SE Northumberland Villages in the Middle Ages

1066! Probably the most famous date in British history. But it was several decades later that the Normans eventually colonised and fully controlled Northumberland. William I rewarded his followers with grants of land. They held these manors in return for military service, loyalty and strategic defence of that piece of territory. The land was a source of income to the these tenants-in-chief - or barons and knights as they were styled. Being away from their estates fighting the King's wars a great deal of the time the Norman aristocracy: "Wanted the English to work their land but did not want the the responsibility of feeding and caring for them."

Planned village settlements cropped up in the lowland districts. Agricultural, community units with a settlement in the centre of a tract of land known as a township. Here, the majority of the population resided. Towns were for craftsmen and traders.

The lord of the manor needed his villeins, more commonly known as bondsmen in Northumberland, to organise themselves. This was done through the manor court. The bondsmen didn't leave much record of their life, so we can only surmise from studies of other areas where there have been a reasonably good set of surviving records or detailed excavations, what their daily life was like. But there are a few surviving records which give an indication of local living, especially at Seaton Delaval.

The tenants served as jurors. Common agreement was needed as to when to sow, what to sow, which field to leave fallow, pasturing animals and cutting meadow, but it was within the guidelines set by the lord as supervised by his bailiff who was the overseer of the estate and rent collector.  The tenants could in fact bring an action against the lord whose strips were intermingled with the tenant's holdings. The court also dealt with minor offences such as for pre-marital sex.

On September 29th every year the bondsmen chose a reeve to act as an overseer and supervisor of the labourers. He made sure they did their work, making this an unpopular post. He was usually the most prosperous and best husbandman in the village, but was largely uneducated and would use tally sticks to present the accounts to the bailiff. However, medieval villages were well organised business operations. The reeve was often no thicko. But he was still a bondsman and was not respected by the lord. He received no cash reward but he was exempt from working the lord's demesne land and would have other privileges.

The land was farmed in big open fields each manor or village had two or three large fields, usually several hundred acres each, which were divided into many narrow strips of land. A strip could be ploughed in one day. Each strip was cultivated by an individual or his family. These strips, only separated by a baulk of grass, were divided into furlongs which was the main unit of the arable land.  The holdings of a manor also included woodland and pasture areas for common usage. An individual's strips were scattered throughout the fields and allocated on a periodic basis. Barley, wheat, oats, beans and peas were the common crops. A field was left fallow each year to allow the soil to recover.

The majority of villages comprised of two rows of farmsteads, known as tofts. facing one another usually along an east-west axis. The rows were separated by an open space wide enough to be called a green. This is well illustrated from archaeological evidence from West Backworth deserted medieval village. The evidence as to the siting of the housing and fields in South-East Northumberland settlements has largely been lost, but in the Coquet valley a surviving set of surveys produced for the Duke of Northumberland combined with aerial photography shows the medieval plan to still be in existence, especially at Acklington and Shilbottle.  The majority of tenants were bondmen with a holding of between eighteen and forty-eight acres of arable land in the open fields. Twelve to sixteen acres was considered just enough to support a small family. Above this it was possible to have a surplus crop which could be sold. Tofts were between 150-450 feet long although at Killingworth they were 600ft. This township was considered to be a late development. The area of the toft was enclosed by a quick set hedge or fence. It was divided into 2 parts, the former occupied by the farmhouse and outbuildings. The rear section was a garden and used for grazing a small number of animals. A back lane divided the tofts from the fields.

Site of tofts at Acklington Northumberland

Street view along the site of two tofts at Acklington

Houses in this area were 320 square feet as the norm. Walls were timber studs resting on a stone footing filled with wattle and daub. It would have had a thatched roof. In later times it may have been re-built with stone walls. Our main knowledge of housing comes from archaeological investigation carried out, in recent decades, at West Whelpington deserted village on the upper reaches of the River Wansbeck. A new tenant being admitted to a holding was often the impetus for a house rebuild. This was done by the tenant although the lord often helped with the supply of timber and other materials.

Reconstructed house at Rydale Folk Museum

NCHC History of Northumberland Seaton Delaval Manor.

Seaton Delaval could be described as a textbook manor, common in the south of the country, in that it had a resident lord with a village and a church.

The subsidy roll for 1296 suggests that the tenants were poor people probably possessed of customary holdings. The subsidy was a taxation on moveable goods. Those with goods under 10s were exempt from paying.

Seventeen taxpayers are listed including Lord Delaval. Due to exempt poor this has been estimated to be only one-third of the total households, therefore there were approximately fifty to sixty households in the manor.

There were approx 2500 acres in the manor. 814 acres under the plough with 300 acres of this being in demesne for the lord's own purpose. forty-five acres meadow. This was a large township 1000 acres being about the average. Two villages were created in the manor with a dairy farm being created at Lysdon at a later time.

By an inquisition taken on 8th November 1297 it was found there were twenty-four bondage holdings paying £29 2s money rent and the value of £3 7s in labour. Twenty two cottages held by labour only valued at £1 14s per year, and eight cottages giving a rent of £3 7s 2d. The manor house was estimated to be worth five shillings per year. There was a brew house, a water mill, a dovecote, a pasture held by Lord Delaval and two windmills. A water mill was operational in 1519 at the junction of Seaton Delaval and Holywell townships where the old  Avenue railway line crosses the burn.

