.    James    Cowans,    another   iAi\    Rothbury    angler,   yet 

"  River  and  Lake, — Francis. 

2.-) 


386  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

survives,  who  was  as  famous  for  his  skill  in  worm-fishing  as  his 
friend,  Walter  Mavin,  was  for  his  fly-fishing.  During  the  season, 
)ames  was  the  constant  companion  of  several  gentlemen 
anglers  from  TvMieside,  when  it  was  a  well-known  fact  that  he 
could  always  land  bigger  fish  than  an\'  of  his  patrons.  For 
some  years  past,  James  has  been  unable,  through  ill-health, 
to  follow  his  favourite  pursuit;  but  he  and  his  wife  still  occupy 
the  old  house  of  the  Cowans  at  Knocklaw,  where  they  often 
receive  kindly  visits  from  their  former  friends  and  patrons. 

Rothbur)'  is  a  parish  and  union  town,  in  the  Hexham 
division  of  the  county,  west  division  of  Coquetdale  Ward, 
rural  deanery  of  Rothbury,  archdeaconry  of  Lindisfarne,  and 
in  the  diocese  of  Newcastle-upon-Tyne.  It  is  also  a  Petty 
Sessional  division,  and  magistrates'  meetings  are  held  every 
month  in  the  Court-room  at  the  Police  Station.  Cattle  fairs 
are  held  on  Whit-Monday  and  November  ist.  An  auction 
sale  for  cattle  is  held  every  second  Monday — besides  other 
special  sales — in  the  commodious  mart  of  Messrs.  R.  Donkin 
and  Son,  conveniently  situated  near  to  the  station  of  the 
North  British  Railway  Company.  This  mart,  the  largest  in 
the  county,  was  established  in  1871,  and  thousands  of  sheep 
and  cattle  annuall}'  pass  under  the  hammer  of  this  eminent 
firm.  There  are  also  two  handsome  bank  premises  in  Rothbury, 
branches  of  Messrs.  Lloyds  (formerly  Messrs.  Hodgkin,  Barnett, 
Pease,  Spence  and  Co.),  opened  in  1869,  agent  Mr.  J.  P.  Ridley; 
and  the  North-Eastern  Banking  Co.  (formerly  the  Alnwick  and 
County),  opened  in  1 871,  agent  Mr.  L.  C.  Davy.  Less  than  forty 
years  ago,  when  farmers  and  others  residing  in  Upper  Coquet- 
dale had  any  special  banking  business  to  transact,  it  meant  a 
journey  of  many  miles  to  Morpeth,  Alnwick,  or  Jedburgh. 
During  the  last  thirty  years  the  business  of  the  little  town  has 
increased  a  hundredfold,  which  may  be  attributed  to  various 
causes,  notably,  the  coming  of  the  late  Lord  Armstrong  to 
Cragside  in  1863,  the  opening  of  the  Northumberland  Central 
Railway  in   1870,  and   the  establishment  of  Messrs.  Donkin 


ROTHBURV.  387 

and  Son's  mart  in  1871.  In  1888  the  Jubilee  Hall,  a  fine 
large  building  in  Bridge  Street,  was  erected  by  public  sub- 
scription, and  within  the  last  year  an  extensive  Union 
Workhouse  has  been  built  on  a  health}^  elevated  site,  about 
half-a-mile  out  of  the  village  to  the  south.  Hirings  for 
"  hinds "  or  farm  servants  are  held  on  the  first  Friday  in 
March,  and  for  single  servants  on  the  Frida\-  in  Easter  week 
and  on  the  first  Friday  in  Xoxember.  The  Coquetdale 
Steeplechase  meeting  is  held  here  annually,  on  what  is  con- 
sidered to  be  the  finest  racecourse  in  the  north  of  England. 
The  Rothbury  Floral  and  Horticultural  Society  holds  its 
annual  exhibitions  of  fruits,  flowers,  and  vegetables  within  the 
magnificent  grounds  of  Lord  Armstrong,  at  Cragside. 

Modern  Rothbury  consists  of  one  long  wide  street,  running 
east  and  west,  generally  called  High  Street  or  Front  Street, 
the  centre  part  bearing  the  name  "  Market  Place ; "  and 
Church  Street,  which  leads  round  b}'  the  church  to  the  bridge, 
while  another  short  street  at  right  angles  to  the  main  street, 
leading  direct  south  to  the  bridge  and  railway  station,  is 
known  as  liridge  Street  or  "  Ratten  Row."  The  fine  (jld 
bridge  which  now  spans  the  river,  with  its  four  arches-^three 
of  which  are  ribbed  and  are  part  of  the  original  structure — is 
thought  to  be  sixteenth  century  work.  Originally  it  was  only 
a  narrow  pack-horse  bridge,  but  it  was  widened  for  vehicular 
traffic  in  the  year  1759,  by  a  Rothbury  mason,  named  William 
Oliphant.  The  initials  "  W.  O.,"  and  the  date,  1759,  are  cut 
on  one  of  the  lower  courses  on  the  east  side  of  the  bridge. 

The  old  village  fire-engine,  the  gift  of  Geo.  Farquhar,  Esq., 
in  1788,  is  still  in  existence.  It  was  probabl\-  those  frequent 
disastrous  fires  that  occurred  in  the  village,  when  the  houses 
were  mostly  covered  with  thatch,  that  prompted  the  generous 
donor  to  present  this  fire-engine  to  the  village.  In  December, 
1738,  several  hou.ses  and  shops,  with  all  the  furniture  they 
contained,  had  been  consumed  to  ashes  ;  again,  in  October, 
J781.  a  brewhouse  and  sixteen  houses  had  been   burnt  to  the 


3SS  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

•ground.  The  engine  bears  this  inscription  : — "  For  the  Town 
of  Rothbur)-,  from  Geo.  Farquhar,  Esq.,  1788."  The  original 
document,  containing  the  bequest  of  the  fire-engine,  consisting 
of  a  piece  of  parchment  about  six  inches  square,  is  found  in 
tlie  Parish  Vestry  Book,  signed  by  the  donor  and  a  witness, 
which  reads  thus  : — 

"  Mense  Augusti  Anno  Domini,  1788, 
Georgius  Farquhar  Armiger, 
Enginam  igneam,  Villre  et  Parochiie 
Rothbury  in  Com"  North^  donavit. 
Sub  Conservatione  et  Potestate 
Rectoris  et  Ecclesiiie-Custodiiim 
Pro  tempore  ejusdem  Parochije 
in  PerpeUuim. 

Test.  (Signed)     Oeo.  Farquhar. 

(Signed)     Tlios.  Adams." 

[August,  1788.  George  Farquhar,  Esq.,  presented  to  the 
town  and  parish  of  Rothbury,  in  the  county  of  Northumber- 
land, a  fire-engine,  under  the  care  and  control  of  the  Rector 
and  Churchwardens  for  the  time  being,  of  the  same  parish  for 
ever.     Geo.  Farquhar.     Witness,  Thos.  Adams.] 

I'^or  many  years  the  fire-engine  stood  in  the  Old  Church 
Porch,  in  charge  of  John  Watson,  the  Sexton.  If  properly 
worked,  this  ancient  fire  extinguisher  can  render  very  good 
service  in  time  of  need.  We  have  ourselves  seen  the  veteran 
engine  at  work  at  several  fires,  both  in  village  and  country  \ 
on  these  occasions  the  stream  of  water  from  its  leathern  hose 
prevented  the  flames  from  spreading,  and  eventually  subdued 
the  fire. 

The  "  Rifleman  Inn,"  the  "  Fox  and  Hounds,"  the  "  Malt 
Shovel,"  the  "Golden  Fleece,"  and  the  "  Fighting  Cocks"  have 
long  since  disappeared,  whilst  the  old  "  Three  Half  Moons," 
once  the  principal  inn  of  the  village,  is  now  a  shapeless  ruin. 
From  its  door,  in  days  gone  by,  the  mail  coach  .started  daily 
for  Morpeth,  intending  passengers  having  their  names  entered 
on  the  "Coach  Slate"  at  least  three  days  in  advance  to  secure 
their  .seat;  where,  in  the  "stone  parlour"  or  the  "big  room"' 


ROTH  BURY, 


389 


upstairs,  justice  meetings  and  court  leets  where  held,  and 
Inland  Revenue  offices  sat  and  collected  the  king's  taxes; 
where  bachelors'  balls,  dukes'  dinners,  and  other  convivial 
gatherings  took  place  ;  and  under  whose  hospitable  roof  many 
an  angler  spent  his  happiest  evening  hours,  ofttimes  catching 
over  again  his  biggest  fish.  These  and  similar  scenes  are  now 
only  memories  of  the  past. 

"  More  big  of  our  conquests  ihan  great  Alexander, 

We'll  rise  to  our  sport  with  the  morning's  first  beam ; 
Our  creels  shall  grow  heavier  as  onward  we  wander, 
And  leNy  large  tribute  from  pool  and  from  stream. 
We'll  plunder  the  deeps,  and  the  shallows  we'll  tax  well, 

Till  Sharperton,  Ilepple,  and  Thropton  are  past; 
We'll  halt  near  the  Thrum  for  a  dinner  \sith  Maxwell, 
But  land  at  our  old  home  of  Weldon  at  last." 

—  Cocjiieidale  Fishing  Song,   1822. 


390 


Ul'I'KR    COOUKTDALE. 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

ROTHBURV    CHURCH. 

Rothbiiry  Church  Ijefore  Restoration  of  1850 — Its  Early  English  Chancel—  Modern 
Tower  and  Nave — Chancel  Screen — Pulpit  and  Choir  Stalls,  1900 — Coats  (jf 
Arms  —  Cartington  Chantry  in  Ruins,  165S  — Restored  in  1886  —  Ancient 
Piscina  —  Sherburne  Tombstone,  1697  —  The  Eont,  1664  —  Shaft  of  Pre- 
Conquest  Cross  —  Sculptured  Remains  —  Thomlinson  Monument  —  Stained 
Windows — Bells,  1893 — Clock,  1897 — Ancient  Sundials— Sundial,  1714 — 
Old  Church  Clock,  1740 — Advowson,  1 120-1872 — ^'alue  of  Living,  1291, 
1535,  1650,  1S28,  1873,  1903 — Bernard  (Jilpin,  1578-9— The  Parish,  1793 — 
Tithe  Maps,  1840 — Ancient  Tithes — The  Rectors  —  Parish  Registers,  1653 — 
Extracts  from  Parish  Book,  1659— Vestrymen,  1659— -Curious  Minutes — 
Ambrose  Jones  Ejected,  1653 — Thomas  Cotes,  Minister  during  Common- 
wealth—  Rothbury  Church,  its  Clergy  and  Church  Officials,  1903. 

ROTHBURY  Parish  Church,  dedicated  to  "  All  Saints,"  is 
a  spacious  edifice  built  in  the  Early  English  style  of 
architecture,  and  stands  on  the  west  side  of  the  ancient  grave- 
yard. With  the  exception  of  the  chancel  it  is  quite  a  modern 
structure,  having  been  entirely  rebuilt  in    1850.     Previous  to 


that  much-needed  restoration  the  old  church,  with  its  dormer- 
hke  windows  inserted  in  the  leaden  roof,  its  numerous  door- 


ROTHBURV    CHURCH. 


391 


ways  leading  to  the  various  galleries,  its  ancient  porch  and 
sturdy  Edwardian  tower  of  four  stages,  ha\ing  square-headed 
window  openings,  presented  a  venerable  and  quaint  old-woild 
appearance,  but  was,  at  the  same  time,  in  a  sadl\'  ruinous 
condition,  and  quite  unfit  for  divine  service.  Like  other 
churches  at  that  period,  it  had  high  box  pews,  three-decker 
pulpit,  with  the  King's  Arms,  and  the  tables  of  the  Ten 
Commandments,  the  Creed,  and  the  Lord's  Pra)-er  displa\-ed 
on  its  walls.  It  now  consists  of  chancel,  na\'e,  north  and  south 
aisles,  and  transepts,  a  south  porch  and  western  tower.  Its 
extreme  length  from  the  great  west  door  beneath  the  tower 
to  the  east  wall  of  the  chancel  is  127  feet,  the  width  at  the 
transepts  80  feet ;  while  the  well-developed  chancel  measures 
46  feet  in  length  b}-  20  feet  in  breadth.  The  whole  of  the 
chancel,  the  east  wall  of  the  south  transept,  and  the  loft\' 
chancel  arch — which  is  a  plain  pointed  arch,  \\ith  single  soffit 
and  chamfered  edges,  but  without  capitals — are  portions  of 
the  original  Pearly  English  structure,  which  was  probabh- 
erected  about  12 10  to  1220.  The  following  mason's  marks 
are  cut  on  the  voussoirs  of  this  arch  : — 


The  three  lancet  windows  arranged  as  a  triplet  at  the  east 
end,  and  the  four  eastern  lancets  in  the  south  wall  of  the 
chancel,  also  those  in  the  east  wall  of  the  south  transept,  are 
ancient.  They  are  of  the  simplest  form,  and  apparently 
belong  to  the  earl)-  period  of  this  style,  when  w  inflows  of  one 
light,  long  and  narrow,  differing  onl\-  from  the  plain  Norman 
window  in  being  pointed  instcarl  of  rouiul-hearlcfl,  and  without 


392 


UPPER   COQUETDAl>E. 


a  dripstone  or  an\'  other  ornament,  were  in  use.  The  two 
western  lancets  in  the  chancel  were  inserted  at  the  restoration 
of  1850,  replacint^  a  large  three-light  decorated  window  of  the 
fourteenth  centur>-.  As  seen  in  the  illustration,  the  range  of 
lancets  in  the  south  wall  of  the  chancel  is  high  enough  to 
admit  of  the  square-headed  trefoil  priest's  door  without 
breaking  their  level.  Immediately  over  this  fine  doorway 
is  a   portion  of  the  stringcoursing  which  had  originally  run 


round  the  whole  of  the  exterior  of  the  chancel  ;  while  against 
its  south  wall  are  three  plain  buttresses,  in  stages,  with  simple 
slopes  as  set-offs  ;  these  are  arranged  at  equal  distances,  and 
divide  the  lancets  into  pairs,  thus  breaking  the  monotonous 
stretch  of  plain  masonry.  Another  single  buttress  of  the 
same  character  supports  the  wall  of  the  chancel  at  the  north- 
east angle. 

The  square  embattled    tower  at    the   west    end,  with    its 


ROTHBURV    CHURCH. 


393 


massive  buttresses,  is  70  feet  in  heii^ht.  A  projecting  turret 
in  its  south-west  angle  contains  a  circular  stair  leading  to  the 
belfrv.  A  verv  crood  decorated  door\va\-  srives  access  to  the 
church  through  its  west  front.  A  large  porch  protects  the 
southern  doorway  leading  into  the  nave. 

The  nave  is  61  feet  in  length,  42  feet  in  width  including 
the  aisles,  and  has  a  north  and  south  arcade  of  four  arches 
springing  from  rather  low  octagonal  piers,  with  plain  cham- 
fered capitals.  Above  these  arches  are  three  double-light 
clerestory  windows ;  both  transepts  also  have  an  arcade  of 
two  arches.  The  semi-octagonal  pier  of  the  eastern  ba}-  on 
the  south  side  built  into  the  wall,  and  the  semi-circular 
bracket  or  respond  of  the  eastern  bay  on  the  north  side,  are 
portions  of  the  original  Early  English  edifice,  as  seen  in 
the  accompan}'ing  sketch.  The  latter  has  the  characteristic 
deep  round  mouldings  and  small  nail- 
head  ornamentation  around  the  capital. 
The  church  is  fitted  throughout  with 
open  oak  benches,  and  seats  six  hundred 
persons. 

The  richness  of  the  interior  of  the 
church  has  been  greatly  enhanced  b}'  the 
erection,  in  1901,  of  a  carved  oak  pulpit, 
choir  stalls  and  chancel  screen.  The 
pulpit  is  an  exquisite  piece  of  work- 
manship, and  contains  the  figures  of  S. 
Columba,  .S.  Paulinus,  S.  Hilda,  S.  Aidan, 
and  Bcrnarrl  Gili^in.  The  figures  occupy 
niches  beneath  finely-carved  canopies. 
An  inscription  around  the  base  of  the 
pulpit  reads  : — '•  To  the  Glor}'  of  God  and 
I  in  affectionate  memor\'  of  |  Margaret, 
wife  of  I^aron  |  Armstrong,  of  Cragside, 
I  who  died  on  the  2ncl  of  September, 
J   1<S93,    in     her    .S6th    year,    this    pulpit    was    erected    b\- 


394  UPPER  COQUETDALE. 

William    and    Winifreda  |   Watson-Armstrong  1    November, 
1 90 1."     A  screen  of  seven  arches— a    large  centre    one,  and 
three  smaller  ones  on  each  side,  resting  on  a   solid   panelled 
basement— filled  with  flowing  tracery,  surmounted  by  a  richly- 
carved  cresting  and  cross,  fills  up  the  wide  and  lofty  Early 
Enc^lish   chancel   arch   with    good    effect.       Arranged   on   the 
mouldings    of    the    beam     is    a    series    of    eighteen    shields 
blazoned  with   the  arms  of  landowners,  benefactors,  patrons, 
and  communities  connected  with  Rothbury  Church  and  parish 
from    the    12th   century   down    to    the    present    time.^       The 
inscription  on  the  lower  part  of  the  screen  runs  thus  : — '^  To 
the  Glory  of  God  and  in  loving  memory  of  |  William  George 
Baron  Armstrong,  of  Cragside,  C.B.  |  born   Xov.  26th,   18 10. 
died    Dec.  29th,   1900,  this   screen  was  ]  erected    by  William 
&  Winifreda  Watson- Armstrong,  Xov.   1901."     The  massive 
and  handsome  oak  choir  stalls  contains  the  following  inscrip- 
tion :—  >^  "  Dedicated   to   the  Glory  of   God  |  and   in   loving 
memory   of  |    Edward    Mallet   Young,   Rector    of    Rothbury, 
1 894- 1 900,  I  formerly  Head    Master  ]  of  Sherburne    School,  | 
Hon.  Canon  of  Salisbury.   1 890,  |  Hon.  Canon  of  Newcastle, 
1896,  I  by  his  widow,  brothers,  &  sister.  |  All  Saints'  Day,  ist 
Nov.,  1 90 1."     The  oak  screen  that  divides  the  chancel   from 
the    priests'   vestry  has   also   been   embellished  with   graceful 
tracery  work,  and    in   its   twelve   panels   the  family  coats   of 
arms  of  twelve  of  the  rectors  of   Rothbur>-,  emblazoned  on 
small  shields,  have  been  introduced. ^ 

The  priest's  and  choir  vestries,  and  organ  chamber  are  on 

'  The  coats  of  arms  on  the  west  front  of  the  chancel  screen  are  those  of 
Clavering,  Percy,  Cartington,  Hepple,  Armstrong,  Ogle,  Wharton,  Smart, 
Dawson;  those  on  the  east  side  are  Mowbray,  Henry  I.,  Tynemouth  I'riory, 
See  of  Carlisle,  See  of  Newcastle,  See  of  Dmham,  Duchy  of  Lancaster,  Riddell, 
Watson- Armstrong. 

^  These  are  Burdon,  Cooke,  Percy,  Neville,  Jones  (See  of  Kildare),  Thomlinson, 
Sharp,  Harcourt,  Ainger,  Medd,  Young,  Blackett  Ord. 

An  elaborately-carved  oak  chair,  with  the  arms  of  the  See  of  Newcastle  shown 
on  a  small  shield,  stands  against  the  south  wall  of  the  chancel.  The  inscription  on 
a  brass  plate  tells  us  that  it  was  "  Presented  to  ]  Rothbury  Church  j  by  |  Elizabeth 
Wilkinson  |  1903." 


ROTHP.URV    CHURCH.  395 

the  north  side  of  the  chancel,  from  which  the}'  are  separated 
by  two  semi-circular  arches  springing  from  octagonal  piers. 
The  building  containing  these  chambers  stands  on  the  site  of 
the  old  Cartington  chantry,  and  was  built  in  1886  b\'  public 
subscription,  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Rev.  Brice 
Smith,  then  curate  of  Rothbury.  The  chantry  which  belonged 
to  the  Cartington  estate,  had  been  founded  by  one  of  the 
Cartington  famil)-,  and  endowed  for  the  maintenance  of  a 
priest  to  celebrate  dail\-  at  its  altar  masses  for  the  benefit  of 
the  souls  of  the  founder  and  his  family.  After  the  Reformation, 
when  prayers  for  the  dead  and  private  masses  were  abolished, 
the  chantr}'  appears  to  have  fallen  into  deca)',  for  in  the  list 
of  chantries,  with  their  revenues  and  ornaments,  compiled  in 
I  547,  we  read  : — 

"ROTHEBURYE. — Landes  and  (tenements)  belonging 
to  the  use  of  one  perpetuyte  within  the  Parishe  Churche  of 
Rothebur}'.  There  ys  no  Incumbent  at  these  presents.  And 
the  churche-wardens  ther  for  the  tyme  beinge  heretofore 
hathe  taken  the  reven(n\-  therof  towards  the  reparacion  of 
the  churche.  Xo  parte  thereof  solde  s)'the,  &c.  And  ther 
be  of  howseling  people  (communicants)  within  the  same 
parishe  ixc  (900).  Yerely  valewe  iijs.  xd.  Plate,  none, 
Goodes,  none."  3  A  century  later  the  chantry  was  in  ruins, 
as  may  be  gathered  fr(jm  the  following  note  made  at  a 
vestry  meeting,  held  April  13th,  Anno.  Uom.,  1658,  being 
as  commonly  called  Easter  Tuesday : — "  Ve  minister  and 
fower  and  twenty  having  viewed  the  Cartington  Porch,  it 
was  resolved  that.  Whereas  The  \ast  Ruins  of  The 
Porch  Belonging  to  .Sir  Ivlward  Widdrington  of  Cartington, 
Lying  open  to  ye  Channscll  the  length  of  Two  Spacious 
Arches,  now  so  endangering  the  health  of  nian\-  b)-  Reason 
of  the  Cold  wind  and  ha/zardcd  the  lilowing  up  of  \'e  Chann- 
sell  Leades  and  Cdasse  out  of  \c  W'indovves,  Besides  many 
disorders  Thereby  comitted  in  the  church  In-  \\-  lioyes  going 

3  .Surt.  Soc.  pul)!.,  N'l).  22,  p.  8S. 


396 


Ul'I'ER  COQUETDALE. 


in  Tlicrcat  breaking  downe  stalls  and  Windows  and  throwing 
open  ye  Doores."  4 

Shoi-tl\-  after  this  meeting  the  two  arches  were  built  up, 
much  to  the  disfigurement  of  the  church,  and  remained  in  that 
condition  until  1886,  when  they  were  cleared  out  and  the 
chantry  rebuilt,  which  was  one  of  the  greatest  improvements 
to  the  appearance  of  the  interior  of  the  church  effected 
during   the    last   century.  5      The  sketch   shows   the   mason's 


marks  found  on  the  voussoirs  of  these  two  arches.  In  the 
south  wall,  within  the  sanctuary  rails,  is  seen  the  original 
Early  English  piscina  and  fenestella — the  latter  now  used 
as  a  credence  table.  There  is  also  a  finely-executed  reredos 
of  Corsham  Down  stone,  alabaster,  and  marble,  consisting 
of  five  trefoil-headed  arches,  which  was  erected  in  memory 
of  Herbert  Ainger,  third  son  of  the  Rev.  Canon  G.  H. 
Ainger,  D.D.,  rector  of  the  parish.  The  whole  of  the 
chancel  floor  is  inlaid  in  mosaic  pattern,  with  encaustic  tiles. 
The  handsome  brass  eagle  lectern  was  given  in  memory 
of  Dr.   Ainger,   rector    187 1-1886.      The  reading   desks    and 


••  The  following  probably  refers  to  both  the  north  transept  (known  as  the 
Caninglon  porch)  and  the  adjoining  chantry  : — "  1614,  Feb.  16.  Roger  Widdring- 
ton  Esq.  to  repair  the  Porch  in  Rothbury  Church  which  is  in  great  decay  as 
belonging  to  him  as  Lord  of  the  Manor  and  the  Castle  of  Cartington."  While  the 
following  of  the  same  date  refers  to  the  south  transept  or  Trewhitt  Porch  : — 
"  Ephraim  Widdrington  (Sir  Knight)  and  Thomas  Ord  Esq.  to  repair  portion  of 
the  Church  belonging  to  the  Lord  or  owner  of  Trewicke." — (Consistory  Court  of 
Durham.) 

5  A  Brass  on  the  dividing  wall  reads  : — 

^  "Ad  Gloriam  Dei. 

This  Chantry  was  restored  by  public  subscription  in  1S86. 

Canon  G.  IL  Ainger  D.D.  Rector. 

Who  did  not  live  to  see  it  completed. 

It  was  re-opened  for  Divine  Service  Ascension  Day,  1887. 

Church    \W.  G.  Armstrong. '\  F.  Barrow.  A.  ().  Medd,  M.A. 

Wardens. /D.  D.  Dixon.  i  J-  Wake.  Rector." 


ROTHP.URV    CHURCH. 


397 


litan}'  desk  w  ere  also  the 
gifts  of  members  of  the 
Ainger  familw  In  the 
priest's  vestry  an  alabas- 
ter tombstone  records  the 
death  of  Isabel,  daughter 
of  Sir  Nicholas  Sherburne, 
of  Cartington,  who  died  of 
small-pox  in  1688.6  On 
each  side  of  this  stone 
stand  the  beadle's  staves, 
reminders  of  old  parish 
customs  of  past  centuries. 
The  chief  object  of  anti- 
quarian interest  u'ithin  the 
Church  is  undoubtedly  the 
pedestal  of  the  font,  the 
lovver   part    bemg  a    pre-  ^p:.::^ 


conquest  cross,  sculptured   '"'''^t'.-/        '   */ J^^i^^r^'^-^^ 
with    endless    knot-work, 

entangling  snakes  and  other  figures.  The  style  of  the 
sculpturing  is  of  a  somewhat  similar  character  to  that 
found  on  Bewcastle  Cross  and  Bridckirk  Voni.  The  figures 
carved  thereon  are  thought  to  be  s}'mbolical.  The  sculpture 
may  represent  three  principal  circumstances  in  the  history  of 
the  world.  On  one  side  is  portrayed  an  animal  walking 
quietly  amongst  trees  and  foliage,  and  feeding  upon  the  fruits 
of  the  earth,  figurative  of  the  peaceful  and  happy  sta^e  of 
things  before  the  fall  of  man.  On  the  oilier  side  there  is 
carved  a  number  of  nondescript  animals,  preying  and  feeding 
on   each   other,   showing   the   state   of   wickedness   after    that 


*■  Inscription  : — "In  .Memory  of  |  His  dear  DaiiglUcr  |  Isaliella  Shcrljurnc  | 
horn  l6lh  November  l68i  |  died  of  the  Small  I'ox  l8lh  (^ct.  l688  |  and  is  here 
huricd  I  Sr  Nicholas  Sherburne  |  of  Stoneyhurst  in  the  County  j  i'alalinc  of 
Lancaster,  Baronet  |  caused  this  to  be  erected.  |  A.i>.  MUCXCVii." 


598 


UPPER  COQUETDALE. 


occurrence.  On  another  side  is  seen  the  Saviour  of  the  World 
ascending  up  into  heaven,  and  underneath  numerous  heads  of 
men  looking  upwards  in  a  suppliant  manner.7  The  fourth  side 
contains  a  fine  example  of  the  intricate  knot-work  pattern 
characteristic  of  that  early  period.  The  late  Dr.  Charleton, 
when  describing  the  limbs  of  this  cross,  which  were  found  at 
the  restoration  of  the  church  in  1850,  and  deposited  in  the 
Museum  of  the  Society  of  Antiquaries  at  Newcastle-upon- 
Tvne,  states  them  to  be  fragments  of  the  limbs  and  shaft  of  a 
Saxon  Churchyard  Cross.  In  these  fragments  of  the  limbs 
are  found  holes  evidently  drilled  for  the  reception  of  candles, 
it  being  customar\'  during  Saxon  times  to  use  lights  at  the 
consecration  of  a  churchyard. ^  Besides  the  shaft  of  the  font, 
the  fragments  of  two  fifteenth  century  floreated  sepulchral  slabs 


2  #^i 


m      fSr^'"^''  ''^ 


l'?l.ll 


■M'm 


'^■'Ai  ''\ 


;-|;'i:«'!!;| 
'■*'  '"  W:, 


"im 


.;i. 


-"^     '(5!!fe;i5i.SsEJ£i&:^ 


are  built  into  the  west  wall  of  the  porch  ;  also  portion  of  a 
grave  cover  having  the  ball  ornamentation  of  »Norman  date. 
(See  figures  /,  2,  j.^  In  the  west  vestry  is  a  door-head, 
evidently  that  of  a  dwelling  house,  bearing  the  inscription, 
^'THOMAS  EANSLEY  161 1,"  with  a  mason's  mallet,  chisel. 


^  Hist..  B.N.C.,  vol.  iv.,  p.  7. 
^  Arch.  ALliana,  vol.  iv.  (o.s.) 


ROTHBURY    CHURCH. 


399 


compass,  and   square;   also,  a   stone   slab,    I5in.  by  22in.,  on 
which  is  cut  a  circular  cross,  lo^in.  diameter  (as  shown  in  the 


engraving).  This  was  found  in  the  school  garden  some  years 
ago,  a  few  yards  east  of  the  present  churchj'ard,  and  had 
probabh'  been  a  boundar\'  cross. 


i^sfmisff' 


A 


vaiKXWM 


.Along  with  several  other  car\cd  stones  is  a  portifjn  of  a 
grave  cover,  which,  judging  from  the  "cart  wheel  "  cut  in  the 
corner,  maybe  assigned  to  one  of  the  "  dc  Cartingtons."  A 
bell  bearing  the  inscription: — "John  1  homh'nsou,  Rector  of 
Rothbury,  1682,"  and  the  mark  of  the  founder-^three  bells 
within  a  circle  of  leaves,  for  John  Bartlett,  of  the  Whitechapcl 


400  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

Foundry,  stands  on  the  window  sill.  This  bell  was  removed 
from  the  bell-loft  when  the  rini^  of  eight  bells  was  hung  in 
1893.  The  conventional  vestry  safe  of  181 3,  containing  the 
Registers,  is  built  into  the  north  wall  of  this  vestry. 

In  the  spandrill  of  the  arches  on  the  north  side  of  the 
chancel  is  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  Dr.  John  Thomlin- 
son,  which  bears  the  following  inscription  : — 

"  Near  this  ^[onument  lyeth  Also  on  her  right  side  is  iii- 

tlie  body  of  the  truly  \'ertu-  -terred  the  Body  of  the  said 

-ous  Matron  Mary,  Wife  of  Reverend  Mr.  John  Thomlinson, 

John  Thomlinson,  Rector  of  A  Worthy  Benefactor  to  this 

Rothbury,  who  departed  this  Parish,  of  woh  he  was  Rector  above 

life  Oct.  30th,  1 7 10.    Aged  70  years.  41  Vears,  who  departed  this  life 

May  23d,  1720.     Aged  69  years." 

Several  windows  in  the  nave,  and  the  whole  of  the  chancel 
windows,  are  filled  with  stained  glass.  Those  in  the  chancel, 
which  are  extremely  chaste  and  beautiful,  are  from  the  studios 
of  Heaton,  Butler,  and  Bayne.  The  east  window,  consisting 
of  three  lights,  depicts  the  crucifixion.  The  inscription  reads  : 
►^  This  window  was  erected  |  by  the  Parishioners  to  the  Glory  | 
of  God  &  in  affectionate  |  Remembrance  of  the  Revd.  |  Canon 
Ainger,  D.D.,  Rector  of  |  Rothbury,  1871-1886.  >i<  The  six 
lancets  in  the  south  wall  of  the  chancel  are  as  follows: — (i) 
Venerable  Bede — "  To  the  memory  of  the  late  |  Canon  E.  M. 
Young,  Rector  |  of  Rothbury,  1894  to  1900;"  (2)  S.  Aidan  ; 
(3)  S.  Oswald  ;  (4)  S.  Cuthbert.  ^  "  To  the  Glory  of  God 
these  three  windows  |  of  Northumbrian  Saints  were  placed 
here  |  by  parishioners  and  other  friends  in  |  memory  of  Arthur 
Octavius  Medd  |  late  Rector  of  this  parish,  who  at  Amble  | 
Bamburgh,and  Rothbury  laboured  for  Northumberland  |  until 
his  death.  |  xxvii.  August,  MDCCCXCIV.  R.I. P."  (5)  The  Good 
Shepherd.  ^  "  To  the  Glory  of  God  |  and  to  the  beloved 
memory  of  |  Sir  Walter  Buchanan  Riddell,  Bart.  |  Born  18 10. 
Died  1892.  I  This  Window  is  Dedicated  [  By  his  affectionate 
Wife."  »J<  (6)  Raising  of  Jairus'  Daughter — "Ad  Gloriam  Dei 
et  in  Memoriam,  M.  A.  et  H.  I.  A.,  1876  "  (daughters  of  Canon 
Ainger).     A  narrow  lancet  in  the  south  transept,  representing 


ROTHBURY    CHURCH.  4OI 

the  Ascension,  is  "  In  Memory  of  |  Herbert  Ainger.  |  Born 
May  14,  1856.  I  Died  Dec.  9,  1883."  The  two  next  windows 
were  erected  in  1850.  ►^  "  Sacred  to  the  Memory  of  John  Smart, 
of  Trewhitt,  on  |  the  Commission  of  the  Peace  &  Deputy 
Lieutenant  |  for  the  Count}-,  who  died  the  28th  of  Oct.,  1828, 
aged  69,"  and  ^  "  Sacred  to  the  Memory  of  Dorothy,  widow  of 
John  Smart,  of  |  Trewhitt,  &  youngest  Daughter  of  Robert 
L\-nn,  of  Mainsforth,  |  in  the  County  of  Durham,  who  died  the 
2 1st  Jany.,  1832,  aged  70."  A  single  lancet  in  the  south  aisle 
— Christ  appearing  to  Mary  Magdalene.  ^  "  In  Memoriam, 
Lillian  Christine  Alalcolm  |  of  Westoe,  So.  Shields.  Born 
Septr.  25th,  1872  I  Died  at  Rothbury,  Septr.  25th,  1890." 
Several  other  windows  also  contain  stained  glass.  On  one  an 
inscription  reads: — "Dedicated  as  a  thankoffering  to  the  Glory 
of  God.  Amen.  By  James  William  Dixon,  A. D.  1873."  The 
two-light  geometric  window,  inserted  in  the  west  wall  of  the 
tower  in  1900,  is  filled  with  very  fine  stained  glass,  by  Cla\-ton 
and  Bell,  in  which  the  two  prominent  figures  are  S.  Michael 
and  S.  George.  A  Brass  beneath  the  window  contains  the 
Adye  coat  of  arms  and  this  inscription  : —  ^  "  To  the  Glory 
of  God  and  in  loving  memory  of  |  General  Sir  John  Ad)e, 
(i.C.B.,  Colonel-Commandant  Royal  Artiller}-,  |  who  was 
born  at  Sevenoak.s,  in  the  County  of  Kent,  Nov.  i.st,  1819,  and 
who  died  at  |  Cragside  on  Sunday,  August  26th,  19CX),  aged 
80  years.  This  west  window  was  erected  |  by  his  daughter, 
W'inifrcda  Watson- Armstrong,  and  his  son-in-law,  W.  A. 
Watson-Armstrong,  |  of  Cragside,  Rothbury,  in  the  County  of 
Northumberland,  April,  1901." 

On  the  south  wall  of  the  tower  hangs  the  hatchment  of 
the  late  Lord  Armstrong,  bearing  his  coat  of  arms,  9  with  the 
family  motto — Forlis  in  Aniiis,  and  a  pendant  depicting  tlie 
insignia  of  the  order  C.ll  (Companion.ship  of  the  Jiath).  A 
brass  on  tlu;  south  ])icr  of  the  to'.ver  arch  records  the  gift  (jf 
eight  bells,  thus : 

'  The  iirsi  iiaii  riiiKiii  mhumi  im  have  been  hung  in  Rothbury  Church. 

'2« 


402 


UPPER   COQUETIXVLE. 


>b 


^^ 


"To   the   Praise  and   Glory   of  God    |    In   affectionate  ^ 
remembrance  |  of  the  late  William  Dawson  |  this  peal  of 
Eight  Bells  was  presented  to  |  All  Saints'  Church  Roth- 
bury  I  by  his  loving  Sister  Mary  Dawson  |  Easter  1893."  ^ 
The  dimensions  and  weights  of  the  bells  are  as  follows  : — 


CWTS. 

(,>RS. 

LBS 

Treble 

2  feet  3^ 

nches 

4 

3 

I 

2nd 

2    „     4,5^ 

5 

I 

26 

3rd 

2    ,,      63^ 

6 

0 

15 

4th 

2  „    s:4 

6 

3 

9 

5th 

2    ,,   10J4: 

7 

3 

8 

6th 

3   „     oK 

8 

2 

4 

7th 

3    >.     3;^ 

10 

2 

25 

Tenor 

3   >,     7H 

••       13 

3 

15 

The  clock  now  in  the  church  tower  was  erected  by  public 
subscription  in  1897.  O'""  the  Sunday  afternoon  of  June  27th, 
after  a  special  service  at  the  \vest  door  of  the  church,  con- 
ducted by  the  late  rector,  Canon  Young,  the  clock  was  put  in 
motion  by  the  present  Lord  Armstrong's  little  son,  "Will," 
then  five  years  old,  when  the  Cambridge  quarter  chimes  were 
heard  for  the  first  time  as  the  heavy  pendulum  began  to  swing, 
and  three  o'clock  was  struck  upon  the  tenor  bell.     The  parish 

time-keepers  of  past  ages  were  the 
pulpit  hour-glass,  the  sundial,  the 
morning  and  evening  bell,  and  the  old 
church  clock.  In  the  churchwardens' 
accounts  for  1667  occurs  this  item: — 
"  ffor  an  houre  glass,  00-01-00." 
Traces  of  two  ancient  circular  vertical 
sundials  are  seen  in  the  south  wall 
of  the  chancel.  The  most  perfect 
example  is  that  cut  on  the  face  of 
the  east  buttress,  about  six  feet  from 
the  ground  ;  the  circle  is  12  inches  in 
diameter,  and  is  divided  into  eight, 
and  subdivided  into  sixteen  spaces, 
with  a  hole  in  the  centre  for  the  style 


.'■■f^^SS 


ROTHBURV    CHURCH. 


403 


or  gnomon.  The  roughly  drawn  double  circle  of  an  earlier  dial 
is  cut  on  a  large  block  in  the  masonry  between  the  two 
eastern  buttresses,  on  the  right  of  „u,,*  „-.--. 
the  priest's  door,  about  six  feet  from  if^--^" """ 
the    ground.      The    diameter    of  the     '"  ' 


Hint 


^i 


'Liue^w-^^^jt^- 


^;%a?#«> 


outer  circle  is  155^  inches,  the  inner 

circle    12    inches;   four  distinct   lines 

divide  the  inner  circle  into  four  equal 

parts,  with  the  hole  for  the  st)-]e  in 

the  centre.     Sundials  near  the  priest's  door  are  frequently  met 

with  in  the  chancel  walls  of  ancient  churches.     Previous  to  the 

re-building  of  the  church,  in  1850,  a  third  sundial  surmounted 

the  gable  of  the  old  porch.     Several  of  the  older  parishioners 

could  remember  the  white  lines  and  chapters  of  this  sundial. 


/-=*--// 77 


m 


■^j^i>( 


'  \ 


I' . 


rB 


which  was  for  fift\-  )'ears  entirely  lost  siglil  of,  until  it  was 
<h'scovercfl  in  1901  by  Jonatlian  I  [airison,  ihc  present  sexton, 
hidden  awa)-  amongst  the  tombstones  in  the  clnn\  lizard.  Ii 
consi.sts  of  a  block  of  freestone.  iS  inches  sc|uare,  with  four 
dials — south,  cast,  west,  the  fourth  on   the  upper  part  of  the 


404  UI'PER   CO(2UliTI)ALE. 

south  side  <it  an  ani;lc  of  45  degrees.  The  date,  17 14,  is  cut 
on  the  south  face,  as  seen  in  the  sketch.  The  vestry  accounts 
for  1728  contain  the  following  reference  to  the  sundial  : — 

"  For  White  lead  and  Lamb  black  for  ye  Sun  Dial    o     o     9 

l-'iir  ^Vhitning  and  new  drawing  the  lines  and  figures     ...     o     i     o." 

