THE MANOR OF HALTWHISTLE.

173

In 1844 an Act of Parliament was obtained for the division of the remainder of the common and also of the rig or dale lands. The common contained about 1,360 acres yet undivided. Under the Act, one-sixteenth was allotted to the lord and ladies of the manor in consideration of their manorial rights, three large plots were sold to pay the expenses of the division, and the remainder was divided amongst those entitled to right of common. The rig or dale lands have a peculiar interest in that they were relics of the old system of farming when the farmers had each his toft and his croft and his share in the common fields. In each field each freeholder had his rig or dale, and this was convenient when perhaps the manor possessed only one plough for which every farmer contributed an ox and the village blacksmith the irons and so on, but it was altogether out of date and inconvenient under the modern system, one particular disadvantage being that no system of drainage was possible in plots of land seldom or never exceeding one acre in extent. By comparing the old documents relating to Lord William Howard's tenants, and a map made by the commissioner for the division, we can get a fair idea of these common fields. We see first that every tenant had his 'Message Barn and Garth,' and also 'Lands Lyeing in' various places. Haltwhistle Haugh was the land lying south of Edenslawn and the churchyard by the riverside. The East field may have been situated near the foot of the burn. The West fields perhaps lay on either side of the road leading to Bitchelgate, and the field called Wilyae lay to the north of the town. Besides these we have Bayfield Haugh in the older document (perhaps the Bogfield which lies between Edenslawn and Haltwhistle Haugh), and in the map we find that dale lands lay south of the river in Bellister Haugh, and that there were other plots at Bitchelgate and Tippalt Foot (perhaps also parts of the Westfields). These were all divided into convenient fields according to the several interests of the owners thereof.

The Misses Heron bequeathed their moiety to the surviving children of their friend, Mr. John Adamson of Newcastle. The Adamsons afterwards acquired the other moiety by purchase from Mr. Bower, thus becoming sole lords of the manor; and it may be noted as another curious coincidence that the Adamsons are descended (by a chain with several female links) from the original grantee through the

families of Darcy, Dodsworth (of Thornton Watlass) and Blythman (of Westoe).

The manor could not pass through such a tenure as that of Miss Cuthbertson without some serious depreciation; but the present lords still hold the old Tower, the Castle Hill, the Water Corne Milne,' the Fulling Milne or Walke Milne,' the Dying house' (in the occupation of Mr. Saint whose ancestors have for several generations carried on business therein), the Coalery Coale Mines or Seames of Coales' (still worked for the supply of household coal), the Town Foot Farm representing the old demesne lands, and the Leas Hall Farm, allotted in lieu of the lord's rights over the common. This latter farm is bounded on the east by Haltwhistle Burn, which, as it flows for a short distance between rugged cliffs of valuable freestone, presents to view one of those picturesque spots which are characteristic of the county of Northumberland.

APPENDIX.

PEDIGREE OF DE ROS OR DE Roos.

Arms: Gules three water bougets arg.

Peter de Ros, lord of Adeline, one of the sisters and co-heiress of
Ros in Holderness. Walter de Espec, lord of Hamlake (Helmsley).

DESCENT OF HALTWHISTLE MANOR.

175

SKETCH PEDIGREE TO ILLUSTRATE THE DESCENT OF HALTWHISTLE MANOR IN THE EIGHTEENTH AND NINETEENTH CENTURIES.

Alice, dau. of William de Ros, the great grandson of Fursan, married Nicholas, lord Meinill of Whorlton.

Elizabeth, her only dau., married John, 2nd lord Darcy, who fought at Crecy with his father, and died 1356.

John, 3rd lord Darcy, died a minor s.p.

Philip, 4th lord Darcy, married Elizabeth, dau. of sir Thos. Grey of Heton and widow of Roger Widdrington. He died 1398.

John, 5th lord Darcy, married Margaret, dau. of Henry lord Gray de Wilton.
Philip, 6th lord Darcy, married Eleanor, dau. of Henry lord Fitz Hugh, and
died 1418, under age, leaving two daughters, one of whom,
Margery Darcy, married sir John Conyers of Hornby, knt.
Margaret Conyers married Rowland Place of Halnaby.
Matilda Place married Thomas Dodsworth of Thornton Watlass.
Richard Dodsworth married Dorothy Wyvil.