Names listed on the 1296, 1312 and 1336 taxation records mention a reeve on all occasions. Also mentioned are a carpenter, hoggard (herdsman possibly of swine), faber (smith), carter and lounes (journeyman). These were the lord's demesne staff known as famuli. They were generally paid two to four shillings per year, settled on small holdings and given an allowance of grain. On the same taxation records for Earsdon township, a little to the south of Seaton Delaval, there is listed a John son of Thurbert. There are a mixture of tenants with Anglo-Saxon and Norman names including Siward, Humfrid, William and Henry indicating an assimilation of Norman ways into the English peasantry by this time.

Another detailed survey taken on 30th September 1353 shows and increase of demesne; the number of bondage holdings remains constant but the sites of twenty waste cottages mark the recent presence of the Black Death. The water mill is also described as waste and demolished. There is also 200 acres of moor and sandy pasture held by Lord Delaval for his own purpose (severalty).

Seaton Delaval Township (part)

Two large commons, or village units, namely those of Whitridge and of Seaton, lay within the manor. Seaton common lay on the borders of Holywell and the tenants of that township had rights of intercommoning. Lord Delaval also held part of Hartley township. A wood extending along the northern slopes of Holywell dene was held by the lord of the manor in severalty  and no tenant was permitted to cut down timbers or take estovers (wood) from the wood without his lord's licence and order. To the lord also belonged some forty acres named the South Moor. Here the tenants appear to have a right of pasturing their cattle, but the soil belonged to the lord, and a prohibition was subsequently made against cutting the heather that grew thereon. The lord also held of his own private right the links along the coast. The coarse sea bents (grass) and the rabbits that made their warren there had their uses. Bents were the lord's monopoly; they might not be cut without his license; fetching them at the commandment of the lord's officers was a duty incumbent upon all tenants; a by law passed in 1584 provides that the tenants of Seaton Delaval shall divide themselves into two parts, whereof six tenants to fetch bents one week the other six tenants the next week and the cottagers the third week upon pain of a 3s 4d fine. They made hats from the bents. Cottagers held no land but had odd skills and they could find occasional work from their neighbours.

Earsdon was part of the Prior of Tynemouth's extensive estates. Seventeen customary tenants, or bondmen, farmed thirty-six acres of arable each. The whole township consisted of 1062 acres. In 1295 One of the tenants, Ralph Hert, owed this to the Lord Prior by custom and this was a typical agreement:

• 8d on Palm Sunday
• Carting from Marsdon at Whitsuntide
• 3 ½d on the feast of St John the Baptist
• Fifteen cakes at the great boon works (harvest time)
• 2 hens at St Oswin's feast
• Carting from Marsdon at Martinmas
• One quarter of oats at Christmas
• One quarter of barley malt at Whitsuntide
• Plough and harrow one acre at Martinmas
• Loan of his plough for one day to the Lord Prior
• Harrow with one horse at the Lord Prior's will
• Cart turves from Marsdon for three days at the feast of St John the Baptist
• Cart six loads of wheat in Autumn
• 104 days work at the Lord Prior's will
• At the boon work (harvest) he and his whole family shall do one day's work
• Two auth-repes with two men for one day in Autumn

As can be seen there were plenty of feast days where tenants could enjoy themselves with carols, wrestling, summer games, drinking, bowling, blind man's buff, fishing, archery, dancing and cock fighting.

There were two cottagers living at Earsdon who did 3 days work in the Autumn and paid 12d and 6d rent. There were also two freeholders who didn't owe any personal loyalty to the lord and were not tied to the lord. Freedom could be granted for personal service and loyalty. The Boldon Book of 1166, which was a survey of the estates of the Bishop of Durham, mentions: "Walter Lord Bishop freed John son of Thomas of Bedlington for ever from his servitude." He also does this for the tenants of East Sleekburn in return for a fixed-rent cash payment.


The lord of Seaton Delaval's sporting rights were by no means limited to his rabbit warren. Under a charter granted by Henry II (1154-1189) he was entitled to beasts of the chase throughout the township, and the privileges find further expression in an order made in the manor court in 1592 "That non of the inhabitants in Holywell nor elsewhere within the lordship shall hunt in the lords demesne or bring any greyhound within the same without license, fine of 6s 4d. An indenture made in 1599 states that Lord Delaval leased to Christopher Richardson his rabbit warren called the Links "from the South side of the beck called Newsham to a lodge on the south side of the links commonly called the warrener's house." This could be where Gloucester Lodge farm now stands. The lodge was part of the lease as was enough pasture for four cows. The premises were leased for three years for the payment of 300 rabbits in the first year and 480 in the following years. Richardson was to get a livery coat the same as the other servants of Delaval. This land forms part of Newsham township and is outside the boundary of Seaton Delaval but it was also owned by the Delaval family.

There was also a fish pond directly North of where Seaton Delaval Hall now stands. Its site can still be made out from a crop mark as seen on aerial photos.

On so much of the arable land as each year lay fallow, in the stubble of the corn fields after harvest and in the fog left on the meadows when the hay was mown, tenants and cottagers found pasture for their horned cattle, horses, pigs and geese. A few enclosed pieces of pasture were reserved for draught oxen and fattening cows. The order of pasturage and the number of stints allowed to each inhabitant were rigorously defined by by-laws made in the court or fixed by common agreement and offenders were presented by the jury at the next court meeting. A cowherd, shepherd and swineherd, common servants of the community, controlled the pasturing of the flocks and herds in daytime and brought them back nightly to the town gate. There was a common bull and a pindar had the charge of the common pound or park for the maintenance of which the husbandry tenants were wholly responsible. Among these communal servants the smith deserves a passing mention. He held a tenement with land and meadow adjacent known as Smiddyland. His smithy had to be kept in repair by the tenants acting in common. Authoritative orders not only fixed the proportion of stock  that villagers might keep upon a given area, but prescribed the nature and amount of live stock which each might have in his possession. It was laid down in 1494 that no tenant may keep on his land above two horses or mares and no cottager should keep more than one cow. The cottagers were also not allowed pigs or sheep except by special licence and were not allowed to put cattle on the land until a month after the bondsmen had done so. Another by law of 1560 mentions cottagers are allowed two geese.