The  inorning  and  evening  bell  may  have  been  a  survival 
of  the  pre-Reformation  "  Morning  Ave  bell  "  at  6  o'clock,  and 
the  "  Curfew  bell "  at  8  o'clock.  We  find  a  notice  of  this  old 
custom  in  the  vestry  books,  thus  : — "  1767,  To  Ringing  the 
Bell  at  6  a.m.  and  8  p.m.,  ^  year,  050.  1768,  To  John 
Ridley  for  Ringing  the  6  o'clock  Bell,  }4  year,  050.  1775, 
To  John  Selby's  Ringing  the  Bell  M.  and  E.  j4  3.  year,  o  5  o." 
The  old  Church  Clock,  removed  by  the  restorers  of  1850,  had 
been  erected  in  1740.  The  Easter  accounts  of  1741,  records  : — 
"  \\'m.  Clark  2  days  &  half  making  a  case  for  ye  Clock, 
o  3  4."  "  1750,  Joseph  Harle  mending  the  Clock,  o  5  2." 
"  1769,  To  Joseph  Harle  for  mending  the  Clock  where  it  was 
damag'd  by  the  Blowing  down  of  the  Clok  Face  in  a  storm  of 
Wind,  2/-.  To  ale  to  the  Workmen  at  fixing  the  Clock  Face 
in  the  Church  Steeple,  i/."  The  last  entry  relating  to  the 
Clock  is  "  1 81 8,  Thomas  Pape,  care  of  the  Church  Clock, 
£2  2  o." 

Some  time  between  1820  and  1830,  according  to  the 
following  story,  the  old  church  clock  had  collapsed.  About 
that  time  the  Bi.shop  of  Durham  was  holding  a  confirmation 
service  at  Rothbury.  The  bells  were  rung  at  the  appointed 
hour,  and  the  Bishop  and  Rector  entered  the  churchyard  by 
the  ea.st  gate,  therefore  the  motionless  clock  was  not  observed, 
the  dial  being  on  the  west  front  of  the  tower  ;  but  at  the 
close  of  the  service  the  l^ishop  and  Rector  went  out  by  the 
west  gate.  On  passing  beneath  the  tower  the  Bishop  looked 
up  at  the  clock,  and,  taking  out  his  watch,  remarked  to  the 
Rector :  "  What  excellent  time  you  keep  here  ;  your  clock 
and  my  watch  are  alike  to  a  minute."  Little  did  the  Bishop 
dream  of  the  trick  that  had  been  played  to  make  the  hands 


ROTHBURY    CHURCH.  405 

of  the  silent  church  clock  agree  so  exactly  with  his  gold 
chronometer  ;  for  just  at  the  moment  when  the  reverend  pair 
were  pacing  through  the  church  porch,  "  Sexton  Jack "  had 
slyly  crept  up  the  belfr)-  stairs  and  turned  the  pointers  of  the 
old  clock  to  the  correct  time,  thus  saving  the  credit  of  the 
parish  as  far  as  the  correct  time  of  day  went. 

The  history  of  an  earh'  church  such  as  that  of  Rothbury, 
and  the  history  of  the  people  that  have  for  centuries  lived  and 
died  in  the  parish  are  so  interwoven,  that  it  would  neither 
be  complete  nor  interesting  to  describe  one  apart  from  the 
other.  A  countr\-  Parish  Church  is  generall}'  looked  upon  by 
its  parishioners  with  lo\-e  and  reverence,  for  in  the  very  build- 
ing where  they  now  worship  their  fathers  before  them  have 
worshipped  from  time  immemorial,  and  their  remains  lie 
within  the  hallowed   precincts  of  its  ancient  "  God's  Acre." 

Judging  from  the  fragments  of  the  Anglian  Cross  found 
within  the  \\alls  of  the  church  at  the  restoration  in  1850 — 
which  we  have  alread}'  noticed — it  is  evident  that,  in  pre- 
conquest  times,  the  rites  of  the  Christian  Church  had  been 
celebrated  within  the  Anglo-Saxon  vill  of  Rothbur\'.  Whether 
that  early  church  was  built  of  split  oak  and  thatch  of  rushes 
not  a  vestige  remains  to  show  ;  but  the  work  of  the  thirteenth 
century  builders  is  plainly  seen  in  the  stern  and  simple 
masonry  of  its  Early  English  chancel.  The  first  record  wc 
have  found  of  Rothbury  Church  is  when  IIenr\-  I.,  circa.  1 100, 
confirmed  all  that  had  been  given  to  the  Monastery  of  T\'ne- 
mouth  by  Earl  Mowbray  in  1090,  viz.,  the  tithes  of  Corbridgc, 
Rowb\Te,  and  Wullore.  Hcnr\-  !.,  about  i  120,  granted,  among 
others,  Rothbury  Church  aiul  its  rc\cnues  to  his  chaplain, 
Richard  dc  Aurea  Valle.  The  charter  mentions  the  various 
churches  thus: — "Carta  Regis  Ilcnricus,  Primo  dc  Ecclcsiis 
dc  Wercheorda,  Colebrugc,  Witingham  et  Rodcberia,  Richardo 
de  A  urea  Valle,  Capellano  suo  concessis     .     .     .     ." 

In  ri2.S,  the  churches  of  Warkworth,  Corliridgc,  W'hitling- 
liani,  anrj    I\othI)ur\-  are   ff)iuul    to    ii,i\r    been   held    Iwr  life    b}' 


406  UPPER   COC^UETDALE. 

Richard  de  A  urea  Valle,  but  at  his  death  they  reverted  to  the 
(M-iory  of  S.  l\Iar\',  which  the  klni;  had  founded  at  CarHsle. 
This  Richard  was  parson  of  S.  Nicholas,  Newcastle-upon- 
Tvnc,  and  also  at  Xewburn  ;  both  of  these  churches  were  also 
eventual!}'  annexed  to  the  monastery  at  Carlisle.  From  the 
reign  of  Henr}-  I.  until  1872,  Rothbury  remained  in  the  gift 
of  Carlisle,  but  in  1872  an  exchange  was  made  between  the 
Bishop  of  Carlisle  and  the  Duchy  of  Lancaster  for  some 
small  li\ings  in  the  diocese  of  Carlisle,  therefore  the  presenta- 
tion of  the  Rothbury  benefice  is  now  vested  in  the  Chancellor 
of  the  Duchy  of  Lancaster,  as  representative  of  His  Majesty 
the  King. 

In  the  taxation  of  churches  in  1291,  Rothbury  was  valued 
at  £133  6s.  8d.  ;  its  value  in  1535  is  recorded  in  the  "  King's 
Book  '"  at  £^^  6s.  8d.  This  depreciation  in  value  was  mostly 
due  to  the  unsettled  condition  of  the  borders  during  the 
Scottish  wars.  Sir  Ralph  Sadler,  who  was  sent  down  to  the 
North  b\'  the  Government,  earl}-  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  to 
quell  the  disorders  in  Northumberland,  was  very  anxious  that 
the  li\ing  of  Rothbury,  then  worth  i,"200,  should  be  annexed 
to  Harbottle  Castle,  to  assist  him  in  carrying  out  his  measures 
for  the  defence  of  the  borders. 

Shortl)'  after  the  Reformation  the  borders  were  in  a  most 
turbulent  condition,  many  of  the  parishes  in  Coquetdale  and 
Redesdale  being  entirely  destitute  of  clergy,  and  torn  by 
dissensions  between  the  Reformed  party  and  the  Roman 
Catholics.  The  living  of  Rothbury  was  then  held  by  Dr. 
Roger  Watson,  prebend  of  Durham  Cathedral,  who  previous 
to  the  Reformation  had  been  a  monk  in  Durham  Abbey, 
and  who  appears  to  have  preferred  the  ease  and  safet}'  of 
the  cathedral  cit}'  to  the  troubles  and  turmoils  of  this 
remote  border  parish,  where  it  is  said  he  never  resided.  The 
inhabitants  cjf  Coquetdale  and  Redesdale,  living  close  on  the 
borderland,  and  rendered  fierce  and  warlike  by  constant 
alarms,  despised  all  law,  and  "  if  any  two  be  displeased,  they 


ROTHBURV    CHURCH.  407 

bang  it  out  bravel}-,  one  and  his  kindred  against  the  other 
and  his  ;  such  adepts  were  the\-  in  the  art  of  thieving  that 
they  could  twist  a  cow's  horn,  or  mark  a  horse,  so  as  its  owners 
could  not  know  it ;  and  so  subtle  that  no  vigilance  could 
guard  against  them."  It  was  in  these  lawless  times  that 
Bernard  Gilpin,  rector  of  Houghton-le-Spring,io  visited  these 
wild  districts,  "  usuall}-  taking  the  opportunit\-  of  Christmas 
holyda\-s,  when,  on  account  of  frost  and  snow,  other  men  were 
loath  to  travel,  for  he  found  at  these  times  the  people  would 
more  usualh-  assemble."  The  following  incident — related  by 
his  biographer,  George  Carleton,  Bishop  of  Chichester — 
occurred  in  Rothbur}'  Church  : — "  Uppon  a  time  when  Mr. 
Gilpin  was  in  these  parts  at  a  towne  called  Rothbur)-,  there 
was  a  pestilent  faction  amongst  some  of  them  that  were  wont 
to  resort  to  that  church.  The  men  being  bloodily-minded, 
practised  a  blood}'  manner  of  revenge,  termed  b)-  them 
Deadly-feod.  If  the  faction  on  the  one  side  did  perhaps 
come  to  the  church,  the  other  side  kept  awa}-,  because  they 
were  not  accustomed  to  meet  together  without  bloodshed. 
Now,  so  it  was,  when  Mr.  Gilpin  was  in  the  pulpit  in  that 
church,  both  parties  came  to  church  in  the  presence  of  Mr. 
Gilpin,  and  both  of  them  stood,  the  one  of  them  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  church,  or  chancell,  the  other  in  the  body  thereof, 
armed  with  swords  and  javelins  in  their  hands.  Mr.  Gilpin, 
somewhat  mooved  with  this  unaccustomed  spectacle,  goeth  on 
neverthelesse  in  his  sermon,  and  now  a  second  time  their 
weapons  make  a  clashing  sound,  and  the  one  side  drew  nearer 
to  the  other,  so  that  they  were  in  danger  to  fall  to  blowcs  in 
the  middest  of  the  church.  Hereupon  Mr.  Gilpin  counneth 
downe  from  the  pul|;it,  and  stepping  to  the  ring-leaders  of 
either  faction  first  (jf  all  he  appca.sed  the  lunuilt.  Next,  he 
laboureth  to  establishe  peace  betwixt  them,  but  he  could  not 

'"  "  Bernard  dilpin  was  one  of  a  band  of  learned  clergymen  ni  ihc  diocese  of 
Durham,  who  volunteered  lo  help  nisho|)  Barnes  by  preaching  in  the  various 
parish  churches  of  Durham  and  Northumberland."  /'(////f;- f/7/////,  |).  49.  C.  H. 
Ross  Lewin,  M.A. 


408  .UPPER  COQUETDALE. 

prevail    in    that ;    oneh'   they   promised    to    keepe  the   peace 
unbroken  so  long  as  Mr.  Gilpin  should  remain  in  the  church. 
Mr.  Gilpin,  seeing  he  could  not  utterly  extinguish  the  hatred 
which  was  now  inveterate  betwixt  them,  desired  them  that  yet 
they  would  forbeer  hostility  so  long  as  he  should  remaine  in 
those  quarters  ;    and    this  they  consented  unto.      Mr.  Gilpin 
thereupon  goeth  up  into  the  pulpit  againe  (for  he  had   not 
made  an  end  of  his  sermon)  and  spent  the  rest  of  the  allotted 
time  which  remained  in  disgracing  that  barbarous  and  bloody 
custome  of  theirs,  and  (if  it  were  possible)  in  the  utter  banish- 
ing of  it  for  ever.     So  often  as  Mr.  Gilpin  came  into  those 
parts  afterwardes,  if  any  man  amongst  them  stood  in  fear  of 
a    deadly    foe    he    resorted    usually   where    Mr.    Gilpin    was, 
supposing  himselfe  more  safe  in  his  company  than  if  he  went 
with   a   guard."      Amongst    his    rude  and    barbarous   hearers 
he  was   esteemed   a   prophet,  and   almost   adored.      "  By  the 
carelessness  of  his   servant    his    horses  were   one   day  stolen 
(tradition    says    by  one    of    the    Snawdons,    at    that    time   a 
numerous    and    predatory  clan    in    the    parish).       The    news 
was  quickly  propagated,  and  every  one  expressed  the  highest 
indignation   at   the   deed.     The   thief  was   rejoicing  over  his 
prize,  when,  by  the  report   of  the   country,  he   found  whose 
horses    he   had   taken.       Terrified   at   \\hat   he   had   done,  he 
in.stantly  came  trembling  back,  confessed   the   fact,  returned 
the   horses,  and   declared   he   believed   the   devil  would   have 
seized  him  directly  had  he  carried  them  off  knowing  them  to 
be    Mr.    Gilpin's.""       Bernard  ■  Gilpin    quelling    the    fray    in 
Roth  bury  Church  forms  the  subject  of   one  of  the   painted 
panels    in    Wallington    Hall,    Northumberland,    by    the    late 
W.  B.  Scott. 

The  "Oliverian  Survey"  of  1650  states: — "That  the  Parish 
of  Rothburye  is  a  P'sonage,  the  late  Bpp.  of  Carlisle  Patron 
thereof,  Mr.  Ambrose  Jones,  a  Preaching  Minister,  the  Incum- 
bent, and  the  value  of  the  Glebe  and  Tythes  of  the  said  Parish 

"  Mackenzie's  History  of  Northuinherland,  vol.  ii.,  p.  6i  (note). 


ROTHBURV    CHURCH.  409 

worth  p.  ann.  two  hundred  pounds."  During  the  time  that 
Dr.  Thomas  Sharp  was  rector  (1721  to  1757)  the  hving  had, 
through  the  unwearied  exertions  of  his  predecessor,  Rev.  Dr. 
John  Thomlinson,  increased  to  ^^350.  Its  gross  value  in  1828 
was  ^1,200;  in  1873,  £1,460;  at  the  present  da}' the  gross 
value  of  the  living  is  ^^^1,144.  The  following  is  a  brief  descrip- 
tion of  the  parish  in  1793  : — 

"  Rothbury,  a  large  Parish  extending  about  1 2  miles 
from  E.  to  W.,  about  10  miles  X.  to  S.,  and  about  40  in 
circumference,  comprising  about  50  Villages  —  about  400 
farms.  Monthh'  communicants  about  30,  and  at  Easter  & 
Good  Frida\'  upwards  of  144.  About  100  Papists  of  inferior 
rank,  who  have  a  chapel  and  resid^-  Priest  (Wm.  Hemsworth). 
About  12  commonlv  called  Methodists  fwho  have  a  room 
licen.sed),  and  about  300  dissenters,  all  of  inferior  rank,  and 
have  decreased  of  late  years." 

At  the  commutation  of  the  Rothbury  tithes  (1839- 1844) 
elaborate  plans  of  all  the  townships  were  made,  with  a 
de.scription  of  each  farm  and  hamlet,  as  well  as  the  field- 
names. In  the  documents  attached  to  the  plans  of  several 
of  the  townships  the  following  interesting  note  occurs  relating 
to  the  ancient  custom  of  payments  in  kind  that  had  prevailed 
from  the  earliest  days  of  the  Church  of  England  : — "  There  is 
payable  to  the  Rector  of  Rothbury  at  the  Feast  of  Saint 
Mark  (April  25)  in  every  year,  for  c\ery  cow  kept  that  hath 
a  calf,  three  half- pence,  and  for  ever\'  farrow  cow,  one  penn\', 
in  lieu  of  the  tithes  of  milk  in  kind  of  such  cows.  IW  ever)- 
householder,  si.xpence,  in  liuu  of  the  tithes  of  eggs  and 
poultry.  I'or  ever}'  foal,  one  penny,  in  lieu  of  the  tithes  of 
foals.  Vov  c\cr\-  hi\e  of  bees,  one  penn)',  in  lieu  of  the  tithes 
of  honey  and  wax.  .\nd  by  e\er)'  householder,  one  pcnnj', 
called  smoke  penn}-,  in  lieu  of  the  tithes  of  wood  burnt." 

.A  handsome  Brass  in  the  west  wall  of  tin-  na\c-,  near  the 
font,  records  the  names  of  thirty-five  rectors  f)r  Knihlnu)-,  as 
given  below  : — 


410  Ul'l'KR   CU(^UETDALE. 

"To  the  honour  and  gior)-  of  God  |  and  in  pious  remem- 
brance of  I  a  long  succession  of  learned  |  and  Godly  Rectors. 
This  Memorial  Brass  has  been  |  erected  by  the  Parishioners 
of  Rothbur\-.  |      All  Saints'  Day,  1893.  |  ^^    Rectors  of  Roth- 
bun-  j  Lucas,   1247;    Richardus,    1248-1275;    Galfridus,    1290; 
Willelmus,  1293;  Jacobus  de  Ispania,  1296;  John  de  Burdon, 
13 10-1352;    John    de    Aschebourn,    1352-1357;    William    de 
Emelden,    1357- 1377;   John   Appleby,   1377;   William   Strick- 
land,   13S5;    Henry   de    Harburgh,    1434;    Alexander  Cooke, 
143 5- 1 474;    George    Percy,    1474;    John    Yotton,    1499-15 12; 
John  Clerk,   15 12-1523;   Thomas  Magnus,   15 23- 15 50;    Roger 
Watson,    1550-1561;    p:d\vard    Mytchell,    1561-1566;    George 
Xevil,     1 566- 1 567;    William     Talentire,     1 567-1 584;    Charles 
Slyngesbie,     1584-1628;     John     Manby,     D.D.,     1628-1635; 
Richard   Smith,    1635-1643;    Ambrose  Jones  (ejected),    1643- 
1653;  Thomas  Cotes  (intruder),  1657- 1660;  John  Garthwaite, 
1660-1678;     John     Thomlinson,     D.D.,    1679-1720;     Thomas 
Sharp,     D.D.,     1720-1758;     William     Berdmore,     1758-1784; 
Edward  Auriol  Hay  Drummond,  1784-1795;  George  Watson, 
D.D.,     1795-1813;     Levison     Venables     Vernon,     18 14- 1822; 
Charles  Geo.  Vernon  Harcourt,  1822- 1870;  Geo.  Hy.  Ainger, 
D.D.,  1871-1886;  Arthur  Octavius  Medd,  M.A.,  Rector,  1887. 
Armstrong  (the   Right    Hon.  Lord),  Frederick  Barrow,  John 
Wake,  Lionel  Crawford  Davy,  Churchwardens," 

The  Rev.  A.  O.  Medd  died  in  1894,  and  was  succeeded  by 
the  Rev.  Edward  Mallett  Young,  M.A.,  1 894-1 900.  The  Rev. 
Charles  Edward  Blackett-Ord,  M.A.,  the  present  Rector,  was 
instituted  April  27,  1901. 

The  Parish  Registers  begin  in  1653,  and  are  complete  up 
to  the  present  time.  There  is  also  an  old  parchment-covered 
book  containing  entries  relating  to  the  Parish  from  1648  to 
the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  which  are  of  great 
interest.     Its  title  page  reads  : — 

'-  Magister  Phillip  de  Ardern,  1228. 


ROTHBURV    CHURCH. 


411 


A  PARISH    ROOK 

FOR 

R  O  T  H  B  V  R  Y  , 

whp:  REIN- 
ARE    RECORDED    SUCH    THINXJS 
as  Concerne  the  Order  and  Duties 
of  the  said  Parish 
Together 
with  the  names  of  the  XXHH.  ye  Churcli 
Wardons  &  Ouerseers  for  the  Poore 
flrom  time  to  time  ;  as  also 
the  orders  made  for 
Repayre  of  the 
Church 
'  OriHnatim  res  in  ecclesia  facienda\' — Cartwright 
'  Let  all  things  be  done  decently  &  in  order.' — I  Corinth.,  14,  40. 

"1659.    'jjjp  llamrs  of  tbc  /olucr  nni)  iTlucntn  nolD  being 

I  Gilbert  Parke,  Cjent.  and  foreman.  \iii      Robert  Polls. 

II  William  Clennell,  Cient. 

Ill  Thomas  Wharton,  Cent. 

nil  Henry  Potts,  tieni. 

\'  Robert  Creene,  Cent. 

\i  William  Carre,  Gent. 

\ll  John  Snawdon,  Gent. 

VI 1 1  William  Robson. 


John  Davie. 
Robert  Davie. 
Anthony  Clarke. 
Roger  Browne. 
Robert  Lighton. 


IX  William  Snawdon. 

X  Rowland  Snawdon. 

XI  Edward  Hall. 

XII  Robert  Sharperlon. 


XIIII 

XV 

X\I 

XVII 

X  \'  1 1 1 

XIX  Thomas  Ogle. 

XX  Thomas  Clarke. 

XXI  Robert  Redhead. 

XXII  (Jeorge  Browne. 

XXIII  Roger  Spraggon. 

XXiiii  John  Maving,  parish  clerk.' 


Amongst  the  first  entries  in  this  book  are: — 1648, 
"Another  collection  for  the  Town  of  lloydon  in  \'orkshire 
burnt.  Collected  and  paid  ;^oo  ii  o6d."  1654,  "  There  was 
Gi\en  Sixty  Pounds  by  Commi.ssioners  for  the  reixixre  of 
ye  Channsell  at  Kothbui)-  to  be  Disbursed  b\-  Mr.  Thos. 
\\'hart(jn,  of  Newtowne,  who  was  Intrusted  with  the  inone)' 
and  the  worke."  i''^54,  "A  Ccjliection  was  made  for  the 
protestants  of  Piedmont  &  Savoy,  The  suinine  ])(1.  /.4  i  1  o6(l. 
to  l'>lwarfl  iTenwick,  of  .Stanton,  ICsq.,  Tiien  lli.L;h  .Shcriffe." 
("hurchwardens  in  1655,  were: — (jeor<je  Maving,  of  ivoliibury, 
George  Browne,  of  ye  fforrcst,  Lon/s/iip  ;  (i\'les  .Snawdon,  of 
Great  Tosson,  Robert  .Skell\'.  of  Upper  Trcwhil,  /  id  irony. 
1659,  "one  Thomas  Moore,  of  Scranwood,  had  two  shill.  out  of 
\e  Pari.sh  Se.s.se  in   Lieu  of  a  Collection  h\  orfler  of  Session.s 


412  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

to  be  made  for  repayre  of  his  losses  by  fire."  1659,  "A 
Collection  was  made  for  a  poore  widow  in  Rothbury,  then  at 
Waji^tayle  Hall,  &  allovv'd,  and  about  3s.  4.6.  collected,  which 
was  sent  hir."  1659,  "  Wednesday,  August  31,  was  Observed 
a  Day  of  Humiliation  by  The  order  of  The  Parliament." 
April  6,  1660,  "  A  fast  day  was  kept  for  the  preservation  of 
this  nation  and  for  seeking  a  blessing  upon  Parliament  then 
shortly  to  sit  downe."  At  a  vestry  meeting  held  on  Easter 
Tuesday,  April  13,  1658,  it  was  ordered  by  "Ye  Minister  and 
fewer  and  twenty.  That  no  Grave  be  Digd  within  ye  Body  of 
the  Church  under  the  price  of  five  shillings."  This  was  to 
prevent,  as  much  as  possible,  the  evil  custom  then  prevalent  of 
burying  inside  the  church,  "  Because  it  being  not  flagged  it 
would  not  only  spoile  the  seates  and  floore,  but  endanger  ye 
peoples'  health  b}'  infectious  Ayre,  and  Secondly,  which  may 
hinder  Them  at  least  in  the  service  of  Almighty  God,  for  we 
see  many  have  fainted  and  Swooned  in  the  church,  which 
caused  their  Departure,  and  often  became  The  Beginning  of  a 
Tedious  Sickness."  "  Piaster  Tuesday,  April  24,  1660,  Trewhit 
porch  was  viewed  and  order  given  yat  Mr.  George  Potts,  of 
Farnham,  be  spoken  with  concerning  the  repayre  thereof" 
Some  other  things  of  Trivvall  Concernment  was  Done,  And 
some  more  weighty  were  mensioned,  but  not  Done,  after  which 
they  friendly  &  lovingly  parted.  Vivat  Rex  Carolus  Secundus 
Floreat  Ecclesia  Anglicana.     Amen." 

Ambrose  Jones,  rector  of  Rothbury,  was  ejected  from  the 
living  about  1653,  and  Thomas  Cotes,  a  schoolmaster  at 
Stanton,  put  in  his  place.  After  the  Restoration  Thomas 
Cotes  took  holy  orders,  and  continued  as  curate  to  the  new 
rector,  John  Garthvvaite,  and  died,  curate  of  Rothbury,  in 
1668.  One  of  the  results  of  the  Civil  War  is  found  in  the 
minutes  of  the  vestry  meeting  held  on  Piaster  Tuesday,  April 
I,  1662,  where  it  is  recorded  : — 

"  In  regard  that  the  late  Troublsome  Times  had  occasioned 
the  Spoyling  &  disfigurement  of  those  things  Convenient  & 


ROTHBURV    CHURCH.  413 

necessary  for  ye  Celebration  of  God's  publicke  worship  in  His 
holy  Church,  In  regard  of  Authority  enjoining  and  \'e  Due 
Consideration  had  Thereuppon,  The  Rector,  together  with  the 
Curate  and  fower  and  Twenty,  ordered  that  a  Sesse  of  each 
man's  Anntient  Rent  throughout  \'e  whole  Parish  should 
speedily  be  raised.  Collected,  and  Levx'ed  by  \-e  new  Church- 
wardens for  the  present  yeare,  \izt.,  for  a  Font,  Table,  Fur- 
niture for  ye  Communion,  Cuppe  engraving,  Co\er  of  ffont. 
Books  of  Common  Pra}-er,  Great  Church  Bible,  The  Book  of 
Homil}'es.  The  Book  called  the  History  of  King  Charles  of 
happy  memory  enjoyned  to  be  kept  in  all  Parish  Churches, 
and  for  that  Time  peaceably  Departed.  Vivat  Rex,  F'loreat 
Ecclesia." 

"April  15,  168 1,  being  Piaster  Tuesday,  the  Rector  and 
four  and  twent\',  according  to  custom  did  meet.  It  was  also 
agreed  by  the  sd.  24  that  halfe  an  Ancient  Rent  be  levied 
speedily  for  the  repairing  of  the  Pews,  Foxes  heads,  &c. 
Then  were  elected  yc  churchwds. 

Ralph  Davison  of  Flottertun.  Anlhu.  Potts  of  ye  Forrest. 

Edwd.  Wilson  of  Toss:  Spittle.  Rogi'-  Snawdon  de  Heppill." 

"July  3rd,  168 1. — These  persons  following  were  dentnmced 
excommunicate  in  the  prsh.  church  of  Rothbur}-: — The  wife  of 
John  Gibson  of  Rothbury  for  not  comeing  to  be  clun-cli'd  ; 
Tho.  Wharton  and  Hen:  Richardson  for  workeing  on  hol)- 
dayes  ;  Iilliz:  Brown  f  beating  the  churchwarden  when  he  was 
executing  his  office;  Nicholas  Hall  of  Rothbur\-  f  workeing 
on  holydayes." 

In  1724,  April  19th,  the  Vestry  "agreed  to  give  fortv 
shillings  with  Robert  Lighton,  .son  to  Robert  Lighton  of 
Hazlcyhirst,  towards  putting  him  an  apprentice  to  Robert 
Douglas,  Skinner,  in  Rothbury."  .\l  this  vestry  meeting  we 
come  across  the  first  notice  of  .1  "  Poor  House"  in  Rothbiu'y. 
"  It  was  unanimousl)-  agreed  that  the  Churchwardens  treat 
with  Robert  Snowdon  ov  an\-  other  person  having  a  proper 
&  convenient   house  in   Rothbur}',  about  a   Room  or  Rooms 


414 


U ITER   CO( )UETDALE. 


to  lodg'e  &  employ  such  pc^or  in  as  the  Vestry  shall  think 
proper  to  send."  We  then  find  an  item  in  the  expenditure  of 
1725.  "Rent,  one  pound  five  shillings  for  the  publick  Room 
for  >'e  poor  in  Rothbury  " — thus  showing  the  establishment  of 
a  Workhouse.  Some  of  the  old  inhabitants  of  Rothbury 
could  remember  of  a  house  standing  in  Church  Street,  bearing 
the  date  of  1685,  being  used  as  a  Workhouse,  of  which  we 
here  give  a  drawing  as  it  appeared  in  1880. 


T:r^i=S''.Si(*5it^l&tow"' '  -    -^ 


"  Vestrymen 

(jilbert  Parke,  Genl.  of  Warton. 
Robert  Snowdon  of  Whitton. 
William  Storrer  of  ye  West  Row. 
Robert  Storrer  of  Rothbury. 
George  Humble  of  Rye  Hill. 
Archibald  Douglas  of  Rothbury. 
James  Storey  of  Little  Tosson. 
Robert  Grey  of  Rothbury. 
George  Forster  of  Wreigh-hill. 
John  Storey  of  Flotterton. 
Robert  Readhead  of  ye  Middle  Lee. 
George  Brown  of  Longhaugh. 


m  1724 : — 

Christopher  Little  of  Whitton. 
Henry  Potts  of  Cartington. 
George  Simpson  of  Rothbury. 
Roger  Green  of  Thropton. 
Henry  Forster  of  Hepple. 
Roger  Storrer  of  Snitter. 
Alexander  Snowdon  of  Great  Tosson. 
Thomas  Detchon  of  Thropton. 
Thomas  Bartrim  of  Nether  Lee. 
Robt.  Readhead  of  the  Crook. 
Will.  Hall  of  eastern." 


ROTHBURY    CHURCH. 


415 


0 

0 

6K 

0 

I 

0 

0 

2 

0 

0 

0 

9 

0 

0 

10." 

"August  13.  1725  : — 

Bend  leather  and  hemp   ... 

Skins  for  Breeches 

Two  yards  clothe  for  a  wastcote... 

Buckram  and  Mohair       ...  

Thred  and  buttons  

"Feb.  27,  1725-6. — It  was  agreed  to  give  Mar}-  Hunter  of 
ye  Raw  }'e  sum  of  five  shillings  for  curing  Swan  }-e  apprentice 
boy's  finger." 

"  1728. — For  ye  King's  Proclamation  for  changing  }'e 
names  of  ye  Royal  famih-  in  ye  Prayer  Book  p<l-  }-e  Kps. 
Apparitor  o  i  O  .  .  .  Por  white  lead  &  lamb  black  for  ye 
Sun  Dial  and  for.whitning  «&  new  drawing  the  lines  &  figures 
IS.  9d." 

"  March  8,  1729. — Agreed  to  allow  Jno.  Richardson  ye  sum 
of  Twenty  Shillings  to  Easter  next,  for  serving  (upon  trial)  as 
Beadle  in  time  of  divine  service."  John  Richardson  had  not 
suited  as  Beadle,  for  in  April  16,  1734,  we  find:  ''Then  the 
Four-and-Twenty,  agreed  to  appoint  John  Pery  of  Rothbin-}-, 
Beadle,  in  room  of  John  Richardson,  deprived.  John  Per\- 
having  satisfied  the  Four-and-Twenty,  they,  on  Easter 
Tuesday,  1736,  "agreed  to  give  John  Perry  ye  Beadle  20sh 
per  annum  advance  to  his  salary  as  Beadle."  The  office  of 
Beadle  has  been  extinct  for  upwards  of  forty  }-ears  ;  old 
Robert  Hay  was  the  last  official  who  carried  the  "  Beadle's 
Staff"  through  the  aisles  of  Rothbur)-  Church  in  1862. 

The  Churchwarden.s'  Accounts  for  Faster  Tuesday,  1731 : — 

Taking  down  and  relniilding  the  Vestry   Gavll  hy  two 

men  five  days  and  a  half  

One  man  eight  days  hewing  yc  water  tables 

William  Carr  a  labourer  7  days  &  half      

To  cloth  for  a  new  Sirplice... 

Kor  making  ye  Sirplice  to  Wid.  Park 

A  Bfilt  and  two  Cottrcls  for  ye  (Ircal  Bell 

To  Jno.  Maving  for  a  Cudgeon  on  to  ye  little  bell 

Mending  ye  Vestry  Tongs 

Jolin  Kldl.v  work  al  ye  little  bell 


o  16 

O    12 

o    6 

>  '5 
o  6 
o    o 

O       I 

o  o 
o    o 


o 

I 

10 

o 

2 

6K 

...     o 

O 

3 

o 

14 

2 

I 

0 

0 

..     o 

Ml            r    T    " 

4 

5 

1 

416  UPPER  COQUETDALE. 

P'or  Framing  the  looking  glass  in  ye  vestry 
To  Robert  Storer  for  Bel-ropes  and  oil     ... 

To  nails  for  ye  Bell  Wheels  

A  New  Common  Prayer  Book  for  ye  Desk 
John  Richardson  ye  Beadle's  Salary 
To  coals  and  halher  for  ye  vestry  ... 

1735. — "  A  pd.  of  white  Lead  and  3  gills  of  Lin.seed  oil  to 
beautify  Mr.  Thomlinson's  Monument  and  Table  of  Benefac- 
tion.s."  "St.  Thomas  Day,  1736.  The  Vestry  agreed  also  to 
put  out  George,  son  of  Charles  Brown,  apprentice  to  James 
\'oung,  on  ye  Bridge,  Newcastle,  Sadler."  This  refers  to  the 
old  Tyne  Bridge,  which,  with  its  houses  and  shops,  was  swept 
away  by  the  great  flood  of  November  17th,  1771. 

"May  30,  1742. — Then  the  Rector  and  Four  and  Twenty 
met  and  agreed  to  pay  for  Jno.  Pratt's  coffin  Ss,  and  3d  worth 
of  bread  and  a  Gallon  of  Ale  at  his  Burial." 

"  Entrys  of  Burialls  in  Wollen  for  Rothbury  Parish. 
1678. — John  Hunter  of  Thorn-haugh  was  buryed  in  nothing 
but  woolling  according  to  ye  Stat,  on  yt  behalfe  as  dos  appear 
by  ye  affadavit  made  by  Willm.  Hunter  and  Robt.  Potts,  both 
of  Thorn-haugh  to  Sr  Thomas  Horsiley,  one  of  his  Mags. 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  his  certificate  under  his  hand  bearing 
date  the  19th  day  of  Sepbr,  1678." 

This  certificate  was  required  by  the  officiating  minister  in 
compliance  with  an  Act  passed  in  the  reign  of  Charles  H., 
which  said, "  No  corps  should  be  buried  in  anything  other  than 
what  is  made  of  sheep's  wool  only  :  or  be  put  into  any  coffin 
lined  or  faced  with  anything  made  of  any  material  but  sheep's 
wool,  on  pain  of  the  forfeiture  of  ^^5."  An  affidavit  to  that 
effect  was  required  not  later  than  eight  days  after  the  burial. 
As  the  Pari.sh  Registers  are  being  transcribed  verbatim  et 
literatuni  in  the  pages  of  the  Rothbury  Parish  Magazine,  we 
give  only  the  above  extract  to  illustrate  a  curious  custom, 
relating  to  burials,  that  prevailed  towards  the  end  of  the 
seventeenth  century.     Many  other  strange  entries  might  have 


ROTMliURY   CHURCH.  417 

been  given,  but  it  would  be  almost  an  endless  task  to 
particularise  the  miscellaneous  contents  of  the  record  book 
and  the  numerous  registers  ;  but  it  is  hoped  that  enough  has 
been  said  to  invest  all  parish  records  with  fresh  interest  in  the 
e}-es  of  their  custodians,  and  to  show  that  the  documents 
entrusted  to  their  care  are  of  no  small  value  and  importance. 
Within  the  tattered  covers  of  a  musty  register  may  lie  buried 
the  secret  of  many  a  lost  inheritance,  and  its  pages  be  fraught 
with  matter  to  delight  the  antiquary  and  increase  the  statis- 
tician's knowledge. 

A  single  glance  at  Rothbury  Church  will  show  the  heart- 
felt interest  and  loving  care  its  guardians  bestow  upon  the 
sacred  building  committed  to  their  charge.  Its  interior  is  well 
appointed,  and  kept  scrupulously  clean,  while  the  churchyard 
is  pleasant  to  behold,  with  its  neatly  trimmed  grass  border 
and  well-kept  footpaths.  Its  doors  are  ever  open  to  all  who 
care  to  enter,  and  w  ithin  its  walls  Matins  and  Evensong  are 
daily  said.  It  has  a  good  surpliced  choir  and  choral  service, ^3 
a  peal  of  eight  bells,  and  a  band  of  trained  bell-ringers.  It 
has  besides  its  various  guilds  and  societies  of  church  workers. 

Rector,  Rev.  C.  E.  Blackett-Ord,  M.A.,  Rural  Dean  and 
Surrogate,  Hon.  Canon  of  Newcastle ;  Curate,  Rev.  W.  G. 
Pringle,  M.A.,  Durham  ;  Lay  Reader,  licensed  by  the  liishop,^ 
E.  H.  Stevens,  B.A.,  London  ;  Churchwardens,  Lord  Arm- 
strong, D.  D.  Dixon,  E.  Barrow,  Thos.  Shell  ;  Organist,  C.  V. 
Graham;  Choirmaster,  J.  T.  Dixon;  Bell  Conductor,  I*",  l^arrow; 
Se.xton  and  Verger,  Jonathan  Harrison. 

Throughout  the  old  church)'ard  numerous  quaint  tomb- 
stones stand  in  picturesque  disorder,  marking  the  final  resting 
place  of  past  generations,  while  the  recent  erection  of  a  number 


'•  Some  sixty  years  ayo  the  musical  ixirtiDiis  of  the  services  were  rendered  \>y  a 
string  ban<l,  clarionets  and  violins,  which  were  succeeded  by  a  barrel  organ.  In 
1867  the  present  double  manual  organ,  with  ihirlecn  stops,  built  by  Hill  iN:  Sons» 
London,  was  given  by  the  late  Lord  Armstrong  and  tlic  Rev.  C.  <•■  \'.  Ilarcuurt, 
rector. 

27 


4i8 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


of  ornate  crosses,  several  of  which  are  to  the  memory  of  men 
of  distinction,  has  added  much  to  the  interest  and  appearance 
of  the  burial  ground,  for  within  the  precincts  of  the  churchyard 
the  remains  of  two  of  its  rectors,  the  gentle  Mr.  Medd,  the 
scholarly  Canon  Young,  that  distinguished  soldier  Sir  John 
Adye,  and  the  greatest  of  Northumbria's  sons,  the  first  Lord 
Armstrong,  lie  side  by  side  with  the  simple  parishioner  of  the 
vale,  where  : — 

"  Each  in  his  narrow  cell  for  ever  laid 

The  rude  forefathers  of  the  hamlet  sleep." 


ROTHBURY.  419 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

ROTHBURY   (SECOND    SECTION). 

Congregational  Church,  Founded  1835 — First  Church  Built  1842 — New  Church 
1S93 — Interior — List  of  Ministers,  1842-1903 — Office  Bearers— Site  given  by 
late  Lord  Armstrong — Old  Almshouses,  1690 — Armstrong  Cottages,  1896 — 
Public  Schools — Jubilee  Hall  Institute — Surroundings  of  Rothbury — The 
Hill-side — Traces  of  Old  Cultivation  —  Half  Acres,  1819  —  Allolmenls  — 
^'Hurley  Knowes"  — Border  Watch,  1553— PotLs'  Chair  — "Craa  Trees"- 
—  Beggar  Rig— Well  Close — "Coplish" — The  Thrum — Origin  of  Name — 
The  Mill  :  its  Occupants,  Traditions — Bull  Trout  at  the  Thrum — Population 
of  Parish  and  Township  of  Rothbury. 

