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diff --git a/old/11124-0.txt b/old/11124-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1b120a0 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/11124-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7415 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Northumberland Yesterday and To-day, by Jean F. Terry + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most +other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of +the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at +www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have +to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. + +Title: Northumberland Yesterday and To-day + +Author: Jean F. Terry + +Release Date: February 17, 2004 [EBook #11124] +[Most recently updated: June 7, 2020] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NORTHUMBERLAND YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY *** + + + + +Produced by Miranda van de Heijning, Margaret Macaskill +and PG Distributed Proofreaders + +[Illustration] + + + + +Northumberland Yesterday and To-day + +by Jean F. Terry, L.L.A. + + +(St. Andrews), 1913. + +_To Sir Francis Douglas Blake, +this book is inscribed in admiration of +an eminent Northumbrian._ + + + + +Contents + + + INTRODUCTORY. + NORTHUMBERLAND YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY + CHAPTER I. The Coast of Northumberland + CHAPTER II. North and South Tyne + CHAPTER III. Down the Tyne + CHAPTER IV. Newcastle-upon-Tyne + CHAPTER V. Elswick and its Founder + CHAPTER VI. The Cheviots + CHAPTER VII. The Roman Wall + CHAPTER VIII. Some Northumbrian Streams + CHAPTER IX. Drum and Trumpet + CHAPTER X. Tales and Legends + CHAPTER XI. Ballads and Poems + +[Illustration: Bamburgh Castle.] + +List of Illustrations + + Bamburgh Castle. _From photograph by J.P. Gibson, Hexham_ + The Priory, Tynemouth. _From photograph by T.H. Dickinson, Sheriff Hill_ + Untitled + Hexham Abbey from North West. _From photograph by J.P. Gibson, Hexham_ + The River Tyne at Newcastle (showing Swing Bridge Open). + Untitled + Newcastle-upon-Tyne. + Untitled + North Gateway, Housesteads and Roman Wall. _From photograph by J.P. Gibson, Hexham_ + Untitled + Alnwick Castle. _From photograph by J.P. Gibson, Hexham_ + The Wreck of the “Forfarshire”. _From illustration kindly lent by B. Rowland Hill, Newcastle_ + Drawing of boat + Sketch Map Of Northumberland. _From a Drawing by C.H. Abbey_ + + + + +INTRODUCTORY. + + + The following book makes no pretensions to be a mine of deep + historical research or antiquarian lore; its object will have been + achieved, and its existence to some extent justified, if haply by + its aid some of the dwellers in this northern county of ours, with + its past so full of action, and its present so rich in the + memorials of those actions, may pass a pleasant hour in becoming + acquainted through its pages with the happenings which have taken + place in their own particular fields, their own streets, or by + their own riverside. + + I am aware that many learned volumes on this subject, representing + an enormous amount of patient labour and careful research in their + compilation, are already in existence. To such this little book can + in no sense be a rival; but there must be many people who have not + a superabundance of time, to enable them to dig out the information + for which they wish, from these various sources; nor can they + always make these volumes their own, to be consulted at leisure. + + Northumbrians have always been interested in the records of their + own county, and are now-a-days not less so than when, some + three-and-a-half centuries ago, Roger North found them “great + antiquarians within their own bounds.” If to such as these this + little book may perhaps bring in a more convenient form the + information they seek, and help them to become better acquainted + with the county which inspired Swinburne to write in stirring + phrases of “Northumberland,” and to address the home of his people + as + “Land beloved, where nought of legend’s dream Outshines the truth”— + + I shall be more than satisfied. I would take this opportunity of + expressing my grateful thanks to the Rev. Canon Savage, of Hexham, + for information relating to the tomb of Alfwald the Just, in the + Abbey, given with courteous readiness; to the Rev. Canon Jeffery, + of Bywell, for similar kindness regarding Bywell St. Peter’s; to + R.O. Heslop, Esq., whose profound store of learning on the subject + of “Northumberland words” was in cases of uncertainty my final + court of appeal; to E.T. Nisbet, Esq., and J. Treble, Esq., to whom + I am greatly indebted for their goodness in reading my manuscript, + and for their generous encouragement following thereupon; to C.H. + Abbey, Esq., for his kindness in executing the map which + accompanies these pages; and to Mr. G.P. Dunn, of Corbridge, for + much helpful criticism, and many suggestions which only want of + space has prevented my adopting in their entirety. + +J.F.T. + + _31st May_, 1913. + + + + +NORTHUMBERLAND YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY + +CHAPTER I. THE COAST OF NORTHUMBERLAND. + + + “We’ll see nae mair the sea banks fair, And the sweet grey gleaming + sky, And the lordly strand of Northumberland, And the goodly towers + thereby.” + —_A.C. Swinburne_. + + Wild and bleak it may be, hard and cruel at times it undoubtedly + is, but, nevertheless, this north-east coast of ours is at all + times inspiring, whether half-hidden by storm-clouds, its cliffs + and hollows lashed by the “wild north-easter,” or seen calmly + brooding in the warm haze of a summer’s day, its grey-blue water + smiling beneath the grey-blue sky, and its stretches of sand and + bents edging the sea with a border of gold and silver. + + In keeping with either mood of nature, the ancient Priory of + Tynemouth, standing on the sandstone cliffs on the northern bank of + the Tyne, rearing its grey and roofless walls above the harbour + mouth, strikes a note that is symbolic of the Northumbria of old + and the Northumberland of to-day—the note, that is, of the intimate + commingling of the romance of the warlike past and the romance of + the industrial present. Here, above the mouth of the river on which + so many of the most noteworthy advances in industrial science have + been made, and out of which sail the vessels which are often the + last word of the moment in marine engineering and construction, + stand calmly looking down upon them all the fragments of a building + which was a century old when John signed Magna Charta, and which + stands upon the site of another that had already braved the storms + of nearly five hundred years. + + Looking upon the Priory of St. Mary and St. Oswin we are carried + back to the days when Edwin, the first king of Northumbria to + embrace Christianity, built a little church here, in which his + daughter took the veil. King Oswald had the first wooden structure + replaced by a stone one; and here, in 651, the body of another good + king—Oswyn—was brought for burial from Gilling, near Richmond in + Yorkshire, where, disbanding his army, he sacrificed his cause and + his life to Oswy of Bernicia, with whom he had been about to fight. + +[Illustration: The Priory, Tynemouth.] + + When the pirate ships of the Danes swept down upon our coasts, the + Priory of St. Oswin, conspicuous on its bold headland, could not + hope to escape their ravages. It was destroyed by the fierce + invaders; but King Ecgfrith[1] of Northumbria restored the + shattered shrine. Again, in the year 865, it was sacked and burnt, + and the poor nuns of St. Hilda, who had already fled from + Hartlepool to Tynemouth hoping to find safety, were ruthlessly + slain and earned the crown of martyrdom. It was again restored; + but, five years later, the destroying hands of the invaders fell on + the place once more, and for two hundred years the Priory stood + roofless and tenantless. After the Norman Conquest, Waltheof, Earl + of Northumberland bestowed it upon the monks of Jarrow. The + rediscovery of the tomb of St. Oswyn in 1065, had gladdened the + hearts of the monks, and forthwith the monastery was reared anew + over the ashes of its former self. + + [1] Pronounced “Edge-frith.” + + Mowbray, the next Earl of Northumberland, re-endowed the building. + He had quarrelled with the Bishop of Durham, so in order to do him + a displeasure, he made Tynemouth Priory subordinate to St. Albans + instead of to Durham and brought monks from St. Albans to dwell + there. The new buildings were finished in 1110, and the bones of + St. Oswyn enshrined within them, the right of sanctuary being + extended for a mile around his resting-place. This right, however, + was already in existence, and had been appealed to in 1095 by + Mowbray himself, who fled here pursued by the followers of William + Rufus, against whom he had rebelled. The King’s men disregarded the + sanctuary right, captured Mowbray, and sent him prisoner to + Durham[2]. + + [2] See account of Bamburgh Castle. + + In later days the queens of Edward I. and Edward II. visited + Tynemouth Priory; and it was from Tynemouth that the foolish King + Edward II. and his worthless favourite Piers Gaveston fled from the + angry barons to Scarborough. In the reign of Edward III., after the + battle of Neville’s Cross, David of Scotland was brought here by + his captors on his way to Bamburgh, from whence he was sent to the + Tower. + + At the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII. the Priory was + inhabited by eighteen monks with their Prior. They bowed to the + King’s decree and left the monastery; but the church continued to + be used as the parish church until the days of Charles II., when + Christ Church was built. + + The Priory has many times formed the subject of pictures by famous + artists, the best known being that of no less a genius than J. M. + W. Turner; and its picturesque ruins are a well-known landmark to + the hundreds of voyagers who pass it on their journeys, outward or + homeward bound. Within the last few years the Priory has been in + some measure repaired and restored. + + There is but little left of Tynemouth Castle, which was built as a + protection for the monastery against the attacks of the Danes. It + stands in a commanding position on a neighbouring cliff, and is now + used as barracks for garrison artillery corps. During the days when + Scotland harried the English borders, the Priors of Tynemouth + maintained a garrison here; and later, in Stuart days, Charles I. + visited the North, and the fortress was strengthened just before + the outbreak of the Civil War. It was captured, notwithstanding, by + Leslie, Earl of Leven, after he had left Newcastle. Colonel + Lilburn, left in charge as governor, shortly afterwards avowed + himself on the side of King Charles; but he speedily paid for his + change of allegiance, for the Castle was re-taken by a force from + Newcastle under Sir Arthur Hazelrigg, and Lilburn lost his life in + the fight. The Castle has long been used as a dep ôt for the + storage of arms and ammunition. Behind the Spanish Battery which + commands the entrance to the Tyne stands a statue of the famous + North-countryman, Admiral Collingwood. + + Connected with Tynemouth, by the fact that a small chantry + belonging to the Priory once stood there, is St. Mary’s Island. One + may walk unhindered at low tide across the rocks to this favourite + place, but where the chantry stood there is now a lighthouse with a + powerful lantern, flashing its welcome light to the seafarers + nearing the mouth of the Tyne, and extending + “To each and all our equal lamp, at peril of the sea, The white + wall-sided war-ships, or the whalers of Dundee.” + + Between Tynemouth and St. Mary’s Island lie Cullercoats, Whitley + Bay, and Monkseaton, and together these places make practically one + extended seaside town, stretching for three or four miles along the + sea-front, and joined by a fine parade which leads to open links at + Monkseaton. Of these places Cullercoats is most noteworthy. This + picturesque fishing village, with quaint old houses perched in + every conceivable position on the curve of its rocky bay, is, + needless to say, a favourite camping ground for artists. The + Cullercoats fishwife, with her cheerful weather-bronzed face, her + short jacket and ample skirts of blue flannel, and her heavily + laden “crees” of fish is not only appreciated by the brotherhood of + brush and pencil, but is one of the notable sights of the district. + At Cullercoats is struck a note of the most modern of modern + achievements—the Wireless Telegraphy Station (225 feet); and here, + too, is situated the Dove Marine Laboratory, looked after by + scientists on the staff of the Armstrong College at Newcastle. + + In fine weather the crowds which pass and repass along the top of + the bold cliffs which overlook the fine stretch of sands between + Cullercoats and Monkseaton show how many hundreds of Northumbria’s + busy workers enjoy the fresh breezes from the sea on this pleasant + and bracing coast. Out at sea, opposite the Parade, vessels built + in the busy shipyards on the Tyne may be seen doing their speed + trials over the measured mile. The Peace of St. Oswyn may, in fact, + be said to brood over Tynemouth, even in these days, for it is an + increasing custom for those who can do so to remain in Newcastle + and other busy centres of toil only during business hours, and to + leave workshop and office every evening for their home by the sea: + while the tide of noisy, happy, boisterous excursionists has rolled + on to Whitley Bay, leaving Tynemouth to its old-time sleepy + content. Northward to Hartley and Seaton Sluice the cliffs are very + fine. Hartley, with its bright-looking red-tiled houses, once + belonged to Adam of Gesemuth (Jesmond) who lived in the reign of + King John. Coming down to modern times, about thirty years ago a + gallant Hartley man, Thomas Langley, rescued two successive + shipwrecked crews on the same day, in one case allowing himself to + be lowered over the cliffs at a terrible risk in the furious storm. + + Seaton Sluice belongs to the ancient family of the Delavals, whose + house, Delaval Hall, may be seen not far away, peeping from amongst + the trees which surround it. Seaton Sluice owes its name to the + Delaval who placed the large sluice gates upon the burn, in order + to have a strong current which, in rushing down to the sea, would + be able to wash the mouth of the stream clear from the silt and mud + brought in by the incoming tide. A later baronet, Sir John Hussey + Delaval, made the cutting through the solid rock which is so + striking a feature of the harbour. It was ready for the entrance of + vessels in March, 1763. + + Delaval Hall is now owned by Lord Hastings, the present + representative of the Delavals, which family became extinct in the + male line early in the nineteenth century. The last Delaval, a very + learned man, was buried in Westminster Abbey in 1814. The Hall was + built for Admiral Delaval in 1707 to the design of Sir J. Vanbrugh, + who also designed Blenheim Palace, given by the nation to the great + Duke of Marlborough about the same time. + + Hartley Colliery, about half a mile away, has a sad interest as + being the scene of the terrible accident in 1862, when a number of + men and boys were imprisoned in the workings owing to the blocking + up of the only shaft by a mass of d ébris, caused by the fall of an + iron beam belonging to the pumping engine at the pit-head. Before + the shaft could be cleared and a way opened to the workings, all + the poor fellows had died, overcome by the deadly “choke-damp.” + Joseph Skipsey, the pitman poet, in a simple ballad, tells the + pathetic story. + “Oh, father! till the shaft is rid, Close, close beside me keep; My + eyelids are together glued, And I,—and I,—must sleep.” + “Sleep, darling, sleep, and I will keep Close by—heigh ho.”—To keep + Himself awake the father strives. But he—he, too—must sleep. + “Oh mother dear! wert, wert thou near Whilst—sleep!” The orphan + slept; And all night long, by the black pit-heap The mother a dumb + watch kept. + + From here, northward, the coast is rather dull and uninteresting, + although the sands are fine, until we reach Blyth, at the mouth of + the little river of the same name. This town is growing rapidly in + size and importance; the export of coal has greatly increased since + the harbour was so much improved by Sir Matthew White Ridley, and + now totals some millions of tones a year. The river Wansbeck not + far north of the mouth of the Blyth, in the latter part of its + course flows through a district begrimed by all the necessary + accompaniments of the traffic in “black diamonds,” and reaches the + sea between the colliery villages of Cambois and North Seaton. + + On the point at the northern curve of Newbiggin Bay stands + Newbiggin Church, and ancient building, whose steeple, “leaning all + awry,” is a well-known landmark for sailors. The site of this + church is in danger of being undermined by the waves, and, indeed, + part of the churchyard crumbled away many years ago; but such + defences as are possible have been built up around it,—and the + danger averted for a time. Newbiggin itself is a large fishing + village and an increasingly popular holiday resort, for it + possesses not only good sands but a wide moor near at hand which + provides one of the best of golf courses; and, also, a short + distance along the coast, are the attractive Fairy Rocks. + + Newbiggin was a town of some importance in Plantagenet days, with a + busy harbour, and a pier; and in the reign of Edward II. it was + required to contribute a vessel towards the naval defence of the + Kingdom. + + Northward from Newbiggin Point is the magnificent sweep of Druridge + Bay, stretching in a fine curve of ten miles or more to Hauxley + Haven. Here, the sands of a warm golden colour, the wind-swept + bents of silvery-grey, and the vivid green of the grassy cliff tops + edge the curve of the bay with a line of bright and delicate + colour, only thrown into greater relief by the brown reefs and + ridges which stretch out from the rocky shores, and by the deep + blue-green of the waves rolling inshore in long majestic lines, to + break into hissing foam on the sharp reefs, or slide smoothly up + the yellow sands in the centre of the bay. Above, beyond the grassy + tops of the cliffs, stretch deep woods, with the old pele-tower of + Cresswell looking out from amongst the trees, fields many-coloured + with their burden of varying crops, and wide lonely moors, where + one may walk for half a day without hearing any sound save the wild + screaming of sea-birds, or the whistle of the wind, with the low + boom of the waves below sounding a deep-toned accompaniment. The + bay is not always so peaceful, however, and many wild scenes and + terrible shipwrecks have taken place here, as everywhere along our + wild north-east coast. The Bondicar rocks, by Hauxley, and the + cruel spikes of the reef at Snab Point, near Cresswell, have + betrayed many a gallant little vessel to her doom. Not, however, + without bringing on many an occasion proof of the courage which is + shown as a matter of course by the fisher folk on our coasts. At + Newbiggin, and Cresswell, for instance, deeds have been done, + which, in their simple unassuming heroism, may be taken as typical + of the hardy race which could count Grace Darling among its + daughters. + + About thirty years ago, a ship drove ashore off Cresswell one + bitter night in January, and the fisher folk crowded down to the + shore, watching with sorrowful eyes the hapless crew clinging to + their unfortunate vessel, which was slowly being broken up by the + waves. There was no lifeboat at Cresswell then, and all the men of + the village, except the old men who were past work, had gone + northward, when the oncoming storm prevented their return. The + women and girls heard the cries of the schooner’s crew, and mourned + to each other their inability to help. But one gallant-hearted + girl, named Peggy Brown, cried out, “If I thowt she could hing on a + bit, I wad be away for the lifeboat.” But between them and + Newbiggin, the nearest lifeboat station, the Lyne Burn runs into + the sea, and spreads widely out over the sands; and the older + people told Peggy she could never cross the burn in the dark. She + set off, however, the thought of the drowning men hastening her on. + For four miles she made her way in the storm and darkness, partly + along the shore, scrambling over rock’s, and wading waist-deep + through the Lyne Burn and one or two other places where the waves + had driven far up the sands, and partly across Newbiggin Moor, + where the icy wind tore at her in her drenched clothing. She + pressed on, however, and managed to reach the coxswain’s house and + give her message. The lifeboat was immediately run out, and the men + reached the wreck in time to save all the crew except one, who had + been washed overboard. + + On another occasion one of the fishermen, named Tom Brown, was + preparing to go out, with the help of his two sons, in his own + fishing coble to the aid of a ship in distress on the reef. A + carter had come down to the beach, the better to watch the progress + of events, and, terrified by the thundering waves, his horse took + fright, and in its plunging drove the cart against the little boat, + making a hole clear through one side. “Big Tom,” as he was + generally called, merely took off his coat, rolled it into a bundle + and stuffed it against the hole. Then he beckoned to another + fisherman, saying to him “Sit on that.” The man clambered in, and + without the loss of another minute these four heroes set off to + save their fellow creatures’ lives, with a broken and leaking boat + in a heavy sea. And they did it, reaching the brig only just in + time, for it went to pieces a few minutes after the shivering crew + had been safely landed. + + Incidents like these, which could be multiplied indefinitely, bring + a glow of pride to the heart, and a reassuring sense that the + degeneration of the race is not proceeding in such wholesale + fashion—in the country districts, at any rate—as the pessimists + would have us believe. + + At the northern extremity of Druridge Bay is the little fishing + village of Hauxley, with the chimneys and pit-head engines of + Ratcliffe and Broomhill Collieries darkening the sky to the + south-west. Passing the Bondicar rocks and rounding the point we + enter the “fairway” for Warkworth Harbour and Amble, where a brisk + exportation of the coal of the neighbourhood is carried on. + + Lying out at sea, opposite Amble coastguard station, the white + lighthouse on Coquet Island keeps watch over the entrance to the + harbour. Some of the walls of the monastery, which stood on the + island in Saxon days, can now be seen forming part of the dwelling + of the lighthouse keeper. For many generations, too, hermit after + hermit went to dwell on this tiny islet, and St. Cuthbert himself + is said to have inhabited the little cell at one time. The island + was captured by the Scots in the Civil Wars of King Charles’s + reign, and held by them for a time. + + The situation of Amble, at the mouth of the Coquet, has been looked + upon as convenient from very early days, for there are signs which + tell us of a population here at an early period. Several + cist-vaens, or ancient stone coffins, have been found near the + town, and a broken Roman altar was unearthed in the neighbourhood. + The monastery which stood here, like that on Holy Island, was, in + later times, inhabited by Benedictine monks, who were under the + authority of the Prior of Tynemouth. William the Conqueror gave the + then Prior the right to collect the tithes of the little town. + + A short distance from Amble, and practically encircled by the + Coquet which here makes a wide sweep, we come upon Warkworth, + prettiest of villages, combining the beauties of sea-shore and + river scenery, and rich in the possession of that romantic castle, + the ruins of which carry the mind back to Saxon times; for they + stand on the site of an older fortress erected by Ceolwulf, a Saxon + King of Northumbria. He was the patron of Bede, who dedicated his + “Ecclesiastical History” to his royal friend. Ceolwulf built both + the fortress and the earliest church at Warkworth, and a few stones + of this latter building are still to be seen. In 737, two years + after the death of Bede, this royal Saxon laid aside his kingly + state and became a monk on Lindisfarne, + “When he, for cowl and beads, laid down The Saxon battle-axe and + crown.” + + It was when the castle was bestowed by Edward III. upon Lord Percy + of Alnwick that it became, for more than two hundred years, the + chief residence of that illustrious family; becoming in the next + reign of historical value as the home of that Hotspur whose valour + and gallantry made Henry IV. envy the Earl of Northumberland, in + that he “should be the father of so blest a son.” In Act II., Scene + 3 of “Henry IV.,” Part II., Shakespeare has laid the scene at + Warkworth Castle, where Hotspur’s wife, troubled by her lord’s + moody abstraction, tries to win from him the reason of his secret + care. And after the battle of Shrewsbury, Rumour, flying with the + news of Hotspur’s death, says:— + “Thus have I rumoured through the peasant towns, Between the royal + field of Shrewsbury And this worm-eaten hold of ragged stone, Where + Hotspur’s father, old Northumberland, Lies crafty-sick.” + + Two years after this, the castle was besieged by Henry IV. himself, + and surrendered to him after a brief bombardment by the newly + invented cannon. The keep was re-built by Hotspur’s son, after the + family possessions had been restored to him by Henry V., and it is + now the only remaining part of the castle which is almost perfect. + One of the half-ruinous towers remaining is called the Lion Tower, + from the sculptured lion on its walls; while another rejoices in + the curious name of Cradyfargus. A strange story is told of a blue + stone to be seen in the courtyard of the castle. Many years ago, so + runs the tale, one of the custodians of Warkworth Castle dreamed + three nights in succession that a large treasure was concealed + beneath a blue stone in a certain part of the castle grounds. He + told this dream to a neighbour, and after allowing two or three + days to pass, finding the dream constantly recurring to his mind, + he thought he would go to the place indicated, and see what he + could find. To his disappointment, however, he discovered that some + one had been there before him; a large hole had been dug, and on + the edge of it lay the blue stone. + + Needless to say, the hole was empty, nor could the keeper discover + anything about the treasure in the neighbourhood. It is said that a + certain family in the village became suddenly rich; and, many years + afterwards, a large and ancient pot, supposed to have been that in + which the buried treasure had been contained, was found in the + Coquet. + + The main street of Warkworth leads straight up to the postern gate + of the castle, and many stirring sights have the successive + inhabitants of the little village looked upon, as the fortunes of + the owners of the castle waxed and waned throughout the many + centuries in which the lords of Warkworth played a notable part in + the history of England. They saw Henry Percy, entrusted with a + share in the safe keeping of the country, set out from Warkworth + for Durham, to help in winning the victory of Neville’s Cross. + + They saw Hotspur’s force set out for the Cheviots to intercept + Douglas and his followers, which they did at Homildon Hill, near + Wooler; and it was the quarrel in connection with the prisoners + taken on that day which led Hotspur and his father openly to throw + off their allegiance to Henry IV., so that a few months later the + peasants of Warkworth saw their idolised young lord set out for + what was to prove the fatal field of Shrewsbury. They saw Hotspur’s + father, the first Henry Percy to receive the title of Earl, (a + title which had been given him at the coronation of Richard II.) + set out with a brave force after Hotspur’s departure; and they saw + his return, almost alone, dejected and broken in spirit, having + learnt that the help so tardily given had come too late, and the + life of his gallant son was ended. + + They saw the siege train of Henry Bolingbroke laid against the + castle, directed by Henry in person, provoked into these active + measures by the open rebellion of father and son, though + Northumberland had tried to make it appear that he was innocent of + any treasonable act. After capturing the castle, Bolingbroke + bestowed it on his third son, John of Lancaster, and the villagers + saw the young prince riding in and out among them daily so long as + he made the castle his home. + + Then, in the next reign, they welcomed the return of Hotspur’s son, + Henry, to the home of his fathers, restored to him by Henry V.; + and, within a short time, saw him bring home his bride, Eleanor + Neville, daughter of his friend and neighbour, the Earl of + Westmoreland. + + In the Wars of the Roses, Warkworth Castle saw many changes of + fortune, as the tide of victory flowed this way and that. The + Percies were all Lancastrians, though Sir Ralph Percy changed sides + twice. The castle fell into the hands of the Yorkists, and the + great Earl of Warwick, the “King-maker” himself, made it his + headquarters for a time, while he superintended the sieges of + Alnwick, Dunstanborough, and Bamburgh, which were all invested at + the same time. Eventually, after the Wars of the Roses concluded, + Warkworth was restored, along with the other Percy estates, to its + original owners. + + Finally, the inhabitants of the little village saw the church + entered by the Jacobites in 1715, when Mr. Buxton, chaplain of the + little force, prayed for James III. and Mary the Queen-mother; and + General Forster, dressed as a trumpeter, proclaimed King James III. + at the village cross. + + A few miles north from the mouth of the Coquet, the little Aln + spreads over the sandy flats near Alnmouth, and reaches the sea. It + has changed its course, for at one time it flowed to the south of + Church Hill, instead of to the north as at present. The town of + Alnmouth, viewed from the train just before entering Alnmouth + Station, looks very picturesque, especially if the rare sunshine of + an English summer should be lighting up the bay, bringing out the + vivid red of the tiled roofs against the grassy hills fringing the + links which lie on their seaward side, and lighting up, also, the + yellow sands and long lines of sparkling wavelets edged with white. + + Alnmouth depends for its living on a fleet of fishing boats, and on + the numbers of visitors who seek its fresh breezes and inviting + shores each summer. Golfers, indeed, find it pleasant all the year + round, as there is only a scarcely appreciable interval in the + winter months when their favourite pastime cannot be followed on + the breezy links. On Church Hill, now crowned by a few old stones, + once stood a Norman church, dedicated to St. Valery, which, in its + turn, occupied the site of an older Saxon building, supposed to + have been the church which Bede refers to as being at Twyford, + where a great synod of clergy was held in the year 684, and + Cuthbert appointed Bishop of Lindisfarne. It is a matter of dispute + whether this Twyford was Alnmouth or Whittingham, but the two fords + at Alnmouth seem to point to a decision in favour of that place. + The old Norman church, which fell into ruin at the beginning of + last century, was fired at by the famous pirate Paul Jones; the + cannon shot, weighing 68 pounds, missed the church, but struck a + neighbouring farm house, doing great damage. + + The coast north of Alnmouth becomes rocky and wild, and very + picturesque, and the villages along the coast are being sought out + by holiday makers in increasing numbers, year by year. Boulmer, one + of these villages, was a famous place for smuggling in the old + days, and many an exciting scene and sharp encounter took place + between the smugglers and the King’s men. Not far away is Howick + Dene, a lovely little glen leading down to the sea from Howick + Hall, the home of Earl Grey. + + Cullernose Point, a striking crag, is formed by the outcrop of a + portion of the Great Whin Sill, which from here can be traced to + the south-west, and thence right across the county. + + At Craster, another fishing village and a favourite holiday haunt, + is Craster Tower, which has been the home of the family of Craster + since before the Conquest. Not far to the north is the famous + Rumble Churn in the rocks below Dunstanborough Castle, where the + waves roll in and out of the caves and chasms with weird and hollow + rumblings. There is another Rumbling Churn in the cliffs near + Howick. + + The famous divine of the Middle Ages, John Duns Scotus, was born in + this parish—that of Embleton; the group of buildings known as + Dunston Hall, or Proctor’s Steads, is supposed to have been his + birthplace, and a portrait of the learned doctor is to be seen + there. + + Dunstanborough Castle stands in lonely grandeur on great whinstone + crags, close to the very edge of the sea, and on the first sight of + it, Keats’ wonderful lines spring involuntarily to the lips:— + “Magic casements, opening on the foam Of perilous seas, in faery + lands forlorn.” + + Forlorn, indeed, though not in exactly the sense conveyed by the + poem, is this huge fortress now; it abides, says Freeman, “as a + castle should abide, in all the majesty of a shattered ruin.” The + primitive cannon of the days of the Wars of the Roses began to + shatter those mighty walls, and, unlike Bamborough, it has never + been strengthened since. Simon de Montford once owned this estate, + and the next lord of Dunstanborough was a son of Henry III., to + whom Earl Simon’s forfeited estate was given. His eldest son, + Thomas of Lancaster, took part with the barons in bringing the + unworthy favourite of Edward II., Piers Gaveston, to his death. + Under the King’s anger, Lancaster went away to his Northumbrian + estate, and began to build this mighty fortress, though he already + owned the castles of Kenilworth and Pontefract. In the Wars of the + Roses, Dunstanborough Castle was taken and retaken no less than + five times, and Queen Margaret found refuge here, as well as at + Bamburgh; but apart from these occasions, Dunstanborough has not + taken nearly so great a part in either local or national history as + the other Northumbrian castles of Bamburgh, Warkworth, and Alnwick, + though greater in extent than any of them. In 1538 an official + report describes “Dunstunburht” as “a very reuynous howse”; and the + process of dilapidation was soon aided by enterprising dwellers in + the neighbourhood using the stones of the forsaken castle to build + their own homesteads. + + From the castle northward curves Embleton Bay, in which, after + having been buried in the sand for ages, a sandstone rock was + uncovered by the tide, having on its surface, chiselled in rough + but distinct lettering, the name “Andra Barton.” Sir Andrew Barton, + daring Scottish sea-captain and fearless freebooter, was slain in a + sea-fight off this part of the coast, in the days of Henry VIII., + by the sons of Surrey, one of whom, Sir Thomas Howard, was Lord + Admiral at the time, and so, in a measure, responsible for the + defence of the English coast. The loss of his brave sea-captain and + his “goodly ships” was one of the grievances in the long list which + led King James IV. to declare war against England, and led to the + fatal field of Flodden, in which Admiral Sir Thomas Howard and his + brother took part under the command of their father, the Earl of + Surrey. + + The wide sweep of grassy common beyond the sands in Embleton Bay + is, in summer time, covered with a profusion of wild flowers, chief + amongst them being the wild geranium, or meadow cranes-bill, whose + reddish-purple blossoms grow in such abundance as to arrest the + attention of every visitor. A little way back from the sea-shore, + in the middle of this wide space, lies the village of Embleton, + which possesses an ancient and interesting church, and a vicarage, + part of which is formed by an old pele-tower. Embleton would seem + to have a reputation to keep up in the way of famous churchmen. + Duns Scotus has been already mentioned; and one of the vicars here + was a cousin of Richard Steele, the essayist and friend of Addison; + and he described the country squires of his day in a paper which he + contributed to the “Spectator” of that date, 1712. + + Another Vicar of Embleton, who lived here from 1874 to 1884, was + Dr. Mandell Creighton, the learned historian, who became Bishop of + London. + + The well-known journalist, W.T. Stead, was born in the parish of + Embleton, though his childhood was passed in very different + surroundings, in the narrow streets and grimy atmosphere of + Howdon-on-Tyne. His recent death on the ill-fated _Titanic_ will be + fresh in the minds of all. + + Newton-by-the-Sea is reached by a pleasant walk along the + sea-shore. (It is to be understood that in this journey along the + coast we are moving northward always). There is here a + cheery-looking white-washed coastguard station standing on the bold + headland of Newton Point. + + Past this point is Beadnell Bay, with green and grassy Beadnell + just beyond Little Rock. The small fishing harbour at Beadnell has + the unique distinction of being the only harbour on the east coast + whose mouth faces west, and the short pier, running _inland_ from + rocks to shore, acts as a breakwater against the heavy easterly or + southeasterly seas and makes the harbour a safe anchorage for + fishing craft or small yachts. The rocks around this bay are very + interesting, showing the various strata very plainly, and + containing many fossils. The striking cliff called Ebbe’s Nook is + supposed to have been named after the Saxon princess Ebba, sister + to King Oswald, and the ruins which were discovered on the + headland, to be all that is left of a chapel erected to her memory. + + At Seahouses is an extensive fish-curing establishment, a fact + which proclaims itself unmistakably as you near the village, + especially if the day chance to be at all warm. A little distance + from the shore is another fishing village, North Sunderland, and + northward from Seahouses is the inn called The Monkshouse, from the + fact that it once belonged to the community on Lindisfarne. + + Bamburgh Castle, magnificently placed on a lofty crag rising + perpendicularly from the greensward on the west or landward side, + and almost as steeply from the sea which washes the north and east + sides, lies like a majestic lion on its mighty rock “brooding on + ancient fame.” The voices of children at play on the sands below + sound faint and far in the still air; the sea birds, with the + summer sunshine flashing on their outspread wings, sweep round and + round; in the far distance a trail of smoke low down on the horizon + marks the track of a passing steamer; and near at hand, southward a + little way from the castle cliff, the rocky islets of the Farne + group lie drowsily asleep on the gently-heaving swell of the + grey-blue waters. Behind the castle lies the pretty old-fashioned + village with its quaint hostelries and grove of trees; and from the + higher parts of the new golf-links the player may look round on a + view which would be difficult to match, comprising as it does, the + Farne Islands and Dunstanborough to the south, and northward, Holy + Island, with its castle and abbey and the bluish haze of smoke + lying over Berwick; while, on the western skyline, on a clear day, + may be seen the rounded caps of the Cheviots. + + The beginnings of Bamburgh take us back more than a thousand years, + to that long-ago summer of 547, when the _cyuls_ (keels) of the + marauding Bernician chieftain Ida and his followers grounded on the + shore of our Northland, and the work of conquest began. Ida was not + slow to grasp the importance of such a commanding site as this + isolated mass of basaltic crag, and the rude stronghold which + crowned it. It became in time a formidable fortress, and remained + for centuries the headquarters of the kings of the North. + + Here reigned Ida and his sons—six of them—for more or less short + and stormy periods, and Ethelric of Bernicia, who vanquished the + neighbouring prince of Deira, and thus reigned as the first king of + Northumbria as Northumbria. The Celtic name of the fortress was + Dinguardi, or Dinguvardy; and tradition has it that this was Sir + Lancelot’s castle of Joyeuse Garde, where he had often feasted the + Knights of the Round Table, and where he, at last, came home to + die. The fact that Bamburgh is the only pre-Conquest castle in + Northumberland disposes of the claim of Alnwick. + + “My fair lords,” said sir Launcelot, “wit ye well, my careful body + will into the earth; I have warning more than I will now say; + therefore, I pray you, give me my rights.” So when he was houseled + and eneled, and had all that a Christian man ought to have, he + prayed the bishop that his fellows might bear his body unto Joyous + Gard. + + Some men say Anwick, and some men say to Bamborow; “how-beit,” said + sir Launcelot, “me repenteth sore; but I made mine avow aforetime, + that in Joyous Gard I would be buried; and because of breaking of + mine vow, I pray you all lead me thither.” Then was there weeping + and wringing of hands among all his fellows. + + And so, within fifteen days, they came to Joyous Gard, and there + they laid his corpse in the body of the quire, and read many + psalters and prayers over him and about him.... And right thus, as + they were at their service, there came sir Ector de Maris, that had + sought seven years all England, Scotland and Wales, seeking his + brother sir Launcelot.... Then went sir Bors unto sir Ector, and + told him how there lay his brother sir Launcelot dead. + + And then sir Ector threw his shield, his sword, and his helm from + him; and when he beheld sir Launcelot’s visage, he fell down in a + swoon; and when he awoke, it were hard for any tongue to tell the + doleful complaints that he made for his brother. “Ah! sir + Launcelot,” said he, “thou wert head of all Christian knights!” + “And now, I dare say,” said sir Bors, “that sir Launcelot, there + thou liest, thou wert never matched of none earthly knight’s hands; + and thou wert the courtliest knight that ever bare a shield; and + thou wert the truest friend to thy lover that ever bestrod horse; + and thou wert the truest lover of a sinful man that ever loved + woman; and thou wert the kindest man that ever stroke with sword; + and thou wert the goodliest person that ever came among press of + knights; and thou wert the meekest man, and the gentlest, that ever + eat in hall among ladies; and thou wert the sternest knight to thy + mortal foe, that ever put spear in the rest.” + + Then there was weeping and dolor out of measure. + —_Malory’s Morte d’Arthur_. + + Ethelfrith, who succeeded Ethelric, gave the fort to his second + wife, Bebba, after whom it was named Bebbanburgh, which soon became + Bamburgh. + + In the days of King Edwin, who succeeded Ethelfrith, Bamburgh was + the centre of a kingdom which extended from the Humber to the + Forth, and as Northumbria was at that time the most important + division of England, the royal city of Bernicia was practically the + capital of the country. The reign of King Oswald, though shorter + than that of Edwin, was equally noteworthy from the fact that in + his days the gentle Aidan settled in Northumbria, and king and monk + worked together for the good of their people, and Bamburgh became + not only the seat of temporal power but the safeguard and bulwark + of the spiritual movement centred on the little isle of + Lindisfarne. On the accession of Edwin, Oswald, son of Ethelfrith, + had fled from Bernicia and taken refuge with the monks of Iona, + living with them till the time came for him to rule Northumbria in + his turn. As soon as possible after the inevitable fighting for his + political existence was over, he sent to Iona for a teacher to come + and instruct his people in the truths he had learned; and a monk + named Corman was sent. He, however, was unable to make any + impression on the wild and warlike Saxons of the northern kingdom, + and he soon returned to Iona with the report that it was useless to + try to teach such obstinate and barbarous people. One of the + brethren, listening to his account, ventured to ask him if he were + sure that all the fault lay with the people. “Did you remember,” + said he, “that we are commanded to give them the milk first? Did + you not rather try them with the strong meat?” With one accord the + brethren declared that he who had spoken such wise words was the + man best fitted for the task, and the gentle Aidan was sent to + Oswald’s help. In such a fashion came the Gospel to Northumbria, + and Aidan became the first of the long roll of saints whose deeds + and lives had such incalculable influence on Northumbrian history. + From Aidan’s arrival in 635 until the death of Oswald the relations + between the king and the monk who had settled on Medcaud or + Medcaut, soon to be known as Lindisfarne, and later as Holy Island, + were those of friend to friend and fellow-worker, rather than those + of king and subject. + + After the death of Oswald, his conqueror Penda, the fierce King of + the Mercians, harried Northumbria, and appearing before the walls + of Bamburgh prepared to burn it down. Piles of logs and brushwood + were laid against the city and the fire was applied. Aidan, in his + little cell on Farne Island, to which he had retired, saw the + clouds of flame and smoke rolling over the home of his beloved + patron. Raising his hands to Heaven, he exclaimed, “See, Lord, what + ill Penda is doing!” Scarcely had he uttered the words, when the + wind changed, and drove the flames away from Bamburgh, blowing them + against Penda’s host, who thereupon ceased all further attempts + against the city. + + Not long after this, Aidan was at Bamburgh, when he was seized with + sudden illness, and died with his head resting against one of the + wooden stays of the little church. Penda came again the next year, + and this time both village and church were burnt, all except, says + tradition, the beam of wood against which Aidan had rested in his + last moments. + + When the Danish ships appeared off our shores, in the two centuries + following, Bamburgh was attacked and plundered several times. In + the days of William Rufus, as we have seen, Robert de Mowbray, Earl + of Northumberland, rebelled against the Red King, in company with + his uncle the Bishop of Coutances, Robert of Normandy, and William + of St. Carileph, Bishop of Durham. Rufus marched into + Northumberland, but the quarrel was adjusted for the time; though + private strife between the two Bishops led to Mowbray’s driving the + monks of Durham from the Priory at Tynemouth and replacing them by + monks from St. Albans. + + Later, however, Mowbray disobeyed a summons from the Red King, who + once more marched into Northumberland. He reached Bamburgh, and + invested it, but failed to make any impression on that impregnable + stronghold, within whose walls were Mowbray and his young wife, the + Countess Matilda, and his nephew, who was Sheriff of + Northumberland. Rufus, finding all attempts to carry the fortress + useless, began to build a wooden fort, called a _Malvoisin_, or + “Bad neighbour”; and so anxious was he to have it speedily erected + that he made knights and nobles as well as his men-at-arms take + part in the work. + + Mowbray, from the battlements, called out to many of these by name, + openly taunting those who had secretly promised to join him, or had + expressed themselves as in sympathy with his disobedience. His + words gave great amusement to Rufus and the nobles who were truly + loyal, and much mortification and vexation to those whom he so + ruthlessly exposed. Rufus left the “Bad neighbour” to continue the + siege and went southward. + + Mowbray, led to believe that Newcastle would receive him, and take + his part, stole away from Bamburgh by sea, and reached Tynemouth. + On proceeding to Newcastle, however, he found he had been mistaken, + and hurriedly fled hack to Tynemouth, pursued by his enemies. He + held out against them for a day or two, but was then captured and + taken to Durham. Meanwhile the high-spirited Countess held Bamburgh + against all assailants; but Mowbray’s capture gave Rufus an + advantage he was not slow to use. Returning to the North, he + ordered Mowbray to be brought before the walls of Bamburgh, and + threatened to put his eyes out if the Countess did not immediately + surrender. Needless to say, she preferred to give up the castle, + and Mowbray’s reign as Earl of Northumberland was over. + + Thereafter Bamburgh was visited by various sovereigns in turn, when + their affairs brought them to the northerly parts of their kingdom. + When Balliol, tired of long years of conflict, surrendered most of + his rights to Edward III., it was at Bamburgh that the convention + was concluded. In this reign the castle was greatly strengthened. + + In the Wars of the Roses, Bamburgh was held for the queen by the + Lancastrian nobles of the north country—Percy and Ros—with the Earl + of Pembroke and Duke of Somerset; but was obliged on Christmas Eve, + 1462, to capitulate to a superior force. The next year the Scots + and the queen’s French allies surprised it, and re-captured it for + Henry VI. and his courageous queen; but Warwick, “the King-maker,” + came upon the scene, and after a stout resistance the garrison + surrendered. + + When the Union of the Crowns took place in 1603, Bamburgh was no + longer necessary as a defence against the Scots, and its defences + were neglected. The Forsters, into whose hands it passed in the + days of James I., were a spendthrift family, and gradually wasted + their rich estate, until in 1704 it had to be sold, and was bought + by Lord Crewe. He was Bishop of