ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS 



inscription on the former is, in Saxon letters, ora pro vermvnd torhtsvid, 

 and that on the latter, in runes, the female name hilddigyth.' The stone 

 at Durham (6) has also a cross in incised lines. In the upper part are the letters 

 Alpha and Omega, and below is the name berchtgyd in minuscule characters. 



Further discoveries were made in the year 1838 and also in 1843, 

 when some pieces of coloured glass and a bone needle were found. 



A curious object which accompanied one of the interments is in the 

 possession of the Rev. Canon Greenwell. It is composed of hard limestone, 

 and is in the form of the small mortars used for pounding drugs. It measures 

 7f inches in length and 5 inches in width, and 4f inches in height. The 

 interior is 3! inches in diameter, and on one side is a sinking in the rim, no 

 doubt for the purpose of guiding the passage of the contents when reduced to 

 a powder. Its general appearance is that of the ' creeing trough ' of later 

 periods. 



The only relic of the cemetery at Monkwearmouth which has been 

 discovered is the small stone, now in the British Museum, bearing upon it the 

 name tidfirth," in runes. This was found in 1834 at a great depth, about 

 20 feet from the south side of the ancient church of St. Peter, and within the 

 area of what is called the Manor House, where, probably, was the cemetery 

 connected with Biscop's Monastery. Tidfirth was the last bishop of Hex- 

 ham, and was deposed about the year 821. The occurrence of the stone 

 with his name at Monkwearmouth has been thought to imply that he was 

 on a journey, possibly to Rome, and having died before his intended 

 embarkation, was buried there. 



Among the bronze ornaments of this period is a curious brooch or 

 buckle preserved in the museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle- 

 upon-Tyne and found probably about the beginning of the nineteenth century 

 (the date has not been recorded), associated with a burial in a rock tomb at 

 East Boldon, near Sunderland, and was presented to the society by the late 

 Rev. G. C. Abbes of Cleadon. It is ornamented with three small circular 

 bosses of gold to enclose polished garnets, one of which is wanting. 



The most important series of weapons of this period in the county came 

 to light in the year 1870, on the farm at Hurbuck, near Lanchester. They 

 were noticed by the late David Balleny, the owner of the farm, when fishing 

 in the Smallhope Burn, 2 miles west of Lanchester.* The hoard comprised 

 two swords, four scythes, two tools, one of which resembles a gouge, two 

 buckles or brooches, without pins, eight axes of different forms, several of 

 them being of the francisca type, and the pointed butt of a spear shaft, 

 which is slit up for half its length and retains the rivet which secured it to 

 the shaft. Of the above articles seventeen are in the possession of 

 Mr. Edmund Balleny of Little Greencroft, and two axes in that of Canon 

 Greenwell of Durham. The late Dr. Edward Charlton, of Newcastle, pro- 

 cured from the hoard one scythe and one axe, the present location of which 

 is unknown. The two swords are in very different states of preservation; 

 the more perfect is an example of the long iron sword or spatha, and is 2 feet 

 1 1 inches long. The blade is double edged, 2 inches wide at the guard, 



' Brit. Arch. Assoc. Joum. i. 185-196. 



* The Prioty of Hexham (Surtees Soc), vol. 44, introd. p. xl., and Arch. MRana, vi. 196. 



* Arch. Journ. xviii. 67. 



213 



