ANTIQUITIES OF NORTHUMBERLAND. 251 



reign (z) ; who was fucceeded by his fon Roger Laivfon, Efq; (a) ; 

 in whofe time we find a third part of it, with a capital mefliiage, 

 and other tenements, in Biker, poffeffed by the family of the 

 Dents ; \sy-Henry and Robert Dent, Efqrs; who had a fifhcry in the 

 river Tyne, and a colliery, parcels of the manour of Biker (b}. 



It now belongs to Sir Harry Laivfon, Bart, and others. The vil- 

 lage Hands on an eminence ; in which is an artificial, cafh.llirod 

 ruin. It has a moft extenfive and beautiful profr-cft ; of the town. 

 of Neivcajlle on one fide, and of the Shipping in the river Tyne on 

 the other. 



A mile from Biker, a road branches off, on the Icf 1 - haiv-. to 



Little Benton, one of the manours of the Barcny of Hcro-.i'^C;, 

 of which it was held by Enjl'icc dc Bcnion iu the reign of K. ILnry 

 III, as was found by aa inquifidon, i K. Edivai-Jl. (d) 



It was *'ie feat and eftate of the late William Bigge, lifq; liigh 

 fheriff 01 Northumberland,- 1751; father of Thomas Charles Bigge, 



(z) Henricus Lawfan, Arm. nepos et haeres Radulfbi, militis, tenet in capite per fcrvic. 

 milit. maneriuni de Byker. Ex Lib. FeoJ. Petri Ofbornc, militis. 



(a) Rog>r Lawfon, Arm. filius H uric:, tenet incnpite rrnnerium de Bykcr. Ib. 



(1) Henricus Dent, confanguin. et hxres Georgil Dent, tenet in capite per fervic. milit. 

 tertiam partem manerii de Byker, ac capitale nvjfluag. ct tenem. ibidem. Ib. 



Robertas Dent, Arm. filius flenrici, tenet in capite per fervic. milit. capitale mefliiag. 

 vocat. Byker, ac diverfa cottag. et tenem. ibiJem, et pifcarium in aqua de Tyne, ac carbo- 

 nar. Parccll. maHerii de Byker. Ib, 



(c) See Ford- Caftle. 



(d) Hzredes Eujlac. de Ber.ton tenent parvam Benton per feptimam partem unius feodi ve- 

 teris FeofFamenti. Efcaet. de anno i 'Ed. I. 



Kk 2 Efq; 