Durham at the time, having been + promoted to that position by Charles II., who liked his handsome + figure and pleasing manners. When at the age of fifty-eight, he + wished to marry Dorothea Forster, daughter of Sir William Forster, + of Bamburgh, the lady, who was many years younger, refused him at + first; but some years later he renewed his suit, and this time was + accepted. When the Forster estates were sold and their debts paid, + there was scarcely anything left for the heirs—Lady Crewe and her + nephew, Thomas Forster, who afterwards became the General of the + ill-fated Jacobite rising in 1715, and whose escape after his + capture was contrived by his high-spirited sister, Dorothy Forster + the second. + + Lord Crewe, in his will, left a great part of his fortune to found + the Bamburgh Trust, for which his name will ever be remembered. The + most notable of the trustees, Archdeacon Sharp, administered the + moneys in so wise and beneficent a manner that to him most of the + credit is due for the real usefulness of the Crewe charities. These + include a surgery and dispensary; schools; the relief of persons in + distress; the clothing and educating of a certain number of girls; + the maintenance of a lifeboat, life-saving apparatus, and + everything necessary for the relief of ship-wrecked persons. A + lifeboat, kept in the harbour at Holy Island, is always ready to go + out on a signal from Bamburgh Castle. + + The castle was extensively restored and repaired by the late Lord + Armstrong; but, sad to say, since his death it has been stripped of + many of its treasures. The church, dedicated to St. Aidan, stands + at the west end of the village; but there is no vestige remaining + of the one built in Saxon times, the present building having been + erected when Henry II. was king. In the churchyard is the grave of + Grace Darling, and many hundreds come to look on the last resting + place of the gentle girl who was yet so heroic, when her + compassionate heart nerved her girlish frame to the gallant effort + on behalf of her fellow-creatures in dire peril, when she + “.... rode the waves none else durst ride, None save her sire.” + + The beautiful monument over her grave is by Raymond Smith, and is + an exact duplicate of the original one, also by him, which was + being injured so much by the weather that it was removed to a + position inside the church. The duplicate was commissioned by Lord + (then Sir William) Armstrong. + + The island on which yet stands the lighthouse which was Grace’s + home is the Longstone, almost the farthest seaward of the rocky + group of the Farnes, lying almost opposite Bamburgh. The Longstone + is only about four feet above high-water mark, so that in stormy + weather the lighthouse is fiercely assailed by the heavy seas, and + the keepers are often driven for refuge to the upper chambers. To + the Longstone might with truth be attributed the opening lines of + Kipling’s poem, “The Coastwise Lights”:— + “Our brows are bound with spindrift, and the weed is on our knees, + Our loins are battered ’neath us by the swinging, smoking seas; From + reef, and rock, and skerry, over headland, ness, and voe, The + coastwise lights of England watch the ships of England go.” + + There are about twenty of these little islets to be seen at low + tide, and very curious are some of their names—The Megstone, The + Crumstone, The Navestone, The Harcars, The Wedums, The Noxes + (Knokys), and The Wawmses. The largest, Farne Island, is the + nearest to the coast, and is the one to which St. Aidan retired, + and on which St. Cuthbert made himself a cell, and where he lived + for some years, leaving Lindisfarne (Holy Island) very often for + months together, to dwell alone on this almost bare rock and devote + himself to holy meditation and prayer. + + To this island came King Ecgfrith of Northumbria with Archbishop + Trumwine and other representatives of the Synod to beg the hermit + to accept the Bishopric of Hexham; and it was on this island that + St. Cuthbert died, the monks who had gone to look after him + signalling the news of his death to his brethren at Lindisfarne by + means of torches. The island is rocky and precipitous, with deep + chasms between the high cliffs; and when a north wind blows, the + columns of foam and spray, from the waters dashing into the chasms + and over the tops of the cliffs, may be seen from the mainland + rising high into the air. + + Before the first lighthouse was built on Farne Island, in 1766, a + coal fire was kindled every night on the top of the tower-like + building used as a fort. This method of warning passing vessels had + been used continuously since the days of Charles II. In great + contrast to this is the modern lighthouse, with its acetylene gas + lights and its automatic flash apparatus. + + Close to Stapel Island are the three high basaltic pillars, of rock + called the Pinnacles. On all these islands sea-birds breed, but + especially on the Pinnacles, the Big and Little Harcar, and the + islet called the Brownsman. + + Thousands and thousands of them perch and chatter on the rocks and + fly screaming in the air, amongst them being guillemots, + kittiwakes, gulls, terns, cormorants, puffins, and eider-ducks, for + which latter St. Cuthbert is said to have had great affection; + certainly they are the gentlest of these wild sea-fowl. + + Bidding farewell to the rocky Farnes, we sail past Budle Bay, into + which runs the Warenburn and the Elwick burn, and underneath whose + sandy flats is the buried town of Warnmouth, once a busy seaport, + to which Henry III. granted a charter. Approaching Lindisfarne, + “Our isle of Saints, low-lying on the blue breast of the curling + waters, is hushed and silent in the lightly-purple mists of + morning, like the wide aisles of a great cathedral at daybreak, + before the feet and tongues of sightseers disturb the solemn + stillness. The tideway is covered with water, and the footprints of + the pilgrims who came yesterday to the shrine of St. Cuthbert have + passed into oblivion like footmarks on the sands of time.” + (_Galloway Kyle_.) The modern pilgrim to Holy Island generally + takes train to Beal station, and from there walks to the seashore, + and crosses the long stretch of sand between Holy Island and the + mainland. The governing factor in the possibility or otherwise of + making the journey is the state of the tide, for these sands are + entirely covered by the sea twice a day, so that Holy Island can + only be said to be an island at high tide. + “For with the flow and ebb, its style Varies from continent to isle; + Dry-shod, o’er sands, twice every day The pilgrims to the shrine find + way; Twice every day the waves efface Of staves and sandall’d feet + the trace.” + + There are dangerous quicksands on the way, too, and a row of stakes + points out the proper course to be taken. + + We have already seen that St. Aidan settled on Lindisfarne and have + treated of him in connection with Bamburgh. After his death another + monk of Iona, Finan, succeeded him and carried on his work; and + after Finan came Colman, who resigned after the Synod of Whitby had + decided to keep Easter according to southern instead of northern + usage. St. Cuthbert was Prior of Lindisfarne at this time. Later, + the seat of the bishopric was removed from Lindisfarne to York, + when it was held by that restless and able prelate, Wilfrid, for a + time. Then the bishopric was divided and a see of Hexham formed, as + well as that of Lindisfarne, which included Carlisle, out of the + northern portion of the diocese of York. + + St. Cuthbert was bishop of Lindisfarne for two years, having + exchanged sees with bishop Eata, who went to Hexham. The stone + coffin in which St. Cuthbert’s body was pieced, after his death on + Farne Island, was buried on the right side of the altar in the + Abbey of Lindisfarne, which by this time had arisen on the little + island. A later bishop, Edfrid, executed a wonderful copy of the + Gospels, which was illuminated by his successor, Ethelwald. Another + bishop enclosed it in a cover of gold and silver, adorning it with + jewels; and, later, a priest of Lindisfarne, Aldred, wrote between + the lines a translation into the vernacular, and added marginal + notes. This precious manuscript, a wonderful example of the + beautiful work done in monastic houses in the north so many + centuries ago, is now in the British Museum, where it is known as + the “Durham Manuscript.” + + When the pirate keels of the Danes appeared off our coasts about + the end of the eighth century, Lindisfarne Abbey was one of the + first points of attack; and in 793 it was plundered of most of its + wealth, and many of the monks were slain. For nearly a century + afterwards it was left in peace, but in 875 the Danish ships + appeared again approaching from the south, where they had just + sacked Tynemouth Priory. The bishop, Eardulph, last of the + Lindisfarne prelates, and the brethren hastily collected their most + treasured possessions, and with the body of St. Cuthbert, the bones + of St. Aidan, and other precious relics, they fled from their + island home, and journeyed north, west, and south for many years + before they found a resting place at Chester-le-Street near Durham. + For seven years they carried with them the body of St. Cuthbert; + and it is said that the final choice of a resting place for the + body of their beloved saint was indicated to them by supernatural + means as they approached Durham. + + In 1069 William the Conqueror marched northward to visit with + sternest punishment the hardy north-men, who were so long in + submitting to his authority; and the monks of Durham fled before + the advance of the relentless Norman, carrying with them, as + before, the body of St. Cuthbert. They reached Lindisfarne in + safety to find the Abbey in the ruinous state in which it had been + left by the Danes two centuries earlier. Thus, once again, the body + of St. Cuthbert rested on the little island where so many years of + his life had been spent. + + In 1070 the brethren returned to Durham and in 1093 the building + was begun, almost simultaneously, of the present glorious Cathedral + of Durham and a new Priory and Church on Lindisfarne, and a strong + resemblance may be traced between the two buildings The Abbey was + deserted on the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII., and + gradually fell into ruins. + + The Castle, which stands on a lofty whinstone rock at the + south-east corner of the island, is a conspicuous object for many + miles, whether viewed by land or sea. It is supposed to have been + built in the reign of Henry VIII., at a time when defences were + commanded to be made to all harbours. If the Castle has had any + appreciable share of romantic incidents in its history, the records + thereof seem to be unknown; but one which has come down to us is + the account of its daring capture by an ardent North-country + Jacobite, Lancelot Errington, in 1715. The garrison consisted of + seven men, five of whom were absent. Errington, who was master of a + small vessel lying in the harbour, discovered this, and immediately + made his way to the Castle accompanied by his nephew, and + overpowered the two men who were left in charge, turning them out + of the Castle. He then signalled to the mainland for + reinforcements, but none were forthcoming. A company of King’s men + came instead and re-occupied the place, Errington and his nephew + escaping, to wander about in the neighbourhood for several days, + hiding from pursuit, before they got clear away. The Castle was for + many years the home of the coastguardsmen, who must have found it a + most advantageous position for their purpose, as they had an + uninterrupted view of miles of coast line. + + Northward from Holy Island, but on the mainland, lies Goswick, from + whose red sandstone quarries came the material for building the + Abbey of Lindisfarne. Further north we come in sight of the coal + pits and smoke of Scremerston, while beyond it, Spittal and + Tweedmouth bring us right up to Berwick-on-Tweed itself, that grey + old Border town which has seen so many turns of fortune, and been + harried again and again, only to draw breath after each wild and + cruel interlude, and go calmly on its quiet way until it was once + more called upon to fight for its very existence. + + Though definitely forming part of English soil since 1482, it is + not included in any English county, but, with about eight square + miles around it, forms a county by itself. Hence the addition, to + any Royal proclamation, of the well-known words “And in our Town of + Berwick-upon-Tweed.” + + Sir Walter Scott’s description of the Northumbrian coast, in his + poem of Marmion may well be recalled here. It will be remembered + that the Abbess of Whitby, with some of her nuns, was voyaging to + Holy Island, and we take up the description when + “.... the vessel skirts the strand Of mountainous Northumberland; + Towns, towers, and halls successive rise, And catch the nuns’ + delighted eyes. Monkwearmouth soon behind them lay, And Tynemouth’s + Priory and bay. They marked, amid her trees, the hall Of lofty Seaton + Delaval; They saw the Blyth and Wansbeck floods Rush to the sea + through sounding woods; They passed the tower of Widdrington, Mother + of many a valiant son; At Coquet-isle their beads they tell To the + good saint who owned the cell. Then did the Alne attention claim, And + Warkworth, proud of Percy’s name; And next they crossed themselves, + to hear The whitening breakers sound so near, Where, boiling through + the rocks, they roar On Dunstanborough’s caverned shore. Thy tower, + proud Bamburgh, marked they there, King Ida’s castle, huge and + square, From its tall rock look grimly down And on the swelling ocean + frown. Then from the coast they bore away And reached the Holy + Island’s bay. + + + As to the port the galley flew, Higher and higher rose to view The + castle with its battled walls, The ancient monastery’s halls, A + solemn, huge, and dark-red pile Placed on the margin of the isle. + In Saxon strength that abbey frowned, With massive arches, broad and + round. + + + On the deep walls, the heathen Dane Had poured his impious rage in + vain; And needful was such strength to these, Exposed to the + tempestuous seas, Scourged by the winds’ eternal sway, Open to rovers + fierce as they. Which could twelve hundred years withstand Winds, + waves, and northern pirates’ hand.” + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER II. NORTH AND SOUTH TYNE. + + + “On Kielder-side the wind blaws wide; There sounds nae hunting horn + That rings sae sweet as the winds that beat Round banks where Tyne is + born.” —_A.C. Swinburne_. + + Between Peel Fell and Mid Fell, almost the farthest western heights + of the Cheviot Hills, a little mountain stream takes its rise, and + flows to the south and east. This little burn is the North Tyne, + the beginnings of that stream which, deep, dark, and swift at its + mouth, bears the mighty battleships there built to carry the + war-flags of the nations round the world. In the wild and lovely + district where the North Tyne takes its rise, is Kielder Castle, a + shooting box belonging to the Duke of Northumberland. + + This neighbourhood is the scene of two romantic ballads; that of + the “Cowt (colt) of Kielder” and the Ettrick Shepherd’s ballad of + “Sir David Graeme.” The deadly enemy of the young “Cowt,” so called + from his great strength, is Lord Soulis of Hermitage Castle, on the + Scottish side of the border. The Cowt, with his followers, was + enticed into the Castle, where Lord Soulis purposed his death; but + the gigantic youth burst through the circle of his foes and + escaped. The evil Brownie of the moorland, however, gave to Lord + Soulis the secret which safeguarded the young Cowt. His coat of + mail was sword-proof by a spell of enchantment, and he wore in his + helmet rowan and holly leaves; but these would all be of no avail + against the power of running water. The Cowt was pursued until, in + crossing a burn, he stumbled and lost his helmet, and ere he + recovered, his enemies were upon him, and they held him under water + until he was drowned. + + Not far from the mouth of the Bell Burn, which here runs into the + Tyne, a circle of stones outside an ancient burial ground is known + as the Cowt’s Grave. + “This is the bonny brae, the green, Yet sacred to the brave, Where + still, of ancient size, is seen Gigantic Kieldar’s grave. + + Where weeps the birch with branches green Without the holy ground, + Between two old grey stones is seen The warrior’s ridgey mound. + And the hunters bold of Kieldar’s train, Within yon castle’s wall, In + a deadly sleep must aye remain Till the ruined towers down fall.” + + In the ballad of “Sir David Graeme,” by James Hogg, the lady of the + story watched out of her window in vain for the coming of her + “noble Graeme,” who had vowed that the hate of her father and + brothers would not keep him from coming to carry off his fair lady + on St. Lambert’s night. + “The sun had drunk frae Kieldar Fell His beverage o’ the morning dew; + The deer had crouched her in the dell, The heather oped its bells o’ + blue. + + The lady to her window hied, And it opened o’er the banks o’ Tyne; + An’ “O! alack,” she said, and sighed, “Sure ilka breast is blythe but + mine?” + + Her forebodings prove only too true, for her lover’s faithful hound + seeks her out, and with mournful looks induces her to follow him + over Deadwater Fell, and guides her to a lonely spot where the body + of the gallant Graeme, slain by her brothers, is lying. + + In the neighbourhood of these desolate Fells are to be found many + traces of ancient British Camps. + + The little mountain streams which here help to swell the stream of + the North Tyne are, on the south side, the Lewis and Whickhope + Burns, and on the north, the Plashetts and Hawkhope Burns. On both + sides of the Tyne, near the Whickhope and the Hawkhope Burns are + many remains of an ancient pre-historic forest, the largest being + near the Whickhope Burn where the abnormally thick stems of trees + may be seen. + + The little village of Falstone is set amongst trees, in the midst + of pleasant meadows, a welcome relief from the bare fells and + moorlands around it; yet this wild scenery has a distinct + fascination of its own, and adds not a little to the charm of the + varied landscape within the bounds of our northern county. At + Falstone a fragment of an ancient cross was discovered, with an + inscription carved upon it—in Roman letters on one side and in the + Runes of the Anglo-Saxons on the other. The inscription states that + a certain Eamer set up the cross in memory of his uncle Hroethbert, + and asks for prayers for his soul. The existence of a similarly + inscribed cross is not known, so that the Society of Antiquaries, + in whose keeping this cross rests, has in it probably a unique + treasure. + + The Tarset Burn, upon which stands the village of Thorneyburn, runs + into the Tyne not far from Falstone, and reminds us of the old + Border-riding days, when the rallying-cry of the men of the + district in many a feud with neighbouring clans was—“Tarset and + Tarret Burn, Hard and heather-bred, yet-yet-yet.” Near the spot + where the Tarset Burn joins the Tyne is a grassy hill on which once + stood Tarset Castle, a stronghold of that Red Comyn whom Bruce slew + in the little chapel at Dumfries, and of whose death Bruce’s friend + Kirkpatrick said he would “mak’ siccar”! + + The village of Charlton, on the north bank of the Tyne, and the + mansion of Hesleyside on the other, carry the mind back to the old + reiving plundering days, for it was at Hesleyside that the incident + of the ancient spur of the Charlton’s took place, doubtless many a + time and oft, when the good lady of Hesleyside served up the spur + at dinner as a gentle hint that the larder was empty, and it + behoved her lord to mount and away to replenish the same, + preferably with stock from the Scottish side of the border, or if + not, a neighbour’s cattle would serve equally well. + + The Charltons, Robsons (possibly the lineal descendants of + “Hroethbert” of the ancient cross) and Armstrongs, held almost + undisputed sway over this region, and the district teems with + reminders of their prowess and traditions of their exploits. The + men of Tynedale (the North Tyne) and Redesdale were known as the + fiercest and most lawless in all that wild district. Redesdale is a + district of monotonous, almost dreary, moorlands, and wild, bare + fells, where sheep graze on what scanty provender the bleak hills + afford, finding better fare, however, in the valleys near the river + banks, where the pasture is fresh and green. + + Bellingham is to-day the most considerable village of the + neighbourhood; it stands conveniently at the foot of the hills + where the little Belling Burn, or Hareshaw Burn, joins the main + stream. In Hareshaw woods is the beautiful Hareshaw Linn, where the + stream falls down through a break in the sandstone cliffs, and + forms a picturesque waterfall, fringed with ferns and trees and + cool mosses. It well repays one for the walk of a mile or so + through tangled underwoods by the side of the burn. Bellingham + gives its mime to the family of de Bellingham, whose chief seat, + however, is now in Ireland and no longer in the little + north-country town. + + The massive church here, with its roof of stone, bears eloquent + testimony to the need for fireproof buildings in a village so near + to Scotland in the days of Border warfare. Outside the churchyard + wall is the well of St. Cuthbert, or “Cuddy’s Well,” which was + greatly venerated in early days, and many stories are told of the + miraculous power of its waters. Inside the churchyard a grave is + pointed out as the burial place of the robber whose tragic end was + told by James Hogg in his gruesome story of “The Long Pack.” + + The village itself is plain and bare, as might be expected from a + settlement which would probably find that unattractiveness in + either wealth or appearance was a tolerable safeguard. + + Below Bellingham the North Tyne is joined by its longest and most + noted tributary, the Rede Water, which also rises in the Cheviots. + Rising in the hills north of Carter Fell, it flows south-east, + through a wild region, passing, while still high up amongst the + hills, the little village of Byrness, and the new reservoir at + Catcleugh, where a supply of pure water is stored for the use of + the dwellers in distant Newcastle. On its way to the Tyne, it + passes many an old pele-tower, and the Roman stations of Bremenium + (Rochester) and Habitancum, near Woodburn. The ancient Roman road + of Watling Street crosses the Rede at Woodburn, leading from + Habitancum to Bremenium. + + Many mountain streams, clear and sparkling, or peaty and brown, + join the Rede Water on its way, amongst others the little Otter + Burn, by whose banks took place that stirring episode in the + constant quarrels between the Douglases and Percies known as “Chevy + Chase,” from which the fierce battle-cries ring down the five + centuries that have passed since that time, with sounds that echo + still. + + The pretty village of Redesmouth (or Reedsmouth) stands where the + Rede Water enters the North Tyne, and a few miles further on the + rapid little Houxty Burn pours its peaty waters into the main + stream. + + On the right bank of the Tyne stands Wark, conveniently placed at + one of the most important fords of the Tyne in former days. Like + other towns and villages so placed on different streams throughout + the country, the advantages of its situation have evidently been + appreciated by the successive inhabitants of the land, for there + are traces of its occupation by Celt, Roman, and Saxon; and, later, + the town was the most considerable in Upper Tynedale. During the + time that this part of England was ceded to the Scottish Kings, + David and Alexander, it was at Wark that the Scottish law courts + for Tynedale held their sittings. The mound called the Mote Hill, + near the river, marks the spot where, in all probability, the + ancient Celtic inhabitants met together to administer the rude + justice of prehistoric times, and to make the laws of their little + settlement, which grew to much greater proportions in later years. + In fact, it is supposed that the Kirkfield marks the site of a + church which stood in the midst of the once extensive town. + + A little way up the Wark Burn, above the bridge, there may be seen + some upright stems of Sigillaria in the exposed face of the cliffs. + On the opposite side of the river from Wark is Chipchase Castle, + one of the finest mansions in Northumberland, standing in the midst + of the beautifully wooded and picturesque scenery which, from this + point onwards is characteristic of the North Tyne. Of the former + village of Chipchase scarcely a trace remains, though its name, if + nothing else, shows that here has been a village or small town, + important enough to have its well-known, market; for “Chip,” like + the various “Chippings” throughout England is derived from the + Anglo-Saxon _ciepan_—to buy and sell, to traffic. In the reign of + Henry II., Chipchase was the property of the Umfravilles of + Prudhoe; but later it passed into the hands of the well-known + Northumbrian family of Heron. + + Not far from Chipchase Castle are the famous Gunnerton Crags, + formed by an out-crop of the Great Whin Sill. These lofty cliffs + have been the site of a considerable settlement of the ancient + British tribes who dwelt in the district in such numbers, as is + evident from the scores of camps, which may be traced all over this + part of Northumberland. The naturally strong position on the + Gunnerton Crags, would be certain to commend itself to a people, + the first requisite of whose dwelling places was strength and + consequent safety. + + At Barrasford the making of the railway cutting led to the opening + up of a large barrow, or burial place, of the ancient Britons; and + a single “menhir,” supposed to be the solitary survivor of a large + group of these huge stones, stood near the village school some + years ago. + + Passing Chollerton and Humshaugh, embowered amongst spreading + trees, we arrive at Chollerford, the prettiest village of North + Tyne, lying near the river where it was crossed by the Roman Wall. + From the bridge which spans the Tyne at Chollerford one of the + finest views of the river, both up and down the stream, is to be + seen; and to watch the swift brown stream, after a flood or a + freshet, foaming through the arches is an exhilarating sight. The + bridge itself is a modern one, for we know that all the bridges on + the Tyne, except that of Corbridge, were swept away by the great + flood of 1771. + + In 1394, that prince of bridge-builders, Bishop Walter de Skirlaw + of Durham, granted thirteen days’ indulgence to all who should + assist in rebuilding the bridge at Chollerford; so that already + there was one here which had evidently fallen into disrepair. Yet, + in the ballad of “Jock o’ the Side,” the rescuers, with Jock in + their midst, reach Chollerford, and, after some anxious questioning + of an old man as to whether the “water will ride,” are compelled to + swim the Tyne in flood, which their pursuers, coming up, will not + attempt to do. Now Bishop Skirlaw’s bridges did not usually + disappear; those of Yarm, Shincliffe, and Auckland have stood until + to-day, with occasional repairs. Are we then reluctantly to + question the truth of “Jock o’ the Side”? Surely, if the choice + remain of the accuracy of the ballad or the fact of the bridge, it + is the duty of all leal North-country people to swear by the + ballad. Perhaps the good Bishop did not personally oversee the + rebuilding of Chollerford Bridge: more probably the Wear and Tees + do not come down with the angry impetuosity of the Tyne in flood! + + The remains of the great Roman camp of Cilurnum (The Chesters) may + be seen here within Mrs. Clayton’s park. This was the largest + military station in Northumberland, Corstopitum, which is very much + larger, being more of a civil settlement. At some little distance + below the present bridge some of the piers of the old Roman bridge + are still to be seen when the river is low. + + Eastward from Chollerford is the little church of St. Oswald, + standing where the battle of Heavenfield took place. When Penda of + Mercia, and the British Prince Cadwallon, were warring against + Northumbria, the greatest Northumbrian King, Edwin, was defeated + and slain by them; and on their return to the attack, Ethelfrith’s + eldest son, called back from exile to take the vacant throne, and + rule in his father’s seat of Bamburgh, also fell before their + fierce onslaught. His brother Oswald now took command of the + Bernicians and prepared to lead them against the foe. Oswald posted + his men in a strong position on the north side of the great Wall; + and, setting up a huge cross of wood, called upon all his followers + to bow before the God of whom he had learnt during his exile in + Iona, and to pray to Him for victory. His army obeyed, and, in the + battle which followed, Oswald’s forces were completely victorious. + The Mercians, and their allies, the western Britons, were routed, + and driven out of Bernicia, and Cadwallon was pursued as far as the + Denise Burn, and there slain. The Denise Burn is supposed to have + been the Rowley Burn, which flows into the Devil’s Water, on whose + banks stands Dilsten Castle. Some time later, on the spot where + Oswald’s Cross had stood, a church was erected and dedicated to the + royal Saint. It was served from Hexham Abbey. + + After passing Wall, which, however, is not quite so near the Roman + Wall as Chollerford is, we come to the pretty village of Warden, + nestling beneath the woods of Warden Hill; and here, just above + Hexham, the North Tyne unites with its sister river in the rich + meadow lands which lie near the old town. + + The South Tyne has journeyed from Cross Fell, where it takes its + rise, northward through a corner of Cumberland, past Garrygill and + Alston, until it enters Northumberland where the Ayle Burn on the + one hand, and the Gilderdale Burn on the other, flow into it. Here + is Whitley Castle, where was a small Roman station called Alio, and + Kirkhaugh Church, charmingly placed on the bank of the river, which + continues its course northward past Slaggyford, Knaresdale, Eals, + and Lambley, till it flows past the fine Castle of Featherstone, + and the ruins of Bellister, where it turns eastward to Haltwhistle. + + The little streams which enter the South Tyne up to this point flow + through wild and romantic glens, two of them owning the Celtic + names of _Glen Cune_ and _Glen Dhu_. + + The family of Featherstonehaugh is one of the oldest in the North; + and it was concerning the death of one of this family—Sir Albany + Featherstonehaugh, who was High Sheriff of Northumberland in the + days of Henry VIII.—that Mr. Surtees, the antiquary, wrote the + well-known ballad, which, when Surtees gave it him, deceived even + Sir Walter Scott into thinking it genuinely ancient. The first + verse of the ballad shows with what a verve and swing the lines go. + “Hoot awa’, lads, hoot awa’ Ha’ ye heard how the Ridleys, an’ + Thirlwalls, an’ a’ Ha’ set upon Albany Featherstonehaugh; And taken + his life at the Deadmanshaw? There was Willimoteswick, And + Hard-riding Dick, An’ Hughie o’ Hawdon, an’ Will o’ the Wa’ I canno’ + tell a’, I canno’ tell a’ And mony a mair that the de’il may knaw.” + + The ruins of Bellister Castle stand against a sombre background of + woods, only a little way from Haltwhistle. The Castle once belonged + to the Blenkinsopp family, who also owned Blenkinsopp Castle, about + two miles away. The name was formerly spelt Blencan’s-hope—the hope + being valley or hollow—and the Castle, like many other places, has + its legendary “White Lady.” + + Haltwhistle is a little straggling town lying on both sides of the + main road above the South Tyne, where it is joined by the + Haltwhistle Burn. By going up the valley of this pretty little + stream we shall arrive near the Roman station of AEsica, on the + Wall. The town of Haltwhistle is peaceful enough now, but it had a + stirring existence in the days when Ridleys, Armstrongs, and + Charltons, to say nothing of the men of Liddesdale and Teviotdale, + had so strong a partiality for a neighbour’s live-stock and so + ready a hand with arrow and spear. In the old ballad of “The Fray + of Hautwessel,” we are told that + “The limmer thieves o’ Liddesdale Wadna leave a kye in the haill + countrie, But an[3] we gi’e them the cauld steel, Our gear they’ll + reive it a’ awaye, Sae pert they stealis, I you saye. O’ late they + came to Hautwessel, And thowt they there wad drive a fray. But Alec + Ridley shot too well.” + + [3] But an = unless. + + The most notable feature of present-day Haltwhistle is the finely + placed parish church, of which the chancel is the oldest part, + having been built in the twelfth century, so that it was already an + old church when Edward I. rested here for a night in 1306, on his + way to Scotland for the last time. When William the Lion of + Scotland returned from his captivity, after being taken prisoner at + Alnwick in 1174, he founded the monastery of Arbroath in + thanksgiving for his freedom, and bestowed on the monks the church + of Haltwhistle. + + All that remains of the old Castle, or “Haut-wysill Tower,” is the + building standing near the Castle Hill, which latter has been + fortified by earthworks. The Red Lion Hotel is a modernised + pele-tower. The general aspect of the place is singularly bare and + bleak; but from several points in the town, notably from the + churchyard terrace, fine views of the river valley may be obtained. + + Henshaw (Hethinga’s-haugh) is a little village which King David of + Scotland, when he was Lord of Tynedale, gave to Richard Cumin and + his wife, who afterwards bestowed it on the Cathedral of Durham. It + lies by the side of the main road to Bardon Mill, which is the most + convenient station for travellers to alight at who wish to visit + the Roman Wall and the Roman city of Borcovicus, and the + Northumberland lakes. Some little distance up the hill from Bardon + Mill station is a very pretty little village whose name speaks + eloquently of other invaders than the Romans—the village of + Thorngrafton (the “ton” or settlement on Thor’s “graf” or dyke). + Near at hand there are quarries from which the Romans obtained much + building material for the Wall; and in one of these old quarries + some workmen discovered a bronze vessel full of Roman coins, a few + of gold, but most of silver. This was known as the “Thorngrafton + Find,” and the interesting story of it is told by Dr. Bruce. + + On the opposite side of the South Tyne from Henshaw, Willimoteswick + Castle stands on the level plains which are as characteristic of + the south bank of the river as are the steep slopes of the north + bank. One of the towers of this old Castle yet remains, and forms + part of the more modern farm-house which stands there. + Willimoteswick was long in the possession of the Ridleys, and it is + generally accepted as having been the birthplace of Bishop Ridley, + though Unthank Hall, nearer to Haltwhistle, and also a home of that + family, disputes the honour. The Bishop, who suffered death at the + stake in the troublous times of Queen Mary, in touching letters + bids farewell to his Cousin at Willimoteswick and his sister and + her children at Unthank. + + On the same side of the Tyne is Beltingham Church, with some + wonderful old trees in the churchyard, and Ridley Hall, which takes + its name from that family, although not now occupied by them. Here + the Allen flows into the South Tyne, and nowhere in the whole of + the county is there a more beautiful and romantic scene. By the + side of the stream the Ridley woods stretch for a mile or two, and + the delightful mingling of graceful ferns, overhanging trees, tall, + rugged cliffs, flowering plants, and sparkling waters forms a + succession of lovely scenes throughout their length, which, with + the play of lights and shadows on the dimpled surface of the + stream, and frequent glimpses of grassy glades and cool green + alleys, make a walk through these enchanting woods an unforgettable + delight. + + The Allen Burn, which gives its name to the beautiful district of + Allendale, is, like the Tyne, formed by the junction of two + streams, the East and West Allen, which rise near each other in + hills on the border of Northumberland and Durham, down the opposite + slopes of which run the little streams which feed the Wear. After + flowing apart for some miles, the East and West Allen unite not far + from Staward railway station. Both rivers flow, for the first part + of their course, through a wild and hilly region, rich, however, in + minerals. On the East Allen are the towns of Allenheads, formerly a + busy centre of the lead-mining industry, and Allendale Town, which + lies about 1,400 feet above the sea-level. + + As the lead-mining industry has decreased, Allendale has turned its + attention to other methods of living, and now caters for the army + of visitors who, each summer, climb its hills and wander through + its woods and lanes, and by its riverside, as did the Allendale + maid whose memory is perpetuated in the simple lines of the little + poem, “Lucy Gray of Allendale.” + “Say, have you seen the blushing rose, The blooming pink, or lily + pale? Fairer than any flower that blows Was Lucy Gray of Allendale. + Pensive at eve, down by the burn, Where oft the maid they used to + hail, The shepherds now are heard to mourn For Lucy Gray of + Allendale.” + + Not far from the village of Catton, the name of “Rebel Hils” + reminds us that it was a vicar of Allendale, Mr. Patten, who joined + young Derwentwater in the rising of “The Fifteen,” and was + appointed chaplain of the little army. He met some half-dozen men + of the neighbourhood at this hill, when they set off together to + join the rest of the forces at Wooler. + + On the West Allen is the lonely little hamlet of Ninebanks, with + Ninebanks Tower, concerning which little is known with certainty; + and on this stream also are two of the most strikingly beautiful + places in Northumberland—the delightfully picturesque village of + Whitfield, and the well-known Staward-le-Peel. + + The ruins of the “Pele” tower stand on a high grassy platform, + safeguarded on three sides by tall cliffs and tumbled boulders; the + remains of a ditch may also be traced. From this point a splendid + view of the river valley, with its steep precipices, overhanging + pinewoods intermingled with trees of less sombre hue, and the + bright course of the river, may be obtained. At a point a little + higher up the valley, where the waters of the stream are held back + by some huge rocks, they form a deep pool, and then flow onwards + through a narrow gorge called Cyper’s Linn. Following the stream + now until it has merged its waters in those of the South Tyne, we + turn eastward with the main stream and come to Haydon Bridge. + + This considerable village, gradually growing to the proportions of + a small town, lies on both sides of the river, which is here + crossed by the substantial bridge from which the village takes its + name; for the original village of Haydon stood at some distance up + the hill on the north side of the stream. On the hillside may still + be seen the ruins of the old church, in which services are + occasionally held in the summer time. The chancel, apparently + dating from the twelfth century, and a later little chapel to the + south of it, are all that are left of the building. Some very + quaint inscriptions are to be seen in the churchyard, and there are + many sculptured grave-covers within the church. Many of the stones + used in the building have evidently been brought from the great + Wall, or probably from the Roman station of Borcovicus, some six or + seven miles to the north; and what a rush of bewildering fancies + crowds upon one’s mind on first discovering that the font was + originally a Roman altar! + + The old church must have looked down on many a wild and curious + scene in the days when Scot and Englishman sought only + opportunities to do each other an injury, and the river-valleys + were the natural passes through which the tide of invasion, raid, + and reprisal flowed. + + In the beginning of the reign of Edward III., about 24,000 Scots, + under Douglas and Murray, crossed the Tyne near Haydon Bridge, and + rode on to plunder the richer lands that lay to the south and west. + They reached Stanhope and encamped there for a time. The young king + set out northwards with a great army to punish these marauders, and + he was told by his scouts that they had hastily left Stanhope on + his approach. He and his army pushed on quickly until they reached + Bardon Mill; and, crossing the Tyne, marched down to Haydon Bridge, + expecting the Scots to return by the way they went. It was + miserable weather, and the feeding of so many thousands of men was + no little problem. They scoured all the country round for + provisions, getting the most from the Hexham Abbey lands. Meanwhile + it rained and rained, and no Scots appeared. After a week of + waiting, Edward, in great disappointment, went to Haltwhistle, + while his followers reconnoitered in all directions. Finally, he + had the mortification of learning that the Scots were still at + Stanhope, but before anything more could be done, they betook + themselves back to Scotland by a different route, and there was + nothing left for Edward but to give up the expedition in despair. + + The bridge at Haydon appears to have been the only one for some + distance up and down the river in the sixteenth century, for we + read of its being barred and chained, on various occasions of + marauding troubles in Tynedale, to prevent the free-booters + re-crossing the river. + + In the days of Charles I. Colonel Lilburn marched to Haydon Bridge + in command of some troops of the Roundheads, on his way to join + their comrades at Hexham as a counter-move to the operations of the + Royalist troops in the North. Little more than thirty years after + this, when the days of Cromwell’s power had come and gone, and + Charles II. ruled at Whitehall, the old Grammar School was founded + at Haydon Bridge in 1685 by a clergyman, the Rev. John Shafto. + Various changes have taken place in the school from time to time, + necessitated by the gradual changes and educational needs of the + passing years; and now, like the Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth + at Hexham, it has been entirely re-constituted to meet modern + requirements. John Martin, the famous painter of “The Plains of + Heaven,” received the beginnings of his education at this school. + He was born at East Land Ends farm in 1789. In after years the + authorities of Haydon Bridge Reading Room, wishing no doubt to + afford a perfect example to future generations of the truth of the + proverb concerning a prophet and his own country, refused some of + Martin’s pictures, which the gifted painter himself offered to + them—an act which their successors have doubtless regretted. + + At a little distance along the Langley Road, which leads past the + school, a memorial cross is standing. It was erected in 1883 by the + late Mr. C.J. Bates, the historian of Northumberland, to the memory + of the last of the Derwentwater family, whose castle of Langley he + purchased. The inscription on the cross reads:—“To the memory of + James and Charles, Viscounts Langley, Earls of Derwentwater, + beheaded on Tower Hill, London, 24th February, 1716, and 8th + December, 1746, for loyalty to their lawful sovereign.” + + A striking testimony, this, to the fact that freedom in England is + a reality, and not merely a name. In what other land would an + inscription such as this have been allowed to remain for more than + twenty-four hours? + + A couple of miles or more down the South Tyne is Fourstones, so + called because of four stones, said to have been Roman altars, + having been used to mark its boundaries. A romantic use was made of + one of these stones in the early days of “The Fifteen.” Every + evening, as dusk fell, a little figure, clad in green, stole up to + the ancient altar, which had been slightly hollowed out, and, + taking out a packet, laid another in its place. The mysterious + packets, placed there so secretly, were letters from the Jacobites + of the neighbourhood to each other; and the little figure in green + was a boy who acted as messenger for them. No wonder that the + people of the district gave this altar the name of the “Fairy + Stone.” + + Between Haydon Bridge and Fourstones are both freestone and + limestone quarries, which latter have supplied many fossils to + visitors of geological tastes. Halfway between Fourstones and + Hexham, the two streams of North and South Tyne unite, and flow + together down to the old town of Hexham, with its quaintly + irregular buildings clustering in picturesque confusion round its + ancient Abbey, which dominates the landscape from whatever point we + approach. + + Warden Village, already mentioned, lies in the angle formed by the + meeting of the two streams, and has an ancient church which, + however, has been largely rebuilt. From High Warden, near at hand, + a delightful view may be obtained for a long distance up the + valleys of North and South Tyne. On the summit of this hill there + are the remains of a considerable British camp, showing that they + had seized upon this point of vantage, and though the ancient + British name has not come down to us, it is evident from the Saxon + name of Warden (_weardian_) that Saxons as well as Britons were + fully alive to the merits of the situation, “guarding” the valley + at such a commanding point. + + + + +CHAPTER III. DOWN THE TYNE. + + + The town of Hexham, standing on hilly ground overlooking the Tyne, + immediately below the point at which the North and South Tyne + unite, and spreading from thence down to the levels all round, is + one of the most ancient in the kingdom. To write of Hexham with any + measure of fulness would require much more space than can be given + to it within the limits of a small book; only a mere summary can be + offered here. Britons, Romans, and Saxons, in turn, have dwelt on + and around the hill which, in Saxon days, was to be crowned with + Wilfrid’s beautiful Abbey, which, we read, surpassed all others in + England at that time for beauty and excellence of design and + workmanship; nor was there another to equal it anywhere on this + side of the Alps. + + The name of Hexham is generally understood to be derived from the + names of two little streams, the Hextol and the Halgut, now the + Cowgarth and the Cockshaw Burns, which here flow into the Tyne; or, + as Mr. Bates suggests, it may have been the “ham” of “some + forgotten Hagustald,” which the name perpetuates. In any case its + name was Hagustaldesham when King Ecgfrith (or Egfrid) of + Northumbria gave it to his queen, Etheldreda, who wished to take + the veil. Queen Etheldreda, however, preferred to go to East + Anglia, which was her home; she retired to a convent at Ely, and + bestowed the land at Hagustaldesham on Wilfrid, a monk of + Lindisfarne, clever, ambitious and hardworking, who had become + Bishop of York, which meant Bishop of all Northumbria. + + Wilfrid had been to Rome, and seen the churches of that city and of + the lands through which he travelled; and, on his appointment to + power, he set himself to make the churches of his diocese worthy to + compare with those of older civilizations. He did much to the + cathedral of York, and built that of Ripon; but the Abbey of Hexham + was his masterpiece. He built a monastery and church, dedicating + the latter to St. Andrew, for it was in the church of St. Andrew at + Rome that, kneeling, he felt himself fired with enthusiasm for his + work, in the same church from which Augustine had set out on his + journey to Britain some fifty years before. The year 674 is + generally accepted as the date on which this noble Abbey was + founded. + + Wilfrid lived in great splendour at York, and ruled his immense + diocese with a firm hand; in fact, he was the first of that line of + great ecclesiastics who have moved with such proud, and oft-times + turbulent, progress through the pages of English history. King + Ecgfrith’s second wife, Ermenburga, was jealous of the great power + and magnificence of the Northumbrian prelate, and through her + influence, Archbishop Theodore was induced to divide the huge + diocese of Northumbria into four portions—York, Hexham, Ripon and + Withern in Galloway. Wilfrid, naturally indignant, found all his + protests disregarded, and immediately set out for Rome, to obtain a + decree of restitution from the Pope. It was given to him, but + little cared the Northumbrians for that. Wilfrid was imprisoned for + nine months, and then banished from Northumbria. + + He went southwards and dwelt in Sussex, where his genius for hard + work found scope in a mission to the Saxons of the south lands, and + where he built and founded more churches and monasteries. Readers + of “Rewards and Fairies” will have made acquaintance with Wilfrid + in his Sussex wanderings and hardships. On his recall to the North + by King Aldfrith, he returned to Hexham. On the death of Aldfrith, + the new King, Edwulf, banished Wilfrid once more, ordering him to + leave the kingdom within six days; but the friends of Aldfrith’s + young son, whom Edwulf had dispossessed, obtained the ascendancy, + and Wilfrid was re-instated in his Abbeys of Hexham and Ripon. + + While on his way back from Rome, on his last visit, Wilfrid had a + severe illness, but was granted a vision in which he was told that + he had four years more to live, and that he must build a church to + the honour of the Blessed Virgin. The little church of St. Mary, + which stood close to the walls of the great Abbey of Hexham, was + erected in fulfilment of this command. + + In the Abbey church itself, all that was known for centuries of the + original work of Wilfrid was the famous crypt, which is almost + unique, that