THE  Congregational  Church,  at  Rothbury,  was  formed  in 
1835  by  the  Rev.  A.  Raid  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  We.stgate 
Hill,  Newcastle.  In  1839  the  congregation  became  connected 
with  the  Durham  and  Northumberland  Congregational  Asso- 
ciation, and  in  1842  a  site  was  purcha.sed  at  the  high  part  of 
the  town,  and  the  church  which,  up  to  the  year  1893,  ser\ed 
the  congregation,  was  opened  for  public  worship.  Since  then 
the  congregation  has  .steadily  developed,  and  for  .some  time  it 
was  apparent  that  the  church,  which  for  fifty  years  had  been 
the  centre  of  Congregationalism  in  ivothbury,  wnuld  have  to 
give  way  to  a  more  commodious  and  suitable  building.  The 
requirements  of  those  worshipping  in  the  old  building  were 
made  known  to  the  late  Lord  Armstrong,  who,  with  his  usual 
generosity,  at  once  offered  a  site  on  which  to  erect  a  new 
■edifice. 

To  make  way  for  the  new  church,  a  picturesque  seventeenth 
century  hou.se,  having  a  grey  stone  slate  roof  ami  mullioncd 
windows,  of  which  we  give  a  drawing,  was  removed.  1  his 
interesting  old   house  originally  belonged  to  the  Donkins  of 


420 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


Tosson,  and  the  doorhead,  having  "  D.  1690.  D."  cut  thereon,, 
is  now  pi-cser\-ed  in  the  rockery  at  Haw  Hill  House,  the 
residence  vf  Mr.  Robt.  Donkin.  For  some  years  before  its- 
demolition  the  building  had  been  used  as  an  almshouse,  sup- 
ported b>-  the  late  Lady  Armstrong.  Soon  after  its  removal,, 
that  charming  block  of  twelve  cottages  at  the  east  end  of  the 
village,  known  as  Armstrong  Cottages,  was  erected  by  the 
late  Lord  Armstrong,  which,  with  that  kind  consideration  for 


'  -^"»W55:  .^^-f^— -^ss.^"  ^=»l^^ 


^Mc-i^-^^ 


>S^^/^' 


the  comfort  and  happiness  of  those  around  him  so  charac- 
teristic of  his  lordship,  were  set  apart  as  homes  for  aged 
estate  workmen  and  other  deserving  persons.  ^  The  neat 
little  church  that  now  stands  on  the  site  of  the  old  almshouse, 
of  which  the  foundation  stone  was  laid  by  the  late  Lord 
Armstrong  in  1893,  is  built  of  freestone,  in  the  Gothic  style,. 
with  a  central  turret.  The  edifice,  besides  being  an  ornament 
to  the  village,  is  a  great  improvement  on  the  old  church  of 


'  A  tablet  in  the  wall  of  the  cottage  bears  the  following  inscription : — 
"Erected  |  by  |  William  George  |  Baron  Armstrong  |  of  Cragside  |  in  Memory- 
of  1  Ann  Armstrong  |  His  Much  Loved  |  Mother  i  1896.-" 


ROTH  BURY.  42 1 

1842,  and  contains  sittings  for  300  people,  with  a  vestry 
and  organ  chamber  in  the  rear.  The  interior  is  beautifully 
■decorated  with  ecclesiastical  designs  in  coloured  stencillings, 
Is  fitted  with  open  benches,  well  lighted  with  gas,  and  heated 
■with  hot  air. 

The  following  have  been  the  pastors  of  the  congregation 
•since  1842: — Rev.  E.  Clarkson,  Edinburgh,  1842;  Rev.  Alfred 
Briggs,  Airedale  College,  1847;  Rev.  Alfred  Scales,  1848; 
Mr.  J.  C.  Wallace  (student),  1852;  Rev.  D.  Moir,  1853;  Rev. 
AVm.  Logan,  1855  ;  Rev.  A.  Scott,  Marischal  College,  Aber- 
deen, 1 861  (died  1902);  Rev.  R.  C.  Hutton,  1889;  Rev.  Geo. 
Luckett,  1893;  Rev.  Alex.  Bell,  B.A..  1898;  Rev.  J.  W. 
Bowman,  M.A.,  B.D.,  1903.  The  present  trustees  are: — Messrs. 
AVm.  Bertram,  *J.  H.  Clark,  *J.  H.  Clark,  junior,  (Rev.)  Geo. 
Luckett,  *Chambers  Mitcheson,  *John  Mowitt,  *\Vm.  Mowitt, 
*John  Rawson,  *J.  P.  Ridley,  xAnthony  Robson,  John  Todd. 
Those  of  the  above  marked  with  an  asterisk  are  also  deacons. 
The  other  deacons  are : — Messrs.  John  Hogarth,  J.  C.  Robson, 
Wm.  Turnbull.  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  Mr.  John  Mowitt ; 
Organist,  ]\Ir.  J.  H.  Clark,  junior. 

Rothbury  has  been  much  favoured  from  an  educational 
point  of  view  since  1720,  when  the  Rev.  Dr.  Thomlinson 
bequeathed  an  endowment,  now  worth  ^^^215  per  annum,  to 
found  a  Grammar  School,  "  to  teach  the  English,  Latin,  and 
Greek  tongues,  to  write  and  cast  up  accounts,  learn  by  heart 
and  understand  our  Church  Catechism,  without  demanding 
payment  for  same."  In  1758,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Sharp,  successor 
to  Dr.  Thomlinson,  left  a  further  cndcjwmcnt,  now  worth  £jo 
a  \car,  for  educational  purposes,  which,  with  a  small  endow- 
ment from  John  Metcher,  was  merged  in  "Thomlinson's  I^'und." 
This  fund  was  for  many  N'ears  under  the  control  of  the  Rector, 
Churchwardens,  and  "  I-'our  and  Twenty,"  and  was  disbursed 
in  providing  education  at  Rothbury,  rendering  assistance  to 
outlying  schools  in  the  parish,  ijuilding  the  present  school  for 
boys  at  the  liridge  End  anri   for  girls  at  "  Ilurlc)'  Knowes," 


422  UPI'KR   CO(^UETDALE. 

and  in  giving"  small  sums  of  mone\'  or  flour  to  about  sevent}' 
to  a  hundred  persons  annually  throughout  the  parish.  By  a 
scheme  of  the  Charity  Commissioners  in  1881  doles  in  goods 
and  money  ceased  ;  a  certain  portion  (£4$)  of  Thomlinson's 
and  the  whole  of  Sharp's  endowment  {£70)  was  set  aside 
for  education  higher  than  elementary.  This  portion  of  the 
scheme  was  carried  out  b)-  giving  exhibitions  to  children  up 
to  1896,  when  Sharp's  Endowed  School  was  constituted;  since 
that  date  higher  education  has  been  given  in  the  old  C'on- 
gregational  Church,  rented  by  the  Governors  of  Rothbury 
Charities  and  Schools  for  that  purpose,  under  the  able 
management  of  Mr.  E.  H.  Stevens,  B.A.,  the  first  and  present 
head  master,  excellent  results  having  been  attained.  The 
school  is  so  constituted  as  to  earn  grants  from  the  County 
Authorities  and  the  Science  and  Art  Department.  In  1902  the 
average  attendance  was  22.  The  elementary  school  for  boys 
(Mr.  Jas.  Johnson,  head  master)  and  girls  (Miss  Beveridge, 
head  mistress)  have  for  some  years  past  been  in  the  happy 
position  of  not  requiring  aid  from  voluntary  subscriptions, 
the  high  grants  earned,  added  to  Thomlinson's  portion  set 
aside  for  education,  being  ample,  except  when  structural  addi- 
tions or  alterations  were  required. ^  The  body  administrating 
the  charities  and  managing  the  education  of  Rothbury  has,  up 
to  1902,  been  as  representative,  as  possible  of  local  interests. 
There  are  now  thirteen  members,  three  ex-officio  governors, 
viz.,  the  Rector,  two  of  the  four  churchwardens  ;  three  repre- 
sentative governors  are  elected  by  the  "  Four  and  Twenty," 
the  County  Council  three,  Rural  Council  two.  Urban  Council 
one,  Durham  College  of  Science  one. 

New  schools  are  required,  and  will  be  erected,  it  is  under- 
stood, as  soon  as  arrangements  (now  in  progress)  for  sites  have 
been  settled.  The  present  members  of  the  governing  body 
are  : — Rev.  Canon   Blackett-Ord,  Rector  of  Rothbury ;    Lord 

-  Average  at   Boys'  School,    18S5 — 73  ;    1902— 84.     Girls'  School,   1885—99  ; 
1902—153. 


ROTHBURY.  423 

Armstrong,  Cragside ;  Sir  J.  W.  R.  Riddell,  Bart.,  Hepple  ; 
\\m.  Hawthorn,  Esq.,  J. P.,  Wreighburn  ;  Alderman  Forster, 
J. P.,  Burradon  ;  Mr.  Richard  Charlton,  Snitter  House;  Dr. 
Frederick  Barrow,  Rothbury;  Principal  Gurne)-,  Newcastle- 
upon-T\-ne ;  Mr.  James  Howey,  Thropton  ;  Messrs.  Lionel 
C.  Davy,  D.  D.  Dixon.  Thos.  Shell,  and  J.  P.  Ridle)-, 
Rothbur)-. 

In  connection  with  the  Jubilee  Hall  Institute  there  is  an 
excellent  reading  room,  circulating  librar)-,  and  billiard  room. 
The  library  was  established  in  1850  b\-  the  Rev.  C.  G.  V. 
Harcourt,  Rector  of  Rothbury,  who,  until  his  death  in  1870, 
continued  to  be  its  liberal  supporter.  Treasurer,  Mr.  L.  C. 
Davy;  Secretary,  Mr.  J.  H.  Clark,  junior ;  Librarian,  Miss 
Pugh  ;  Caretaker,  Mrs.  Ellen  Soulsby. 

Along  the  hillside,  to  the  north  of  the  village,  several 
elegant  villas  have  of  late  years  been  erected.  I'rom  their 
breezy,  elevated  sites,  overlooking  the  valle\',  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  river  fogs,  and  sheltered  by  the  rugged  heights 
of  Addeyheugh  and  Rothbury  hills,  delightful  views  of 
Simonside  and  the  surrounding  country  are  obtained.  On 
the  lower  slopes,  near  the  village,  are  found  evident  traces  of 
the  old  village  community  system  of  cultivation  in  the  long 
narrow  fields,  several  of  which,  until  recent  )ears,  were  divided 
b)'  the  usual  balks  or  earthen  dykes.  These  narrow  strips 
formed  the  common  field,  and  were  in  olden  times  allotted 
annually  amongst  the  \  illagers. 

"The  strips  were  distributed  in  ccjual  proportions  amongst 
the  cultivators  in  such  a  manner  that  each  man's  holding  was 
made  up  of  u  number  (jf  acre  or  half-acre  strips  l>ing  apart 
from  each  otiier  in  the  .several  square  or  oblong  furlongs  of 
which  the  three  fields  were  compo.sed,  and  these  strips  were 
so  dispersed  amongst  similar  strips  held  !))•  his  neigiibours 
that  no  man,  while  the  .sy.stem  remained  intact,  held  two 
contiguous  strijxs.  Each  indi\idual  holder  was  bound  lo 
cultivate  his  strips   in  accordance  with  the  rotation  of  crops 


424  ui'i'EK  co(^u1':tdal1':. 

observed  by  his  neighbours,  and  had  rights  of  pasture  over  the 
Avhole  field  inv  his  cattle  after  the  crops  were  gathered."3 

By  some  process  or  another  these  strips  gradually  became 
the  freeholds  of  the  villagers  ;  the  balks  have  been  levelled, 
and  now  two  or  three  strips  form  one  field.  It  is  said  that 
some  time  during  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century  the 
last  remaining  strip  exchanged  hands  for  a  pair  of  leather 
breeches. 

A  range  of  small  fields  known  as  the  "  half  acres,"  some- 
what similar  in  form  to  the  old  strips,  occur  on  the  south 
bank  of  the  Coquet,  below  Whitton  Tower.  These,  however, 
have  an  entirely  different  origin,  having  been  granted  by  the 
Duke  of  Northumberland,  at  the  close  of  the  great  French 
war  in  the  second  decade  of  the  last  century,  to  those  of  the 
villagers  who  had  served  in  the  ranks  of  the  Percy  Tenantry 
Volunteers.  The  stone  post  of  the  gateway  that  gave  access 
to  a  section  of  these  half  acres  recently  removed,  bore  the  date 
1 8 19,  being  the  year  these  were  set  apart  for  that  purpose. 
On  the  opposite  side  of  Whitton  Tower  lane  are  the  allot- 
ments, under  the  management  of  the  Urban  Council,  and  let  to 
the  villagers  at  a  nominal  rent.  These  allotments,  each  con- 
sisting of  the  sixteenth  of  an  acre,  produce  large  quantities 
of  excellent  vegetables,  and  have  proved  a  great  boon  to  the 
villagers.  On  the  banks  of  the  river  closely  adjoining,  lies 
the  village  recreation  ground,  while  further  to  the  west  are  the 
public  cemetery  and  caretaker's  lodge.  Close  to  the  cattle 
mart,  part  of  which  occupies  "Fletcher's  Haugh,"  is  a  series  of 
high  green  mounds  bearing  the  name  of  "  Hurley  Knowes," 
which  have  been  thought  to  be  burial  mounds,  but  to  all 
appearance  these  tumuli-like  knolls  are  alluvial  deposits, 
but  may  have  been  used  as  the  moot  hills  of  the  early 
inhabitants.  It  is  also  very  probable  that  within  the  shelter 
of  the  deep  hollows  between  the  mounds  the  men  of  Rothbury 

^  "Ancient  Farms  of  Northumberland"  (Mr.  F.  W.  Bt^ndy).— J nVi.  .Eliaiia, 
vol.  xvi.,  pp.  125-6. 


ROTHBURV.  425 

kept  watch  and  ward  in  the  days  of  border  forays.  The 
■"Border  Laws"  of  1553  says :—"  FROM  the  Forde  of  the 
Rode-footc  to  Rayesfield  to  be  watched  \\ith  four  Footmen  of 
the  Inhabitors  o'i  RotJiburyT  On  "  Walbys  Hill,"  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Coquet,  a  handsome  block  of  houses  has  recently 
been  built  b\-  Lord  Armstrong.  The  piece  of  ground  lying  to 
the  north  behind  the  Armstrong  Cottages  is  known  as  the 
"  Well  Close,"  a  name  given  from  a  well  that  formerly  existed 
on  the  banks  of  the  "  Cobletch,"  known  of  late  years  as  the 
"  Brewery  Well." 

In  the  parish  tithe  map  of  1S46,  a  small  runnell  of  water 
is  shown  as  flowing  from  the  well  through  the  Well  Close,  and 
the  general  contour  of  the  ground  would  seem  to  suggest  the 
idea  that  "  Cobletch  Burn,"  or  as  it  is  called  b}'  the  villagers, 
"Coplish,"4  had  at  some  remote  period  also  taken  this  course, 
entering  the  Coquet  near  the  Scottish  Ford.  During  the  early 
part  of  the  last  century  portions  of  this  piece  of  land  were 
■quite  a  swamp,  and  it  is  not  so  ver}^  many  years  ago  that  wild 
duck  were  shot  amongst  the  rushes  that  grew  therein. 

We  might  here  mention  some  curious  names  that  occur 
Avest  of  the  village,  "  Potts'  Chair,"  a  large  rock  in  a  field 
belonging  to  the  farm  of  West  Hills,  in  which  a  seat  has 
been  cut,  said  to  have  been  the  work  of  a  person  named  Potts, 
who  at  one  time  was  either  the  owner  or  occupier  of  the  farm. 
"  Beggar  Rig  "  is  that  green  slope  on  the  north  side  of  the 
road  be}'ond  the  County  Hotel,  while  three  venerable  ashes 
growing  on  the  south  side  of  the  road  are  known  as  the  "Craa 
Trees."5  Various  traditions  as  to  the  meaning  of  lieggar  Rig 
are  extant,  but  probably  the  real  origin  of  the  name  w  ill  be 
found  in  the  term  "  liig  rig,"  where  "big,"  a  coarse  sort  of 
barley,  has  been  grown  in  former  years. 

*  "  Cobletch  "  or  "  Coplish  "  may  lie  corruptions  of  Copletdi.  This  little  stream 
has  its  source  in  a  morass  on  Addeylicuf^h,  and  flows  down  towards  Roihiniry 
throuj»h  a  deep  gorge  or  letch.     Co/— the  suinnut  of  a  hill.     J.ctch — a  gorge, 

5  In  the  Common  award  of  1831,  the  clum|)  of  trees  at  the  west  end  of  South 
Terrace  are  termed  "  The  Crow  Trees," 


426  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

A  charming  walk  down  the  riverside  by  the  "  Goose- 
haugh,"  under  the  shade  of  the  trees  of  the  Thrum  Mill 
wood,  once  known  as  "The  Whinn}-  Braes,"  leads  to  the 
Thrum,  a  fa\-ourite  resort  of  the  angler,  and  all  visitors  to 
Roth  bur)-. 

The  Thrum  Mill  stands  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river 
Coquet,  about  a  mile  below  the  xillage  of  Rothbury,  in  one  of 
the  most  picturesque  riverside  nooks  in  Upper  Coquetdale. 
Here  the  action  of  the  river  during  the  course  of  centuries  has 
worn  awa)'  its  rock}-  barrier,  and  the  Coquet  flows  through  a 
narrow  chasm  a  few  feet  in  width  and  some  fourteen  feet  in 
depth,  hemmed  in  on  either  side  b)-  the  shelving  rocks  that 
}'et  remain  of  that  colossal  dam  which  in  bygone  ages  kept 
back  the  mountain  torrent,  causing  the  flat  lands  lying  above 
and  around  \\here  the  village  of  Rothbury  now  stands  to  be 
covered  by  the  waters  of  a  primexal  lake.  This  contracted 
passage  is  known  as  the  "  Thrum,"  which  gives  its  name  to 
the  mill.  On  its  southern  bank  rises  a  lofty  sandstone 
cliff,  clothed  with  a  natural  growth  of  oaks,  hazels,  alders, 
birches,  and  mountain  ashes,  whose  light  green  foliage  is  in 
pleasing  contrast  to  the  sombre  shade  of  the  firs  that  crown 
the  summit ;  whilst  dense  masses  of  ferns,  intermingled  with 
the  greenery  of  blaeberry  bushes,  purple  foxgloves,  broom, 
queen-of-the-meadow,  willow  herbs,  St.  John's  worts,  mimulus, 
and  many  other  wild  flowers,  add  to  the  beauty  and  interest 
of  the  scene. 

It  \\'as  evidently  not  until  towards  the  close  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  that  the  place  received  its  present  name  of 
"Thrum  Mill,"  the  first  mention  of  it  in  the  Parish  Registers 
being  as  follows: — Burials. — "  1693,  March  10.  Ann  Wife  of 
Thos.  Dixon  Thrum  Mill.  1763,  August  19.  John  Lawson 
Debdon  F'oot  drown'd  in  ye  Thrumb."  As  to  the  derivation  and 
meaning  of  the  word  "Thrum,"  we  give  the  following: — "To 
thrum — to  drum,  to  make  a  drumming  noise;"  and  the  com- 
mon saying  at  Rothbury,  "  It's  gan  to  be  bad  weather ;  hear 


ROTHBURV.  427 

how  the  Thrum's  roarin',"  suggests  that  the  name  originates 
from  the  "  thrum  "  or  sound  made  b}-  the  cascade. ^ 

The  older  mill  appears  to  have  stood  some  little  distance 
west  of  the  modern  range  of  buildings,  as  several  foundation 
blocks  of  masonry  have  been  met  with  near  to  the  present 
mill  garden,  and  traces  of  an  ancient  dam  or  "call"  ma\"  yet 
be  seen  slanting  across  the  stream  a  little  further  u[)  the 
river.  7-8 

For  man\'  years  during  the  first  half  of  the  last  century 
the  Thrum  Mill  was  in  the  occupation  of  \\"illiam  Coxon,  a 
person  of  some  standing  in  the  district,  and  a  deacon  in  the 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Thropton.  It  afterwards  passed  into 
the  hands  of  his  son-in-law,  William  Orr,  and  then  of  Joshua 
Tenant,  "  Jos-i'-the-Mill,"  who,  in  those  days  when  farm 
servants  were  paid  mostly  in  kind,  kept  a  numerous  staff  of 
grinders  and  "pokers";  and  none  were  better  known  in  Cpper 
Coquet  than  Christopher  Tully,  Mark  A\-nsle}-,  and  William 
Woodcock,  who  were  best  known  in  the  country  as  "Kit  the 
Miller,"  "Mark  the  Miller,"  and  "\\'illie  the  Grinder."  The 
Mill  is  the  property  of  the  Duke  of  Northumberland,  and 
the  tenant  is  Mr.  William  Orr,  grandson  of  the  first  owner 
mentioned,  who,  although  the  old  s}-stem  of  grinding  the 
hatches  of  home-grown  corn  has  nearl}-  ceased,  carries  on  an 
extensive  business  as  flour  dealer. 

Local  tradition  and  story  gives  an  additional  charm  to  this 
interesting  spot,  the  Thrum  being  celebrated  in  the  "Tales 
of  the   Borders"  as  the  scene  of  Will   Faa's  exi)loit  with  the 

'  N'orthninherland  Words.  —  HcsId]). 

'  In  1663  it  was  called  Kolhhury  Kast  Mill,  and  ln'lnnj;;cd  ti)  the  I'.arl  of 
Norlhumberlanil. 

"  In  former  years  the  public  iiighway  led  from  Dcbdon-biirn-foot  |)ast  ihc 
Thrum.  The  present  road  uj)  the  i$urn-foot  bank  was  made  about  ei(^hly  years 
ago.  The  Newcastle  Cotiraiit  of  May  1st,  1S19,  contains  an  advertisement  for 
contracts  for  — "a  new  road  from  Kotlduny  to  the  Prior's  Wicket,  on  the  road 
Icadinj;  to  Hrinkburn  I'riory,  and  for  wideninj;  and  iminovin^  the  mad  fnim  the 
.said  wicket  to  the  Fool  of  Rothbury  Thrum,  and  fium  thence  making  a  new  road 
to  the  Knock  Law  direct  through  the  Miller's  Field."' 


428  UPrER   COQUETDALE. 

heir  of  Clennell,  in  the  story  of  "  The  Faa's  Revenge."  The 
pools  at  the  Thrum  have  ever  been  the  happy  hunting  grounds 
of  the  angler  and  the  salmon  poacher.  Stephen  Oliver,  the 
younger,  in  his  RauibUs  in  No7'thn7>iberland,  records  a  con- 
versation he  had  with  an  old  Coquet  angler.  'Talk  o'  fishen," 
sa}-s  he,  "  there's  no  sic  fishen'  in  Coquet  now  as  when  I  was  a 
lad.  it  was  nowse  then  but  to  fling  in  an'  pull  oot  by  tweeses 
and  threeses,  if  ye  had  as  many  heuks  on,  but  now  a  body 
may  keep  threshin'  at  the  watter  aa'  day  atween  Hallysteun 
and  Weldon  an'  hardly  catch  three  dozen,  an'  money  a  time 
not  that.  About  fifty  years  syne  I  mind  o'  seein'  troots  that 
thick  i'  the  Thrum  below  Rotbury,  that  if  ye  had  stucken  the 
end  o'  yor  gad  into  the  watter  amang  them  it  wad  amaist  hae 
studden  upreet." 

At  the  present  day,  during  the  months  of  October  and 
November,  when  the  Coquet  is  slightly  flooded,  hundreds  of 
bull  trout  (Salino  eriox)  may  be  seen  leaping  the  cascades  at 
the  Thrum,  many  of  them  in  doing  so  rising  several  feet  out 
of  the  water.  When  the  fish  are  running  freely  this  is  a  very 
interesting  sight,  and  one  that  is  frequently  witnessed  by  a 
large  concourse  of  people  who  line  the  banks  on  both  sides  of 
the  Thrum. 

"  The  Tweed,  he  may  brag  o'  his  sawmon, 
An'  blaw  of  his  whitlins  the  Till, 
There's  pikes  i'  the  pools  o'  Reedwater, 

But  Coquet's  the  top  o'  them  still : 
So  fill  up  your  broad  Ijrimmin'  glasses, 

An'  fishermen  stand  in  a  raw. 
An' — Success  to  the  bonnie  red  heckle, 
The  heckle  that  tackled  them  a'  !" 

Coquetdale  Fishing  Song,  1830. 

Population  of  Rothbury  Parish  : — 

1801—2,236.        1811—2,437.       1821—2,609.       1831—2,869. 
1841—2,555.        1851—2,545.       1861—2,387.       1871—2,750. 
1881—2,689.        1891 — 2,550.       1901 — 2,569. 


ROTHBURY. 


429 


Population  of  Rothbun'  Township  : — 

1801 —    668.        181 1 —    750.       1821 —    891. 
1841—    881.        1851—    895.       1861—    798. 
1881 — 1,247.        1891  — 1,192.       1901- 


Acreage  of  the  Parish 


-34798- 


1831- 

1871- 

-i>303- 


1,014. 
■1,074. 


1« 


'^<^-^^£^A 


iV' 


X:-iv^^''m^^'.,,.. 


/r  .1     , 

'•r//,f"'  ,1  V  "1-,'f  ,v 


>:r 


430  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

CRA(;SIDE. 

Debdon  Valley,  1S62-1903 — Cragside:  its  Architecture,  Situation,  and  Surround- 
ings— Interior — Pictures  and  Works  of  Art — Scenery  around  Cragside — 
Long  Service  of  Employees — The  late  Lord  and  I-ady  Armstrong — The 
second  Lord  and  Lady  Armstrong,  1903 — The  Private  Life  and  Character  of 
the  first  Lord  Armstrong — His  coming  to  Rothbury — Building  of  Cragside— 
Distinguished  Guests — His  kindness  of  heart  and  love  of  children — Extent  of 
Cragside  Grounds — Number  of  Trees  Planted. 

SOME  forty  years  ago  the  visitor  to  the  pleasant  village  of 
Rothbur}%  taking  his  morning  stroll  on  the  Rothbury 
and  Alnwick  turnpike,  would  have  met  with  little  of  interest 
except  the  "everlasting  hills"  in  all  their  sombre  grandeur; 
the  only  other  objects  being  the  Peth  Head  farmhouse,  the 
remains  of  the  Peth  Foot  house,  and  on  the  other  side  of 
Debdon  burn  an  old  hovel,  rejoicing  in  the  name  of  Tumleton, 
while  rotten  hedgerows  and  ruinous  stone  dykes  here  and 
there  intersecting  the  moor  land  gave  to  the  little  valley  of 
Debdon  a  lonely,  neglected,  and  barren  aspect.  Since  that 
time,  however,  as  if  by  the  magician's  wand,  the  whole  scene 
has  changed  ;  the  happy  combination  of  nature  and  art  has 
transformed  the  erstwhile  howling  wilderness  into  a  very 
Garden  of  Eden,  one  of  the  greatest  attractions  of  visitors 
to  Rothbury,  and  the  permanent  source  of  livelihood  to  a 
numerous  band  of  gardeners  and  labourers  who  are  employed 
in  improving  and  keeping  the  grounds  in  order.  In  1863  the 
late  Lord  Armstrong  (then  Sir  W.  G.  Armstrong),  with  the 
eye  of  an  artist,  and  with  that  fine  taste  for  beauty  and  effect 
which  has  characterised  all  his  plans  during  the  extensive 
works  that  have  been  carried  out  at  Cragside,  fixed  the  site 


o 

or 


CRAGSIDE. 


431 


of  his  "  Highland  home"  on  the  craggy  side  of  Rothbury  hill, 
and  gave  to  the  house  the  suitable  name  of  "  Cragside." 
The  mansion  is  built  of  fine  coloured  stone,  quarried  on  the 
spot,  in  the  Elizabethan  style  of  architecture ;  the  quaint 
gables,  high-pitched  red-tiled  roofs,  the  floriated  and  twisted 
chimney  stalks  of  great  height,  and  the  lattice  windows,  make 
a  charming  and  interesting  picture.  From  the  centre  of  the 
building  rises  a  lofty  tower,  while  another  massive  tower  at  the 


'.-i^s^.- 


>     --Hi 


■•^s?* 


m 


MM^ 


•i ." '  n-*. 


south-east  angle  bears  the  name  of  "  Gilnockic."  The  wing  to 
the  south  of  this  tower,  the  walls  of  which  are  buill  on  the 
face  of  a  rocky  cliff,  contains  the  drawing  room,  which  was  just 
finished  in  the  August  of  1884,  when  the  Prince  and  Princess 
of  Wales  and  their  family,  witli  a  numerous  retinue  of  English 
nobility,  were  the  guests  of  Sir  W.  G.  Armstrong  at  Cragside, 
when  a  right  royal  reception  was  given  them  by  their  noble  liost. 
Another  range  of  buildings  at  right  angles  to  the  above,  and 


432  Ul'l'KR   COQUETDALE. 

extending  westward  over  the  arch  leading  into  the  courtyard^ 
contains  the  picture  gallery  and  museum.  The  west  and 
north-west  fronts  assume  a  sort  of  castellated  form  ;  the  south 
front  presents  the  picturesque  style  of  sixteenth  century  work, 
with  gables  of  wood  and  stucco,  projecting  eaves,  and  lattice 
windows.  Massive  archways  lead  into  the  courtyard  from 
the  north  and  south  sides.  The  interior  is  lighted  with  the 
electric  light,  and  ntted  up  in  the  most  perfect  manner,  with 
all  the  comforts  and  conveniences  that  wealth  and  genius  can 
suggest.     As  our  village  poet  has  it: — 

"  And  on  yon  brown  and  rocky  hill 
See  princely  '  Cragside '  lies, 
Where  boundless  wealth  and  perfect  taste 
Have  made  a  paradise." 

This  lordly  mansion — one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  unique 
of  country  seats — occupies  an  elevated  site  on  a  plateau,  mid- 
wa\'  up  the  face  of  a  boulder-covered  hill  of  sandstone,  and  is 
surrounded  on  all  sides  by  nature's  colossal  rockwork,  where, 
out  of  every  nook  and  cranny,  grow  the  finest  and  rarest  of 
alpine  plants,  saxifrages  and  stonecrops,  heather,  heath,  and 
ferns.  From  its  coigne  of  'vantage  a  magnificent  view  of 
great  variety  of  hill  and  dale,  wood  and  water,  is  obtained,, 
with  the  interesting  vale  of  Coquet  opening  out  to  the  west. 
Apart  from  the  glorious  beauty  of  its  mountain  scenery,. 
Cragside  contains  within  its  walls  great  attractions  in  the 
many  rare  and  costly  treasures  of  art  and  literature,  which 
bespeak  the  wealth  and  refinement  of  the  illustrious  possessor 
of  this  fair  and  stately  pile. 

The  chief  entrance  is  through  the  Gothic  doorway  of  an 
open  porch  in  the  south  froiit.  A  spacious  staircase,  adorned 
with  paintings,  statuettes,  and  rare  oriental  vases,  leads  from 
the  vestibule  to  the  picture  gallery,  drawing  room,  and 
other  apartments,  while  the  long  corridor  on  the  ground  floor,, 
leading  straight  from  the  entrance  hall,  conducts  to  the  library 
and  dining  room.     On  the  right  of  the  library  is  the  dining 


CRAGSIDE.  433 

room,  where  the  quaint  legend,  "  East  or  west,  Hame's  best,"  is 
seen,  cut  in  bold  letters  on  the  elaboratel}--carved  stone  over 
the  snug  ingle  nook.  The  picture  galler\-,  which  is  lighted 
from  the  roof,  contains  man}-  very  choice  and  valuable  paint- 
ings, also  a  well-arranged  collection  of  conchological  and 
geological  specimens.  A  doorua}-  at  the  farther  or  east  end 
of  the  gallery  leads  into  the  drawing  room.  The  first  object 
that  strikes  the  eye  on  entering  this  room  is  the  superb 
mantelpiece  of  richly-carved  marble — said  to  be  composed 
of  ten  tons  of  marble — which  nearly  fills  the  whole  of  the 
south  wall,  and  underneath  which  there  is  another  cos}-  ingle 
nook.  On  the  right  is  an  arch  of  beautifully-streaked  sand- 
stone, quarried  within  the  grounds  of  Cragside,  the  veins  of 
rich  brown  being  due  to  the  presence  of  iron.  Strewn  around 
the  room  at  all  points  are  numberless  articles  of  \irtu  and 
of  art. 

Many  valuable  paintings  by  the  best  masters  hang  on  the 
walls  within  Cragside,  amongst  which  may  be  noted  "  The 
Death  of  Raphael,"  by  O'Neil  ;  "Chill  October,"  by  Millais; 
The  Cowslip  Gatherers,"  by  Joseph  Leslie  ;  several  fine 
examples  by  David  Cox,  Copley  Fielding,  Clarkson,  Stansfield, 
Cooke,  John  Phillips,  Sir  F.  Leighton  ;  the  well-known  picture 
by  Sir  David  Wilkie,  "The  Rabbit  on  the  Wall ; "  "A  Thun- 
derstorm," by  J(;hn  Linnell  ;  "Hovel  on  Fire,"  by  A.  Schrc\cr; 
"  Follow  my  Leader,"  by  Albert  Moore ;  "  Highland  Cattle," 
b}'  Peter  Graham,  and  pictures  by  Ansdell,  Rosa  Bonhcur. 
and  many  others.  On  the  staircase  are  several  b\'  H.  11. 
Emmerson.  In  the  water  colour  galler)-  are  man)-  choice- 
examples  of  Turner's.  Among  the  rare  potter)-  arc  the 
"Hawthorn  Vases,"  of  great  beaut)',  and  known  to  all  con- 
nois.seurs. 

The  sccner)'  around  Cragside  is  bc)(;nd  description.  (  h\ 
one  side  rises  a  steep  rocky  hill,  terraced  with  man)-  walks 
and  carriage  drives,  and  every  available  spot  planted  with  an 
endless  variet)-  of  trees  and  flowering  shrubs.      The  terraced 

2H 


434  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

walks  are  so  constructed  that  it  is  a  comparatively  easy  ascent 
to  the  toj)  of  the  hill.  On  the  face  of  the  hill  are  huge 
boulders — remnants  of  the  glacial  period.  Marks  of  the  ice 
age  are  also  seen  in  the  striated  rocks  on  the  summit.  Beyond, 
two  extensive  lakes  are  visible,  formed  by  a  series  of  dams  on 
the  "  Black  burn."  From  this  hill  a  fine  panoramic  view^  of 
the  whole  district  is  obtained.  For  miles  to  the  east  lies  the 
vale  of  Coquet,  the  blue  waters  of  the  North  Sea  glittering  in 
the  far  distance.  In  the  foreground  are  the  dark  woods  of 
Brinkburn,  within  whose  sylvan  shades  stands  the  ancient 
abbey  church.  The  dreary  heaths  and  uplands  of  Framling- 
ton  and  Rimside  Moor  stretch  to  the  north,  while  on  the 
south  is  Rothbury  Forest,  a  wide  sparsely-populated  district. 
Looking  westward  is  seen  the  winding  vale  of  Upper 
Coquetdale  with  the  little  town  of  Rothbury  lying  in  a 
snugly-sheltered  situation  on  the  banks  of  the  river.  A 
deep  narrow  \'alley  winds  along  the  western  base  of  the  hill 
on  which  Cragside  is  built,  extending  from  the  Alnwick  road 
on  the  north  to  the  Morpeth  road  on  the  south.  This  ravine 
is  overhung  with  wood  and  enlivened  by  the  rippling  waters  of 
the  little  streamlet — Debdon  burn — which,  now^  gushing  from 
mossy  rocks,  now  falling  in  cascades,  and  now  collecting  in 
deep  pools,  forms  in  its  course  the  most  pleasing  scenes. 
Numerous  rustic  bridges  carry  the  footpath  from  side  to  side, 
while  at  one  central  spot  the  ravine  itself  is  spanned  by  a  lofty 
and  graceful  iron  bridge  of  three  arches.  "The  Gorge"  is  one 
of  the  most  romantic  spots  within  the  grounds,  where  the  little 
burn  rushes  merrily  onwards  between  perpendicular  cliffs, 
which  rise  on  either  side  to  a  great  height,  and  wooded  to  the 
top.  Here  the  graceful  fronds  of  numberless  ferns  grow^  in  the 
greatest  profusion  ;  while  the  banks  lower  down  are  covered 
with  a  dense  growth  of  lovely  wild  flowers.  Two  artificial 
lakes — many  acres  in  extent  and  teeming  with  fish — are 
formed  in  the  upper  reaches  of  the  burn,  and  add  to  the 
beauty  of  the  landscape.     The  park  and  gardens  are  situated 


CRAGSIDE. 


435 


•on  the  western  confines  of  this  lovely  domain.  The  gardens 
are  tastefully  laid  out  in  keeping  with  the  surroundings,  there 
is  an  Italian  garden,  an  orchard  house,  conservatory,  and 
fernery,  all  of  which  are  kept  in  the  most  perfect  order,  under 
the  superintendence  of  Mr.  Henr\'  Hudson,  who  for  thirtx'-seven 
3^ears  has  acted  as  head  gardener  at  Cragside.    There  are  eight 


entrance  gates,  the  principal  gate  being  at  the  "  Rei\crs' 
Well."  In  the  picturesque  lodge — of  which  we  gi\e  a  drawing 
— resides  .Mr.  Win.  .Avery,  the  head  gamekeeper,  who  lias 
been  at  Cragside  twenty-six  years.  j^esides  these  lodges, 
there  are  many  other  cottages  within  the  grounds  for  the 
use  of  the  numerous  staff  of  workmen  comiccted  with  Cragside. 
Debdon  Hurnfoot  Cottage  amifl  its  sylvan  surroundings,  as 
seen  in  the  illustration,  is  the  only  original  building  left 
standing  within  the  grounds.  It  is  now  occupied  b)'  -Mr. 
Wm.  Crossb)',  foreman  workman,  who  has  served  at  Cragside 
for  ii|)warrls  o^  thirty-m'nc  years.      Willie   Mavin,  the   mason, 


436 


UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


is,  however,  tlic  "  oldest  hand  on  tlie  job,"  for  he  was  amongst 
the  first  gang  of  workmen  engaged  at  the  building,  of  Cragside 
in  1863.  Through  the  kindness  of  Lord  Armstrong,  the- 
beautiful  grounds  at  Cragside  are  free  and  open  to  visitors- 
ever}'  Thursday  throughout  the  year,  and  on  Sunda)-s  by 
special  ticket. 

The   late   Lady  Armstrong   died   in    1893,   ^t   the   age  of 
eighty-six  ;  Lord  Armstrong  died   December  27,  1900,  in  his. 


ninety-first  year,''  when  Mr.  Watson- Armstrong  succeeded  to- 
the  Cragside  and  Bamburgh  estates,  and  in  June,  1903,  he  was 
raised  to  the  peerage.  This  auspicious  event  was  so  charm- 
ingly spoken  of  at  the  time  by  a  well-known  north-country 
writer  that  we  here  quote  a  portion  of  the  paragraph: — 

"  It  is  joyful  news  that  I  have  to  tell — the  news  that  Mr- 
William  H.  A.  F.  Watson-Armstrong  has  been  made  a  peer- 
of  the  United  Kingdom.  So  we  have  again  a  Lord  Arm- 
strong.    The   honoured    name   is    to   be    perpetuated    in   the- 

'  The  late  Lord  Armstrong  received  the  honour  of  Knighthood  in   1856,  and. 
was  raised  to  the  Peerage  in  1887. 


