exhibited the relics which Wilfrid is said to have brought from Rome, and which formed one of the great attractions of his church. Its plan is ingeniously arranged to adapt it to such an exhibition. It comprises a chapel with an antechapel across its west end, and two lateral and branching passages for entrance and exit, each of which had an enlarged vestibule at the west end. All the stones used are of Roman workmanship,' including many carved stones from cornices, pilasters, capitals, and other portions of Roman buildings. Nothing else remains of Wilfrid's church except the frith-stol, which was used as the seat of sanctuary in later times, but was originally intended for the bishop's seat, and was probably copied from some episcopal chair in Italy with which Wilfrid was familiar.'

There is still preserved, however, another most interesting and beautiful relic of preconquest Hexham, namely, Acca's cross, a cross which was set up at the head of the grave of Acca, Wilfrid's priest, who succeeded him in the bishopric and died in 737. It is exhibited in the Dean and Chapter Library at Durham, in the room which was at one time the dormitory of the convent, and there forms the centre of a unique collection of preconquest stones, gathered together and for the most part preserved by the care and energy of Dr. Greenwell. The cross is one of the largest and certainly the most beautiful of this class of memorial 'extant.' The decoration consists mainly of an interlacing pattern of vines and clusters of grapes, and the design shows plain traces of Italian influence.

Both Bamburgh and Hexham gave their name to a shire, Bamburghshire and Hexhamshire having formed from the earliest historical times two of the many ancient subdivisions of Northumberland. What was the origin of the aggregate of parishes which constituted Bamburghshire there is no evidence to show, and it would be fruitless to conjecture, but Hexhamshire, or, as it was often called, the Regality of Hexham, formed one of the most important and enduring of those liberties or franchises by the creation or recognition of which early kings conciliated their followers and divested themselves of responsibility. Hexhamshire appears to have been the tract of land which Queen Etheldrid, in the year 674, gave to Wilfrid out of her dower, wherewith to endow the new bishopric of Hexham. Upon this grant the See of York subsequently founded its claim, for it is to be remembered that though Wilfrid ended his days as bishop of 'Hexham and abbot of Ripon, yet it was as bishop of York 'that he had received the gift. With some brief intervals the Archbishops of York maintained their claim to Hexhamshire throughout the middle ages and enjoyed within it

almost regal powers. The archbishop had complete 'judicial and administrative authority in his liberty. He was, ' indeed, a subject of the king, but from his numerous rights ' and exemptions he rather occupied the position of a vassal 'king than that of an ordinary subject. His juris'diction was both criminal and civil. Murder, treason, ' robbery, and all kinds of felony were within his jurisdiction; all pleas of the Crown could be tried in his courts; 'accused persons were to be brought before his justices, and, ' if convicted, might be imprisoned in his gaol, fined for his 'profit, or, if the offence merited it, suffer death.' This state of things continued practically unchanged till 1572, when it was abolished by an Act of Parliament. Hexhamshire was, in fact, under direct ecclesiastical influence throughout the middle ages, and it is as an ecclesiastical and religious centre, the site of an important priory, that it principally merits our attention. Bamburghshire, on the other hand, was the district round the king's border stronghold, under the direct supervision of the royal officers and an important military post. Its annals, as might be expected, are more stormy than those of Hexhamshire; its history, in fact, is an almost unbroken series of military exploits. The castle appears to have held out successfully against the Danes, who destroyed Lindisfarne and Tynemouth in 912, and during the closing years of the tenth century it gave an asylum to Waltheof, the aged earl of the Northumbrians. Bamburgh was one of three places between the Humber and the Tweed that escaped the Conqueror's harrying in 1070, but it underwent a memorable siege at the hands of William Rufus. In 1095 Robert of Mowbray, the third Norman earl of Northumberland, was in open rebellion, and the red king had marched north to chastise him. Finding it impossible to carry the place by assault, Rufus built in front of it a castle of wood, to which he gave the name Malvoisin, or 'Evil Neighbour.' Even this device seemed likely to be of no avail, but in an evil moment Mowbray was tempted to escape, and, being captured, was led before the castle with the menace that both his eyes should be gouged out unless 'it instantly submitted.' Mowbray's unfortunate wife, who had conducted an heroic defence, had no alternative but to surrender. Various payments which are recorded in the Pipe Rolls, show that there was much building at the castle towards the end of the twelfth century. A charge of 4l., incurred in 1164, seems to mark the date of the erection of the Norman keep, which can well afford to be compared

6

with the fine examples of similar buildings of a slightly later date, still happily preserved at Newcastle and Dover. From that time onwards the records and surveys throw much light upon the operations which time and military science rendered needful. Of all the vicissitudes to which Bamburgh was exposed there was, perhaps, none more singular than that which befell it in 1265. On February 14 in that year the king had sworn to maintain the new Constitution formulated after the battle of Lewes, and was, in fact, in the power of Simon de Montfort. Immediately afterwards a writ was issued in the king's name calling upon the constable of the castle to answer concerning certain complaints. The constable appears to have been aware that Simon de Montfort's power was on the wane, and disregarded the summons, whereupon on April 23, 1265, a writ was issued, attested by the king at Northampton and addressed to the sheriff of Northumberland, directing him to proceed with all speed to Bamburgh in order to deal with the rebels who were then holding the castle against the king's wish,' that is to say, against the king's wish as interpreted by Montfort. In fact, Bamburgh seems to have been the solitary stronghold that remained faithful to Henry III. throughout the period between the battles of Lewes and Evesham.