of Ripon, also the work of Wilfrid, being the only one + like it; but recent excavations have brought much more of the + ancient cathedral to light, and laid bare, not only its original + plan, but some of the walls, and part of the very pavement trodden + by the feet of Wilfrid and his fellows so many centuries ago. The + tomb of Wilfrid, however, is not at Hexham, but at his other + foundation of Ripon. + + The ancient Abbey suffered much at the hands of the Danes, and in + later years from the ravages of the Scots, having been burnt + several times, notably in 1296, when 40,000 Scots ravaged the North + of England, plundering, burning, and laying waste wherever they + went, exactly as the Danes had done four hundred years before. Some + of the stones of the old Abbey yet bear traces of the fires by + which the ancient building was so often nearly destroyed, and in + these frequent conflagrations all records, charters, etc., of the + Abbey, from which might have been compiled a complete history, not + only of the Abbey but of much of the provincial and national + history of the times, were lost. + + The Abbey was restored and rebuilt again and again, but for varying + reasons was without a nave for some hundreds of years. Within the + last ten years, however, a complete restoration has been carried + out, under the loving, and, what is more to the point, the capable + superintendence of Canon Savage and his colleagues, in the spirit + and manner, as nearly as possible, of the beautiful portions + already standing; and several disfiguring so-called “restorations” + of nineteenth century work, which could only detract from the + beauty and dignity of the noble building, have been removed + entirely. This work was completed in 1908, and all who have the + honour of our famous county at heart must rejoice that its noblest + church is at last more worthy of its own high rank and glorious + past. + + Among the many deeply interesting objects to be seen in the Abbey + is the stone Sanctuary seat—the Frid Stool, or seat of peace—at + which fugitives, fleeing from their enemies, might find refuge. It + is believed that this was the “Cathedra” of St. Wilfrid himself. + The arms and back of the chair are ornamented with a twisted + knot-work pattern. The right of Sanctuary extended for a mile round + the Abbey, the boundaries being marked by crosses, one at each + point of the compass at that distance. + +[Illustration: Hexham Abbey from North West Hexham Abbey from North +West] + + Other treasures of the Abbey are the beautiful Old Rood Screen, + dating from the end of the fifteenth or beginning of the sixteenth + century; some wonderful old paintings, especially the portraits of + the early Bishops of Hexham, Alcmund, Wilfrid, Acca, Eata, + Frithbert, Cuthbert, and John, which date from the fifteenth + century; the mediaeval carved and painted pulpit, and the tomb of + good King Alfwald of Northumbria. Many of the stones used by + Wilfrid’s builders were of Roman workmanship, and seem to have come + from the Roman city of Corstopitum, at Corbridge. An inscription on + one of these old stones in the crypt takes us back some centuries + before even Wilfrid’s time, for it commemorates the Emperor Severus + and his two sons, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Caracalla) and Publius + Septimius Geta, and has the name of the latter erased, as was done + on all similar inscriptions throughout the Empire, by order of the + inhuman Caracalla, after his murder of his brother. + + A very interesting feature of the building is the stone stairway in + the South transept, by which the monks ascended to their + dormitories above. + + Quite near to the Abbey, at the other side of the Market Place, the + ancient Moot Hall claims attention. The modern visitor to the old + town walks beneath the gloomy archway, with its time-worn stones, + which forms the basement over which the Moot Hall stands. Another + building, grim and dark, near at hand, is the Old Manor House, in + which the business connected with the ancient Manor of Hexham was + transacted. + + An old foundation in the town was the Queen Elizabeth Grammar + School, which, after having fallen into desuetude for many years, + has been revived in a form appropriate to modern needs, and housed + in a worthy building, formally opened by Sir Francis Blake on + November 2nd, 1910. The site on which the new Grammar School of + Queen Elizabeth stands is one of the finest in the county, + commanding, as it does, an uninterrupted view of the river valley + for some distance, and of the rising ground beyond. + + At the beginning of last century, Hexham was famed for its + glove-making: but that industry has forsaken the town for many + years. Now, Hexham is surrounded by acres of market-gardens, from + which the produce of Tynedale is carried far and wide. + + The spacious stretch of level meadow-land below Hexham, rising + gradually up to the swelling ridges beyond, is said to have been + the scene which John Martin had in mind when he painted the “Plains + of Heaven”; though the level reaches above Newburn, unencumbered + with buildings in John Martin’s time, and then a scene of quiet + pastoral beauty, also claim that honour. + + Flowing now between well ordered gardens, green meadows, and ferny + banks, brawling musically over shingly shallows, or crooning gently + between fringing woods, the Tyne rolls onward to Corbridge, + receiving on its way the Devil’s Water, a sparkling stream which + flows through scenes of enchanting beauty, whether between rugged + cliffs and heather clad hills as in its upper course, through the + graceful overhanging trees and cool green recesses of Dipton woods + or between rich meadows and green pasture-land where it loses + itself in the bosom of the Tyne. + + There is no more delightful experience than to wander through the + woods of Deepdene (Dipton) on a summer’s day, when it requires no + stretch of the imagination to believe oneself in an enchanted + forest, or, on hearing a crackle of twigs, or faint sounds of the + outside world filtering through the green solitudes, to turn round + expecting to see a maiden on a “milk-white steed,” or one of the + Knights of the Round Table come riding by, in bravery of glistening + armour and gay surtout, and to find oneself murmuring, “Now, Sir + Gawain rode apace, and came unto a right fair wood, and findeth the + stream of a spring that ran with a great rushing, and nigh + thereunto was a way that was much haunted. He abandoneth his + high-way, and goeth all along the stream from the spring that + lasteth a long league plenary, until that he espieth a right fair + house and right fair chapel enclosed within a hedge of wood.” + + On the green meadows of Hexham Levels and near Dilston Castle—two + spots of more than ordinary historical interest—the Lancastrian + cause received, in 1464, a blow from which it never rallied, though + the courageous Queen fought gallantly till the final disasters at + Barnet and Tewkesbury. The general of her forces, the Duke of + Somerset, was beheaded in Hexham market-place, and, together with + several others of rank and station, buried at Hexham. The + well-known incident of Queen Margaret’s escape into Dipton, or + Deepdene woods, where she and young Prince Edward met with robbers, + and afterwards escaped by the aid of another member of that + fraternity, took place a year before this, after the first battle + of Hexham in 1463. The year had been one of constant warfare + between York and Lancaster in the north, the Castles of Alnwick and + Bamburgh having fallen into the hands of Queen Margaret’s friends + once more, after having been raptured by Edward of York the year + before; the Scots with Margaret and King Henry VI., had besieged + Norham, but were put to flight by the Earl of Warwick and hid + brother, Lord Montague; the royal fugitives sought safety at + Bamburgh, whence the Queen, with Prince Edward, sailed for + Flanders, leaving King Henry in the Castle where he was in no + immediate danger; Warwick, with his forces, retired southward + again, and the gentle King remained in his rocky stronghold, and + enjoyed there nine months of unwonted peace. Shortly after this, + the Duke of Somerset deserted the cause of York for that of + Lancaster, and became the leader of the Queen’s forces. In April, + 1464, he and Sir Ralph Percy opposed, at Hedgeley Moor, the troops + of Lord Montague journeying northward to escort the Scottish + delegates who were coming to York to make terms with Edward of + York. Sir Ralph Percy was slain, exclaiming as he fell “I have + saved the bird in my bosom”—that enigmatic sentence which has given + rise to so much conjecture, but which is generally held to mean + that he had saved his honour, by dying at last, after so many + changes of front, in the service of that King and Queen to whom he + originally owed allegiance. “Percy’s Cross,” marking the site of + his death, may be seen by the side of the railway near Hedgeley + Station, on the Alnwick and Wooler line. + + The rest of the force dispersed, and made their way to Hexham; and + Lord Montague marching upon them from Newcastle, a sharp engagement + took place on the Levels, near the Linnels Bridge, with the result, + as we have seen, of the defeat and death of Somerset, and the + overthrow of Queen Margaret’s hopes in the north, where she had had + a strong following. + + The historical interest centred on Dilston Castle brings us to much + later times, and enshrines a story which possesses a pathetic + interest beyond that of any other place in Northumberland. + Originally the home of the family of D’Eivill, later Dyvelstone + (which explains the name “Devil’s Water”) Dilston Castle came into + the possession of the Radcliffes by marriage, and in the days of + the Commonwealth the Radcliffe of the day forfeited his estates on + account of his loyalty to the house of Stuart. Charles II. restored + them, and the close attachment between the houses of Stuart and + Radcliffe continued until the fortunes of both were quenched in + disaster and gloom. The figure of the young and gallant James + Radcliffe, last Earl of Derwentwater, holds the imagination no less + than the heart as it moves across the page of history for a brief + space to its tragic end. Though born in London, in June 1689, young + Radcliffe passed his childhood and youth in France in the closest + companionship with James Stuart, son of the exiled James II. At the + age of twenty-one he returned to his home in Northumbria, and took + up his residence there, his charming manners, kind heart, and + openhanded hospitality speedily endearing him to all classes. His + servants and tenants, in particular, were passionately devoted to + him. In the words of the old ballad of “Derwentwater”— + “O, Derwentwater’s a bonnie lord, And golden is his hair, And + glintin’ is his hawkin’ e’e Wi’ kind love dwelling there.” + + On his marriage in 1712, the young bride and bridegroom remained + for two years at the home of the bride’s father, and preparations + were made for restoring the glories of Dilston on an extensive + scale. On Derwentwater’s return to his beautiful Northumbrian seat + in 1714, the death of Queen Anne had excited the hopes of all the + friends of the house of Stuart, and plots and secret meetings were + being planned throughout Scotland and the north of England, the + objective being the restoration of the exiled Stuarts to the + throne. Derwentwater took little part in these attempts to organise + rebellion for some time, but at length was drawn into the dangerous + game, as he was too valuable an asset to be passed over by the + Jacobite party. + + At last rumours of the projected rising reached London, and a + warrant was issued for the arrest of Derwentwater, even before it + was known whether he had actually joined the plotters, his + well-known friendship with the exiled Prince making it almost + certain that he would be an important figure in any movement on + their behalf. For the next few weeks the young Earl found himself + obliged to remain in hiding, finding safety in the cottages of his + tenants, and in the houses of friends and neighbours. Finally, + though his good sense warned him that he was embarking on an almost + hopeless enterprise, he decided to throw in his lot with the + Jacobites. + + Tradition has it that his decision was brought about by the taunts + of his Countess, who, like the rest of the Jacobite ladies, was + more enthusiastic than the men. Throwing down her fan, she + scornfully offered that to her husband as a weapon, and demanded + his sword in exchange. The immediate result was seen on that + October morning when Derwentwater and his little band of followers + rode over the bridge at Corbridge with drawn swords, on their way + to Beaufront, which was their first rendezvous; and from there + proceeded to Greenrigg, near the great Wall, which had been + appointed as a general meeting-place. + + There they were joined by Mr. Forster, of Bamburgh, with his + contingent, and a few from the surrounding district. Rothbury next + saw the little army, which was joined on Felton Bridge by seventy + Scots; and thereafter Warkworth, Alnwick, and Morpeth heard James + Stuart proclaimed King under the title of James III. + + Newcastle was to have been their next objective, but, hearing that + the city had closed its gates, and intended to hold out for King + George, the Jacobite force, after some indecision, returned + northward to Rothbury, where they were joined by a large company of + Scottish Jacobites under Lord Kenmure. Northward again they marched + to Kelso, where more than a thousand Scots joined forces with them. + + The little army numbered now almost 2,000, and a council was held + to determine what their next step should be. On its being resolved + to enter England, some hundreds of the Highlanders returned home, + leaving an army of about 1,500 to march southwards to Lancashire. + On their way they put to flight at Penrith a motley force which was + raised to oppose them; and, elated with a first success, moved + forward to Preston, grievously disappointed on the way at the + failure of the people of Lancashire to rise with them, for they had + been given to understand that thousands in that county were only + awaiting an opportunity to declare for “King James.” + + At Preston they barricaded the principal streets, and repulsed + General Willis; but the arrival of General Carpenter from Newcastle + changed the face of affairs. Young Derwentwater had fought + valiantly and worked arduously at the barricades, but Forster—whose + appointment as General had been made in the hope of attracting + other Protestant gentry to the Jacobite cause—offered to submit to + General Carpenter under certain conditions. Carpenter’s reply was a + demand for unconditional surrender, and the hopeless little + tragi-comedy was played out. The last scene took place on Tower + Hill three months later, when the gallant young Earl, then only + twenty-six years old, laid down the life which, after all, had been + spent in the service of others, with no selfish purpose in view, + and which was offered him, together with wealth and freedom, if he + would forsake his faith and throw aside his allegiance to the house + of Stuart. Refusing to purchase life at such a price, he was + condemned, and executed on Tower Hill on February 24th, 1716. + + His brother Charles, who had been by his side throughout the + rising, had the good fortune to escape from Newgate Prison, and + passed most of his life abroad. Thirty years later, on his return + to take up arms on behalf of James’ son Charles—“bonnie Prince + Charlie”—when he also drew the sword in an attempt to regain the + throne of his fathers, Radcliffe was captured and beheaded. (For + account of a monument to the memory of these two brothers see in + previous chapter paragraph relating to Haydon Bridge.) + + The story of General Forster’s escape from Newgate is told by Sir + Walter Besant, as all readers of his novel, “Dorothy Forster” know, + though the author has taken those minor liberties with unimportant + facts which are by common consent allowable in fiction. + + James Radcliffe’s friends were allowed to have his body, though + they were forbidden to carry it home for burial; for such were the + love and esteem borne for the young Earl in the hearts of all his + North-country friends and dependents, that the authorities feared a + disturbance of the peace should his body be brought amongst them + while their rage and grief were still at their height. + Notwithstanding the prohibition, however, the body was brought + secretly to Dilston, and buried in the vault of the chapel, which, + with the ruined tower, are all that remain of the home of the + Radcliffes. Standing amidst luxuriant foliage, and overlooking a + romantic dell, the ruins of tower and chapel remain as they fell + into decay on the death of their luckless owners. The confiscated + estates were bestowed on Greenwich Hospital, whose agents + administer them still, with the exception of certain portions + purchased from time to time by various landowners. No other family + took the place of the Radcliffes in the deserted halls; but + tradition holds that the unfortunate Earl and his sorrowful lady + still revisit their ancient home. The Earl’s body is now at + Thorndon, in Essex. Below is Surtees’ beautiful ballad, “Lord + Derwentwater’s Farewell.” + + LORD DERWENTWATER’S FAREWELL + + “Farewell to pleasant Dilston Hall, My father’s ancient seat; A + stranger now must call thee his, Which gars my heart to greet. + Farewell each kindly well-known face My heart has held so dear; My + tenants now must leave their lord Or hold their lives in fear. + No more along the banks of Tyne I’ll rove in autumn grey; No more + I’ll hear, at early dawn, The lav’rocks wake the day; Then fare thee + well, brave Witherington, And Forster ever true; Dear Shaftsbury and + Errington, Receive my last adieu. + And fare thee well, George Collingwood, Since fate has put us down; + If thou and I have lost our lives, Our king has lost his crown. + Farewell, farewell, my lady dear, Ill, ill thou counsell’dst me; I + never more may see the babe That smiles upon thy knee. + And fare thee well, my bonny gray steed, That carried me aye so free; + I wish I had been asleep in my bed The last time I mounted thee; The + warning bell now bids me cease, My trouble’s nearly o’er; Yon sun + that rises from the sea Shall rise on me no more. + Albeit that here in London Town It is my fate to die; O carry me to + Northumberland, In my father’s grave to lie. There chant my solemn + requiem In Hexham’s holy towers; And let six maids of fair Tynedale + Scatter my grave with flowers. + And when the head that wears the crown Shall be laid low like mine; + Some honest hearts may then lament For Radcliffe’s fallen line. + Farewell to pleasant Dilston Hall, My father’s ancient seat; A + stranger now must call thee his, Which gars my heart to greet.” + + Near to Corbridge the waters of the Tyne lave the ancient piers of + the old Roman bridge which led to Corstopitum, the most + considerable of the Roman stations in this region. The recent + careful excavations have laid bare the evidence of what must have + been a most imposing city, and many treasures of pottery, coins and + ancient jewellery and ornaments, together with large quantities of + the bones of animals, some of them identical with the wild cattle + of Chillingham, have been brought to light. The famous silver dish + known as the Corbridge Lanx, which was found at the riverside by a + little girl in 1734, had evidently been washed down from + Corstopitum. It is now preserved at Alnwick Castle. The antiquity + of Corbridge is thus superior to that of Hexham, as far as may be + known; but on the other hand, while Hexham in Saxon times grew to + power, Corbridge declined. Yet, in its time, it was more than the + home of a famous Abbey; it was a royal city, albeit the date of its + elevation to royal rank coincided with the decline of the kingdom + of which it was the final capital. When the fierce and ruthless + internal quarrels, which rent Northumbria after Edbert’s glorious + reign, had weakened it so that it fell a prey to the gradual + encroachments of its northern neighbours, the once royal city of + Bamburgh was left in the hands of a noble Saxon family, and the + court was removed to Corbridge, which remained the abode of the + kings of Northumbria until Northumbria possessed royal rank no + longer. The tale of the two hundred years during which Corbridge + was the capital city is a tale of red slaughter and ruin, murder + and bitter feud, not against outside foes, but between one family + and another, noble against king, king against relatives of other + noble houses, amongst which might possibly be found the thegn to + succeed him, or to murder him in order to bring about his own more + speedy elevation to a precarious throne. + + So much was this the case, that Charles the Great, at whose court + the learned Northumbrian, Alcuin, was secretary, said that the + Northumbrians were worse than the invading heathen Danes, who, by + this time, had begun their ravages in the land. Amongst the rulers + of Northumbria in those days, the name of Alfwald the Just, who was + called “the Friend of God,” shines out with enduring light across + the stormy darkness of that terrible period; yet even his just and + merciful rule and noble life could not save him from the hand of + the assassin. He was buried with much mourning and great pomp in + the Abbey at Hexham; and during the recent excavations the fact of + a Saxon interment was verified as having taken place beneath the + beautiful tomb which tradition has always held to be that of King + Alfwald the Just. This fact also helped to demonstrate the extent + of the original Abbey. + + There was a monastery at Corbridge in the year 771, which is + supposed to have been founded by St. Wilfrid. Of the four churches + which were erected in later times, only one survives—the parish + church of St. Andrew, which occupies the site of the early + monastery. In this ancient church may be seen part of the original + Saxon work, and many stones of Roman workmanship are built up in + the structure. + + Like most other old churches in the north, it suffered severely at + the hands of the Scots, and, as at Hexham Abbey, traces of fire may + be seen on some of the stones. + + King David of Scotland, on his invasion of England in 1138, which + was to end at the “Battle of the Standard,” at Northallerton, + encamped at Corbridge for a time, and terrible cruelties were + committed in the district by his followers. In the next century, + King John turned the little town upside down in his efforts to find + treasure which he was convinced must be concealed somewhere in the + houses; but his search was fruitless. In the days of the three + Edwards, during the long wars with Scotland, Corbridge suffered + terribly, being fired again and again; on one occasion, in 1296, + the destruction included the burning of the school with some two + hundred hapless boys within its walls.[4] + + [4] _See_ Bates, p. 149. + + Those heroes of our childhood’s days, William Wallace and Robert + Bruce, were far from guiltless in these cruelties, though in + justice to them personally, the wild and lawless character of the + men who formed their undisciplined hosts must be remembered; and we + know that Wallace tried to save the holy vessels in Hexham Abbey, + but, as soon as his back was turned, they were swept away in the + very presence of the officiating priest. + + During these terrible years most of Northumberland was a desolate + waste; and divine service had almost ceased to be performed between + Newcastle and Carlisle, even Hexham being deserted for a time. + After the battle of Bannockburn, matters were worse, if possible, + and all the north lay in fear of the Scots, but from time to time + spasmodic efforts at retaliation were made by the boldest of the + Northumbrian landowners. In the reign of Edward III., however, many + of these great landowners thwarted the King’s designs by making a + traitorous peace with their turbulent neighbours. + + David II. of Scotland encamped at Corbridge for a time during his + second attempt to invade England but this expedition ended in his + defeat and capture at Neville’s Cross. Thereafter the north had + rest for some years, and Corbridge seems to have been left in + peace. The Wars of the Roses passed it by; and the Civil Wars in + Stuart days also, except for an unimportant skirmish; and the only + part Corbridge saw of the Jacobite rising of “The Fifteen” was the + little cavalcade from Dilston which clattered over the old bridge + on its way to Beaufront. That bridge is the same which we cross + to-day; the date of its erection, 1674, may be seen on one of its + stones, and it was the only one on the Tyne which withstood the + great flood of 1771, when even the old Tyne Bridge at Newcastle was + swept away. + + Quite close to the church there is an old pele-tower, which is in + an excellent state of preservation, little of it having disappeared + except the various floors. The vicars of Corbridge must have been + often thankful for such a refuge at hand, where they could bid + defiance to marauding bands, whether of Scottish or English + nationality. In the Register of the parish church may be seen a + most interesting entry, showing the Earl of Derwentwater’s + signature as churchwarden. + + At a little distance from Corbridge, to the northward, is the + fortified manor-house of Aydon Castle, standing embowered in trees + where the Cor burn runs through a little rocky ravine, down whose + steep sides Sir Robert Clavering threw most of a marauding band of + Scotsmen who had attacked the grange; the place known as “Jock’s + Leap” obtained its name from one of the Scots who escaped the fate + of his comrades by his leap for life across the ravine. The Castle, + or hall, as it is variously called, has not suffered such + destruction as might have been expected, seeing that it dates from + the thirteenth century; but the thickness of its walls, and the + arrow-slits and narrow windows are obvious proof of the necessity + for defence which existed when it was first erected in the days of + Edward I. Many features of great interest, notably the ancient + fireplaces, remain in the interior of the building. + + Returning down the Cor burn to the Tyne, our way lies eastward by + the side of the river, which here, after splashing and sparkling + over the shallows below Corbridge, narrows again to a deeper stream + of swifter current, and flows between green meadows and leafy + woods, fern-clad steeps and level haughs, all the way down to + Ryton, where the picturesque aspect of the river ceases, and it + becomes an industrial waterway. On this reach of the river are + several places of considerable interest. + + Riding Mill, a pretty village in a well-wooded hollow, enclosed by + steep hills which rise ever higher and higher to the moors by + Minsteracres and Blanchland, stands where Watling Street, or Dere + Street, leading down the long slope of the country from + Whittonstall, on reaching the Tyne turned westward to Corstopitum. + Further down the stream is Stocksfield, where the aged King Edward + I. halted on his last journey into Scotland, on that expedition + which was to have executed a summary vengeance upon the Scots; he + journeyed forward by slow stages, but was taken ill at Newbrough, + where he stayed for some time, before continuing his journey by + Blenkinsopp, Thirlwall, and Lanercost to Carlisle. + + On the opposite side of the stream from Stocksfield is the lovely + village of Bywell, a “haunt of ancient peace,” “sleeping soft on + the banks of the murmuring Tyne.” This little peaceful spot was at + one time a very busy centre of life and industry on a small scale; + in the Middle Ages the inhabitants drove a thriving trade in all + the necessities for a people who spent a great part of their lives + upon horseback, especially in the making of the ironwork + required—“bits, stirrups, buckles, and the like, wherein they are + very expert and cunning.” The Nevilles, lords of Raby and earls of + Westmoreland, held Bywell at this time; before that it was in the + hands of the Balliols, of Scottish fame, who, like the Bruces, were + Norman knights high in favour with their kings, Norman and + Plantagenet, though they afterwards became their most determined + foes. + + Long before the advent of the Normans, a church was built here by + St. Wilfrid, and in it—St. Andrew’s or the “White” Church—Egbert, + twelfth bishop of Lindisfarne, was consecrated by Archbishop + Eanbald in the year 803. More than a thousand years afterwards, in + 1896, an Ordination service was again held at Bywell, in St. + Peter’s church, when five deacons were ordained by Bishop Jacob. + And in times yet more remote than Wilfrid’s age, Roman legionaries + crossed the Tyne at this point over a bridge of their own + construction, of which the piers might be seen until our own day. + Bywell, too, had its “find” of Roman silver; in 1760 a silver cup + was found in the Tyne, bearing the inscription “Desidere vivas” + around the neck of the vessel. + + When the Nevilles were lords of the manor of Bywell, they began to + build a castle here, which, however, was left unfinished; the + ancient tower still standing, with its picturesque draping of ivy, + was the gate-house of the intended fortress. On the rebellion of + the northern earls in 1569, Westmoreland’s forfeited lands passed + to the crown, so that Bywell was held by Queen Elizabeth for a year + or two, until she sold the estate to a branch of the Fenwick + family. + + Bywell is unique in Northumberland in possessing two churches side + by side yet in different parishes. The town of Bywell, we are told + by the same authority before quoted, lay in a long line by the + north bank of the Tyne, and was “divided into two separate + parishes” even then, so that there ought to be traces of former + buildings westward from the present village. In connection with the + two churches which adjoin each other so closely, tradition tells + the well-known story of the two quarrelsome sisters who could not + agree on the building of a church and therefore each built one. One + might have imagined, with some show of reason, that there being two + parishes, the two churches were placed there in sheltering + proximity to the castle, were it not for the fact that the churches + were in existence long before the stronghold of the Nevilles was + contemplated. + + St. Andrew’s, called the “White” church from the fact of its being + served in later days by the White friars, is the more ancient of + the two. As we have seen, a church erected by St. Wilfrid stood on + this site, and a goodly portion of the Saxon work remains in the + tower. The hagioscope, or “squint” in this church, and the “leper” + window in St. Peter’s are interesting relics of the Middle Ages. + + St. Peter’s, or the “Black” church which once belonged to the + Benedictines or Black friars, is of much later date than its + neighbour, though still an ancient building, being supposed to date + from the eleventh century. Its most interesting possessions are two + very old bells, bearing Latin inscriptions, one announcing “I + proclaim the hour for people rising, and call to those still lying + down,” and the other reading “Thou art Peter.” + + Bywell suffered greatly in the flood of 1771, when the bridge was + swept away, many houses destroyed, several people drowned, and both + churches greatly damaged. + + It is not surprising that this tranquil little village—“the retreat + of the old doomed divinities of wood and fountain, banished from + their native haunts,” to quote Mr. Tomlinson’s happy phrase—has + always been beloved of artists, many of whom have transferred to + their canvasses the beauties of its mingled scenery of graceful + woods and sparkling waters, ancient fortress, peaceful meadows, and + gray old towers. Many noteworthy and fine old trees are to be found + in and around this artists’ haunt. + + On the opposite side of the river, Bywell’s younger sister, + Stocksfield, grows apace, reaching out towards the lulls and along + the eastward lanes, though not as yet in such measure as to cover + the hillsides with any semblance of a town, being still almost + hidden amongst the profusion of trees that clothe most of the + district in their leafy greenery. On the north bank of the stream + the village of Ovingham now rises into view, its name telling us + plainly that there was a settlement here in Saxon times “the home + of the sons of Offa”; and the slope above the river is fittingly + crowned by the ancient church of St. Mary, whose tower, with its + curiously irregular windows, is the work of the Saxon builders of + the original church. The rest of the building, except some Saxon + work at the west end of the nave, dates from early Norman days. + Here is the burial place of the famous brothers John and Thomas + Bewick, who were born at Cherryburn House, just across the river. + In this delightful spot the boy Thomas Bewick grew up, absorbing + unconsciously the natural beauties that are to be found here by the + Tyne and in the little ravine through which the Cherry Burn flows, + which beauties he so lovingly reproduced on his engraving blocks + later in life. + + At the fords of Ovingham, Eltringham, and Bywell, the Scots under + General Leslie crossed the Tyne in 1644, and made their way into + Durham, leaving six regiments to watch Newcastle. + + The picturesque ruins of Prudhoe Castle, whose lofty towers + dominate the valley for some distance up and down the stream, stand + on a commanding rocky ridge above the Tyne. The lands of Prudhoe + were given, soon after the Norman Conquest, to one of Duke + William’s immediate followers, Robert de Umfraville; and it was + Odinel de Umfraville who built the present castle in the twelfth + century. Its strength was soon put to the test, for a few years + after it was built William the Lion of Scotland found that the + place baffled all his attempts to capture it. In his anger he + determined to reduce the fortress of Odinel, who had spent much + time at the Scottish court in his youth, the Kings of Scotland + being at that time lords of Tynedale. The attempt ended in total + failure, the greatest harm the Scots did on that occasion being to + destroy the cornfields and strip the bark from the apple trees near + the Castle; while, a day or two afterwards, Odinel de Umfraville, + with Glanvile and Balliol, captured the Scottish monarch himself at + Alnwick. + + Another Umfraville, Richard, quarrelled with his neighbour of + Nafferton, on the opposite side of the river, for having begun to + erect a fortress much too near Umfraville’s own. He sent a petition + to the King on the subject and King John commanded Philip de + Ulecote’s building operations to cease. The unfinished castle, + known as Nafferton Tower, remains to this day as Philip’s masons + left it so many centuries ago. + + Sir Ingram de Umfraville was by the side of Edward II. at + Bannockburn, when, before the battle, Bruce ordered his men to + kneel in prayer. Edward looked on the kneeling host, and turning to + Umfraville, exclaimed “See! Yon men kneel to ask mercy.” “You say + truth, sire,” answered the knight of Prudhoe; “they ask mercy—but + not of you.” + + The last Umfraville, who died in 1381, left a widow, the Countess + Maud, who married a Percy of Alnwick, and so the castle passed into + the hands of that family, in whose possession it still remains. + + When Odinel de Umfraville was building the keep of his castle, + every one in the neighbourhood was pressed into the service, and + all lent their aid except the men of Wylam. Wylam had been given to + the church of St. Oswyn at Tynemouth, and, as was customary, was + freed by charter from the duty of castle building, or any other + feudal service excepting such as were rendered to the Prior of + Tynemouth as occasion arose. So, in spite of the angry surprise of + the lord of Prudhoe, the Wylam men quietly held to their charter, + and not all Odinel’s threats or persuasions moved them one whit. + + The Stanley Burn, which enters the Tyne close to Wylam railway + station, divides this part of the county of Durham from + Northumberland, so that from Wylam to the sea the south side of the + Tyne is in the county of Durham. The most noteworthy object at + Wylam, or, to be precise, a little way along the old post-road, + leading to Newcastle from Hexham, is the red-tiled cottage in which + George Stephenson was born in 1781. It stands on the north bank of + the Tyne, where it can be distinctly seen from passing trains. Its + neighbour cottage has been repaired and re-roofed, but Stephenson’s + cottage remains unaltered. + + Mr. Blackett, who owned Wylam Colliery at the beginning of the + nineteenth century, took the keenest interest in the question of + locomotives, and had tried more than one on his estate before + George Stephenson brought them to the point of practical use. At + Newburn, just four miles down the Tyne, George Stephenson passed + many years of his youth; here he learned to read and write, when he + was old enough to earn a man’s wage and could afford the few pence + necessary; and here, in the parish church, may be seen, with an + interval of twenty years between them, the entries of his two + marriages. + + Newburn is important nowadays for its steel works, within whose + workshops is incorporated an old building formerly known as Newburn + Hall; but in days long past its importance arose from its being on + the ford of the Tyne nearest to Newcastle. This ford was frequently + made use of, notably by the Scots in the reign of Charles I. Their + chief camping ground is pointed out to us by the name of Scotswood, + which also describes what Scotswood was like in those days—a great + contrast to its present appearance, when the lines of brick and + mortar stretching out uninterruptedly from Newcastle make it + practically one with that town. In 1640, the Scottish army, under + General Leslie, faced the Royalist troops, under Lord Conway, on + the south side of the river. The Scots mounted their rude cannon on + Newburn Church tower, and the English raised earthworks along the + bank of the river, which was here fordable in two places. The two + armies calmly watered their horses on opposite banks of the stream + all the next morning, but a shot at a Scottish officer from the + English ranks precipitated the battle; and the Scottish army, + having made a breach in both earthworks with their artillery, waded + across the fords and drove the Royalist troops up the bank, after + one spasmodic rally, which, however, failed to check the Scottish + advance. The way was now open for the Scottish army to continue + down the south bank of the Tyne and attack Newcastle from + Gateshead. It had been Lord Conway’s task to prevent this, but + owing to his incapacity or want of whole-hearted enthusiasm for his + cause, he failed entirely. + + Not until 1644, however, was a Scottish attack on Newcastle + actually made, for on this occasion Leslie, as we have already + seen, led his men across the fords higher up the river and marched + southwards. The earthworks thrown up by Conway’s troops may still + be seen on Stella Haughs. + + It is supposed that the Romans had a fort here, commanding the + passage of the river; indeed it would have been strange had this + not been the case, for the Romans were not the people to disregard + any point of strategical importance, especially one so near their + stations of Pons AElii and Condercum. Many stones of Roman + workmanship have been used in the building of the Newburn church. + + From this point to its mouth, nearly fifteen miles away, both banks + of the Tyne present an unbroken scene of industry. Between the + steel works of Newburn and the iron and chemical works, the brick + and tile works of Blaydon and past the famous yards of Elswick, + down to the wharves and shipyards of North and South Shields, the + Tyne rolls its swift dark waters through a scene of stirring + activity; the air is dusky with soot and smoke, and reverberant + with the clang of hammers and the pulsing beat of machinery. Some + old and world-famed works have been closed or removed, like Hawks’ + and Stephenson’s, but others, many others, have opened; and the map + of the positions of Tyne industries, published under the auspices + of the Newcastle and Gateshead Chamber of Commerce, is a record of + resolute toil and brilliant achievement in the many aspects of + industrial life represented on the river. + + And, apart from the mere prosperity and commercial supremacy of the + district, there is another cause for pride in the many notable + inventions which hail from Tyneside; from the locomotive and the + “Geordie” lamp of Stephenson, the hydraulic machinery and the big + guns of Armstrong, to the wonderful turbine engines of Parsons; the + invention of water-ballast, too, belongs to the Tyne, for it was + the idea of a Gateshead man, and first used at Jarrow. + + And, in connection with ships and seafarers, though not in any + commercial sense, we may proudly recall the fact that the first + Lifeboat was launched on the Tyne and named after the river; and + the first Volunteer Life Brigade was formed at Tynemouth. The Worth + Eastern Railway is carried across the Tyne by the Scotswood Bridge; + and it was on this part of the river that the boat-races, for which + the Tyne was once famous, were rowed. At Newcastle, the river is + bridged by four huge structures—The Redheugh Bridge, the new King + Edward VII. bridge, the High Level, and Swing Bridges,—all + connecting Newcastle with the sister town of Gateshead. An + interesting sight it is to see the Swing Bridge gradually turning + on its central pivot, until it lies in a straight line up and down + the stream, allowing some huge liner to pass, or some new + battleship, fresh from Elswick, to sail down the river, on its way + to make its trial trip over the “measured mile” in the open sea at + the mouth of the river, and thereafter to take its place among the + armaments of the nations. + + The High Level Bridge allows ships of any height to pass under its + lofty and graceful arches, which look so light, but are yet so + strong. This splendid bridge is an enduring monument of Robert + Stephenson, whose work it was; and the story of its erection, at + the cost of nearly half a million of money, makes most interesting + reading. It took nearly two and a half years to build, and was + opened for traffic in 1849—little more than three years after the + first pile was driven in. A few months later, in 1850, the newly + built Central Station, with its imposing portico, was opened by + Queen Victoria. + + Passing down the Tyne from Newcastle, which requires separate + notice, and Walker, with its reminiscences of “Walker Pit’s deun + weel for me,” we arrive at Wallsend, which in twenty-five years has + grown from a colliery village with a population of 4,000 to a town + of 23,000 inhabitants. Here are great shipbuilding and repairing + yards, chemical works and cement works; here, too, are Parsons’ + Steam Turbine Works, where was designed and built the little + “Turbinia,” on which tiny vessel the early experiments were made + with the new engines; and here are the famous mines which have made + “Best Wallsend” a synonym for best household coal all over the + land. These mines, after having been closed for many years, were + reopened at the beginning of the century, and now turn out upwards + of one thousand tons of coal per day. + + The church of St. Peter, at Wallsend, is little more than a hundred + years old; the old Church of Holy Cross, now long disused, was + built towards the end of the twelfth century. But Wallsend itself, + as all the world knows, is of much greater antiquity, for was it + not, as its name proclaims, situated at the end of the Great Wall? + Its name then, however, was not Wallsend but Segedunum. + + Willington Quay, further down the river, was, for a time, the home + of George Stephenson, and here his son, Robert, was born. At + Howdon, which used to be known as Howdon Pans, from the salt-pans + there, the painter John Martin and his brothers once worked when + boys, being employed in some rope-works. Here, too, the Henzells, a + family of refugees who settled in the district in the days of + Elizabeth, founded some glass works, for which industry the Tyne + has been famous from that day to this. + +[Illustration: The River Tyne at Newcastle (showing Swing Bridge +Open).] + + Before the railway on the south side of the river was laid down, + passengers who wished to reach Jarrow had to alight at Howdon and + cross the river; and a racy dialect song—“Howdon for Jarrow” with + its refrain of “Howdon for Jarra—ma hinnies, loup oot”—commemorates + the fact. Willington Quay and Howdon carry on the line of + shipbuilding yards to Northumberland Dock and the staithes of the + Tyne Commissioners, where the waggon ways from various collieries + bring the coal to the water’s edge. Tyne Dock, just opposite, and + the Albert Edward Dock near North. Shields, provide abundance of + shipping accommodation, besides what is afforded by the river + itself; and now the river flows between the steep banks of North + and South Shields. As the names declare, these two growing and + prosperous towns once consisted of a few fishermen’s huts, or + “shielings”; but that was long ago, when the north shore of the + Tyne was owned by the Prior of Tynemouth, and the southern shore by + the Bishop of Durham, and the citizens of Newcastle complained to + King Edward I. that these two ecclesiastics had raised towns, + “where no town ought to be,” and that “fishermen sold fish there + which ought to be sold at Newcastle, to the great injury of the + whole borough, and in detriment to the tolls of our Lord the King.” + These quarrels between Newcastle and the other settlements on the + Tyne continued with varying results, until in the days of Cromwell, + Ralph Gardiner of Chirton, a little village close to North Shields, + took up the cudgels for the growing towns; and by dint of great + perseverance, and in spite of much persecution and ill-will, + succeeded in getting most of the unjust privileges of their + stronger neighbour abolished. + + There were salt-pans, too, on both sides of the mouth of the Tyne, + which were worked in connection with the monasteries from very + early days; and Daniel Defoe, when he visited the north in 1726, + declared that he could see from the top of the Cheviot “the smoke + of the salt-pans at Sheals, at the mouth of the Tyne, which was + about forty miles south of this.” + + North Shields clings haphazard to the steep bank of the Tyne, and + spreads away up and beyond it, reaching out towards Wallsend on the + river shore and Tynemouth along by the sea, the older parts by the + river looking black and grimy to the last degree; but there is a + silver lining to this very black cloud—not visible, it is true, but + distinctly audible—in the great shipbuilding and repairing works + known as Smith’s Dock, one of the largest concerns of the kind in + Great Britain, where so many hundreds of men earn their daily + bread; and in the fishing industry, which was the foundation of the + town’s prosperity, and bids fair to be so for many years to come, + as it is increasing year by year. The Fish Quay at North Shields is + a sight worth seeing; and, in the herring season, it is + increasingly frequented by Continental buyers. + + The fortunes of South Shields and Jarrow, though these towns are + not in Northumberland, are yet so bound up with the story of the + Tyne that no one would ever think of that river without them. + Especially is this the case with Jarrow, which “Palmer’s” has + raised from a small colliery village to a large and flourishing + town. In those famous yards, everything that is necessary for the + building of the largest ironclad, from the first smelting of the + ore until the last rivet is in place, can be done. All + Northumbria—Northumbria in the ancient and widest sense of the + word—owes a debt of gratitude to Jarrow, for was it not the home of + Bede? The monk of Jarrow, who spent all his long life in the same + monastery by the Don, coming to it when he was a child of ten, made + that spot of Northumbrian ground famed to the farthest limits of + the civilized Europe of his day; and scholars from all over the + Continent came to learn at the feet of the Northumbrian teacher. + Beloved and revered by all, and in harness to the last hour of his + busy life, he died in the year 735, just one hundred years after + the coming of Aidan to Lindisfarne. “First among English scholars, + first among English theologians, first among English historians, it + is in the monk of Jarrow that English literature strikes its + roots.”