xiv INTRODUCTORY DESCRIPTION Of 



of the Weft-Saxons y Reg. 28. 828. It was reduced to a province or 

 earldom by Edred, a magnanimous Chriftian prince, who made 

 Ofulfh the firft earl or governor (b). Thofe that preceded Ofulph^ 

 were fome of them tributary, and others independent kings, 

 moflly DaniJJj (c). Alfred the Great divided it into Ihircs or coun- 

 ties, viz. Everwick/fjire, Richmond/hire, Coplande, lince the bifhop- 

 rick of Durham, Wejimerelonde, Northumberlonde, Cumberland s(d). The 

 government of Northumberland by Earls terminated foon after the 

 Norman conqueft, and in the perfon of Robert Moivbray (e). After 

 that sera, it had its Vicecomes, or high fheriff, and wa;-' diftinguifh- 

 ed by baronies, except when it was in the hands of the bifliop of 

 Durham (f), and thofe baronies by fix wards, viz. 



Tyne-dale* Bambrough, 



Coquet-dalcy Morpeth, 



Glen-dale, 



;;;' ' -f? . - ., ' .1* :;. . : 



(t) Rapia's Hift. of Engl. 8vo. vol. i. p. 383. 



?l <>! '-\^- . , -.-*' i** 'V'oi'c v,.:,'^ 



' , . i \ , 



(e) See a chronological feries of the Northumberland Kings In Tyrrtl's Hift. or England; 

 Drake's Antiq. of York ; and in Latin, at the end of the learned Dr. Hicks's Theafurm 

 Linguar. Septentr. 



1 **.'*' * ~ ~ i '" T f t 1 



(d) Spelman, Vita Alfred*. 



(e) Roberto de Mulbreio capto, ceflavit comitatus adminiftrari a comitibus ; et ex tune in 

 manu regum, fcil. Gul. Magni^ Wulielmi junioris, et Henrici manfit. Lei. Itin. vol. vii. 

 p. 65. Monaft. Angl. vol. i. p. 41. 



(f) Scutagium de Northumberland. Quod ideo redditur in j fumma, quia comitatus fuit in 

 manu epifcopi Dunelmenjts a quo receptum fuit fcutagium. Ideo non potuit diftingui per ba- 

 ronias. 



bliJii (t fii . . 



When the county of Northumberland came into the hands of the bifliop of Durham, it could 

 not be diftinguiflied by baronies and diftri&s, as it had been wont before : But the bifhqp 

 became immediate tenant to the king, of the whole county. And therefore he himfelf an<- 

 fwcrcd efcuage for the county in one fumm. 



Mag. Rot. 6 R. Ric. I. Rot. 10. . cited in Madoxs Hift. of theExcheq. 



The 



