A.

PEDIGREE OF HODGSON.

From Burke's Commoners, with additions by Richard Welford.

William Hodgson, lessee with Sir Wm. Riddell and
others, of the manors of Gateshead and Whickham,
coalowner and landowner at Whickham, where he
held several copyhold tenements in right of his wife.

Agnes, widow of
John Harrison.

'The above fits" Whickham George," if we suppose that 1669 is a misprint for 1667-a very likely error. My additions I have put within parentheses. I have several deeds relating to the Killingworth and Partis families, and if John, in Burke, was the husband of Mehitabel, the Nonconformist or rather Puritan connection seems to be established.'-Richd. Welford.

PEDIGREES OF HODGSON, KILLINGWORTH, AND PARTIS. 197

MEMO.-1656, June 9.-Francis Wetwary of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, draper, and George Hodgson, of the same town, assign to Thos. Brignall, of Whickham, gentleman, 4 acres of land in the south field of Whickham, with all coal mines, pits, and seams of coal under the said 4 acres, with liberty to dig, sink, work, and make pits for the getting of coals.-MS.

1682-83, February 23.—Witness to the will of Oliver Killingworth of Killingworth (a famous nonconformist family), Luke Hodgson with William Cutter.

1705, June 14.-Witness to a deed relating to the manor of Killingworth, in which John Hodgson and Mahitabel, his wife, daughter of Thomas and Mehitabel Partis (the Madam Partis of Ambrose Barnes's Memoirs), and daughter of Oliver Killingworth were parties-Luke Hodgson.

The particulars give inter-marriages with the Killingworths of Killingworth, and other strong Puritan families, but for the positive connection with the Quakers we only have the historian's statement. The name does not appear in the notes from the records before me, nor is it mentioned amongst the Quakers of Whickham who were cited to Durham in 1673, but in the same year Luke Hodgson, Nicholas Hodgson, and Massiam Hodgson, all of Whickham, were cited to the Durham Court for not paying church cess. The registers of the Society of Friends at Devonshire House have been most kindly searched for me, and they afford no particulars of any Quaker burials at Whickham or Quickham as it was often called, nor do they give any record of the death of George and Aibiah Hodgson. William Cutter who appraised Hodgson's goods was with his wife in July, 1667, at the celebrated conventicle held at the house of Mr. Richard Gilpin, in the White Freers,' at 6 o'clock in the morning, when the doors were broken open, and the names taken of all who were present. It was at the house of 'Madam Partis,' a relative of Hodgson's, that Mr. Thomas Bradbury delivered his noted speech. These circumstances and the various marriage relationships lead one to think that the Hodgsons were not Quakers, but belonged to some other body of nonconformists. On the other hand, George Hodgson's great-greatgrandson, John, who purchased Elswick in 1720, undoubtedly belonged to the Society of Friends, and was interred in their burying ground in Pilgrim street in 1749. Richardson in the Table Book, His. vol. ii. p. 25, gives an account of the same, and a copy of the family arms.

That a burying ground did exist at Whickham, other than that around the parish church, is beyond a doubt. The first field on the right-hand side of the path that leads from the high end of Whickham to Swalwell, and numbered 670 on the large Ordnance map, is locally known as the 'Graveyard' or 'Kirk Garth field,' and there are those still living in the village who hand down the tradition that it was from this field that the stones were removed to the churchyard in 1784. One native assured me that he remembered seeing other stones in the same field at the early part of the present century.

Upon a recent visit to Whickham I was kindly allowed to search the parish registers, but I could find no mention of the burials of George and Aibiah Hodgson, or any reference to the removal of the stones. A book in the church safe marked 'An ancient award of Common Lands in the Parish of Whickham' gives a full acount of the division of the lands in 1691. Luke Hodgson was awarded 77 acres, Henry Hodgson, jun., 43 acres 2 roods 7 poles, and Henry Hodgson, sen., 23 acres, fully verifying the inscription on the stone.

I am informed that the two stones at the church were originally standing upright, but at some 'restoration' were placed in a recumbent position, since which the inscription has become very much defaced.

WEST BOLDON.

Another volume at Somerset House has the following endorsement: This book bought by me Robert Linton att Randalls shop Newcastle, in or about the year 1678 wch cost me four shillings.' From entries therein we have records of burying grounds at Boldon, South Shields, North Shields (high end), and Cullercoats; each of which I shall review in order.

