Notes on Bamburgh and Blanchland, by W. Dickson. 333 



nephew, General Forster. Again, he says, soon after these 

 events, he, Lord Crewe, purchased from the Government 

 Commissioners for forfeited estates, the Forster property, of 

 which Bamburgh was the principal seat. 



All these historians are incorrect ; for the purchase by 

 Lord Crewe was made a.d. 1709, six years before the rebel- 

 lion was ever heard of. This shews when a statement is 

 once made, how apt future historians are to follow it, rather 

 than investigate the subject for themselves. 



The records of the Court of Chancery are full of informa- 

 tion upon this matter. The true statement is as follows. 

 After the death of Wm. Forster, Esq., without issue, in April, 

 1700, and of Ferdinando Forster, in August, 1701, the manor 

 and castle of Bamburgh, and the manor of Blanchland, and 

 all the estates of their late father, Sir William Forster, 

 descended to two females, viz. : Dorothy, Lady Crewe, as 

 sister and co-heir of William and Ferdinando Forster, and to 

 Thomas Forster, jun. (the rebel general), eldest son and heir 

 of Frances Forster, the only and other sister of William and 

 Ferdinando ; and that Lady Crewe and her nephew were 

 heirs-general to Sir William Forster, Knight, all the rest of 

 his children being dead without issue. So that Lady Crewe 

 took one moiety, and her nephew Thomas the other, subject 

 to debts. 



In Hilary Term, 1701, Lord and Lady Crewe and Thomas 

 Forster, jun., exhibited a bill in Chancery, to have a rent- 

 charge of £500 a-year, which had been created out of the 

 estates by William Forster, sold for the payment of specialty 

 debts secured on the property. 



In February, 1701, that was decreed to be done; and 

 Lord Crewe became the possessor of it at £10,000. The 

 money was paid into court and applied accordingly. 



In Easter term, 1704, several creditors exhibited their bill 

 in Chancery against Lord and Lady Crewe and Thomas 

 Forster, the younger, to have the estates sold for payment of 

 the general debts ; and it was on the hearing decreed that 

 they should be sold. 



They were accordingly sold, and Lord Crewe became the 

 purchaser at £20,679. 10s. He was reported by the Master 

 to be the beet bidder, and his report was confirmed by the 

 court. 



This sum included the before-mentioned £10,000, and 

 besides it was subject to a rent charge of £350, for Elizabeth, 