CRAGSIDE.  437 

"kinship.  Rich  and  poor,  gentle  and  simple,  throughout  the 
North  of  England  will  rejoice  in  the  fact ;  for,  trul}-,  the  new 
peer  is  esteemed  and  beloved  b}'  everybody.  The  King,  in 
■doing  honour  to  Mr.  Watson-Armstrong,  has  done  honour  to 
Northumberland  ;  and  so  it  will  be  regarded.  The  subject  of 
this  Royal  birthda}'  distinction  is  eminently  deserving  of  it. 
He  is  the  heir  of  one  of  the  noblest  characters,  of  the  greatest 
imechanical  genius  that  the  North  of  England  ever  produced. 
But  he  deserves  it,  also,  on  his  own  account.  Because  the 
second  Ijord  Armstrong  is  a  man  of  education,  of  high  char- 
acter, a  philanthropist,  an  English  gentleman.  He  deserves 
it,  also,  on  account  of  his  matrimonial  kinship,  because  our 
new  peeress  is  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  noblest  characters 
in  the  militar)'  records  of  our  native  land — the  daughter  of 
the  brave,  the  accomplished,  the  renowned  Sir  John  Adye. 
Then  the  new  peer  has  the  wealth  to  uphold  the  rank.  Eet 
jne,  therefore,  ask  m)'  readers  to  join  me  in  wishing  his 
lordship,  her  lad)'ship,  and  their  goodly  offspring  a  long  and 
a  happy  life  !  "^ 

In  the  same  issue  there  appeared  the  following  achnirable 
sketch  of  the  career  of  Mr.  Watson- Armstrong  :— 

"  Mr.  W.  A.  Watson-Armstrong,  who  )-esterday  had  the 
honour  of  a  peerage  conferred  upon  Jiim  b}'  Mis  Majesty  King 
Edward  VII.,  is  a  gentleman  well  known  throughout  the  north 
of  England,  and  especially  in  Northumberland,  where  the 
news  of  his  social  elevation  will  be  received  with  the  liveliest 
satisfaction.  I  le  is  a  member  of  an  honoured  family,  being 
great  nephew  and  godson  of  the  late  Lord  .Xrnistrong,  whose 
estates,  iiiclufling  Cragsidf,  he  inherited,  sou  of  .Mr.  J«>hn 
William  Watson,  and  grandson  of  Haron  Watson,  a  cele- 
brated North  Countr)' Judge,  who  married  I. "id  .Xrmstrong's 
sister.  Born  in  i<S63,  Mr.  Wat.son-Armstrong  was  .sent  to 
EtfJii  at  the  age  <jf  13.  There  he  remained  till  l8Sj.  I'"roni 
laon  he  proceeded  to  Trinity  College,  Cambridge,  where, 
•  "  Whisl,"  Newcastle  Daily  Joiinml,  June  26,  1903. 


43S  UI'I'KR    COQUKTDAI.E, 

three  years  later,  he  took  his  B.A.  degree  in  law.  In  18S9  he 
becanie  a  Master  of  Arts.  Having  read  at  the  Temple  for  six 
months,  he  studied  for  two  years  at  the  Agricultural  College 
of  Downton,  and  gained  the  certificate  of  the  Highland  and 
Agricultural  Societ}-  at  Edinburgh.  Subsequentl}-  he  went  to 
reside  at  Cragside.  In  June,  1889,  he  married  Winifreda, 
daughter  of  the  late  Sir  John  Ad)'e,  G.C.B.,  and  has  one  son 
and  one  daughter.  He  is  an  officer  of  the  Northumberland 
Hussars,  with  the  members  of  which  corps  he  is  exceedingl)' 
popular.  He  was  appointed  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  for 
Northumberland  in  1888.  He  is  a  Deputy-Lieutenant  and  a 
Countv  Councillor  of  the  sam.e  countv.  He  was  High  Sheriff 
for  the  count}-  in  1899.  He  is  a  Councillor  and  a  member 
of  the  Agricultural  Committee  of  the  Durham  College  of 
Science,  Newcastle.  In  politics,  he  is  a  staunch  Conservative, 
and  is  a  keen  supporter  of  the  Established  Church.  During 
his  Shrievalty,  Mr.  Watson-Armstrong  took  a  prominent  part 
in  the  formation  of  the  Newcastle  and  Northumberland  Branch 
of  the  National  Association  for  the  Prevention  of  Consumption 
and  other  forms  of  tuberculosis.  He  was  appointed  the 
chairman  of  the  local  committee,  and  later  succeeded  Lord 
Armstrong  in  the  presidency  of  the  branch.  In  March,  1891,. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watson- Armstrong  contributed  the  munificient 
sum  of  i^ioo,ooo  to  the  Newcastle  New  Infirmar)-  Fund, 
and  four  months  afterwards  the  freedom  of  Newcastle  was 
conferred  upon  him.  In  September,  1901,  the  University  of 
Durham  conferred  upon  him  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Civil   Law." 

The  following  extracts,  relating  to  the  private  life  and 
character  of  the  first  Lord  Armstrong,  written  by  a  gentleman 
who  was  peculiarl\-  fitted  to  pen  the  article,  are  of  great 
interest: — 

"  The  writer,  whose  great  privilege  it  was  to  have  the 
honour  of  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  late  Lord  Arm- 
.strong,  remembers  well  one  day  in  October,  1896,  standing  at 


CRAGSIDE.  439 

the  study  window  at  Cragside  with  his  lordship.  A  storm 
of  wind  and  sleet  was  ragini^  outside,  giving  indications  of 
the  near  approach  of  winter.  It  was  just  the  kind  of  da\' 
which  makes  one  appreciate  the  comfort  of  a  snug  room,  and 
disposes  one  to  draw  near  the  fire  and  chat  about  the  days  of 
'Auld  Lang  Sx'ne.'  As  his  lordship  walked  awa}-  from  the 
window,  I  said  I  had  often  wondered  what  his  earliest  recol- 
lections of  Rothbur}'  were.  Leaning  against  the  mantelpiece, 
with  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  his  genial  smile  and  animated 
expression  showing  how  congenial  a  subject  it  was,  he  replied: 
'  My  connection  with  Rothbur\-  dates  bej'ond  m\'  very  earliest 
recollection.  The  first  thing  I  can  remember  is  living  in 
one  of  those  old  cottages  which  used  to  stand  on  the  site  of 
the  new  Congregational  Chapel.'  His  vivid  recollection,  and 
the  evident  delight  which  the  conversation  afforded  him, 
emboldened  me  to  ask  in  what  wa}-  he  was  wont  to  spend 
his  holida}-s  at  Rothbur}-  at  that  period  of  his  life,  and  he 
replied:  '  I  was  scarcely  ever  awa}'  from  the  waterside  (the 
river  Coquet;,  and  fished  from  mcirning  till  night.'  Me  laugh- 
ingly added:  'They  used  to  call  mc  the  Kingfisher.'  .... 
Continuing  the  conxersation,  his  lordship  said :  '  In  1S63  I  was 
president  of  the  British  As.sociation,  which  in  that  \ear  held 
its  meeting  in  Newcastle,  and  feeling  in  need  of  a  little  rest  at 
the  termination  of  the  meeting,  I  thought  1  should  like  to  see 
the  old  place  once  more,  and,  accompanied  b)'  two  friends,  we 
drove  through  from  Morpeth,  and  stayed  over  the  week-end. 
The  morning  after  our  arrival  we  walked  down  b\-  the  side  of 
the  river  beyond  the  Tliruin  Mill,  and  scranihkil  along  what 
is  now  callcfl  the  Cragside  hill,  and  sat  on  a  boulder  just 
above  where-  the  house  now  stands.'  Ltjoking  u|)  the  \alle)', 
his  lordship  said  to  his  friends:  'What  a  prett)'  park  that 
would  make  if  all  those  hedges  were  taken  awa)-;'  and  he 
smilingly  remarked  to  me:  '  I  little  thought  then  that  I  -liould 
carry  out  the  suggestion.'  After  resting  a  few  nu'nules,  ihe\' 
walked  on   to   Dcbdon    liridge,  and   returned   b\-  the  footpath 


440  UrPER   COQUETDALE. 

aloHL;-  tlic  burn-side,  passing  the  old  mill  and  waterfall,  and 
joined  the  road  again  near  the  Thrum  Mill.     In  passing  the 
place,  now  the   site  of  the   electric-light   house,  his   lordship 
observed  tliat  it  was  a  prett}'  site  for  a  house  of  six  or  eight 
rooms,  and  that  he  would   like  to  build  one  there  and  spend 
the  week-ends  at  it  during  the  summer  months.      He  said:  '  I 
thought  nothing  more  about  it ;  but,  on  my  return  to  New- 
castle, the   house  at   Rothbur\'  haunted   me  so   much   that    I 
made  inquiries  about  the  site  with  the  intention  of  buying  it, 
but,  owing  to  the  title  deeds  being  so  intricate,  the  cost  was 
eoincf  to  be  more  than  I  cared  to  incur,  and  so  I  abandoned 
the  idea.     Archdeacon  Thorp,  who  owned  about  20  acres  of 
land,  on  part  of  which  Cragside  is  built,  hearing  that  I  wanted 
to  build  at  Rothbury,  instructed  his  solicitor  to  offer  it  to  me, 
and  after  a  little  negotiation  I  bought  it.'  " 

"  He  commenced  building  operations  immediately,  and  so 
eager   was   he   that    the   work   should    proceed   as   rapidly  as 
possible,   that    he    and    Lady   Armstrong,   together  with    Mr. 
and   Mrs.  Bertram,  took  up  their  abode  in  the  miller's  house, 
which  consisted  of  four  rooms  only,  his  lordship  and   Lady 
Armstrong    occupying    the    two    upper,    and    Mr.    and    Mrs. 
Bertram    the    two    lower    rooms,    until    the    new    house    was 
sufficiently   advanced   to   permit   their   moving   into   it.      His 
lordship  informed  me  that  his  original  intention  was  to  build 
a  house  of  eight  or  ten  rooms,  and  a  stable  for  a  pair  of  horses. 
This  intention  he  carried   out,  but   his  refined  and  energetic 
mmrl  perceiving  that  the  beautiful  and  unique  situation  was 
capable  of  great  artistic  development,  for  many  years  he  spent 
the  whole  of  his  spare  time  in  planning  and  personally  super- 
intending the  carrying  out  of  those  beautiful  ideas  which  have 
transformed   'a   bleak    Northumbrian   moor'  into   an   earthly 
paradise,  and  made  it  almost  as  famous  as  his  guns." 

"  I    am    indebted    to    my    friend,    Mr.    Bertram, 3    for    the 

">  Mr.  Wm.  Bertram  was  for  upwards  of  forty  years  the  faithful  and  confidential 
manafjer  for  the  first  Lord  Armstrong  at  Cragside,  and  still  continues  to  hold  that 
responsible  post  under  the  second  Lord  Armstrong. 


CRAGSIDE.  441 

following  information  which  may  be  interesting  to  your 
readers: — The  pleasure  grounds  at  Cragside  extend  over  1,729 
acres.  They  include  lakes  containing  76'674  acres  of  water, 
31  miles  of  carriage  drives  and  walks,  and  over  seven  million 
trees,  a  large  portion  of  the  latter  being  on  the  adjoining  hills. 
The  greater  part  of  this  great  work  he  carried  out  in  his 
leisure  hours  when  head  and  chief  of  the  gigantic  works  at 
Elswick,  a  feat  which  an}'  man  might  regard  with  just  pride 
as  being  the  work  of  his  lifetime.  The  editor  of  The  Garden 
once  told  me  that  he  had  seen  ever\'  residence  of  importance 
in  Great  Britain,  but  never  anything  like  Cragside,  which  he 
described  as  '  unique.'  " 

"  Lord  Armstrong  had  the  honour  of  entertaining  a  large 
number  of  distinguished  people  at  Cragside,  including  T.R.H. 
the  Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales  and  their  family,  H.I.M.  the 
Shah  of  Persia,  H.M.  the  King  of  Siam,  the  Duke  and  Duchess 
•of  Teck  and  the  Princess  Ma}%  the  Shahzadah,  Li  Hung 
Chang,  and  others." 

"  A  beautiful  trait  in  Lord  Armstrong's  character  was  his 
great  love  of  children,  and  the  great  delight  he  took  in  making 
them  happy.  He  was  greatly  devoted  to  Master  Will  and 
Miss  Winny,  the  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watson-Armstrong. 
They  came  into  the  stud}-  every  morning  to  see  him,  and,  no 
matter  how  busy  he  might  be,  he  always  found  time  to  take 
them  on  his  knee  and  interest  himself  in  their  childish 
conversation.  The  interview  alwa)'s  ended  by  his  lordship 
.saying:  'Now,  Will,  bring  the  bottle,' and  the  little  fellow  went 
to  the  cupboard  and  brought  a  bottle  <)r  sweets,  which  his 
lordship  o|joncd  and  gave  one  to  each  of  ihcm.  Tlun  he 
would  kiss  them  and  resume  his  work.  It  was  a  pretty  scene, 
and  always  struck  me  as  being  a  beautiful  subject  for  a  pi(  turc. 
I  remember  one  da\'  in  the  winter  of  '91  and  gj  his  walking 
through  the  snow  to  the  north  lake,  whcic  Mi.  ami  Mrs. 
Watson-Armstrong  and  the  villagers  were  skating;  some  little 
boys,  too,  were  sliding  close  to  the  edge  of  tin-  ice,  but  when 


44-  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

tliey  saw  his  lordship  standinc:^  near  them  they  left  off.  He 
noticed  it  at  once,  and  said:  'Go  on  with  }^our  sliding,  my 
boys,  don't  let  me  stop  you.'  But  the  kindly  suggestion  only 
increa.sed  the  shyness,  when,  to  make  them  unconscious  of 
his  presence  and  put  them  at  ease,  he  himself  began  sliding, 
and  invited  them  to  join  him,  saying:  'Come  along,  boys,  we'll 
soon  have  a  grand  slide.'  It  is  needless  to  say  that  they 
immediately  accepted  the  invitation,  and  made  both  themselves 
and  his  lordship  very  happ)-.  What  a  beautiful  example  it 
was  for  all  who  saw  it,  and  what  a  sweet,  kind  nature  the 
simple  act  revealed." 

"His  lordship  alwa)'s  took  a  deep  personal  interest  in  the 
inhabitants  of  Rothbury,  and  was  a  most  bountiful  supporter 
of  every  scheme  that  had  for  its  object  their  welfare  and  hap- 
piness. He  was  accessible  at  all  times  to  those  who  required 
assistance  or  advice,  and  his  kind-hearted  sympathy  and  noble 
acts  of  generosity  obtained  for  him  the  affectionate  regard  of 
man\'  whom  he  helped,  and  his  memor\-  will  be  treasured  by 
them  with  tenderness  and  gratitude.  He  was  destitute  of 
pride,  and  unaffectedly  simple  in  manner,  and  his  geniality 
and  sympathetic  nature  endeared  him  to  all  who  had  the 
privilege  and  honour  of  his  friendship.  His  life  was  full  of 
generous  deeds  and  acts  of  charity,  and  all  that  was  good 
and  noble  found  in  him  an  earnest  advocate  and  benevolent 
supporter.  The  last  }'ears  of  his  declining  life  were  cheered 
and  brightened  by  the  tender  devotion  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Watson-Armstrong,  b}-  whom  he  was  greatly  beloved,  and 
whf)  will,  with  many  more,  sincerely  mourn  his  death. "4  Of 
Lord  Armstrong's  life  and  character  it  can  be  truly  said  in  the 
words  of  the  poet : — 

"  Lives  of  great  men  all  remind  us 
We  can  make  our  lives  sublime. 
And,  de])arting,  leave  behind  us 
Footprints  on  the  sands  of  time." 

^  "The  late  Lord  Armstrong,"  by  John  Worsnop. — Newcastle  Daily  Joiirnaly 
December  28,  1900. 


\VHITTON    TOWER.  445 


C  H  A  P  T  F,  R    X  X  X  I  V. 

WHITTON    TOWER. 

'fThe  Tower  described  :  its  Site — Massive  Masonry — Shield  in  West  Wall — The 
Basement — Thickness  of  Wall — The  Well — Rector's  Study — Turret  Stair — 
Piscina — Mural  Chamber — Masons'  Marks — "  Turris  de  Whitton,"  1415-1541 
— Repaired  by  Dr.  Thondinson,  1679 — Dr.  Drummond,  17S4 — Canon  liar- 
court,  1830 — Dr.  Ainger,  1S71 — "Sharp's  l*"olly" — Sundial — Situation  and 
Surroundings — Whitton  Manor — Crown  Lands,  1233 — Church  Lands,  1275 
— Remnant  (jf  Common — Watch  and  Ward,  1553 — Baslle  Houses  at  Whitton 
— Will  Allan,  the  I'ijier,  1779—  I'oindalion. 

WHITTOX  TOWER,  the  residence  of  the  Rev.  C.  K. 
Blackett-Oid,  lector  of  Rothbui}-,  is  situated  on  the 
south  bank  of  the  river  Coquet,  opposite  to  the  villa<;e  of 
Rothbur}-.  The  site  was  well  chosen  by  the  builder  when 
he  there  laid  the  foundations  of  his  border  stronghold,  stand- 
uv^  as  it  does  near  the  summit  of  a  ridge,  formed  b)-  one  of 
the  lower  spurs  of  the  Simonside  range  of  hills,  and  command- 
ing an  extensive  view  up  the  valle)'  to  the  west,  an  outlook 
of  some  importance  at  the  time  of  its  erection,  when  the 
"  conterye  was  farre  from  ordere,"  when  the  now  peaceful 
vale  of  Cociuet  would  be  trul\'  described  as: — 

"  A  goodly  district,  fertile  fair, 
Beset  with  ravagers." 

The  original  tower,  new  incorporated  in  the  modern  rector)' 
buildings  which  cluster  around  the  north-eastern  angle  of  its 
massive  walls,  is  in  a  state  of  excellent  preservation,  in  li>rm 
it  is  rectangular,  and  measures  46  feet  from  north  to  south, 
33  feet  froin  east  to  west  ;  and  altliough  surrounded  on  two 
side.s  by  other  buildings,  it  rises  high  above  them  all,  its  fine 
grey  walls  presenting  a  prominent  feature  in  the  landscape. 
The  height  of  the  tower  «>n  the  south  is  42  feet,  on   the-  west 


444 


UPPER   COQUETDALK. 


47  feet,  while  on  the  north,  owint^  to  the  slope  of  the  ground, 
it  is  nearly  60  feet.  The  masonry  throughout  is  massive, 
more  especially  in  the  lower  courses,  where  the  coigns  consist 
of  huge  blocks  of  freestone  ;  a  rudely  chamfered  base,  varying 
in  height  according  to  the  nature  of  the  ground,  runs  around 
the  whole  building.  About  midway  up  the  wall  is  another 
stage  ;  the  masonry  from  the  base  to  this  stage  is,  without 
doubt,  part  of  the  original  structure,  but  the  work  above  it, 
although  showing  every  appearance  of  age,  is  evidently  of 
later  date. 


fe.^ 


Whitton  is  one  of  the  eight  Northumbrian  towers  having 
a  carved  shield,  which  is  built  into  the  west  front,  just 
at  the  point  where  the  second  stage  of  the  building  com- 
mences. This  mural  shield  is  much  weather-worn  by  the 
blasts  of  centuries,  but  enough  remains  to  show  the  coat  of 
arms  to  be  a  cinqiiefoil  xvitJiin  an  orle  of  six  crosses  inoline,  a 
coat  that  closely  resembles  the  .Umfraville  arms  ;  but  the  late 
Mr.  C.  J.  Bates  was  of  the  opinion  that  the  shield  contains  the 
arms  of  Alexander  Cooke,  rector  of  Rothbury,  1435-1474,  who 
probably  restored  the  tower  and  built  the  upper  stage,  in  the 
masonry  of  which  the  shield  is  inserted.  About  five  feet  of 
the  wall   at  the  top,  including  the  parapet,  is  quite  modern. 


^VHITTON   TOWER. 


445 


\ 


r 


The  vaulted  basement  of  the  tower,  and  the  first  floor 
immediately  over  it,  have  stone  barrel-arched  roofs, 
and  both  have  had  an  entrance  from  the  outside.  The 
doorway  into  the  basement  is  in  the  north  wall,  that 
of  the  first  floor  is  in  the  east  ^all  ;  as  the  ground 
falls  considerabl}-  from  south  to  north,  both  of  these 
entrances  have  been  on  the  ground  level.  Access  to 
the  upper  portion  of  the  tower  is  b}-  a  newel  stair  in 
the  thickness  of  the  wall  at  the  south-east  angle,  which 
was  lighted  by  several  small  windows,  now  built  up. 
On  the  newel  of  the  stair  occur  the  above  masons' 
marks  : —  ' 

A  barmekin,  or  court\-ard,  for  the  protection  of  cattle, 
would  partly  surround  the  tower,  and  complete  its  external 
fortifications,  in  \\hich  at  night,  or  on  the  first  alarm  of  a 
hostile  raid : — ■ 

"  The  fiighten'd  flocks  and  herds  were  pent 
Beneath  the  peel's  rude  battlement  ; 
And  maids  and  matron  dropp'd  the  tear, 
While  ready  warriors  seized  the  spear.' 

The  entrance   to    the  vaulted  chamber  at   the   basement    is 

'  Stone  masons  still  continue  to  use  marks,  but  cut  them  on  the  bedding  side  of 
the  block  instead  of  the  face.  We  here  give  a  selection  of  Rothbury  masons' 
marks  of  the  present  day : — 


^   — John  Clark. 
1    — Arthur  Hunter. 
W  — Joseph  Cummings. 

T   — Robert  Dunn. 
K  — Reginald  Avery, 
^  — Thomas  Clark. 

;^  — Thomas  Ferguson. 

T    — Walter  Davison. 

T    — rhilij)  Scoll  Wood. 


— Thomas  Detchen. 

— John  I'allantyne. 

X  — George  Davisun. 
X  — Andrew  Brown. 

f  — ^James  Muckle. 
I   — George  Muckle. 

I  — Charles  Muckle. 

T   — William  l)avis(jn. 
^   — Thomas  Rennison. 


446 


UPPER   COOUKTDALE. 


through  a. plain  pointed  doorwa)'.  A  passage  through  the 
wall,  which  is  here  9  feet  6  inches  thick,  terminates  in  a 
similar  doorway  leading  into  the  gloomy,  dungeon-like 
apartment  that  runs  the  entire  length  of  the  building,  and 
measures  27  feet  6  inches  long  b\'  13  feet  4  inches  wide; 
the  roof  rises  to  a  height  of  1 1  feet  9  inches,  having  a 
man-hole  about  2  feet  9  inches  scjuare  near  the  south  end, 
that  formed  the  only  means  of  communication  between 
the  basement  and  the  floor  above.  The  doorway  has  been 
placed  in  the  extreme  north-east  corner  to  avoid  the  well,  a 


;;f'V,.a,,Siiri,,,;jii,',,,jii|,5;s;Aa%,^^^^ 


i'  ..r-^^'>,^ 


fine  circular  shaft,  lined  with  ashlar  stone  work,  3  feet  in 
diameter  and  about  15  feet  deep.  The  inner  door  of  the 
basement  served  as  a  second  barrier  in  the  event  of  the  outer 
door  being  forced;  it  was  also  of  great  service  in  keeping  out 
the  smoke  when  the  attacking  party  resorted  to  the  border 
tactics  of  heaping  wet  straw  and  brushwood  against  the  outer 
door ;  this,  on  being  ignited,  raised  dense  volumes  of  smoke, 


WHITTOX   TOWER. 


447 


which  permeated  the  whole  building,  when  the  unfortunate 
inmates  had  to  choose  between  suffocation  and  surrender,  or 
as  a  quaint  border  ballad  puts  it: — 

"  Nae  bastles  or  peels 

Are  safe  frae  thae  deils, 
Gin  the  collies  be  cot  or  the  laird's  awae — 

The  bit  bairnies  an'  wives 

Gang  i'  dreid  o'  their  lives, 
For  they  scunifish  them  out  \vi'  the  smoutherin'  strae." 

A  portion  of  the  first  floor  is  now  the  rector's  stud)',  which, 
with  its  stone  arched  roof  and  walls,  8  feet  in  thickness,  forms 
a  delightful  and  secluded  retreat.  The  original  small  window 
has  been  enlarged,  and  opens  upon  the  lawn  in  the  south 
front.  A  fine  square-headed  doorway  (see  previous  page)  in 
the  south-east  corner  of  the  study  gives  admittance  to  the  turret 
stair  that  leads  to  the  second  floor.  While  some  alterations 
were  being  made  in  this  floor  by  Dr.  Ainger,  the  rector,  in 
1 87 1,  a  neatly-car\ed  piscina  was  discovered  in  an  alcove  in 
the  east  wall.     This  interesting  relic 

of  pre-Reformation  times  was  care-  " -o"--- ^-■— £:~ir :^- -- ->^' 
fully  cleared  of  its  plaster  covering  - 
and  retained  in  its  original  situation. 
A  small  recess  was  also  found  in 
the  wall  adjoining  the  piscina  by 
the  late  rector,  Canon  Young,  which 
appears  to  have  been  a  secret  cham- 
ber in  the  thickness  of  the  wall. 

W'hitton  Tower  has  evidently 
been  built  towards  the  end  of  the 
fourteenth  century.  The  first  notice 
of  it  is  in  the  roll  of  141 5,  where  it  is 
described  as  being  in  the  pos.se.ssion 

of  the  rector,  "Turris  dc  Whitton  iu.xta  Rothebcry — Rectoris 
eiusdem;"  while  the  .Survey  of  1541  say.s : — "At  Whytton 
nere  unto  Rotheberye  is  a  tourc  and  a  lytic  barmckin  beingc 
the    manc'on   of  the    p'sonagc  of   Rothber)'   and    is   in   good 


44« 


UPPER  COQUETDALE. 


repai-co'ns."  When  Dr.  John  Thomlinson  came  to  the  living- 
in  1679  he  found  the  tower  hi  a  ruinous  condition,  and  had  it 
thoroughl)-  repaired.  In  1784  Dr.  Drummond  became  the 
rector ;  he  then  made  extensive  additions  to  Whitton  Tower. 
We  here  give  a  drawing  as  it  appeared  in  1828,2  which  shows 


the  additions  of  Dr.  Drummond.  During  the  last  century 
the  whole  of  the  block  of  modern  buildings  was  greatly 
enlarged  by  Canon  Harcourt,  rector,  1822- 1870,  whose  coat  of 
arms  is  cut  on  a  shield  over  the  front  entrance.  In  1871  the 
interior  was  remodelled  and  much  improved  by  Dr.  Ainger, 
and  again  by  the  late  Canon  Young  in  1894.  A  round  tower, 
about  30  feet  high,  known  as  "  Sharp's  Folly,"  stands  in  the 
highest  portion  of  the  grounds  on  the  south-east,  from  which 
is  seen  a  wide  extent  of  country.  It  acquired  its  name  from 
having  been  built  by  Dr.  Thomas  Sharp,  rector,  1720- 175 8,  in 
order  to  give  employment  to  the  village  masons  when  out  of 
work.  Dr.  Sharp,  besides  being  a  learned  divine,  studied  the 
occult  science  of  astrology,  and  this  tower  may  have  served 

-  Hodgson's  JVori/nwi6eriajid,  part  iii.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  139. 


\VlHTTON    TOWER.  449 

the  purpose  of  an  observatory.  A  neat  horizontal  sundial, 
now  standing  on  the  lawn,  was  discovered  in  the  garden 
rocker}'  by  the  late  Canon  Young,  who  had  it  erected  on 
its  present  site.  The  pleasantly-secluded  and  picturesque 
situation  of  Whitton  Tower — within  a  park  of  noble  trees, 
and  surrounded  b\-  its  gardens  and  pleasure  grounds,  from 
which  is  seen  one  of  the  most  beautiful  landscapes  in  Upper 
Coquetdale — makes  it,  without  doubt,  one  of  the  prettiest  and 
most  interesting  parsonage  houses  in  the  diocese,  and  \\hat 
was  once  a  grim  border  keep,  erected 

"  In  the  antique  age  of  bow  and  spear, 
And  feudal  rapine  clothed  in  iron  mail," 

is  now  the  peaceful  and  charming  residence  of  an  amiable 
gentleman,  who,  in  the  discharge  of  his  pastoral  duties  as 
rector,  has  won  the  affection  and  esteem  of  all  clas.ses  and 
denominations  within  the  large  and  important  parish  oxer 
which  he  has  recently  been  placed. 

The  vill  and  manor  of  Whitton  appear  in  the  Pipe  Rolls 
of  Henry  III.,  1233,  as  belonging  to  the  Crown,  for  there 
we  find  that  the  villagers  of  "  Wutton,  Roberie,"  render  an 
account  to  the  sheriff  of  one  mark  for  frussuir,^  or  breaking 
up  of  land  ;  pasture  lands  having  been  ploughed  without  lea\e. 
At  some  period  during  the  thirteenth  century  Whitton  must 
have  come  into  the  pos.session  of  the  l\irish  Church  of 
Rothbury,  for  in  1275  there  was  a  dispute  between  Robert 
Fit/.-Roger,  lord  of  Rothbury,  and  Richard,  the  rector  of 
Rothbury,  respecting  certain  lands  in  Whitton.  The  original 
document  relating  to  this  dispute  lies  in  the  archives  of 
Carlisle  Cathedral,  and  begins  thus: — "Strife  having  been 
.stirred  between  Robert  Fitz-Roger,  on  the  one  i)art,  and 
Richard,  rector  of  the  Church  of  Rothbiu)-,  on  the  other, 
about  certain  liberties  and  ea.sements  pertaining  to  the  Church 
of  Rothbury.  it  was  at  last  amicably  settled  in  this  n.anner, 
&c..  &c Given   at    Rotiibur\-,  on    tlv     Im  ast   of  .S. 


^  lioAgmn^i  Northiiniher/aml,  jiart  ill.,  vol.  iii..  p.  K.S. 

li) 


450  UPPER  COQUET  DALE. 

l>;ii-nabe  the  Apostle,  1275."  Althougii  the  village  of  Whitton 
and  the  lands  around  it  have  long  ago  passed  into  other 
hands,  the  rector  of  Rothbury  still  remains  lord  of  the  manor. 
Whitton,  like  other  villages  of  ancient  origin,  had  its  Pound 
and  Common  lands,  the  only  portion  remaining,  as  shown  on 
the  parish  tithe  map,  1844,  is  the  quarry  near  to  the  round 
tower  already  mentioned.  Near  this  quarry  a  watch  was  kept 
i'l  1553- — ""  Whett07ie  to  watch  at  the  Qiiarle-Yate  with  two 
Men  in  the  Watch.  Setters  and  Searchers  of  these  two 
Watches,  Thomas  Ford,  Richard  JVatson,  and  Johi  Naven. 
Overseers  of  the  Watch,  Ser  George  Ralclyff,  Knight,  William 
Carr  of  IVhetlone." -^  There  were  formerly  several  bastle 
houses  in  the  village  of  Whitton ;  one  of  these  is  yet  used  as 
a  dwelling  house,  belonging  to  Mr.  Graham's  farm;  another,  of 
larger  dimensions,  stood  in  the  iield  east  of  Whitton  Cottage, 
which,  during  the  early  part  of  the  last  century,  was  in  the 
occupation  of  a  lawless  man  named  Home  or  Hume,  who  was 
said  to  have  been  the  terror  of  the  whole  parish. 

The  famous  Wm.  Allan,  the  father  of  Jamie  Allan,  the 
Duke's  piper,  died  at  Whitton  in  1779.  Old  W^ill  was  an 
excellent  performer  .on  the  Northumbrian  pipes,  and,  it  is 
said,  he  died  whilst  playing  his  favourite  tune,  "  Dorrington 
Lads  Yet."  Roxby  thus  describes  him  in  the  Lay  of  the 
Reedwater  Minstrel : — 

"  A  stalwart  tinkler  wight  was  he, 

And  well  cou'd  mend  a  pot  or  pan, 
An'  deftly  Wull  cou'd  thraw  a  flee. 
An'  neatly  weave  the  willow  wan'. 

An'  sweetly  wild  were  Allan's  strains, 

An'  mony  a  Jig  an'  Reel  he  blew  ; 
Wi'  merry  lilts  he  charm'd  the  swains, 

Wi'  barbed  spear  the  otter  slew. 

Nae  mair  he'll  scan  wi'  anxious  eye 

The  sandy  shores  of  winding  Reed, 
Nae  mair  he'll  tempt  the  finny  fry: 

The  king  o'  tinklers — Allan's  dead." 

*•  Nicolson's  Border  Laws  (Leges  Marchiai  lun ),  jx  1S7. 


WIIITTOX    TOWER. 


451 


Population  of  \^'hitton  Township,  viz.,  Whitton,  The  Glebe, 
Hill  Head,  and  The  Dene  : — 

1801 — 84.        1811  — 105.        1821  —  no.        1831  — 104. 


J841 — 82.        1851- 


1881- 


?o. 


46.       1861 —  59.       1871 —  7 
1891 — 64.       1901 — 41. 


o. 


/^:>-i^:>rK 


452  UITER  COQUETDALE. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

SNITTER    AND    TIIROl'TON. 

SNITTER. 

("■ranted  to  Robert  Fitz-Roger,  1205 — Previously  held  in  Drengage,  I1S8 — Owrers 
in  156S-1663 — Subsequent  Owners — Present  Proprietors— Tenant  Farmers — 
Situation — Ancient  Earthworks — Border  Watch,  1553 — Spoiled  by  the  Scots^ 
15S6 — Farmers,  1828 — Field  Names — Population. 

THROPTON. 

Its  Site — Richness  of  its  Soil — Super-excellence  of  its  Potatoes — "The  Tatie- 
Toon"— Early  History — Pele  Tower,  1415-1509-1541 — Border  Watch,  1553 
— The  Jacobites,  1715 — Proprietors,  1663 — Its  Eighteenth  Century  Owners — 
Ancient  Crosses — Old  Tombstone  in  Garden — Presbyterian  Church — Roman 
Catholic  Chapel — Building  of  Thropton  Bridge,  1810 — Meeting  House  of  the 
Brethren — Church  of  England  Mission  Chapel — Thropton  Schools — The  Old 
School — The  Common — Park  Eliot — Aaron  Dunn,  1840 — Wreighburn  House 
— Site  of  Ancient  Hospital — Incised  Cross — Mr.  William  Hawthorn,  its- 
present   proprietor — Population. 


T 


SNITTER. 

HE  three  manors  included  in  the  original  lordship  of 
Rothbur}-,  granted  by  King  John  to  Robt.  Fitz-Roger 
in  1205,  were  Thropton,  Snitter,  and  NeAvtown,  styled  in  early 
deeds  as  Thorpeton,  Sencher^  and  Noville. 

The  Pipe  Rolls  of  Henry  H.,  11 88,  give  an  earlier  notice 
of  Snitter,  where  it  is  recorded  that  the  men  of  "  Sniter  "  paid 
to  the  Sheriff  of  the  County  the  sum  of  10/4  for  drengage.^ 
Subsequently  the  owners  of  the  adjoining  manor  of  Cartington 
appear  to  have  acquired  some  of  its  lands,  for  in  1568  Sir 
Edward  Radcliffe,  of  Cartington  Castle,  is  found  to  be  possessed 
of  certain  lands  there,^  and  at  the  same  time  there  are  twO' 

'  Drengage — A  species  of  tenure  common  in  the  North  of  England.  Drenges- 
were  such  tenants  as  being  at  the  Conquest  put  out  of  their  estates  were  afterwards 
restored  by  King  William,  because  they  were  not  against  him  either  in  person  or 
by  Council.     (Bailey,  1749.) 

^  HoCl^sotlS  N'o7-tlmmberlatid,  ]iart  iii.,  vol.  iii. ,  p.  70. 


SNITTER    AND    THROPTOX.  453 

freeholders — Thomas  Urpeth  and  Hugo  Parke.  Sir  Edward 
Widdrington  is  given  as  the  proprietor  of  Snitter  in  1663, 
with  the  tenements  in  the  town  of  Snitter,  while  Snitter  Mill 
belongs  to  the  Earl  of  Northumberland.  Later  owners  in 
Snitter  were: — Roger  Storey,  1710;  Henry  Spraggon,  \Vm. 
Urpeth,  Robt.  Urpeth,  Thos.  Storrow,  17 15  ;  Thos.  Carr, 
Christopher  Orpeth,  Geo.  Sanderson,  Roger  Storrer,  1747  ; 
\Vm.  Orpeth,  Christopher  Orpeth,  W'm.  Pringle,  James  Swann, 
1774  ;  Thos.  Carr,  W'm.  Pringle,  John  Richardson,  1826.  After 
passing  through  the  hands  of  the  Gillows  and  Milvains,  the 
three  large  farms  of  Messrs.  Richard  Charlton,  Thomas  Hall, 
and  Richard  Redhead  are  now  the  property  of  Lord  Armstrong. 
The  farm  and  substantial  farmhouse  at  the  cast  end  of  the 
villacre  belon";  to  Mr.  Robt.  Ord  ;  there  are  also  the  several 
freeholds  of  Messrs.  Storey  of  Lorbottle,  Carr  of  Great  Tosson, 
and  Amory  of  Snitter.  At  the  west  end  of  the  \illage  stands 
Snitter  House,  the  residence  of  Mr  Richard  Charlton,  which 
was  built  at  the  beginning  of  the  last  century  by  Messrs. 
Wm.  and  Edward  Pringle.  Mr.  Charlton  is  also  a  professional 
valuer,  who,  from  his  practical  knowledge  of  the  value  of 
land  and  farm  stock,  as  well  as  his  intimate  acquaintance 
Avith  the  local  rights  and  customs  connected  witli  farms,  is 
well  qualified  for  the  work,  and  his  .services  arc  in  frequent 
requi.sition  in  ca.ses  of  arbitration.  Silverdale,  another  excellent 
farm,  with  a  hand.some  residence,  is  in  the  occupation  of  Mr. 
Thos.  Hall,  an  extensive  farmer.  The  village  c.f  Snitter  stamls 
on  the  summit  of  a  fertile  ridge  l>ing  between  the  waters  of  the 
Rithe  and  Whittle  burn.  Traces  of  an  earl\-  settlement  are 
seen  in  a  field  cast  of  Silverdale  farmhouse,  where  there  is  a 
series  of  mounds  and  earthworks  on  the  wcslern  banks  of 
Whittle  burn.  The  Half  Moon,  of  which  hoslelr>-  Mr  James 
Amory  is  the  landlord,  was  in  former  years  a  great  centre  for 
cockfighting  and  card-playing,  when  legs  of  mutton  were  the 
favcHirite  articles  fought  for  and  played  for  In-  our  forefathers. 
In  the  Border  Watch  of  1353  we  read  :— "  .A  Watch  to  be  kept 


454  UPPER  COQUETDALE. 

at  the  Water  of  Righe,  with  four  Men  in  the  Watch,  of  the 
Inhabitors  of  Sicclton  (Snitter).  Setters  and  Searchers,  John 
Stoirr  and  John  Sparkcr  Notwithstanding  this  watch  and 
ward,  the  Booke  oj  Border  Losses  tells  us  that  the  Scots, 
frequently  spoiled  the  township  of  Snitter,  from  which  it 
would  appear  that  the  men  of  Snitter  seldom  had  the  chance 
of  selling  or  eating  the  beef  they  fed. 

In  is86,"Jhofz  Barker  \ost  \\\]  kyne  and  oxen  \'alue  x^, 
Wilbn.  Tode  60  shepe  vj  k\-ne  and  oxen  xix''.  Ea'wd. 
Sparcke  x  shepe  one  neige  iiij^.  Richd.  Robinson  one  neige 
xl^f.  ElizabetJi  Urpeth  xl  shepe  one  neige  vi^.  Thos. 
Davesone  vj  oxen  and  kine  viij''.  Jhon  Dave  xv  shepe  and 
two  kine  v''.  J  lion  Watson  two  naiges  iiij''.  Robt.  Sivane 
two  naiges  iiij^.  Nicholas  Layne  xxxti^  shepe  vj''.  Peter 
Lednell  xvj  sheape  one  neige  \i  WVy.  James  Nicholson  vij 
swyne  goats  and  hoggs  and  xix  shepe  v^  iiij-*'.  Jhon  Robson 
X  oxen  and  kine  and  one  neige  xv'.  Roland  Dove  x  }-ewes 
xk  Eliz.  Howvie  xv  yeowes  iiij/.  Thos.  Browne  xxx^'^ 
shepe  and  two  neiges.  Edwd.  Dich  vj  oxen  ix''.  Jhon 
Hopkirk  xx^'e  sheepe  iiij^'.  Robt.  Tayler  one  neige  xk. 
Cuthbert  Robson  his  insights  one  neige  xxij'*'.  Jennet  Robson 
vij  oxen  &  kyne  thirtie  shepe  and  one  neige  xvj^  x^'.  Parcivall 
Greane  xxijti^  shepe  iiij^  viij-*.  Isabell  Eawcnse  vij  kyne  two 
neiges  and  xv  shepe  x\j^.  Jhon  Tayler  one  oxe  xxx-»\  Roberd 
Lighton  xij  shepe  xh-iij^'.  Edzvd.  Battenient  xviij  shepe  iij^  xij-^, 
Jhon  Trewghatt  -^  tenne  shepe  iij  sterkes  iij^  x-^'." 