Simon de Montfort had a close local connexion with Bamburghshire as lord of the neighbouring Barony of Embleton. He acquired this lordship in 1255 from one Rametta la Vescuntesse, but by what motive he was prompted to purchase this northern property it is difficult to say, unless, indeed, he recognised the strategic advantages of the site upon which the castle of Dunstanburgh was afterwards built by Earl Thomas of Lancaster. The hold which the great popular leader obtained over the affections of the people of Northumberland was clearly strong, and when he perished at Evesham one of his feet, which had been barbarously hacked off, was carried to Alnwick Abbey, where, encased in a silver shoe, it was preserved as an object of veneration until the Dissolution.

Rametta la Vescuntesse, from whom Earl Simon acquired his Northumbrian estate, was a member of a very ancient family, which derived its name of Vicecomes from the fact that the shrievalty of Northumberland had been transmitted in it from father to son for several generations. The pedigree of the family is deduced on the clearest evidence in the second volume of this history from a certain Eadwulf, who is mentioned in a charter of David, King of Scots, and

who lived at the time of the Conquest. Certain ancient documents there quoted show that some connexion subsisted between the family of Vicecomes and Swinton, a place in Berwickshire; but it has only quite recently been established, in a paper by a member of the family of 'Swinton of that ilk,' that the Swintons may fairly claim to be descended in the direct male line from Eadwulf, the founder of the Viscount family. The Swintons had hitherto traced their descent from one Ernald, who can now be identified on clear evidence with a certain Ernald, who occurs in the pedigree of the Viscounts, and so the Swintons and the Viscounts are discovered to have a common ancestor.

The castles of Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh played a conspicuous part in the Wars of the Roses, and in 1462 each of these fortresses admitted a Lancastrian garrison. Margaret of Anjou herself was at Bamburgh Castle at that time, but escaped before the place was closely invested by the Yorkists. It eventually succumbed, but was shortly afterwards reoccupied by Henry VI. in person. After the great Lancastrian defeat at the battle of Hexham in 1464 Henry fled again to Bamburgh, thence to make his escape by sea, and Sir Ralph Grey, who was left in charge of the castle, 'put him in devoir to make defence' against the Earl of Warwick. After a brave resistance, which is graphically described, the castle was carried by assault, and Sir Ralph was led away captive to Doncaster and there executed.

In a review of five bulky volumes it is impossible to do more than refer to some of the most important or interesting events and topics with which they deal, and, in passing to later times without further reference to the medieval period, it should not be thought that there is not much else in these volumes dealing with medieval Hexham, the castle of Warkworth, and the various manors, churches, and border towers, that deserves mention, but which must be excluded from considerations of space. It is time now to say a word about Bamburghshire and Hexhamshire as they were at a later date.

It might, perhaps, be thought by some that the end of the Wars of the Roses marked the close of the period of turmoil in the North as in the rest of England. But it was not so, and at no time perhaps was there more disorder, and never were the vicissitudes of life greater upon the borders, than in the sixteenth century. It was not until the kingdoms of England and Scotland were united under one

crown that peace and what may be called modern conditions of life prevailed. These volumes contain countless documents that prove the truth of this statement, but the conditions under which men lived at Bamburgh and in the neighbourhood are very graphically shown in a letter which has only recently come to light. As it is interesting, and is not referred to in the volumes themselves, it is given here. The letter was written by Robert Ferrer, Prior of St. Oswald's, Nostell, to Cromwell the statesman in February 1539. The church of Bamburgh belonged to Nostell Priory, and the letter was doubtless written at Bamburgh, as the places mentioned are almost all in Bamburghshire :

'Hytte seymythe to my coniecture thatte ther be a sorte off petie gentylmenne abowte the bordr', takynge thatte name aponne thayme moor by usurpatione thenne any ryghte tytle offe thayre ancettrie, unhable awther offe lands, goods, office, fee, or other lyke, to mayntayne thayre prodigalle estate; knytte also togayther bothe in thayme selfs & wythe a lyke sorte aponne the Scotts bordr', the whyche mysordrydde menne by crafftie collusione have beyne ever accustomydde dayly to oppresse the poor & weyke by extortione, stealynge, reavynge, forgynge false promessys, & wrongefulle arrestys, moche more grevoosely in the erles tyme* to whome thay weer adioynydde by reasone of kynne, freyndys, allyantys, parte takars conceylars & soche other; botte nowe offe laatte sythe the kynge hys maiestie hathe possessione & rule offe the contrie thay be so deuydidde & broken amonge thayme selfs wythe gredie ambitione & covetyse thatte oone dare notte utter hys craffte for fearre offe an other wattchynge a querelle agaynyste hym.

'Syr Roberte Ellarkar, knyghte, sayde unto me thatte yff other gentylmenne abowte hym wolde be as wakkar offe thayre parte as he offe hys, hytte sholde be none ease for the Scotts rydars to reave in Bamburheshyar.

'Roger Swynburne esquierr sayde to me thus. Weer notte thatte I beleyve anne other worlde whear goode & evylle shalle ryghtly be rewardydde I wolde be atte kyndenesse wythe a theyffe as others be; whyche thynge bycawse I do notte, my poore tenentys are spoylydde more thenne others.

Jamy Mylburne, summetyme seruante to Edmonde Bradforde baylye offe Bamburghe, shawydde to me thatte hys sayde mayster spake to hym thease wordys towchynge the personage offe Bamburghe & me, thatte howse hathe beyne free for theyffe & reavar earr ever he came theare & soo shalbe."

'The curate offe Bamburghe shewydde me thatte a poore manne, dwellynge there besyde, tolde hym thatte a gentylmanne sumtyme my seruante axydde offe hym whatte he wolde give to be assurydde thatte year frome the Scotts reavars.

i.e. the Earl of Northumberland, who died in 1537.