(? William Dodsworth, another son, father of Laurence.) Katharine Dodsworth married her cousin Laurence, and her daughter

Margaret Dodsworth married William Blythman of Gateshead and afterwards of Westoe.

Edward Blythman married Jane Cook in 1597.

Edward Blythman married Mary Chambers in 1617.

William Blythman married

Mary Blythman married Henry Eden, M.D.

Jane Eden married Cuthbert Adamson in 1708.

Blythman Adamson married Eleanor Thirkeld.

Cuthbert Adamson married Mary Huthwaite.

John Adamson married Elizabeth Huthwaite in 1812.
Edward Hussey Adamson.

William Adamson.

Charles Murray Adamson.

Sarah Mary Adamson.

John James Adamson.

HALTWHISTLE FAIR.

Hodgson quotes a writ showing that in 1207 king John granted a weekly market to Robert de Ros. Rex vicecomiti Northumbriae.-praecipimus tibi quod facias habere Rob. de Ros unum mercatum apud Altewis' singulis septimanis per diem jovis quia illud ei ibi concessimus nisi sit, etc. Teste me ipso apud Oxon x di Febr. A. r. n. 8vo. (Rot. Lit. Claus. temp. Johan, p. 77.)

At the date of this John of England and William the Lion of Scotland were at war with each other.

Confirmation Roll. 7 Henry 8. Part 2, Membrane 13.

D' Confirmac'o'e Edwardo Musgrave. Rex Omnibus ad quos haec salutem Inspeximus cartam domini Edwardi nuper Regis Angliae primi Progenitoris nostri factam in hec verba. Edwardus Dei Gratia Rex Angliae Dominus Hiberniae & Dux Aquitaniae Archiepiscopis Episcopis Abbatibus Prioribus Comitibus Baronibus Justiciariis Vicecomitibus Prepositis Ministris & omnibus ballivis & fidelibus suis Salutem. Sciatis nos concessisse & hac carta nostra confirmasse dilecto & fideli nostro Willielmo de Ros de Yoltone quod ipse & heredes sui imperpetuum habeant unum mercatum singulis Septimanis per diem Jovis apud manerium suum de Haut wyselle in Tindale in comitatu Northumbriae & unam feriam ibidem singulis annis per tres dies duraturam videlicet in vigilia & in die & in crastino Invencionis Sanctae Crucis & unam aliam feriam ibidem per tres dies duraturam videlicet in vigilia & in die & in crastino Sancti Martini episcopi in hyeme nisi mercatum illud & ferie ille sint ad nocumentum vicinorum mercatorum & vicinarum feriarum. Quare volumus & firmiter praecipimus pro nobis & heredibus nostris quod predictus Willielmus & heredes sui imperpetuum habeant predicta mercatum & ferias apud manerium suum predictum cum omnibus libertatibus & libris consuetudinibus ad hujusmodi mercatum & ferias pertinentibus nisi mercatum illud & ferie ille sint ad nocumentum vicinorum mercatorum & vicinarum feriarum sicut predictum est. Hiis testibus venerabilibus patribus W. Ebor Archiepiscopo Angliae primate W. Covent'r & Lich J. Cicestr. R. London' & J. Kafliol' Episcopis Henr' de Lacy Comite Lincoln' Guidone de Bello Campo Comite Warr' Hugone le Despenser Rob'to fil' Ric' Rog'o de mortuo mari Petro de malo lacu & aliis. Datum per manum nostram apud Karliolum decimo octavo die marcii anno regni nostri tricesimo quinto. Nos autem cartam predictam ac omnia & singula contenta in eadem rata habentes & grata pro nobis & heredibus nostris quantum in nobis est acceptamus & approbamus ac Dilecto & fideli nostro Edwardo Musgrave militi nunc tenenti manerii de Hautwysel predictum & heredibus suis ratificamus & confirmamus prout carta predicta in se rationabiliter testatur. In cujus haec T. R. apud Westm' xiiij. die Aprilis.

Pro decem solidis solutis in hanapio.