384 Anniversary Address. 



" A region of repose it seems, 

 A place of slumber and of dreams 

 Eemote among the Mils." 



Here the Alwine is wedded to the Coquet ; it is enough to 

 refer to the nuptials.* 



At this meeting were present — Mr. James Hardy, President; 

 Mr. George Tate, Secretary; Dr. Bruce, Messrs. Robert Doug- 

 las, F. V/. CoUingwood, Robert Middlemas, Edward AUen, 

 J. C. Langlands, Revs. A. Procter, J. S. Green, Robert Henni- 

 ker; and as visitors, Rev. Dr. Cathcart, Rev. Mr. Meggison, 

 Messrs. William Richardson, H, Hunter, H. H. Blair, &c. 



The members were hospitably entertained to breakfast at 

 the vicarage. They then viewed the renovated church, a 

 worthy memorial of the present amiable vicar, the Rev. 

 Aislabie Procter. It contains monuments of the Clennells, 

 and of the Selbys of Biddleston. In the Churchyard the turf 

 is so little broken that it still carries the wild flowers of the 

 district : Geranium dissectum was then in blossom. Scolopen- 

 drium vulgare, in the rockery, was said to be from Holystone 

 dean. The ancient church was resorted to as a sanctuary. 

 In the time of Gilbert de Umfreville, 1293, &c., who exercised 

 almost regal jurisdiction, "Thomas de Holm being taken 

 within his franchise escaped out of the prison at Harbottle 

 and fled to the church at Alwenton, but Simon Smart and 

 Benedict Gley, porter of Harbottle, beheaded him at Simon 

 Seth and hung his head up on the gallows at Harbottle." 

 The same unscrupulous chieftain is accused of compounding 

 felony, at the instance of the vicar of Alwinton, v^^hose nephew 

 Ralph being taken within the liberty and imprisoned, his 

 uncle the vicar gave twelve marks to the Lord, and thus the 

 criminal escaped. f 



After breakfast, the members divided into parties: one 

 visited Harbottle Castle, the Drake stone, the ruins of Holy- 

 stone nunnery and Paulinus' well. Lantern side or Campville, 

 Sharperton and the Peels. They brought back specimens of 

 the juniper and Habenaria chlorantha. The other party 



* Marriage of the Coquet and the Alwine. Edited by John Adamson, New- 

 castle, 1817. 



f Ho'Jgson, Hist. Northumberland. 



