NORTH DURHAM.

T

HE name of North Durham has commonly been applied to those parts of the county situated between the Tyne and Tweed, and insulated from the rest of the palatinate by Northumberland. They bear the distinctive appellations of Bedlingtonshire, Islandshire, and Norhamshire, and have hitherto been generally included in descriptions of the county of Northumberland.* Their dependence on the county of Durham is, indeed, gradually expiring; for, by the Boundary Act, 2 & 3 Will. IV. c. 64, they are annexed, in the election of members of parliament, to the Northern Division of Northumberland; and a bill is now (April, 1834) in preparation for disuniting them altogether from Durham, and attaching them to Berwick-upon-Tweed.†

BEDLINGTONSHIRE, or BEDLINGTON PARISH.-About the beginning of the 10th century, Cutheard, the second bishop of Chester, purchased this district out of the funds of St. Cuthbert, and gave it to the see. It was sold, in 1659, to Robert Fenwick, Esq., for £1296; but, on the Restoration, it was again given up to the church, and is as yet included in the East Division of Chester Ward. It is bounded on the east by the German Ocean, and on the north and south by the rivers Wansbeck and Blyth, and contains 191,000 acres, or about 30 square miles. It is divided into the following townships :-Bedlington, Cambois and North Blyth, Choppington, Netherton, and East and West Sleekburn. The population, in 1821, was 1862, inhabiting 292 houses; and the annual value of property assessed to the county-rate, in the year 1828-9, was £9877. The Bedlington Iron Works have long been carried on extensively by various firms.

ISLANDSHIRE and NORHAMSHIRE were granted by King Oswald to the first Christian bishop in his dominions; and the donation was confirmed by several succeeding monarchs, including Alfred the Great, and his dependent, Guthred, king of Northumberland. They occupy a triangular area of about 72 square miles, at the northern extremity of that county, and are bounded on the north-east by the sea, on the north-west by the Tweed, and on the south by Bambrough and Glendale Wards. Islandshire contains the parish of Holy Island, the three parochial chapelries of Ancroft, Kyloe,

* See the respective works of Hutchinson, Mackenzie, &c.

+ It is not easy to conjecture why this place has been chosen in preference to the county of Northumberland, in which the districts alluded to would have been more naturally included. As far as relates to Bedlingtonshire at least, the existing inconveniences will be only removed, literally speaking, and not abolished.

This island lies in the German Ocean, 1 mile from the main land. By the ancient Britons it was called Inis Medicante, also Lindisfarne, the latter a compound of Lindis, the name of a river which runs into the sea from the opposite land, and the Celtic word Fahren, a recess; but, on account of its religious appropriation, it was subsequently called Holy Island. At low water, the sands between it and the main land are left nearly dry. Exclusive of a narrow spit of land which extends about a mile in length to the west-north-west, the island is about 6 miles in circumference, and contains about 1000 acres of land, half of which on the north side consists chiefly of barren soil and sand-hills. There is a lake of 7 acres in extent on the north-west corner, and some curious caves on the west. The south-east corner of the island is terminated by an almost perpendicular rock of a conical figure, which rises to the height of 60 feet, and is crowned with a small fort or castle. The antique ruins of the abbey and cathedral church, though they have been frequently plundered for the erection of houses in the village, are still magnificent, and are now kept from further decay by their proprietor, H. C. Selby, Esq., of Swansfield, near Alnwick. The length of the church is about 138 feet, and

and Tweedmouth, and the townships of Elwick and Ross, which belong to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Belford parish, in Northumberland. In 1821, these contained 1347 houses and 7856 inhabitants; and the assessed annual value of property, in 1828-9, was £32,326. Norhamshire consists merely of the extensive parish of Norham, which contains the chapelry of Cornhill, and the townships of Duddo, Felkington, Grindon, Horncliffe, Horncliffe Loan End, Longridge, Norham,* Norham Mains, Shoreswood, Thornton, and Twizell. The whole, in 1821, contained 3906 persons, inhabiting 725 houses; and the annual value of property assessed to the countyrate, in 1828-9, was £21,045.

its breadth 36 feet; and the style of architecture resembles, in a great degree, that of Durham cathedral. After the desertion of this place by the monks, the original monastery was destroyed; but a cell of Benedictines, subordinate to Durham priory, was subsequently established, the annual revenues of which at the dissolution are stated in Dugdale at £48, 18s. 11d., and in Speed at £60, 5s. The parish church stands within a few yards of the ruins.