An  entry  in  the  Northundu^rland  Assize  Rolls  of  Henry  IL 
(1256),  p.  322,  gives  an  instance  of  the  ancient  law  oi  deodandy 
where,  if  it  is  an  accident,  the  lord  of  the  manor  claims  the 
instrument  that  caused  the  death  of  the  deceased  : — "  Robert 
of  Snitter  was  accidentally  drowned  in  the  river  Coquet 
between  Thropton  and  Great  Tosson.  The  vill  of  Great 
Tosson  made  a  false  claim  for  deodanduniT 

3  Insight— Household  goods.     (Heslop.) 

••Trevvghatt — A  survival  of  the  old  local  family  name  of  Tyiwhitt. 


SKITTER   AND   THROPTON.  455 

The  names  of  the  principal  inhabitants  in  Snitter  in  1828 
were: — Wilham  Prini;le,  yeoman;  Thomas  Amor}-,  farmer  and 
corn  miller ;  Thos.  Carr,  John  Rennison,  John  Richardson, 
Edward  Storey,  Matthew  Storey,  farmers. 

The  following  are  the  most  significant  field-names  in 
Snitter,  taken  from  the  parish  tithe  maps : — South  Holme, 
High  Bout  Knowes,  Scallion  Hole,  The  Bog,  North  W'haup 
Moor,  South  Well  Close,  Wind}'  Side,  Chapel  Hill  Close, 
Belt)''s  Old  Grass  Field,  Matthew's  Tops,  The  Green. 

Population  of  Snitter  Township: — 

1801  — 173.      181 1  — 158.      1821  — 160.      1831  — 165. 

1841  — 163.      1851  — 173.      1861  — 134.      1871  — 127. 

1881  — 139.      1891  — 135.      1901  — 118. 

THROPTON. 

The  pretty  little  village  of  Thropton  stands  in  the  angle 
formed  by  the  junction  of  the  Coquet  and  the  Rithe,  about 
two  miles  west  of  Rothbur}-.  The  village  consists  of  two 
rows  of  houses,  between  which  runs  the  highway  leading  from 
Roth  bury  to  Harbottle.  The  walls  of  many  of  its  houses  are 
covered  with  a  fmc  growth  of  rose  trees,  clematis  and  other 
climbing  plants.  These,  during  the  summer  months,  give  to 
the  village  an  extremel)-  pleasing  appearance.  The  \illagcrs 
take  great  delight  in  their  gardens,  while  the  richness  of  the 
.soil  helps  to  produce  flowers,  fruits  and  vegetables  of  superb 
qualit)',  as  may  be  seen  at  the  village  Autumn  Show,  held 
annuall}',  in  the  month  of  October.  Thropton  is  said  ti)  ha\e 
been  the  first  place  in  this  part  of  CfKjuctdale  where  potatoes 
were  grown.  The  village  is  so  famous  for  the  eNcellcnt 
qualit)-  of  that  most  useful  vegetable  that  it  is  sometimes 
jocularly  called  tlie  "  tatie  toon,"  and  an  old  villager  once 
remarked  that  "  it  wis  ne  use  ()n}body  gan  te  leeve  at 
Thropton  if  they  cuddent  taak  aboot  taties." 

Its  early  name  of  "  TlKirpeton,"  as  rcc(jrded  in  Robt. 
I'"it7.-Rogcrs'  grant    of    1205,    leads    us    to    infer    that    it    was 


450  Ul'I'ER   CO(^UETDALE. 

probably  an  Anglo-Saxon  settlement.  The  oldest  existing 
structure  is  the  well-preserved  pele  tower  at  the  west  end 
of  the  village,  in  the  occupation  of  Mrs.  Howey,  of  Thropton 
West  I^'arm.  This  fortlet  belonged  to  the  Greens,  an  old 
Thropton  family,  and  is  noted  in  the  list  of  141 5  thus: — 
"  Turris  de  Thropton — Willm.  Grene."  During  the  fifteenth 
centur}-  it  must  have  changed  hands,  for  in  1509  it  is  held 
by  "  Syr.  Edwarde  Ratcleff,"  and  contained  a  garrison  of 
sixteen  men  for  defence  against  the  Scots. 5  In  the  Border 
Survey  of  1541  we  read  : — "  At  Throptone  ys  a  lytle  toure  of 
thinherytaunce  of  Sr.  Cuthbt.  Ratclyffe,  Knighte."  This  ancient 
fortified  dwelling,  as  well  as  the  adjoining  farm  of  Thropton 
Demesne,  now  held  by  the  Messrs.  Howey,  and  the  farm  in  the 
occupation  of  Mrs.  Turnbull,  besides  a  number  of  cottages  in 
Thropton,  are  the  property  of  Lord  Armstrong.  When  the 
Northumbrian  Jacobites,  under  the  Earl  of  Derwentwater,  in 
the  Rising  of  171 5,  marched  through  Thropton,  on  their  way 
from  Plainfield  Moor  to  Rothbury,  on  the  evening  of  October 
the  sixth,  the  fourteenth  century  tower  would  present  to  them 
much  the  same  appearance  as  it  does  to-day,  whilst  the  older 
looking  house,  now  in  ruins,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road, 
had  probably  just  been  built.  The  walls  of  the  pele,  6  feet 
in  thickness,  have  been  grouted  with  hot  lime,  whilst  the 
eighteenth  century  erection  has  been  filled  in  with  rubble  and 
mud,  hence  its  ruin  and  decay.  The  leader  of  the  band  that 
accompanied  the  little  Jacobite  army  was  James  Robson,  a 
stonemason,  a  native  of  Thropton,  who  was  taken  prisoner 
at  Preston,  but  lived  to  return  to  Coquetdale.  He  died  at 
Thropton  and  lies  in  Rothbury  Churchyard.  The  proprietors 
of  Thropton  in  1663  were  Wm.  Radcliff,  Wm.  Clennel,  Earl 
of  Northumberland,  J  no.  Davey,  Arthur  Greene,  Thos.  Clark, 

5  As  a  further  defence  there  was  in  1553  "  A  Watch  to  be  kept  at  the  Mayne- 
dykenooke,  with  two  Men  nightly,  of  the  Inhabitors  of  Thorpton.  Setters  and 
Searchers  of  the  Watch,  William  Barbour  and  John  Grene.  A  Watch  to  be  kept 
at  the  Kyall-bank,  with  two  Men  nightly,  of  the  Inhabitors  of  the  said  Throptoucy 
— Border  Laws. 


SNITTER   AND   THROPTON.  457 

Sir  Edward  Waddrington.  Its  eighteenth  century  owners 
recorded  in  the  Poll  Books  were: — 1710,  Edward  Laing, 
Ralph  Potts,  John  Green, ^  John  Clark,  Thos.  Wawby,  Abraham 
Wilkinson,  Edwaid  Bell,  John  Ferguson  ;  171 5,  Richard  Fowler, 
Roger  Green, 6  John  Da.\y  ;  1734,  Andrew  Bell,  Jos.  Store}', 
Clennel  Wilkinson,  Win.  W^eedlands,  Geo.  Common,  Thos. 
Ferguson,  F'rancis  Orpeth  ;  1774,  Wm.  Donkin,  Robt.  Davy, 
Edward  Green,  John  Potts. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  centur\'  a  cross  was 
standing  at  each  end  of  the  village  ;  that  on  the  west  stood 
at  the  junction  of  two  roads,  and  may  have  been  a  boundary 
cross,/  or  placed  there  as  a  guide  to  the  Hospitium  of  St. 
Leonard  of  zAlriburn  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Coquet.  A 
road  leads  down  by  Thropton  Demesne  through  the  river  to 
Allerdene,  frequently  called  R)'e  Hill  Spital.  The  second 
■cross  stood  in  the  angle  formed  by  three  roads  at  the  east 
end  of  the  village,  in  front  of  what  is  now  the  "  Cross  Keys  " 
Inn.  Probably  this  cross  indicated  the  proximity  of  the 
hospital,  on  the  site  of  which  stands  WVeighburn  House.  A 
portion  of  the  bank  leading  down  to  the  Rithe  is  known  as 
the  "  Brig  Stocks,"  a  name  that  tells  of  an  old-time  punish- 
ment— the  village  stocks. 

The  Presbyterian  Church — a  neat  i\-\-clad  edifice,  erected 
in  1863,  F.  R.  \\'ils(;n,  .Alnwick,  being  architect— and  the 
pleasant  manse,  form  a  picturesque  feature  in  the  centre  of 
the  village.  The  Presbyterian  congregation  at  Thropton 
Avas  formed  in  1799,  a  congregation  being  also  formed  in 
Rothbury  in  1804.  .Amongst  the  records  (jf  the  Thro[)li)n 
congregation     is    a    volume    entitled    "  Presbyterian    Church 

'  .\  tombstone  stands  against  the  ganlc-n  wall  of  the  old  house  of  the  t'liccns  at 
Thropton,  said  to  have  been  brouj^ht  there  when  Rothbury  Church  was  rebuilt  in 
1850.  The  inscription  reads  : — "  Jolni  (Ireen  |  of  Throjilon  died  |  April  11,  1731, 
aged  I  92  years  |  Roger  son  of  John  |  (jreen  of  Thropton  |  died  Is'ov.  30,  1765." 
The  doorhead  of  a  house  opposite  contains  the  initials  "  R.  Ci.  1754,"  proljably 
thrjse  of  Roger  (ireen. 

'  .V  small  field  near  the  site  <>(  the  western  cnws  is  Unowii  as  the  "  .Merc  I'eul." 
Mere,  in  some  instances,  signifies  a  boundary. 


45S 


Ul'i'i:R     COQUETDALE. 


Hook,  Rothbuiy."  The  preface  to  this  book  contains  a 
short  history  of  the  Rotlibury  cong-reg-ation  and  a  hst  of 
its  property,  which  consisted  of  "  pulpit  and  pews,  pulpit 
Bible,  two  plated  cups  for  the  Communion,  238  tokens  for 
the  communicants,  six  candlesticks  for  the  walls  and  two 
for  the  pulpit,  church  book  and  registers,  and  two  collecting 
boxes."  The  baptismal  register  ends  in  181 2,  when  the  con- 
gregation was  incor[)orated  with  Thropton.  One  of  the  most 
interesting  possessions  of  the  congregation  is  an  old  leathern 
ba<7  containiuLT  a  large  number  of  old  leaden  tokens.  There 
are  two  sets,  the  one  square  in   form,  marked  with  the  letter 


r  ;  the  other  oblong,  w  ith  the  letter  R,  the  former  apparently 
being  the  older  of  the  two.  In  the  first  title  deed  of  Thropton 
church  are  found  the  names  of  Edward  Pringle  of  Snitter, 
gentleman  ;  Philip  Mavin  of  Rothbury,  Thomas  Vardy  of 
Trewhitt  Mains,  William  Nairn  of  Debdon  Mill,  John  Boag 
of  Low  Trewhitt,  George  TurnbuU  of  Thropton.  The  Rev. 
David  S.  Fergus  was  pastor  for  39  years,  1849- 1 888.  During 
the  first  years  of  his  ministry  the  office-bearers  were  Thos. 
]^jurn,  George  Kerr,  John  Riddell,  Jos.  Nichol,  and  John  Cam 
The  following  have  been  ministers  in  the  Presbyterian  con- 
gregation since  its  first  formation  in  the  parish  : — Rothbury: 
Rev.  Chas.  Whitefield,  1804-6;    Rev.  Jas.  Chambers,  1807- 11. 


SNITTKR   AND   THROPTON.  459 

Thropton  :  Rev.  Jas.  Robertson,  1799-1808;  Rev.  Thos.  Hall, 
1808-9;  Rev.  Win.  W'hitehouse,  1811-1813;  Rev.  Wm.  Vessie, 
1814-22;  Rev.  George  Gibb,  1823-48;  Rev.  D.  S.  Fergus, 
1 849-88. 

The  present  minister,  the  Rev.  B.  R.  Mein,  M.A.,  \\as 
ordained  on  September  13th,  1888.  Mr.  Mein  graduated 
at  Edinburgh  Uni\'ersit_\-,  and  took  sessions  at  Erlangen 
University  in  (iermany  and  Neuchatel  in  Switzerland.  The 
ministrations  of  Mr.  Mein  during  the  fifteen  }'ears  he  has 
been  pastor  at  Throjjton  ha\"e  been  \-er\'  acceptable  to  his 
people.  The  home-ct^ning  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mein  from  South 
Africa,  after  a  six  months'  absence,  in  1898,  was  an  abundant 
e\'idence  of  the  high  esteem  in  \\hich  both  are  held;  a  silver 
tea  service  being  presented  to  them  on  that  occasion. 

The  office-bearers  in  the  church  are: — Elders:  William 
Watson,  Thistleton  ;  William  Gutherson,  Thro]jton  ;  John 
Brown,  Rothburx' ;  and  Geo.  Nicholson,  Rothbury.  Deacons: 
Joseph  Xichol,  High  Trewhitt  ;  John  Mclnnes,  Thropton ; 
Kdwin  Crawford,  Cartington  ;  l-~rank  Ord,  Warton  ;  and  James 
\'oung,  Rothbur)'. 

For  upwards  of  two  hundred  }'cars  Thropton  has  been, 
and  still  continues  to  be,  the  Roman  Catholic  centre  in  the 
parish  of  Rothbury.  "  To  find  the  origin,"  says  Father  Cullc)', 
"of  the  present  Catholic  Mission  of  Thropton,  we  must  look 
to  the  neighbouring  manor  of  Cartington,  within  the  walls  of 
whose  castle,  now  in  ruins,  the  Catholic  faith  found  a  shelter, 
long  before  the  finuidation  of  the  existini^;  mission."^' 

The  mission  at  'I'hroplon  is  said  to  ha\e  been  first  estib- 
lished  in  1700,  for  about  that  jjcricxl  the  Rev.  Roger  Mitford, 
who  died  in  1^)97,  "left  a  sum  of  money  to  make  pro\  ision 
for  the  su|>p(jrt  of  a  priest  t(;  minister  to  the  Catholics  in  and 
around  Rothbury.""     'I'hc  Rev,  Gilbert  Talbot,  w  ho  succeeded 


^  The  Ushaw  Rla:^aziiii\,  NO.  .53,  p.  264.      " 'rhmplon,"   li)    llic   Kcv.  Nhililicw 
Cullcy. 

'Il.id.,  p.  268. 


460  Ul'lMiR   COQUETDALE. 

his  brother,  J(jhn  Talbot,io  to  the  Cartington  estates  in  1733,  is, 
however,  looked  upon  as  the  real  founder  of  the  mission  on 
account  of  his  great  benefactions  to  the  Catholic  Church  in  his 
native  parish  of  Rothbury,  and,  "  it  is  no  doubt  chiefly  to 
Gilbert  Talbot  that  Thropton  owes  its  endowment,  the  land 
attached  to  the  benefice,  and,  in  fact,  its  existence  to-day  as 
an  old-established  mission.""  The  Register  of  "Thropton 
Catholic  Chapel,  in  the  parish  of  Rothbury,  was  sent  to  the 
Commissioners  in  1840  by  the  Rev.  Geo.  J.  A.  Corless,  D.D.,the 
officiating  Catholic  clergyman  of  Thropton  Hall."  Upon  the 
inside  of  the  cover  is  written  as  follows  : — ''  Joarmes^^  Midfoni 
secundus  sacerdos  Throptofiii  wortuits  est  circa  annum  lysoT 
He  had  evidently  succeeded  Gilbert  Talbot,  therefore  the 
following  may  be  taken  as  a  fairly  complete  list  of  the  priests 
\\h()  have  ministered  in  the  Thropton  Mission: — Rev.  Gilbert 
Talbot,  1744;  Rev.  James  Mitford,  1750  ;  Rev.  Luke  Potts, 
1787;  Rev.  Robt.  Himsworth,  1788  ;  Rev.  Thos.  Stout,  1797- 
1828;  Rev.  James  Albot,  1828-37;  Rev.  James  Pemberton, 
1838  ;  Rev.  Geo.  Jos.  Austin  Corless,  1839- 1856  ;  Rev.  James 
Hubbersty,  1856-1865  ;  Rev.  Thos.  Ord,  1865-1900  ;  Rev. 
Matthew  Culley,  1900-01  ;  Rev.  Francis  Hogan,  now  the  priest 
at  Thropton,  came  in  1901. 

Amongst  the  entries  found  in  the  register  of  "  Thropton 
Catholic  Chapel  "  are  the  following  notes  of  local  interest : — 
*' Thropton  Bridge  was  founded  24th  May,  1810,^3  finished 
May  30,  181 1  ;  built  by  Geo.  Robson,  Catholic.  It  cost  ^365, 
of  which  i,i6o  was  paid  by  subscribers,  the  rest  by  the  county, 
exclusive  of  leading."     "June  9,   18 14,  Ice  a  shilling  thick." 


■°This  John  Talbot  of  Cartington  joined  in  the  Jacolnte  rising  of  1715,  was 
taken  prisoner  at  I'reston,  but  afterwards  escaped  from  Chester. 

"  The  Ushaiv  Magazine,  No.  33,  p.  271. 

"  Ibid.,  271.      Mr.  Mitford's  name  was  James,  not  John. 

'3  On  this  occasion  the  Coqiietdale  Rangers  and  Percy  Tenantry  Volunteers 
paraded.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Watson,  rector  of  Rothbury,  laid  the  first  stone,  and 
delivered  an  ap])ropriate  prayer.  As  each  stone  was  laid  the  volunteers  fired  a 
volley.  The  ceremony  being  finished,  the  procession  returned  to  Thropton,  where 
a  large  party  sat  down  to  dinner,  and  spent  the  day  in  the  greatest  harmony. 


SMTTEK    AM)    TIIROPTON.  461 

"Pulled  down  Thropton  Hall,  4th  June,  181 1  ;  covered  the 
new  house,  Jan.  26,  1812;  flitted  into  do.,  Dec.  7,  1812,  and 
finished  the  whole  house,  25th  Nov.,  1815."  "  Protestantes 
baptizati  in  periculo  mortis.  Plutterton :  i  die  Sep.,  1820^ 
Joanna  Green  filia  Thomas  et  Joannce,  conjui^um,  a  me 
Thomas  Stout,  Miss<>-  Apostolico.  Thropton  :  Ralph  Black, 
son  of  William  Black  and  Susanna,  his  wife,  born  21st  Jan., 
1823,  was  baptised  by  me  on  the  same  da}',  Thomas  Stout." '4 
It  is  not  known  exactly  when  Thropton  chapel  was  first  built, 
probabh'  it  was  erected  about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  An  old  picture  of  the  village  hangs  in  the  priest's 
residence,  which  shows  ''  Old  Thropton  Hall "  as  it  appeared 
in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  attached  to  which 
there  appears  to  be  a  chapel,  on  the  spot  .where  the  older 
portion  of  the  present  church  now  stands.  The  church  is 
dedicated  to  All  Saints,  "  ha\  ing  followed,  with  laudable  cor- 
rectness, the  pre-Reformation  dedication  of  the  ancient  parish 
of  Rothbury."^5  The  church  was  considerably  enlarged  in 
1842,  during  the  incumbency  of  Dr.  Corless,  when  its  internal 
arrangement  was  changed  and  the  altar  placed  at  the  east 
end  ;  it  was  then  that  the  burial  ground  was  added,  within 
whose  sacred  precincts  lie  .several  of  its  priests  and  the 
members  of  the  congregation  who  have  died  since  that  time. 
"The  obligations  as  regards  masses  at  pre.sent  attached  to 
Thropton  are  sixty  masses  annually  for  the  repose  of  the 
Rev.  Gilbert  Talbot  of  Cartington.""^  Two  mas.ses  yearly 
for  John  J'eary,  and  one;  mass  for  a  lad\'  of  the  name  of 
Barbara  Crawford.  The  zeal  of  l-'ather  Culle\'  during  his 
short  stay  at  Thropton  flid  much  to  awaken  the  Catholic 
interest  in  the  district,  an  interest  that  has  been  sustained 
by   the    unostentatious    and    faithful   ministrations   of    l''allu-r 

'^  These  extracts  arc  from    Old  Jitif^lisli   Calholii    Minions,   liy  Julin  Uiltl>itr 
I'ayne,  M.A. 

'5  The  Ushaw  A/af^ziue,  No.  33,  )>.  272. 
"•  Ibiil.,  pp.  272-3. 


462  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

Hogan.  Since  the  comini^  of  I'^ather  llogan  to  the  Mission, 
the  priest's  residence  and  the  cha]3el  have  both  been 
thoroughly  renovated.  The  interior  of  the  chapel  has  been 
most  carefully  restored  and  beautified  in  a  manner  befitting 
the  sacred  character  of  the  building,  in  which  the  services 
of  the  church  are  duly  and  conscientiously  performed. 

In  1902  a  Mission  Church  was  built  by  public  subscription 
on  a  piece  of  ground  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Rithe,  a  little 
way  out  of  the  village,  kindl)'  granted  by  Lord  Armstrong. 
This  has  proved  a  great  boon  to  the  members  of  the  Church 
of  England  residing  in  the  outlying  portions  of  the  extensive 
parish  of  Rothbury.  There  is  also  a  meeting  house  in  the 
village,  used  by  a  section  of  the  community  known  as  "The 
Brethren,"  in  which  religious  services  are  held  on  Sundays  and 
■on  week-day  evenings. 

Thropton  Schools  and  master's  house  are  a  substantial 
block  of  buildings,  near  the  Mission  C'hurch.  These  were 
erected  in  1867  by  public  subscri[)tion,  and  were  kept 
up  by  a  private  rate  until  1880,  when  a  School  Board 
was  formed.  Mr.  John  Mclnnes  has  filled  the  position  of 
headmaster  for  sixteen  years,  under  whose  excellent  manage- 
ment most  satisfactory  results  have  been  obtained.  The 
old  school  house,  where  Edward  Smith  taught  the  youth  of 
Thropton  for  so  many  years  during  the  last  century,  stood  on 
the  north  side  of  the  road  at  the  west  of  the  village,  opposite 
the  "  Mains  "  road  end.  Other  public  institutions  in  Thropton 
are  the  Reading  Room,  Post  Ofifice,  Police  Office,  the  "  Three 
Wheat  Heads"  inn,  and  the  "  Cross  Keys"  inn. 

Thropton  Common  extended  along  the  hill  side  to  the 
north-east  of  the  village  ;  a  freestone  quarry,  near  what  is 
known  as  "  Physick  Hill,"  is  marked  on  the  Parish  Tithe  Map 
of  1840  as  common  land.  The  stretch  of  land  lying  east  if  it, 
towards  Pondicherry,  was  formerly  called  "  Park  Eliot."  One 
of  the  coping  stones  in  the  wall  opposite  the  lane  end  has  the 
letters  A.D  cut  on  its  upper  face,  which  marks  the  spot  where 


SNITTER   AND   THROPTON. 


463 


a  man  named  Aaron  Dunn  was  killed  in  1840  b\-  the  accidental 
discharge  of  a  fowling-piece. 

Wreighburn  House,  the  charming  residence  of  William 
Hawthorn,  Esq.,  stands  near  "  the  meeting  of  the  waters  " — 
the  Coquet  and  the  Rithe — in  a  pleasanth'  secluded  situation. 


I'" 


embosomed  within  a  fine  timbered  park,  surrounded  b\-  its 
well-kept  gardens  and  shrul^beries,  conservatories,  and  tennis 
lawns.  The  house  occupies  the  site  (jf  what  was,  in  llie 
mediaeval  age,  a  hospital  or  a  hospiniim.  W'c  have  been 
unable   to   find   any   documentary   evidence   of   its   existence, 


464  Ul'PKR    COyUETDALE. 

or  an\-  trace  of  its  ancient  buildings,  except  a  finely-cut  circular 
cross  on  a  freestone  block  (as  seen  in  the  engraving),  which 
was  discovered  by  Mr.  Hawthorn,  and   is  now  preserved  in  a 
rocker)-  on  the  lawn.     The  slab  is  2  feet  high  and  17  inches 
wide,  the  diameter  of  the  cross  being  10  inches'     It  may  have 
been  a  Hospitium  of  the  Knights  Hospitallers  of  S.  John  of 
Jerusalem,  similar  to  that  which  stood  on  the  opposite  bank  of 
the  Coquet  at  Allerdene,  which  is  also  known  as  "  Rye  Hill 
'Spital."     Both  sites  are  on  the  lines  of  ancient  highways  that 
led   up   the  valley.     Distinct  traces   of  an   old   road   are  yet 
visible  in  the   grounds  at  Wreighburn.     Incorporated   in  the 
modern  mansion  is  a  quaint  eighteenth  century  house.     The 
old  name  of  "  '.Spital  "  still  clings  to  the  place,  for  amongst  the 
rural  population  of  the  valley  it  is  better  known  as  "  Thropton 
'Spital"  than  Wreighburn  House.     In  1663  "Thropton  Spittle" 
was  the  property  of  Widow  Johnson.     At   the   beginning  of 
the  nineteenth   century  it   belonged   to   the  Collingwoods   of 
Glanton    Fyke.     This   estate   of  the   Collingwoods   was    pur- 
chased in   1852  by  the  late  William  Hawthorn,  father  of  the 
present  proprietor.     Mr.  Hawthorn,  who  takes  a  leading  part 
in  the  public  affairs  of  the  district,  was  appointed  a  Justice  of 
the   Peace  for  the  County  of  Northumberland   in    1884,  and 
during  the  twenty  years  he  has  sat  on  the  Rothbury  bench, 
of   which    he   has    been   chairman    since   the   death   of   Lord 
Armstrong,  he  has  ever  been  most  faithful  and  assiduous  in 
the  discharge  of  his  duties  as  a  magistrate.     Mr.  Hawthorn 
is  an  ardent  sportsman  and  a  keen  lover  of  the  chase,  and 
for  many  years  has  regularly  hunted  with  the  various  hunts 
in  the  county.     He  also  takes  a  great  interest  in  the  Rothbury 
Steeplechase  Meetings,  and  for  several  years  past  the  organi- 
sation and  local  arrangements  of  this  favourite  north-country 
meet    have    been    carried    out    entirely    under    his    personal 
supervision.       Mr.  and    Mrs.   Hawthorn  and  their  famil}'  are 
at  all   times  ready  to  help  in   furthering  the  welfare  of  the 
little  village  of  Thropton,  and  are  the  frequent  promoters  of 


SNITTER   AND   THROPTOX. 


465 


schemes,  both  public  and  private,  for  the  benefit  and  enjoy- 
ment of  its  inhabitants. 


Population  of  Thropton  Township  : — 

1801— 118.      1811  — 148.      1821  — 158. 
1841 — 257.      1851 — 248.      1861 — 253. 
1881 — 266.      1891 — 219.      1901- 


1831— 218. 
1871—234. 
-213. 


'j^'. 


JfXfy.    - 


30 


466  UITEK   COQUETDALE. 


CHAPTER      XXXVI. 

NEWTOWN. 

Part  of  Fitz-Rogeis'  Rolhbury  Lordship,  1205— Township,  1903 —Present  Owner — 
Long  Tenures — Thompsons  of  Newtown,  1803 — Howeys  of  Carterside,  1840 
— Wolfhaugh — Earl  of  Northumberland's  Land,  1569 — Tenants  and  Old  Field 
Names,  1569 — Traces  of  Village  Community — Bastle  House — Border  Watch, 
1553 — Losses  by  Scots,  1586 — Ancient  Tenure  of  Socage — Owners  in  1663 — 
Newtown  Mill --The  "  Bantlin  Inn  "—The  Proudlocks— Ashlon's  Woollen 
Mills— The  late  Robt.  Ashton— Old  Employees— Place  Names— The  "Sele" 
— Floods,  Oct.,  1903— Betty  Ferguson,  1897 —Longevity  of  the  Dalesmen — 
Population. 

N'  EWTOWN,  the  "  Noville  "  of  Robert  Fitz-Rogers'  grant 
of  the  lordship  of  Rothbury  in  1205,  lies  on  the  south 
side  of  the  ri\er  Coquet,  at  the  foot  of  the  Simonside  hills. 
The  township  now  consists  of  three  farms — Carterside,  East 
Newtown,  and  West  Newtown  ;  the  two  latter  belong  to  Lord 
Armstrong.  East  Newtown  has  during  the  last  thirty  years 
been  farmed  by  three  generations  of  the  Howeys  of  Carter- 
side,  an  old  Coquetdale  family,  James  Howey,  grandfather  of 
the  present  tenants,  having  entered  the  farm  of  Carterside  in 
1840,  when  the  Duke  of  Northumberland  became  its  sole 
owner,  by  purchase,  on  the  death  of  Colonel  J  udson.^  West 
Newtown  is  in  the  occupation  of  the  Messrs.  Thompson, 
whose  ance-sters  have  tilled  its  acres  for  upwards  of  a  hundred 
years.  A  portion  of  West  Newtown  farm  was  formerly  called 
Wolfliaugh    farm. 2      In   1781    Alexander   Anderson    was  the 

'The  Poll  Book  of  1826  gives  :—"  Thomas  Judson,  Esq.  Residence,  Carter- 
side.  Freehold,  Carterside."  In  1828  "Carterside  estate  belongs  to  the  Duke 
of  Northumberland  and  Colonel  Judson."  Parson  and  White,  1828.  The  owner 
of  East  New  Town  in  1774  was  James  Railston. 

-  Wolfhaugh  is  part  of  Thompson's  Haugh,  and  the  ford  at  the  Captain's  Bridge 
—so-called  from  having  been  first  erected  by  Capt.  Ilderton,  of  Tosson  Tower— is 
Wolfhaugh  ford,  or,  as  the  older  dalesmen  termed  it,  "'Oof  'aff  ford." 


NEWTOWN.  467 

tenant.  Newtown  Park  and  Swan  House  farms  were  let  in 
1795  to  Messrs.  Samuel,  William,  and  Edward  Donkin,  for 
twenty  years.  Matthew  Thompson,  great  grandfather  of  the 
present  tenants,  entered  on  Wolfhaugh  farm  about  1803,  and 
in  1 81 8  he  appears  on  the  Alnwick  Castle  rent-roll  as  tenant  of 
Newtown  Demesne  and  Wolfhaugh  Demesne.  The  tenant  of 
these  two  farms  from  1834  to  1874  was  William  Thompson, 
while  from  1874  to  1883 — when  the  Duke  of  Northumberland 
sold  Newtown  to  Sir  W.  G.  Armstrong — the  tenants  were 
Mes.srs.  William  and  Matthew  Thompson.  This  is  the  longest 
farm  tenure  known  in  upper  Coquetdale,  and  the  present 
tenants  are  the  fourth  generation  of  the  Thompsons  who  have 
farmed  Newtown.  The  extracts  given  below  relating  to  the 
earlier  histor\-  of  Newtown  are  instructive.  A  survey  of  the 
Earl  of  Northumberland's  lands,  with  a  list  of  the  tenants  in 
1569,  shows  an  interesting  survival  in  old  place  names — 
*'Maner  de  Rothbury.  Hamlett  deWolfhawe,Johes  Richardson, 
land  in  Wolfhawe  ;  Jacob  Scott,  house  and  land  ;  John 
Mawven,  Wolfhawe ;  Clemens  Browne,  Wolfhawe  ;  George 
Carr,  Wolfhawe ;  Johes  Dave,  land  called  Kenton  Field  ;3 
Johanna  Urpit,  vid.  (widow),  Kyesfield  or  Pyesfield  ;  Clem. 
Brown,  Rad.  Brown,  Edwd.  Dychant,  and  Leonard  Lyddell 
hold  a  p'cll  of  land  at  North  Demayres  (Demesne),  in  West- 
field  ;  George  Horseley,  tenet  scitum  Maner  de  Iv'istfield  ;4 
Christopher  Glenholme,  Nicholas  Arklcy,  mill  and  grange 
called  Whittingham  Burne  ;  Humphrey  Grene."  At  the  same 
date  George  Carre  and  George  Grcnc  were  freeholders  in 
Newtown.  The  ruined  walls  of  the  only  remaining  bastle- 
hou.se  of  the  "hamlett"  stand  on  a  knoll  overlooking  a  small 
.stream,  which  presents  to  us  an  object  lesson  illu.strative  of 
troublous  times  in  this  northern  valley,  and  a  perusal  of  the 

^  Kenton  Hill  is  a  field  on  Carlcrsidc  farm,  opjvjsilc  the  County  Hotel,  which 
forms  pari  of  the  Steeplechase  course  at  Kolhljury  Races. 

■•"Estfcild   and   Westfeild"  are  evident  traces  of  the  old    villa^;-    L^inimiiiily 
system,  probably  now  represented  i>y  East  and  West  Newtown. 


468  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

followii^q;  record  of  losses  sustained  by  the  "  indvvellers "  of 
Newtown,  ill  1586,  from  the  pkindering  inroads  of  the  Scots, 
shows  the  reason  why  such  buildings  were  then  erected,  and 
nighth'  watches  kept  :  5 — "The  Newe  Tovvne,  Nicholas 
Robsonne,  kine  and  oxen  and  3  neiges  twentie  shepe  and 
goates,  xxy.  Thoi?tas  Hedleyc,  x  shepe  one  neige,  iiij''.  Marke 
Jeferso)!,  xvj  kyne  and  oxen  and  40^12  shepe,  xxviij''. 
George  Diinsier,  vj  kyne  20tie  shepe  and  goates,  ix-^,  Henrc 
Urpeth,  \j  oxen  and  20tie  sheape,  xii'*'.  Jhon  Storrie,  xxxtie 
sheape,  vj(  Thovias  Anderson,  vj  kyne  and  oxen  and  a  mare, 
ix'',  and  xxx^ie  goates,  x^.  Williavi  Greane,  vij  oxen  and  kyne 
fortie  sheape  and  goates,  xv^."^  The  freehold  tenants  were 
formerly  called  sokenien,7  because  they  held  their  lands  by  the 
tenure  of  performing  certain  inferior  services  of  husbandry 
within  his  soc,  and  also  paid  yearly  to  the  lord  of  the  manor 
an  ancient  rent  of  2od.  amongst  them,  c'aWo.^.  fence  silver.  In 
1663  the  owners  of  Newtown  were  Thomas  Wharton,  Thomas 
Fletcher,  Robert  Davy,  and  George  Carr,  whilst  Newtown 
Mill  and  Walk  Mill  belonged  to  the  Earl  of  Northumber- 
land. 

The  site  of  Newtown  Mill  was  probably  on  that  piece  of 
ground  opposite  to  Ashton's  Woollen  Mills,  although  it  is 
thought  by  some  to  have  stood  further  up  the  "  Rowting  burn," 
near  to  the  "  bittlin'  stones,"  where  the  lint  was  steeped  and 
beaten  in  the  days  of  Willie  Robison,  a  hundred  years  ago. 
Within  the  last  twenty  years  an  old  house  was  standing  near 
the  spot,  which  may  have  been  the  mill-house.  In  later  times 
this  house  was  named  the  "  Bantlin'  Inn,"  in  which  Thomas 
Froudlock,  one  of  Mr.  Ashton's  mill  hands,  lived  for  many 
years.  "Tommy  Prodlock "  was  a  well-known  person  in 
the    parish    of   Rothbury.      The    Proudlocks    first    appear   in 

5"  A  Watch  to  be    kept   at   the    VVaJzemyUe,   with   two   Men  nightly,  of  the 
Inhabitors  of  the  .A'ijTy;^;?."     (1553).     Border  Laws. 
*The  Book  of  Border  Losses,  1586. 
'See  note  i,  p.  312. 


NEWTOWN.  469 

Coquetdale  towards  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  centur}-.'' 
There  still  reside  in  the  village  of  Thropton  two  of  the  family 
— 'Sir.  Robt.  Proudlock,  Merchant  tailor,  son  of  the  Thomas 
Proudlock  mentioned  above ;  and  Sergeant-Major  Thomas 
!Milburn  Proudlock,  late  Royal  Artiller\-,  a  lineal  descendant 
of  the  Milburn.s  of  North  Tyne  ;  "  Muckle  Jock  "  of  Bellingham, 
"  Bart}'  o'  the  Combe,"  and  that  ilk. 

The  famous  Tosson  woollen  mills  of  the  Ashtons  were 
built  by  William  Thompson,  of  Newtown,  during  the  early  part 
of  the  last  centur}-,  and  have  been  in  the  hands  of  the  Ashton 
family  for  nearly  eight}-  }ears.  The  late  Robt.  Ashton,  who 
died  in  1892,  at  the  age  of  sevent}^-seven,  was  well  known  as 
an  enterprising  and  energetic  tradesman.  His  woollen  fabrics, 
notably  his  "  Simonside  plaids,"  obtained  for  him  a  wide 
reputation.  These  useful  articles  were  the  production  of  his 
own  inventive  genius,  and  the  wool  of  which  the}-  were  wo\en 
was  chiefl}-  from  the  fleeces  of  the  hard}-  sheep  that  grazed  on 
the  hills  and  pastures  of  Upper  Coquetdale.  In  olden  times 
the  dale  was  a  busy  centre  of  the  hand-loom  weaving  industry, 
but  the  ad\ent  of  modern  machiner}-  has  swept  it  out  of 
existence,  and  the  "  webster  "  who  plied  the  loom  within  his 
own  cottage  is  now  unknown,  the  onl}^  surviving  link  being  the 
old  mill  at  Tosson.  The  woollen  mills  at  Tosson  have  alwa}-s 
been  a  favourite  place  of  resort  for  visitors  sta}'ing  at  R<)thbiu}% 
and  among  the  man}-  patrons  of  rank  who  ha\e  visited  the 
factory,  the  late  Mr.  Ashton  could  boast  of  the  patronage  of 
Royalty  itself,  he  having  once  entertained  H.S.I  I.  the  Duchess 
of  Tcck  and  Princess  May,  along  with  the  late  Lady  Armstrong, 
whilst  staying  at  Cragside.  To.s.son  woollen  manufactor}-  is 
still  carried  on  by  the  Ashton  family,  two  of  the  oldest  mill 
hands  being  Alexander  Clapperton.  w  ho  has  thrown  tin-  shuttle 

^  "  1788,  March  27,  James  I'romllock,  of  High  Carrick,  in  the  Parish  <>(  KlvL.ti, 
and  Jane  Vounp.  of  MuitcrK.n,  in  this  I'arish."  "  1795.  May  22.  Knl)crt  l'r«ni.ll..i  U, 
of  Tosson  Mill,  an<l  .Mary  Kohson  of  the  Newtown."  (Kothlniry  Marriai^c  KcijiMer). 
•'  1747,  June  18,  (ieorge  Troucllock  and  Isaln:)  I<ol»Hon,  Holh  »)f  the  I'lirioh.' 
(Elsdon  Marriage  Register). 


4/0  UPPER    COQUETDALE. 

at  Tosson  for  fort\--t\vo  years,  and  Tom  Ballantyre  for  twenty- 
four  }-ear.s. 

On  the  banks  of  the  mountain  stream  that  drives  the  mill 
wheel  occurs  a  screen  alluvial  mound,  known  as  "  Cairnycrook 
Knowe;"  further  east  a  piece  of  boi^^gy  land  is  "Mosslaw," 
a  name  now  corrupted  into  "  Muzzlie."  Wolfhaugh  is  the 
training  ground  of  the  Northumberland  Hussars,  who  encamp 
annuall)-  in  a  field  lying  between  the  river  Coquet  and  the 
"  Sele  burn."  Tiiese  lands  are  liable  to  be  flooded  when  the 
ri\er  comes  down  after  heavy  rains.  As  this  is  being  written9 
the  camp  field  and  haughs  around  are  under  water,  corn  and 
hay  are  being  swept  out  of  the  fields  by  the  flood,  while  the 
bottom  of  the  valley  presents  the  appearance  of  an  immense 
lake. 