—_J.R. Green_. + + The Jarrow of to-day, and all its neighbours of industrial + Tyneside, possess no beauty of aspect such as the towns that are + more fortunately situated on the upper reaches of the river; they + are muffled in clouds of smoke and soot, and darkened by the + necessities of their toil in grimy ores and the ever-present coal. + But no one who has ever looked on these smoky reaches of the Tyne + with a seeing eye, or steamed down the river on a day either of + gloom or sunshine, can refuse to acknowledge that it has a certain + grandeur, a stern beauty of its own, that can stir the heart and + the imagination more deeply than any mere prettiness. + + From the numberless hives of activity on both sides of the river + clouds of smoke roll heavily upward, and jets of steam from panting + machinery leap up in momentary whiteness on the dark background; + the white wings of flocks of wheeling gulls flash in the occasional + sunshine which lights up the scene, and between the clouds there + are glimpses of blue sky. Towards sunset, the evening mists drape + the darkening banks and crowded shipping in a soft robe of gray, + which, together with the glowing sky behind, produces most + wonderful Turneresque effects; and the fall of night on the river + only changes the aspect without diminishing the interest of the + scene. The blaze from a myriad workshops and forges glows against + the darkness, the lamps twinkle overhead on the steep banks, and + the lights from wharf and steamer are reflected in a thousand + shimmering lines on the dark water, which flows on soundlessly, + like the river of a dream. + + On a day of wind and sun all these beauties are intensified a + thousandfold; the smoke is blown hither and thither in flying + clouds, the current seems to rush more swiftly, and a sense of + vigorous life permeates the whole scene, giving to the beholder a + feeling of keen exhilaration, as of new life rushing through his + veins. Especially is this the case on reaching the mouth of the + river and meeting the dancing waters of the open harbour, where the + twin piers of South Shields and Tynemouth reach out sheltering + arms. Within the wide bay they enclose, the storm-driven vessel may + always find comparatively smooth water, how wildly soever the waves + may rage and roar outside. + + It is difficult to believe that so lately as the years 1858-60, the + “bar” at the mouth of the Tyne was an insuperable obstacle to all + but vessels of very moderate draught; and that ships might lie for + days, and sometimes weeks, after being loaded, before there came a + tide high enough to carry them out to sea. The river was full of + sand-banks, and little islands stood here and there—one in + mid-stream, where the ironclads are now launched at Elswick. Three + or four vessels might be seen at once bumping and grounding on the + “bar” unable to make their way over. Well might the old song say— + “The ships are all at the bar, They canna get up to Newcastle!” + + An old map of the Tyne shows a number of sand-banks down the lower + reaches of the river, with ships aground on each, of them. + + But the River Tyne Commissioners have changed all that, and their + implement of warfare has been the hideous but necessary dredger. No + longer need vessels of heavy tonnage desert the Tyne for the Wear, + as they were perforce driven to do during the first half of the + nineteenth century, for the Wearsiders had set about deepening and + widening their river long before the Tynesiders did the same by + theirs. Considerable and continuous pressure had to be brought to + bear on the civic authorities at Newcastle before they finally took + action; but having once done so, the future of the Tyne was + assured. Now it ranks second only to the Thames in the actual + number of vessels entering and leaving, and owns only the Mersey + its superior in the matter of tonnage. + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER IV. NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE. + + + “Her dusky hair in many a tangle clings About her, and her looks, + though stern and cold, Grow tender with the dreams of by-gone days.” + —_W.W. Tomlinson_. + + The outward signs of “by-gone days,” in the Newcastle of to-day, + with the one notable exception of the Castle, must be diligently + sought out amongst the overwhelming mass of what is often called + “rampant modernity,” of which the town to-day chiefly consists. The + modernity, however, is not all bad, as this favourite phrase would + imply; much of it is doubtless regrettable and a very little of it + perhaps inevitable; but no one will deny either the modernity or + the beauty of Grey Street, one of the finest streets in any English + town; or the fine appearance of Grainger Street, Blackett Street, + Eldon Square, or any other of the stately thoroughfares with which + Grainger and Dobson enriched the town within the last eighty + years—no one, that is, who has learned to “lift his eyes to the + sky-line in passing along a thoroughfare” instead of keeping them + firmly fixed at the level of shop windows. + + The grim old building which, when it was new, gave its name to the + town, is one for which no search needs to be made; its blackened + and time worn walls are seen from the train windows by every + traveller who enters the city from the south. So near is it to the + railway, that in the ultra-utilitarian days of sixty or seventy + years ago, it narrowly escaped the ignoble fate of being used as a + signal-cabin. It was rescued, however, by the Society of + Antiquaries, and carefully preserved by them—more fortunate in this + respect than the castle of Berwick, for the platform of Berwick + railway station actually stands on the spot once occupied by the + Great Hall of the Castle. + + The site of the New Castle, on a part of the river bank which + slopes steeply down to the Tyne, had been occupied centuries before + by a Roman fort, constructed by order of the Emperor Hadrian, who + visited Britain A.D. 120. He also constructed a bridge over the + Tyne at this spot, fort and bridge receiving the name of Pons + AElii, after the Emperor (Publius AElius Hadrianus). This became + the second station on the Great Wall erected by Hadrian’s orders + along the line of forts which Agricola had raised forty years + before. This station shared the fate of others on the abandonment + of Britain by its powerful conquerors, who had now for more than + two hundred years been its no less powerful friends and protectors. + Pons AElii fell into ruins; but so advantageous a site could not + long be overlooked, and we read of a Saxon settlement there, + apparently that of a religious community, from which fact it was + known as Monkchester. All the records of this period seem to have + perished, for we hear nothing of the settlement during the Danish + invasions; but a Saxon town of some kind was evidently in existence + at the time of the Conquest, though in 1073 three monks from the + south who came to York, and, obtaining a guide to “Muneche-cester,” + sought for some religious house in that settlement, could find + none, and were prevailed upon by the first Norman Bishop of Durham, + Walcher, to stay at Jarrow. The years from 1069 to 1080 were evil + years for Northumberland, for at the first-named date the Conqueror + devastated the North, and left neither village nor farm unscathed; + and, as the desolated land was beginning to recover again, Odo of + Bayeux and Robert of Normandy relentlessly laid it waste once more, + partly in revenge for the murder of Bishop Walcher at Gateshead, + and partly to punish Malcolm of Scotland for his invasion of Norman + territory. + + It was on his return from this expedition, which had penetrated as + far north as Falkirk, that Robert, by his father’s orders, raised a + stronghold on the Tyne on the site of the old Roman fort, in the + year 1080. His brother, William Rufus, erected a much stronger and + better one, the Keep of which, re-built by Henry II., stands to-day + dark and grim, looking out over river and town, as it has stood + since the Red King ruled the land, and, like his father, the + Conqueror, found it desirable to have a stronghold at this northern + point of his turbulent realm, around which a town might grow up in + safety. + + The roof and battlements of the Keep are modern, but the rest of + it—the walls, 12 to 18 feet thick; the dismal dungeon, or guard + chamber, with iron rings and fetters still fastened to the walls + and central pillar; the beautiful little chapel, with its + finely-ornamented arches; the little chambers in the thickness of + the walls; the well, 94 feet deep, sunk through the solid masonry + into the rock beneath; the arrow slits in the walls; the stones in + the roof scored with frequent bolts from the besiegers’ crossbows, + one of which bolts is firmly embedded in the wall opposite one of + the narrow windows; the ancient weapons and armour—all these + breathe of the days when the Red King’s castle took its part in the + doings of our hardy ancestors in those stormy times in which they + lived and fought. + + The last time the old Keep was called upon to act as fortress and + refuge in time of war was in Stuart days, after the ten weeks siege + of Newcastle by the Scottish General Leslie, Earl of Leven, in + 1644, when brave “Governor Marley” and his friends held out in the + castle for a few days longer, after the town was taken. In memory + of this stout defence and long resistance King Charles gave to the + town its motto—_Fortiter defendit triumphans_, which Bates gives as + having originally been _Fortiter defendendo triumphat_—“She glories + in her brave defence.” + + Two of the original fireplaces still remain in the Castle, and + there are besides many objects of great interest which have been + bestowed there from time to time for safe keeping; and many more + are to be seen at the Black Gate, formerly the chief entrance to + the Castle Hall and its surroundings. The Great Hall of the Castle, + in which John Baliol did homage to Edward I. for the crown of + Scotland, stood on the spot now covered by the Moot Hall. The Black + Gate, the lower part of which is the oldest part of the building, + which has many times been altered and repaired, is now used as a + museum. There were nearly a dozen rooms in it, and not so many + years ago the Corporation of Newcastle let these out in tenements, + until this building also was rescued from degradation by the + Newcastle Society of Antiquaries, who took down most of the + dividing walls, and converted it into a museum. Here may be seen + stored many sculptured stones, altars, and statues, which have been + brought from the various Roman stations in the north. + + Around the walls of one room are to be seen facsimiles of the + famous Bayeux tapestry; there is also a model of the Castle as + originally built, and there are many more exhibits and loans of the + very greatest interest. + + Of the walls of Newcastle only fragments remain, the most + considerable portion being found between Westgate Road and St. + Andrew’s Churchyard; here are also remains of several of the + watch-towers that stood at intervals around the walls—the Heber + Tower, the Mordaunt or Morden Tower, and the Ever Tower. Between + the two first named towers may be seen a little doorway, walled up, + once used by the Friars, who obtained from Edward II. permission to + make the doorway in order that they might the more easily reach + their gardens and orchards outside; but they had to be ready to + build it up at a moment’s notice on the approach of an enemy. One + of the towers—the Carliol or Weaver’s Tower—was pulled down to make + room for the Central Free Library, opened in 1881. Many little + fragments of the Castle wall are to be seen near the High Level + Bridge, incorporated in other walls, as far as the South Postern of + the Castle, which is said to be the only remaining Norman postern + in England and is the oldest remaining part of the Castle. + + The old streets of Newcastle are fast disappearing to make room for + the ever-increasing needs of commerce; at the moment of writing it + is being proposed to pull down more of the historic street called + the Side, to make room for new printing offices. At the head of + this curious old street, which curves downward from the Cathedral + to the river, stood the birthplace of Cuthbert Collingwood, who was + to become Admiral Lord Collingwood, and second in fame only to + Nelson himself. Both this house and the one where Thomas Bewick had + his workshop, near the Cathedral, have gone to make room for new + buildings. + + At the foot of this street, where it curves to the river front, is + the Sandhill, facing the Swing Bridge. Here are several old houses + remaining, with many-windowed fronts, looking out on the river. One + of these was the house of Aubone Surtees, the banker, whose + daughter Bessie, in 1772, stole out of one of those little windows, + and gave herself into the keeping of young Jack Scott, who was + waiting for her below. The adventurous youth became Lord Chancellor + of England, and is best known as Lord Eldon; his brother William + became Lord Stowell, and was for many years Judge of the High Court + of Admiralty. + + Opposite the old houses of the Sandhill, close to the river bank, + is the old Guildhall, greatly altered in appearance from the time + when John Wesley preached from its steps to the keelmen and + fishermen of the town. It was here that a sturdy fishwife put her + arms round him, when some boisterous spirits in the crowd + threatened him with ill-usage, and, shaking her fist in their + faces, swore to “floor them” if they touched her “canny man.” + + This spot, where the Swing Bridge unites the lower banks of the + stream, seems always to have been the most convenient point for + crossing the river, for the present bridge is the fifth that has + spanned the Tyne at this point: Hadrian’s bridge, Pons Aelii; a + mediaeval bridge destroyed by fire in 1248; the Old Tyne Bridge, + swept away in the flood of 1771; the successor of this, which was + found too low to allow of the passage of such large vessels as were + able to sail up the Tyne after the deepening of the river bed; and + the present Swing Bridge, which is worked by hydraulic machinery, + the invention of Lord Armstrong. We do not know how long Hadrian’s + bridge lasted, but William the Conqueror, when returning from his + expedition into Scotland in 1071, was obliged to camp for a time at + “Monec-cestre,” as the Tyne was in flood, and there was no bridge. + + Some ancient houses are to be found in Low Friar Street, one of + which, with winged heads and dolphins carved on it, is said to be + the oldest house in Newcastle. Turning up an opening on the west + side of this street, all that is left of the ancient Blackfriars’ + Monastery may be seen; some of its rooms are used as the meeting + places of various Trade Guilds, and the rest form low tenement + houses, in the walls of which are many Gothic archways and ancient + window-openings built up. Over the door of the Smith’s Hall is a + carving of three hammers, and the inscription:— + “By hammer and hand All artes do stand.” + + This Hall was formerly the Great Hall of the monastery; and here + Edward Baliol did homage to Edward III. for his crown of Scotland. + Nun Street, leading out of Grainger Street, reminds us of the days + when the Nunnery of St. Bartholomew stood in this part of the town, + and the Nun’s Moor was part of the grounds belonging to the + establishment. In High Friar Street, which was not then the + dilapidated lane it now appears, Richard Grainger was born. + + Another part of the town which has fallen from its former high + estate is the Close, which lies along the river front, westward + from the Sandhill. Here, at one time, lived many of the principal + inhabitants of Newcastle—Sir John Marley, Sir William Blackett, Sir + Ralph Millbank, and others equally important; and here, too, was + the former Mansion House of the city, where the Mayors resided, and + where they could receive distinguished visitors to the town. + Amongst those who have been entertained there were the Duke of + Wellington and the first King of the Belgians. But in 1836 the + Corporation of Newcastle sold the house, with the furniture, books, + pictures, plate, and everything else it contained. + + Eastward from the Sandhill is Sandgate, immortalised in the + “Newcastle Anthem”—The Keel Row. Its present appearance is very + different from the green slope and sandy shore of former days; the + keelmen, too, have vanished, and their place in the commercial + economy of the Tyne is taken by waggon-ways and coal-shoots. The + old narrow alleys of the town, called “chares,” are fast + disappearing; the best known is Pudding Chare, leading from Bigg + Market to Westgate Road. Many and various are the explanations that + have been offered to account for its curious name, but the true one + does not seem yet to have appeared. + + Pilgrim Street owes its name to the fact that it was the route of + the pilgrims who came in great numbers to visit the little chapel + or shrine of Our Lady of Jesmond, and St. Mary’s Well. In Pilgrim + Street was the gateway of a stately mansion, surrounded by + beautiful gardens, called Anderson Place, from a Mr. Anderson who + bought it from Sir Thomas Blackett in 1783. It had been built by + another Mr. Anderson in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, on the site + where once stood the monastery of the Grey Friars; he, however, had + named his mansion “The Newe House.” In this house Charles I. lived + when a prisoner in Newcastle. Anderson Place no longer exists, but + the Newcastle of to-day has a constant reminder of its last owners, + for Major George Anderson, son of the Mr. Anderson who purchased it + in 1783, gave to the Cathedral of St. Nicholas the great bell—known + on that account as “The Major”—whose deep reverberant “boom” can be + heard for a distance of ten miles. The bell was re-cast in 1891, + and in 1892 a new peal of bells was consecrated by Canon Gough. + + Westgate Road is another interesting street; the old West Gate + stood near the site of the present Tyne Theatre, and from this + point onward the street follows, almost exactly, the line of the + Roman Wall. + + Some noteworthy houses in Newcastle are—No. 17, Eldon Place, where + George and Robert Stephenson lived in the years 1824-25; No. 4, St. + Thomas’ Crescent, where the celebrated artist, Wm. Bell Scott lived + when he was headmaster of the School of Art, and to whom Swinburne + wrote a fine memorial poem; the Academy of Arts, in Blackett + Street, built for the exhibition of pictures by those well-known + painters T.M. Richardson and H.T. Parker, and for a short period + the home of the Pen and Palette Club, which, both here and in its + new home at Higham Place, has entertained many people distinguished + in letters, art, and travel who have visited the town of late + years; and No. 9, Pleasant Row, the birthplace of Lord Armstrong, + which has only recently been destroyed to make way for the N.E.R. + Company’s new ferro-concrete Goods Station in New Bridge Street. + + The list of important buildings in Newcastle, exclusive of the + churches, is a long one; one of the most prominent is the Library + of the Literary and Philosophical Society, familiarly known as the + “Lit. and Phil.,” which stands at the lower end of Westgate Road, a + little way back from the roadway. It is built on the site of the + town house of the Earls of Westmoreland; and its fine Lecture + Theatre was a gift to the Society from Lord Armstrong. It is the + centre of the intellectual life of the city as a whole, apart from + the work of the justly famed Armstrong College, a teaching + institute of University rank. This was formerly known as the Durham + College of Science, and, with the Durham College of Medicine, forms + part of the University of Durham. + + Other seats of learning in the town are the Rutherford College, in + Bath Lane, and the Royal Grammar School, which dates from the reign + of Henry VIII. It was reconstituted by Queen Elizabeth, and has had + many changes of abode. At one time it occupied the buildings of the + Convent of St. Mary, which covered the space where Stephenson’s + monument now stands. While the Grammar School was located there, + the boys Cuthbert Collingwood, William Scott, and John Scott, who + afterwards became so famous, attended it; and other distinguished + scholars were John Horsley, author of _Britannia Romana_, and John + Brand and Henry Bourne, the historians of Newcastle. The school is + now situated in Eskdale Terrace and its splendid playing fields + stretch across to the North Road. + + One of the most interesting buildings in Newcastle is the Hancock + Museum of Natural History, at Barras Bridge. It contains a + matchless collection of birds, and some unique specimens of extinct + species; also the original drawings of Bewick’s _British Birds_, + and other works of his. The famous Newcastle naturalist, John + Hancock, presented his wonderful collection, prepared by himself, + to the museum. Here, too, is a complete set of fossils from the + coal measures, including some fine specimens of Sigillaria. These + are only a few of the treasures contained in the museum, which was + built chiefly through the generosity of the late Lord and Lady + Armstrong, Colonel John Joicey of Newton Hall, Stocksfield, and Mr. + Edward Joicey of Whinney House. + + The new Victoria Infirmary, on the Leazes, is a magnificent + building, and was opened by King Edward VII. in 1906. It was + erected by public subscription, and when £100,000 had been + subscribed, the late Mr. John Hall generously offered a like sum on + condition that the building should be erected either on the Leazes + or the Town Moor. Arrangements were made to do so, and another + £100,000 given by the present Lord and Lady Armstrong. + + But fine as all these buildings are, the pride of Newcastle is one + much older than any of them—the Cathedral church of St. Nicholas, + with its exquisitely beautiful lantern steeple. This wonderful + lantern was the work of Robert de Rhodes, who lived in the + fifteenth century. The arms of this early benefactor of the church + may yet be seen on the ancient font. The present church was + finished in the year 1350, says Dr. Bruce; but there was a former + one on this site to which the crypt is supposed to belong. It has + undergone many alterations at different times, and has sheltered + within its walls many and various great personages. + +[Illustration: Newcastle-upon-Tyne.] + + In 1451, a treaty between England and Scotland was ratified in the + vestry. In the reign of Henry VII., his daughter, Princess + Margaret, attended mass here, with all her retinue, when she stayed + in the town on her way to Scotland to be married to the gallant + young king James IV. She was entertained at the house of the Austin + Friars, which stood where now stands the Holy Jesus Hospital at the + Manors, near to the Sallyport Tower. When James I. became king of + England, he attended service here, as he passed through Newcastle + on his way to his southern capital. In the reign of his ill-fated + son, Charles I., Newcastle was occupied by the Scots, under General + Leslie, for a year after the battle of Newburn in 1640; and again + in 1644 was besieged by them for ten weeks. On this occasion the + town nearly lost its chief ornament and pride—the lantern of the + church; for “There is a traditional story,” says Bourne, “of this + building I am now treating of, which may not be improper to be here + taken notice of. In the time of the Civil Wars, when the Scots had + besieged the town for several weeks, and were still as far as at + first from taking it, the General sent a messenger to the Mayor of + the town, and demanded the keys and the delivery up of the town, or + he would immediately demolish the steeple of St. Nicholas. + + “The Mayor and Aldermen, upon hearing this, immediately ordered a + certain number of the chiefest Scottish prisoners to be carried up + to the top of the old tower, the place below the lantern, and there + confined. After this, they returned the General an answer to this + purpose, that they would upon no terms deliver up the town, but + would to the last moment defend it; that the steeple of St. + Nicholas was indeed a beautiful and magnificent piece of + architecture, and one of the great ornaments of the town, but yet + should be blown to atoms before ransomed at such a rate; that, + however, if it was to fall it should not fall alone; that at the + same moment he destroyed the beautiful structure he should bathe + his hands in the blood of his countrymen, who were placed there on + purpose, either to preserve it from ruin or to die along with it. + This message had the desired effect. The men were kept prisoners + during the whole time of the siege, and not so much as one gun was + fired against it.” + + In 1646, when Charles I. was a prisoner in Newcastle for nearly a + year (from May, 1646, to February 3rd, 1647), this was the church + he attended; and we may picture him listening perforce to the + “admonishing” of the stern Covenanters. In this connection occurs + the oft-told story of his ready wit, when one of the preachers + wound up his discourse by giving out the metrical version of the + fifty-second Psalm, with an obvious allusion to his royal hearer:— + “Why dost thou, tyrant, boast abroad, Thy wicked works to praise?” + + Charles quickly stood up and asked for the fifty-sixth Psalm + instead:— + “Have mercy, Lord, on me, I pray, For man would me devour.” + + The good folk of Newcastle with willing voice rendered the latter + Psalm, doubtless to the discomfiture of the preacher. + + Gray, who published his _Chorographia_, or Survey of + Newcastle-upon-Tyne, just three years after this, describes St. + Nicholas’ as having “a stately, high, stone steeple, with many + pinakles, a stately stone lantherne, standing upon foure stone + arches, builded by Robert de Rhodes.... It lifteth up a head of + Majesty, as high above the rest as the Cypresse Tree above the low + Shrubs.” + + The church underwent a terrible despoliation at the hands of the + Scots in 1644; but more terrible still were the injuries it + received, a little more than a century later, from those who ought + to have been its friends. In the years 1784-7 there were many + alterations made in the building, during which almost all the old + memorials and monuments perished, or were removed; those which were + not claimed by the living representatives of the persons + commemorated being ruthlessly sold, or destroyed; and the brasses + were disposed of as old metal. The modern alterations and + restorations have been more happy in their effect, and one of the + notable additions to the church is the beautiful carved oak screen + in the chancel, the work of Mr. Ralph Hedley. + + There are many beautiful memorial windows in the church, and many + memorials in other forms to the various eminent North-country folk + who have been connected with Newcastle and its chief place of + worship. The Collingwood cenotaph is the most interesting of all; + the brave Admiral’s body, as is well known, lies beside that of his + friend and commander, Nelson, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, but this + memorial of him is fittingly placed in the Cathedral of his native + town, within whose walls he worshipped as a boy. There are two + monuments by Flaxman—one of the Rev. Hugh Moises, the famous master + of the Grammar School when Collingwood was a boy; and the other of + Sir Matthew White Ridley, who died in 1813. Of the newer monuments, + those of Dr. Bruce, of Roman Wall fame, and of the beloved and + lamented Bishop Lloyd, are particularly fine. + + Near the east end of the church, which was raised to the rank of a + Cathedral in 1881, is hung a large painting by Tintoretto, “Christ + washing the feet of the Disciples”; this was presented to the + church by Sir Matthew White Ridley in 1818. There are many more + things of interest in the Cathedral, but mention must be made of a + wonderful MS. Bible, incomplete, it is true, but beautifully + written and illuminated by the monks of Hexham, and other + manuscript treasures carefully kept in the care of the authorities. + + The oldest church in the town is St. Andrew’s, supposed to have + been built by King David of Scotland at the time when that monarch + was Lord of Tynedale, in the reign of King Stephen. It suffered + greatly in the struggle with the Scots, whose cannon, planted on + the Leazes, did it great damage, and some of the fiercest fighting, + at the final capture of the town, took place close by, where a + breach was made in the walls. In such a battered condition was it + left that the parish Registers tell us that no baptism nor “sarmon” + took place within its walls for a year (1645). But a marriage took + place, the persons wedded being Scots, who, we learn from the same + authority, “would pay nothing to the Church.” + + In the church is buried Sir Adam de Athol, Lord of Jesmond, and + Mary, his wife. It is supposed that this Sir Adam gave the Town + Moor to the people of Newcastle, though this has been disputed. A + fine picture of the “Last Supper,” by Giordano, presented by Major + Anderson in 1804, hangs in the church. + + St. John’s Church ranks next to St. Andrew’s in point of age; there + are fragments of Norman work in the building, and it is known to + have been standing in 1297. To-day the venerable pile, with its age + worn stones, stands out in sharper contrast to its environment than + does any other building in the town, surrounded as it is by modern + shops and offices. The memories it evokes, and the past for which + it stands, are such as the citizens of Newcastle will not willingly + let die; and when, a few years ago, a proposal was made for its + removal, the proposition aroused such a storm of popular feeling + against it that it was incontinently abandoned. + + All Saints’ Church was built in 1789, on the site of an older + building which was in existence in 1296, and which became very + unsafe. Here is kept one of the most interesting monuments in the + city—the monumental brass which once covered the tomb of Roger + Thornton, a wealthy merchant of Newcastle, and a great benefactor + to all the churches. He died in 1429. He gave to St. Nicholas’ + Church its great east window; but, on its needing repair in 1860, + it was removed entirely, and the present one, in memory of Dr. + Ions, inserted; and the only fragment left of Thornton’s window is + a small circular piece inset in a plain glass window in the + Cathedral. He gave much money to Hexham Abbey also. + + Besides the famous men already mentioned in connection with the + town, Newcastle possesses other well-known names not a few. In the + Middle Ages, Duns Scotus, the man whose skill in argument earned + for him the title of “Doctor Subtilis,” owned Northumberland as his + home, and received his education in the monastery of the Grey + Friars, which stood near the head of the present Grey Street. He + returned to this monastery after some years of study at Oxford; in + 1304 he was teaching divinity in Paris. + + Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London in the reign of Edward VI., whose + Northumbrian birthplace at Willimoteswick has already been noted, + received his early education at the Grammar School in Newcastle, + and on going to Cambridge was a student at Pembroke. We are told he + was the ablest man among the Reformers for piety, learning and + judgment. As is well known, he died at the stake in 1555. + + William and Elizabeth Elstob, who lived in Newcastle at the end of + the seventeenth century, were learned Saxon scholars, but were so + greatly in advance of the education of their times that they met + with little encouragement or sympathy in their labours. + + Charles Avison, the musician and composer, was organist of St. + John’s in 1736, and afterwards of St. Nicholas’. + + It was he to whom Browning referred in the lines— + + “On the list Of worthies, who by help of + pipe or wire, Expressed in sound rough + rage or soft desire, Thou, whilom of + Newcastle, organist.” + + These lines have been carved on his tombstone in St. Andrew’s + churchyard. He is best known as the composer of the anthem “Sound + the loud timbrel.” + + Mark Akenside, the poet, was born in Butcher Bank, now called after + him Akenside Hill. His chief work “The Pleasures of Imagination,” + is not often read now, but it enjoyed a considerable reputation in + an age when a stilted and formal style was looked upon as a true + excellence in poetry. + + Charles Hutton, the mathematician, was born in Newcastle in 1737. + He began life as a pitman; but, receiving an injury to his arm, he + turned his attention to books, and taught in his native town for + some years, becoming later Professor of Mathematics in the Royal + Military Academy at Woolwich. + + John Brand, the antiquary and historian of Newcastle, was born at + Washington, County Durham, but came to Newcastle as a child. After + attending the Grammar School, he went to Oxford, by the aid of his + master, the Rev. Hugh Moises. He was afterwards curate at the + church of St. Andrew. + + Robert Morrison, the celebrated Chinese scholar, was born near + Morpeth, but his parents came to Newcastle when the boy was three + years of age. He died in China in 1834. + + Thomas Miles Richardson, the well-known artist, was born in + Newcastle in 1784, and was at first a cabinetmaker, then master of + St. Andrew’s Free School, but finally gave up all other work to + devote himself to his art. + + Robert Stephenson went to school at Percy Street Academy, which for + long has ceased to exist. There he was taught by Mr. Bruce, and had + for one of his fellow-pupils the master’s son, John Collingwood + Bruce, who afterwards became so famous a teacher and antiquary. + + Newcastle is not, as most southerners imagine, a dark and gloomy + town of unrelieved bricks and mortar, for, besides possessing many + wide and handsome streets, it has also several pretty parks, the + most noteworthy being the beautiful Jesmond Dene, one of the late + Lord Armstrong’s magnificent gifts to his native town. The Dene, + together with the Armstrong Park near it, lies on the course of the + Ouseburn, which is here a bright and sparkling stream, very + different from the appearance it presents by the time it empties + its murky waters into the Tyne. Besides these there are Heaton + Park, the Leazes Park, with its lakes and boats, Brandling Park, + and others smaller than these; and last, but most important of all, + the Town Moor, a fine breezy space to the north of the town, of + more than 900 acres in extent. + + Of statues and monuments Newcastle possesses some half-dozen, the + finest being “Grey’s Monument”—a household word in the town and + familiarly known as “The Monument.” It was erected at the junction + of Grey Street and Grainger Street in memory of Earl Grey of + Howick, who was Prime Minister at the passing of the Reform Bill. + The figure of the Earl, by Bailey, stands at the top of a lofty + column, the height being 135 feet to the top of the figure. There + is a stairway within the column, by which it can be ascended, and a + magnificent view enjoyed from the top. + + In an open space near the Central Station, between the _Chronicle_ + Office and the Lit. and Phil., there is a fine statue of George + Stephenson, by the Northumbrian sculptor, Lough. It is a full + length representation of the great engineer, in bronze, with the + figures of four workmen, representing the chief industries of + Tyneside, around the pedestal—a miner, a smith, a navvy, and an + engineer. At the head of Northumberland Street, on the open space + of the Haymarket, stands a beautiful winged Victory on a tall + column, crowning “Northumbria” typified as a female figure at the + foot of the column. This graceful and striking memorial is the work + of T. Eyre Macklin, and is in memory of the officers and men of the + North who fell in the Boer War of 1899-1902. Two other noteworthy + statues in the town are those of Lord Armstrong, near the entrance + to the Natural History Museum at Barras Bridge, and of Joseph + Cowen, in Westgate Road. + +THE KEEL ROW + + As I came thro’ Sandgate, Thro’ Sandgate, thro’ Sandgate, As I came + thro’ Sandgate, I heard a lassie sing “O weel may the keel row, The + keel row, the keel row, Weel may the keel row That my laddie’s in + “O who is like my Johnnie, Sae leish,[5] sae blithe, sae bonnie; He’s + foremost ’mang the mony Keel lads o’ coaly Tyne He’ll set and row sae + tightly, And in the dance sae sprightly He’ll cut and shuffle + lightly, ’Tis true, were he not mine! + “He has nae mair o’ learnin’ Than tells his weekly earnin’, Yet, + right frae wrang discernin’, Tho’ brave, nae bruiser he! Tho’ he no + worth a plack[6] is, His ain coat on his back is; And nane can say + that black is The white o’ Johnnie’s e’e + He wears a blue bonnet, Blue bonnet, blue bonnet, He wears a blue + bonnet, And a dimple in his chin O weel may the keel row, The keel + row, the keel row, Weel may the keel row That my laddie’s in.” + + [5] Leish = lithe, nimble. + + [6] Plack = a small copper coin, worth about one-third of a penny. + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER V. ELSWICK AND ITS FOUNDER. + + + Sailed from the North of old The strong sons of Odin; Sailed in the + Serpent ships, “By hammer and hand” Skilfully builded. + + + Still in the North-country Men keep their sea-cunning; Still true the + legend, “By hammer and hand” Elswick builds war-ships. + —(_Northumbriensis_). + + For a mile and a quarter, along the north bank of the Tyne, stretch + the world-famed Elswick Works, which have grown to their present + gigantic proportions from the small beginnings of five and a half + acres in 1847. In that year two fields were purchased as a site for + the new works about to be started to make the hydraulic machinery + which had been invented by Mr. Armstrong. + + In this undertaking he was backed by the wealth of several + prominent Newcastle citizens, who believed in the future of the new + inventions—Messrs. Addison Potter, George Cruddas, Armourer Donkin, + and Richard Lambert. At that time Elswick was a pretty country + village some distance outside of Newcastle, and the walk along the + riverside between the two places was a favourite one with the + people of the town. In midstream there was an island, where stood a + little inn called the “Countess of Coventry”; and on the island + various sports were often held, including horse-racing. + + The price of the land for the new shops, which were soon built on + the green slopes above the Tyne, was paid to Mr. Hodgson Hind and + Mr. Richard Grainger; the latter of whom had intended, could he + have carried out his plans for the rebuilding of Newcastle, not to + stop until he made Elswick Hall the centre of the town. + + Until the new shops were ready to begin work, some of Mr. + Armstrong’s hydraulic cranes were made by Mr. Watson at his works + in the High Bridge. + + All the summer of 1847, the building went briskly on; and in the + autumn work was started. At first Mr. Armstrong had an office in + Hood Street, as he was superintending his machinery construction in + High Bridge, as well as the building operations at Elswick. On some + of the early notepaper of the firm there is, as the heading, a + picture of Elswick as it was then, showing the first shops, the + little square building in which were the offices, the green banks + sloping down to the waterside, and the island in the middle of the + shallow stream, while the chimneys and smoke of Newcastle are + indicated in the remote background. Along the riverside was the + public footpath. + + The first work done in the new shops was the making of Crane No. 6; + and amongst other early orders was one from the _Newcastle + Chronicle_, for hydraulic machinery to drive the printing press. + The new machinery rapidly grew in favour; and orders from mines, + docks and railways poured in to the Elswick firm, which soon + extended its works. + + In 1854, when the Crimean War broke out, Mr. Armstrong was + requested to devise some submarine mines which would clear the + harbour of Sebastopol of the Russian war-ships which had been sent + there. He did so, but the machinery was never used. + + At the same time, in his leisure moments, he turned his attention + to the question of artillery. The guns in use at that time were + very little better than those which had been used during the + Napoleonic wars; and Mr. Armstrong devised a new one, which was + made at his workshops. It was a 3-pounder, complete with + gun-carriage and mountings, and is still to be seen at Elswick. + + With the usual reluctance of Government departments to consider + anything new, the War Office of the day was slow to believe in the + superiority of the new field-piece; but when every fresh trial + proved that superiority to be beyond doubt, the gun was adopted. + And then Mr. Armstrong showed the large-minded generosity which was + so marked a feature of his character. Holding in his hand—as every + man must, who possesses the secret of a new and superior engine of + destruction—the fate of nations, to be decided at his will, and + with the knowledge that other powers were willing and eager to buy + with any sum the skill of such an inventor, Mr. Armstrong presented + to the British Government, as a free gift, the patents of his + artillery; and he entered the Government service for a time, as + Engineer to the War Department, in order to give them the benefit + of his skill and special knowledge. + + A knighthood was bestowed upon him, and he took up his new duties + as Sir William Armstrong. An Ordnance department was opened at + Elswick, and the Government promised a continuance of orders above + those that the Arsenal at Woolwich was able to fulfil. All went + well for a time, but after some years the connection between the + Government and Elswick ceased; the Ordnance and Engineering works + were then amalgamated into one concern, and Mr. George Rendel and + Captain Noble—now Sir Andrew Noble, and one of the greatest living + authorities on explosives—were placed in charge of the former. + + Released from the agreement to make no guns except for the British + Government, Elswick was open to receive other orders, which now + began to roll in from all the world. Elswick prospered greatly, + until suddenly there came a check, in the shape of a strike for a + nine hours day, in 1871. After the strike had lasted for four and a + half months, work was resumed; but the old genial relationship + between masters and men had received a rude strain, and was never + the same as before. + + Shipbuilding had been taken up a year or two before this, but the + earliest vessels were built to their order in Mr. Mitchell’s yard + at Walker. The first one was a small gunboat, the “Staunch,” built + for the Admiralty. In later years the Walker ship-yard was united + to the Elswick enterprises, and a ship-yard at the latter place was + also opened. + + Meantime, Captain Noble had been experimenting further in + artillery, and in 1877 another and better type of gun was produced. + It was adopted by the Government, and all guns since then have been + modifications, more or less, of this type. In 1876 the famous + hundred-ton gun for Italy was made, and was taken on board the + “Europa” to be carried to her destination; this vessel being the + first to pass the newly-finished Swing Bridge, another outcome of + the inventive genius of the head of the Elswick firm. The gun, + which was the largest in the world at that time, was lowered into + the “Europa” by the largest pair of “sheer-legs” in existence, and + was lifted out again at Spezzia by the largest hydraulic crane of + that day, and all these were the work of the Elswick firm. + + Soon after this the firm became Sir W.G. Armstrong, Mitchell, and + Co.; and in consequence of the continued increase of business, it + became necessary to open Steel Works also. This is one of the most + notable features of the Elswick works; the wonders of ancient + magicians pale into insignificance before the marvels of this + department, and no Eastern Genius could accomplish such seemingly + impossible feats with greater ease than do the workmen of Elswick. + + The works continued to grow still further, and soon Elswick was + building cruisers for China, for Italy (where works at Pozzuoli—the + ancient Puteoli—were opened), for Russia, Chili, and Japan. + Tynesiders took a special interest in the progress of the Japanese + wars, for so many of that country’s battleships had their birth on + the banks of the river at Elswick, and Japanese sailors became a + familiar sight in Newcastle streets. Groups of strange faces from + alien lands are periodically seen in our midst, and met with again + and again for some time; then one day there is a launch at Elswick, + and shortly afterwards all the strange faces disappear. They have + gathered together from their various quarters in the town, and + manning their new cruiser, have sailed away to their own land, and + Newcastle streets know them no more; but, later, Tynesiders read in + their newspapers of the deeds done on the vessels which they have + sent forth to the world. + + The ice-breaker “Ermack” is one of the firm’s most notable + achievements, the vessel having been built and designed in their + Walker yard, to the order of the Czar of Russia, in 1898, for the + purpose of breaking up ice-floes in the northern seas, and more + especially for keeping open a route across the great lakes of + Siberia. + + The Elswick firm became Armstrong, Whitworth and Co., Ltd., in + 1897, which was also the year of another great strike; and two + years later, a disastrous fire burned down three of their shops, + throwing two thousand men temporarily out of employment. Still the + works continued to grow, and business to increase, until, instead + of the five and a half acres originally purchased, the Company’s + works, in 1900, covered two hundred and thirty acres, and the + number of men on the pay-roll was over 25,000—that is, sufficient + with their families to people a town three times the size of + Hexham. And the scope and extent of these works are extending, and + yet extending; and now Elswick and Scotswood form an uninterrupted + line of closely-packed dwellings, which stretch without a break + from Newcastle, and make a background for the immense works on the + river shore; and one would look in vain for any signs of the pretty + country lanes and village of sixty years ago. + + The founder of this great enterprise, in the early days of the + Company, built for his workpeople schools, library, and reading + rooms, as well as dwellings, and met them personally at their + social gatherings and entertainments—generally provided by himself; + but the increasing size of the concern, the excellence and + capability, amounting to genius, of the various heads of + departments chosen by him, and his own increasing years and failing + health, led to his gradual withdrawal from personal attendance at + Elswick. The last time he appeared there officially was when the + King of Siam visited the works in 1897. + + One who knew him well has written of him, “His mind was at the same + time original and strictly practical; he noticed with a penetrating + observation, and drew conclusions with intuitive genius. Abstract + speculation had no charm for him; he never cherished wild dreams or + extravagant ideas. But if his conception was thus wisely + restricted, his execution of an idea was unrivalled in its + thoroughness. Whether he was founding an industrial establishment, + or building a house, or making a road, the hand of the man is quite + unmistakable. There is the same solid basis, the same enduring + superstructure. Every stone that is laid at Cragside or Bamburgh + seems to be stamped as it were with the impression of his great + personality, and the thoroughness of his work.” All his life long, + the thoroughness with which he was able to concentrate his mind on + the one subject which occupied it at the time, was a marked feature + of Lord Armstrong’s character. + + In the early period of his career, while he was still in a + solicitor’s office, and when the study of hydraulics was absorbing + all his leisure hours, he was quizzically said to have “water on + the brain.” Electrical problems also engaged his attention, and in + 1844 he lectured at the Lit. and Phil. rooms on his hydro-electric + machine, on which occasion the lecture room was so tightly packed + that he had to get in through the window. In the following year he + explained to the same society his hydraulic experiments and + achievements; in 1846 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society; + and the next summer, 1847, saw the Elswick Works begun. + + It is difficult to realize the fact, brought home to us on looking + at dates like these, that Lord Armstrong and Robert Stephenson were + contemporaries, and that both great engineers were engaged at the + same time on the works which were to bring them lasting fame. The + life and work of Robert Stephenson seem so remote, so much a part + of bygone history, that it strikes the mind with an unexpected + shock to realise that here is a life which began about the same + time, yet has lasted until quite recent years; for Lord Armstrong’s + long and successful career only closed with the closing days of the + nineteenth century. + + In the later years of his life he was greatly interested in + repairing and partly re-building the historic castle of Bamburgh, + which Mr. Freeman calls “the cradle of our race,” and which Lord + Armstrong purchased from Lord Crewe’s Trustees. Of his personal + character, the writer above quoted says, “Apart from his + intellectual gifts, Lord Armstrong’s character was that of a great + man. His unaffected modesty was as attractive as his broad-minded + charity. In business transactions, he was the soul of integrity and + honour, while in private life his mind was far too large to regard + accumulated wealth with any excessive affection. He both spent his + money freely and gave it away freely. His benefactions to Newcastle + were princely, and his public munificence was fit to rank with that + of any philanthropist of his time.” + + Princely, indeed, were his gifts to his native town, as the list of + them will show; they embraced either large contributions to, or the + entire gift of, Jesmond Dene, the Armstrong Park, the Lecture + Theatre of the Literary and Philosophical Society, St. Cuthbert’s + Church, the Cathedral, St. Stephen’s Church, the Infirmary, the + Deaf and Dumb Institution, the Children’s Hospital, the Elswick + Schools, Elswick Mechanics’ Institute, the Convalescent Home at + Whitley Bay, the Hancock Museum—to which he and Lady Armstrong + contributed a valuable collection of shells, and £11,500 in + money—the Armstrong Bridge, the Armstrong College, and the + Bishopric Endowment Fund. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. THE CHEVIOTS. + + + From the crowded, bustling scenes of Tyneside to the solitude of + the Cheviot Hills is a “far cry,” even farther mentally than in + actual tale of miles. Yet the two are linked by the same stream, + which begins life as a brawling Cheviot burn, having for its + fellows the head waters of the Rede, the Coquet, and the Till, with + the scores of little dancing rills that feed them. + + Nowhere in this land of swelling hills and grassy fields can one + get out of either sight or sound of running water. Every little dip + in the hills has its watercourse, every vale its broader stream, + and the pleasant sound of their murmurings and sweet babbling fills + in the background of every remembrance of days spent upon the green + slopes of the Cheviots. You may hear in their tones, if you listen, + the shrill chatter and laughter of children, soft cooing voices, + and the deeper notes of manhood, and might fancy, did not your + sight contradict the fact, that you were close to a goodly company, + whose words met your ear, but whose magic language you could not + understand. + + One little burn of my acquaintance, which runs through field and + dell to join the Till, I have hearkened to again and again for + hours, unable to break away from the spell of its ever-varying, yet + constant music—a sort of wilder, sweeter version of Mendelssohn’s + Duetto, with the voices of Knight and Lady alternating and + intermingling amidst a rippling current of clear bell-like + undertones. + + Down from Cheviot itself, the lovely little Colledge Water splashes + its way, issuing from the wild ravine called the Henhole, where the + cliffs on each side of the rocky gorge rise in some places to a + height of more than two hundred feet. Concerning this ravine, there + is a legend that a party of hunters, long ages ago, were + deer-stalking in Cheviot Forest, when on reaching the Henhole their + ears were greeted by the most ravishing music they had ever heard. + Allured by the enchanting sounds, they followed the music into the + ravine, where they disappeared, and were never again seen. + + The range of the Cheviot Hills stretches for about twenty-two miles + along the north-west border of Northumberland; and as the width of + the range is, roughly speaking, twenty-one miles, we have a tract + of over three hundred square miles of rolling, grassy, and + heath-clad hills, of which about one-third is over the Scottish + border in Roxburghshire. The giants of the range, The Cheviot + (2,676 feet high), Cairn Hill (2,545 feet), and the striking cone + of Hedgehope (2,348 feet), are all near to each other on + Northumbrian soil, a few miles south-west of Wooler, which is a + most convenient starting place for a visit to any part of the + Cheviots, as the Alnwick and Cornhill Railway brings within easy + reach the heights which lie still farther north. + + The quiet little market town lies pleasantly among green meadows + almost at the foot of the Cheviots; its low substantial stone + houses, with few gardens in front, give the place a somewhat + monotonous appearance, but the newer streets try to make amends by + blossoming out into brilliant flower-plots in summer-time. Still, + one would not quarrel with the older buildings; solid and + unpretentious, they must look much the same as in the days of + Border turmoil, when the first requisite in house or town was + strength, not beauty. + + Near to Wooler are many interesting places; within the limits of + quite a short stroll one may visit the Pin Well, a wishing well of + which there are so many examples to be found wherever one may + travel; the King’s Chair, a porphyry crag on the hill above the Pin + Well; Maiden Castle, or, less euphoniously, Kettles Camp, an + ancient British encampment on the same hill, the Kettles being + pot-like cavities in the ravines surrounding it; and the Cup and + Saucer Camp, just half a mile distant from Wooler. The Golf Course + is now laid out on these same heights. + + To reach the Cheviots from Wooler, the most usual way is by the + beautiful glen in which lies Langleeford. The bright streamlet + known as the Wooler Water runs through it from Cheviot on its way + to the town from which it has taken its present name; formerly it + was known as Caldgate Burn. It was at Langleeford that Sir Walter + Scott stayed, as a youth, in 1791, with his uncle, after they had + vainly attempted to find accommodation in Wooler. Here they rode, + fished, shot, walked, and drank the goat’s whey for which the + district was famous in those days and for long afterwards. + + Cheviot itself, or “The Muckle Cheviot,” is a huge cumbrous-looking + mass, with rounded sides and flat top, boggy and treacherous, + where, nevertheless, many wild berries brighten the marshy flats in + their season. The name “Cheviot” is said to mean “Snowy Ridge” and + well does this highest summit of the range merit the name, for on + its marshy top and in the rocky chasms of Henhole and Bazzle, the + winter’s snow often lies until far into the summer. Down through + the weird and fairy-haunted cleft of Henhole, as we have seen, the + little brown stream of Colledge Water splashes its way, breaking + into golden foam between mossy banks as it reaches the outlet, and + turns northward to join the Till. + + This little burn is one of the prettiest of mountain streams; and + in the district surrounding it are perhaps more points of interest + than any other stream of such inconsiderable dimensions can show, + saving only its neighbour, the Till. The whole of the surrounding + country, wild, lonely, and romantic, teems with memories and + reminders of the past. Sir Walter Scott, while on the visit already + referred to, found an additional pleasure in the presence of so + many relics of ancient days in the neighbourhood. “Each hill,” he + wrote to a friend, “is crowned with a tower, or camp, or cairn, and + in no situation can you be near more fields of battle.” + + Indeed, the whole district of the Cheviots, and the lower lines of + swelling hills into which the land subsides as it nears the sea, is + crowded with the memorials of an earlier race; from every hill-top + and rocky height they speak with tantalising half-revelations of + that race which the Romans found here when their galleys brought + them to the land which was to them Ultima Thule. No convincing + explanation has yet been found of the concentric circular markings, + with radiating grooves from the cup-shaped hollow in the middle, + which are scored on the rocks wherever traces of an ancient camp + are found; and the numbers of these traces are proof that this + district was once a very thickly populated part of Britain. + + And when Angle and Saxon were driving the early inhabitants before + them, westward and southward, these hills and valleys still + sheltered a considerable population; and Bede tells us of a royal + residence not far away, at the foot of the well known Yeavering + Bell, one of the more important hills of the range. It rises to a + height of more than 1,100 feet, and then abruptly ends in a wide, + almost level top, grass-grown and boulder-strewn, and crowned near + the centre with a roughly-piled cairn. The ancient name of + Yeavering Bell, as given by Bede in his account of the labours of + St. Paulinus, was Ad-gefrin. + + To recall the days when King Edwin and his queen, Ethelburga, came + here from the royal city of Bamburgh, we must go back to a time + nearly forty years after the Bernician chieftain, Ida, established + himself in that rocky fortress, from whence he ruled a district + roughly corresponding to the present counties of Durham and + Northumberland, and known as Bernicia. One of Ida’s successors, + Ethelric, overcame the tribe of Angles then established in the + neighbouring district of Deira—the Yorkshire of to-day. His + successor, Ethelfrith, ruled over the united district, and married + the daughter of Ella, the vanquished chieftain. Her brother, Edwin, + he drove into exile, and the young prince found refuge at the court + of Redwald of East Anglia, where he remained for some years. + + Redwald’s friendship, however, does not seem to have been above + suspicion, for we find that Ethelfrith’s bribe had on one occasion + nearly induced him to give up his guest, whose life, however, was + saved by Redwald’s wife who turned her husband from his purpose. In + his exile the thoughts of the young prince often turned towards his + own land; and, once, as he sat brooding over his misfortunes, he + saw in a vision one who came and spoke comforting words to him, + saying that he should yet be king and that his reign should be long + and glorious. “And if one should come to thee and repeat this + sign,” said the stranger, laying his right hand on Edwin’s head + “wouldst thou hearken to his rede?” Edwin gave his word, and the + vision fled. Some little time after this, Ethelfrith of + Northumbria, as the united districts were now called, fell in + battle against Redwald, and Edwin, returning northward, became + ruler of Northumbria, the sons of Ethelfrith fleeing in their turn + before the new king. Edwin wedded, as his second wife, Ethelburga, + daughter of that king of Kent in whose days Augustine came to + England; and being a Christian princess, she brought with her a + priest to her new home in the north. The priest’s name was + Paulinus; and one day he went to the King and, placing his right + hand on Edwin’s head, asked if he knew that sign. Edwin remembered, + and redeemed his promise. He hearkened to the teaching of the + earnest monk, with the result that before long he and his court + were baptised by Paulinus, Edwin’s little daughter, it is said, + being the first to receive the sacred rite. + + This was at York; and when the king and queen went to the royal + city of Bamburgh, or to their country dwelling at the foot of the + Cheviots, Paulinus accompanied them; and wherever he went, he + laboured to teach the North-country Angles and Saxons the gospel of + Christ. This country dwelling, to which came Paulinus and his royal + friends, was Ad-gefrin, or Yeavering; and though it is extremely + unlikely that any traces of it could remain until our day, yet + tradition points out a fragment of an old building still standing + there, as a remnant of the royal residence. + + In the region of Kirknewton, a pretty little village to the + north-west of Yeavering, where Colledge Water joins the Glen, which + gives its name to the romantic district of Glendale, Paulinus + baptised many hundreds of Edwin’s people; and the name of + Pallinsburn—which is now confined to a house at some little + distance from the burn—enshrines the memory of yet another scene of + the labours of the indefatigable monk. + + If we stand on the wind-swept top of Yeavering Bell, we are + surrounded by the evidences of still more remote days, for the + whole of the summit was once a fortified camp of the ancient + Britons. A roughly-piled, but massive wall, now almost all broken + down, surrounded it, and within its grass-grown oval are two + additional walls, at the east and the west ends of the enclosure, + and many hut-circles, evidences of the rude dwellings of our remote + ancestors. Excavations here many years ago brought to light a + jasper ball, some fragments of a coarse kind of pottery, and some + oaken armlets. Evidently the enclosure on the summit was intended + to be a last resort in time of danger, for traces of many huts are + to be found outside its encircling wall, which is surrounded by a + ditch and a low rampart of earth. At the east end, where the + porphyry crag juts out from the hilltop to a height of about twenty + feet, full advantage has been taken of this naturally strong + position. + + Now, instead of advancing foes, the spreading heather climbs + steadily up the sloping sides of this ancient stronghold, and + invades the central enclosure at its will; a few hardy sheep that + have wandered up here from the richer pastures below, and now and + again a stray tourist, anxious to make acquaintance at first hand + with one of the more famous of the Cheviot heights, and more than + satisfied with the glorious view spread out before him, are all + that disturb the brooding peace of its grassy solitudes. Up here + the wind blows keenly around us with an exhilarating freshness in + its breath, and we think regretfully of coats left behind at the + shepherd’s hospitable dwelling, which, with the rest of the + cottages clustering round the old farm house, lies sunning itself + in the warm glow of the September afternoon, in the green fields at + the foot of the sheltering hills. + + Looking southward now, up the stream, there is stretching away to + the left the long ridge of Newton Tor, and away behind it Great + Hetha and Little Hetha; while half-way down the vale the Colledge + Water tumbles over the rocks at Hethpoole Linn (or Heathpool, as + the modern rendering has it), breaking into amber spray deep down + beneath overhanging trees and boulders and golden bracken. + + This brings our thoughts to days comparatively modern, for when + Admiral Collingwood was raised to the peerage of Great Britain, it + was by the title of “Baron Collingwood of Caldburn and Hethpoole, + in the county of Northumberland.” The brave Admiral was fond of + planting an oak tree whenever he found an opportunity, to secure + the continuance of those wooden walls which in his hands, and in + those of his life-long friend, Nelson, had proved such a sure + defence to his country. In a letter dated March, 1806, he wrote to + his wife, “I wish some parts of Hethpoole could be selected for + plantations of larch, oak, and beech, where the ground could best + be spared. Even the sides of a bleak hill would grow larch and + fir.” In another letter some months later he told her what + “agreeable news” it was to hear that she was taking care of his + oaks, and planting some at Hethpoole; and saying that if he ever + returned he would plant a good deal there; adding, however, that he + feared before that could take place both he and Lady Collingwood + might themselves be planted in the churchyard beneath some old yew + tree. + + Hethpoole presents us with a link not only with history, but with + romance as well. An ivied ruin near at hand, with walls of enormous + strength, is said to be the remains of the castle where the final + tragedy in “The Hermit of Warkworth” took place. Here, it is said, + the distracted lover came upon his lady and his brother, who had at + that moment effected her escape, and not recognising the youth, + rushed upon the pair with drawn sword, only to discover too late + his terrible mistake, and lose both brother and bride—for the lady + received a mortal wound in trying to save her rescuer. + + Turning our eyes now northward across the Glen from Yeavering Bell, + we are looking towards Coupland Castle, and the fact that it was + built so late as the reign of James I. bears eloquent testimony to + the insecurity of life and property on the Borders even at that + period. The barony either gave its name to, or took its name from, + a well-known Northumbrian family, of which one of the most + prominent members was that Sir John de Coupland who succeeded in + capturing David of Scotland at the battle of Neville’s Cross—not, + however, before he had lost some of his teeth by a blow from the + mailed fist of that doughty monarch! + + Beyond Coupland Castle we look across Milfield Plain lying in the + angle formed by the meeting of the Glen with the deep and sullen + Till, whose slow windings can be traced as it gleams at intervals + between the undulations of the lower hills through which it flows + northwestward to the Tweed. Though a brisk and sparkling stream in + certain parts of its course, the general characteristics of the + Till are well borne out by the lines— + Tweed says to Till “What gars ye rin sae still?” Till says to Tweed + “Though ye rin wi’ speed And I rin slaw; Where ye droon ae man I + droon twa.” + + There is yet more of historical and traditional interest to note in + this view from the top of Yeavering Bell, which, as I saw it last, + lay warm in the glow of a September afternoon. Nennius is our + authority for stating that on Milfield Plain took place one of the + great conflicts in which King Arthur + “Fought, and in twelve great battles overcame The heathen hordes, and + made a realm, and reigned” + + And, as we gazed, the level spaces seemed peopled once more with + charging knights, flashing sword and swinging battle-axe, and the + intervening centuries dropped away, and Arthur’s call to battle for + “our fair father Christ,” seemed curiously befitting that romantic + scene. But, as the shadows lengthened, and the streams took on a + golden glow in the rays of the September sun, then slowly setting, + “the tumult and the shouting of the captains” died away, and the + figure of an earnest monk seemed to stand by the riverside, with + prince and serf, peasant and warrior for his audience, and the cold + bright waters of the Glen dripping from his hand, as he enrolled + one after another into the ranks of an army mightier than the hosts + of Arthur or Edwin. + + Milfield again emerges into notice out of the obscurity of those + dark ages, in the days of the Bernician kings who succeeded Edwin; + for Bede tells us that “This town (Ad-gefrin) under the following + kings, was abandoned, and another was built instead of it at a + place called Melmin,” now Milfield. Nothing, however, remains here + of the buildings which once sheltered the royal Saxons and their + court. In later days, Milfield has a melancholy interest attaching + to it from its connection with the battle of Flodden; for, on the + heights above, King James fixed his camp, in the hope that Surrey + would lead his troops across the plain below. Of the other + considerable heights of the Cheviot range, Carter Fell and Peel + Fell are the best known; they both lie right on the border line of + England and Scotland, between the North Tyne and the Rede Water. As + we have already seen, the men of Tynedale and Redesdale bore a + reputation for lawlessness in the time of the Border + “Moss-trooping” days, and until nearly the end of the eighteenth + century the tradesmen and guilds of Newcastle would take no + apprentice who hailed from either of these dales. The tracks and + passes between the hills, once alive with frequent foray and wild + pursuit, are now silent and solitary but for the occasional passing + of a shepherd or farmer, and the flocks of sheep grazing as they + move slowly up the hillsides. A quaint survival of the remembrances + of those days was unexpectedly brought before me one day. A child + presented me with a bunch of cotton-grass, gathered on the moors + not far from the Roman-Wall. I asked if she knew what they were + that she had brought. “Moss-troopers,” she replied. + + Many of the Cheviot heights bear most suggestive and interesting + names, such as Cushat[7] Law, Kelpie[8] Strand, Earl’s Seat, + Stot[9] Crags, Deer Play, Wether Lair, Bloodybushedge, Monkside, + etc., etc. + + [7] Cushat = a wood-pigeon. + + [8] Kelpie = a water-witch. + + [9] Stot = a bullock. + + In these lonely wilds, which occupy all the northwest of the + county, one may travel all day and meet with no living thing save + the birds of the air, and a few shy, wild creatures of the + moorlands; curve after curve, the rounded hills stretch away into + the distance, grass-grown or heatherclad, with occasional + peat-mosses; above is the “grey gleaming sky,” and, all around, a + stillness as of vast untrodden wastes, and a sense of solitude out + of all proportion to the actual extent of this lonely region. The + fascination of it, however, admits of no denial, even on the part + of those newly making its acquaintance; while those who in + childhood or youth roam over its wild fells, and feel the spell of + its brooding mystery, retain in their hearts for all time an + unfading remembrance of its magic charm. + COLLEDGE WATER. + My sire is the stooping Cheviot mist, My mother the heath in her + purple train; And every flower on her gown I’ve kissed Over and over + and over again. + The secret ways of the hills are mine, I know where the wandering + moor-fowl nest; And up where the wet grey glidders[10] shine I know + where the roving foxes rest. + I know what the wind is wailing for As it searches hollow and hag and + peak; And, riding restless on Newton Tor, I know what the questing + shadows seek. + I know the tale that the brown bees tell, And they tell it to me with + a raider’s pride, As, drunk with the cups of Yeavering Bell, They + stagger home from the English side. + I know the secrets of haugh and hill; But sacred and safe they rest + with me, Till I hide them deep in the heart of Till, To be taken to + Tweed and the open sea. + —_Will. H. Ogilvie_. + BY PERMISSION OF MESSRS. W. AND R. CHAMBERS + + [10] Glidders = Patches of loose stones on the hillside. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. THE ROMAN WALL. + + + “Take these flowers, which, purple waving, On the ruined rampart + grew, Where, the sons of Freedom braving, Rome’s imperial standard + flew. Warriors from the breach of danger Pluck no longer laurels + there; They but yield the passing stranger Wild-flower wreaths for + Beauty’s hair.” —_Sir Walter Scott._ (Lines written for a young + lady’s album.) + + Of all the abundance of treasure which Northumberland possesses, + from a historical point of view—of all its wealth of interesting + relics of bygone days—ancient abbey, grim fortress, menhir and + monolith, camp and tumulus—none grips the imagination as does the + sight of that unswerving line which pursues its way over hill and + hollow, from the eastern to the western shores of the north-land, + visible emblem, after more than a thousand years, of the far-flung + arm of Imperial Rome. + + From Wallsend on the Tyne to Bowness on the Solway Firth it strode + triumphantly across the land; even now in its decay it remains a + splendid monument to that mighty nation’s genius for having and + holding the uttermost parts of the earth that came within their + ken. As was inevitable, after the lapse of nearly eighteen + centuries the great work is everywhere in a ruinous condition, and + in many places, especially at its eastern end, has disappeared + altogether; but not only can its course be traced by various + evidences, but it was actually standing within comparatively recent + years. As lately as the year 1800—lately, that is, compared with + the date of its building—its existence at Byker was referred to in + a magazine of the period. Now nothing is to be seen of it excepting + a few stones here and there, for many miles from Wallsend; but the + highroad westward from Newcastle, by Westgate Road, as is well + known, follows the course of the Wall for nearly twenty miles. But + farther west we may walk along the uneven, broken surface of the + mighty rampart, or climb down into the broad and deep fosse which + lies closely against it along its northern side, without troubling + ourselves with the arguments and uncertainties of antiquaries, who + have by no means decided on what was the original function of the + Wall, who was its real builder, why and when the earthen walls and + fosse which accompany it on the south were wrought, and many other + smaller controversial points, which afford endless matter for + speculation and discussion. + + Early references to the Wall show that our forefathers knew it as + the Picts’ Wall; it is now generally referred to as the Wall of + Hadrian, the general concensus of opinion yielding to that + indefatigable ruler the credit of having wrought the mighty work. + Whether built originally as a frontier line of defence or not, + opinions are not agreed; but it is very certain that the Wall + afforded the only secure foothold in the North to the Romans for + well-nigh two centuries of hostility from the restless Brigantes to + the southward, and the Picts and Scots to the north; and for + another century or so after their southern neighbours had become + friendly and peaceful, it still remained a substantial bulwark + against the northern barbarians. + + Throughout the whole of its length it steadily holds the line of + the highest ridges in its course, climbing up slopes and dipping + down into the intervening hollows with the least possible deviation + from its onward course. The most interesting, because most + complete, portion of the Wall, is that in the neighbourhood of the + three loughs—Broomlee, Greenlee, and Crag Loughs, which, with + Grindon Lough to the south of the Wall, boast the name of the + Northumberland Lakes. On this portion of the wall is situated the + large Roman station of Borcovicus, from which we have gained a + great deal of our information as to what the life of the garrisons + on this lonely outpost of Empire was like. + + The station is situated on hilly ground, which slopes gently to the + south, and is nearly five acres in extent. On entering the eastern + gateway one cannot but experience a sudden thrill on seeing the + deep grooves worn in the stone by the passing and repassing of + Roman cart and chariot wheels. That mute witness of the daily + traffic of the soldiery in those long-past centuries speaks with a + most intimate note to us who eighteen hundred years afterwards come + to look upon the place of their habitation. The station itself is + of the usual shape of the Roman towns on the course of the + Wall—oblong, with rounded corners. The greatest length lies east + and west, in a line with the Wall; and two broad streets crossing + each other at right angles lead from the north to the south, and + from the east to the western gateways. Each of the four was + originally a double gateway; but in every case one half of it has + been closed up, no doubt when the garrison was declining in + numbers, and the attacks of the enemy were increasing in severity. + +[Illustration: North Gateway, Housesteads and Roman Wall.] + + Considerable portions of the guard-chambers, one at each side of + each gateway, still remain; and near one of them was found a huge + stone trough, its edges deeply worn by, apparently, the frequent + sharpening of knives upon it. Its use has not been determined; Dr. + Bruce tells us that one of the men engaged in the work of + excavation gave it as his firm opinion that the Romans used it to + wash their Scotch prisoners in! The buildings of the little town—a + row of houses against the western wall, two large buildings near + the centre of the camp, with smaller chambers to the east of + them—in which the garrison lived, worked, and stored their + supplies, are still quite plainly to be traced, although the walls + are only three or four courses high in most places, and of the + pillars the broken bases are almost all that remain. + + A considerable number of people dwelt outside the walls of this, as + of all the stations, sheltering under its walls, and relying on the + protection of its garrison; the slope to the southward of + Borcovicus shows many traces of buildings scattered all over it. On + the northern side, the steep hill, massive masonry, and deep fosse + would seem to have offered well-nigh insuperable difficulties to an + attacking force such as then could be brought against the camp; yet + not only here, but in all the stations whose remains yet survive, + there is unmistakable evidence that more than once has the garrison + been driven out by a victorious foe, to re-enter and occupy it + again at a later period. And when we consider that the Wall and its + forts were garrisoned by the Romans for a period extending over + nearly three centuries, a period corresponding to the time from the + reign of James I. to the present day, it becomes a matter of + wonder, not that such was the case, but that such occurrences were + not more frequent than the evidences seem to declare. + + In spite of all the hard fighting, however, the recreations of + lighter hours would seem not to have been forgotten; on the north + of the wall is a circular hollow in the ground, evidently a little + amphitheatre, in which doubtless many a captive Briton and Pict + played his part. On a little rise to the southward, called Chapel + Hill, stood the temple where the garrison paid its vows to the + various deities of its worship. Many remarkably fine altars found + on this and other sites have been preserved, either at the fine + museum at The Chesters, or at the Black Gate in Newcastle. One of + the most striking is the altar to Mithras, the Persian sun-god, + found in a cave near the camp, evidently constructed for the + celebration of the rites connected with the worship of Mithras. The + altar shows the god coming out of an egg, and surrounded by an oval + on which are carved the signs of the Zodiac. + + The Teutonic element in the garrison is represented by the altars + to Mars Thingsus, the discovery of which caused great interest in + Germany, and by the altars to the Deae Matres—the mother-goddesses, + whose carved figures are shown seated, fully draped, and holding + baskets of fruits on their knees. They are generally found in sets + of three; but unfortunately they have been much mutilated, and all + the examples remaining are headless. The Deae Matres would seem to + correspond in some degree to the Roman Ceres and the Greek Demeter, + the bountiful givers of the fruits of the earth. The majority of + the altars found are, as was to be expected, dedicated to the + deities of Rome; chiefly, as shown by the constantly recurring + I.O.M.—_Jovi optimo maximo_—to “Jupiter, the best and greatest.” + The varying inscriptions which follow as reasons for their erection + as votive offerings give us glimpses of the life in these + communities clearer than those afforded by anything else. And as + most, if not all, of our knowledge concerning the details of the + Roman occupation of the north-country has to be obtained from the + inscriptions which the garrisons left behind them, the inscribed + stones as well as the altars are of the greatest possible interest + and value. One such stone, found at the Borcovicus mile-castle, + states that “the Second Legion, the August (erected this at the + command of) Aulus Platorius Nepos, Legate and Propraetor, in honour + of the Emperor Caesar Trajanus Hadrianus Augustus.” + + At “Cuddy’s” (Cuthbert’s) Crag near Borcovicus is one of the most + picturesque bits of scenery to be found on the whole course of the + Wall. My first acquaintance with it was made on a day of grey mist + and drizzling rain, which completely hid any view of the + surrounding country, and of necessity confined our attention to the + stones (and wet grass!) immediately beneath our feet. But another + visit was on a day of wind and sunshine, and in the company of a + group of light-hearted students. We explored the ruins of + Borcovicus, walked along the broad and broken top of the Wall, and + climbed up hill and down dale with it under the pleasantest + conditions, if a trifle breezy on the heights. June was at her + traditional best, which she does not often vouchsafe to show us; + flowers waved all around, amongst the grass and in the crannies + between the stones, and more than once the lines at the head of + this chapter were quoted by one to another. Again and again our + progress was stayed while we admired the glorious view spread out + all around, but especially was this the case at Cuddy’s Crag. We + looked westward over Crag Lough, its usually dark waters flashing + in the afternoon sun; the three Loughs were all within view; away + to the southward, beyond Barcombe Hill, and the site of Vindolana, + Langley Castle could be seen, “standing four-square to all the + winds that blew”; and further away again, beyond the valley of the + South Tyne, to the southwest the faint outlines of Crossfell and + Skiddaw. Northward it was quite easy to imagine oneself looking out + over the Picts’ country still, so far do the moorlands stretch, and + so few are the signs of habitation. Rolling ridges stretch + northward, wave upon wave, clothed with grass and heather, amongst + which Parnesius and Pertinax went hunting with little Allo the + Pict; to the northeast the heights of Simonside showed; and far + beyond them, though more to the westward, the rounded summits of + the Cheviots lay on the horizon. + + A short distance westward from the Crag is Hot Bank farmhouse, a + place which most visitors to the Wall remember with grateful + feelings; for what is more refreshing, after a long tramp, than a + farmhouse cup of tea accompanied by that most appetising of + Northumbrian dainties, hot girdle cakes! The Visitors’ Book at Hot + Bank is a “civil list” of all the most learned and noted names in + Great Britain, and many outside its shores, together with legions + of humbler folk. In this it resembles the one at Cilurnum, which is + the only other considerable station along the line of the Wall in + Northumberland. + + This station of Cilurnum, or Chesters, is a little over five acres + in extent, and is quite near to Chollerford station on the North + British Railway. To describe Cilurnum in detail, and the + interesting museum connected with it, filled with a wonderful + collection of objects found on the line of the Wall, would require + a book to deal with that alone. The general plan is the same as + that which we have already seen at Borcovicus, with the same + rounded corners, and double gateway with guard-chambers at each + side; the western and eastern walls at Chesters, however, have each + an additional single gateway to the south of the larger portals. We + must content ourselves with a short survey of the camp, with its + two wide streets at right angles to each other as at Borcovicus, + and the rest of them very narrow—indeed, little more than two feet + in width; the remains of its Forum and market, its barracks and + houses, its open shops and colonnades, the bases of the pillars yet + in position; its baths, with pipes, cistern, and flues; and a + vaulted chamber which was thought, on its being first excavated, to + lead to underground stables, for a local tradition held that such + were in existence, and would be found, with a troop of five hundred + horses. The vault, however, did not lead further, so that the + tradition remained unproven. Notwithstanding this, there was a + grain of fact in it; for Chesters was a cavalry station, and five + hundred was the full complement of the _ala_, or troop (_ala_ being + a “wing,” and cavalry forming the “wing” of an army in position). + + Outside the walls of Cilurnum are traces of the usual suburban + dwellings; and here, near the river, stood the villa of the officer + in command of the station. The excavation of all these buildings + and many others took place in the forties and fifties of last + century, and were due to the energy of Mr. John Clayton, the + learned and zealous antiquary, in the possession of whose family + the estate still remains. To Mr. N.G. Clayton we owe the Museum at + the Lodge gate, which he built for the reception of the notable + collection it contains of antiquities gathered from all the various + stations in Northumberland. A very fine altar brought from + Vindolana at once strikes the eye, and may be taken as a type of + many others, though not many are so perfect. The gravestone of a + standard-bearer, from the neighbouring station of Procolitia, shows + a full-length carving of the dead warrior. Other inscribed stones + are of great interest, though unfortunately most of them are but + fragments; still these fragments not infrequently contain a few + words which enable students of them to confirm a date or a fact + concerning the garrisons, which must otherwise have been a matter + of pure conjecture. For instance, it might seem very improbable + that the same regiments should have been quartered in certain + stations for over two hundred years; yet one of the inscribed + stones proves that such was the case at Cilurnum. The inscription + states that the second _ala_ of the Asturians repaired the temple + during the consulate of certain persons, which is found to be about + the year 221. In the _Notitia_, which was not compiled until the + beginning of the fifth century, the second _ala_ of the Asturians + is given as the garrison of Cilurnum. + + Another thing which strikes the imagination is the sight, after the + lapse of so many centuries, of the erasures on various inscribed + stones—erasures of some emperor’s or Caesar’s name after his death + by the chisel of a soldier in one of his legions on this far-away + post of his empire. It is one thing to read one’s Gibbon, and learn + of the murder of Geta, son of Severus, by order of his brother + Caracalla, and another to see the youth’s name roughly scratched + out on a stone in Hexham Abbey crypt; and to read of the + assassination of Elagabalus does not move us one whit, but to see + his name erased from a stone in Chesters museum brings the + tumultuous happenings in ancient Rome very closely home to us. + + Here are also several Roman milestones, with their lengthy and + sonorous inscriptions, from various points on the Wall; and a + miscellaneous and deeply interesting collection of smaller + articles, such as ornaments of bronze, jet, or gold, fibulae + (brooches or clasps), coins of many reigns, Samian-ware, + terra-cotta and glass, parts of harness, etc., etc. + + Of carven figures there are several besides the standard bearer + already mentioned. The best is a figure of Cybele, with elaborate + draperies, but unfortunately headless; another, of Victory, holds a + palm branch in the left hand, but the right arm is missing. A + soldier is shown with spear, shield, and ornate head-piece; and a + representation of a river-god, the genius of the Tyne, is worthy of + notice. He is a bearded figure, after the style of the figures of + Nilus, or the representations in old prints of Father Thames. From + Procolitia comes an altar to the goddess Coventina, a name not met + with elsewhere, the presiding genius of the well in that station. + She is shown reclining on a water-lily leaf, holding in one hand a + water-plant, and in the other a goblet from which a stream of water + runs. An elaborate carving of three water nymphs, most probably + meant to be in attendance on the goddess, is one of the few pieces + of sculpture that are not greatly mutilated. + + Centurial stones are numerous, having been put up at all parts of + the Wall to record the building of such and such parts by various + centurions and their companies. The mark >, which Dr. Hodgkin + supposes to be a representation of the vine rod, a centurion’s + symbol of authority, and the sign C or Q, are used to signify a + century. Thus a stone inscribed Q VAL. MAXI. states that the + century of Valerius Maximus built that part of the Wall. Two or + three small altars are inscribed DIBVS VETERIBVS—“To the Old Gods”; + and Mars Thingsus is well represented. + + A very important relic of Roman times found at Cilurnum was a + bronze tablet of citizenship, giving this coveted privilege to a + number of soldiers who had served in twenty-five campaigns and + received honourable discharge. There have been only three specimens + of this diploma found in Britain, and all are preserved in the + British Museum. There are many memorial tablets erected by wives to + their husbands, and husbands to their wives, which leads to much + speculation as to how these ladies, high-born Roman, native Briton, + or freed-woman, liked their sojourn in a small garrison town on the + breezy heights of a Northumbrian moorland. Those ladies who dwelt + at Cilurnum, however, had not so much cause to complain, for such + natural advantages as were to be had were certainly theirs, in that + sheltered spot. The scenery round about Cilurnum is quiet, peaceful + and pastoral, altogether different from the wild beauty of Cuddy’s + Crag, Limestone Corner, or Whinshields. + + Having now noticed the two chief stations on the line of the Wall, + it will be interesting to follow the course of the rampart itself + throughout its journey across Northumberland, though to do so in + detail is impossible within the limits of so small a volume as the + present one. Neither would it be necessary, or desirable, for the + last word in detailed description has been said long ago in the two + wonderfully exhaustive treatises on the subject by Dr. Bruce. + + A list of Roman officials, civil and military, throughout the + empire has come down to us; in this list—_Notitia Dignitatem et + Administratem, tam civilium quam militarium in partibus orientis et + occidentis_—the portion which relates to the Wall is headed, _Item + per lineam Valli_—“Also along the line of the Wall.” The following + is a copy of this portion, as given by Dr. Bruce in his _Handbook + to the Roman Wall_. + The Tribune of the fourth cohort of the Lingones at Segedunum. + The Tribune of the first cohort of Cornovii at Pons AElii. + The Prefect of the first _ala_ of the Asturians at Condercum. The + Tribune of the first cohort of the Frixagi (Frisii) at Vindobala. + The Prefect of the Savinian _ala_ at Hunnum. + The Prefect of the second _ala_ of the Asturians at Cilurnum. + The Tribune of the first cohort of the Batavians at Procolitia. + The Tribune of the first cohort of the Tungrians at Borcovicus. + The Tribune of the fourth cohort of the Gauls at Vindolana. + The Tribune of the first cohort of Asturians at Aesica. + The Tribune of the second cohort of Dalmatians at Magna. + The Tribune of the first cohort of Dacians, styled Aelia, at + Amboglanna. + The Prefect of the _ala_ called “Petriana,” at Petriana. + The Prefect of a detachment of Moors, styled Aureliani, at Aballaba. + The Tribune of the second cohort of the Lingones at Congavata. + The Tribune of the first cohort of Spaniards at Axelodunum. + The Tribune of the second cohort of the Thracians at Gabrosentum. + The Tribune of the first marine cohort, styled Aelia, at Tunnocelum. + The Tribune of the first cohort of the Morini at Glannibanta. + The Tribune of the third cohort of the Nervians at Alionis. + The Cuneus of men in armour at Bremetenracum. + The Prefect of the first _ala_, styled Herculean, at Olenacum. + The Tribune of the sixth cohort of the Nervians at Virosidum. + + Of these stations, with their officers and troops, only those as + far as Magna are in Northumberland; the rest continue the chain of + defences across Cumberland to the Solway Firth. Besides these + stations, there were _castella_ at the distance of every Roman mile + (seven furlongs) along the Wall, from which circumstance they are + known as “mile-castles.” They provided accommodation for the troops + necessary between the stations, which were at some distance from + each other; and between each two _castella_ there were also erected + two turrets, so that communication from one end of the Wall to the + other was speedy and certain. + + All traces of the station of Segedunum (Wallsend) have long since + disappeared; the Wall from there, beginning actually in the bed of + the river, ran almost parallel with the N.E.R. Tynemouth Branch, a + little to the south of it, and climbing the hill to Byker, went + down the slope to the Ouseburn parallel with Shields Road, crossing + the burn just a little to the south of Byker Bridge. From there its + course has been traced to Red Barns, where St. Dominic’s now + stands, to the Sallyport Gate, and over the Wall Knoll to Pilgrim + Street; thence to the west door of the Cathedral, and on past St. + John’s Church, up Westgate Road. + + The station at Pons AElii, it is generally agreed, occupied the + ground between the Cathedral church of St. Nicholas and the + premises of the Lit. and Phil. Society. Following the Wall up + Westgate Road, we are now out upon the highway from Newcastle to + Carlisle, which, as we have seen, is upon the very line of the Wall + for nearly a score of miles. At Condercum (Benwell) the next + station, garrisoned by a cavalry corps of Asturians from Spain, a + small temple was uncovered in the course of excavating, and two + altars found still standing in their original position. Both of + these were to a deity unknown elsewhere, given as Antenociticus on + one, and as Anociticus on the other. The former was erected by a + centurion of the Twentieth Legion, the Valerian and Victorious, + whose crest, the running boar, we shall meet with more than once in + our journey. + + Westward from here, near West Denton Lodge, faint indications of + the turf wall (generally called the Vallum, to distinguish it from + the Murus, or stone wall), come into sight, and traces of a + mile-castle to the left of the road. After this the Vallum and + Murus accompany each other for the rest of their journey, with but + little intermission. The next mile-castle was at Walbottle, from + which point a delightful view of the Tyne valley and the + surrounding country can be obtained. Passing Throckley and + Heddon-on-the-Wall, where the fosse on the northern side of the + Wall is well seen, and also the Vallum and its fosse, Vindolana + (Rutchester) is reached; but there is little evidence here that it + is the site of a once busy and bustling garrison station. Indeed, + up to this point and for a considerable distance further, a few + courses of stones here and there are all that is to be seen of the + Roman Wall, its material having for the most part been swallowed up + in the construction of the turnpike road on which we are + travelling. This road was made in 1745 because there was no road by + which General Wade could convey his troops from Newcastle to + Carlisle, when “Bonnie Prince Charlie” marched so gaily to that + city on his way southward, and so sadly, in a month, returned + again. + + The Wall now makes for the ridge of Harlow Hill, while the Vallum + goes on in a perfectly straight line past the picturesque Whittle + Dene and the waterworks, until the Wall joins it again near Welton, + where the old pele-tower is entirely built of Roman stones. After + Matfen Piers, where a road to the northward leads to the beautiful + little village of Matfen, and one to the southward to Corbridge, + the Wall passes Wall Houses and Halton Shields, where the various + lines of the Wall, road, and earthworks, as well as the fosse of + each, can be distinctly seen. Passing Carr Hill, the Wall leads up + to the station of Hunnum (Halton Chesters), where Parnesius was + stationed when Maximus gave him his commission on the Wall. It is + not easy to recognise the site now, but as we follow the road we + may comfort ourselves with the reflection that at least we have + walked right across it from the eastern gate to the western. + + A short distance further on is Stagshawbank, famed for its fairs, + the glory of which, however, has greatly departed since the days + when Dandie Dinmont had such adventures on returning from + “Staneshiebank.” It stands just where the Wall crosses the Watling + Street, which enters Northumberland at Ebchester, and crossing the + moors to Whittonstall, leads down the long descent to Riding Mill; + there turning westward to Corbridge, it comes straight on to + Stagshawbank, leading thence northwestward past the Wall through + Redesdale to the Borders, which it reaches at Ad Fines Camp, or + Chew Green, where the solitudes of the Cheviots and the silence of + the deserted camp are soon to be startled by the rifle-shots of + Territorials at practice. West of Stagshawbank the earthen ramparts + are to be seen in great perfection. + + As the Wall nears Chollerford, one may see, a little to the + northward, the little chapel of St. Oswald, which, as we have seen + in a former chapter, marks the site of the battle of Heavenfield. + Just before reaching this point, there is a quarry to the south of + the Wall from which the Romans obtained much building-stone, and + one of them has left his name carved on one of the stones left + lying there, thus—(P)ETRA FLAVI(I) CARANTINI—_The stone of Flavius + Carantinus_. + + At Plane Trees Field and at Brunton there are larger pieces of the + Wall standing than we have yet seen. The Wall now parts company + with the highroad, which swerves a little to the north in order to + cross the Tyne by Chollerford Bridge, while the course of the Wall + is straight ahead, for the present bridge is not the one built and + used by the Romans. That is in a line with the Wall, and therefore + south of the present one; and as we have already noticed, its piers + can be seen near the river banks when the river is low. A diagram + of its position is given in Dr. Bruce’s _Handbook_. + + The Wall now leads up to the gateway of Cilurnum, which we have + already visited; and after leaving the park, it goes on up the hill + to Walwick. Here it is rejoined by the road, which now for some + little distance proceeds actually on the line of the Wall, the + stones of which can sometimes be seen in the roadway. The tower a + little further on, on the hill called Tower Tye, or Taye, was not + built by the Romans, although Roman stones were used in its + erection; it is only about two hundred years old. + + At Black Carts farm, which the Wall now passes, the first turret + discovered on the line of the Wall after the excavations had begun, + and interest in the subject was revived, was here laid bare by Mr. + Clayton in 1873. At Limestone Bank, not much further on, the fosse + north of the Wall, and also that of the Vallum, show a skill in + engineering such as we are apt to fancy belongs only to these days + of powerful machinery, and explosives for rending a way through the + hardest rock. The ditches have both been cut through the solid + basalt, and great boulders of it are strewn around; one huge mass, + weighing many tons, has been hoisted out—by what means, we are left + to wonder; and another, still in the ditch, has the holes, intended + for the wedges still discernible. + + A mile or so further on is Procolitia (Carrawburgh), where is the + famous well presided over by the goddess Coventina, whose + acquaintance we have already made at Cilurnum. The remains of the + station at Procolitia are by no means to be compared with those at + Borcovicus or Cilurnum; very few of its stones are yet remaining. + The well was the most interesting find at Procolitia. It was known + to be there, for Horsley had mentioned it; but the waters which + supplied it were diverted in consequence of some lead-mining + operations. Then the stream formed by its overflow dried up, grass + grew over its course and over the well, and it was lost sight of + entirely. But the same thing which had led to its disappearance was + the means of finding it again. Some lead miners, prospecting for + another vein of ore in the neighbourhood, happened to dig in this + very spot, and soon struck the stones round the mouth