The same rotation of crops and seasons of husbandry were incumbent upon all tenants. "Every man shall sow his seed when as neighbours sow." Each had to bear his share in repairing fences and gates, in making dykes and scouring water courses. Encroachments and and using a neighbours' strip as a right of way were equally offences against 'neighbourhood'. In 1564 "It is ordered that by the whole consent of the jury  that no inhabitor shall at no time hereafter make way with wains  or otherways throughout or over men's rigs sown with corn fine 12d over and besides agreeing with the party offended."

It should not be supposed that the cultivation of the demesne depended entirely upon tenants and cottagers. Additional labour was provided a class of hired servants or hinds. As land was often inherited by primogeniture the hinds would often be the younger sons of a tenant.

Presentments at Court:

1512
John Fraunch was presented for ploughing after his neighbours had sown their seed.

1579
Edward Fife for not working with his neighbours on the churchyard dyke. An order made in 1537 furnishes interesting evidence as to the character of these dykes: "That every man make his dyke lie as high as that may reach to the height of a spade, fine 3d.

Edward Fife for having more mowers than his neighbours.

Dictus Fife for putting four more cattle on the stubble than his neighbours agreed of.

Thomas Swane for not sending to dam water in the Lysdon [Burn] and the brook for their cattle.

Gavin Skipsie for not coming with his neighbours to request the muck of Whitridge.

Dictus Skipsie for putting forth his oxen before day before the corn was brought in.

1586
The wives of four of the tenants of Hartley for cutting bents and carrying them off to Newcastle without the lord's licence.

1588
Robert Gray for not helping in with the corn. Fine 12d

One Cuthbert Daglish for not doing his share of the day work.


In the course of three centuries (even though the 16th century is not regarded a medieval times) the position of the tenants had not materially altered. They were still prohibited from selling livestock without the licence of the lord or without offering him the pre-emption - the old sure mark of villeinage. Some orders from the court rolls illustrate this:

1561
It is ordered that no man shall sell any kind of cattle but only such as they shall first present and make offer to their master. Fine 6s 4d.

1564
It is agreed between the tenants and the miller of Seaton Delaval and Hartley that the said inhabitants shall grind at the lord's mills all the corn that they grow. Fine 6s 4d - the corn after being ground into flour at the lord's mill was taken to the common bake house, where the lord's officers took dues.

1581
The said tenants of Seaton Delaval shall repair and amend the smith's house and shop before Martinmas next and that the smith shall uphold and maintain the same in sufficient reparation in all places except the great timber.

1587
That none within this lordship shall refuse to spin the flax or lint belonging to the said lord. Fine 2s 4d.

If any hind or servant of the lord of the manor, having grassing of cattle within his demesne, to pay for over stint, as well as young cattle and old. And to remove the said over stint when challenged and not to keep sheep.


Right to hold assize of ale was accorded to Robert Delaval, in the Quo Warranto proceedings of 1293, as is by custom. Ale tasters were appointed and brewers were licenced at each successive court. Brewers were required to used Lord Delaval's malt and refusal to supply customers was an offence. The tavern was often the house of a tenant who happened to recently have brewed a batch.

A completely different example could be that of Burradon, near Killingworth. A small township of about 550 acres it was an outlying and separate part of the barony of Whalton. The township was divided into two and was granted by the Baron of Whalton, in the 1160s, to two prominent knights who held the villages of Ogle and Widdrington and took their family names from these locations. Ogle and Widdrington built small castles at these places and had villages on their manor. Because they were absent landlords of Burradon they granted this holding out to other freeholders, largely to Peter Graper and Roger Baret who were prominent Newcastle merchants, who often served as mayors, as did their descendants. The granting of Ogle's holding may have not occurred until the 1290s.

Only three persons are mentioned on the 1312 lay subsidy taxation as having effects in Burradon. The township wasn't assessed as a separate unit in 1296, which could indicate it was still in an undeveloped state. We learn little from all the conveyancing records of how the land was farmed, whether by bondsmen of famuli, although they often mention houses and gardens rather than tofts, presumably for the owners. This could indicate demesne farming as the norm done by famuli, but there is not an abundance of evidence to give a full picture.

It was not until 1570 when a conveyance was made of four houses with orchards, two cottages and six tofts with land and moor of what was one quarter of the township. The township had been recorded as almost worthless in the period 1420-40 because of wars and invasion so this could have been a recent development.

Blyth Farms

The map shows the areas and locations of farms in Blyth around the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century, based on a 1787 and 1840 survey.

To view this as a stand-alone interactive map click here... Blyth Farm Map

The farms seen here had probably come into existence during the early 17th century or even during the late 16th century. There are documents of rental from the late 17th century which show individual farms to be in existence and probably close to the same ones shown on this map, but with different names at that stage. Cowpen farms, to the North of this map, came into existence in 1619.

In the Middle Ages townships such as South Blyth and Newsham consisted of large open fields divided into strips and farmed in common between the peasants. By the 16th century this method was not conducive to an efficient system of agriculture. Landholders sought to consolidate their holding into one single block. They would enclose this holding with hedges around the boundary and individual fields.