The Farn Islands "form two groups of little islands or rocks, to the number of seventeen; but, at low water, the points of several others appear above the surface; they are all distinguished by particular names.” The House Island is distant 1 mile and 68 chains from the coast, and is the largest of the group, memorable as the place where St. Cuthbert passed the last years of his life, and as the retirement of Ethelwold, St. Bartholomew, and Priors Thomas and Melsonby. A Benedictine priory was established here; and the remains of a church and some other buildings are still to be seen, together with a stone coffin, in which, it is said, the holy St. Cuthbert was first interred. The revenues of the priory were valued, at the dissolution, at £12, 17s. 8d. per annum. There is a light-house upon this island, and another upon that called the Staples, 3 miles further east. The Meg-rock, the Pinnacles, the Plough, and the Goldstone, are the names of other islets, the most distant of the group being 7 or 8 miles from the coast. "Some of them yield a little grass, and serve to feed a cow or two, which the people are desperate enough to transport over in their little boats." -Pennant, View of Northumberland, &c.

* Norham Castle is situated on the top of a high steep rock, on the south bank of the Tweed. Bishop Pudsey built the great tower, which is still to be seen, and is 70 feet high, consisting of four stories. Towards the river, the ruins now hang upon the verge of the precipice, and have been partly washed away by the encroachments of the stream. The wall, stretching from the Tweed on the south side, was guarded with a strong tower gateway. The passage bending towards the east, through the wall, was very steep, and guarded by another large gateway, strengthened by two heavy round flanking towers, and a wide moat, which extended round the castle on the land side, enclosing a spacious area, fortified by a strong wall, garnished with demi-bastions, to defend the keep or main tower, the vaults or prisons of which are yet entire. whole is constructed of soft red freestone, and has a very gloomy appearance.

The

In 1138, after a gallant defence, the town and castle of Norham were taken and destroyed by King David I. of Scotland, but were restored again by Bishop Pudsey in 1154. The pusillanimous King John was several times at Norham, in treaty with the Scots; and, in 1215, he besieged the castle, in consequence of the Northumbrian barons having paid homage to Alexander II. of Scotland, but in 40 days he was obliged to raise the siege. The ambitious Edward I., in 1292, met the Scottish nobles in Norham Castle, and, in order to decide the contest for the vacant crown of Scotland, requested them to acknowledge him as Lord Paramount of all Scotland, which, after some deliberation, was agreed to, and judgment was pronounced in favour of John Baliol, who swore fealty to Edward in the castle of Norham, before many nobles of both nations. In 1318, Norham was besieged by the Scots, but was so ably defended by its governor, Sir Thomas Grey, and the Lords Percy and Neville, that it was preserved from the hands of the enemy. In 1322, however, they gained possession of the fortress, but retained it only for a short period, being compelled to abandon it by King Edward, after an assault of ten days. On the night of the coronation of King Edward III., the Scots attempted to surprise the castle; and, in the following year, they took it by storm, but did not hold it long. In 1355, a party of Scottish troops, under Sir William Ramsay, burnt and plundered the town; and, in 1498, the castle, which had been repaired by Bishop Fox, was besieged for sixteen days by James of Scotland; but, on its being relieved by the Earl of Surrey, the besiegers were obliged to retreat. Previous to the battle of Flodden Field, the Scots again assaulted the castle here, and, by the advice of a traitor who had deserted the garrison, gained possession of it. Bishop Barnes alienated Norham to the crown; and the manor now belongs to the Haggerston family, and the castle to Sir Francis Blake, Bart., by whom the ruins are carefully preserved.-View of Northumberland.