of the well. + Mr. Clayton had it properly excavated, and was rewarded by coming + not only upon the well, but a rich find of Roman relics of all + kinds, which had either been thrown pell-mell into it for + concealment in a moment of danger, or, what is more likely, been + thrown in during the course of ages as votive offerings to the + presiding goddess of the well. There were thousands of coins, + mostly silver and copper, with four gold pieces among them; and a + large collection of miscellaneous objects, including vases, shoes, + pearls, ornaments, altars and inscribed stones, all of which were + taken to Chesters. The next point of interest on the Wall is the + farmhouse of Carraw, which the Priors of Hexham Abbey once used as + a summer retreat. A little further on, at Shield-on-the-Wall, + Wade’s road crosses to the south of the earthen lines, and parts + company with the Wall for a little while, for the latter bends + northward to take the high ridge, as usual, while the road and + Vallum continue in a straight line. The fragments of a mile-castle + are standing just at the point where the Wall swerves northward; + indeed, we have been passing the sites of these _castella_, with + fragments more or less in evidence all along the route, but those + which we shall now encounter are much more distinctly to be seen + than their fellows on the eastern part of the journey, many of + which have disappeared altogether. + + The high crags which here shoulder the Wall are part of the Great + Whin Sill, an intrusive dyke of dolerite which stretches from + Greenhead northeastward across the county nearly to Berwick. The + military road here leaves the Wall, with which it does not again + come into close contact until both are near Carlisle, though in + several places the Roman road will be encountered near the Wall in + a well-preserved condition. The Wall now climbs another ascent to + the farmhouse of Sewingshields, which name is variously explained + as “Seven Shields,” and as “The shiels (shielings, or little huts) + by the seugh” or hollow—the hollow being the fosse. Sewingshields + Castle, long since disappeared, is the scene of the knight’s + adventures in Sir Walter Scott’s “Harold the Dauntless.” And + tradition asserts that King Arthur, with Queen Guinevere and all + the court, lies in an enchanted sleep beneath the castle, or at + least its site. Not only is there no castle, but the Wall also has + been despoiled to supply the material for building the farmhouse + and other buildings in the neighbourhood. The Wall climbs + unfalteringly over the crags, one after the other, until the wide + opening of Busy Gap is reached. This being such a convenient pass + from north to south, it was naturally used constantly by raiders + and thieves; and such an unenviable notoriety did it possess, that + to call a person a “Busy Gap rogue” was sufficient to lay oneself + open to an action for libel. Climbing the next slope we look down + on Broomlee Lough and reach the portion of the Wall we have already + noted—Borcovicus (Housesteads), Cuddy’s Crag, Hot Bank farmhouse, + and Crag; Lough. + + The course of the Wall continues, past Milking Gap, along the + rugged heights of Steel Rig, Cat’s Stairs, and Peel Crag, till on + reaching Winshields we are at the highest point on the line, 1,230 + feet above the sea-level. Dipping down to Green Slack, the Wall + crosses the valley called Lodham Slack, and begins to ascend once + more. The local names of gaps and heights in this neighbourhood are + highly descriptive, and sometimes weirdly suggestive; we have had + Cat’s Stairs, and now we come to Bogle Hole, Bloody Gap, and Thorny + Doors. A little further west from here the very considerable + remains of a mile-castle may be seen, in which a tombstone was + found doing duty as a hearth-stone. The inscription recorded that + it had been erected by Pusinna to the memory of her husband + Dagvaldus, a soldier of Pannonia. + + Westward from this mile-castle the Wall climbs Burnhead Crag, on + which the foundations of a building, similar to the turrets, were + exposed a few years ago; then it dips down again to Haltwhistle + Burn, which comes from Greenlee Lough, and is called, until it + reaches the Wall, the Caw Burn. From the burn a winding watercourse + supplied the Roman station of AEsica (Great Chesters) with water. + Just here the Wall is in a very ruinous condition; and of the + station of AEsica but little masonry remains, though the outlines + of it can he clearly traced. Beyond AEsica, however, is a splendid + portion of the Wall, standing some seven or eight courses high. + Here it climbs again to the top of the crags which once more + appear, bold and rugged, to culminate in the “Nine Nicks of + Thirlwall,” so called from the number of separate heights into + which the crags divide, and over which the Wall takes its way. + + At Walltown, on this part of its course, is to be seen an old well, + in which Paulinus is said to have baptised King Edwin; but the + local name for it is King Arthur’s Well. Now the Wall descends to a + level and pastoral country, leaving behind it the wild moorland and + craggy heights across which it has travelled so long; but + unfortunately much of it has been destroyed by the quarrying + operations at Greenhead. Of the station of Magna (Caervoran) little + can be seen at the present day. This station and Aesica are nearer + to each other than are any other two stations on the Wall, and a + line of camps, five in number, stand south of the Wall and Vallum, + from Magna to Amboglanna, showing that a third line of defence was + deemed necessary where the natural defences of moorland ridge, + lough or crag were absent. + + The Roman way called the Stanegate comes from the eastward almost + up to the station of Magna, which stands a little to the south of + both Wall and Vallum, between them and Wade’s road, which here + approaches nearer to the Wall than it has done for many miles. + + Another Roman road, the Maiden Way, comes from the South closely up + to the Vallum, quite near to Thirlwall castle. The name “Thirlwals” + was supposed to commemorate the “thirling” (drilling or piercing) + of the Wall at this point by the barbarians, but this is extremely + doubtful; though the difficulty of defending the wall on this level + tract lends an air of likelihood to this supposition. Near here the + little river Tipalt flows across the line of the Wall on its way + southward to join the North Tyne. + + Passing Wallend, Gap, and Rose Hill, where Gilsland railway station + now stands, we follow the Wall to the deep dene of the Poltross + Burn, which forms the boundary between Northumberland and + Cumberland. The railway just beyond the burn crosses the line of + the Wall; and, further on, an interesting portion, several courses + high, takes its way through the Vicarage garden. Here we will leave + it to continue its way through Cumberland, and turn our attention + to the chief Roman ways which cross Northumberland, with other + stations standing upon them. + + The Watling Street or Dere Street, we have already noticed; and the + chief station on it, which has also proved to be the largest in + Northumberland, is Corstopitum, near Corbridge. The recent + excavations since 1906 have resulted in the finding of many + interesting relics, including some hundreds of coins, amongst which + were forty-eight gold pieces, of later Roman date, ranging from + those of Valentinian I. to those of Magnus Maximus. Pottery in + large quantities has also been found, most of it, of course, in a + fragmentary condition, but some pieces, notably bowls of Samian + ware, almost perfect, and dating from the first century. Several + interesting pieces of sculpture have been unearthed; one a finely + sculptured lion standing over an animal which it has evidently just + killed; this was, no doubt, used as an outlet for water at the + fountain, judging by the projection of the lion’s lower lip. + Another piece of sculpture represents a sun-god, the rays + surrounding his face; and several altars and many inscribed stones + are also amongst the treasures lately revealed. A clay mould of a + human figure was also found, which is supposed to represent some + Keltic deity; but as the figure wears a short tunic not unlike a + kilt, and carries a crooked club, the workmen promptly christened + it Harry Lauder! The buildings in this town, for it is much more + than a military station, have been large and imposing, as is shown + by each successive revelation made by the excavators’ spades. The + portion of the Watling Street leading from Corstopitum to the river + has also been laid bare. + + The Roman road called the Stanegate runs westward from the North + Tyne at Cilurnum, a little to the north of Fourstones railway + station, through Newbrough, on past Grindon Hill, Grindon Lough, + which it passes on the south, and Grindon Dykes, to Vindolana + (Chesterholm) another Roman town, which lies a mile due south from + Hot Bank farmhouse on the Wall. Vindolana stood on a most + favourable site, a high platform protected on three sides, and it + covered three and a half acres of ground. Here no excavations have + yet been made, and the site is grass grown and desolate although + the outlines of the station may be distinctly traced. A ruinous + building to the west of this station was popularly called the + Fairies’ Kitchen, a name given to it on account of the marks of + fire and soot on the pillars. From the station several inscribed + stones and altars have been taken to the museum at Chesters. One of + them is dedicated to the Genius of the Camp by Pituanius Secundus, + the Prefect of the fourth Cohort of the Gauls, which cohort, as we + have already seen by the _Votitia_, was stationed here. In the + valley below Vindolana a little cottage is standing. It is built + entirely of Roman stones, and was erected by an enthusiastic + antiquary, Mr. Anthony Hedley, for himself. Many of the stones used + in its construction have inscriptions on them; and in the covered + passage, leading from the cottage down to the burn, we come upon + one of them inscribed with the name of our old friend the XXth + Legion, and its crest, the running boar. The most interesting relic + of all in the neighbourhood is a Roman mile-stone, standing in its + original position on the Stanegate. + + Leaving Vindolana, this road goes on westward to Magna, where it + joins the Maiden Way, another important Roman road, which runs from + north to south. Coming from the neighbourhood of Bewcastle Fells, + it enters Northumberland at Gilsland, and leading eastward as far + as Magna, then turns directly southward past Greenhead. + + In concluding this chapter on the Roman remains in our county, + _apropos_ of the wholesale destruction of the Wall and larger + stations which has taken place in the last century or two, I will + quote the words of two historians on that subject. Dr. Thomas + Hodgkin says: “In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Camden, the + enthusiastic antiquary, dared not traverse the line of the wall by + reason of the gangs of brigands by whom it was infested. The union + of the two countries brought peace, and peace brought prosperity; + prosperity, alas! more fatal to the Wall than centuries of Border + warfare. For now the prosperous farmers of Northumberland and + Cumberland awoke to the building facilities which lurked in these + square green enclosures on their farms, treated them as their best + quarries, and robbed them unmercifully of their fine well-hewn + stones. Happily that work of demolition is now in great measure + stayed, and at this day we visit the camps for a nobler purpose, to + learn all they can teach us as to the past history of our country.” + + None, I think, will disagree with these words of the learned + Doctor, whether or not they may go as far as Cadwallader J. Bates, + who, in concluding his chapter on the Roman Wall, gave it as his + opinion that “unless the island is conquered by some civilized + nation, there will soon be no traces of the Wall left. Nay, even + the splendid whinstone crags on which it stands will be all + quarried away to mend the roads of our urban and rural + authorities.” + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. SOME NORTHUMBRIAN STREAMS. + + + “Come, don’t abuse our climate, and revile The crowning county of + England—yes, the best. + + Have you and I, then, raced across its moors. Till horse and boy were + well-nigh mad with glee, So often, summer and winter, home from + school, And not found that out? Take the streams away, The country + would be sweeter than the South Anywhere; give the South our streams, + would it Be fit to match our Borders? Flower and crag, Burnside and + boulder, heather and whin,—you don’t Dream you can match them south + of this? And then, If all the unwatered country were as flat As the + Eton playing-fields, give it back our burns, And set them singing + through a sad South world, And try to make them dismal as its fens— + They won’t be! Bright and tawny, full of fun And storm and sunlight, + taking change and chance With laugh on laugh of triumph—why, you know + How they plunge, pause, chafe, chide across the rocks, And chuckle + along the rapids, till they breathe And rest and pant and build some + bright deep bath For happy boys to dive in, and swim up. And match + the water’s laughter.” + + + Northumberland is fortunate in the number of rivers which, owing to + the position of the Cheviot Hills, flow right across the county + from west to east. These Northumbrian streams have a distinct + character of their own, and are of a different breed from those of + the southern; counties. They are neither mountain torrents nor + placid leisurely rivers, such as are met elsewhere in Britain, but + busy, bright, joyous, and sparkling, never sluggish, never silent, + even when deep and full, as is the Tyne in its lower reaches. With + the Tyne and its tributary streams we have already travelled; but + there are others yet awaiting us, claiming our attention sometimes + for the romantic scenery through which they run their bright + course, sometimes for the historic sites they pass on their way, + sometimes for both reasons. Wansbeck, Coquet, Aln, or Till—each has + its own interest, as has also the Tweed in that score or so of + miles along which it can he spoken of in connection with + Northumberland. + + The source of the Wansbeck, the only “beck” the county possesses, + is amongst the “Wild Hills o’ Wannys” (Wanny’s beck) a group of + picturesque sandstone crags which surround Sweethope Lough, a sheet + of water which covers 180 acres. The scenery of this upper course + of the Wansbeck is very striking, from the Lough to + Kirkwhelpington, flowing between bleak moorland and rich pasture, + and on to Littleharle Tower, which stands secluded in deep woods. + + Another mansion near at hand, and most picturesquely situated, is + Wallington Hall, lying a short distance away on the north bank of + the Wansbeck. It is one of the most notable country houses in + Northumberland, and especially so on account of its unique + picture-gallery, roofed with dull glass, and containing several + series of pictures connected with Northumbrian history. One of + these is a series of frescoes by William Bell Scott, whose name was + for so many years associated with all that was best in art in + Newcastle, and whose picture of the “Building of the Castle” may be + seen at the head of the staircase in the Lit. and Phil. building. + His pictures at Wallington are:—1. The Building of the Roman Wall. + 2. The visit of King Egfrid and Bishop Trumwine to St. Cuthbert on + Fame. 3. A Descent of the Danes. 4. Death of the Venerable Bede. 5. + The Charlton Spur. 6. Bernard Gilpin taking down a challenge glove + in Rothbury Church. 7. Grace Darling and her father on the way to + the wreck. 8. The Nineteenth Century—showing the High Level Bridge, + the Quayside, an Armstrong gun, etc., etc. Another series consists + of medallions and portraits of famous men connected with + Northumbrian events, from Hadrian and Severus down to George + Stephenson and others of modern times; while yet another depicts + all the incidents of “Chevy Chase.” + + Some miles further eastward, the Wansbeck receives the Hart + Burn—which, by the way, is larger than the parent stream at this + point—and, a little later, the Font. The lovely little village of + Mitford, once important enough to overshadow the Morpeth of that + day, lies at the junction of Font and Wansbeck. The Mitfords of + Mitford can boast, if ever family could, of being Northumbrian of + the Northumbrians, as they were seated here before the days of the + Conqueror, who made such a general upsetting amongst the Saxon + landowners. + + The beauty of the two miles walk along the banks of the Wansbeck + from here to Morpeth is not easy to surpass in all the county, + though several parts of the Coquet valley may justly compete with + it. William Howitt has left on record his admiration for this + lovely region, and said Morpeth was “more like a town in a dream” + than a reality. Especially is this so when looking at the town from + the neighbourhood of the river. Before actually reaching Morpeth + the Wansbeck waters the fair fields that once held Newminster Abbey + in its pride; now, nothing remains but an arch or so and a few + stones, to remind us of the noble abbey which Ralph de Merley built + so long ago. When only half built it was demolished by the Scots + under King David; but willing hands set to work again, and the + abbey and monastery were completed. + + In the town of Morpeth, though newer buildings are stretching out + towards the outskirts, many of the ancient buildings and streets + remain, and the general aspect of this part of it is much the same + as when the Jacobites of Northumberland gathered together here, and + the clergyman, Mr. Buxton, proclaimed James III. in its Market + Place. Of Morpeth Castle, built by a De Merley soon after the + Conquest, only the gateway tower remains, but the outlines of the + original boundary walls can be clearly traced. A company of five + hundred Scots, whom Leslie had left as a garrison in 1644, held out + here for three weeks against two thousand Royalists under Montrose. + After the cannonading received during that siege, the walls were + not repaired again, and the castle fell into decay. The inhabitants + of Morpeth have a daily reminder of times yet more remote, for the + Curfew Bell still rings out over the little town every evening at + eight o’clock. + + Another walk of three miles along the still beautiful banks of the + Wansbeck brings us to Bothal, another little village of great + beauty, embowered and almost hidden amongst luxuriant woods. Its + curious name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon _bottell_, a place of + abode (as in Walbottle). The name conjures up memories of the + knights of old, their loves and their fortunes, fair or disastrous; + for the best-known version of “The Hermit of Warkworth” tells us + that it was a Bertram of Bothal who was the luckless hero of that + tale, though another version avers that he belonged to the house of + Percy. + + Wansbeck’s fellow stream, the Coquet, has its birth amongst some of + the wildest scenery of the Cheviot Hills, where the heights of + Deel’s Hill and Woodbist Law look down on the now silent Watling + Street and the deserted Ad Fines Camp. In its windings along the + bases of the hills it is joined by the Usway Burn, said to be named + after King Oswy, between which and the little river Alwine lies the + famous Lordship of Kidland, once desolate on account of the + thieving and raiding of its neighbours of Bedesdale and Scotland. + + Hodgson, in his “Northumberland,” says of this region, “All the + said Kydlande is full of lytle hilles or mountaynes, and between + the saide hilles be dyvers valyes in which discende litle Ryvvelles + or brokes of water, spryngynge out of the said hilles and all + fallynge into a lytle Rever or broke callede Kidlande water, w’ch + fallethe into the rever of cockette nere to the towne of + alwynntonn, w’tin a myll of the castell of harbottell.” The reasons + for the desolation of Kidland are graphically set forth:—“In somer + seasons when good peace ys betwene England and Scotland, + th’inhabitantes of dyv’se townes thereaboutes repayres up with + theyr cattall in som’ynge (summering) as ys aforesaid, and so have + used to do of longe tyme. And for the pasture of theyr cattall, so + long as they would tarye there they payed for a knoweledge two pens + for a household, or a grote at the most, though they had nev’ so + many cattalles. And yet the poore men thoughte their fermes dere + enoughe. There was but fewe yeres that they escaped w’thout a + greatter losse of their goodes and cattalles, by spoyle or thefte + of the Scottes or Ryddesdale men, then would have paide for the + pasture of theyr cattail in a much better grounde. And ov’ (over, + besides) that, the saide valyes or hopes of Kidlande lyeth so + distant and devyded by mounteynes one from an other, that such as + Inhabyte in one of these hoopes, valeys, or graynes, can not heare + the Fraye outcrye, or exclamac’on of such as dwell in an other + hoope or valley upon the other side of the said mountayne, nor come + or assemble to theyr assystance in tyme of necessytie. Wherefore we + can not fynde anye of the neyghbours thereabouts wyllinge + cotynnally to Inhabyte or plenyshe w’thin the saide grounde of + Kydland, and especially in wynter tyme.” + + These reasons were given by the people of “Cockdale” in the + neighbouring valley, to account for the desolation of Kidland, + which lay open on the northward to attacks from the Scots, and had + no defence on the south from the rievers of Redesdale. The + inhabitants of Coquetdale seem to have been a right valiant and + hardy fraternity, honest and fearless, well able to give good blows + in defence of their possessions, for it is left on record that “the + people of the said Cock-dayle be best p’pared for defence and most + defensyble people of themselfes, and of the truest and best sorte + of anye that do Inhabyte, endlonge, the frounter or border of the + said mydle m’ches of England.” The traces of these days of raid and + foray are to be found in abundance all over Coquetdale, as indeed + all over Northumberland, in pele-tower and barmkyn, fortified + dwelling and bastle house. + + Harbottle Castle would have a good deal to tell, could it only + speak, of siege and assault from the day when, “with the aid of the + whole county of Northumberland and the bishopric of Durham,” it was + built by Henry II., until, after the Union of the Crowns, it shared + the fate of many of the Border strongholds, and fell into gradual + decay, or was used as a quarry from which to draw building material + for new and modern mansions. At Rothbury, a pele-tower has formed + the dwelling of the Vicars of that town from the time that any + mention of Whitton Tower is to be found, it being first noticed as + “Turris de Whitton, iuxta Rothebery.” Rothbury itself occupies + quite the finest situation of any of the Northumbrian towns. + Others, besides it, lie on the banks of a pretty river; others, + too, possess fair meadows and rich pastures; but none other has the + combination of these attractive features with the finer + surroundings of hill, crag, and moorland as picturesquely beautiful + as those of Rothbury. In the old church here Bernard Gilpin, “the + Apostle of the North,” often preached; and even the fierce rival + factions of the Borderland were so influenced by the gentle, yet + fearless preacher, that they consented to forego their usual + pleasure of “drawing” whenever they met one of a rival family, at + least so long as Gilpin dwelt among them, and especially to refrain + from showing their hostility in church. + + There are in Coquetdale, as elsewhere, memorials of the ancient + British days in the many camps to be found on the summits of the + hills near the town, on Tosson Hill and the Simonside Hills; and + not camps only, but barrows, cist-vaens, and flint weapons in + considerable numbers. The magnificent view to be obtained, on a + clear day, from Tosson Hill or the Simonsides is one to be + remembered; to the west and north stretch the vales of Coquet and + Alwin, with the rolling heights of the Cheviots bounding them; + northward are the woods surrounding Biddlestone Hall, the + “Osbaldistone Hals” of Scot’s _Rob Roy_, awakening memories of Di + Vernon; far to the eastward a faint blue haze denotes the distant + coastline; while southward, over the dales of Rede and Tyne, the + smoke of industrial Tyneside lies on the horizon, with the spires + and towers of Newcastle showing faintly against the heights of the + Durham side of the Tyne. + + One of the chief sights of Rothbury is the beautiful mansion of + Cragside and the wonderful valley of Debdon and Crag Hill, as + transformed by the first Lord Armstrong into a paradise of beauty, + where art and nature are so blended as to make a romantically + artistic whole. Another lovely spot on the banks of Coquet is at + Brinkburn, where the famous Priory stands almost hidden at the foot + of thickly wooded slopes. A very much larger portion of this fine + Priory is still standing than is the case with many other religious + houses of the same age, for it dates from the reign of Henry I. The + story is told of Brinkburn as well as of Blanchland, that a party + of marauding Scots on one of their forays passed by the Priory + without discovering it in its leafy bower; and so overjoyed were + the monks at their escape that they incautiously rang the bells by + way of showing their delight. The Scots, who had passed out of + sight but not out of hearing, immediately returned on their tracks, + and, guided by the joyful peal, reached the Priory, sacked the + buildings, and then set them on fire. It may well be that the + tragedy occurred at both places, on different occasions. + + Farther eastward down the Coquet are two places pre-eminently noted + as centres for the sport for which the river is famed above all + other Northumbrian streams, though some of them are worthy rivals. + These two places are Weldon Bridge and Felton; the old Angler’s Inn + at the first-named is a favourite rendezvous of the fraternity of + rod and creel. Fishermen have long known the fascination of these + two places, and I quote from the “Fisherman’s Garland” two stanzas + written by two enthusiastic anglers in praise of them. The writers + are Robert Roxby and Thomas Doubleday. + “But we’ll awa’ to Coquetside, For Coquet bangs them a’; Whose + winding streams sae sweetly glide By Brinkburn’s bonny Ha’!” + _Written in 1821_ + “The Coquet for ever, the Coquet for aye! The _Woodhall_ and _Weldon_ + and _Felton_ so gay, And _Brinkburn_ and _Linden_, wi’ a’ their sweet + pride, For they add to the beauty of dear Coquetside.” + _Written in 1826_ + + Felton, a charmingly placed little village, on the banks of the + river where they are overhung by graceful woods, and diversified by + cliff and grassy slope, stands just where the great North Road + crosses the Coquet. By reason of this position it has been the + scene of one or two events of historical interest, notably those + connected with the “Fifteen” and the “Forty-five.” On the former + occasion, the gallant young Earl of Derwentwater, with his + followers, was joined here by a band of seventy gentlemen from the + Borders, and they rode on to Morpeth to proclaim James III. And + thirty years later, the soldiers of George II. passed over the + bridge from the southward, led by the Duke of Cumberland, and + pressed on towards the Scottish moor where they dealt the final + blow to the Stuart cause at Culloden. The interesting old church at + Felton, dating from the thirteenth century, is well worth a visit. + After leaving Felton behind, the Coquet enters on the most marked + windings of all its winding course, until, when it enters the sea + at Warkworth Harbour, just opposite Coquet Island, it has contrived + to lengthen out its journey to a distance of forty miles. + + The bright clear stream of the Aln also begins its short journey + across Northumberland from the heights of Cheviot, but in the + narrower northern portion of the county. Alnham, with its + pele-tower Vicarage, ancient church, and memories of a castle, + stands just at the foot of the hills, near the source of the river. + Some three or four miles eastward along its banks, a walk through + leafy woods brings us to Whittingham—the final syllable of which, + by the way, one pronounces as “jam,” as one does that of nearly all + the other place-names ending in “ing-ham” in Northumberland, + contrary though it be to etymological considerations—excepting, + curiously enough, Chillingham, situated in the very midst of all + the others. The “ing” and “ham” are in themselves a historical + guide to the days in which the various villages received their + names, these two syllables being a certain indication of a Saxon + settlement, the “home of the sons, or descendants of” whatever + person the first syllable indicates. Thus, Edlingham, only a few + miles away, is the “home or settlement of the sons of Eadwulf”; + Ellingham, the “home of the sons of Ella,” and so on. How the + “Whitt” syllable was spelled we do not know; most probably Hwitta + or Hwitha—for all our _wh’s_ were _hw_ originally—_hwaet, hwa, + hwaether_ and so forth. + + This ancient village is in these days a charming and peaceful + place, lying in the midst of rich meadow lands, and surrounded by + magnificent trees. It had its romances, too, in the course of + years; so long ago as the days of the early Danish invasions a + certain widow in Whittingham, in the reign of King Alfred, had no + less a person than a Danish prince among her slaves; he was + ransomed, however, and made king of the Danes in the North, in + consequence of a vision in which St. Cuthbert had directed the + Abbot of Carlisle to see this done. Young Prince Guthred’s + gratitude showed itself in a substantial grant of land to St. + Cuthbert at Durham. Whittingham Church is supposed to have been + founded by the Saxon king Ceolwulf, whose acquaintance we have + already made at Holy Island, and he bestowed the lands of + Whittingham on the church at Lindisfarne. It still shows some of + the original Saxon work at the base of the tower, and much more was + to be seen before the so-called “restoration” of the church in + 1840. The pele-tower on the south side of the river, after its days + of storm and stress are over, still serves as a shelter in time of + need, for it is now used as an almshouse for the poor of the + village, a former Lady Ravensworth having originated the quaint + idea and seen it carried out. + + Whittingham Fair, now Whittingham Sports, a well-known rendezvous + of the whole countryside, has lost some of its former splendour, + but is still looked forward to with great enjoyment in the + surrounding district. The old coaching road from Newcastle to + Edinburgh passed through the village, crossing the Aln by the stone + bridge, from whence it went on through Glanton and Wooler to + Cornhill. + + In the vale of Whittingham, the little Aln flows placidly along, + its waters murmuring a soothing refrain, a peaceful interlude + between its busy bustling beginning and its ending. Before reaching + Alnwick it flows past the ancient walls of Hulne Abbey, the + monastery of Carmelite friars so romantically founded by the + Northumbrian knight and monk after his visit to the monastery on + Mount Carmel. A considerable portion of the ancient building is + still standing, and few sites chosen by the old monks, who had an + unerring eye for beauty as well as safety and convenience in their + choice of abode, can surpass this one, surrounded by fair meadows, + and standing on the green hill-side, with the rippling Aln flowing + through the levels below. In Hulne Park is also the Brislee Tower, + erected by the first Duke of Northumberland in 1781, on the top of + Brislee Hill. + +[Illustration: Alnwick Castle] + + Alnwick itself, with its quaint, uneven, narrow streets, and grey + stone houses, looks the part of a Border town even in these days; + and the grim old Hotspur tower, bestriding the main street like an + ancient warrior still on guard, helps to give the illusion an air + of reality. The tower, however, was not built by Hotspur, but by + his son. The names of the streets, too, are redolent of the days + when the only safety for the inhabitants of a town worth plundering + lay in the strength of its walls and gateways. Bondgate, + Bailiffgate, and Narrowgate, still speak of the days of siege and + sortie, of fierce attack and stout defence. + + The magnificent castle which dominates the town stands majestically + at the top of a green slope above the Aln, its vast array of walls + and towers far along the ridge, fronting the North as though still + looking, albeit with a seemingly languid interest, for the coming + of the Scots who were such inveterate foes of its successive lords. + The principal entrance, however, the Barbican, faces southwards to + the town, and here the massive gateway, with portcullis complete, + and crowned by quaint life-size figures of warriors in various + attitudes of defence, conveys the impression that the huge giant is + still alert and on guard. The history of Alnwick is the history of + the castle and its lords, from the days of Gilbert Tyson, variously + known as Tison, Tisson, and De Tesson, one of the Conqueror’s + standardbearers, upon whom this northern estate was bestowed, until + the present time. After being held by the family of De Vesci (of + which the modern rendering is Vasey—a name found all over + south-east Northumberland) for over two hundred years, it passed + into the hands of the house of Percy. The Percies, who hailed from + the village of Perce in Normandy, had large estates in Yorkshire, + bestowed by the Conqueror on the first of the name to arrive in + England in his train. The family, however, was represented by an + heiress only in the reign of Henry II., whose second wife, a + daughter of the Duke of Brabant, thought this heiress, with her + wide possessions, a suitable match for her own young half-brother + Joceline of Louvain. The marriage took place; and thereafter + followed the long line of Henry Percies (Henry being a favourite + name of the Counts of Louvain) who played such a large part in the + history of both England and Scotland; for, as nearly every Percy + was a Warden of the Marches, Scottish doings concerned them more or + less intimately—indeed, often more so than English affairs. + + It was the third Henry Percy who purchased Alnwick in 1309 from + Antony Bec, Bishop of Durham and guardian of the last De Vesci, and + from that time the fortunes of the Percies, though they still held + their Yorkshire estates, were linked permanently with the little + town on the Aln, and the fortress which alike commanded and + defended it. The fourth Henry Percy began to build the castle as we + see it now; but to call him “the fourth” is a little confusing, as + he was the second Henry Percy, Lord of Alnwick. On the whole, it + will be clearer to begin the enumerations of the various Henry + Percies from the time they became Lords of Alnwick. It was, then, + Henry Percy the second, Lord of Alnwick, who began the re-building + of the castle; he also was jointly responsible for the safety of + the realm during the absence of Edward III. in the French wars, and + in this official capacity, no less than in that of a Border baron + whose delight it was to exchange lusty blows with an ever-ready + foe, he helped to win the battle of Neville’s Cross. His son, + Henry, married a sister of John of Gaunt, and their son, the next + Henry Percy, was that friend who stood John Wycliffe in such good + stead, when he was cited to appear before the Bishop of London. + Henry Percy, who had been made Earl Marshal of England, and the + Duke of Lancaster took their places one on each side of Wycliffe, + and accompanied him to St. Paul’s, clearing a way for him through + the crowd. It does not belong to this story to tell how their + private quarrels with the Bishop prevented Wycliffe’s + interrogation, and how he left the Cathedral without having uttered + a word; we are concerned at the moment with his North-country + friend, who, the same year, was created Earl of Northumberland, + which title he was given after the coronation of Richard II. Nor + was this all, for he was that Northumberland whose doings in the + next reign fill so large a part of Shakespeare’s Henry IV., and he + was the father of the most famous Percy of all, the gallant Henry + Percy the fifth, better known as “Harry Hotspur.” Hotspur never + became Earl of Northumberland, being slain at Shrewsbury in the + lifetime of his father, whose estates were forfeited under + attainder on account of the rebellion of himself and his son + against King Henry IV. + + King Henry V. restored Hotspur’s son, the second Earl, to his + family honours, and the Percies were staunch Lancastrians during + the Wars of the Roses which followed, the third Earl and three of + his brothers losing their lives in the cause. The fifth Earl was a + gorgeous person whose magnificence equalled, almost, that of + royalty. Henry Percy, the sixth Earl of Northumberland, loved Ann + Boleyn, and was her accepted suitor before King Henry VIII. + unfortunately discovered the lady’s charm, and interfered in a + highhanded “bluff King Has” fashion, and young Percy lost his + prospective bride. He had no son, although married later to the + daughter of the Earl of Shrewsbury, and his nephew, Thomas Percy, + became the seventh Earl. + + Thereafter, a succession of plots and counterplots—the Rising of + the North, the plots to liberate Mary Queen of Scots, and the + Gunpowder Plot—each claimed a Percy among their adherents. On this + account the eighth and ninth Earls spent many years in the Tower, + but the tenth Earl, Algernon, fought for King Charles in the Civil + War, the male line of the Percy-Louvain house ending with + Josceline, the eleventh Earl. The heiress to the vast Percy estates + married the Duke of Somerset; and her grand-daughter married a + Yorkshire knight, Sir Hugh Smithson, who in 1766 was created the + first Duke of Northumberland and Earl Percy, and it is their + descendants who now represent the famous old house. + + At various points in the town are memorials of the constant wars + between Percies and Scots in which so many Percies spent the + greater part of their lives. At the side of the broad shady road + called Rotten Row, leading from the West Lodge to Bailiffgate, a + tablet of stone marks the spot where William the Lion of Scotland + was captured as we have already seen, in 1174, by Odinel de + Umfraville and his friends; and there are many others of similar + interest. + + Within the park, approached by the gate at the foot of Canongate, + is the fine gateway which is all that is left of Alnwick Abbey. No + more peaceful spot could have been found than this, on the level + greensward, surrounded by fine trees which shelter it on all sides + save one, and near the brink of the little Aln, whose banks are + thickly covered with wild flowers, while the steep slope on the + opposite side of the river is overhung with shady woods. The extent + of the parks may be judged from the fact that the enclosing wall is + about five miles long. At the foot of Bailiffgate, on the edge of a + steep ridge above the descent to Canongate and the banks of the + river, the ancient parish church, dedicated to St. Mary and St. + Michael stands in a commanding position. The present building dates + from the fourteenth century, and occupies the site of an earlier + one, whose few remaining stones have been built into the present + structure. Two other reminders of long-past days are to be found in + Alnwick; one is the large stone in the Market Place to which the + bull ring used to be fixed in the days when bull-baiting and + bear-baiting took place; and the other, a relic of days still + further back in the distant years, is the sounding of the Curfew + Bell, which is still rung here every evening at eight o’clock. + Altogether there is the quaintest and most unexpected mingling of + the ancient and modern in the little feudal town. + + Between Alnwick and the sea, the Aln winds its way past Alnmouth + Station, formerly known as Bilton Junction, and past Lesbury, a + pretty little tree-shaded village, to the sandy flats by Alnmouth + where it ends its journey in the North Sea. + + The Till, by whose side we shall next wander, flows in the opposite + direction, for that historic stream is a tributary of “Tweed’s fair + river, broad and deep,” and curves from the Cheviots round to the + North-west, where it enters the larger stream at Tillmouth. It + begins life as the Breamish, tumbling down the slopes of Cushat Law + within sight of all the giants of the Cheviot range. The Linhope + Burn, a fellow traveller down these steep hillsides, forms in its + course the Linhope Spout, one of the largest waterfalls to be found + amongst the Cheviots, before it joins the Breamish, which then + flows through a country of green slopes and grassy levels to + Ingram. This village possesses an old church with massive square + tower and windows which suggest the fortress rather than the + church. The heights which stretch eastward from the Cheviots and + bound the valley of the Till add not a little to the beauty and + variety of the scenery in this district. + + The little stream, which turns northward near Glanton railway + station, moves on in loops and windings past Beanley, which Earl + Gospatric held in former days by virtue of the curious office of + being a kind of official mediator between the monarchs of England + and Scotland when they came to blows; and past Bewick, with its + little Norman church buried from sight amongst leafy trees. The + effigy of a lady in the chancel of this church is said to be that + of Matilda, wife of Henry I. This is the more likely in that the + lands of Bewick formed part of her dowry, and were given by her to + the monks of Tynemouth Priory. At Bewick Bridge the little stream + ceases to be the Breamish, and becomes the Till; as an old rhyme + has it— + “The foot of Breamish, and head of Till, Meet together at Bewick + Mils” + + Some miles to the northward, the Till reaches the little village of + Chatton, having, on the way, passed a little to the westward of + Chillingham Castle and Park, where is the famous herd of wild + cattle. Roscastle, a craggy height covered with heather, stands at + the edge of the chase, and looks over a wild and romantic scene of + moorland and pastureland, deep glens and heathery hills. The + Vicarage at Chatton is another of those north-country vicarages in + which an old pele-tower forms part of the modern residence. On the + top of Chatton Law is an ancient British encampment, with inscribed + circles similar to those on Bewick Hill. + + From Chatton, the loops and windings of the Till grow more + insistent, and the little stream adds miles to its length by reason + of its frequent doubling on its tracks; this, however, but gives an + added charm to the landscape, as the silvery gleams of the winding + river come unexpectedly into view again and again. It flows on + through Glendale, with which attractive region we have already made + acquaintance; and on its banks are the two prettiest villages in + Northumberland—Ford and Etal. + + Ford Castle, as seen at the present day, is chiefly modern, but the + northwest tower is part of the old fortress of Odenel de Forde, + which experienced so many vicissitudes in its time. One of the most + famous owners of Ford Castle was Sir William Heron, who married + Odenel’s daughter, and who held the responsible and troublesome + office of High Sheriff of Northumberland for eleven years, besides + being Captain of Bamburgh and Warden of the northern forests. The + castle was burnt down by James IV. of Scotland just before the + battle of Flodden, which was not by any means the only time in its + career that it was demolished, entirely or in part, and restored + again. + + In the village of Ford, the walls of the schoolroom are decorated + by a series of pictures of the children of Scripture story, for + whose portrayal it is said the Marchioness of Waterford, the + artist, took the village children as models. The late Vicar of + Ford, the Rev. Hastings Neville, has laid all who are interested in + the rural life of Northumberland, and the quaint and traditional + manners and customs of the North-country which are so fast + disappearing, under the greatest obligation to him for his + interesting and entirely delightful little book, “A Corner in the + North.” Historical records, and matters of business, ownerships, + etc., connected with any special area can always be turned up for + reference when required; but the manner of speech, the customs of + daily life, the quaint survivals of former usages and + half-forgotten lore, being entirely dependent on individual memory + and oral tradition, only too often disappear before any adequate + record can be made. Hence it is a matter for congratulation that + such a book should have been written. + + Etal, Ford’s pretty neighbour, also boasts a castle, built only two + years after that of Ford and by the same masons. A considerable + portion of the ruins remains, but, unlike Ford Castle, it was never + restored after James the Fourth’s drastic handling of it, but was + left to decay. Opposite Ford and Etal, on the left bank of the + Till, is Pallinsburn House, referred to in another chapter, and the + village of Crookham; and beyond the woods of Pallinsburn, Flodden + ridge, with its memories of the disastrous field on which James was + slain. + + The mansion house of Tillmouth Park, owned by Sir Francis Blake, is + built of stones from the ruins of Twizell Castle, on the northern + bank of the Till; the castle was begun by a former Sir Francis + Blake but never finished. Between the two buildings the Berwick + Road crosses the Till by Twizell Bridge, over which Surrey marched + his men southward on the morning of Flodden. Not far from this + bridge, to the westward, is St. Helen’s Well, alluded to by Scott + in his account of the battle, in “Marmion”— + “Many a chief of birth and rank, St. Helen, at thy fountain drank.” + + Sibyl’s well, from which Lady Clare brought water to moisten the + lips of the dying Marmion, is beside the little church at Branxton. + Tillmouth, however, has older memories still; for it was to the + little chapel there that St. Cuthbert’s body floated in its stone + coffin from Melrose, dating the course of its seven years’ + wandering, ere it found a final rest at Durham. + “From sea to sea, from shore to shore, Seven years Saint Cuthbert’s + corpse they bore They rested them in fair Melrose, But though alive + he loved it well Not there his relics might repose, For, wondrous + tale to tell, In his stone coffin forth he glides, A ponderous bark + for river tides, Yet light as gossamer it glides Downward to + Tillmouth cell. + + Chester-le-Street and Ripon saw His holy corpse, ere Wardilaw Hailed + it with joy and fear; Till, after many wanderings past, He chose his + lordly seat at last Where his cathedral, huge and vast, Looks down + upon the Wear.” + _Sir W. Scott_—MARMION. + + The “stone coffin” was boat-shaped, “ten feet long, three feet and + a half in diameter, and only four inches thick, so that, with very + little assistance, it might certainly have swum; it still lies, or + at least did so a few years ago, in two pieces, beside the ruined + chapel at Tilmouth.”—_Sir W. Scott’s Notes to “Marmion.”