Blyth was owned by one single landowner during the early-modern period: first the Cramlington family, then the brother of the Earl of Derwentwater and in 1723 the Ridley family of Blagdon. This meant the creating of individual farms for rent was a much easier process than when several landowners had to negotiate a division between themselves and why I believe enclosure may have taken place earlier than 1619. Considerable amounts of this farm land have now given way to urban development. Approx 1178 acres in total for the township.

Wagon Way West Farm
194 acres. 9 fields. Tenanted 1785 by Timothy and Joshua Dukesfield.
Replaced by housing and a railway by the 1860s.

Newsham West Farm
120 acres. 10 fields. Tenanted 1785 by Timothy Dukesfield Jnr.
Disappeared off the maps by 1897. The colliery village of South Newsham was built on the farmhouse site. Some of the lands were probably absorbed by the newly-formed South Newham Farm.

Newsham Middle Farm
114 acres. 8 fields.  Tenanted 1785 by Joseph Clarke.
By 1897 replaced by Newsham South Farm which probably also incorporated Newsham West Farm.

Newsham East Farm
130 acres. 10 fields. Tenanted 1785 by William Bennett.
Marked as Newsham Low Farm on the 1st Edition OS map of 1860s. Known in modern times as North Farm.

Wagonway East Farm
143 acres. 11 fields. Tenanted 1787 by John Watson.
Marked as Low Horton Farm on 1840 estate survey and known as Barrass farm on 1860s mapping and thereafter. By 1924 the triangular nook to the North of Plessey Road was occupied by a school. Replaced by housing and a garage by 1960.

Link Farm
166 acres. 10 fields. Tenanted 1787 by Ellstob and Hogg.
Gone by the time of the 1924 mapping. Replaced by Wellesley site and allotments.

Blyth Farm
Tenanted 1787 part by Mrs Marshall and part Clarke and Watt.
Largely completely built upon by 1895.

Link House Farm
Belongs to Nicholas Ridley (a junior member of the main Ridley family of Blagdon)
154 acres. 14 fields.  Tenanted 1787 by Margaret Dobson.
Buildings are still standing although fell out of use as a farm in the late 20th century.

Ancient hedges still in existence at South Beach which one marked the boundary between Newsham East and Link House Farms

Landholders of Cowpen Farms

Interactive map of Cowpen Farms (may take a few seconds to load on some devices) or click here for stand alone larger map 

On 15th November 1619 the major freeholders of Cowpen gathered at nearby Horton Church to sign an agreement between themselves. It was an historic meeting with major implications for the future of the township.

Sir Ralph Delaval knight, Robert Widdrington esq, Lewis Widdrington gent, Tristram Fenwick gent, Martin Fenwick gent, John Preston, Cuthbert Watson, William Story and Robert Smith yeomen agreed to divide the common lands between themselves and create individual farms. They voted to appoint William Matthew, a surveyor of Newcastle, to "survey all the lands in Cowpen aforementioned and to allot and set forth every man's part according to the purport and quantity of his freehold". A number of the major landholders of the district were also present to witness the signing of the document and to settle disputes and act as commissioners, including Sir Thomas Riddle, Roger Witherington esq, Mark Errington esq, Thomas Ogle esq and Oliver Killingworth gent.

The partition took place on the 1st of March of the following year.

The lands of Cowpen had been farmed in common since at least the 13th century. This had been the usual method of farming in this district imposed upon the population after the Norman conquest. But this was a particularly archaic form of common, open-field farming called a run-rig system whereby the strips of land allocated to each tenant were scattered throughout the large, unenclosed, open fields. Unlike most areas farmed in common where the fields were more planned, some being periodically left to lie fallow and divided into arable and pasture areas, in the fields of Cowpen there was no distinction between arable and grass lands. Freeholders lands were mixed with those of the customary tenants. There was, however, some mention of individual tenements, or closes, having being formed in a piecemeal way by this date. Malvin's Close is the obvious example.

There had been initiatives shown by investors in coal mining in the area. These would be small-scale operations consisting of bell pits sunk to a depth of only 15-20 feet below ground, but even so, the shifting nature of landholding under the run-rig system was not conducive to colliery enterprise.

The Delavals had also by now acquired over half of the township, although they had held a substantial portion since the 13th century, but now wanted to improve and consolidate their holding.

The time was ripe to split the land into individual farms and enclose the fields with fences and hedges. This was a common practice throughout the country between the 17th and 19th centuries and it was perhaps the most important development to happen in any area. Smaller landholders were often unable to afford to enclose their land and would sell up. Tenants without security of tenure were often evicted to be replaced by labourers or the holding would be turned over to sheep farming.

The farms created in Cowpen were the ones which survived, more or less, until the 20th century. A small amount of exchange and consolidating of holdings took place, especially to create High House Farm and South Farm was created out of the undeveloped South Moor, so the exact dates aren't as yet known. The division was as follows:

North Farm and South Farm

1619: allotted to Sir Ralph Delaval 394 acres of pasture and arable and 72 acres meadow in the East Division of Cowpen Township. This was made up from:
11 acres meadow at the Garth End, 60 acres arable in the East Field, 55 acres arable in Coupwell Close, Malvin's Close  66 acres, Cocklawe  80 acres, the East Close 104 acres, Long Weedes Close 188 acres, 104 acres arable and meadow in the South Moor.

1623: A windmill and land was purchased on behalf of Alice Delaval at the far end of Cowpen Township in the High House Farm area. Originally part of the Prior of Tynemouth's lands it had been granted to Braddock and Kingscote by the Crown. The windmill had been erected in 1598. This was owned by the descendants until 1865. A right of common on a small piece of land at Darewell Burn was also acquired.

1624:  Sir Ralph granted the lands to his brother Thomas Delaval of Hetton-le-Hole to be bequeathed to the heirs of Thomas.