In  1S97  there  died  at  Newtown,  in  her  hundredth  year, 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Ferguson.  Born  in  1797,  she  was  married  at 
Coldstream  in  18 16,  to  George  Ferguson,  "border  marriages" 
being  then  a  common  custom  in  Northumberland.  The 
offspring  of  this  marriage  numbered  at  the  time  of  her  death 
no  less  than  165  persons,  viz.,  9  sons  and  daughters,  86  grand- 
children, and  upwards  of  70  great  grandchildren.  "  Old 
Bett}-  "  had  a  wonderful  memory,  she  had  faint  recollections  of 
the  battles  of  Copenhagen  and  Trafalgar,  and  had  a  distinct 
remembrance  of  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  and  of  Napoleon 
Bonaparte  being  sent  to  St.  Helena.  Her  description  of  the 
"False  Alarm"  of  1804,  when  the  French  were  menacing 
England  with  invasion,  was  graphic  and  amusing.  She  told 
how  her  father,  who  was  a  weaver,  was  from  home,  and  that 
during  the  night  of  January  31,  a  man  knocked  at  the  window 
of  their  little  thatched  cottage,  and  shouted  "  Bonny's  on  the 

'Wednesday.  Thursday  and  Friday,  Oct.  7,  8,  9,  1903,  will  long  be  remembered 
by  the  shepherds  of  Coquetdale  and  others  who  attended  Messrs.  Donkin's  sheep 
sales  on  these  three  days,  when  rain  fell  incessantly,  causing  the  river  Coquet  and 
its  tributaries  to  overflow  their  banks,  rendering  all  the  fords  impassable.  The 
guage  erected  by  Mr.  R.  Donkin  on  Rothbury  Bridge  recorded  a  rise  of  lO  feet  of 
water. 


NF.WTOVsX.  471 

road  now."  On  hearing  this  alarming  news  her  mother 
"jumped  up  out  of  bed  "  in  great  terror,  and,  as  old  Betty 
related,  "  me  mother  grat  an'  aa  grat."  The  first  thought  of 
the  mother  was  to  fly  for  refuge  with  her  famil}'  amongst  the 
rocks  on  Simonside,  and  Betty  said  :  "  Nothing  would  serve  me 
mother  but  to  have  one  of  the  sides  of  bacon  hanging  on  the 
jeests  taken  down  and  roasted  afore  the  fire  to  take  with  us 
to  the  hills."  This  picturesque  old  cottage,  at  the  foot  (jf 
Simonside,  where  Betty  spent  her  long  life,  has  been  taken 
down  and  a  neat  dwelling  erected  on  the  site,  in  which  now 
lives  her  youngest  daughter,  Mrs.  Xichol.  At  the  present 
time  there  resides  within  a  mile  of  Newtown  a  venerable  old 
lady  who  has  just  attained  her  hundredth  year. 

Coquetdale  has  ever  been  famous  for  the  longevity  of  its 
inhabitants.  Therefore,  as  a  fitting  conclusion  to  this  chapter, 
we  have  compiled  from  the  pages  of  the  Rothbury  Church 
Registers  the  following  statistics,  which  will  give  some  idea  of 
the  long  ages  attained  b)-  the  rural  population  of  the  district. 
During  the  period  of  25  years,  from  1800  to  1825,  there  were 
1,044  burials  ;  300  of  these  were  of  persons  over  70  years  of 
age ;  out  of  the  300  there  were  three  persons  over  100  \ears  of 
age,  29  persons  from  90  to  100  years  of  age,  140  persons  from 
80  to  90  years  of  age,  and  128  persons  between  70  and  80 
years  of  age. 

During  another  period  of  25  years,  from  i860  to  1885,  there 
were  1,277  burials  ;  317  of  these  were  of  persons  over  70  years 
of  age;  22  were  between  90  and  100  years  of  age,  1 10  between 
80  and  90  years  of  age,  and   185  between  70  and  80  years  of 
age. 

Popuiatifjn  of  Newtinvn  Township  : — 

1801—28.     181 1— 42.     1821—56.     1831—55. 

1841 — 57.     1851— 51.     1861—62.     1871-61. 

1 88 1 — 42.     1 89 1 — 32.     1901—36. 


4/2  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 


CHAPTER      XXXVII. 

ROTHBURV  FOREST. 

Railway  Through  Forest,  1S70— Extent  of  Original  Forest — The  Forest  in  1811  — 
Towers  and  Bastle  Houses,  1541-1586 — Brockley  Hall,  1666  —  Border 
Watches,  1553 — Losses  by  the  Scots,  1586 — Robert  Fitz-Roger's  Forest, 
1205 — Wallace  and  his  Army  in  Rothbury  Forest,  1297 — The  Property  of  the 
Earls  of  Northumberland,  1569-1663 — Names  of  Tenants  and  Lands,  1569 — 
Residents  in  1828 — Smuggling  at  Bushy  Gap,  1820 — Census  Returns,  1801 
to  1901 — Depopulation  of  Forest — Extinct  Place  Names — The  "Foresters" — 
Its  Old  Schools — The  Lee  School,  1866 — The  Forest  Burn — Its  Picturesque 
Dells  and  Interesting  Wild  Flowers. 

THE  line  of  rail  from  Morpeth  to  Rothbury,  which  was 
opened  on  Monday,  Oct.  31,  1870,  after  passing  Ewesley 
Station,  crosses-  the  viaduct  that  spans  the  river  Font,  where 
the  Tynemouth  Corporation  is  at  present  engaged  in  forming 
a  large  reservoir  in  the  bed  of  the  stream.  The  line  then 
traverses  a  thinly  populated  district  of  bare  fells  and  moor- 
lands that  stretch  along  the  eastern  base  of  the  Simonside 
hills;  this  tract  of  land  is  the  ancient  forest  of  Rothbury. ^ 
Traces  of  the  primeval  forest  can  }'et  be  seen  in  the  dells  and 
ravines,  where  patches  of  scrub  and  dense  thickets  of  oak  and 
alder,  birch  and  hazel  still  exist.  The  station  next  to  Roth- 
bury is  named  Brinkburn,  where  a  fine  view  of  the  valley  of 
the  Coquet  towards  the  east  is  obtained.  The  run  from 
Brinkburn  to  Rothbury  is  down  a  steep  incline,  along  which 
the  line  winds  its  romantic  way,  through  narrow  cuttings  in 
the  overhanging  sandstone   rocks   of  the   hill-side.      On   the 


'  The  forests  of  ancient  note  in  Northumberland  were  : — The  Forest  of  Cheviot, 
The  Forest  of  Rothbury,  The  Forest  of  Reedsdale,  The  Forest  of  Earsdon,  near 
Longhorsley,  The  Forest  of  Lowes,  The  Forest  of  Allendale,  The  Forest  of  Knares- 
dale. — Mackenzie  and  Dent's  History  of  Northumberland,  1811,  vol.  i.,  p.  169. 


ROTHBURY    FOREST.  473 

opposite  banks  of  the  Coquet,  whose  waters  ripple  over  their 
rocky  channel  far  below,  are  seen  the  picturesque  hills  of 
Cragend,  while  on  gainings  the  level,  a  glimpse  is  caught  of 
Cragside  just  before  entering  the  "  Thrum  Rock  Cutting,"  but 
on  emerging  from  the  rock,  the  valle\'  of  the  Coquet  opens  out 
to  view.  Beneath  on  the  right  is  the  "  Thrum,"  be\-ond  rise  the 
hills  and  terraces,  the  parks  and  gardens  of  Cragside,  and  as 
the  line  approaches  Rothbury  station,  the  little  town  itself  is 
seen  lying  snugly  at  the  base  of  its  rugged  but  sheltering  hills. 
The  original  boundaries  of  Rothburv  Forest  extended  six 
miles  east  and  west  from  the  Maggild  burn  at  Thorneyhaugh 
to  Fallowlees,  and  six  miles  north  and  south  from  Coldrife 
to  Debdon.  The  following  is  an  interesting  description  of 
Rothbur\-  Forest  as  it  appeared  a  century  ago  : — "  The  whole 
Forest,  as  it  is  still  called,  is  dotted  over  with  solitary  farm- 
steads, from  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  a  mile  distant  from  each 
other.  These  houses,  or  rather  strongholds,  are  very  old,  and 
are  coW&d  Basttle  btdldings.  The  walls  are  in  general  about 
five  feet  thick,  and  the  stones  secured  b\-  strong  cement, 
though  sometimes  mud  has  been  used.  The  doors,  which  are 
low  and  narrow,  are  usually  placed  at  the  east  end  of  the 
building  ;  the  jambs  are  of  stone,  u  ith  holes  to  receive  a  single 
wooden  bat,  b)-  which  means  the  door  was  barred,  and  the 
cattle  secured  on  the  ground  floor  ;=  the  light  was  admitted 
through  loop-holes.  The  second  floor  is  supported  cither  by 
a  stone  arch  or  thick  oak  joists  ;  and  was  entered  on  the 
south  b}'  outside  stone  steps,  the  door  being  fastened  as  below. 
Near  the  fireplace,  and  directly  abcne  the  vault-door,  was  a 
projection  from  the  wall,  contrived  for  the-  purpose  of  pouring 
down  bfjiliiig  water  on  the  moss-troopers,  who  were  assailing 
the  building  below. "<  Not  one  of  these  strong  hou.scs  remains 
at  the  present  da>-.  The  la.st  was  prcjbably  "Hog  Hall,"  which 
was  demolished  some  years  ago. 

See  note  5,  p.  475. 
'  Mackenzie  and  iJenl's  History  of  Northumberland,  181 1,  vol.  ii.,  \\  56. 


474  UPPER   COQUETDALE. 

The  oldest  existing  house  in  the  Forest  is  that  incorporated 
in  Brockley  Hall  farm-house.  The  stone  mantle  once  in  the 
kitchen  at  Brockley  Hall  is  now  built  in  the  gable  of  one  of 
the  farm  buildings.  On  it  is  cut  in  bold  letters  the  name  of 
"Thomas  Wharton,  1666,"  a  leading  inhabitant  of  the  Forest 
during  the  seventeenth  century  who  resided  at  Brockley  Hall,. 
A  tower  is  known  to  have  been  at  the  Hurst,  another  at 
Butterknowes,  while  the  Border  .Survey  of  1541  records  a  pele 
tower  standing  between  Whitton  Tower  and  the  tower  of 
Ritton  (White  House),  of  which  it  says: — "At  Elyburne  p'cell 
of  the  lordeshippe  of  Rotheberye  is  a  strong  pele  house  of 
the  Kings  maties  Inherytaunce  as  of  thaugmentac'ons  of  his 
graces  crowne  and  p'cell  of  the  late  erle  of  Northumb'lands 
landes."  The  site  of  this  pele  is  thought  to  have  been  on  the 
east  bank  of  the  burn  near  the  Lee. 

In  1553,  to  guard  against  the  inroads  of  the  men  of  Redes- 
dale  as  well  as  the  raids  of  the  Scots,  a  watch  was  set  every 
night  at  sunset.  "  From  the  Caiiihill-ford  to  be  watched  to 
Moryslehirst,  with  four  Men  nightly  of  the  Inhabitors  of  ^d'//'c»;2 
Lordship,  Wengaytes  and  Garctle ;  Setters  and  Searchers, 
Rowland  Brown  and  Robert  Snawdon.  From  Moreslehirst 
to  the  Stony-ford,  to  be  watched  with  sixteen  Men  nightly, 
and  Two  in  ever}'  Passage  of  the  Inhabitors  of  Rothburye 
Forest,  of  the  south  side  of  the  Forest.  From  Stony-ford  to 
the  Hoppe-yaite,  to  be  watched  with  Four  Men  nightly  in  the 
Watch  of  the  Inhabitors  of  PaperhaugJi  and  Helles  ;  Setters 
and  Searchers  of  those  Two  Watches,  Roivland  Grene,  Roger 
Errington,  and  Roger  Grene." -^  Even  with  this  carefully 
organised  system  of  "  watch  and  ward,"  and  the  protection 
afforded  by  their  fortified  dwellings,  the  farmers  of  Rothbury 
Forest  had  suffered  heavily  at  the  hands  of  the  Scots  during 
the  sixteenth  century,  for  which  losses  they  bitterly  complained 
again.st  Sir  John  Forster  of  Alnwick  Abbey,  the  Warden  of  the 
Middle  Marches,  that  no  redress  had  ever  been  made.  The 
*Nicolson's  Border  Laws.     Leges  Marchiarum. 


ROTHBURY   FOREST.  475 

following  list  of  their  losses  serves  as  an  illustration  of  those 
rude  b}'gone  times  when  might  was  right: — 

Because  the  good  old  rule 

Sufficeth  them,  the  simple  plan, 
That  they  should  take  who  have  the  power. 

And  they  should  keep  who  can. 

1586 — Henry  Hiiiiu,  rest  two  naiges  and  all  his  insight 
geare  to  the  valewe  of  v''.  Robert  Grcne,  30''^  sheape  and 
goats  sixe  keyne  to  the  valewe  of  xiij'',  Wydon.'  Maveu,  of 
Paperdaire,  eight  oxen  and  two  horse  and  fortie  shepe  and 
goates  to  the  value  of  xxij/.  George  Browne,  of  Papdaire.  a 
naige,  x,.  William  Hunter,  of  Thornihaughe,  vj  oxen  and  six 
kyne  and  one  horse  forcibly  rest  to  the  \alewe  of  xviij''.     James 

IVetherborne,   of  Butterknowes,    two    and    twentie   kyne   and 
oxen  and  one  naig  and  twentie  shepe  to  the  valewe  of  xxxiij'. 

William  Browne  and  Jlion  Hume,  two  oxen  to  the  valewe  of 
iijA  Jhon  Browne,  ox\Q.  oxe  two  kyne,  iij/  ic^.  Jlion  Browne, 
xxtie  sheap  and  3^'  neate,  vij^.  J/ioji  Lighton,  6  oxen  and  six 
kyne,  xv<  Rowland  Lighton  his  horse  and  his  geare  to  the 
valewe  of  x^.  Rafe  Greane  has  lost  5^,  Roger  Browne  \\]',  Jhon 
Browne  viij^,  Jho7i  Hume  viij^,  Willm  Browne  \',  George 
Hunter  \',  Roger  Browne  viij^,  Robert  Hunter  \\\y,  Robert 
Lighton  a  horse,  an  oxe,  twentie  goates,  and  xxxi'^-'  sheape, 
xij''  X-*.  Rowland  Broicne,  xij  sheape,  1*^ ;  George  Clarke,  \ij 
sheape,  xxviij^  Cuthberd  Wetheratt,  20''^'  sheape,  twentie 
goats,  vj^,  Jhon  Sparmane  his  house  burnt  and  «jne  hundred 
sheape  in  its  in  value  xx''.  Mattheio  Gibson  his  insight  geare, 
X''.  Jhon  Readhead,  two  horse,  xvj  shepe,  x''.  James  Readheade, 
40i'e  shepe  and  goates  and  a  cowe,  ix''.  Thomas  Pott,  of  the 
Herst,  for  the  spoyle  of  the  towere,  xK.  Rajc  Rcvelie,  one  ncige, 
and  George  Hunter  an  oxe,  iij^  x^  Bart  hay  uie  Bulmane,  xxxj 
sheape  and  one  f)xe,  viy  xiiij^     Jhon  Lighton,  vj  oxen,  xx"<-' 


'The  modern  idea  is  thai  the  cattle  were  secured  in  a  Ixirmfkin  <<r  courtyard 

around  the  liuiMinj;,  not  in  the  iKi^emcnt  :  in  this  ■  1.  however,  that  one 

hundred  sheep  were  in  the  vaulted  chamber  of  the  '  "r  Iflin  S|.(  .iiin.in 
when  it  was  burnt  by  the  Scots. 


476  UPPER    COQUETDALE. 

shepe,  xiij''.  JVidozv  Halle,  of  the  HolHnge  Hill  in  Rede  (?) 
being  forsed  for  her  insight  geare,  vj''.  J/ioji  Redhead,  of  the 
Forest,  xxiiijtie  kyne  and  oxen,  xxiij/.  Jhon  Readheade,  fifte 
fower  shepe,  x/.  Jhon  Scot,  two  neiges,  iiij'^.  Robert  Swan, 
xx'i^  shepe,  iiij/.  ^ 

The  earl\-  history  of  the  forest  of  Rothbury  is  closely 
connected  with  that  of  the  manor  itself  In  1205  King  John 
granted  the  royal  manor  of  Rothbury  and  the  forest  to  Robert 
Fitz-Roger  for  the  service  of  one  knight's  fee,7  with  the 
pasturage,  vert,  and  venison,  and  all  other  rights  of  the  chase. 
Any  one  found  hunting  in  the  forest  without  leave  had  to 
pay  a  fine  of  ten  pounds  of  silver  to  the  King,  while  the  horses, 
harness,  and  dogs  were  forfeited  to  the  lord  of  the  manor. 
The  second  Robert  Fitz-Roger,  lord  of  Rothbury,  granted,  in 
1250,  right  of  pasture  in  the  forest  at  Hesleyhirst  to  the  monks 
of  Xewminster.  Shortly  after  the  battle  of  Stirling,  in  1297, 
Wallace  with  his  victorious  Scottish  arm\'  ravaged  the  whole 
of  Xorthumberland,  making  for  several  weeks  his  headquarters 
in  the  wilds  of  Rothbury  forest.^  The  survey  of  the  posses- 
sions of  the  Earl  of  Northumberland  (rebel),  in  1569,  is  of 
some  interest,  as  it  gives  both  the  names  of  the  tenants  and 
the  lands  they  held.  "  Forest  de  Rothbury — Humphrey  Grene 
holds  24  acres  of  land.  Thomas  Urpeth  holds  one  parcel  of 
land  called  Grenehelaughe.  Nicholas  Bulman  one  house 
and  six  acres  of  land.  Henricus  Fenwyke  one  house  and 
eight  acres  of  land.  Robt.  Clark  land  called  the  Spyttell.9 
Paphaugh — Robt.  Brown  house  and  15  acres  of  land. 
Rogerus  Brown,  Edwd.  Hunter,  Edward  Mavying,  Radus 
Brown,  one  parcel  of  land  called  Langhaughe.  Thorny- 
haugh — Willm.     Hunter,    Johes     Toby.       Rogerus     Mutford 

*  See  note  2,  p.  369. 

7  Robert  Fitz-Roger  had  to  provide  a  knight  for  the  service  of  the  King. 

^\\\i\^z.\}ri%  Border  History,  i8io,  p.  207. 

9  In  a  document  dated  1592,  relating  to  the  lands  of  the  Earl  of  Northumberland, 
one  of  the  places  mentioned  is  "  Rothbury  Spittle,"  probably  the  same  as  above. 
— A  History  of  Northumberland,  1899,  vol.  v..  p.  240. 


ROTH  BURY   FOREST.  477 

holds  lands  in  Elybornemouth.  Thos.  Browne  de  Eckles- 
rowe.io  Agnes  Swanne,  pasture  in  Ecklesrowe.  Shepehurste 
— Radus  (Ralph)  Grene,  Roger  Grene,  Rowland  Lighton.  John 
Gybson,  Robt.  Green,  Willm.  Urpyt  (land  in  Horsefield). 
Reginald  Greene,  George  Clarke,  Cuthbert  Wetherett, 
Humphrey  Brown,  Jacob  Redhead,  Robt.  Spereman,  Rowland 
Brown  (land  called  Cockerulune).  John  Redhead,  Willm.  Hall, 
Gerard  Lawson,  Thomas  Pott  (land  at  Moreleyhurst;."'  The 
rentals  and  rates  of  1663  gives  the  Earl  of  Northumberland  as 
the  proprietor  of  the  forest;  the  rental  was  then  ^^300.  The 
whole  of  what  is  now  known  as  Rothbury  Forest  belongs  to 
the  Duke  of  Northumberland,  who  is  also  lord  of  the  manor. 
During  the  last  forty  years  there  has  been  a  great  decrease 
in  the  population  of  the  Forest,  due  partly  to  the  abandon- 
ment of  the  colliery  at  Bushy  Gap,  also  to  the  gradual 
disappearance  of  the  "  Duke's  cottages,"  whose  well-tilled 
crofts  have  been  added  to  the  adjoining  farms. 

We  here  give  the  population  of  the  two  townships  Hesle)' 
Hurst  and  HoUinghill  : — 
Hollinghill :— 

1801 — 127.     181 1  — 124.     1 82 1  — 130.     1 83 1  — 109. 
1841  — 114.     1851 — III.     1861  — 109.     1871  — 107. 
1881 — 86.     1891 — -Ji.     1901 — 71. 
Hesley  Hurst : — 

1801 — 57.      181 1 — 41.      1821 — 46.      1831 — 40. 
1 84 1 — 36.      1851—38.      1861—67.      1871—27. 
1881—30.  =  ' 

The  pages  of  the  Rothbury  Parish  Registers  contain  many 
place-names  in  the  lujrest  who.se  sites  are  now  unknown.  We 
have  been  able  to  ideiitif)-  the  si)ots  on  which  stood  liog  Hall, 
near  Crook  ;    Sheci>hurst,  near  Brockley  Hall ;    Low  Lee  and 

'"This  place-name  is  doublless  ihc  oriRin  tif  the  Raw  in  Roihliury  Forest. 

"Shortly  Ijcfore  the  cen.HUS  of  1891  the  old  township  of  Ixe  II at </ wan  merged 
in  Ilcslcy  Hurst,  and  Pauf>crhain;h  in  that  of  llie  Raw,  therefore  no  comjiariMm 
can  be  made  of  the  iK)piilation  of  these  townships  in  the  census  of  1S91  and  1901. 


478  UPPER   COl^UETDALE. 

Lee  Head,  near  Lee;  Apple  Tree  Hill,  near  East  Raw  and 
Brockley  Hall;  Garley  Side,  above  Lee  Siding;  a  Public  House 
at  Pauperhaugh  ;  a  Public  House  near  Blue  Burn  ;  Thatch 
Meadows,  near  Coldside;  The  Hutt,  now  Blagdon  Burn; 
Street  House,  near  Forest  Burn  Gate;  Old  Mill  at  Moral 
Hurst  ;  Grain  House  on  Lordenshaws  farm  ;  Blue  Burn  was 
formerly  called  West  Hurst ;  Ward's  Hill  House  is  built  on 
the  site  of  High  Hesley  Hurst ;  Old  Lee  School  House,  near 
Lee  Siding.  Garley  House  is  probably  represented  by  Pyke 
House,  the  shooting  box  of  the  Rev.  R.  Burdon.  But  the 
following  we  have  not  been  able  to  trace  : — Meadow  Field, 
Park  Gates,  Coldstone  Hill,  Watchpeck  Hall ;  foundations  of 
old  buildings  are  found  on  Moral  Hurst  Hill  and  Ward's  Hill. 
The  following  curious  field-names  occur  in  the  Forest : — The 
Burn  Mires,  Hollin  Knowe  Haugh,  the  Bleach  Green  Haugh, 
North  Rift  Close,  Bare  Balliards  on  Pauperhaugh  Farm,  High 
Broom,  Peel  Greens,  Blind  Well  Close  on  Healy,  Grey  Mare 
Svke  near  Blue  Burn,  Old  Mill  Lane  at  Moral  Hurst,  Plague 
road  on  Holling  Hill,  Scammeller's  Letch,  near  Brockley 
Hall.  The  stream  that  runs  through  the  Forest  is  first 
known  as  Forest  Burn,  then  Lee  Burn,  and  when  it  enters 
the  Coquet  opposite  Pauperhaugh  it  is  the  Raw  Burn. 

In  1828,  the  residents  in  the  Forests  were: — James 
Armstrong,  blacksmith.  Ord  Armstrong,  Ralph  Armstrong, 
Henry  Storey,  farmers,  Pauperhaugh.  Edward  Pyle,  black- 
smith. Grace  Pyle,  Crown  and  Thistle,  Forest  Burn  Gate. 
Adam  Richardson,  Little  Mill.  Farmers : — John  Aynsley, 
Butterknowes.  Thomas  Arkle,  Crook.  William  Brown,  Hutt. 
Thomas  Burn,  Sunnyside.  Thomas  Carmichael,  West  Raw. 
Robt.  Carr,  Pyke.  Robt.  Dunn,  Bushy  Gap.  John  Grey, 
Robert  Reed,  Lee.  Matthew  Hall,  Thomas  Handyside, 
Hollinghill.  Robert  Redhead,  Brockley  Hall.  Willam  Scott, 
John  Wintrip,  Blue  Burn.  Gideon  Spearman,  Newbiggin. 
Robt.  Storer,  Mount  Healey.      Robt.  Thompson,  Coldside.^^ 

'=  Parson  and  White's  Directory,  1828. 


ROTIIBURY   FOREST.  479 

Some  of  the  old  surviving  names  in  the  Forest  are  Potts, 
Gibson,  Armstrong,  Aynsley,  Carr,  Carmichael,  Hindhaugh, 
Pyle,  Storer,  Shotton,  Taylor,  Bolam,  and  ]\Iack  ;  and,  as  an 
example  of  a  long  term  of  service,  we  may  add  that  Edward 
Usher  has  been  with  the  Aynsley's  of  Butterknowes  for 
nearly  fifty  years.  During  the  early  part  of  the  last  century 
smuggling  was  carried  on  to  a  great  extent  in  Upper  Coquet- 
dale,  when  Scotch  whisky  was  conveyed  on  horseback  in  kegs 
and  "grey  hens"  over  the  Cheviot  Hills,  and  gin  was  brought 
from  Boulmer  on  the  Coast.  The  farmer  at  Bushy  Gap  at 
that  time  kept  three  swift  horses  for  this  purpose,  as  recorded 
in  the  local  rhyme  : — 

Awd  Bob  Dunn  o'  the  Forest, 

He's  ridin'  te  Boomer  for  gin, 

Wi'  three  fam'd  horses  fra'  Bushy  Gap  lonnin'. 

But  '  Kate  o'  the  West '  is  the  queen  o'  them  aa'. 

The  farm-house  had  a  double  gable,  and  in  the  space 
between  the  walls  the  gin  was  concealed,  \\hich  for  a  long  time 
baffled  the  search  of  the  gaugers.  Eventualh',  b}'  careful 
measurement  of  the  walls,  the  secret  chamber  containing  a 
large  quantity  of  smuggled  gin  was  discovered,  and  the 
smuggler-farmer  brought  to  justice  and  heavily  fined. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  Forest  are  an  industrious  class, 
frugal  in  their  habits,  kind  and  hospitable  to  strangers.  A 
rate  collector  of  sixty  years  ago  was  wont  to  relate  that  when 
collecting  ta.xes,  the  forest  farmer — clad,  not  in  the  best  of 
clothing — with  perhaps  a  straw  rope  twistctl  around  each 
ankle,  especially  in  winter  time — would  respond  to  his  appeal 
by  simply  asking  how  much  he  wanted,  and  straightnuiy  paid 
the  amount,  whereas  others  living  in  a  more  pretcnti(nis  .style 
up  the  valley  of  the  Coquet  generally  requested  him  to  cnll 
again,  as  it  was  not  convenient  to-day. 

About  the  middle  of  the  la.st  century,  after  the  old  Lee 
School  had  ceased  to  exist,  a  small  school  conchictcd  on  very 
I)rimitivc  lines  was  kept  by  'I'ommy   Hud.son — a  well-known 


480  UPPER    COQUET  I)  ALE. 

character — at  Forest  Burn  Gate.  In  1866  a  good  school  and 
master's  house  were  erected  near  Suershill,  at  the  cost  of 
George,  fifth  Duke  of  Northumberland,  now  known  as  the 
Lee  School,  of  which  Mr.  A.  W.  Parks  has  been  the  diligent 
and  successful  teacher  for  thirty  years. 

A  casual  glance  from  the  train  as  it  runs  through  Rothbury 
forest  does  not  present  much  to  attract  the  notice  of  the 
stranger,  but  a  closer  acquaintance  with  this  uninteresting 
looking  stretch  of  country  reveals  many  a  poetic  dell  and 
sequestered  ravine,  with  pleasing  glimpses  of  woodland  glades 
and  burn-side  scenery  ;  for  through  the  middle  of  the  forest 
there  extends  from  Moral  Hurst,  on  the  moorland  slopes  of 
Simonside,  down  to  the  river  Coquet,  a  charming  little  valley 
in  which  flows  the  Forest  Burn,  its  thickly  wooded  banks  and 
limestone  scars  being  covered  with  an  endless  variety  of  wild 
flowers  and  ferns.  Amid  its  deep  recesses  are  found  the 
haunts  of  the  badger,  the  otter,  the  fox,  and  the  weasal,  while 
the  solitory  heron  may  be  seen  fishing  in  the  pools,  the  hawk 
soars  overhead,  and  the  tapping  of  the  woodpecker,  or  the 
chatter  of  the  jay  and  the  magpie  may  be  occasionally  heard 
in  the  woods  around.  In  the  depths  of  this  romantic  dene  we 
have  ourselves  enjoyed  many  a  ramble,  for  there  grow  the 
sweet-scented  gymnadenia,  the  butterfly  orchis,  frog  orchis, 
and  the  bird's  nest  orchis,  toothwort,  broad-leaved  and  marsh 
helleborines,  herb  paris,  golden  rod,  agrimony,  and  St.  John's 
wort,  butterwort  and  sundew,  moonwort  and  adder's  tongue, 
and  there  in  abundance  are  the  hazel  nut  and  the  bramble,  the 
heckberry,  sloe,  crab-apple,  plum,  and  wild  cherry. 

Here  face  to  face  with  nature  stand, 

In  all  her  lovliest  moods, 
Bright  streams,  green  haughs,  and  tow'ring  hills, 

Rude  crags  and  shelt'ring  woods  ; 
And  many  a  wild  secluded  glen, 

With  oak  and  fern  o'ergrown. 
And  grassy  rings  where  fairies  dance 

Beneath  the  yellow  moon. 

Joseph  Archer. 


SIMOXSIDK    II  ILLS.  48  I 


C  H  APTICR    XXX  \'  1  I  I. 

SIMnxsiDK    HILLS. 

Sandstone  Formation  —  "  Simonside  Ljrils"" — Heather-clad — Bold  North-western 
Escarpments — Traces  of  Glacial  Period — Striated  Rt)cks  and  Houlders — 
Named  -Stones — Selby's  Cove — A  Refuge  for  Foxes — Old  Will  Scott  tinds  a 
Fox — "Croppie's  Hole" — A  Long  Run  with  "Croppie" — "The  Old  .Stell  " 
— "  Synion  Syde  Beakon,"  1549 — Blackcock  Hall  —  Johnnie  Bright  the 
Tailor — Heather  Burning — Disastrous  Fire  on  the  Moors,  I785-- -Sheep  Lost 
in  Snowstorm.  1886 — Names  and  Heights  of  Teaks — .\scenl  of  Simonside  by 
(ireat  Tosson  —  Magnificent  View  from  Sunmiit—  Historic  .\ssocialions  — 
Fallowlees  and  Chartners — The  Loughs — Gulls^Rare  Lily — Bodle  Moss — 
Great  Moss  Flow — Traces  of  Iron  and  Lead  Workings— //<?;rrt;v'(7,  Ancient 
Sheepfolds — Runnells  and  Sj^rings --Interesting  Hill-]ilants. 

Till''  river  Coquet,  durint^  the  first  ten  nr  IweKc  miles  of  its 
course,  flows  through  a  narrow  channel  between  the 
steep  porphxry  hills  of  the  Che\  iots.  On  reachinj.;'  Alwintoii 
there  is  a  complete  chant^e  in  the  formation,  for  en  the  rii^ht 
bank  of  the  stream  are  found  the  heather-clad  hills  of  the 
sandstone  ranj^e  that  traverses  the  country  from  Kyloe.  north 
of  Belford,  to  Woodburn  in  Redesdale.  To  this  rani^e  belonjif 
the  Simonside  hills,  which  extend  alon^  the  south  banks  of  the 
Coquet  from  llepple  to  Pauperhauj^h.  The  highest  portion 
of  this  dark  mass  of  sandstcjne  lies  about  four  nn'les  south-we.st 
of  Rothbur)',  where  its  ru}.j<^ed  j)eaks  rise  some  r,450  feet 
above  the  sea.  As  .Simonside,  with  its  bold,  square-shoiilderi-d 
escarpments,  is  a  familiar  object  in  the  landscape,  and  well 
known  to  all  visitors  to  L'pper  Co(iuetdale,  we  shall  in  this, 
our  concludin},'  chapter,  f^i\e  some  flescri|)tion  of  its  formation 
and  its  hill-lore. 

GeoltJgists  tell  u^  that  .Sim<jnside  and  il^  sinroinidini;  hills, 
more  particularly  Craj^'side  hill,  retain  dislini  t  traces  of  L;la(ial 
crf)sion,  when    much    of  (ireal    Britain    and    Ireland    and    thr 

.-{I 


4S2  UIM'KK    C(^(^UETDALE, 

northern  parts  of  luirope  were  covered  with  extensive  ice 
j^laciers  ;  during  whicli  period  it  is  computed  there  would  be 
nearly  1,000  feet  of  solid  ice  in  the  valley  of  the  Coquet. 
There  is  abundant  evidence  of  ice  movement  in  Coquetdale, 
not  only  in  the  striae  on  Cragside  hill,  but  in  the  distribu- 
tion of  huge  boulders,  and  in  the  fact  that  Simonside  itself 
lias  been  glaciated  to  the  very  summit.  The  boulders  that 
stud  the  hills  around  Rothbury  belong  to  the  local  series  of 
sandstone,  many  of  these  having,  during  the  glacial  period, 
become  detached  from  the  main  mass  and  left  where  they 
now  stand.  The  larger  boulders  are  known  by  some  special 
name,  such  as  the  "  Sea  Stone,"  on  Cragside  hill ;  the  "  Ship 
Stone,"  near  the  targets  on  Rothbury  hill  ;  the  "  Priest  and 
Clerk,"  on  the  hills  east  of  Cartington  ;  the  "  Main  Stone  "  or 
*'  Mere  Stone,"  probably  the  latter,  as  it  stands  on  Tosson  hill, 
on  the  boundary  between  Tosson  and  Hepple  ;i  the  "  Drake 
Stone,"  on  Harbottle  hill,  which  is  30  feet  high,  and  whose 
weight  has  been  estimated  at  2,030  tons.  Besides  the  above, 
there  are  several  smaller  named  stones.  On  Simonside  there 
is  a  rock  called  "  Bob  Pyle's  Studdie,"  which  somewhat 
resembles  a  blacksmith's  anvil.  Early  in  the  last  centurx' 
there  lived  at  Great  Tosson  a  blacksmith  named  Robert  Pyle. 
"  Willie's  Cairn  "  on  'Spital  hill,  and  two  rocks  that  jut  out  from 
the  northern  cliffs  of  Ravensheugh,  called  "Kate  and  Geordie," 
probably  got  their  names  during  the  hundred  years  the 
Donkins  ruled  at  Tosson.  A  high  perpendicular  rock,  mid- 
wav  between  Tosson  and  Simonside,  with  a  Gothic -like 
opening  into  a  natural  cave,  goes  by  the  name  of  "  Little 
Church."  A  large  horizontal  rock,  in  the  "  neck  of  Simon- 
side," is  known  as  the  "  Owsen-house  ;"  underneath  its  shelving 
rock,  cattle  may  have  been  sheltered.  Another  standing  stone 
is  called  the  "  Grey  Mare,"  while  "  Selby's  Cove,"  a  rocky 
defile  on  the  south  side  of  the  hill,  in  which,  tradition  says,  a 

'  A  hollow  in  the  hills  on  Tosson  ground,  at  no  great  distance  from  the  Main  or 
Mere  stone,  has  the  peculiar  name  of  "Jabel  Trew." 


SIMOXSIDK    HILLS.  4S3 

Coquetdale  mosstrooper  named  Selby  liacl  his  retreat  in  the 
old  border  days,  is  now  a  famous  refuge  for  foxes.  "  Croppie's 
Hole"  is  a  recess  under  a  large  rock,  in  the  same  locality,  once 
the  lair  of  a  notorious  fox  without  a  tail — a  cropped  fox— 
which  for  \ears  eluded  the  huntsmen  and  the  hounds  of 
Upper  Coquet,  but  poor  "Croppie"  was  at  last  run  to 
death  on  Amble  sands,  having  led  the  hounds  and  a  single 
huntsman  down  the  \alle)'  from  Simonside  to  the  seashore. 
The  following  stor}'  is  told  of  Old  Will  Scott,  a  well-kn^wn 
character,  who  died  at  Thropton  in  1862  : — On  one  occasion  a 
fox,  after  giving  the  hounds  a  long  run,  sought  refuge  amongst 
the  rocks  on  Simonside,  where  Will  the  next  da}-  discovered 
him,  and,  going  straight  off  to  Biddleston,  he  told  Squire 
Selby  that  the  fox  "  had  holed  "  on  Simonside.  The  squire, 
rather  doubting  what  Will  said,  enquired,  "  Was  he  sure  the 
fox  was  there?"  "  Sure,"  said  the  old  fox  himter,  "  hcvvcnt 
aa  his  aan  handwritin'  for  it,"  whereupon  he  held  out  his  hand, 
and  showed  the  squire  where  the  fox  had  bitten  liim  !  It  is 
said  that  Will  Scott  was  perfectly  ignorant  of  the  alphabet, 
owing  to  the  high  resolve  of  his  father  that  none  of  his  family 
.should  ever  be  hanged  for  forgery.  The  "Old  .Stell  "  near  to 
the  highest  peak  of  .Simonside  consists  of  an  enormous  mass 
of  gigantic  rocks,  thrown  together  in  grand  confusion,  where, 
in  the  days  of  Scottish  wars,  the  men  of  C"o(|uet  kept  niglul\' 
watch  arounrl  the  bcac(jn  in  1549.  "The  beakon  of  S\'mon 
syde "  was  one  f)f  those  erected  "within  the  .Shcrcifdom  of 
Northumberlandc  tlic  which  were  accustomed  to  give  warning 
to  all  the  holl  countr)'  of  the  invasions  of  the  Scottes  in 
England."  The  gentlemen  in  charge  of  the  beacon  on  Simon- 
side were  :—"  Sir  (ieorge  Katcl\ff  (artington.  William  Carr 
of  Whitton.  Ivlward  Ciallon  of  Trewhitt,  lliigh  I'arkr  of 
Wharton."^ 

A  short  way  beyonri  "  .Selby 's  Cove"  are  the  ruin<ins  walls 
^)f  "Blackcock    Hall,"  a  .shooting   '•■-    '-"'''    ''^    '^'■'    \\  ''''•'• 
IliM.  MSS.  Commission,  »888.     Kutlim  1  i  ij'  is,  %.„.  ,.,  j..  ^,. 


4S4  Uri'ER   C()(^UKTI)ALE. 

Calverley  Blackett  about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  During  the  early  part  of  the  last  centur\'  it  was 
burnt  down  b)-  a  gang  of  gipsies.  Although  situated  in  a 
solitar)-  spot  far  removed  from  the  busy  haunts  of  men,  with 
nothing  but  heathery  moorlands  for  miles  around,  its  position 
was  evidently  quite  satisfactory  to  Johnnie  Bright,  the  tailor, 
who  once  lived  there,  for  Johnnie  used  to  tell  his  customers: — 
"It  suited  him  varra  weel  leevin'  at  the  Blackcock,  for  he  wis 
fair  i'  the  middle  of  his  wark."  The  following  entr)'  in  the 
Rothbur}-  Churchwardens'  Account  Book  in  a  certain  wa}' 
corroborates  this  bit  of  parish  folk-lore: — "Dec.  21st,  1803, 
Robt.  Hindhaugh,  overseer  of  Hollinhill,  proposed  Thos. 
Oliver  as  an  apprentice  to  John  Bright  of  Black  Cock  Hall, 
Tailor." 