_ + + Three or four miles from Tillmouth, south-westward up the valley of + the Tweed, and just beyond Cornhill, lies the village of Wark, near + which the remains of the famous Border castle are still standing. + The castle was built on a stony ridge of detritus called the + _Kaim_, which stretches from Wark village towards Carham. In the + reign of Henry I. all those who owned land in the North were + seemingly animated simultaneously by a lively desire to secure + their Borders; Bishop Flambard began to build Norham Castle, + Eustace Fitz-John, husband of Beatrice de Vesci, built the greater + part of Alnwick Castle, and Walter Espic raised the mighty + fortress, the great “Wark” or work (A.S. _were_ or _weare_) on the + steep ridge above Tweed, in “his honour (seignieury) of Carham.” + + From that time the castle of Wark went through a greater succession + of sieges, assaults, burnings, surrenders, demolitions, and + restorations than any other place in England, except, perhaps, + Norham Castle or Berwick-upon-Tweed. In an age and situation where + hard blows given and returned, desperate adventures and equal + chances of life or death were the common-places of everyday + existence, Wark was probably the place where these excitements were + to be had oftener than anywhere else. + + The romantic episode which gave rise to the establishment of the + Order of the Garter is generally allowed to have taken place at + Wark Castle. The young king of Scotland, David Bruce, had “ridden a + raid” into England, and ravaged and plundered on his way as far as + Auckland, after having burnt the town of Alnwick, amongst others, + but having been repulsed before the castle. King Edward III. was at + Stamford when he heard of the invasion; but hurrying northward he + reached Newcastle in four days. The Scots, retreating before him, + passed Wark Castle, which was held by the Countess of Salisbury and + her nephew, in the absence of her husband. The young man was loth + to let so much English booty be carried off under his very eyes, so + he fell upon the rearguard, and succeeded in bringing a number of + packhorses to the castle. On this the whole Scottish array turned + back, and a siege of the castle began; but the Countess spiritedly + held out, and Edward meanwhile drew nearer. Some of the Scotsmen + were captured, and from them the Countess’s nephew heard that + Edward had reached Alnwick. He stole out of the castle before + dawning in heavy rain, to let the King know where his help was + urgently needed; and by noon of the same day Edward was at Wark, + only to find his quarry flown, the Scots having retreated a few + hours earlier. The King was joyfully received and thanked by the + grateful Countess; and he in his turn was much struck by the beauty + and grace of the high-spirited lady, and showed his admiration + plainly. In the evening, according to tradition, a ball was held, + at which the incident occurred, so often related, of the accidental + losing of her garter by the fair chatelaine, and the restoration of + it by the King, with the remark, as a rebuke to the smiling + bystanders,—“_Honi soit qui mal y pense._” This he afterwards + adopted as the motto of the Order he established in honour of the + beautiful Countess. + + The Garter is the most exclusive of Orders, and consists of the + reigning Sovereign and twenty-five Companions, of whom the Prince + of Wales is always one; and it takes precedence of all other + titles, ranking next to royalty. It is a matter of great pride to + all Northumbrians that perhaps the only instance of its having been + bestowed on any except a peer of the realm or a foreign Sovereign, + has occurred recently in the bestowal of the coveted decoration on + Sir Edward Grey, a member of the ancient and important Northumbrian + house of that name. + + Every King of England from Henry I. to Henry IV., seems to have + been at Wark at some time during his reign, with the exception of + Richard Coeur-de-Lion and Richard II. After the Union of the + Crowns, Wark, like most other fortresses in the north that were not + in use as the dwellings of their owners, was allowed to fall into + decay. From Wark to Carham is a walk of only two miles along the + road which follows the course of the river, and ultimately leads to + Kelso. Carham has the remains of an ancient monastery; and here the + Danes, after having plundered Lindisfarne, fought a battle in which + the Saxons, led by several Bishops, were defeated with great + slaughter. From Carham, having reached the last point of interest + on the Tweed within the Northumbrian border, we must retrace our + steps to Tillmouth, and follow the Tweed through pasture land and + level haughs, until we come in sight of the steep cliffs and + overhanging woods by Norham Castle. + + Naturally here, the words of the opening canto of “Marmion” are + recalled to our memory— + “Day set on Norham’s castled steep, On Tweed’s fair river, broad and + deep, And Cheviot’s mountains lone The battled towers, the donjon + keep, The loophole grates, where captives weep, The flanking walls + that round it sweep, In yellow lustre shone.” + + The “castled steep” is still crowned by a massive fragment of the + old fortress that has braved, in its time, so many days of storm + and stress. A good deal of the curtain wall, too, is standing, and + the natural defences of the castle are admirable, for a deep ravine + on the east and the river with its steep banks on the south made it + practically unassailable at these points. It was built in 1121, as + we have seen, by Bishop Flambard of Durham, as a defence for the + northern portions of his diocese. The necessity for its presence + there was soon made apparent, for it was attacked by the Scots + again and again; and by the time thirty years had passed. Bishop + Pudsey found it necessary to strengthen it greatly. When Edward I. + was called to arbitrate between the claimants to the Scottish + throne, he came to Norham and met the rival nobles, who, with their + followers, were quartered at Ladykirk, on the opposite side of the + Tweed. It was known as Upsettlington then, however; the name of + Ladykirk was bestowed upon it long afterwards, when James IV. built + the little chapel there, in gratitude for an escape from drowning + in the Tweed. Edward held his interview with the Scottish nobles in + Norham church, and announced that he had come there in the + character of lord paramount, and as such was prepared to make + choice of one among them. Edward did not by any means make up his + mind quickly, and the various places in which the successive acts + in the affair took place are widely scattered, for he met the + nobles at Norham, some time afterwards delivered his decision at + Berwick, and finally received the homage of John Balliol at + Newcastle. + + Norham, like Wark, has also its romantic episode—or rather, an + episode more conspicuously so in a series of them to which the name + might with justice be applied. It occurred during the time that Sir + Thomas Gray was holding the castle against a determined blockade of + it by the Scots in 1318. A certain fair lady of Lincolnshire sent + one of her maidens to a knight whom she loved, Sir William Marmion + (whose name probably suggested to Sir Walter Scott the name for the + hero of his tale of Norham and Flodden). Sir William was at a + banquet when the maiden came before him bearing a helmet with a + golden crest, together with a letter from his lady bidding him go + “into the daungerust place in England, and there to let the heaulme + be seene and knowen as famose.” Evidently it was well known where + “the daungerust place in England” was to be found, for the story + laconically says “So he went to Norham.” He had not been there more + than a day or two when a band of nearly two hundred Scots, bold and + expert horsemen, led by Philip de Mowbray, made an attack on the + castle, rousing Sir Thomas and his garrison from their dinner. They + quickly mounted, and were about to sally forth when Sir Thomas + caught sight of Marmion, in rich armour, and on his head the helmet + with the golden crest; and halting his men, he cried out, “Sir + knight, ye be come hither as a knight-errant to fame your helm; and + since deeds of chivalry should rather be done on horseback than on + foot, mount up on your horse, and spur him like a valiant knight + into the midst of your enemies here at hand, and I forsake God if I + rescue not thy body dead or alive, or I myself will die for it.” At + this Marmion mounted and spurred towards the Scots, by whom he was + instantly set upon, wounded, and dragged from the saddle. But + before they had time to give him the final blow they were scattered + by the rapid charge of Sir Thomas and his men, who quickly rescued + Marmion and set him on his horse again; and using their lances + against the horses of the Scots, caused many of them to throw their + riders, while the rest galloped away. The women of the castle + caught fifty of the riderless horses, on which more of the garrison + mounted and joined in the pursuit of the flying Scots, whom they + chased nearly to Berwick. + + The tables were sometimes turned, however; and on one of these + occasions the valiant Sir Thomas Gray and his son were enticed out + of the castle into an ambush laid for them by their foes, and both + captured. + + In 1513, just before the battle of Flodden, its walls were at + length laid low by James IV., but not until the famous cannon “Mons + Meg”—still, I believe, to be seen at Edinburgh Castle—had been + brought against it. One of the cannon-balls fired from “Mons Meg” + was found, and is still kept with others at the Castle. It is said + that the Scots were told of the weakest spot in the fortifications + by a treacherous inmate of the castle, who doubtless expected a + rich reward for his information. Indeed, the ballad of “Flodden” + says he came for it; but the valiant and chivalrous king would give + him no reward but that which he said every traitor deserved—a rope. + + Afterwards the castle was restored once more, but its more stirring + days were over; and, to-day, it stands a shattered but dignified + ruin, overlooking the tranquil river and peaceful woodlands which + once echoed so continuously to the clash of arms and the shouts of + besiegers and besieged. + + The village of Norham was in Saxon days known as Ubbanford—the + Upper Ford of two that were available in those days on the Tweed. + There was a church here, too, in Saxon times, for Bishop Ecfrid + built one about the year 830, and in it was buried the Saxon king + Ceolwulf who became a monk: the present church has a good deal + remaining of the one built on the same site by Bishop Flambard, + about the same time as the castle. Earl Gospatric, whom William the + Conqueror made Earl of Northumberland in return for a considerable + sum of money—doubtless thinking that to give a Northumbrian the + Earldom would reconcile the North to his rule—is buried in the + church porch. Gospatric joined in the resistance of the North to + William, but returned to his allegiance later. The Market Cross of + Norham stands on the original base. + + From Norham to Tweedmouth the river sweeps forward between + picturesque ever-widening banks, and often hidden by a leafy + screen, past the village of Horncliffe, beneath the Union + Suspension Bridge, one of the first erected of its kind, until at + length its bright waters lave the historic walls of + Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the quiet harbour there meet the + inrushing tide from the North Sea. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. DRUM AND TRUMPET. + + + “The history of Northumberland is essentially a drum and trumpet + history, from the time when the _buccina_ of the Batavian cohort + first rang out over the moors of Procolitia down to the + proclamation of James III. at Warkworth Cross”—_Cadwallader J + Bates_. + + This sentence of the historian of Northumberland sums up the story + of our northern county no less admirably than tersely, and it would + be difficult to find one which should more clearly bring before us + the whole atmosphere of north-country history and north-country + doings for many centuries. + + Within the limits of this chapter it is impossible to go into the + details of every “foughten field” within the county; the most that + can be done is to indicate the many and treat in detail only the + few. A goodly number have already been alluded to in connection + with the place where each occurred. + + After the Roman campaigns, from those of Agricola to those of + Theodosius the elder and Maximus, and the legion sent by Stilicho, + the earliest battle story is that of the one in Glendale fought by + King Arthur. Then the forming of the kingdom of Bernicia with the + advent of Ida at Bamburgh was the beginning of a long-protracted + struggle between the various little states, each fighting for its + life, and surrounded by others equally determined to take every + advantage that offered against it. The sons of Ida fought against + the celebrated Urien, a Keltic chief, who almost succeeded in + dispossessing them of their kingdom of Bernicia. Hussa, one of + Ida’s sons, ultimately vanquished Urien’s son Owen, “chief of the + glittering West”; and after Hussa’s death Ethelric of Bernicia, as + we have seen, overcame the neighbouring chieftain of Deira, thus + forming the kingdom of Northumbria. His successor, Ethelfrith, in + the year 603 gained a great victory over a large force of northern + Britons under a leader named Aedan at a place called Daegsanstan, + which is thought to be Dissington, near Newcastle. His further + victories were gained outside the limits of our present survey. + + After the long and glorious reign of Edwin, his successor, + Ethelfrith’s sons came back to Bamburgh; the eldest, Eanfrid, was + slain within a year, and his brother Oswald carried on the struggle + against Penda of Mercia. We have seen how he fought against Penda + and Cadwallon on the Heavenfield near Chollerford, and gained a + victory which obtained for him many years of peace. Penda was + finally slain by Oswald’s successor Oswy in a great battle which is + supposed to have taken place on the banks of the Tweed. + + Many years afterwards, Sitric, grandson of that Prince Guthred who + was once a slave at Whittingham, married a sister of King + Athelstan, grandson of Alfred the Great. When Sitric died, + Athelstan came northward to claim Northumbria for himself. He + captured Bamburgh—the first time that stronghold of the Bernician + kings had ever been taken—and arranged for two earls to govern + Northumbria for him. They attempted unsuccessfully to oppose a + force of Scots under Anlaf the Red, who was joined by two earls of + Bretland (Cumbria); and the whole force encamped near a place + called Weondune, supposed to be Wandon near Chatton. Athelstan + advanced against them and challenged them to a pitched battle on + this ground. They agreed, and with much deliberation the course was + staked out with hazel wands between a wood and a river (Chillingham + woods and the Till). The Scots greatly outnumbered Athelstan’s men, + who set up their tents at the narrowest part of the plain, giving + their king time to reach a little “burg” (Old Bewick) in the + neighbourhood. A running fight followed, which was carried on the + next day, and with the help of two brothers, Egil and Thorold, who + were Norsemen, it ended in a complete victory for Athelstan. While + in the north, King Athelstan gave the well-known rhyming charter to + a certain Paulan of Roddam; + “I kyng Adelstan giffs hier to Paulan Oddam and Roddam als gud and + als fair als evyr thai myne war, and thar to wytness Mald my Wiffe.” + + Shortly after this, at the Battle of Brunanburh, Athelstan + vanquished Anlaf Sitricsson and Constantine, king of the Scots. The + site of this battle would seem to have been in Northumbria, as it + was into the Humber that Anlaf and Constantine sailed with their + large fleet; but the precise spot has never been determined. + + In the reign of Knut the Dane, the Scots obtained the whole of + Lothian from the Saxon earl of Northumberland, and the vast + possessions of St. Cuthbert beyond the Tweed seemed about to be + lost to the church of Durham. Accordingly, the clergy called upon + all the people of St. Cuthbert from the Tees to the Tweed—all + those, that is, who dwelt on lands granted by various donors to the + church of St. Cuthbert—to rise and march northward to fight for + their lands. This great company set out, in the autumn of 1018, and + reached Carham on the Tweed, where they were met by Malcolm king of + the Scots. A comet had been seen in the sky for some weeks and the + fears inspired by this dread visitant seem to have had more effect + upon the Northumbrians than upon the Scots. From whatever cause it + arose, when the two forces joined in battle a panic spread among + the followers of St. Cuthbert. They were utterly routed, and most + of the leading Northumbrians as well as eighteen priests were + slain—thus curiously repeating the experience of the earlier battle + of Carham. + + For the next three hundred years Northumberland was swept by + successive waves of raid and reprisal, in the course of which + occurred the two well-known events, the attack of William the Lion + of Scotland on Alnwick Castle, and the more famous affair still, + the struggle between Percy and Douglas known as the battle of + Otterburn, which was fought in “Chevy Chase” (Cheviot Forest). More + important poetically than politically, it stands out more vividly + in the records of the time than many other conflicts of larger + import. The personal element in the fight, the deeds of gallantry + recorded, the sounding roll of the chief knights’ names, and the + high renown of the two leaders, throw a glamour around this + particular contest which is kept alive by the ballads that chant + the praises of Percy or Douglas according as the singer was Scot or + Saxon. Sir Philip Sidney, that “verray parfit gentil knight” and + discriminating _litterateur_, said “I never heard the old song of + Percie and Douglas that I found not my hart mooved more than with a + trumpet: and yet it is sung but by some blynd Crowder,[11] with no + rougher voyce than rude stile! which beeing so evill apparelled in + the dust and cobweb of that uncivill age, what wolde it work + trimmed in the gorgeous eloquence of Pindare!” + + [11] Crowder = fiddler. + + In the endless warfare of the Borders the second of two short-lived + periods of truce had just expired, and an organised raid on a large + scale was arranged by the Scots. The main body was to ravage + Cumberland; and a smaller, but picked force led by Earls Douglas, + Moray, and March came southward by way of Northumberland. But + Northumbrian towers and towns knew nothing of their passing; they + marched rapidly and by stealth into Durham, having crossed the Tyne + between Corbridge and Bywell, and began to harry and lay waste the + greener pastures and richer villages of the southern county, the + smoke of whose burning homesteads was the first intimation to the + unlucky English of the fact that a Scottish host was in their + midst. + + The Earl of Northumberland remained at Alnwick in the hope that he + might be able to attack the Scots on their homeward journey; but he + despatched his sons Henry Hotspur and Ralph in all haste to defend + Newcastle. The Scots in due time appeared before the walls. + And he marched up to Newcastel And rode it round about; “O wha’s the + lord o’ this castel? Or wha’s the lady o’t?” + But up spake proud Lord Percy then, And O but he spake hie! “I am the + lord o’ this castel, My wife’s the lady gay.” + + Douglas challenged Percy to meet him in single combat, and Percy + promptly accepted. In the duel Percy was unhorsed, and Douglas + captured his pennon and his gauntlet gloves, embroidered with the + Percy lion in pearls. This trophy Douglas vowed he would carry off + to Scotland with him, and set it in the topmost tower of his castle + of Dalkeith, that it might be seen from afar. “By heaven! that you + never shall,” replied Percy; “you shall not carry it out of + Northumberland.” “Come and take it, then,” was Douglas’ answer; and + Hotspur would have attempted its recovery there and then, but he + was restrained by his knights. Douglas, however, said he would give + Percy a chance to recover it, and agreed to await him at Otterburn. + “Yet I will stay at Otterbourne, Where you shall welcome be; And if + ye come not at three dayis end, A fause lord I’ll call thee” + + Next day the Scots left Newcastle and marched northward. They took + Sir Aymer de Athol’s castle of Ponte-land, and the good knight Sir + Aymer himself, and went on their way, harrying and burning as they + went. At Otterburn they halted, and rested all night, making huts + for themselves of boughs and branches. The spot they had chosen was + a strong one, on the site of a former British camp; and not only + was it surrounded by trees, but was near marshy ground as well. + Next day they attempted to take Otterburn tower, but without + success. + + Meanwhile word was brought to Hotspur that the Scots would spend + the night at Otterburn; and he, without waiting for Walter de + Skirlaw, Bishop of Durham, who was expected that evening with a + strong force, at once set off with 600 spearmen, and a force on + foot which is variously given as anything from 800 to 8,000. They + covered the thirty-odd miles by the time evening fell: and as the + Scots were at supper in their little huts, they were startled by a + tumult amongst their grooms and camp-followers, and cries of “a + Percy! a Percy!” and the Englishmen were among them. The Scottish + leaders had placed their camp-followers and servants at the + outermost; part of their encampment, facing the Newcastle road; and + Hotspur’s force, ignorant of this, mistook it for the main camp. + While they were thus engaged, the Scottish knights were enabled to + make a detour around the scene of the first attack, and take the + English in the rear. With loud shouts of “Douglas! Douglas!” they + fell upon them, and a fierce hand-to-hand struggle began. The moon + rose clear and bright, and the quiet evening air was filled with + the din of battle, the ring of steel on steel, the crash of axe on + armour, the groans of the wounded, and the battle-cries of the + combatants on each side. Sir Ralph Percy, pressing too rashly + forward, was captured by a newly-made Scottish knight, Sir John + Maxwell. The battle was turning in favour of Hotspur, when Douglas + sent his silken banner to the front and with renewed shouts of + “Douglas!” the Scots pressed forward and overbore their foes. + According to Froissart, there was not a man there, knight, squire, + or groom, who played the coward. “This bataylle was one of the + sorest and best foughten without cowards or faynte hearts; for + there was neither knight nor I squire but that did his devoyre and + foughte hande to hande.” Great deeds were done, and the fame of + none amongst them is greater than that of the gallant Widdrington; + “For Witherington my heart is woe, That ever he slaine sholde be! For + when his legs were hewn in two He knelt and fought on his knee” + + Douglas rushed into the thickest of the fray, and Hotspur tried to + find him, but in the dim light that was difficult, especially as + Douglas had, in his haste, come to the fight without helmet or + breastplate. Presently he was borne to the ground by three English + spears; and as he lay guarded by his faithful chaplain, Sir John + and Sir Walter Sinclair, with Sir James Lindsay, came upon him. + “How fare you, cousin?” asked Sir John. “But poorly, I thank God,” + answered Douglas; “for few of my ancestors died in bed or chamber. + I count myself dead, for my heart beats slow. Think now to avenge + me. Raise my banner and shout ‘Douglas!’ and let neither my friends + nor my foes know of my state, lest the one rejoice and the other be + discomforted.” His dying commands were obeyed; and while his + battle-cry was raised anew, his dead body was laid by a “bracken + bush,” and the fact of his death concealed from friend and foe + alike. The furious onslaught of the Scots now carried all before + them; and Hotspur fell a captive to the sword of Sir Hugh + Montgomery, a nephew of Douglas, after a fierce hand-to-hand + encounter. The two chief English leaders being captured, the day, + or rather the night, was with the Scots, in fulfilment of an old + prophesy that “a dead Douglas should win a field.” + “This deed was done at Otterbourne At the breaking of the day; Earl + Douglas was buried at the braken bush, And the Percy led captive + away.” + + When the fray was over, the two sides treated their captives with + knightly courtesy, many being allowed to go to their homes until + they recovered from their wounds, on giving their word of honour to + send the amount of their ransom, or themselves return to their + captors. + + The Bishop of Durham, immediately after having had some refreshment + at Newcastle, had set out to join the Percies; but as he and his + men neared Otterburn, they met so many fugitives who gave them + anything but reassuring accounts of the fortunes of their friends, + that half of his force melted away, and the Bishop had perforce to + return to Newcastle; it was scarcely to be expected, indeed, that + everyone should have that thirst for hard blows which distinguished + the knights and their immediate followers. The Bishop, however, + made one capture—Sir James Lindsay, who had ridden so far in + pursuit of Sir Matthew Redman that he found himself amongst the + force advancing under the leadership of the warlike prelate. + + When the Scots retired from their camp, they took the body of + Douglas from the “bracken bush” where it lay, and carried it away + for burial in Melrose Abbey; and Hotspur, as the price of his + ransom, built a castle for Sir Hugh Montgomery. + + After this there was peace on the Borders for the next ten years or + so, when the game began again as merrily as ever. When Sir Thomas + Gray was absent from his castle of Wark-on-Tweed, attending + Parliament, the Scots came down upon it and carried off his + children and servants. Sir Robert Umfraville met and checked + another company that were harrying Coquetdale. In the year 1400, + Henry Bolingbroke himself led an army to Edinburgh; but a guerilla + band of Scots, avoiding his line of march, stole behind him and + ravaged Bamburghshire. + + Two years after this, a party of Scots under the next Douglas rode + into Northumberland, coming nearly as far south as Newcastle. + Hotspur set off from Bamburgh, of which castle he was Constable at + the time, to intercept them. He awaited them on the banks of the + Glen, near Wooler; and the archers of his force went out for forage + meanwhile. When the Scots arrived, they found themselves in the + presence of an enemy whom they had imagined to be behind them, and + they immediately occupied Homildon Hill. The archers, returning, + saw the Scottish force on the hill, and began the attack forthwith, + letting fly their arrows upon the foe with deadly precision. Flight + after flight fell upon the Scots, who were completely bewildered, + and seemed incapable of action. A Scottish knight, Sir John + Swinton, implored the leaders to charge, passionately exclaiming, + “What madness has seized you, my brave countrymen, that you stand + here like deer to be shot down? Follow me, those who will! We will + either gain the victory, or die like men of courage.” + + On hearing these brave words, Adam de Gordon, Swinton’s deadly foe, + felt his hatred turn to admiration, and kneeling before Swinton, + begged that he might receive the honour of knighthood from so + valiant a hand. The two gallant knights then charged the enemy, + followed by a number of the Scots; but the showers of arrows forced + them to retreat towards the river, and thither also moved the whole + Scottish force, followed still by that grim and deadly hail from + the English bows. Hotspur would now have charged, but the Earl of + March, his former antagonist, now his friend, restrained his + impetuous leader, and persuaded him to let the archers continue + their effective work. + + The event proved his wisdom; the Scots were utterly routed by the + archers alone. The unfortunate Archibald Douglas added another to + his long list of reverses; he was taken prisoner, sorely wounded, + as was also Sir Hugh Montgomery, and over four-score others of + importance. It was in connection with these prisoners, whom Hotspur + refused to deliver up to Bolingbroke, that the quarrel took place + which eventually led Northumberland and his son Hotspur openly to + throw off their allegiance to Henry Bolingbroke and join in the + rebellion of Owen Glendower. Not only did Hotspur refuse to give up + Douglas and the others to King Henry, but he wished Henry to ransom + his brother-in-law Mortimer. + _K. Henry_. But sirrah, henceforth Let me not hear you speak of + Mortimer. Send me your prisoners with the speediest means, Or you + shall hear in such a kind from me As will displease you.—My lord + Northumberland, We licence your departure with your son.— Send us + your prisoners, or you’ll hear of it. + + (_Exeunt_ K. Henry, Blunt, _and train_) + _Hotspur_. And if the devil come and roar for them I will not send + them:—I will after, straight, And tell him so. + + _Worcester_. These same noble Scots That are your prisoners— + _Hotspur_. I’ll keep them all; By heaven, he shall not have a Scot of + them; No, if a Scot would save his soul, he shall not; I’ll keep + them, by this hand. + _Worcester_. You start away, And lend no ear unto my purposes. Those + prisoners you shall keep.— + _Hotspur_. Nay, I will, that’s flat:— He said he would not ransom + Mortimer; Forbade my tongue to speak of Mortimer; But I will find him + when he lies asleep, And in his ear I’ll holla “Mortimer!” Nay, I’ll + have a starling shall be taught to speak Nothing but “Mortimer,” and + give it him To keep his anger still in motion. + _The First Part of_ KING HENRY IV., _Act I., Scene 3_. + + The fight at Homildon Hill took place on a Monday in August, 1402, + and the memory of it is kept alive by the name of the “Monday + Clough” near Wooler, where the archers commenced the fight. + + More than a hundred years after this, the last, and in many + respects the greatest, battle ever fought on Northumbrian soil took + place at Flodden. King James IV. of Scotland had several grievances + against England, which had rankled in his mind for some time; he + had not yet received the full amount of the dowry which had been + promised with his wife, Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII., + although they had been married for many years; a Scottish noble, + Sir Robert Ker, had been killed in Northumberland, and the slayer + could not be found to be brought to justice—he was outlawed, but + that seemed to King James very insufficient; a Border raid on a + large scale, led by Lord Hume, had met with disastrous defeat on + Milfield Plain at the hands of Sir William Bulmer; and Andrew + Barton, a notable sea-captain, whom James was looking forward to + seeing as one of the best leaders of his new navy, had been killed + in a sea-fight by Thomas Howard, Lord Admiral of England. Added to + all this, France had appealed to him to invade England in order to + force Henry VIII. to abandon his French war; the English monarch + was just then conducting the siege of Terouenne, and the Queen of + France sent a romantic appeal to James (together with a large sum + of money) begging him to march “three feet on to English ground” + for her sake. + + No time could have been more favourable in James’ eyes for the + enterprise; and in a very short space of time he had an army of + 100,000 men collected, and marched from Edinburgh to the Tweed, + which he crossed near Coldstream. He laid siege to Norham, and + captured it after a week’s investment; and thereafter Wark, Ford, + Etal, Duddo and Chillingham fell before him. He took up his + quarters at Ford Castle, and on marching later to meet Surrey, left + it almost in ruins. + + Surrey meantime had gathered a large force from the northern + counties, much to James’ surprise, for he had taken it for granted + that nearly every English fighting man would be with Henry in + Flanders. There were bowmen and billmen from Cheshire and + Lancashire under the Stanley banner; and James Stanley, Bishop of + Ely, brought the banner of St. Etheldreda, the Northumbrian queen + who founded the monastery of Ely. Admiral Sir Thomas Howard brought + a band of sailors to join his father at Alnwick. Dacre came with a + strong contingent from the western Marches, men from Alston Moor, + Gilsland, and Eskdale, and also some from Tynemouth and Bamburgh; + and Sir Brian Tunstall with Sir William Bulmer led the men of the + Bishopric under the banner of St. Cuthbert. + + From Alnwick Surrey sent a letter pledging himself to meet James by + September 9th, and challenging him to battle, a challenge which was + promptly accepted by the Scottish king. Marching from Alnwick + towards the Scottish army, Surrey encamped on September 6th on + Wooler Haughs. James had formed his camp on Flodden Hill, and all + Surrey’s devices could not induce him abandon this strong position. + Many of his own nobles advised him not to risk a battle, but to + withdraw while there was yet time; and some were ready to leave the + camp and return home, which thousands of the more undisciplined in + his army had done already, being more anxious to carry off their + plunder safely than to stay and fight. But James was eager for the + contest, and felt himself bound in honour to give battle to Surrey; + he answered haughtily those who counselled retreat, and scornfully + told Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, that he might go home if he + were afraid. The old man sorrowfully left the field, but his two + sons remained with their rash but gallant king, and were both + slain. + + On the day before the battle took place, Surrey, that “auld crooked + carle,” as James called him, marched his men northward across the + Till and encamped for the night near Barmoor Wood. To the Scots + this looked as though they had gone off towards Berwick, to repeat + James’ own manoeuvre, and invade the country in the absence of its + king; and they must have thought that there would be little chance + of the battle for which James had punctiliously waited taking place + on the morrow. But Surrey’s purpose proved to be quite otherwise. + On the following morning he sent the vanguard of his army, with the + artillery, to make a detour of several miles round by Twizell + bridge, where they re-crossed to the south bank of the Till; and + coming south-eastward towards Flodden, they were joined by the rest + of the army, which had plunged through the stream, swollen by + continuous rains, at two points near Crookham. The two divisions + met at Branxton, after having waded through a marsh which extended + from Branxton nearly to the Till, and which the Scots had thought + impassable. + + Seeing that the English were about to occupy Branxton Hill, which + would entirely cut him off from communication with Scotland, James + was forced to abandon his advantageous position; he gave orders for + the camp-refuse to be fired, and under cover of the dense clouds of + smoke marched down to forestall Surrey and occupy Branxton ridge. + The two armies suddenly found themselves within a few spears’ + length of each other, and the battle was begun by the artillery on + both sides. + Sudden, as he spoke, From the sharp ridges of the hill, All + downward to the banks of Till Was wreathed in sable smoke. + Volumed, and vast, and rolling far, The cloud enveloped + Scotland’s war As down the hill they broke; Nor martial shout, + nor minstrel tone Announced their march; their tread alone, At + times one warning trumpet blown, At times a stifled hum. Told + England, from his mountain throne King James did rushing come. + Scarce could they hear or see their foes Until at weapon-point + they close. + + Many of the raw levies on the English side fled at the first sound + of the Scottish cannon; but the master of the ordnance, Lord + Sinclair, was killed, and his guns silenced. Then the battle + joined, and the first result was that the English right wing under + Sir Edmund Howard was scattered and broken before the impetuous + charge of the Gordons and Highlanders under the Earl of Huntley and + Lord Home. Sir Edmund narrowly escaped with his life; but Lord + Dacre bringing up his reserve of horsemen at that moment checked + the further advance of the Scots. The two central divisions of the + armies engaged each other fiercely, the Earl of Surrey, with his + son Sir Thomas Howard commanding the English centre, and King + James, with the Earls of Crawford and Montrose that of the Scots. + Sir Thomas, after having been so hard pressed as to send the _Agnus + Dei_ he wore to his father as a signal for help, afterwards with + Sir Marmaduke Constable defeated the Earl of Crawford, whose + division was opposed to him. Dacre and Sir Thomas now charged Lord + Home and drove him some little way back, but could not dislodge his + men entirely from their position. The Earl of Bothwell, who + commanded the Scottish reserves, now came up to the help of the + king, and the day seemed about to be decided in favour of the + Scots, when Lord Stanley, on the English left, exactly reversed the + fortunes of the right wing, and scattered and routed the + Highlanders led by the Earls of Lennox and Argyle. Then with his + Lancashire lads he attacked the rear of the Scottish position, as + did also Dacre and Sir Thomas Howard. + “They saw Lord Marmion’s falcon fly, And stainless Tunstall’s banner + white And Edmund Howard’s lion bright All bear them bravely in the + fight, Although against them come Of gallant Gordons many a one, And + many a stubborn Highlandman, And many a rugged Border clan With + Huntly and with Home. Far on the left, unseen the while, Stanley + broke Lennox and Argyle.” + + Nothing now remained for the Scottish centre, hemmed in on all + sides, but to make a stubborn last stand; and gallantly did they do + it. The flower of Scotland’s chivalry surrounded their brave + monarch, and in the falling dusk fought desperately to guard their + king. + “No thought was there of dastard flight; Linked in that serried + phalanx tight, Groom fought like noble, squire like knight, As + fearlessly and well. The stubborn spearmen still made good Their dark + impenetrable wood, Each stepping where his comrade stood The instant + that he fell.” + + As night fell, the fierce struggle continued until the darkness + made it impossible to see friend or foe, but the fate of Scotland’s + bravest was sealed. The king lay dead, covered with wounds, and + around him a heap of slain; those who were able made their way in + haste from the field, while the English host encamped where it + stood. The more lawless in each army plundered both sides + impartially, and when the king’s body was found next day, it too + was stripped like many others around it. + “Then did their loss his foemen know, Their king, their lords, their + mightiest low, They melted from the field as snow Dissolves in silent + dew. Tweed’s echoes heard the ceaseless plash While many a broken + band, Disordered, through its currents dash To gain the Scottish + land; To town and tower, to down and dale, To tell red Flodden’s + dismal tale, And raise the universal wail.” + + The tragic effects of that terrible day were long felt in Scotland. + Every family of note in the land lost one or more of its members on + the fatal field, besides the thousands of humbler beings who fell + at the same time. Scotland did not recover from the crushing blow + for more than a hundred years; and for many a day the people could + not believe that their gallant king was really slain, but continued + to hope that he had escaped in the darkness, and would one day + return. + + There has recently been erected on Flodden Field a simple cross of + stone as a memorial of that tragic day. It was unveiled on + September 27th, 1910, by Sir George Douglas, Bart. The inscription + on the stone is “To the Brave of both Nations.” + THE FLOWERS OF THE FOREST. + A LAMENT FOR FLODDEN. + I’ve heard the liltin’ at our ewe-milking, Lasses a’ liltin’ before + dawn o’ day; But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning— The + Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away. + At bughts,[12] in the mornin’, nae blythe lads are scornin’, Lasses + are lonely and dowie and wae; Nae daffin’, nae jabbin’, but sighin’ + and sabbin’, Ilk ane lifts her leglin[13] and hies her away. + In harst, at the shearing, nae youths now are jeering, Bandsters are + lyart,[14] and runkled, and gray; At fair or at preaching, nae + wooing, nae fleeching[15] The Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away. + At e’en, in the gloaming, nae younkers are roaming ’Bout stacks, with + the lasses at “bogle” to play; But ilk ane sits drearie, lamenting + her dearie— The Flowers of the Forest are weded away. + Dool and wae for the order sent our lads to the Border! The English + for ance by guile wan the day; The Flowers of the Forest, that fought + aye the foremost, The prime of our land, are cauld in the clay. + We’ll hear nae mair liltin’ at our ewe-milkin’; Women and bairns are + heartless and wae; Sighing and moaning on ilka green loaning— The + Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away. + + [12] Bughts = sheep-pens. + + [13] Leglin = milk-pail. + + [14] Lyart = grizzled. + + [15] Fleeching = coaxing. + + + + +CHAPTER X. TALES AND LEGENDS. + + + Northumberland, as might be guessed from its wild history, is rich + in tales of daring and stories of gallant deeds; there are true + tales, as well as legendary ones, which latter, after all, may be + true in substance though not in detail, in spirit and possibility + though not in a certain sequence of facts. Now-a-days we look upon + dragons as fabulous animals, and stories of the destruction they + wrought, their fierceness and their might are dismissed with a + smile, and mentally relegated to a place amongst the fairy tales + that delighted our childhood’s days, when the idea of belief or + disbelief simply did not enter the question. Yet what are the + dragon stories but faint memories of those gigantic and fearsome + beasts which roamed the earth in the “dim, red dawn of man”—their + names, as we read the labels on their skeletons in our museums, + being now the most fearsome things about them! No one can deny that + the ichthyosaurus, plesiosaurus, and all the rest of their tribe + did exist; and were they to be encountered in these days would + spread the same terror around, and find man almost as helpless + before them as did any fierce dragon of the fairy tales. That part + of the legends, therefore, has its foundation in fact; though from + the nature of the case, we certainly do not possess an + authenticated account of any particular contest between primitive + man and one of these gigantic creatures. That oldest Northumbrian + poem, however, the “Beowulf,” chants the praises of its hero’s + prowess in encounters of the kind; and the north-country still has + its legends of the Sockburn Worm, the Lambton Worm, and the + “Laidly” Worm of Spindleston Heugh, the two first having their + _venue_ in Durham, and the last in Northumberland. The + Spindlestone, a high crag not far from Bamburgh, and Bamburgh + Castle itself, form the scene of this well-known legend. The fair + Princess Margaret, daughter of the King of Bamburgh was turned into + a “laidly worm” (loathly or loathsome serpent) by her wicked + stepmother, who was jealous of the lovely maid. The whole district + was in terror of this dreadful monster, which desolated the + country-side in its search for food. + “For seven miles east and seven miles west And seven miles north and + south, No blade of grass or corn would grow, So deadly was her mouth. + The milk of seven streakit cows It was her cost to kepe, They brought + her dayly, whyche she drank Before she wente to slepe.” + + This offering proved successful in pacifying the creature, and it + remained in the cave at Spindleston, coming out daily to drink its + fill from the trough prepared for it. But the fear of it in no wise + diminished, and + “Word went east, and word went west, And word is gone over the sea, + That a laidly worm in Spindleston Heugh Would ruin the North + Countree.” + + The news in due course comes to the ears of Princess Margaret’s + only brother, the Childe Wynde, who is away seeking fame and + fortune abroad. In fear for his lovely sister, he calls together + his “merry men all,” and they set to work to build a ship + “With masts of the rowan-tree,” + + a sure defence against the spells of witchcraft; and hoisting their + silken sails they hasten homeward. + “... ... The wind with speed Blew them along the deep. The sea was + calm, the weather clear, When they approached nigher; King Ida’s + castle well they knew, And the banks of Bamburghshire.” + + The wicked queen saw the little bark coming near, and knew that her + guilt was about to meet its reward. In haste she tried to wreck the + vessel, but the rowan-tree masts made her spells of no avail. Then + she bade her servants go to the beach and oppose the landing of the + Childe and his crew; but the servants were beaten back, and the + young knight and his men landed in Budle Bay. The worm came + fiercely to the attack, as the Childe Wynde advanced against it; + but on meeting him, and feeling the touch of his “berry-brown + sword,” it besought him to do it no harm. + “‘O quit thy sword, unbend thy brow, And give me kisses three; For + though I be a laidly worm No harm I’ll do to thee. + O quit thy sword, unbend thy brow, And give me kisses three; If I’m + not won ere the sun goes down Won shall I never be.’ + He quitted his sword, and smoothed his brow, And gave her kisses + three; She crept intill the hole a worm, And came out a fayre ladie.” + + The knight clasped his lovely sister in his arms, and, casting + around her his crimson cloak, led her back to her home, where the + trembling queen awaited them. Her doom was spoken by the Childe + Wynde— + “Woe be to thee, thou wicked witch; An ill death mayst thou dee! As + thou hast likened my sister dear, So likened shalt thou be” + + and he turned her into the likeness of an ugly toad, in which + hateful shape she remained to her dying day, wandering around the + castle and the green fields, an object of hatred to all who saw + her. The “Spindlestone,” a tall crag on which the young knight hung + his bridle, when he went further on to seek the worm in the + “heugh,” is still to be seen, but the huge trough from which the + worm was said to drink has been destroyed. + + There are two legends somewhat similar to each other which are told + of a company held in the spell of a magic sleep, to be awakened by + certain devices, in which the blowing of a horn and the drawing of + a sword are prominent. One is the story of “Sir Guy the Seeker,” + and is told of Dunstanborough Castle. Sir Guy sought refuge in the + Castle from a storm; and while within the walls a spectre form with + flaming hair addressed him, + “Sir knight, Sir knight, if your heart be right, And your nerves be + firm and true,” + + (fancy “nerves” in a ballad!)