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ADDEND A.

ADDITIONS, CORRECTIONS, &c. TO VOLUME I.

In page 1, the parishes in Chester Ward are arranged according to the old divisions of the Wards. Monkwearmouth is now attached to Easington Ward; and Esh, Witton-Gilbert, Kimblesworth, and St. Oswald, form part of Durham Ward.

SOUTH SHIELDS.-Page 34. A new church was consecrated at South Shields on Tuesday, September 16, 1834.

Page 46. The Seamen's Loyal Standard Association was, in 1832, enrolled as required by act of parliament; and Robert Ingham, Esq., M. P., Robert Anderson, Esq., and Mr. Joseph Hargrave, were appointed, and still continue, trustees of the funds, &c. The business of the society is now performed at the Seamen's Hall, in Fowler Street, which was erected for the purpose, at the expense of the members, in 1832. In February, 1834, a nautical school for the members was commenced under the direction and management of Mr. John Harper.

USWORTH.-Page 77. On June 2, 1831, the foundation stone of a chapel of ease to Washington church was laid at Usworth. A piece of ground for its scite and a cemetery was presented by Lord Ravensworth and partners; and the building was forwarded by the exertions of the Rev. H. Percival and a few of the principal proprietors of the parish. The style of architecture is that of the early pointed Gothic, and is from a design of Mr. Green, architect, of Newcastle.

LAMBTON CASTLE.-Page 142. In 1833, Lord Durham was elevated to the title of Earl of Durham. STELLA-Page 193. The new Catholic chapel here was opened with great pomp on October 12, 1832. LANCHESTER.-Page 216. On September 13, 1834, the bishop of Durham finally confirmed the augmentations of Lanchester, Stockton, Satley, Etherley, Esh, &c. free of expense, to the different incumbents. The whole of them are now comfortable livings.

SATLEY CHAPELRY.-Page 230. The bishop has given the handsome sum of £220 towards the building of a parsonage at Satley, which is going on rapidly.

EDMUNDBYERS.-Page 252. On June 29, 1829, the foundation stone of a bridge of one arch, over a dangerous ford in the river Derwent, between Greenhead and Edmundbyers, was laid by Nicholas Burnett, Esq., of Black Hedley.

SUNDERLAND, &c.-Page 293. The Catholic chapel in Dunning Street not being large enough for the increasing congregation, a new and beautiful structure is now (1834) building in Bridge Street, which, when finished, will be capable of holding upwards of 1500 persons, and, from its situation and the superior style of its architecture, will be one of the principal ornaments of the town.

Page 310. Rowland Burdon, Esq., obtained a patent for his method of constructing the iron bridge. Page 317. An attempt to procure the erection of a Custom-house at the entrance of the New Markets having failed, an arcade is now erecting there. Its internal arrangement, however, will be such as to render it capable of being, at any future time, converted into a Custom-house. Page 324. A bill for the formation of a dock on the south side of the harbour having been thrown out by the House of Commons, it is now determined by Sir H. Williamson, Bart., M. P., and others connected with Monkwearmouth, to construct a dock on the north side, which the extensive possessions of that gentleman, and other circumstances, will enable them to effect without parliamentary assistance.

The importance and utility of a railway between Durham and Sunderland having been suggested, successive meetings were held at the latter place in furtherance of that object; and the sum of £81,600 (fourfifths of the estimated expense, £102,000) being subscribed with unprecedented facility, in shares of £50 each, an act was passed, and received the royal assent August 13, 1834, entitled, “An Act for incorporating certain Persons for the Carriage of Goods and Commodities, by means of a railway, from the City of Durham to Sunderland near the Sea, with a Branch to join the Hartlepool Railway, in the Township of Haswell, all