In  the  earl\-  spring,  when  the  heather  is  dr\'  enough  for  the 
purpose,  large  tracts  of  the  older  growth,  according  to  the 
extent  agreed  upon  by  the  shepherds  and  the  gamekeepers, 
are  set  on  fire  and  burnt ;  the  tender  green  heather  that 
springs  up  the  second  )'ear  after,  is  an  excellent  change  of 
pasture  and  much  relished  by  the  hill  sheep.  When  the 
"moor  burning"  is  in  full  swing,  Simonside  presents  — 
especially  after  nightfall — a  weird  and  interesting  sight,  for, 
as  the  belt  of  flame  creeps  up  the  hill  side  towards  the 
summit,  it  assumes  somewhat  the  appearance  of  a  volcano 
in  eruption,  and  owing  to  the  dense  volumes  of  smoke  that 
hang  over  the  district  for  some  weeks,  it  is  a  common  idea 
that  moor  burning  breaks  the  weather.  A  most  disastrous 
burning  of  the  moors  took  place  in  the  summer  of  1785.  On 
June  27  a  farmer,  cuttmg  peat  in  Rothbury  Forest,  incautiousl\" 
set  fire  to  a  part  of  the  heath  to  get  more  easil}-  at  the  moss, 
and,  owing  to  the  dryness  of  the  season,  it  spread,  and  more 
than  150  acres  were  consumed.  The  heath  on  Simonside 
Beacon  also  took  fire,  when  more  than  one  thousand  acres  of 
sheep  ground  were  rendered  totall}-  useless.  On  the  29th  the 
scene    from    the    top   of   Ravensheugh   was   dreadful    be}'ond 


SniOXSIDE   HILLS.  485 

conception  ;  a  large  surface  of  fire  appeared  in  the  valley 
below,  and  the  surrounding  hills  being  in  flames,  exhibited  a 
picture  equally  horrible  and  beautiful. 3 

The  following  incident  exhibits  the  wilds  of  Simonside 
under  a  different  phase,  and  shows  the  dangers  of  the  hill  in 
winter: — During  a  severe  snowstorm  in  Januar\-,  1886,  six 
black-faced  sheep,  belonging  to  Mr.  George  Turnbull,  a  farmer 
at  Great  Tosson,  were  lost  in  a  heavy  drift  of  snow.  .-\ 
fortnight  after,  Mr.  TurnbuU's  son.  guided  b\-  his  collie  dog, 
found  five  of  the  missing  flock  buried  underneath  an  immense 
snowdrift  at  the  foot  of  a  rock,  where  the  poor  animals  had 
gathered  for  shelter  from  the  driving  storm.  W  hen  released 
they  did  not  appear  to  be  much  the  worse  for  their  fourteen 
days'  confinement  under  the  snow. 

The   contour  of  the   Simonside   range,   as   seen    from  the 
hill-road  north  of  Rothburx-,  presents  the  various  peaks  in  the 
following  order: — P>om   east  to  west  (i),  Garley   P\-ke.   800 
feet,  on  which  are  several  hut-circles;  (2),  Lordenshaws  Hill. 
879  feet,  where  are  the  remains  of  a  British  Camp;  ('3),  .Spy 
Law,  or  the  Beacon,  1,181   feet,  whose  summit  is  cappeil  In-  a 
cairn  and  a  stone  circle  ;  (4),  Newtown  Peak,  1,295  ^^ct  ;  then 
comes  Simonside  proper  with  its  three  peaks — (5),  Old  Stell  and 
Dove  Crags,  1,203  ^eet — here  nests  the  rock  dove;  (6),  .Simon- 
side Beacon,  1,401  feet,  ahead  v  described;  (7),  Tosson   Peaks, 
1,409  feet,  having  precipitous  sandstone  cliffs  on  the  north; 
(8),  Tcsson    Hill.  1,459  feet,  with   the  crags  of  kavenshcugh 
facing  the  valley;  (9),  Whitefield  Hill,  1,1 40  feet. on  tlu-i-\treme 
west  ;  while  lower  down  the  valle\-.  on  the  right  side,  is  seen 
the  flat  green  top  of  Tosson  Hurgh,  746  feet.     .Simonside  may 
be  called  the  colo.s.sal  weather  gla.ss  of  the  RothbiMian,  for  the 
"to  be,  or  not   to  be,"  of  many  a  sunnner  da\'s  excursion  is 
decided    by   a   glance  at   its  dark  and   loft)-   form,  for  an  old 
weather  proverb  say.s — "When    .Simonside-   puts    on    his  cap. 
rain   is  sure  to  follow."      I'ut   there  is  another  local  .saying — 

'  I /Kill  Kpcor«ls. 


4S6  Ul'I'KR   COQUETDAfj;. 

"  Sinioiiside  ma\'  lee,  but  Cartington  Hill  never."  The  easiest 
\va\-  to  ascend  Simonside  is  by  the  village  of  Great  Tosson. 
On  reaching  Tosson  the  path  leads  up  the  eastern  slopes  of 
the  Burgh  Hill,  on  which  are  seen  the  well,  and  a  series  of  deep 
trenches  connected  with  the  camp  above.  Leaving  the  cam]) 
on  the  right  and  after  crossing  a  stile  there  is  a  bridle  road  of 
gentle  ascent  for  about  a  mile,  with  a  pleasant  little  valley  or 
"hope,"  named  Chesterhope,  on  the  right,  which  a  native  would 
tell  the  visitor  is  "The  Cheslips."  On  the  left  is  'Spital  Hill, 
studded  with  grave  mounds,  the  burial  place  of  the  pre-historic 
occupants  of  the  Burgh  Hill  camp.  This  mountain  trackway 
passes  through  the  "  neck  of  Simonside,"  a  hollow  between 
Tosson  Hill  and  Simonside,  at  which  point  the  peaks  of 
Simonside  rear  their  rugged  cliffs  on  the  left,  with  the  massive 
form  of  Tosson  Hill  and  the  crags  of  Ravensheugh  on  the 
right. 

From  the  summit  a  splendid  panoramic  view  is  obtained 
of  the  surrounding  country.  Bounding  the  valley  on  the 
north  are  the  lofty  hills  of  the  Cheviots,  the  ancient  barrier 
between  the  two  kingdoms.  Far  to  the  east  is  seen  the  coast 
line  fr(jm  the  Tyne  to  the  Tweed.  On  the  southern  horizon 
looms  the  smoke  from  the  factories  on  the  Tyne,  amid  which 
can  be  discerned  the  tower  of  St.  George's  Church  at  Jesmond, 
as  well  as  Gibside  and  other  higher  grounds  in  the  county  of 
Durham.  Westward,  the  hills  around  Hexham  and  the  upper 
reaches  of  North  and  South  Tyne,  and,  on  a  clear  day,  some 
of  the  Cumberland  hills,  are  quite  visible.  Closer  in  are  the 
hills  and  fells  of  Redewater,  with  many  a  mile  of  intervening 
countr\-,  while  in  front  lies  spread  out  to  view  the  charming 
valle\'  of  the  Coquet,  or,  as  it  is  sung  by  our  village  poet : — 

"  Come,  climlj  the  steeps  of  Simonside, 
Where  stretch  for  miles  Ijelow, 
Snug  farms,  rich  fields,  and  waving  woods, 
The  Coqiiet's  winding  flow." 

Of  the  dwarfs,  the  elves,  and  the  fairies  that  once  haunted 
the  ca\-erns  and  lonely  mosses  of  Simonside  our  space  will  not 


SI.MUASIDE    HILLS.  487 

permit  us  to  descant,  but,  besides  those  legends  and  traditions, 
there  are  attached  to  the  Simonside  Hills  associations  of  some 
historic  interest.  It  was  on  the  hcii:;hts  of  "  Simonseth  "  that 
Thomas  de  Holm,  having  escaped  from  Harbottle  Castle,  was 
overtaken  by  Simon  Smart  and  Benedict  Glew  warders  of  the 
castle,  who  beheaded  him.  took  his  head  back  to  Harbottle. 
and  hung  it  on  the  gibbet  of  Gilbert  de  L'mfraville  (circa. 
1290J.4  The  remains  of  a  strong  wall  .seen  winding  along  the 
steep  on  the  north  side  of  the  hill,  west  of  Lordenshaws,  is 
Robt.  Fitz-Roger's  deer  park  wall,  built  towards  the  end  of 
the  thirteenth  centur}-.  The  lower  part  of  the  hill  is  now 
Newtown  Park,  and  little  more  than  a  centur)'  ago  a  house 
stood  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  called  "The  Park  Gate." 

Along  the  ancient  road  that  skirts  the  northern  base  of 
Simonside  a  part}-  of  Roundheads  rode  hastii}'  one  fine 
morning  in  the  Jul\-  of  1644,  '^'icl  took  b\-  surprise  a  detach- 
ment of  tired  Royalist  Dragoons,  in  the  tower  of  the  Duke 
of  Newcastle  at  Great  Tosson.s 

At  Fallowlees,  amid  the  wilds  of  Simonside,  William 
Veitch,  a  leader  of  the  Scotch  Covenanters,  found  a  safe 
refuge,  where  he  lived  for  several  years,  respecting  whom 
we  quote  the  following  : — "  Fallowlees,  once  a  village,  but 
now  a  lonely  shepherd's  house,  is  remarkable  as  having  been 
the  residence  of  the  celebrated  Co\enanter,  Mr.  William 
Veitch,  who,  after  his  flight  from  Pentland  fit^hl  in  \( >(>(>, 
continuefl  to  [jreach  in  \arious  parts  of  Redesdale,  Co(iuel- 
dale,  aiul  the  borders  thereabout,  till  the  )ear  1671,  when  he 
was  prevailed  uj^on  by  his  hearers  to  biing  his  famil)-  among 
them,  and,  to  u.sc  his  own  words:  '  lie  removed  his  wife  an<l 
two  sons,  William  and  Samuel,  in  creels  from  luliiiburgh  into 
a  village  called  Falalics,  farming  a  piece  of  ground  from 
Charles  Hall,  who  was  owner  of  that  place  and  village.'  In 
15.11    l""allow  ]'-'-^  i^  f  Ic^crilx-'l  ;is 'm'M^m  ;il)!<'  "(kkI  fi  ir  p.'istiires, 

*  HikI^j.soij's  ..Vt'/Z/iZ/w/'tv /.//;</,  I'aii  11.,  Mil.  I.,  i'.  Jj,  II"!'-  1. 
'See  iwgc  331. 


4S8  Ul'TKR    ((X^Jin-rDALK. 

but,  li;i\  ini;'  no  stone  house  upon  it,  it  was  not  inhabited,  save 
tliat  lolin  Ilall,  of  Redesdale,  kept  his  cattle  upon  it."^  There 
are  two  loughs  near  l'\'illowlees  in  which  there  nest  annually 
lariie  numbers  of  black-headed  epulis. 7  Two  extensive  and 
dans:^erous  morasses,  Bodle  Moss  and  Great  Moss  Flow,^  the 
natural  reservoirs  that  supply  the  springs  on  the  northern 
face  of  the  hill,  co\er  many  acres  of  the  flat  moorlands  lying 
south  of  the  peaks  of  Simonside. 

1^'allowlees  once  formed  part  of  the  Hepple  barony,  and 
occurs  as  the  name  of  a  place,  "'  Falulyes  placea"  in  1369,  then 
belonging  to  the  Tailbois.  Robert  Lord  Ogle  sold  it  in  1530 
to  John  Hall,  of  Otterburn,  gentleman,  under  the  description 
of  "6  messuages  and  1,240  acres  of  land  of  different  kinds, 
lying  in  the  town  fields  and  place  of  Fallo\vlees."9 

Chartners  is  another  solitary  house  standing  about  a  mile 
north-west  from  Fallowlees.  At  Chartners  there  is  also  a 
small  lough,  in  which  grows  a  variet\'  of  the  lesser  vellow 
water  lily,  the  NupJiar  iiitcnnedium  of  Ledebour,  a  sub- 
species not  known  elsewhere  in  Britain.  In  the  surrounding 
marshes  Andromeda  polifolia  is  found,  while  the  film  fern, 
Hyviciiophylliun  Wilsoni,  is  recorded  on  the  Bickerton  spur  of 
Simonside.  1° 

There  are  numerous  traces  of  lead  and  iron  workings  in 
the  beds  of  the  streams  on  the  southern  slopes  of  Simonside, 
on  Lordenshaws  hill,  and  up  the  Black  burn.  These  slag 
heaps  are  commonly  thought  to  be  of  Roman  origin,  but 
of  this  there  is  no  satisfactory  proof;  they  may  belong  to 
medieval   times,   for   there   are   records   of  various    thirteenth 


*■  Hodgson's  Nor thiimher land,  part  ii.,  vol.  i.,  pp.  289-90. 

'The  dimensions  of  the  Simonside  loughs  are  as  follows: — Darden,  about  9 
acres;  Fallowlees,  2  acres  5  perches;  Little  Lough,  i  acre  3  roods  19  perches; 
Chartners,  i  acre  20  perches. 

*  Flow  or  Flou — a  peal  moss,  a  peat  hog,  generally  large  and  straggling. 
(Ileslop. ) 

^  \-{o^gf,on' a  Noi-/hii  1)1  herla7id,  part  ii.,  vol.  i.,  p.  289. 

'"  Baker  and  Tate's  Floni  of  Norlhuiiiheiiand,  p.  120. 


SIMOXSIDE    HILLS.  489 

century  grants  of  forges  and  smelting  stations  on  other  moors 
in  Northumberland.  During  the  past  summer  a  shepherd 
gave  the  writer  a  very  fine  piece  of  iron  slag,  \\hich  he  had 
found  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Fallowlees  burn.  A  number 
of  square  enclosures  occur  on  the  south  banks  of  \\hitton 
Dene  burn.  These  are  evidently  ancient  sheep  and  cattle 
folds,  which,  in  the  agreement  of  1275  between  the  rector  of 
Rothbury  and  Robt.  Fitz-Roger,  were  termed  Bercaria. 

The  northern  face  of  Simonside  is  deepl}-  furrf)\\ed  with 
numerous  water-courses,  formed  by  the  runnel  Is  from  the 
copious  springs  that  issue  from  its  centre,  which  furnish  the 
Rothbury  water  suppl\-.  One  of  the.se,  the  Coe  burn,  after 
rushing  impetuously  down  the  steep,  disappears  in  a  remark- 
able manner  through  a  chasm  in  the  side  of  the  hill.  The 
larger  of  the  streams  bear  the  names  of  Black  burn  \\\m\ 
Routing  burn."  On  the  moist  and  mo.s.sy  margin  of  these 
runnells  flowers  and  ferns  grow  in  great  profusion,  and  present 
a  \aried  and  delightful  field  of  research  to  the  lover  of  wild 
flowers  ;  here  can  be  gathered  the  Grass  of  Parnassus,  the 
Bog  Asphodel,  Sneezewort,  Spearwort  and  Orchises,  \\ith  other 
interesting  hill  plants  ;  while  higher  up  the  ridges  of  the  hill, 
where  the  huge  rocks  of  sandstone  rear  their  beetling  heights, 
a  formation,  termed  b\'  geologists  "  The  .Siinonside  (irits,"  the 
botanist  will  find  lichens  and  mosses  and  (jther  rare  plant--, 
for : — 

"  Up  amoiifj  ihe  mi>unt;iins, 
In  soft  and  nio.s.sy  cell, 
My  the  silcnl  spriiiijs  and  founlain.s 
Thf  liivc'ly  wild  (lowers  dwell.'' 


"  Rout — lo  licllow,  ti)  roar.     "  A'o//////^'  Linn'*— the  rcNirini;  Linn.     (Ilcslii|),) 
Hence  "A'o//////^' burn"— the  roarinfj  Imrn. 


490  ri-i'i-.K  (_o(^l'1':ti)ALi:. 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

FAUNA     AND     FLORA    OF    THE     VALLEY. 

THE  BH^DS  OF  UPPER  COQUETDALE. 

CoRViN.i:. — The  Raven  is  seen  Dccasionally  ;  has  bred  in  recent  years  at 
Rough  Castles  and  Ravensheugh.  Carrion  Crow,  resident,  fairly  plentiful. 
Hooded  Crow,  winter  visitor  (but  has  bred  once  at  Rough  Castles),  rather 
plentiful.  Jackdaw,  abundant.  Rook,  plentiful.  Magpie  (Pica  A'listica),  seen 
occasionally.     Jay,  rather  scarce. 

Falconid.^. — The  Peregrine,  seen  occasionally  :  has  bred  in  recent  years 
at  Keyheiigh,  Hepple.  Sparrow  Hawk,  resident,  rather  plentiful.  Kestrel, 
resident,  plentiful.  Merlin,  still  breeds  near  Debdon,  fairly  plentiful.  Common 
Buzzard  has  occurred  on  the  moors. 

ARDEID.+:. — The  Heron  is  plentiful,  breeds  at  Harbottle. 

STRlGilxt:. — The  Barn  Owl,  rather  scarce.  Long  and  Short-eared  Owls 
fairly  plentiful.     Tawny  Owl,  plentiful. 

Anatid.i-:.— Common  Wild  Duck,  plentiful.  Teal  Duck,  rather  scarce. 
Widgeon,  occurs  occasionally.  Pochard,  winter  visitor,  occurs  on  Cragside 
lakes  occasionally.  Tufted  Duck,  winter  visitor,  occurs  on  Cragside  lakes. 
Golden  Eye,  winter  visitor,  occurs  on  the  Coquet  and  Cragside  lakes,  scarce. 
Goosander,  winter  visitor,  seen  in  small  flocks  on  Cragside  lakes,  also  on  the 
Coquet. 

Coi.u.MBlD.fi.— Ring  Dove,  resident,  plentiful.  Stock  Dove,  winter  visitor, 
.scarce.      Rock  Dove,  breeds  in  the  district. 

CucULID.^^-. — Cuckoo,  a  spring  migrant,  plentiful. 

Rai.I.id.i;. — Corn  Crake,  spring  visitant,  fairly  plentiful.  Waterhen,  plenti- 
l"ul,  resident.  Water-rail,  seen  occasionally  on  the  river  Coquet  in  winter.  The 
Coot  also  breeds  in  the  district. 

Charadriid.^. — Lapwing,  plentiful.  Golden  Plover,  breeds  on  the  moors, 
plentiful.  Ringed  Plover,  breeds  on  the  Coquet,  and  on  Cragside  lakes  occa- 
sionally. 

SCOI.OI'ACID.I-:. — Woodcock,  resident,  now  known  to  breed  freely  in  the 
district.       Common    Snipe,    resident,    ]ilentiful.       Jack    Snipe,    winter    migrant. 


1-AlXA    AND    FLORA.  49 1 

plentiful  during  some  winters.  iSandpiper,  spring  visitor,  plentiful.  Redshank, 
spring  visitant,  breeds  on  the  Coquet  and  on  Cragside  lakes.  Curlew,  spring 
visitant,  breeds  on  the  moors. 

L.AKRlD.t:. — Black-headed  Ciull,  breeds  in  the  district,  notably  at  Selby's 
lake  and  Fallowlees  ;  has  bred  at  Cragside  lakes.  Herring  Gull,  has  nested  at 
Cragside  lakes. 

Poi)lcil'El'in.+:. — Little  Crcbe,  resident,  scarce. 

Ai.ciDiMD.t;.  —  Kingfisher,  resident,  fairly  plentiful. 

CArRlMUI.Gll).*;.^Xight-Jar,  spring  visitant,  plentiful,  an  exceedingly  useful 
bird,  destroying  large  quantities  of  moths  and  beetles. 

CvrsET.lD.K.  —  Swift,  spring  visitant,  fairly  plentiful. 

STfRNiN.+:. — Common  Starling,  abundant,  thousands  roosting  amongst  the 
rhododendrons  in  Cragside  grounds  ;  it  is  a  most  interesting  sight  watching  them 
go  to  roost  in  the  evening. 

E.MBERIZIN.^T.  —  Black-headed  Bunting,  resident,  fairly  plentiful.  \'ellnw 
Bunting,  spring  visitant,  plentiful.  Reed  Bunting,  spring  visitant,  fairly  plentiful. 
Snow  Bunting,  winter  visitant,  fairly  plentiful. 

^'RI^"f".ILl.l^.^•:. — (loldfinch.  winter  visitant,  not  so  plentiful  as  in  former 
years.  Siskin,  pretty  little  bird,  winter  visitant,  scarce.  Cheenfinch,  resident, 
plentiful.  House  Sparrow,  resident,  abundant.  Tree  Sparrow,  resident,  fairiy 
plentiful.  Chafilinch,  resilient,  plentiful.  Linnet,  spring  visitant,  fairly  plentiful. 
Lesser  Redpoll,  resident  species,  very  plentiful  in  Cragside  grounds.  Bidlfinch, 
also  resident,  and  plentiful. 

HlKfNniNl.\.+:. — Chimney  Swallow,  House  Martin,  and  Sanil  Martin  are 
all  plentiful  as  spring  migrants. 

Ckrihin.k. — Tree  Creeper,  resident,  plentiful. 

MrsiCAl'iN.i-:. — Spotted  Flycatcher,  spring  migrant,  plentiful  at  Cragside. 

.Ami'KI  in  k. — W'axwing,  an  occasional  winter  visitor. 

MoTAiAl.l.lN.l-:. — Tied  Wagtail  and  drey  Wagtail,  plentiiul.  Me;i<l()u  I'ipit 
and  Tree  Pipit,  fairly  plentiful. 

I'ARlN.i;.— Long-tailed  Tit,  Coal  Tit,  Creat  Til,  Marsh  Tit,  and  Blue  Til. 
plentiful. 

Cjnci  IN/K.  — The  Dipper,  plentiful. 

Accentori.v.t;.  —  Hedge  Sparrow,  plentiful. 

TrRiiiN.K.  —  Missel  Thrush  and  Song  Thrush  |)leiuilul.  Redwing  and 
I'"icldfare,  plentiful  as  winter  visitors,  during  some  winters.  Common  HIackbird, 
rcsi('ent.  plentiful.  Ring  Ousel,  a  s|)ring  migrant  lo  this  district,  fairly  plentiful. 
Whin  Chat  and  .Stone  Chat,  fairly  plentiful,  spring  migrants.  The  Rf)l)in, 
resident,  plentiful.  Blackcap  Warbler,  Oarden  Warhler,  Chiff  Chatf,  Willow 
Wren  and  Wood  Wren,  as  spring  migrants,  plentiful  in  ('iragsi<le  grounds.      Reed 


492  UI'l'KR    COQUETDALE. 

Warbler,  Sodgc  and  Grassh()|)))er  Warblers,  fairly  plentiful.  Wheatear,  another 
.sjjring  misranl,  fairly  plentiful  on  the  moors  in  the  district.  Redstart,  rather 
scarce.  Whin  and  Stone  Chats  fairly  plentiful,  the  former  a  migrant,  the  latter  a 
resident  species.  Cold  Crested  Wren,  a  resident  species,  plentiful  in  Cragside 
grounds. 

Pu'iD.i';. — (Greater  and  Lesser  Spotted  Flycatchers  have  both  occurred  in 
the  district. 

Phasia.nad.t.. — Common  Pheasant  and  Partridge  abound,  also  Red  Cirouse, 
15Iack  Crouse  being  fairly  plentihd. 

PEI.ECANin.t:. — The  Gannet,  or  .Solan  Goose,  has  occurred  in  the  district,  a 
fine  specimen  being  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Richard  Murray  of  the  Chirnells, 
near  Rothbury,  having  been  caught  by  a  she])herd's  dog  about  Coquet-head  S(3me 
years  ago  and  preserved  Ijy  Mr.  Murray. 

Pallas'  Sand  Grouse  has  (Kcurred  in  the  district,  one  specimen  having  been 
])icked  up  at  Cragside  about  fifteen  years  ago  and  sent  to  the  Natural  History 
Museum,  in  Newcastle,  by  the  late  Lord  Armstrong;  it  had  struck  a  tele- 
graph wire.  The  Little  i\uk  ( Mergulns  alle)  has  occurred  on  the  Coquet, 
a  specimen  having  been  taken  a  few  years  ago  at  Rothbury.  Great  Northern 
Diver  (Colynihus  Glaiialis)  has  occurred  on  the  Coquet  near  Rothbury,  also 
on  the  lilackburn  lake  at  Cragside.  Lesser  White-fronted  Goose  ( Anser 
Erythropiis )  has  occurreil  on  Cragside  lakes,  the  writer  having  shot  three,  two 
of  which  were  preserved,  and  are  in  the  possession  of  Lord  Armstrong.  The 
Dotterel  ( Erdroniias  Morinellus)  breeds  on  the  Coquet  in  the  Rothbury 
district.  The  Little  Tern  (Sterna  Mimita)  has  occurred  at  Cragside,  one  having 
been  picked  up  dead  about  five  years  ago.  The  Great  Grey  Shrike  was  seen 
carrying  its  jirey  in  its  talons  November  2nd,  1903. 


Amongst  other  wild  animals  resident  in  Upper  Coquetdale  the  following  are 
found  in  Cragside  grounds  : — The  Badger  ( Meles  Taxus),  introduced  by  the  late 
Lord  Armstrong;  fairly  plentiful.  The  Otter  ( Lutra  ]'nlgaris),  found  on  the 
lakes,  where  it  breeds,  also  on  the  river  Coquet.  The  Stoat  ( Mitstela  Erininea), 
fairly  plentiful.  The  Weasel  (Mitstela  vulgaris),  plentiful.  The  Fo.\  (  Vulpcs 
Vulgaris),  very  numerous.     The  Squirrel  ( Scinteiis  Eiiropeus),  very  plentiful.  ' 


'The  above  list  has  been  compileil  by  Mr.  William  Avery,  Head  Game- 
keeper to  Lord  Armstrong,  at  Cragside. 


FAUNA   AND    FLORA. 


49: 


A    I.lsr    OF    INTEKESTINC;    I'l.AN 

OK  ri'TER  coi^>ui:ri)Ai.i-: 

Ranunculus  fluilans 

hederaceus 
flammula  ... 
lint^ua 
Trnllius  Europani.s 
Nuphar  iniennedium    ... 
Chelidoniuni  majus 
Corydali.s  claviculata    ... 
Funiaria  capreolala 
Tee.sdalia  nudicauli.s     ... 
Lepidiuni  Smithii 
Draba  verna 
Cardamine  amara 

pratensis 
Arabis  thaliana... 
Barbarea  vulgaris 
Sinapis  alba 
Reseda  luteola  ... 
Helianthemum  vulgaie 

Viola  palu.stris 

hirta 
canina 
triculour  ... 
Drosera  rotundifolia     .. 
I'olygala  vulgari.s 
Dianthu.s  deltoides 
Lychnis  fios-cuculi 
diurna... 
vespertina 
Agroslenima  githago    ... 
Stfllaria  uliginosa 
Arenaria  Irinervis 
rubra  ... 
Ceraslium  .semi-decandrum 
Maiva  nujschata 
sylvcstris 
rotundifolia 
I  lypcricuni  perforatum 
<lu1iiuin 
quadranguluni 


rs    KOUM)    IN    THE    VAl.I.EV    AM>    ON     IHE    HII.LS 
BETWEEN    AI.WINION    AND    HKINKIiURN. 

Water  Cro\vft)ol. 

Ivy-leaved  Crowfoot. 

Lesser  Spearwort. 

dreat  Spearwort. 

Mountain  (ilohc  l''lower. 
...     Least  Yellow  Water  Lily. 

(Ireater  Celandine. 

Climbing  Corydalis. 

Ramping  Fumitory. 
...     Naked-stalked  Teesdalia. 

Hairy  Pepperwort. 

\'ernal  Whitlow  Crass. 

Large-flowered  Bitter  Cress. 

Lady"s  .Smock. 

Rock  Cress. 

Winter  Cress. 
White  Mustard. 

Dyer's  Rocket. 

Common  Rock  Rose. 
Marsh  \iolet. 

Hairy  \'iolet. 

Dog  \'iolet. 

I'ansy  or  Heartsease. 

Round-leaved  .Sundew. 

Common  Milkwort. 

Maiden  I'ink. 

Ragged  Robin. 

Red  Camjiion. 

Evening  Campion. 

Corn-cockle. 

Hog  .Stichwort. 

Three-nerved  .Sandwort. 

Purple  Sandwort. 

i'ive-slamened,  Mouse-ear  Chickwced. 
.Musk  Mallow. 

Common  Mallow. 
Dwarf  Mallow. 

Perforated  St.  John's  Worl. 
Imperforate  .Si.  jdhn's  WOrl. 

S<|uare-slalked  .St.  [dhn's  Wort. 


494 


UPPER   COOUETDALE. 


Hypericum  huniifusum 

inilchrum    ... 
(icianium  sylvaticum    ... 
pralense 
molle 
lucidum 
Genista  aiifrlica ... 
Ononis  arven.si.s 
Anthyllis  vulneiaria 
Melilotus  officinalis 
Trifolium  medium 
arvense 
slriaium 
minus 
Vicia  .sylvatica  ... 
lathyroides 
tetras]5erma 
■Orobus  tuberosus 
Piunus  spinosa  ... 
padus     ... 
avium     ... 
Spirea  ulmaria  ... 
Agrimonia  Eupatoria    ... 
Potentilla  anseiina 
Comarum  palustre 
Kubus  fructicosus 
cordifolius 
idpeu.s 
rudis 

diversifolius 
Rosa  hibeinica  ... 
tomentcsa 
canina 
ruliiginosa 
.Sanguisorba  officinalis... 
Poterium  sangui.sorba  ... 
Pyrus  aucuparia 
Circrea  lutetiana 
Myriophyllum  .spicatum 
Bryonia  dioica... 
Montia  fontana... 
Sedum  telephium 
Saxifraga  granulata 


Trailing  Si.  John's  Wort. 

.Small  upright  St.  John's  Wort. 

Wood  Crane's-bill. 

Meadow  Crane's-bill. 

Dove's-foot  Crane's-bill. 

Shining  Cranes-bill. 

Petty  Whin. 

Common  Rest-harrow. 

Kidney  Vetch. 

Common  Yellow  Melilot. 

Zigzag  Clover. 

Hare's-foot  Trefoil. 

Soft  Knotted  Trefoil. 

Lesser  Yellow  Trefoil. 

Wood  Vetch. 

Spring  Vetch. 

Smooth  \"etch. 

Tuberous  Bitter  \'etch. 

Sloe  or  Blackthorn. 

Bird  Cherry  ( Heckberry). 

Wild  Cherry  (Gean). 

Queen  of  the  Meadow. 

Common  Agrimonj'. 

Silver  \Yeed. 

Marsh  Cinquefoil. 

Common  Bramble. 

Buckthorn-leaved  Bramble. 

Raspberry. 

Coarse  Bramble. 

Various-leaved  Bramble. 

Iri.sh  Rose. 

Downy-leaved  Rose. 

Dog  Rose. 

Sweet  Briar. 

Common  Burnet. 

Salad  Burnet. 

Mountain  Ash. 

Enchanter's  Nightshade. 

Water  Milfoil. 

White  Bryony. 

Water  Blinks. 

Orpine  or  Live-long. 

White  Meadow  Saxifrage. 


FAUNA   AND    FLORA. 


495 


Chrysosplenium  oppositifoliuni 
Pamassia  palustris 
Adoxa  moschatellina    ... 
Hedera  helix     ... 
Hydrocotyle  vulgaris    ... 
Sanicula  Furopa;a 
Conium  maculatum 
^^igopodium  podagraria 
CEnanthe  crocata 
.Angelica  sylvestris 
Daucus  carota ... 
Torilis  anthriscus 
Myrrhis  ordorata 
Viburnum  opulus 
Lonicera  periclymenuui 
Galium  palustre 

saxatile 

.sylvestre 
Sherardia  arvensis 
Asperula  odorata 
Valeriana  officinalis 

dioica 
Tragopogon  pratensis  ... 
Crepis  succiscefolia 
Carduu.s  crispus 
Cnicus  heterophyllus    ... 
Centaurea  nigra 

cyanus 
Kupatc)rium  cannabinum 
Tanacetum  vulgare 
Artemisia  ab.sinthium  ... 

vulgaris 
Anlennaria  dif)ica 
.Solidago  virgaurea 
.Senecio  sylvaticu.s 

viscosus 

aquaticus 
Chrysanthemum  segetum 
Pyrcthrum  partheniuni 
Achillea  ptarmica 
Campanula  latifolia 
Krica  tetralix     ... 

cinerea  .. 


Common  (iolden  Saxifrage. 

Grass  of  Parnassus. 

Common  Moschatell. 

Common  I\-y. 

Marsh  Pennywort. 

Wood  Sanicle. 

Common  Hemlock. 

Gout  Weed. 

Hemlock  Water  Dropwort. 

Wild  Angelica. 

Wild  Carrot. 

Upright  Hedge  Parsley. 

Sweet  Cicely. 

Guelder  Rose. 

Honeysuckle. 

Water  Bed-straw. 

Heath  Bed-straw. 

Slender  Bed-straw. 

F"ield    Madder. 

Sweet  Woodruff. 

Great  Wild  Valerian. 

Small  Marsh  \'aleriaa. 

Yellow  Goat's-beard. 

Succory-leaved  Hawk's-be  ard. 

Welted  Thistle. 

Melancholy  Plume  Thistle. 

Black  Knap-weed. 

Corn  Blue-bottle. 

Common  Hemp  Agrimony. 

Common  Tansy. 

Common  Wormwood. 

Mugwort. 

Mountain  Everlasting. 

Golden-rod. 

Mountain  Ground.sel. 

\'iscid  Groundsel. 

Marsh  Ragwort. 

Corn  Marigold. 

Common  Feverfew. 

Snee/.ewort. 

Giant  Bell-flower. 

Cross-leavefl  Heath. 

I'ine-leaved  Heath. 


496 


uri'Kk  ('()(juI':ti)ALe. 


Ciill'iiKi  vulgaris 
Andromeda  polifolia     ... 
Nacciniuni  inviiillus 

viiis-idita    ... 

oxycocco.s    ... 
I'yiola  media 
Vinca  minor 
(,'ienliana  campestri.s 
Mcnyaiuhe.s  uifoliata     .. 
llyoscyamu.s  niger 
Solanum  nigrum 

dulcamara 
Verba.scum  thapsus 
N'eronica  {7  var. ) 
Mclanip)runi  pratense... 
sylvaticum 
Pedicularis  .sylvatica     . . . 

palustris 
Scrofularia  nodosa 
Digitalis  purpurea 
Linaria  cymbalaria 

vulgaris 
Mimulus  luleus... 
Lathrea  squamaria 
Mentha  rotundifolia 
Origanum  vulgare 
Calaminlha  clinipodium 
Teucrium  scorodonia    ... 
Ballota  nigra 
Stachy.s  betonica 
palustris 
Nei)cta  glcchoma 
Marrubimn  vulgare 
Myo.sotis  (4  var.) 
Lithospernium  arvense 
Lycopsis  arvensis 
Echium  vulgare 
Pinguicula  vulgaris 
Primula  veris     ... 
Trientalis  P>uropaea 
Lysimachia  nemorum   ... 
Anagallis  arven.sis 
I'lantago  media... 


Connncn  Heather  (Bee  Ileathei ). 

.Marsh  Andromeda. 

BilliL-rry  (Blaeberry). 

Cow  berry. 

Cranberry. 

Winter-green. 

Lesser  Periwinkle. 

Pleld  Gentian. 

Buck-bean  or  Marsh  Trefoil. 

Common  Henbane. 

Black  Nightshade. 

Woody  Nightshade. 

(heat  Mullein. 

Speedwell. 

Common  Yellow  Cow-wheat. 

Lesser-flowered  Yellow  Cow-wheat. 

Dwarf  Red-rattle. 

Marsh  Red-rattle. 

Knotted  Figwort. 

Purple  Foxglove. 

Ivy-leaved  Toad-flax. 

Yellow  Toad-flax. 

Yellow  Mimulus. 

Tooth  wort. 

Round-leaved  Mint. 

Common  Marjoram. 

\Yild  Basil. 

Wood  Sage. 

Black  Horehound. 

Wood  Betony. 

Marsh  Woundwort. 

(Iroimd  Ivy. 

White  Horehound. 

Forget-me-not. 

Corn  Gromwell. 

Small  Bugloss. 

Common  \'iper's  Bugloss. 

Conmion  Butterwort. 

Cowslip. 

Chickweed  Winter-green. 

Yellow  Pimpernel. 

Scarlet  Pimpernel. 

Hoary  Plantain. 


lAlNA    AND    FLORA. 


49; 


Chencpodiuni  iirbicum 
Po'.ygomini  (5  var. ) 
Empetrum  nigiiim 
Myrica  gale 
Junipenis  communis     . 
Orchis  mascula  ... 

maciilata 

latifolia  ... 
Gymnadenia  conop.sea. 
Habenaria  chlorantha  . 

viritlis 
Listera  ovata     ... 

cordata  ... 

nidus-avis 
Epipactis  latifolia 
palustris 
Allium  oleraceum 
Paris  quadrifolia 
Anacharis  alsinastrum  . 
Alisma  jilanlagi) 
Narthecium  ossifragun; 
Luzula  .sylvalica 
Eriophorum  (3  var.) 


Ujiright  Cioosefoot. 

I'ersicaria. 

Black  Crowherry  (  Craa-crooh ). 

Sweet-gale. 

Common  Juniper. 

Early  Purple  Orchis. 

Spotted  Orchis. 

Marsh  Orchis. 

Sweet-scented  Orchis. 

Butterfly  Orchis. 

Frog  Orchis. 

Common  Tvvayhlade. 

Heart-leaved  Twayblaile. 

Bird's-nest  Orchis. 

Bmad-leaved  Ilellehorim.' 

.Marsh  Helleborine. 

Streaked  Field  Oarlic. 

IK-ii.  Talis. 

Long-flowered  -Vnacharis. 

Orcat  Water  Plantain. 

Bog  Asphodel. 

( Ireat  Wood  Rusli. 

I  Iare"s-lail  Cotton-grass. 


FFRXS 


Polypodiuiu  vulgare 

I'hegopteris 
Dryopteris 
Poly.slichum  lonchitis  ... 

aculcatum 
I.^slrea  Orcopteris 
filix-nias 
clilatala 
Athyrium  filix  ffi-mina 
Aspleiiiuni  Irichoinaiii-s 
ruta-inuraria 
Scolopcndriuni  vulgar 
liicchniim  lioreal"- 
Pteris  nipiilina  .. 
Hymenophyllinn  Wilson i 
Osinunda  rcgalis 
Hotrychium  lunaria 


.\M)    .MOSSFS. 

Common  I'olypod). 

I'l'cch  I'crn. 

I  )ak  I-ern. 

Molly  Fern. 

( 'iiinmon  Prickly  l-'ern. 

I  kath  Fern. 

Male  Fern. 

Hroad  I'rickly  lnothetl  Iciii. 

I'hc  \M\y  Fern. 

Connnon  Wall  Spleenwoil. 

Rue-lcavf<l  Spleen  wort. 

Connnon  I  larl's  Tongue. 

N'tirlhern  Hard  IVrn. 

<  'unuDon  Brake  ( l^i'>-  '■■  >>  I- 

Wilson's  I'ilni  I'crn 

Uoyal  Fern. 

(/oninxtn  Moonwori. 


49^ 


iMM'i'.K  ((xuM-rrDAi,!';. 


l)phi<)glossuni  vulgaliini 
K<iuiseluni  sylviiticuni  ... 
1  .yi-opiiilium  cla\  at  uni . . . 


Common  Adder's  Ti)ngue. 

Wood  Hor.se-tail. 

Common  Clul)  Mo.ss  ( Sla:^horii). 


MOSSES    ON    SIMOXSIDK. 

(  Baker  and  Tate's  Flora,  and  Dr.    Hardf  s  Notes. ) 

AndrtMJii  ruiicstfis,  Hypnuni  lluitan-,  H.  conden.salum,  H.  ciuspidalum,  H. 
cupressiforme,  I'olytrichum  commune,  Leurobryum  glaucimi,  Aulacomnion 
]ialustrc,  Kartramia  fontana,  Bryum  pseudo-triquetium,  Dicranum  scoparium, 
D.  fiLScescens,  Mnium  hornum,  Jungeimannia  alljicans,  Gymnomitrium  con- 
cinnatum,  and  Sphagnum,  ranging  in  colour  from  deep  red  to  bright  green. 


"  An'  noiv  fareweel  I — dear  Coquet-side  I 
Aye  gaily  may  thou  rin, 
An"  lead  thy  waters  sparkling  on, 

An'  dash  frae  linn  to  linn  ; 
Blithe  be  the  music  o'  thy  streams 

An'  banks,  thro'  afterdays, 
An'  blithe  be  every  fi.sher's  heart 
Shall  ever  tread  thy  braes  I " 

—  Coqitetdale  Fishing  Sioug,  1825. 


^  -•  ^  f 


INDEX. 