1629: Another brother of Sir Ralph, Robert Delaval, also held lands here from 1619 although not mentioned by name in the allotment document. He resided at Cowpen in a hall opposite where the Windmill Pub Grocery Shop and Greggs now stands. He died in this year leaving the property to his wife and on her death his daughters who continued to reside at Cowpen. The eldest daughter, Mary, married Sir John Mitford of Seghill. On his death she married Colonel Edward Grey, who was labelled a traitor during the English Civil War. He came to reside at Cowpen after the war ended. She died childless in 1649.

1650; The second daughter of Robert Delaval, Elizabeth, became the heir to the estate on the death of her sister. The lands were conveyed to her husband Sir Francis Bowes of Thornton and merchant adventurer of Newcastle.

1652: The lands originally held by Thomas Delaval of Hetton-le-Hole were surrendered in reversionary interest to Sir Francis Bowes who now became the sole landholder of the whole East Division of Cowpen. The estate was held by succeeding generations of Wanley-Bowes family. (History of Northumberland Vol 9 p330)

1779: Estate Jointly inherited between sisters Anne Wanley-Bowes, who married  Thomas Thoroton, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Coldstream Guards and Elizabeth Wanley-Bowes married to Rev Robert Croft. Both families resided at York. Rev Robert Croft was the last surviving landholder and the estate was managed by trustees of the family after this date. Both ladies left issue.

1799: Two closes were purchased at Bucks Hill by Richard Hodgson from the Croft family to build a mill on this site.

Cowpen Town Farm

1619: John Preston the elder was allotted 94 acres pasture and arable and 11 acres meadow and John Preston the younger was allotted 193 acres arable and pasture and 23 acres meadow in the Middle Division of Cowpen Township. The Prestons were originally named Prestwick and were members of the Harbottle and Ward families who held land in Cowpen from 1498.

1659: John Preston sold the farm to his brother-in-law John Proctor.

1679: The farm was sold to Edward Toll of North Shields. The estate descended in the female line to Mrs Dockwray. She bequeathed the farm to her son Thomas Dockwray, vicar of Stamfordham. On his death and after the death of his wife, the undivided holding was owned by his sisters Elizabeth Harbottle, Mary Charlton and Martha Dockwray. By 1790 William Harbottle had become the sole owner of the farm.
(History of Northumberland Vol 9 p347)

1874: The farm was sold to John Hedley of Blyth. He later became bankrupt and the receivers conveyed the property to the Standard Brick Company.

Home/Kit Kat Farm

1619: Robert Smith was allotted a small holding of 21 acres pasture and arable and 2.5 acres meadow. This was adjoining the main highway through Cowpen beside the Windmill Inn where Craigmill Park now stands. It survived until the 1970s, although much reduced in size even by the time of the 1st edition OS maps of 1860s, and was known as a small market garden. It was often referred to as Kit Kat Farm, although the 1960 OS plan labels it Home Farm.

Malvin's Close Farm

1619: Malvin's Close, before the division, must have been a more extensive area of land than what was turned into a farm. Sir Ralph Delaval, of the East Division, was assigned 66 acreas in Malvin's Close and Lewis Widdrington, of the Middle Division, was assigned 19 acres pasture. But it was John Preston, also of the Middle Division and the holder of Cowpen Town Farm, that came into possession of what became known as Malvin's Close Farm.

1765: Edward Preston, of West Boldon, sold the farm to Edmund Hannay, shipbuilder of Blyth.

1798: Edmund Hannay devised the property to his daughter Mary, wife of Edward Watts of South Blyth. It is often referred to as Watts Farm in many publications.

1873: Sold by Edmund Hannay Watts to the Cowpen and North Seaton Coal Company.

Red House Farm

1619: Lewis Widdrington of Cheesburn Grange, a scion of the Widdrington family of Widdrington, was assigned 11 acres meadow in the East Field, 13 acres arable in the Chile-lawe behind Lewis Widdrington's house, 11 acres arable in a field called Dollacke, 19 acres pasture in Malvin's Close, 24 acres in the plain moor adjoining to the Dammes, 27 acres pasture in the South Moor. In total 94 acres pasture and arable and 11 acres meadow. This was in the Middle Division of Cowpen.

1665: Sold by the trustees of Sir Thomas Widdrington of Cheesburn Grange (about 15 miles west of Cowpen) to Anthony Hedley of Newcastle.

1686: Sold by the son of Anthony Hedley to Peter Potts.

1725: Sold to Stephen Mitford of the Inner Temple.

1729: Sold to Henry Sidney of the Temple. The Sidneys were the main landholders and influence on the area for the next two centuries.

Kitty Brewster Farm

1619: Assigned to Robert Widdrington of Widdrington in the West Division 17.5 acres meadow in the North Field, 37 acres arable in the High Crofts, 55 acres arable in the Mill Field, 54 acres pasture in the Whins, totalling 164 acres.

1628: The lands were mortgaged to his brother John Widdrington of Plessey New Houses (5 miles to the West of Cowpen), who at a later stage came into complete possession of the estate. This also included Bucks Hill in the East Division.

1642: John Widdrington exchanged some lands with Cuthbert Watson of the neighbouring High House Farm to consolidate the lands into a single area.

1663: Held by William Widdrington of the family of Hauxley (10 miles to the North of Cowpen). Lands carried by marriage to William Fenwick who sold to Sir John Swinburne of Capheaton (19 miles to the west of Cowpen).

1687: Peter Potts purchased the estate of Robert Fenwick of Cowpen. The  lands had been part of the small allotment made in the West Division to Martin and Tristram Fenwick. This could also be known as part of High House Farm.