The Boldon ground was in the orchard of Christopher Trewhitt. How it came to be established there the records of the society shall show in their delightfully quaint style. Our Meeting at Sunderland was held at ye house of George Humble, at ye beginning, who was a faithful man, and died a Prisoner for his Testimony, in reproving a persecuting Justice (so-called) namely George Lilburn, who [George Humble] after he died was brought home & buried in his own ground at Sunderland aforesd, where severall oth' frds children were likewise interred. But in process of time, when frds increased, our burying

place was usually, at West Bowden in ye garden of Christopher Trewhitt, where to omitt naming of them, a great many of our frds were buried, as also from Shields, but it being far from us at Sunderland, and ye waters tedious oftentimes, especially in the winter season, In ye year 1670 the Lord stirred up ye mind of Richard Willson1 and Wm Maull, to purchase a more convenient Burying Place, wch in due time they gott accomplished & bought a parcell of ground, a coppyhold Estate, in a place called ye Panfield in ye Parish of Bpps wearmouth.' Then follows a long account of how the enclosure walls were provided, etc., but as Sunderland does not come under consideration I must pass on.

The earliest note that I have of a burial at Boldon is in 1657, when Eleanor Harper, wife of Roger Harper of Sunderland, was interred at 'West Bowden.' Another entry says, 'In Christopher Trewitt's Orchard at West Bowden.'

I give what particulars I have gathered of the Trewhitt family. In 1664, 'William Trewhitt of West Bowden had his goods distrained upon for £3 6s. 8d. by a Bailiff for R° Chapman, priest.'

In the list of recusants for 1686, we find Joseph Trewhitt, George Trewhitt, and his wife.

George evidently married Isabella Walker, according to the rules of the society, as the subjoined entry shows:-'At the meeting at Gateshead 13 day of . . . Month 1675 George Trewhitt, of Bowden, declares ye 2nd Tyme, his Intentions of Taking Isabella Walker, of Monckhesleton, to Wife a certificate Redd from ye Meeting at Sunderland, to wch she Belongs, giveing their consent, and soe passed with ye consent of ffriends Heare.' This marriage is confirmed by records of Boldon which inform us that in September, 1677, George Trewhitt and his pretended wife were cited to the court at Durham 'for procureing themselves to be clandestinely married.' (See Appendix III. p. 208.) This being the expression used for all marriages of nonconformists.

Some members of the family were also cited for being Quakers,' and for not paying clerks wages."5

6

In 1689, the Boldon family were again harassed for Tythes.'

See Appendix II. p. 208.

Surtees, vol. 40, p. 218.

1689. 4 m. 'Charles Basier," of Bowden, in the county of Durham, because he could not get Wool from Joseph Trewitt, for Tythes, sent his men Robert Thompson, and Wm. Johnson, who instead thereof, took away a Lamb, worth ffour shillings and sixpence.

And in the

6

m

sent his men aforesaid, who took from the said Jos. Trewhitt, Two Thrieves of Bigg, worth Two Shillings, and one Waine Load of Hay worth 20s. They took more from him, 7 Threeves of Wheat altogether in one Row, and 3 Threave of Oates -Altogether to ye Value of 7s. 6d. in all to the value of Three pounds 12s. & 6d.

And the same Joseph Trewhitt having Tenn Riggs of Bose The afore s 2 Men, took up one halfe Rigg together, and the Impropriator the other half to the Value of 12.6.

More corne taken from said Joseph Trewhitt by Rob Carnaby Impropriator, the like Quantities as by the Priest, to the said value of ffour pounds, nine shillings & sixpence.

Taken from him in all

3 12 6

0 12 6

496

819 0

In 1661 William Trewhitt was taken prisoner at South Shields and for some time confined in Tynemouth castle, but of this I shall give an account when I come to remark upon the burying ground at South Shields.

William Trewhitt died about 1677, his will is dated November 30th of that year, he names himself as William Trewitt of West Boldon, yeoman, and leaves George Trewitt and Thomas Wood his executors, and directs that his property be sold and divided in the following

Would that

'Ye charges' at his funeral are quoted at £1. funerals were conducted as simply in the present day.

Christopher Trewhitt lived to see quieter times. From the calen dar at Durham I find his estate was administered to in 1692, but unfortunately the document is not now to be found.

6 Rector of Boldon, 1673-1691.