Ad  1-  incs  camp,  6 

Adders  in  Upper  Coquet  and  Kidland,  102 

Alwinlon,  213;  border  watch  at,  30;  common,  157;  field  names,  217  ;  foothall, 
216:  freeholders,  215:    Hawsden   burn,   217;    inns,  216;    residents  (1828), 

215 

—  Church,  220;  area  of  parish,  23S ;  bastle  house  vicarage,  225;  brawling  in,  225; 

extracts  from  parish  books,  229-3S  ;    parish  stable,  229  ;    parsons  at,   230 ; 

jiopulation,  238  ;  sanctuar)'  in,  224  ;  vaults,  222 
Anglo-Saxon  townships.  156 
Archer,  Joseph,  poet,  381 
Armstrong,   Lady  (late),   393-436;    Lord  (late),  129-31-4-5-6-49-66,  320-3-9-45-7- 

50-b-63-84-5-6-7-94-6,  401-19-25-36-64;    private   life  of,    43S-42  ;    collages, 

420:    memorial  cross,  379;    Lord  and  Lady,  437;    Lord,    346,  422-53-56- 

62-66  :  Ord  and  Ralph,  478-9 
Aynsley,  Mark,  383 
1-Jarraburn,  26,  40 
Baslle-houses,  at  Alwinton,  225  ;  Bickerton,  314  ;  Burradon,  202  ;   llcpi)!e,  307  ; 

Newtown,   467;     Rothbury   Forest,    473;    Warton,    320;    Woodhouses   or 

I  iarecleugh,  287 
Bale.-.,  C.  j.,  145,  272,  336,  444 
Bertram.  Wm.,  135,  440// 
Bickerl'Hi.   312  ;   camp  at,  128;   field  names,  315  ;   grants  to  Ncwininsler,   312; 

held  in  .socage,  312  ;    murder  at,  313;   various  owners,  314;  .Snailiis,  314; 

Snawdons,  314  ;  theft  at,  313 
Biddkston,  243  ;  farm  |)roduce  prices  (1824),  249  ;  field  names,  249  ;   (lora,  244  ; 

|Mipulation,  250 ;  raid,  247  ;  residents  (1828),  249;   Royalists  and  lacobites, 

248  :  Selby  family,  243-54  ;  tower  at,  246  ;  at  Cole  Walls,  246 

—  Chajiel,  251  ;  I'apist.s  (1715-1745),  252;  priests  at,  252;  recusiints  (1677),  252 
Blindliurn,  16,  17 

Blythe.  .\.   k.,  23 

Bolani,  Christopher,  232;   I>avi(l,  iiS;  j.i  ..  bilm.  and  Ui.bi.,   170:   Win.  235 

Borderer,  the,  169,  173;  arms  of,  174 

Borderland,  ihe,  155;  Anglo-.Saxon  lownships,  156;  borderer,  llie.  i()9  ;  castles, 

159;  commons,   157  ;  nnisler  of  armed  men,   170;  Norman   owners,    15S; 

]K"le  lowers,  160;    Roman  causeways,  155;  w'alch  an<l  wanl,  1(k) 


ii.  INDEX. 

Border  Lrnlhcrini,',  93  :  marriage,   32  ;  raids,   15,  39,  46,  53-4-7,  161-9,  247,  339- 

69,  454-68-74  ;  watches,  30-1,  160,  3i4;/-20;;-3i-9-45-55,  425.50-4-6-68-74 
Boiinilary  (.'r<isses— Makendon,   7;   Hepple,  7,  309;   Rcjthbury,  396;  Thropton, 

457 

Brownharl  I.;i\v,  view   from,  13 

Hriiisli  IVriiul  -Alwinloii  Parish,  iio;  camps,  110-11-18-21 ;  "Five  Kings,"  122; 
remains  found,  41-2,  112-3-6-8;  terrace  cultivation,  ill  ;  Rothbury  Parish, 
173:  l)urial  mounds,  1 34-40-9  ;  camps,  123-5-6-8,  140-50-4;  Canon  C.reen- 
well  on.  130:  hut  circles,  144-9;  remains  found,  125-31-3,  145-50-4: 
sculptured  rocks,  144.50-4 

Burn,  Eli/..,  236  ;  Jas.,  22,  200-5-37  ;  Mary,  236  ;  Sir,  86 

Burradon,  260 ;  freeholders,  261  ;  \Vm.  Forster,  262  ;  ghost  at,  263  ;  CJilbert  ile, 
iSo;  old  owners  in,  260:  population,  265;  raid,  262;  spearhead  found,  262  ; 
lower  at,  262 

Bygate  1  lull,  ford.  26 

Caistron,  336;  camp,  126;  field  names,  338 ;  grants  to  Newminster,  336  :  hermits 
at,  ^^7  ;  school  at,  338  ;  Storeys  of,  33S 

Camjis — .\d  P'ines,  6  ;  Bickerton,  128;  Brinkburn,  148;  Caistron,  126;  Camp- 
ville,  118;  Chew  (ireen,  5;  Clennell,  III  ;  Cragend,  149.;  Craghead,  147; 
<  iallow  law ,  IIO;  Harehaugh,  121;  Lordenshaws,  140;  Makendon,  5; 
Newtown,  140;  Old  Rothbury,  150;  Pike  House,  147;  Robert's  Law,  117; 
Swindon,  123;  Tosson  Burgh,  12S  ;  West  Hills,  154;  Whitefield,  123 

Campville,  280;  camp,  118;  Dove  Crag,  280;  flora,  281;  gorge,  280;  Rob  Roy's 
cave,  2S0  ;   Roman  causeway,  2S0  ;   Major  Thompson,  owner,  2S0 

Carlcroft,  17  ;  John  Blown,  89  ;  house  warming,  92 

Carnaby,  Cuthbert,  267;  Jas.,  370;  Jane,  22;  John,  51  ;  Ralph,  370  ;  Sir  Wm., 
268  ;  Wm. ,  325 

Carr,  Ceo.,  171-90,  369,  467;  Robt.,  370,  478;  Thos.,  453  (Scotch);  Andrew, 
Jas.,  Robt..  Sir  Thos.,  Wm.,  53 

Car.shope,  iS 

Cartington,  349  :  Allcock,  350  ;  ancient  highway,  364  ;  antiquities  found  at,  359: 
architecture  of  castle,  355-8  ;  arms  of  Sherburne,  354  ;  Armstrong,  350  ; 
de .  Beaumonts,  349;  border  watch  at,  355;  de  Cartingtons,  349-50;  the 
castle,  354  :  chantry,  395  ;  chapel  well,  369  ;  Charletons,  354-60 ;  the 
CrawTords,  363 ;  field  names,  362  ;  Fitz-Main,  349 ;  flora,  365  ;  C.  C. 
Hodges  on  castle,  356-8;  Earl  of  Lancaster,  349;  Margaret  Queen  of 
Scotland  at,  351  ;  masons  marks,  360;  mill  at,  361  ;  nunnery,  354;  popula- 
tion, 363;  ])re-historic  remains,  363;  Radcliffes,  350-1  ;  restoration  of  castle, 
356;  I\oman  Catholic  recusants,  356;;;  royalists  at,  353;  Scotch  army  at, 
352;  .surroundings,  364;  Talbots  at,  350-60;  troops  at,  351  ;  Widdringlons, 
350-60;  witchcraft,  353 

Castles  in  Norlhmnberland,  159 

Cattle  stealing,  33-5-54 


IXDKX.  111. 

Chartiicrs  ;  rare  lily  al  ;  louHi  ;  dimensions  of  loagh,  4SS 

Chew  Clreen  camp,  5  ;  Scots  at  (1388),  7 

Chirnells.  362  ;  common,  157  ;  moor,  361  :  Chirluncl,  362 

Churches— Ahvinton,  220;  Biddleston,  251;  Ilartottle,  198;  Hepple,  308: 
Holystone,  277;  Memmerkirk,  42;  Rothbury,  390;  Throplon,  457 

Clavering,  248,  327-8-46-68  ;  E.  J.,  299  ;  Ro.,  51  ;  (also  see  Fitz-Roger) 

Clennell,  239  ;  camp,  in  ;  grants  to  Newminster,  239;  field  names,  242  ;  free- 
holders, 240;  Notes,  242;  tower  at,  240;  Geo.,  241;  jolm,  .'^15:  I.vike. 
222-41:  Percivall,  51,  164-72-91,  240- 1  ;  Robt.,  241;  Roger,  172:  Thos., 
}^^.  191,  222-39-41-66;  Wm.,  240;  also  see  Ahvinton  registers,  232-8: 
Anthony  Wilkinson,  owner,  241 

Collingwood,  326;  Capt.,  259;  Sir  CuthV)erl,  163;  Henry,  51,  261  :  lolin,  Kawfl, 
51  :   Robert,  170:  Samuel,  22:  Thos.,  51 

Collie  dogs,  61-3-4 

Common,  Cieo,  457  :   yohn.  191,  216-32;  Thos.,  205-10:  Wm.,  326 

Commons,  157 

Coquet  dale,  mills,  361  :  len  towns  of,  185 

Cottonshope,  7;  forest,  7 

Cowans,  James,  the  angler,  385 

Cragside,  430;  Debdon  valley,  430;  burn,  434;  glaciated  rocks,  434;  the  gorge, 
434;  lodges,  435  ;   long  service  at,  435  ;    Prince  of  Wales  at,  431  ;    scenery, 

433 
Cro.sses — Boundary,    7,    309-96,    457;     Kidlees    burn,    30;     Rothbury,    376-97: 

Sting,  56  ;  Wreighburn,  464 
Darre,  Lord,  181-2-3-9,  351 
Davy,  John,   369,   41 1-54-6-7-67  ;    R<jbl.,    172,    411  57-63:    Thos.,    172;    Wm., 

172 
Debateable  land-  Chew  (Ireen,  9  ;  folk-lore  story,  10 
Delchon,    Kdwd.,    172,  369,  467;    (leo.,    172,   325;  Oswald,  325-70;   IVl,  171  : 

K-'gi-T,  337-70;  Thos.,  357,  414 
I)o<l<ls,  Henry,  233-S-69-70 ;  Jas.,  232-71 
Donkin,   Haiilie,  323;   Kdwd.,  329;   "  I  lunling  Xed,"  333  :  J"hn,  333  :   Robt., 

147,  381,  420;  Samuel  (the  patriarch),  352-70;  Sam.,  370;  Wm  ,  332,  457 
Doubleday,  Thos.,  on  Rruhbury,  375 

Douglas,  Karl  of,  at  Chew  (Ireen  (138S),  7;  peace  negotiations  (1401),  9 
Drake  Stone,  186-96 
Drengagc,  tenure  of,  452 
l'',agles  ill  I  |(|)er  Ci)f|uel,  100 

Kallowlees,  gulls  at,  lough,  dimensions  nf  limgh.  4SS// 
Farm  Produce— Prices  in  1824,  249 
Farnham,  266;  Sir  Wm.  Carnahy,  268;  flints,  120;  freeholder^,  26S:    Riilnl.  de 

Horslcy,  266:    Robt.  de   Horslcy,   267;    Robt.  de  Ogle,  267  ;    Win.    Polls, 

268  ;  lower  al,  267 


iv.  INDEX. 

Fauna  and  Flora —KicUanil  and  Upper  Coquet,  96;  of  the  valley,  490;  Hiddleston, 
244;  Cartington,  365;  Holystone,  281;  Rothbury  Forest,  480;  Sharperton, 
271  ;  Sinionside,  4S9  ;  Low  Trewit,  346 

Fcnwick,  clan  of,  194;  John  de,  iSo ;  Richd.,  51  :  Roger,  350:  Robt..  261; 
T   C.  Fenwicke-Clennell,  194;  Wm.,  51 

Field  names.  217-42-9-68-93,  306-7- 15-7-2 1-6-8,  33S-48-62,  455-67 

I'-itz-Roger,  Robt.,  367,  449-52-55-68-76-89;  John  Fitz-Robt.,  369  (also  see 
Clavenng) 

F'lotlerlon,  316-27  ;  field  names,  317  ;  grants  to  Newminster,  316  ;  house,  318  ; 
old  owners,  317:  Lord  Oxford,  survey  (1724).  3^7'-  population,  317; 
Sundial,  318;  C.  Wealleans,  owner,  318 

F'olk-Lore — Debateable  land,  10;  Exciseman,  20  ;  ^^'edder  loup.  26;  Border 
marriage,  32  ;  a  crowdy,  60  ;  walking  sticks,  64  ;  collie  dogs,  64  :  snow- 
storms, 65  ;  lost  in  a  mist,  70 ;  rolls  in  Coquet,  74  ;  thunderstorms,  74  ; 
spates,  77  ;  Memmerkirk  priest,  85  ;  shepherd's  wife,  85  ;  Sir  Burn,  86  ; 
John  Brown,  89;  old  Coquetdale  worthies,  90  ;  social  gatherings,  91-2-3  ; 
a  curious  eagle,  loi  ;  the  Antiquary  and  the  lad,  120;  Wat  o'  Harden,  166  j 
Christie's  \Vill,  167  ;  Lord  Wm.  Howard,  168  ;  Robsons  of  Redesdale,  169  ; 
a  quiet  fair,  196  ;  Harbottle  lough,  197  ;  football  at  Alwinton,  216  ;  Nether- 
tonian  sayings,  257  ;  eggler's  adventure,  257  ;  droonin'  the  guse,  258 ; 
Good  names  all,  258;  Burradon  beggars,  263;  ghost,  264;  Holystone 
streets,  2S3  ;  the  Webster,  283  ;  Ned  Allan,  2S3  ;  a  dalesmen's  fray,  293  ; 
Hepple  swordsman,  300  ;  Coffee  bridge,  303  ;  Badger  inn.  ^04  ;  swing 
Ijridge,  304  ;  tree  at  Swindon,  305  ;  lawless  deeds,  313  :  border  champions, 
320 ;  a  big  wedding,  ^33  ;  Cuddy  Wintrip,  334  ;  the  plague,  339  ;  witch- 
craft, 353  ;  Miller's  mouter,  361  ;  Rothbury  market  cross,  378  ;  characters, 
382-6,  427;  curious  place  names,  455;  fishin'  in  Coquet,  42S  ;  the  "  tatie 
loon,"  455:  Betty  Ferguson,  470;  Boomer  gin,  479  ;  rate  collector,  479; 
named  rocks,  482  ;  Will  Scott  and  the  fox,  483  ;  Johnnie  Bright,  the  tailor, 
48^ 

F'orests — ancient,  472//  ;  Cottonshope,  7  ;   Rothbury,  472 

l-'ulhopc  liurn,  16;  fray  at  (1399),  15;   presentation  at,  90 

Ciallowlaw,  camp  at,  no;  Gallowedge,  195;  places  of  execution,  186 

Callows,  at  Alwinton,  186  ;   Harbottle,  186  ;  Hepple,  297  ;  Rothbury,  367 

tiamels  Path,  8  ;  warden's  court  at,  13 

Geology— Barrow  scar,  35;  Cragside,  434;  Harbottle,  188;  Keyheugh,  303; 
porphyry  hills,  35,  102;  sandstone  hills,  35;  Silurian  rocks,  16;  Simonside, 
481 

Clolden  I'ots,  8 

Green,  Arthur,  456;  Edwd.,  457;  Geo.,  467;  John,  172,  472;/;  Humphrey,  467; 
Leonard,  171  ;  Parsival,  454;  Radus,  477,;  Rafe,  475:  Robt.,  411-75; 
Rog.,  171:  Roger,  369,  414,  457;/-74-77  ;  Rowland,  474;  Thos.,  173; 
Tom  (ireen,  the  piper,  382  ;  \N'm.,  261,  456-68 


INDEX.  V. 

Greenwell — "British  Barrows,"  ni-6:  Canon.  1 17-8-9-20-3-5-30-9-44-50 
Harlx)ttlc  Castle,    177:   heseiged   by  Scots,    179:  extent  of,    1S4;  founder.    179: 

in  1157,  1174,  1218,  179;  in  1296,  1311,  1318,  1322,  1351,  180;  in  1415,  1515. 

iSl  ;  in  1509  1538,  1584.  182:  molehill,  178  ;  Queen  Margaret  of  Scotland  at. 

181  ;  remains  of  keep.  185;  ten  towns  of  Co<juetdale,  183 

—  Presbyterian    church.    198:    extracts    from    church    l)o()ks.    199-212;    list   of 

ministers,  203  ;  manse.  198-202 

—  Village,  188:  British  remains,  112-6:  common.  157;   Drake  stone,  196;  fiiir, 

195:  T.  C.  Fenwicke-Clennell,  194;  heronr)-,  197;  in  1415-1331,  189; 
longevity  of  inhah'tants,  191  ;  modern  mansion,  194  ;  population,  193  ;  Dr. 
Richardson.  192  :  soldiers  lodged  in,  189 

Hardy,  Dr..  40,  498 

Harehaugh,  292;  Bishop  consecrated  ai.  292;  cam]i,  121  ;  cockfights  at.  292; 
fray  at,  293  ;  the  Handysides  at,  292 

Medley,  Capt.,  on  Lordenshaws  camp,  140-4;  on  Tosson  Burgh  camp,  12S-30; 
on  Old  Rothhury  cam]),  151-4 

Heigh,  57 

Heights  of  hills  al)Out  Coqueihcad,  14:  Simonside,  485 

Hepple,  295;  Badger  inn,  304:  bamny  of,  295;  liastle  houses,  307:  characters, 
304;  church,  308-10:  comnKm,  157:  field  names,  306-7;  ("lihhet  cUise,  297; 
Jane  de.  297:  Rolu.  de.  38;  Keyheiigh,  303;  Kirkhill,  301;  Sir  Rohi. 
Ogle,  296:  Rohi..  Lord  f)gle,  297;  old  owners,  296;  jiapal  hulls,  301: 
jilace  names,  304  ;  i>opulation,  308  ;  Riddells  of,  300:  Rolil.  .Snowdon,  300: 
Swindon,  304;  tower  at,  296-S-9,  327;  village  of,  30S  ;  West.  307:  White- 
field.  302  ;  Woodside,  302 

Hill  stock,  "hirsels"  and  "packs,"  61 

Holystone,  273;  British  remains,  119:  characters,  283-4-5;  church,  277;  com- 
mon, 157;  field  names,  293;  flora.  281;  lady's  well.  274;  mill,  2S2 ; 
Mungo's  well,  275  ;  old  dwners,  274  ;  old  tombstones,  279  ;  |>opulali<in,  2S3 ; 
Potts  family,  278;  jiriory  rif,  274;  prior)'  seal,  276  residents  (1S28),  2S3  ; 
1  .  W.  Rich,  owner,  274;  Salmon  inn,  282  ;  streets  in,  283 

Horsley,  Culhl>ert,  267  ;  (leo.,  467  ;  John,  51.  191  ;    Margery,  277  :   Mivs  |•l•g^:y. 

35;   I'crcival,  253  ;  Richd..  215-66  ;  Kobi..  ro .  r.- :  K' •  1    iS,,    m.io  7; 

\Vm,,  170,  253 

Howanl,  Sir  Charles,  32 

Hunter,  Geo.,  475  :  Kdwil.,  476;  John.  416:   Koln.,  475  ;  Wm.,  4l6-75-6 

Illicit  stills,  at  Hei>ple.  304  ;  l<<«rv\  still.  iS  :  Slymi-  foi.i.  iS;  Tosvin,  333 

Jacobites,  248,  374,  456 

Kidland,  37;  Ixnindarics  of,  38:  cngic*,  lOO:  fminn  nnd  flora,  96;  bclKhlt  of 
hills.  38:  hills  of.  56:  in  16^13.  55:  inhnhilnnlH  (1811).  58;  KidlnmlliH'.  57: 
pbrc  names  48:  |>opulnlion,  56:  raids,  39;  Hhcniinck,  39;  Hlu'phndH.  jrj ; 

survey  (1541).  43 
I^-ikcs — Cli'riii.r,.  .(SS  :  Cr.ii'sid. .  .r,t  :   !>;»rdcn.  48S  ;  l-'nllowlces,  488 


vi.  INDEX. 

Linnbrigf;,  30  ;  cliffs,  30  ;  tnwoi  at,  34 

Liniisliools,  30:  l)ri(lsc,  33  :  fonl,  33  ;  "  Inch,"'  30 

Longevity  of  inhahitaiits,  192,  471 

Lordenshaws,  alignment  of  stones,  144;  camji,  140;  Capt.  Medley  on  camp,  140; 

hut-circles,  143  ;  sculptured  rocks,  144 
Lord's  Seat,  35 

Loungesknowe,  26  ;  border  gathering  at,  93 
Lyddell,  Sir  Harry,  326 

Makendon,  5;  Camp,  5;  boundary  cross,  7  ;  Silurian  rocks  at,  16 
Masons  marks,  360-91-96,  445 
Mavin,  Alex.,  370;  Edwd.,  171,  476;  Eliz.,  369;  Geo.,  411;  John,  370,  411-50; 

Paul,  370;   Philip,  458;   Robt.,  369-70     Thos.,  370;  Walter  the  Angler, 

384;  Wm.,  329-70;  Wydow,  475 
Memmerkirk,  42,  226-8 
^Middle  Marches,  49 

Milburn,  Christopher,  370;  Robt.,  370;  Wm.,  370 
Milkhope,  57 

Mills  in  Upper  Coquetdale,  361 
Mists,  69,  70-1 
Muster  of  armed  men,  170 
Niiherton,  255  ;    folk-lore,  257  ;   owners,  255  ;   population,  259  ;    presentation  to 

Walter  Selby  (1S45),  258 
Newcastle,  Marquis  of,  267-8,  306-25-52 
Nevvminster,  21-2,  37,  223-8-312-5-9-36-41  ;  Abbot  of,  351 
Newtown,  466  :   Robt.  Ashton,  469  ;  Bantlin  inn,  468  ;  bastle-house,  467  ;  Betty 

Ferguson,  470  ;    border  watch,   46S;/  ;    camp,    140  ;    Carlerside,  466  ;    corn 

mill,  468;   field  names,   467;    floods,  470;   freeholders,  467;   the  Howcys, 

466;    longevity  of  inhabitants,  471  ;   losses  by  the  Scots,  468;    population, 

471;   the  Proudlocks,  469;    Robt.   Fitz-Roger,  466;    Sele  burn,  470;    the 

Thompsons,  466  ;  \Volfhaugh,  466  ;  woollen  mill,  469 
Norman  lordships,  159  ;  owners,  159 

Northumberland,  early  castles  in,  159  ;  Earls  of  (.f*?^  Percy)  ;  forests  in,  472;/ 
Ogle,  Anthony,  345;  Cuthbert,    Lord,   325;  Edward,  371;  Ceo.,  172;   Henry, 

261  ;  Jas.,   370,  51  ;   Lancelot,   54;   Lord,  351  ;  Luke,   51  ;   Robt.   de,  267, 

325;    Lord,  488;    senior,   325;    Sir,   296,   371;   Thos.   de,  260,  370,  411  ; 

Wm.,  261 
Oxford,   Lord,  267;    at   Flotterton,   327:   survey  of,  268,  306-17-25;  at  Tosson, 

328  ;  at  Warton,  32S 
Park,  Eliz.,  326;  Cilbert,  319-20,  411-4  :   Hugh.  483;   Hugo,  453;  Mr.,  317 
Passpethe,.3o;  border  watch  at,  30 
Peniel  Heugh.  13 
Percy,  214,  362-8;   Duke  of  Xorilunnbcrland,  382,  424-7-66-77;  Earl  of  North- 

umlierland,  9,  369-71,  456-67-76-7 


INDEX.  vii. 

Populaliun,  of  Alwinton,  23S ;  Biddleslon.  250;  Bunadon,  265;  Carlini^lon, 
363;  Flollerton,  317  ;  Harhollle,  193;  Ilepple,  308;  Ilolyslonc,  283: 
Kidland,  56;  Netherton,  259;  Newtown,  471;  Rolhbury,  428;  Rolhbiiiy 
Forest,  477  ;  Sharperton,  269  ;  Snitter,  455  :  Thropton,  465  ;  Tos.^oii,  332  : 
Trewhitl,  348;  Whitton,  451 
I'ortland,  Duke  of,  267-97,  300-17-24 

I'otts  family,  267-8,  89,  320-45  ;   Anltmny.  413  :  (jco.,  171,  237  ;   lleniy,  4'  >-4  : 
Jas.,    171;  John,    172;  Joseph,    191  :    Lewes,    164;    Michael,   345:    Ral|)h, 
457;  Roger,  425;   Uoht.,  215,  370,  411  :  Thos.,  173,  475-7  :  Wm.,  170-91, 
370 
I'roudlock,  304-334,  469 
Ouickening  Cote,  29 
Radclifle,   Lady  Anne,  351  :   Sir  Cuthhert,    170,   351,   456;   Sir   Edwd.,  350-1, 

452-6;  Fra.,  51,  164;  Sir  George,  450-8.3;  Mary,  350;  William,  456 
Redhead,   Chas.,  370:  (labriel,   370;  Jacob,  477;  James,  475;  John,  370,  475- 

76-7  ;   Kobl.,  370-S,  41 1-4-78;   \Vm.,  269,  829-70:  of  Windyluiugh,  87 
Redesdale,  7-8.  13-14.  32,44:  boundaries,  178:  held   by   Maldred,    178;  Odinel 

de  Umfraville.  179;   Robt.  de  L'mfraville,  178 
Rich,   F.  W.,   owner  of  Dewshill,  286  ;   Holystone  and   \\  nodhall.   274  :  Wood- 
houses,  286 
Uiddell,  of  Hei)i)le,  300-1  :  Sir  John  Buchanan,  300;  Sir  J.  W.   1!.   l\i<lcli.ll,  112, 

302,  423  ;  Sir  Waller  Buchanan,  368  :  Waller  Roiierl,  302 
Ridlees  burn,  30  ;  cross  at,  30 
Isoberl's  Law  camp,  II";  muster  on,  170 
Roman  camp,  6;  causeways,  155,  347 

Rothiniry,  366;  ancient  strips  of  land,  423;  area  of  parish,  429:  Armstrong 
collages,  )20  :  .Vrmstrong  cross,  379-80;  Beggar-rig,  425;  bridge,  387; 
!H)rder  watch,  425  ;  Inill  Iroul,  428;  camp,  150;  characters,  381  ;  connnon, 
157;  Congregational  church,  419;  courts  leet,  368;  early  owners— John  de 
Clavering,  368;  freeholders,  370;  Sir  Robt.  Ogle,  371:  Henry  de  Percy, 
36S  ;  lohn  Filz-Robt.,  367;  Robt.  lilz-Roger,  367:  family  names,  369; 
tire  engine,  3S7  :  llaa'  hill,  371  ;  "  half  acres,"  424  ;  hill-side,  423  ;  Jubilee 
Hall,  423;  los.ses  by  Scots,  369;  market  cross,  I35-6-7-8-9;  masons  marks, 
445//;  old  almshouse,  420;  old  inns,  375;  old  houses,  372-3-4-5;  popula- 
lion,  42S  ;  Tolls'  chair,  425;  prison  al,  372  ;  race  bill  (1762),  377;  raids. 
369;  Royal  visits,  372;  schools,  421-3;  Scottish  lord,  425;  "  Ihrec  li.dl 
Moons''  inn,  372  ;  Thrum  mill,  426-8 
—  Church,  390;  .Xnglian  cross,  397;  bells,  400-2;  Bernard  (;il|iin,  407; 
Ixumdary  cross,  399:  burials  in  wi«>llen.  416:  Cartington  chantry,  395; 
charter  of,  405  ;  clergy  ami  oflicials  (1903),  417  ;  clock,  404  ;  coals  of  arms, 
394;  l-'.arly  English  piscina,  397;  foiU,  397=  ^rn\x-  slabs,  J9S  :  halchmenl. 
401  ;  masons  marks,  391-6;  Rectors  of.  410;  registers,  .jii  16;  Shciburni 
lomlislone,  397  ;  sundials,  402;  lilhcs,  409;  win'l.«^    \<j(j 


viii.  '  l\'l)K\. 

—  Forest,  472:  l);islk-  liMusc-;,  473:  border  walclics.  474;  Brilish  icmains,  140-S; 
Uruckley  Hall,  474;  decrease  in  poindalion,  477;  description  of  (1811),  473; 
extent  of,  473  ;  extinct  place  names,  477-!S  ;  family  names,  479  ;  flora,  480; 
l'"oresl  burn,  4S0 ;  "  Foresters,"'  479;  losses  by  Scots,  474;  old  place  names, 
476:  popidation,  477;  Railway  opened,  472;  Kobl.  Fitz-Koger,  476; 
residents  in  (1828),  478:  scenery,  480;  schools,  479;  survey  (1569),  476; 
towers  in,  474  ;  Sir  Wm.  Wallace  in,  476  ;  Thos.  Wharton,  474 

Roups  (public  sales),  34,  21 1-2 

Rowhope,  57  ;  burn,  18,  20 

Russell,  Loril,  killed  on  Windy  Ciyle,  50;  cairn,  51 

Selby,  222//-243-54  (.ff^  Alwinton  registers,  232-8);  Capt.,  215;  Charles,  252-3; 
Crystfero,  173;  Cuthbert,  173;  Ephraim,  252:  Jas.,  173,  217-52;  [ohn, 
173,  370;  Sir  John,  54;  Mr.,  226-7-8:  Olyver,  173;  I'ercivall,  173;  Squire, 
483;  Thos.,  51,  217-59,353;  Walter,  ^y,  presentation  to  Walter  (1S45), 
258,  Sir  Wm.,  226 

.Scots,  losses  by,  15,  39,  46,  54-;,  161-9,  339-69,  454-6374 

Sharperton,  266;  doorheads  at,  269-70;  field  names,  268:  llora.  271  :  free- 
holders, 26S  ;  Manpiis  of  Newcastle,  268;  "Ogle  lands,"'  267;  Lord 
O.'vford,  268;  jiopulalion,  269;  I'otts  famil),  267-8  ;  residents  ( 1828),  269  ; 
survey  of  Ugle  lands,  268  ;   Thos.  of,  266 

Shcalings,  32 

Sheejibanks,  268-9 

Shepherds  of  Kidland  and  Upper  Coquet,  59 

Shillhope,  Law,  "  Cleugh,"  "  Racks,'"  27 

Shillmoor,  27  ;  ford,  29  ;   French  prisoners  at,  28  ;  ( Jrds  of,  28 

Shirmondesden,  266  ;  extinct  manor,  271  ;  probable  site  of,  272  ;  one  of  the 
"  Tenn  Townes  in  Cubedale,"  272;  "  Thirnymesden,"  214;  various 
spellings  of,  271// 

Simonside  Hills,  481;  ascent  of,  486;  Blackcock  Hall,  483  ;  Johnnie  Bright, 
484  ;  Charlners,  48S  ;  "  Croppie's  hole,''  483  ;  l'"allowlees,  487  ;  flora,  489  ; 
geology,  481  ;  gulls,  488  :  heather  burning,  484  ;  historic  associations,  487  ; 
Thos.  de  Holm,  487  ;  iron  and  lead  workings,  478-9:  morasses  on,  488  ; 
named  rocks,  482:  "  Old  Stell,'"  483  ;  Roundheads  on,  487;  "Seaman's 
Sight,"  328  ;  Will  Scott,  483  ;  Selby's  Cove,  482  ;  sn<jwstorm,  485  ;  springs 
on.  489  ;  "  Synionsyde  beakon,"'  483  ;  \\'iu.  Aeitcli.  coxenanter,  487  ;  view 
from,  486  ;  weather  jjroverbs,  485 

Slyme  i'ool,  illicit  still,  18  :  public  house,  18 

Smuggling,  18,  304-23,  479 

Snawdon,  Alex.,  313,  314//,  414;  Anthony,  314,  314//:  Christ..  370;  I'.liz., 
314//;  Cyles,  411;  JdIui.  163,  314//,  325,  411  ;  Margt.,  326;  I'ercixal, 
314//:  Kobt.,  339-78,  413-4-74:  Roger,  413;  Rowland.  411;  Win..  313-4, 
411 


INDEX,  IX. 

Sniller,  452  :  ancient  earthworks,  453  ;  border  watch,  454  ;  drengage  Iciuire, 
452;  early  owners,  452;  farmers,  453;  field  names,  455:  freeholders,  453; 
•'  Half  Moon  "   inn,   453  ;  losses  by  Scots,  454  ;   population,  455 

Snowstorms,  60-5,  382,  485 

Socage,  tenure  of,  312 

Spates,  74-80 

Spearman,  (Hdeon,  478;  John,  475;   Robl..  320-70-477  ;   Roger.  172  :  Wni..  171 

Slorer,  Edwd.,  173;  Jas.,  307;  J(jhn.  172;  Kobl.,  172,  249,  370,  414-7^; 
Roger.  414-53:  Thos.,  172.  370.  453;  Wm..  172,  414 

Sundials,  229-56,  318,  402-49 

Tailbois,  Alianora,  295;  Sir  Geo.,  182;  Henry,  266-97,  3^5;  Sir  Henry,  260-95  ! 
Ivo.,  297;  Lucas,  325:  Luke,  38,  297;  Robl.,  324;  Waller,  297;  Sir 
Walter,  297  ;  Wm.,  297  ;  Sir  John,  299 

Tallxit,  Edwd.,  360  ;  dilberl,  460;  John,  350.  460 

Thirlmoor,  g 

Thompson,  Matthew,  329,  467;    Richd,  329;    Robt.,  329,  476;   Wni.,  467 

Throplon,  455;  border  watch,  456;/;  bridge,  460;  "  brig  stocks,"  457;  Hrethrens 
meeting  house.  462  ;  common,  157,  462,  crosses  once  at,  457  ;  early  owners, 
456;  freeholders,  456;  Greens  o(,  457;  Jacobites,  456:  Mission  cluuch,  462: 
l)ele  lower,  456;  Hiysick  Hill,  462;  I'resbylerian  church,  457;  churcli 
tokens,  458  ;  ministers,  458  ;  office-bearers,  459  ;  Roman  Catholic  chapel, 
459  ;  its  origin,  459  ;  its  founder,  460  ;  its  ])riesls,  460  ;  Robl.  i'ilz-Rogcr, 
455:  schools,  462;  Wreighburn  House,  463;  cross,  464;  W.  llawlhorn, 
464;  the  '"Sijital,"  464  ;   population,  465 

Thunderstorms,  74-80 

Tos^on  —  .\ncroft  glebe  lands,  324;  "  AUerdean  .Spittle,"  329;  border  watch, 
331  ;  Hurgh  Hill  camp,  128  ;  old  C(xjuetdale  names,  325-6;  the  Donkins  of, 
332-3  :  field  names,  326-8  ;  in  nineleenlh  cenlury,  323  ;  Little,  325-8  ;  old 
owners,  324;  survey  of  Ogle  lands  (1724),  325;  Lord  O.xford  at,  328; 
pctpulation,  332  ;  Lewis  I'roudlock,  |)oet,  334  ;  Roundheads  and  Royalists 
at,  331-2;  Rye  Hill,  329;  Tosson  mill,  329;  lower  at,  329:  TurnbuUs  of, 
m  ;  Cuddy  Wmlrip,  334  ;  Wolfershiel,  329 

Towers  in  Upper  C<K|uetdale,  34-6,  160,  225-40-6-62-7-87-96,  329-44-56-71,  443 
56-74 

Trewliiits,  the,  341  ;  early  owners,  341-2;  grants  to  canons  of  Hrinkburn  anil 
monks  of  Newminster,  341-2;  the  Hall,  347;  ilemesne,  347;  garden,  347; 
field  names,  :J48  ;  old  names,  348;  po|iulalion,  348;  Robert's  Law,  347; 
Roman  causeway,  347;  High,  346;  .Mkinson,  .\rmslrong,  Ciavering,  346: 
Nichol.s  of,  347;  I'olt,  I'ringle,  346;  Low,  343:  l)order  watch,  345;  the 
(iallon.snf,  345;  lake,  its  fauna  and  flora,  346;  mill,  345;  the  Rolls  family, 
345:  races  at,  346;  lower  al,  344:  Sir  I'lphraim  Widdringlon.  345. 

Tributaries  (»f  the  Co<|uel — Chew  sike,  11  ;  l''ulho|ie  burn,  U>  ;  liuclsli.iin's  walls 
burn,  17;   iiliiidburn,    16;  Carlcroft   liurn,  17:  Trows  ami   Rowhope    burns. 


X.  INDEX. 

20;  ]5aiia  hum,  20:   Dumljhopc  Imin,   26;   Uswiiy,  29  ;   Ridlees  burn,   30; 

Apostles"  sike,    104;   IJariow   Inuii.    36;   Alvvin,  213;    Holystone  burn,   275; 

Ilarecleugh  burn,    122;   Swindon   liurn,   303;   Bickerton   burn,   315:   Rithe, 

343;  the  Sole,  470;   Whilton  Dene  Imrn,  146;   Black   burn,  148;   Raw  burn, 

478;   Magj^iJd  burn,  473 
Trows,  57 
Turnbull  -Andrew,   235;    Clement,   215;  (J.    R..    116:    lieu.,    190-209-90,  ^J,i, 

458-85;  Jas.,  205-63;  John,  235-54;  Sir  John,  15;   Kubt.,  215,  381;  Thos., 

67  ;    Wni.,  202-3 
Umfraville,   Eliz.,   260;    Gilbert,    22,    180.    214-23,   60-6;    Odinel,   7,   37,    179; 

Richd.,  38,  179;   Robl.,  159-80-9;  Sir  Robert,  15,  180;  Wm.,  22,  37 
Urpeth,  Christopher,  453  ;   Eliz.,  454  ;   Francis,  457;  Henry,  468;  Johanna,  467; 

John,  172;   Robt.,454;  Thos.,  476;  Wm.,  453-77 
Usway  bmn,  29,  57 
Veitch,  Wm.,  covenanter,  200,  486 
Vesci,  Wm.  de,  179,  214-44-56-60-6-71-2,  362-7 
Walking  sticks,  64 
Warton,  319-28  ;  Abbot  of  Neuminster,  319;  Ixistle  houses  at,   320;   "Core  of 

Coquet,"    319;   held    names,   321;  old   owners,    319;    Polls    family  at,   320; 

Robt.  S|)earman  of,  320;   "Warton  ox,"  321 
Wardens  of  the  Marches,  meet  at  (iamelspalh,  13;  at   llexpelhgalehead,  50;  Sir 

John  Forster,  474 
Walling  Street,  6 
Watson,  John,  the  sexton,  3S3 
Wedder  Louj),  26 
Wharmoor,  18 

Wharton,  Richard,  370:   Kulil.,  302:  Tho>..  411-3-68-74 
W  hitel)urn  Shank,  57 

Whitefield,  Ilepple,  camp,  123;   house,  302 
WhiUon  Tower.  443  ;  architecture,  444;  border  watch,  450;  carved  shield,  444; 

common,    157-450;    manor  of,  449;    masons  marks,  445;    mural  chamber, 

447  ;  Rev.  C.  E.  Blacketl  ()u\,  rector,  443-9;  piscina,  447  ;  ])o])ulation,  451  ; 

l<jwer  (1828),  .||8;  turret  stair,  446;  Shar[)'s  folly,  448;  sundial,  440;   Wm. 

Allan,  450 
N\  holehojie,  57 
Widdrington,   Christiana,   353;    Sir    Kdwd.,   226,   352-95,   453-7;    Sir   Kphraim, 

345;  Lord,  352;  Mr.,  317;  RoIjI.  (priest),  228-53;  Roger,  32,  261,  350-1-2; 

Thos.,  51  (also  see  li.sl,  360) 
Wi  Ik  wood,  lease  of,  ^^ 
Windygyle,  Eord  Russell  killed  on.  50 
Wilkin.son,  Anthony,  owner  of  Clennell,  223 
Windyhuugh,  21  ;  preachings  at,  23;  school  at,  23 


INDEX.  XI. 

Woodhouses,  286;  the  beacon,  122;  Beacon  Grange,  286;   "cuslomaiy  tenants,"' 

289;    Dews  Hill,  286;    field    names,  293;    the  "Five  Kings,"    122,   292; 

Killbuck  house  burnt,   293:   "  pele"  at,  287-90;  Pott  family,  289;    F.   W. 

Rich,  owner  of,  286  ;   survey  of  (1604),  288 
Wreighburn,  463 
Wreighhill,  338  ;    border  watch,  339  ;    depopulated  by  the  plague,  339  ;    granted 

to  monks  of  Xewminster,  336  ;    pillaged  by  the  Scots,  339 


END   OF    INDEX. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


NOV  071989. 


Form  L9-25m-9,'47(A5618)444 


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