EXTINCT FORESTS OF THE NORTHERN COUNTIES. 153 



people of this part of the country was in about the middle 

 of the sixteenth century. Upon his translation to the see 

 of York, in 1570, he issued some ' injunctions ;' among 

 which it was ordered that no pedlar should be admitted to 

 sell his wares in the church- porch in time of service; 

 that parish-clerks should be able to read ; that no lords of 

 misrule, or summer lords and ladies, or any disguised per- 

 sons, morrice-dancers, or others, should come irreverently 

 into the church, or play any unseemly parts with scoffs, 

 jests, wanton gestures, or ribald talk, in the time of divine 

 service. 



" In 1430, Bishop Langley issued an order to prevent 

 hostile clans fighting out their feuds in the churchyards ; 

 but it had no effect. Another was issued afterwards which 

 was equally disregarded. Perhaps it was because the 

 bishops did not point out some other place for the fight- 

 ing ; for all they seemed to care about was, that there 

 should be no fighting in the churchyard. Not more than 

 a century and a half ago, a descendant of some of these 

 notorious freebooters, in the north of Northumberland, 

 instead of taking up the practice of breaking bones and 

 bodies, took up that of healing them. But ' the old man ' 

 was strong in him, and many a raid directed against in- 

 offensive cattle and poultry did he make (so the rumour 

 went) when he was out on horseback on dark nights visit- 

 ing patients. One night this worthy man was at supper 

 with a lady ; and while enjoying her hospitality, three of 

 his followers, probably apprentices, were ' conveying ' the 

 contents of the pigeon-house. Another curious anecdote, 

 shewing the brutality of the people of the district, is 

 quoted in Mr Surtees' History of Durham. 



" ' Mr Gylpyn (rector of Houghton le Spring) did preach 

 at one churche in Redsdale, wher ther was nayther 

 mynister nor bell nor booke and he sent the clarke to 

 gyve warnyng he would preach and in the meane tyme 

 thare camme a man rydyng to the church style, havynge 

 a dead chyld layd afore hym over hys sydli cruche, and 

 cryed of Mr Gylpyn, not knowing him, ' Come, parson, and 



