344 Rev. S. A. Fyler on the Village of Cornhill. 



thrush has visited our gardens ; and I cannot hear that a 

 single nest of either has been seen. The fruit of the Rowan 

 trees still remain untouched, although in previous years they 

 have generally been devoured befoie this. Most of our mi- 

 gratory species have disappeared much sooner than usual, 

 and they have not been nearly so numerous as they generally 



A hrief History of the Village of Cornhill. By Rev. S. A. 

 Fyler, M.A., Vicar. 



This village, the last on the Borders before entering Scot- 

 land, having been anciently part of the patrimony of St. 

 Cuthbert and of the palatinate of Durham, (to which it was 

 probably annexed by Oswald, king of Northumbria, in the 

 seventh century), was formerly, for political purposes, united 

 with the county of Durham; from which it was separated by 

 Act of Parliament in 1844, and then united with Northum- 

 berland. . 



The final syllable "hill," in Cornhill, was formerly writ- 

 ten " hall," having probably been the " aula"'' or hall of some 

 ancient settler, whose name has long since passed into ob- 

 livion ; the former syllable being probably derived from the 

 abundance of " corn " which the soil produced. It was also, 

 sometimes, formerly spelt Cornell, Corna/e, and Qoxnhylle. 



The church of Cornhill, dedicated to St. Helen, the mother 

 of Constantino the Great, the first christian emperor, (sup- 

 posed to have been an English lady,) was formerly a chapel 

 of ease to Norham; and first erected, probably, when Norham 

 became the property of the monks of Durham, in 108!^. It 

 was confirmed to the monks of Durham in 1228, by Bishop 

 Poor ; and again in 1230, by Pope Gregory IX. It was, 

 however, separated from Norham, and made a distinct bene- 

 fice in 1730. 



The church was rebuilt in 1750, and opened July 12th, 

 1752, on which occasion Archdeacon Sharp, Prebendary of 

 Durham, preached. Upon demolishing the old fabric, an 

 Ancient British grave was discovered, made of stone, of about 

 eight feet in length, containing two urns (after the usual 

 fashion in northern countries) placed in a cavity. The leg 

 bones and skull of a person of great size were found therein. 



The church of 1750, being in a very dilapidated condition, 

 and having been rebuilt without any regard to ecclesiastical 

 architecture, was almost wholly pulled down, enlarged, and 