1695: Sold to Peter Potts, who had also acquired Red House Farm in Cowpen. Potts was a Newcastle merchant and the probable builder of Cowpen Hall.

1725: Sold to Stephen Mitford of the Inner Temple.

1729: Sold to Henry Sidney of the Temple. The Sidneys were the main landholders and influence on the area for the next two centuries.

High House Farm

1619: The lands in this West Division of Cowpen Township were originally granted to Cuthbert Watson, William Story, Martin Fenwick and Tristram Fenwick. Watson and Story were from Berwick-upon-Tweed and came into possesion in 1591. During the proceeding decades the allotments of land were eventually consolidated into one holding. Cuthbert Watson was granted 11 acres meadow in the North Field, 4 acres arable in the High Croft, 62 acres in the Whins adjoining Bebside, 24 acres arable in a part of the Mill Field known as Galliflat. Martin and Tristram Fenwick were granted 5 acres meadow and arable on the East side of the North Field, 41 acres pasture in the West Whins. William Story was granted 11 acres arable and meadow in the North Field, 23 acres arable in the Mill Field, 69 acres pasture in the West Whins.

1623: William Story sold a small field to Alice Delaval, the owner of the East Division, called Mill Bank and the right of common in a meadow field by the Darewell Burn.

1639: Story sold the remainder of the holding to Robert Preston a  plumber of Newcastle.

1701: Robert Preston a master mariner of Newcastle sold the holding to Trinity House, Newcastle. The farmhold at the East end of High House Farm comprised Mill Nook, Hayston Letch, North Field, North Bank, 2 closes in Cowpen Town called Preston Lands.

1712: The whole of the West Division was purchased by Cuthbert Watson, holder of the West High House Farm.

(History of Northumberland Vol 9 p335)

1802: The land were inherited by the two daughters of Cuthbert Watson IV on his death. Dorothy married Charles Purvis of Newcastle. Margaret was married to Rev Ralph Errington also of Newcastle.

1854 The two families made a partition of the estate. The Errington family took Cowpen House, which presumably had been known as Preston Lands in 1701. Dorothy Purvis had married John Anderson and they took Cowpen High House Farm. This was still held by the Anderson trustees in 1909.

1857: The Errington's Cowpen House was purchased by Marlow Sydney of Cowpen Hall. He was already a major landholder in Cowpen.

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Link House Blyth

Looking through the English Heritage historic buildings listing page I came across an entry for a 17th-18th century gate pier at Link House Farm in Blyth. I wasn't aware of this gate pier even though I must have passed it dozens of times. To be fair, it is not easily visible from the road. http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1041335

Link House Farm stands at the entrance to Blyth promenade where the Coastline Chippy and Blyth Battery are also located. The Newsham Burn runs through this site, but in modern times runs underneath the buildings via a culvert. Link House Farm is something of an oddity, being a derelict range of farm building surrounding the modern beach leisure facilities. I was aware of having seen photos of the site where a three-storey house had once stood and of it being occasionally referred to as a mansion in documents. I was curious to understand some of its history.

A quick internet search revealed a planning application had been made on the site for housing and a pub in 2009 on behalf of Lord Ridley. The development had obviously fallen by the wayside. No building work has taken place at the time of writing. An archaeological investigation was made to accompany the planning application though. The report was published under the name of the Bamburgh Research Project. This is a summary of the report's findings:

Link House Farm is first mentioned in 1683 as being occupied by Thomas Lewin. The source of this information is not given, but at a guess will be the Earsdon Parish register. It is not obvious from the sources I have read at what period the lands of  South Blyth and Newsham, that Link House Farm formed a part of, were enclosed from the open-field medieval system to create individual farms but it was probably not much before 1683.

Some background information to this period is given in the Northumberland County History Vol 9: The lands of South Blyth and Newsham were held at this time by the Cramlington family who had come into possession through marriage  to an heiress of the lordly Delaval family, who were the original landholders since the 12th century. A mansion house existed just half a mile inland from Link House on the site which is now Newsham North Farm. It had been occupied by the knightly Ogle and Cramlington families but by 1720 was described as "something ruinous".

The Newsham and South Blyth estate was sold for reasons of  "Cramlington's impoverishment". It was purchased by Thomas Radcliffe, brother to the Earl of Derwentwater in 1694. George Errington, the owner of Plessey collieries, five miles to the West of Blyth, resided at Newsham mansion for a while.

The Earl of Derwentwater was executed for his part in the Jacobite rising of 1715. His family's lands were sequestered by the Crown. The estate was purchased in 1723, from the Commissioners of Forfeited Estates, by Matthew White of Newcastle and his son-in-law Richard Ridley of Blagdon. They were successful coal merchants, but have been held up as a good example of the social transition to the landed gentry and then country aristocracy. They were already rich men and invested heavily in the industrial development of Blyth. The Ridleys were awarded titles and developed a country estate at nearby Blagdon. In the opinion of the Blyth Post's "Story of Blyth (1957)" this laid "the foundations of modern Blyth".

According to Sullivan in "Blyth in the Eighteenth Century" and the Bamburgh Research Project report Link House seems to have had an unusual pattern of ownership, being in the hands of Matthew Robinson who left his estate to Richard Ridley in 1748. Richard was not in the main line of the White-Ridley family. By 1785 Link House was owned by Nicholas Ridley the brother of the 2nd Baronet Ridley of the main landholding line. Some further interrogation of the will of Matthew Robinson and other contemporary documents will be necessary to understand what is happening in this instance.