— + “Sir knight, Sir knight, a beauty bright In durance waits for you.” + + The ballad, written by M.G. Lewis, now describes in a painfully + commonplace manner the knight’s further adventures. He and his + guide wandered round and round and high and low in the maze of + chambers within the castle, until at last a door of brass, whose + bolt was a venomous snake, gave them entrance to a gloomy hall, + draped in black, which the “hundred lights” failed to brighten. In + the hall a hundred knights of “marble white” lay sleeping by their + steeds of “marble black as the raven’s back.” At the end of the + hall, guarded by two huge skeleton forms, the imprisoned lady was + seen in tears within a crystal tomb. One skeleton held in his bony + fingers a horn, the other a “falchion bright,” and the knight was + told to choose between them, and the fate of himself and the lady + would depend upon his choice. Sir Guy, after long hesitation, blew + a shrill blast upon the horn; at the sound the hundred steeds + stamped their hoofs, the hundred knights sprang up, and the unlucky + knight fell down senseless, with his ghastly guide’s words ringing + in his ears— + “Shame on the coward who sounded a horn When he might have unsheathed + a sword!” + + In the morning, the unfortunate Sir Guy awoke to find himself lying + amongst the ruins, and forthwith began his ceaseless and unavailing + search for the lady he had failed to rescue. + + The legend similar to this in many respects is that of King Arthur + and his court at Sewingshields, to which allusion has already been + made in the chapter on the Roman Wall. I cannot do better than give + this in the words of Mr. Hodgson, who tells the story in his + History of Northumberland. “Immemorial tradition has asserted that + King Arthur, his queen Guenever, his court of lords and ladies, and + his hounds were enchanted in some cave of the crags, or in a hall + below the castle of Sewingshields, and would continue entranced + there until someone should first blow a bugle-horn that lay on a + table near the entrance of the hall, and then with the ‘sword of + the stone’ (was this Excalibur?) cut a garter, also placed there + beside it. But none had ever heard where the entrance to this + enchanted hall was, till the farmer at Sewingshields, about fifty + years since, was sitting knitting on the ruins of the castle, and + his clew fell, and ran downwards through a rush of briars and + nettles, as he supposed, into a subterraneous passage. Full in the + faith that the entrance to King Arthur’s hall had now been + discovered, he cleared the briary portal of its weeds and rubbish, + and entering a vaulted passage, followed in his darkling way the + thread of his clew. The floor was infested with toads and lizards; + and the dark wings of bats, disturbed by his unhallowed intrusion, + flitted fearfully around him. At length his sinking courage was + strengthened by a dim, distant light, which as he advanced grew + gradually brighter, till all at once he entered a vast and vaulted + hall, in the centre of which a fire without fuel, from a broad + crevice in the floor blazed with a high and lambent flame, that + showed all the carved walls and fretted roof, and the monarch and + his queen and court reposing around, in a theatre of thrones and + costly couches. On the floor beyond the fire lay the faithful and + deep-toned pack of thirty couple of hounds; and on a table before + it the spell-dissolving horn, sword, and garter. The shepherd + reverently, but firmly, grasped the sword, and as he drew it + leisurely from its rusty scabbard, the eyes of the monarch and his + courtiers began to open, and they rose till they sat upright. He + cut the garter; and as the sword was being slowly sheathed the + spell assumed its ancient power, and they all gradually sank to + rest; but not before the monarch had lifted up his eyes and hands, + and exclaimed— + “O woe betide that evil day On which this witless wight was born, Who + drew the sword, the garter cut. But never blew the bugle horn!” + + Terror brought on loss of memory, and the shepherd was unable to + give any correct account of his adventure, or to find again the + entrance to the enchanted hall. + + Another legend is connected with Tynemouth. Just above the short + sands was a cave known as Jingling Geordie’s Hole; the “Geordie” is + evidently a late interpolation, for earlier mention of the cave + gives it as the Jingling Man’s Hole. No one knows how it came by + its name; tradition says that it was the entrance to a subterranean + passage leading from the Priory beneath the Tyne to Jarrow. In this + cave it was said that a treasure of a fabulous amount was + concealed, and the tale of this hoard fired a boy named Walter to + seek it out, when he heard the tale from his mother. On his + attaining to knighthood, he resolved to make the finding of the + treasure his particular “quest,” and arming himself, he adventured + forth on the Eve of St. John. Making his way fearlessly down into + the cave, undaunted by spectre or dragon, as they attempted to + dispute his passage, he arrived at a gloomy gateway, where hung a + bugle, fastened by a golden cord. Boldly he placed the bugle to his + lips, and blew three loud blasts. To his amazement, at the sound + the doors rolled back, displaying a vast and brightly-lit hall, + whose roof was supported on pillars of jasper and crystal; the glow + from lamps of gold shone softly down on gold and gems, which were + heaped upon the floor of this magic chamber, and the treasure + became the rich reward of the dauntless youth. + “Gold heaped upon gold, and emeralds green, And diamonds and rubies, + and sapphires untold, Rewarded the courage of Walter the Bold.” + + The fortunate youth became a very great personage, indeed, as by + means of his great riches he was “lord of a hundred castles” and + wide domains. + + Of a very different character is the story of the Hermit of + Warkworth. It is unfortunate that this, the most tragic and moving + of all Northumbrian tales, should be most widely known by means of + the prosy imitation ballad by Dr. Percy, whose ability as a poet + did by no means equal his zeal as a collector of ballads. The hero + of the sorrowful tale is said to have been a Bertram of Bothal, who + loved fair Isabel, daughter of the lord of Widdrington. Bertram was + a knight in Percy’s train, and at a great feast made by the lord of + Alnwick the fair maiden and her father were amongst the guests. As + the minstrels chanted the praises of their lord, and sang of the + valiant deeds by which his noble house had won renown, the heart of + Isabel thrilled at the thought of her true knight rivalling those + deeds of fame. Summoning one of her attendant maidens, she sent her + to Bertram, bearing a helmet of steel with crest of gold. With the + helmet the maiden gave her mistress’ message, that she would yield + to her knight’s pleadings and become his bride, as soon as he had + proved himself a valiant and worthy wearer of the golden-crested + helm. Reverently Bertram accepted the commands of his lady, and + vowed to prove his devotion wherever hard blows were to be given + and danger to be found. The lord of Alnwick straightway arranged + for an expedition on to Scottish land, in requital of old scores, + and assembled together a goodly company to ride against the Scots. + Earl Douglas and his men opposed them, and blows were dealt thick + and fast on both sides. Bertram was sorely wounded, after showing + wondrous prowess in the fight; but being rescued by Percy, was + borne to the castle of Wark upon the Tweed, to recover from his + wounds in safety. Isabel’s aged father had seen the young knight’s + valour, and promised that the maiden herself should tend his hurts + and care for him until he recovered. Day after day passed, however, + and still she came not. At last the knight, scarcely able to take + the saddle, rode back to Widdrington, tended by his gallant young + brother, to satisfy himself of what had become of his lady. They + reached Widdrington tower to find it all in darkness; and after + repeated knockings the aged nurse came to the gateway and demanded + the name of those who so insistently clamoured at the door. Bertram + enquired for the lady Isabel; and then, indeed, all was dismay. The + nurse, trembling with fear, told the two youths that her mistress + had set out immediately on hearing of her lover’s plight, + reproaching herself for having led him to adventure his life so + rashly, and it was now six days since she had gone. Weary and weak, + Bertram rested the night at the castle, and then set out on his + search for his lost lady. That they might the sooner search the + country round, he and his brother, who loved him dearly, took + different directions, one going eastward, and the other north. They + put on various disguises as they went, Bertram appearing now in the + guise of a holy Palmer, now as a wandering minstrel As he was + sitting, despondent and well-nigh despairing, beneath a hawthorn + tree, an aged monk came by, and on seeing the supposed minstrel’s + face of sorrow, said to him, + “All minstrels yet that e’er I saw Are full of game and glee, But + thou art sad and woe-begone; I marvel whence it be.” + + Bertram replied that he served an aged lord whose only child had + been stolen away, and that he would know no happiness until he had + found her. The pilgrim comforted him and bade him hope, telling him + that + “Behind yon hills so steep and high, Down in a lonely glen, There + stands a castle fair and strong, Far from the abode of men.” + + Saying that he had heard a lady’s voice lamenting in this lonely + tower, he passed on, giving Bertram the hope that now at last his + quest was ended. He made his way to that strong castle, and with + his music prevailed upon the porter to let him stay near at hand in + a cavern; for the porter refused to admit him to the castle in the + absence of his lord, though at the same time giving him food and + directing him to the cave. He piped all day and watched all night, + and was rewarded by hearing his lady’s voice lamenting within the + walls of her prison. On the second night he caught a glimpse of her + beauteous form, fair as the moonbeams that shone around the tower. + On the third night, worn with watching, he slept, and only awakened + as dawn drew nigh. Grasping his weapon, he stole near to the castle + walls, when to his amazement, he saw his lady descend from her + window by a ladder of rope, held for her by a youth in Highland + dress. Stunned at the sight, he could not move to follow them, till + they had left behind them the castle where the lady had been held + captive, and were about to disappear over the hill. Silently and + swiftly then he drew near, and crying furiously, “Vile traitor! + yield that lady up!” fell upon the youth who accompanied her, who + in his turn fought as furiously as he. In a few moments Bertram’s + antagonist lay stretched on the ground; and as he gave him the + fatal thrust he cried, “Die, traitor, die!” The lady recognised his + voice, and rushing forward, shrieked, “Stay! stay! it is thy + brother.” But the sword of Bertram, already descending with the + force of rage and fury in the blow, could not be stayed until too + late. The fair maid’s breast was pierced by the sword of the knight + who loved her, and she sank down by the side of the youth who had + delivered her. It was indeed Bertram’s brother, who had succeeded + in his search; and the dying maiden found time to tell of his + devotion, in rescuing her from this castle of the son of a Scottish + lord who fain would have made her his bride, before she, too, lay + lifeless by the side of her brave rescuer, leaving her lover too + despairing and desolate to seek safety in flight, so that the band + of searchers from the castle, seeking their prisoner on the hills, + and dreading their lord’s wrath on his return, bore him back with + them to the dungeon. Their lord, however, had meantime been taken + captive by Percy (Hotspur), who, as soon as he heard of Bertram’s + capture, quickly exchanged the Scottish chief for his friend. + Bertram’s sorrow lasted for the rest of his days; he gave away his + lands and possessions to the poor, and retiring to a lovely spot on + the banks of the Coquet, where rocky cliffs overhung the river, he + carved out in the living stone a little cell, dormitory, and + chapel, and dwelt there, passing his days in mourning, meditation, + and prayer. In the chapel, with its gracefully arched roof, he + fashioned on an altar-tomb the image of a lady, and at her feet the + figure of a hermit, in the attitude of grief, one hand supporting + his head and the other pressed against his breast, leaning over and + gazing at the lady for ever. The poignant sentence “My tears have + been my meat day and night,” is carved over the entrance to the + little chapel. Here, in this beautiful spot, almost under the + shadow of the castle walls belonging to his noble friend, the + sorrowing knight, now a holy hermit, spent the remainder of his + life in the little dwelling he had wrought in the living rock. It + remains to-day more beautiful, if possible, than ever, overhung by + a canopy of waving greenery, and draped with ferns and mosses, + their graceful fronds laved by the rippling Coquet whose gentle + murmurings fill the still air with music. + + The next tale takes us to the neighbourhood of Belford, and out + upon the old post road from London to Edinburgh. In the unsettled + times of James the Second’s reign, one Sir John Cochrane of + Ochiltree was condemned to death for his part in the rising which + was led by the Duke of Argyle. Powerful friends, heavily bribed by + Sir John’s father, the Earl of Dundonald, were working in Sir + John’s favour, and they had strong hopes of obtaining a pardon. But + meanwhile, Sir John lay in the Tolbooth at Edinburgh, and the + warrant for his execution was already on its way northward, in the + post-bag carried forward by horseman after horseman throughout the + length of the way. Could the arrival of the warrant only be delayed + by some means, his life might be saved. In this strait, his + daughter Grizzel, a girl of eighteen, conceived the desperate idea + of preventing the warrant’s reaching its destination. Saying + nothing to anyone of her intentions, she stole away from home, and + rode swiftly to the Border. Following the road for about four miles + on the English side, she arrived at the house of her old nurse; and + here she changed her clothes, persuading the old dame to lend her a + suit belonging to her foster-brother. Making her way southward, she + went to the inn at Belford where the riders carrying the mail + usually put up for the night. Here, the same night, came the + postman, and the seeming youth watched nervously, but determinedly, + for an opportunity of finding out whether the fateful paper was in + his bag or not. No slightest chance presented itself, however, and + an attempt to obtain the mail-bag during the night failed by reason + of the fact that the man slept upon it. One thing she did + accomplish, which gave her hope that the encounter for which she + was nerving herself might end successfully for her; she managed, + unseen, to draw the charges from his pistols. Then the courageous + girl rode off through the dark night to select a favourable spot in + which to await his coming. For two or three lonely hours she + waited, the thought that she was fighting for her father’s life + giving her courage. In the dim light of the early dawn she heard + the sound of his horse’s hoofs from where she stood in the shadow + of a clump of trees; and steeling herself for the part she was to + play, and in ignorance of whether he might have found out that the + charges had been withdrawn from his pistols and might have + re-loaded them, she waited until he was almost abreast of her, and + fired at his horse, bringing it down. Before he could extricate + himself she was upon him with drawn sword; but promising to spare + his life if he would let her have the mail-bag, she seized it and + darted away. He attempted to follow to recover his charge, but she + reached her horse, and rode off like the wind. When she reached a + place of safety and examined the contents of the bag, what was her + joy to find that the warrant was there. It was speedily destroyed; + and during the time that elapsed before the news of the loss could + be sent to London and another one made out, the friends of Sir John + succeeded in obtaining his pardon. “Cochrane’s bonny Grizzy” lived + to a good old age; and “Grizzy’s clump” on the north road near the + little village of Buckton keeps green the memory of her daring + exploit. + + “Bonny Grizzy” was a Scottish maid, though her gallant if lawless + deed was performed on Northumbrian soil; but there is one + Northumbrian maiden whose fame will live as long as the sea-waves + beat on the wild north-east coast, and as long as men’s hearts + thrill to a tale of courage and high resolve. Grace Darling’s name + still awakens in every bosom a response to all that is + compassionate, courageous, and unselfish; and the thoughts of all + north-country folk bold that admiration for the gentle girl which + has been voiced as no other could voice it, in the magical words of + Swinburne— + “Take, O star of all our seas, from not an alien hand, Homage paid of + song bowed down before thy glory’s face, Thou the living light of all + our lovely stormy strand, Thou the brave north-country’s very glory + of glories, Grace.” + + The story of her gallantry has been many times re-told, but never + grows wearisome. The memory of that stormy voyage of the + _Forfarshire_, which ended in disaster on the Harcar rocks in the + Farne group, remains in men’s minds as the dark and tragic setting + which throws into bright relief the gallant action of the father + and daughter who dared almost certain death to rescue their + fellow-creatures in peril. It was in September, 1838, that the + ill-fated vessel left Hull for Dundee; but a leak in the boilers + caused the fires to be nearly extinguished in the storm the vessel + encountered. It reached St. Abb’s Head by the aid of the sails, but + then drifted southward, driven by the storm, and struck in the + early morning, in a dense fog, on the Harcar rocks. Nine of the + people on board managed to escape in a small boat, which was driven + in a miraculous manner through the only safe outlet between the + rocks. They were picked up by a passing boat and taken to Shields. + Meanwhile a heavy sea had crashed down upon the _Forfarshire_, and + broken it in half, one portion, with the greater number of crew and + passengers, being swept away immediately. The remaining portion, + the fore part of the vessel, was firmly fixed upon the rock. Here + the shivering survivors clung all that stormy day, the waves + dashing over them continually. The captain and his wife were washed + overboard, clasped in each others’ arms; and two little children, a + boy of eight and a girl of eleven years of age, died from exposure + and the relentless buffeting of the waves, their distracted mother + clasping them by the hand long after life was extinct. To a + terrible day succeeded a yet more terrible night. + “Scarce the cliffs of the islets, scarce the walls of Joyous Gard + Flash to sight between the deadlier lightnings of the sea; Storm is + lord and master of a midnight evil-starred, Nor may sight nor fear + discern what evil stars may be.” + + Until the morning they endured; and in the stormy dawn the keeper + of the Longstone lighthouse, William Darling, and his daughter + Grace saw them huddled in a shivering heap upon the wave-swept + fragments of the wreck. The girl begged her father to try to save + them, and to allow her to help in the task, and after some natural + hesitation he consented. The brave-hearted mother helped them to + launch the boat, and they set forth. + +[Illustration: The Wreck of the “Forfarshire”] + + “Sire and daughter, hand on oar and face against the night. Maid and + man whose names are beacons ever to the north. ...... all the madness + of the stormy surf Hounds and roars them back, but roars and hounds + them back in vain. + Not our mother, not Northumberland, brought ever forth. Though no + southern shore may match the sons that kiss her mouth, Children + worthier all the birthright given of the ardent north, Where the fire + of hearts outburns the suns that fire the south.” + They reached the rock, where nine persons were still clinging to the + wreck, and + “Life by life the man redeems them, head by storm-worn head, While + the girl’s hand stays the boat whereof the waves are fain.” + + With five of the exhausted survivors the boat returned to the + Longstone; and two of the men went back with William Darling for + the other four. All were safely housed in the lighthouse and tended + by the noble family of the Darlings; but the storm raged for + several days longer, and made it impossible for them to be put + ashore. When at length they returned to their homes, and the story + of the rescue was made known, the whole country was moved by it; + and presents of all kinds, money, and offers of marriage poured in + upon Grace, who remained quite unmoved by it all, and was still the + gentle unassuming girl that she had always been. She refused to + leave her home, though she was offered twenty pounds a night at the + Adelphi if she would consent merely to sit in a boat for London + audiences to gaze upon her. Sad to say, she died of consumption + about two years afterwards, after having tried in vain to arrest + the course of her sickness by change of air at Wooler and Alnwick; + and she sleeps in Bamburgh churchyard, within sound of the sea by + which she had spent her short life. + “East and west and south acclaim her queen of England’s maids. Star + more sweet than all their stars, and flower than all their flowers.” + + The actual boat in which the gallant deed was performed was long + preserved at Newton Hall, Stocksfield; but the owners have lately + presented it to the Marine Laboratory at Cullercoats. + +[Illustration: Drawing of boat] + + + + +CHAPTER XI. BALLADS AND POEMS. + + + The ballads of Northumberland, as all true ballads should do, + partake of the characteristics of the district which is their home. + As we should expect, they treat chiefly of warlike themes, of the + chieftain’s doughty deeds, the moss-trooper’s daring and skill, of + the knight’s courtesies and gallant feats of arms, and the feuds of + rival clans; in fact, they portray for us vividly the time of which + they treat, and in a few graphic touches bring before us the very + spirit of the period. In direct and simple phrases the narrative + proceeds, giving with rare power just the necessary expression to + the tale. + + These ballads fall naturally into three main divisions. The + historical ballad is at its best in the famous “Chevy-Chase,” which + has been the delight of gentle and simple for centuries; and the + oft-quoted declaration of Sir Philip Sidney concerning it still + finds an echo in our own day. + + Of the two best known versions of the ballad, the one here given is + the more poetical by far; the other, however, contains the account + of the courage of Hugh Widdrington which has made the gallant + squire immortal. + + The latter version is as evidently English as the former is + Scottish; or rather, each has grown to its present form as the + reciters exercised their art to please an English or a Scottish + audience. In the one version it is Douglas who takes the offensive, + and challenges Percy, waiting for him at Otterbourne; in the other + we are told that + “The stout Erle of Northumberland A vow to God did make, His pleasure + in the Scottish woods Three summer days to take.” + + On the death of Douglas— + “Erle Percy took The dead man by the hand, And said, ‘Erle Douglas, + for thy life Would I had lost my land!’” + + When the battle is over, + “Next day did many widdowes come Their husbands to bewayle; Their + bodyes bathed in purple blood They bore with them away; They kist + them dead a thousand times Ere they were cladd in clay.” + + It was neither of these versions, however, that so moved the heart + of gallant Sidney, but a much older one, beginning + “The Perse owt off Northomberlande And a vow to God made he, That he + wold hunt in the mountayns Off Chyviat within days iii.” + + Other historical ballads are “The Rising of the North,” “The Raid + of the Reidswire,” “Flodden Field,” “Homildon Hils” and “Hedgeley + Moor.” + + The next division may be termed semi-historical; that is, they + treat of events which actually happened, but which have chiefly a + local interest; and these may therefore be said to be more truly + Northumbrian than any others. Such are “Jock o’ the Side,” “Johnnie + Armstrong,” “Hobbie Noble” and “The Death of Parcy Reed.” + + Of the third class, the romantic ballads, we have not so rich a + store; yet “The Gay Goss-hawk,” the “Nut-browne Mayde” and the + touchingly beautiful “Barthram’s Dirge” may stand amongst the best + of their kind. + + “The Gay Gross-hawk” is one of those delightful and imaginative + productions of which there are so many examples, in which birds and + hounds share their lords’ and ladies’ secrets, and serve them + staunchly in hours of peril; they belong to the times when fairies + were still seen holding their moonlight revels, when witches + exercised their baleful arts, and fearsome dragons wore still to be + met and conquered—“and if you do not believe it,” said Dr. Spence + Watson, “I am sorry for you!” + + The “Nut-browne Mayde” is supposed to have been a Lady Margaret + Percy, who lived in the reign of Henry VIII.; and the lover to whom + she was so faithful, notwithstanding his trial of her love by + declaring that he was an outlaw, and “must to the greenwood go, + alone, a banished man,” was Henry Clifford, son of the Earl of + Westmoreland. The inordinate length of this ballad forbade its + inclusion in the present selection; I am sensible that that + selection may appear somewhat meagre, but only want of space has + prevented the inclusion of others that many of my readers would + doubtless have been glad to see. + + Of songs in dialect, Joe Wilson’s “Aw wish yor Muthor wad cum!” + stands easily first; and the other, “Sair feyl’d, hinny!” is given + as an example of the Northumbrian muse in another mood. + + In conclusion, let me say that of the modern verse every example is + from the pen of a Northumbrian. + CHEVY CHASE I. + It fell about the Lammas tide, When muir-men win their hay, The + doughty Douglas bound him to ride Into England to drive a prey. + He chose the Gordons and the Graemes, With them the Lindsays, light + and gay; But the Jardines would not with them ride, And they rue it + to this day. + And he has burned the dales o’ Tyne, And part o’ Bamburghshire; And + three good towers on Reidswire fells He left them all on fire. + And he marched up to New Castel, And rode it round about; “O wha’s + the lord of this castel? Or wha’s the lady o’t?” + And up spake proud Lord Percy then, And O! but he spake hie! “O I’m + the lord of this castel, My wife’s the lady gay.” + “If thou art the lord of this castel, Sae weel it pleases me! For ere + I cross the Border fells, The tane of us sall die.” + He took a lang spere in his hand Shod wi’ the metal free, And for to + meet the Douglas there He rode right furiouslie! + But oh! how pale his lady looked Frae off the castle wa’, When down + before the Scottish speare She saw proud Percy fa’! + “Had we twa been upon the green, And never an eye to see, I wad hae + had you, flesh and fell, But your sword shall gae wi’ me.” + “But gae ye up to Otterbourne And wait there dayis three, And if I + come not ere three dayis end, A fause knight ca’ ye me.” + “The Otterbourne’s a bonnie burn, ’Tis pleasant there to be; But + there is naught at Otterbourne To feed my men and me. + “The deer rins wild on hill and dale, The birds fly wild frae tree to + tree, But there is neither bread nor kale To feed my men and me. + “Yet I will stay at Otterbourne Where you sall welcome be; And if ye + come not at three dayis end A fause lord I’ll call thee.” + “Thither will I come,” proud Percy said, “By the might of Our Ladye!” + “Thither will I bide thee,” said the Douglas, “My troth I plight to + thee.” + They lighted high on Otterbourne, Upon the bent sae brown; They + lighted high on Otterbourne And threw their pallions down. + And he that had a bonnie boy, Sent out his horse to grass; And he + that had not a bonnie boy, His ain servant he was. + And up then spake a little foot-page, Before the peep o’ dawn— “O + waken, waken ye, my good lord, The Percy is hard at hand!” + “Ye lee, ye lee, ye leear loud! Sae loud I hear ye lee! For Percy had + not men yestreen To dight my men and me!” + “But I hae dreamed a dreary dream, Beyond the Isle of Skye; I saw a + dead man win a fight, An’ I think that man was I.” + He belted on his gude braid-sword, And to the field he ran; But he + forgot his helmet good, That should have kept his brain. + When Percy wi’ the Douglas met I wat he was fu’ fain! They swakked + their swords till sair they swat, The blude ran down like rain. + But Percy, with his gude braid-sword, That could sae sharply wound, + Has stricken Douglas on the brow, Till he fell to the ground. + Then he called on his little foot-page And said, “Run speedilie, And + fetch my ain dear sister’s son, Sir Hugh Montgomerie.” + “My nephew good,” the Douglas said, “What recks the death of ane? + Last night I dreamed a dreary dream, And I ken the day’s thy ain. + “My wound is deep, I fain wad sleep; Take thou the vanguard of the + three, And hide me by the bracken bush That grows on yonder lilye + lea. + “O bury me by the bracken bush, Beneath the bloomin’ brier; Let never + a living mortal ken That ever a kindly Scot lies here.” + He lifted up that noble lord, Wi’ the saut tear in his e’e; He hid + him in the bracken bush That his merrie men might not see. + The moon was clear, the day drew near, The speres in flinders flew, + And mony a gallant Englishman Ere day the Scotsmen slew. + The Gordons gude, in English blude They steeped their hose and shoon; + The Lindsays flew like fire about Till a’ the fray was dune. + The Percy and Montgomerie met, And either of other was fain; They + swakkèd swords, and sair they swat, And the blude ran doun like rain. + “Now yield thee, yield thee, Percy!” he cried; “Or else will I lay + thee low.” “To whom sall I yield?” quoth Erle Percy, “Sin I see it + maun be so.” + “Thou shalt not yield to lord or loon, Nor yet shalt thou yield to + me, But thou shalt yield to the bracken bush That grows on yon lilye + lea.” + “I will not yield to a bracken bush; Nor yet will I yield to a brier; + But I would yield to Erle Douglas, Or Hugh Montgomerie if he were + here.” + As soon as he knew it was Montgomerie He stuck his sword’s-point in + the gronde; The Montgomerie was a courteous knight, And quickly took + him by the honde. + This deed was done at the Otterbourne, About the breaking of the day; + Erle Douglas was buried at the bracken bush. And the Percy led + captive away. + JOCK O’ THE SIDE. + Now Liddesdale has ridden a raid, But I wat they had better hae staid + at hame; For Michael o’ Winfield he is dead, And Jock o’ the Side is + prisoner ta’en. + For Mangerton house Lady Downie has gane, Her coats she has kilted up + to her knee; And down the water wi’ speed she rins, While tears in + spates fa’ fast frae her e’e. + Then up and spoke our guid auld laird— “What news, what news, sister + Downie, to me?” “Bad news, bad news, for Michael is killed, And they + hae taken my son Johnnie.” + “Ne’er fear, sister Downie,” quo’ Mangerton, “I have yokes of owsen, + twenty and three, My barns, my byres, and my faulds a’ weel filled, + I’ll part wi’ them a’ ere Johnnie shall dee. + “Three men I’ll send to set him free, A’ harnessed wi’ the best o’ + steel; The English loons may hear, and drie The weight o’ their + braid-swords to feel. + “The Laird’s Jock ane, the Laird’s Wat twa, O Hobbie Noble, thou ane + maun be! Thy coat is blue, thou has been true Since England banished + thee to me.” + Now Hobbie was an English man, In Bewcastle dale was bred and born; + But his misdeeds they were so great, They banished him ne’er to + return. + Laird Mangerton them orders gave, “Your horses the wrang way maun be + shod; Like gentlemen ye maunna seem, But look like corn-cadgers ga’en + the road. + “Your armour gude ye maunna show, Nor yet appear like men of weir; As + country lads be a’ array’d, Wi’ branks and brecham on each mare.” + Sae their horses are the wrang way shod, And Hobbie has mounted his + gray sae fine; Jock his lively bay, Wat’s on his white horse behind. + And on they rode for the water of Tyne. + At the Cholerford they a’ light doun, And there wi’ the help o’ the + light o’ the moon, A tree they cut, wi’ fifteen nogs on each side, To + climb up the wa’ of Newcastle toun, + But when they cam’ to Newcastle toun, And were alighted at the wa’ + They fand their tree three ells ower laigh, They fand their stick + baith short and sma’. + Then up and spak the Laird’s ain Jock, “There’s naething for’t; the + gates we maun force.” But when they cam’ the gate untill, A proud + porter withstood baith men and horse. + His neck in twa the Armstrangs wrung; With fute or hand he ne’er + played pa! His life and his keys at once they hae ta’en, And cast the + body ahint the wa’. + Now sune they reach Newcastle jail, And to the prisoner thus they + call: “Sleeps thou, or wakes thou, Jock o’ the Side, Or art thou + weary of thy thrall?” + Jock answered thus, wi’ doleful tone, “Aft, aft I wake—I seldom + sleep; But wha’s this kens my name sae weel, And thus to ease my wae + does seek.” + Then out and spake the gude Laird’s Jock, “Now fear ye na’, my + billie,” quo’ he; “For here are the Laird’s Jock, the Laird’s Wat, + And Hobbie Noble, come to set thee free.” + “Now haud thy tongue, my gude Laird’s Jock, For ever, alas! this + canna be; For if a’ Liddesdale were here the night, The morn’s the + day that I maun dee.” + “Full fifteen stane o’ Spanish iron They hae laid a’ right sair or + me; Wi’ locks and keys I am fast bound Into this dungeon dark and + dreirie!” + “Fear ye nae that,” quo’ the Laird’s Jock; “A faint heart ne’er won a + fair ladie; Work thou within, we’ll work without, And I’ll be sworn + we’ll set thee free.” + The first strong door that they cam’ at, They loosed it without a + key; The next chain’d door that they cam’ at They gar’d it a’ to + flinders flee. + The prisoner now upon his back The Laird’s Jock has gotten up fu’ + hie; And down the stair, him, irons and a’, Wi’ nae sma’ speid and + joy brings he. + “Now Jock, my man,” quo Hobbie Noble, “Some o’ his weight ye may lay + on me.” “I wat weel no,” quo’ the Laird’s ain Jock; “I count him + lighter than a flee.” + Sae out at the gates they a’ are gane, The prisoner’s set on + horseback hie; And now wi’ speed they’re ta’en the gate, While ilk + ane jokes fu’ wantonlie. + “O Jock! sae winsomely ’s ye ride, Wi’ baith your feet upon ae side; + Sae weel ye’re harnessed, and sae trig, In troth ye sit like ony + bride!” + The night, tho’ wat, they didna mind, But hied them on fu’ merrilie + Until they cam’ to Cholerford brae, Where the water ran baith deep + and hie. + But when they came to Cholerford, There they met with an auld man, + Says, “Honest man, will the water ride? Tell us in haste, if that ye + can.” + “I wat weel no,” quo’ the gude auld man; “I hae lived here thirty + years and three, And I ne’er yet saw the Tyne sae big, Nor running + anes sae like a sea.” + Then out and spake the Laird’s Saft Wat, The greatest coward in the + companie; “Now halt, now halt, we needna try’t, The day is come we a’ + maun dee.” + “Puir faint-hearted thief!” cried the Laird’s ain Jock, “There’ll nae + man die but him that’s fey; I’ll guide ye a’ right safely thro’, Lift + ye the prisoner on ahint me.” + Wi’ that the water they hae ta’en; By anes and twas they a’ swam + thro’; “Here we are a’ safe,” quo’ the Laird’s Jock, “And puir faint + Wat, what think ye now?” + They scarce the other brae had won When twenty men they saw pursue; + Frae Newcastle toun they had been sent, A’ English lads baith stout + and true. + But when the land-serjeant the water saw, “It winna ride, my lads,” + says he; Then cried aloud—“The prisoner take, But leave the fetters, + I pray, to me.” + “I wat weel no,” quo’ the Laird’s Jock; “I’ll keep them a’; shoon to + my mare they’ll be. My gude bay mare—for I am sure She has bought + them a’ right dear frae thee.” + Sae now they are on to Liddesdale, E’en as fast as they could them + hie; The prisoner is brought to his ain fireside, And there o’ his + airns they mak’ him free. + “Now, Jock, ma billie,” quo’ a’ the three, “The day is com’d thou was + to dee. But thou’s as weel at thy ain ingle-side, Now sitting, I + think ’twixt thou and me.” + BARTHRAM’S DIRGE. + They shot him dead at the Nine-stane Rig, Beside the Headless Cross, + And they left him lying in his blood, Upon the moor and moss. + They made a bier of the broken bough The sauch and the aspin grey, + And they bore him to the Lady Chapel, And waked him there all day. + A lady came to that lonely bower, And threw her robes aside; She tore + her ling lang yellow hair, And knelt at Barthram’s side. + She bathed him in the Lady-Well, His wounds sae deep and sair; And + she plaited a garland for his breast, And a garland for his hair. + They rowed him in a lily sheet And bare him to his earth; And the + Grey Friars sung the dead man’s mass As they passed the Chapel garth. + They buried him at the mirk midnight, When the dew fell cold and + still, When the aspin grey forgot to play, And the mist clung to the + hill. + They dug his grave but a bare foot deep, By the edge of the + Nine-stane Burn, And they covered him o’er with the heather-flower, + The moss and the lady-fern. + A Grey Friar staid upon the grave, And sang till the morning tide; + And a friar shall sing for Barthram’s soul While the Headless Cross + shall bide. + THE FAIR FLOWER OF NORTHUMBERLAND + It was a knight in Scotland born, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) Was taken pris’ner and left forlorn, Even by the good Earl of + Northumberland. + Then was he cast in prison strong, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) Where he could not walk nor lie along, Even by the good Earl + of Northumberland. + And as in sorrow thus he lay, (Follow, my love, come over the strand) + The Earl’s sweet daughter passed that way, And she the fair flower of + Northumberland. + And passing by, like an angel bright, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) The prisoner had of her a sight, And she the fair flower of + Northumberland. + And aloud to her this knight did cry, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) The salt tears standing in her eye, And she the fair flower + of Northumberland. + “Fair lady,” he said, “take pity on me, (Follow, my love, come over + the strand) And let me not in prison dee, And you the fair flower of + Northumberland.” + “Fair sir, how should I take pity on thee, (Follow, my love, come + over the strand) Thou being a foe to our countrie, And I the fair + flower of Northumberland?” + “Fair lady, I am no foe,” he said, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) “Through thy sweet love here was I stayed, And thou the fair + flower of Northumberland.” + “Why shouldst thou come here for love of me, (Follow, my love, come + over the strand) Having wife and bairns in thy own countrie, And I + the fair flower of Northumberland?” + “I swear by the Blessed Trinity, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) That neither wife nor bairns have I, And thou the fair flower + of Northumberland.” + “If courteously thou wilt set me free, (Follow, my love, come over + the strand) I vow that I will marry thee, And thou the fair flower of + Northumberland. + “Thou shalt be lady of castles and towers, (Follow, my love, come + over the strand) And sit like a queen in princely bowers, Even thou + the fair flower of Northumberland.” + Then parted hence this lady gay, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) And got her father’s ring away, And she the fair flower of + Northumberland. + Likewise much gold got she by sleight, (Follow, my love, come over + the strand) And all to help this forlorn knight, And she the fair + flower of Northumberland. + Two gallant steeds both good and able, (Follow, my love, come over + the strand), She likewise took out of the stable, And she the fair + flower of Northumberland. + And to the goaler she sent the ring, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) Who the knight from prison forth did bring, To meet the fair + flower of Northumberland. + This token set the prisoner free, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) Who straight went to this fair ladye, And she the fair flower + of Northumberland. + A gallant steed he did bestride, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) And with the lady away did ride, And she the fair flower of + Northumberland. + They rode till they came to a water clear, (Follow, my love, come + over the strand) “Good sir, how shall I follow you here, And I the + fair flower of Northumberland? + “The water is rough and wonderful deep, (Follow, my love, come over + the strand) And on my saddle I shall not keep, And I the fair flower + of Northumberland? + “Fear not the ford, fair lady,” quoth he, (Follow, my love, come over + the strand) “For long I cannot stay for thee, Even thou the fair + flower of Northumberland.” + The lady prickt her gallant steed, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) And over the water swam with speed, Even she the fair flower + of Northumberland. + From top to toe all wet was she, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) “This have I done for love of thee, Even I the fair flower of + Northumberland.” + Thus rode she all one winter’s night. (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) Till Edenborough they saw in sight, The fairest town in all + Scotland. + “Now I have a wife and children five, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) In Edenborough they be alive, And thou the fair flower of + Northumberland. + “And if thou wilt not give thy hand, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) Then get thee home to fair England, And thou the fair flower + of Northumberland + “This favour thou shalt have, to boot, (Follow, my love, come over + the strand) I’ll have thy horse; go thou on foot, Even thou the fair + flower of Northumberland.” + “O false and faithless knight,” quoth she; (Follow, my love, come + over the strand) “And canst thou deal so bad with me, Even I the fair + flower of Northumberland?” + He took her from her stately steed, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) And left her there in extreme need, And she the fair flower + of Northumberland. + Then she sat down full heavily, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) At length two knights came riding by, And she the fair flower + of Northumberland. + Two gallant knights of fair England, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) And there they found her on the strand, Even she the fair + flower of Northumberland. + She fell down humbly on her knee, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) Crying, “Courteous knights, take pity on me, Even I the fair + flower of Northumberland. + “I have offended my father dear, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) For a false knight that brought me here, Even I the fair + flower of Northumberland.” + They took her up beside them then, (Follow, my love, come over the + strand) And brought her to her father again, And she the fair flower + of Northumberland. + Now all you fair maids, be warned by me, (Follow, my love, come over + the strand) Scots never were true, nor ever will be, To lord, nor + lady, nor fair England. + WHITTINGHAM FAIR. + Are you going to Whittingham Fair (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and + thyme), Remember me to one that lives there, For once she was a true + lover of mine. + Tell her to make me a cambric shirt, (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and + thyme), Without any seam or needlework, Then she shall be a true + lover of mine. + Tell her to wash it in yonder well, (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and + thyme), Where never spring water or rain ever fell, And she shall be + a true lover of mine. + Tell her to dry it on yonder thorn, (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and + thyme), Which never bore blossom since Adam was born. Then she shall + be a true lover of mine. + Now he has asked me questions three, (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and + thyme), I hope he’ll answer as many for me, Before he shall be a true + lover of mine. + Tell him to buy me an acre of land, (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and + thyme), Betwixt the salt water and the sea sand, Then he shall be a + true lover of mine. + Tell him to plough it with a ram’s horn. (Parsley, sage, rosemary, + and thyme), And sow it all over with one pepper corn. And he shall be + a true lover of mine. + Tell him to shear’t with a sickle of leather, (Parsley, sage, + rosemary, and thyme), And bind it up with a peacock feather, And he + shall be a true lover of mine. + Tell him to thrash it on yonder wall, (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and + thyme), And never let one corn of it fall, Then he shall be a true + lover of mine. + When he has done and finished his work, (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and + thyme), O tell him to come and he’ll have his shirt, And he shall be + a true lover of mine. + O THE OAK AND THE ASH. + A North country mayde up to London had strayed, Although with her + nature it did not agree. Which made her repent, and often lament, + Still wishing again in the North for to be. “O the Oak and the Ash + and the bonny Ivy tree, They are all growing green in my North + Countrie!” + “O fain wad I be in the North Countrie Where the lads and the lasses + are all making hay; O there wad I see what is pleasant to me,— A + mischief ’light on them enticed me away! O the Oak and the Ash and + the bonny Ivy tree, They are all growing green in my North Countrie!” + “Then farewell my father, and farewell my mother, Until I do see you + I nothing but mourn; Remembering my brothers, my sisters, and others— + In less than a year I hope to return. O the Oak and the Ash and the + bonny Ivy tree. They are all growing green in my North Countrie!” + SAIR FEYL’D, HINNY! + “Sair feyl’d, hinny! Sair feyl’d now, Sair feyl’d, hinny, Sin’ aw + ken’d thou. Aw was young and lusty, Aw was fair and clear; Aw was + young and lusty Mony a lang year. Sair feyl’d, hinny! Sair feyl’d + now; Sair feyl’d, hinny, Sin’ aw ken’d thou. + “When aw was young and lusty Aw cud lowp u dyke; But now aw’m aud and + still. Aw can hardly stop a syke. Sair feyl’d, hinny! Sair feyl’d + now, Sair feyl’d hinny, Sin’ aw ken’d thou. + “When aw was five and twenty Aw was brave an bauld. Now at five an’ + sixty Aw’m byeth stiff an’ cauld. Sair feyl’d, hinny! Sair feyl’d + now. Sair feyl’d, hinny, Sin’ aw ken’d thou” + Thus said the aud man To the oak tree; “Sair feyl’d is aw Sin’ aw + kenn’d thee! Sair feyl’d, hinny! Sair feyl’d now; Sair feyl’d, hinny, + Sin’ aw ken’d thou.” + AW WISH YOE MUTHER WAD CUM! + “Cum, Geordy, haud the bairn, Aw’s sure aw’ll not stop lang, Aw’d + tyek the jewl me-sel, But really aw’s not strang. Thor’s flooer and + coals te get, The hoose-torns thor not deun, So haud the bairn for + fairs, Ye’re often deun’d for fun!” + Then Geordy held the bairn, But sair agyen his will, The poor bit + thing wes gud, But Geordy had ne skill, He haddint its muther’s ways, + He sat both stiff an’ num,— Before five minutes wes past He wished + its muther wad cum! + His wife had scarcely gyen, The bairn begun te squall, Wi’ hikin’t up + an’ doon He’d let the poor thing fall, It waddent haud its tung, Tho’ + sum aud teun he’d hum,— ‘Jack an’ Gill went up a hill’— “Aw wish yor + muther wad cum!” + “What weary toil,” says he, “This nursin bairns mun be, A bit on’t’s + weel eneuf, Ay, quite eneuf for me; Te keep a crying bairn, It may be + grand te sum, A day’s wark’s not as bad— Aw wish yor muther wad cum. + “Men seldom give a thowt Te what thor wives indure, Aw thowt she’d + nowt te de But clean the hoose, aw’s sure. Or myek me dinner an’ tea— + It’s startin’ te chow its thumb, The poor thing wants its tit, Aw + wish yor muther wad cum.” + What a selfish world this is, Thor’s nowt mair se than man; He laffs + at wummin’s toil, And winnet nurse his awn;— It’s startin’ te cry + agyen, Aw see tuts throo its gum, Maw little bit pet, dinnet fret,— + Aw wish yor muther wad cum. + “But kindness dis a vast. It’s ne use gettin’ vext. It winnet please + the bairn, Or ease a mind perplext. At last—its gyen te sleep, Me + wife’ll not say aw’s num, She’ll think aw’s a real gud norse, Aw wish + yor muther wud cum!” + _Joe Wilson_ + THE AULD FISHER’S LAST WISH + The morn is grey, and green the brae, the wind is frae the wast + Before the gale the snaw-white clouds are drivin’ light and fast; The + airly sun is glintin’ forth, owre hill, and dell, and plain, And + Coquet’s streams are glitterin’, as they run frae muir to main. + At Dewshill wood the mavis sings beside her birken nest, At Halystane + the laverock springs upon his breezy quest; Wi’ eydent e’e, aboon the + craigs, the gled is high in air, Beneath brent Brinkburn’s shadowed + cliff the fox lies in his lair. + There’s joy at merry Thristlehaugh tie new-mown hay to win; The busy + bees at Todstead-shaw are bringing honey in; The trouts they loup in + ilka stream, the birds on ilka tree; Auld Coquet-side is Coquet + still—but there’s nae place for me! + My sun is set, my eyne are wet, cauld poortith now is mine; Nae mair + I’ll range by Coquet-side and thraw the gleesome line; Nae mair I’ll + see her bonnie stream in spring-bright raiment drest, Save in the + dream that stirs the heart when the weary e’e’s at rest. + Oh! were my limbs as ance they were, to jink across the green. And + were my heart as light again as sometime it has been, And could my + fortunes blink again as erst when youth was sweet, Then Coquet—hap + what might beside—we’d no be lang to meet’ + Or had I but the cushat’s wing, where’er I list to flee, And wi’ a + wish, might wend my way owre hill, and dale, and lea. ’Tis there I’d + fauld that weary wing, there gaze my latest gaze. Content to see thee + ance again—then sleep beside thy braes! + —_Thomas Doublerday_. + A SONNET. + Go, take thine angle, and with practised line. Light as the gossamer, + the current sweep; And if thou failest in the calm, still deep, In + the rough eddy may a prize be thine. Say thou’rt unlucky where the + sunbeams shine; Beneath the shadow, where the waters creep Perchance + the monarch of the brook shall leap— For fate is ever better than + design. + Still persevere; the giddiest breeze that blows, For thee may blow + with fame and fortune rife. Be prosperous; and what reck if it arose + Out of some pebble with the stream at strife, Or that the light wind + dallied with the boughs? Thou art successful.—Such is human life! + —_Thomas Doubleday_. + A VISION OF JOYOUS-GARDE. + “And so sir Launcelot brought sir Tristan and La Beate Isoud unto + Joyous-gard, the which was his owne castle that hee had wonne with + his owne hands.”—_Malory_. + “Bamburgh ... the great rock-fortress that was known to the Celts as + Dinguardi, and was to figure in Arthurian romance as Joyous Garde ... + “—_C.J. Bates_ (History of Northumberland). + I wandered under winter stars The lone Northumbrian shore; And + night lay deep in silence on the sea. Save where, unceasingly, + Among the pillared scaurs Of perilous Farnes, wild waves for ever + more Breaking in foam, Sounded as some far strife through the + star-haunted gloam. + Before me, looming through the night, Darker than night’s sad + heart, King Ida’s castle on the sheer crag set Waked darker sorrow + yet Within me for the light, Beauty, and might of old loves rent + apart, Time-broken, spent, And strewn as old dead winds among the + salt-sea bent. + Till, dreaming of the glittering days, And eves with beauty + starred, Time fell from me as some night-cloud withdrawn, And in + enchanted dawn, All in a golden haze, I saw the gleaming towers of + Joyous Garde In splendour rise, Tall, pinnacled, and white to my + dream-laden eyes. + While thither, as in days of old, Launcelot homeward came, + War-wearied, and yet wearier of the strife Of love that tore his + life; + Burning, beneath the cold Armour of steel, a never-dying flame: The + fierce desire Consuming honour’s gold on the heart’s altar fire! + And thither in great love he brought The fugitives of love, Isoud + and Tristram fleeing from King Mark. One day ’twixt dark and dark + These lovers, by fate caught In love’s bright web, dreamed with + blue skies above Of love no tide Of wavering life may part, or + death’s swift sea divide. + But Launcelot, in their bliss forlorn, Fled from the laughter clear + Of happy lovers, and love’s silent noon; All night beneath the moon + He strode, his spirit torn For Guenevere! All night on Guenevere He + cried aloud Unto the moonlit foam and every windy cloud. + + Then faded, quivering, from my sight The memory-woven dream. The + towers of Joyous Garde shall never more Lighten that desolate + shore; No longe’r through the night Wrestling with love, beneath + the pale moon gleam That anguished form!— But keen with snow and + wind, and loud with gathering storm. + _—Wilfrid W. Gibson_. + (In “The Northern Counties Magazine,” March, 1901). + MY NORTH COUNTRIE. + O though here fair blows the rose, and the woodbine waves on high, + And oak, and elm, and bracken fronds enrich the rolling lea, And + winds, as if in Arcady, breathe joy as they go by, Yet I yearn and I + pine for my North Countrie! + I leave the drowsing South, and in thought I northward fly, And walk + the stretching moors that fringe the ever-calling sea, And am + gladdened as the gales that are so bitter-sweet rush by. While grey + clouds sweetly darken o’er my North Countrie. + For there’s music in the storms, and there’s colour in the shades, + And joy e’en in the grief so widely brooding o’er the sea; And larger + thoughts have birth amid the moors and lonely glades And reedy mounds + and sands of my North Countrie! + —_Thomas Runciman_. + +[Illustration: Drawing] + +ANDREW REID & COMPANY. LIMITED, PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS, +NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE. + +[Illustration: SKETCH MAP OF NORTHUMBERLAND SKETCH MAP OF +NORTHUMBERLAND] + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Northumberland Yesterday and To-day, by Jean F. Terry + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NORTHUMBERLAND YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY *** + +***** This file should be named 11124-0.txt or 11124-0.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/1/1/2/11124/ + +Produced by Miranda van de Heijning, Margaret Macaskill +and PG Distributed Proofreaders + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will +be renamed. + +Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright +law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, +so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United +States without permission and without paying copyright +royalties. 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