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Harhottle Castle. By George Tate, F.G.S., &c. 



(Read at Alwinton, June 25, 1868.) 



Harbottle, or, as it was written in 1244, Herbottel, is 

 derived from two Anglo-Saxon words— Aere an army, and 

 botl an abodg or dwelling — and means the army or military 

 station or dwelling. Older than the castle, there had been 

 a stronghold, and probably, too, a mote hill, like those of 

 Wark, Elsdon, and Haltwhistle, on which the ancient inha- 

 bitants held their meetings to settle their disputes, and award 

 justice, in accordance with ancient custom. It was in the 

 royal franchise of Redesdale, which, according to a charter 

 quoted by Dugdale, was held in Saxon times, by Mildred, 

 the son of Ackman ; but, in 1076, William the Conqueror 

 gave the lordship of the valley and forest of Redesdale, with 

 its castles, manors, lands, woods, pastures, waters, parks, and 

 royal franchises to his kinsman, Robert de Umfranvill, knight, 

 lord of Toures and Vian, otherwise Robert with the beard, 

 to be held by the service of defending that part of the country 

 from enemies and wolves, with that sword which King 

 William had by his side when he entered Northumberland.* 

 Excepting during short intervals, this franchise was in pos- 

 session of this family till 1436, when Sir Robert Umfre- 

 ville, a vice-admiral of England, dying without issue, the 

 lordship of Redesdale, including Harbottle, was inherited by 

 Sir Walter Taylbois, lord of Hepple, as descendant of his 

 great-grandmother, who was daughter of Robert de Umfre- 

 ville, and wife of Gilbert de Burroden, and who died in 1381. f 

 Inquiry was made, at this time, into the character of the 

 tenure by which it Avas held ; and it was concluded to be by 

 royal power or great sergeantry, and that the relief due from 

 it to the King was one year's rent, which, at that time, was 

 assessed at £6 lis 4id, and no more, on account of the war 

 with Scotland. From failure, again, in male heirs, Harbottle 

 passed, in 1541, to Eliz. Taylboys, wife of Thomas Wymbyshe, 

 by whom it was exchaiiged with Henry VIII., for other lands, 

 sometime about 1546. It remained the property of the Crown 

 till 1604, when James I. granted it to his favourite, Lord Home; 

 but, on his death, it reverted to the Crown, and not long after, 



• For his services at the Conquest Uinfranville was further rewarded by the 

 harony of Prudhoe, the parish of Alwinton, the manor of Fawdon, and the 

 manor of Humbleton in Rutlandshire. 



f A long and interesting history of the Umfrevilles is given in Hodgson's 

 Northumberland I., part 111. 



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