In 1751 the farm house was replaced by a new mansion, built by Nicholas Ridley. It was speculated that the death of the "tenant" had enabled the rebuilding to go ahead. Formal gardens were in place by 1796 and continued in use until 1887. The 2nd edition OS map of the 1890s showed the gardens to have been replaced by an open area. What is not explained is why this high-status dwelling was built in the first place. Did Nicholas Ridley himself reside here in the decades following its construction and not a tenant farmer?

The 1st edition OS map published in the early 1860s shows a pub, the Half Moon Inn, to be on the site and a layout of buildings which are consistent with some of the structures still standing. Most are likely to date from the new build after 1751 as the formal gardens were laid out to avoid these buildings. There is not enough evidence to be sure if the surviving gate pier is from the 18th century manor house or the earlier building. Archaeologists, however, speculated it could be a formal entrance to the garden.

Greenwood's Map 1828 (Area of formal gardens shown)

An often quoted advertisement appeared in the Newcastle newspapers in 1744.

At Blyth, a good seaport in Northumberland: Good convenience for carrying on any trade with liberty to build warehouses granaries and other things necessary.

Also a new windmill built with stone and well-accustomed. A firestone quarry for glass-house furnaces. A draw-kiln for burning limestones. Two large sheds for making pan-tiles and stock bricks, with a good seam of clay for that purpose.

Also at Link-house, one mile from Blyth a large New Malting, well supplied with water.

Newcastle Courant 27 April 1745

The well was still in existence by the time of the 1st edition OS map of c1860.

Six farms occupied the lands of South Blyth and Newsham when Ridley purchased in 1723. He also purchased the coal mines at Plessey which came complete with a five-and-a-half mile wagonway to staiths and a quay at Blyth. This followed the course that Plessey Road now takes to the present quayside at Blyth. The population was scanty, consisting of the farmers, their labourers, a few fishermen and associated families. 58,000 tons of coal were being transported along the wagonway annually.

By 1730, according to the Blyth News' "Story of Blyth", Richard and Nicholas Ridley had already established several small industries at Blyth including fourteen salt pans, a brick and tile works, a brewery and pubs (Star and Garter), quarries and supplied the district surrounding Blyth to a twelve mile radius with hops and timber. When the advert was printed in the local newspapers the Ridley's main business was still coal but an increase of coal duties in 1743 may be the reason for the promotion of other industries in Blyth: so they could sell their Plessey coal to them. The first shipbuilding yard was opened in 1750. Only one vessel was registered to a Blyth owner at this time using the harbour, but this activity expanded quickly during the remainder of the 18th century. The population also expanded although housebuilding did not keep pace with this growth and some overcrowding occurred.

In 1751 Ridley built a chapel-of-ease for the residents of Blyth. The parish church was at Earsdon, several miles away and a difficult journey on the inadequate roads of the time. Ridley had the right to appoint the vicar to this church, which stood on the site of what is now St Cuthbert's church hall. The Rev Robert Greenwood is listed in trade directories from the 1820s and 1830s as being the tenant of Link House. He ran an academy from the dwelling.

Around 1900 a tenant farmer resided at Link house. He was clearly a tenant of high status as he is frequently mentioned in the local newspaper, The Morpeth Herald. He was considered newsworthy enough for the Morpeth Herald to devote column space on reporting his illness which eventually led to his death. There is a wealth of documentary evidence listing tenant farmers throughout the life of the estate, too many to list here.

Morpeth Herald 18th June 1904

The main three-storey house was  demolished in the 1960s. It was maybe not what we would understand to be a mansion today, but it certainly seems to have been high status. The still standing buildings are more fully described in the Bamburgh Project report. http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-423-1/dissemination/pdf/bamburgh1-60199_1.pdf

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Farms to Let

This advert was placed in the Newcastle Courant during 1798 by Colonel Ogle of Causey Park, near Morpeth in an effort to attract new tenants to his farms at Burradon, which is about six miles north of Newcastle.

To be LET by Proposals - And entered on at May-day next, TWO compact farms, at Burradon... The said farms adjoin each other, and will be let together or separate  according to the highest and approved offer. The East Side Farm, now in the possession of  Mr James Charlton, contains 260 acres; and the West Side Farm, in the possession of Mr John Lumsden, contains 274; making together 534 acres of rich arable, meadow and pasture land; with good houses and convenient Out-buildings on each farm. - The tenants will send a person to shew (sic) the Premises... NB This will be no more advertised.

Having studied Burradon's history to a certain extent this advert immediately struck me as curious. Why were long-standing tenants both wanting to give up their tenancies at the same time? John Lumsden, who occupied the West Farm, had been a tenant farmer since at least 1767. The Charlton family, occupiers of East Farm, had been resident as farmers since at least 1734. It seems, however, they did move on as in 1806 Thomas Spraggon and Thomas Bell are listed as tenants on the Land Tax returns.

Without further evidence we can only speculate as to what was happening. However I recently discovered the published diaries of William Brewis of Mitford, near Morpeth. William was a tenant farmer and a man of some social standing within the community. He kept his diaries from 1833 until his death in 1850 at the age of 72. The diaries have been transcribed by Joan Foster and Dr Michael Smith, edited by Hilary Kristensen and published by Wagtail Press. William was an overseer of the poor, magistrate and High Constable for the West Division of Northumberland. He writes of chairing meetings at parliamentary elections.

Location of William and Robert Brewis' Farms, Mitford (click to enlarge)

The diaries are of great value to historians for the insight William gives, and his outspoken views, on national as well as local affairs. He talks of the campaigning in local elections, the excessive allowance being granted to the "German" Prince Albert, the Reform Bill, repeal of the Corn Laws, chartists, his relationship to Sir Matt Ridley, and his hunting activities, and walking to Blyth for a fortnight's holiday every summer.

Most importantly he gives great detail of the struggle that farmers in the area were having at the time.  This was a time of transition in England, technologically and socially. There had been a rapid shift from agriculture being the largest industry and employer to that of extraction and factory production. The weather at the time was exceptionally wet and cold, with snow lying on the ground often for weeks at a time, farms were not as productive as in former times and landlords were were being inflexible and unrealistic in the high rent-charges they still continued to demand.

These extracts from the diaries give some illustration of this:

Jan 1833 - State of country most alarming. Only half prices for wheat. Price of land must come down by one half.
A great number of farms to let all over the county and really the prices are so very bad that the farming interest is not worth following. 

Apr 1833 - The markets grow daily worse. I do not know what will become of the county without the landlords take it into consideration. If not the game must be up. 

21 May 1833 - [William paid his half yearly rent to the landlord's new steward on this day. He seems to have been more conscientious than his contemporaries and complains of being tricked by the steward and not having enough capital left to pay for lime needed to spread on the fields] Therefore I have been left in the lurch which is a great shame when times are so bad, all gentlemen are making handsome returns and I pay out of my own pocket for other gentleman property. 

Dec 1833 - To be let on May Day 1835 belonging to the Dean of Kirkley Savile Ogle esq... [William then goes on to list fourteen farms in need of new tenants in the Kirkley area to the west of Morpeth. And note the landowner was a member of the Ogle family who also owned Burradon] 

Jan 1834 - A great number of farms all over the county to let. I think there should be a premium for bad lands given for industrious tenants. 

11 Jan 1834 - Rain! I never saw a greater continuance of wet weather. 

Week 7 1838 - Six weeks of snow and really it becomes serious. I do not know what will be done if it continues any longer. 

Aug 1838 - Rain, rain, rain forever! The fruits of he earth will never come to perfection. 

Week 51 1839 - Land is letting just as high as ever. So ends the year 1839 which I am sorry to say has proved the worst I ever saw. 

1846 - [A valuation of his farm was undertaken. Newton Park was the nearby farm tenanted by his brother] We have all taken again at high rents. Newton Park was in the papers to be let by proposals. A prospective tenant withdrew his £273 per annum at the last minute. [His brother retained the farm at £235 but only for one year. William does not mention the usual duration of the lease on the farms he mentions in the diaries. Earl Grey, in the north-east of the county let his farms on a twenty-one year lease basis, which offered a sufficient incentive for farmers to invest in improving their holding allowing enough time to see a return on their investment in capital and labour. The Duke of Northumberland on his vast estates did not offer a formal tenure arrangement, but it was customary to re-let the farms automatically on a yearly basis, which Prof Norman McCord has argued did not lead to a marked improvement in farming efficiency.] 

June 1846 - [The Repeal of the Corn Law was passed which ended the high tariff on imported corn and allowed for free trade. It also caused a great agitation which split the Tory party] ...The prices of corn is expected to fall and it is likewise expected that the land must be taken at 30% lower and that the landlords must submit they have been enjoying much more rent than they were intitled (sic) to...

 21 Dec 1846 - Newton Park Farm has been offered to let by proposals which day passed on Tuesday last and no offers was made... They then applied to my brother Robert to retake, not saying at what rent. 

Jan 1847 - The farms are all unlet and are all advertised since the snow. The gentleman are justly served because they have been robbing the country since 1815, the termination of the French War. Sir Charles Monck, Belsay, has never had a bid for his and I hope that he will have to farm them himself. Newton Park is given up at the reduced rent of £200 (the effect of free trade). 

Feb and Mar 1847 - The farms are still appearing in the newspapers and cannot be let. [Earl Grey quitted a long-standing tenant who didn't have the capital in reserve to carry on] Seldom are any of his lordships farms are advertised as he lets 21 years leases with an offer at the end of that time if the tenant survives. [William writes that farms were being let in a "shabby state" obviously not much improved in recent times]

According to Norman McCord, in North East England: The Region's Development 1760-1960, at the end of the 18th century North East England was an important centre of agricultural development and regarded as a place where farming was superior to most parts of England. However, a large amount of the good reputation enjoyed was based around the work of the Culley brothers, who were hugely successful innovators based in the north of the county. McCord states:

...fertile soils of North Northumberland such as Millfield Plain were much more susceptible to improvement by existing techniques [than the] boulder clay of SE Northumberland.

The Times, in 1851, published an account of south-eastern Northumberland which dispelled a few myths that Northumberland was uniform in its superior farming:

It must surprise many who have hitherto been led to consider the agriculture of Northumberland as a model for the rest of the kingdom, to learn that a great portion of the county, extending from near Newcastle-on-Tyne on both sides of the railway as far north as Warkworth, is as little drained and as badly farmed as any district we have yet seen in England, and that the occupiers of the small farms can only eke out a scanty subsistence by careful parsimony and by employing no labour except that of themselves and their families.

Does anything of what we have learned from the 1830s help in understanding what was happening in 1798 Burradon. At this time England was preparing for the impending war with France.  Fourteen men between the ages of 15 and 60 are listed on a muster roll of 1798 as residing at Burradon with four carts and eight horses available. The landlord Col Ogle died in 1804 to be replaced by a namesake. A map and survey of the lands was produced in this year.

Was it the economic conditions or a dispute between landlord and tenant that was the catalyst for the change of tenants? Perhaps all three parties involved felt they were getting too old to carry out improvements and innovations needed to remain competitive in the rapidly changing farming environment?