An Account of Lesbury Parish, by Geo. Tate, F.G.S. 241 



commands during war times. The bailiff of Alemuth was, in 

 1316, ordered to send the ships of that port, sufficiently muni- 

 tioned and victualled to go to Gascony ; in 1326, all ships of 

 Alnmouth carrying thirty tons and more, were commanded to be 

 at Orewell, in Suffolk, sufficiently armed and victualled for the 

 defence of the kingdom ; and, for this purpose, Ealph de Neville, 

 Thomas de Grey, John de Fenwick, and John de Lillburn, were 

 appointed supervisors of the ports of Alemouth, Warkworth, 

 Dunstanburgh, and other northern ports. Commands were also 

 addressed in 1333 to the bailiffs of the vills of Alnmouth, Wark- 

 worth, Emildon, Bamburgh, Hali eland, and Twedemuth, to de- 

 tain all the ships of these ports, carrying fifty tuns of wine and 

 upwards, and with all speed to equip them with munitions of 

 war, that they might be ready to go forth in defence of the king- 

 dom. Similar commands were issued in 1334 ; and in 1336.1 

 [On the 13th Dec. 1336, the bailiffs of the towns of Alemouth 

 and Tynemouth are directed to send three or four trustworthy 

 men to Norwich, on the Friday next after the feast of the Cir- 

 cumcision of our Lord, to take council for the defence of the 

 kingdom, and other business of great moment.]! Probably in 

 Saxon times Alnmouth was more important than Alnwick, but, 

 in course of time, the latter became pre-eminent, from increased 

 trade and population, and Alnmouth became the port of Alnwick. 

 Henry YL, in 1464, granted to the burgesses of Alnwick to make 

 and establish for ever a free port in Alnemouthe, and license to 

 ship load and unload there wools, skins, wool-fels, coals, and 

 fish. || Such exports were the raw produce of the broad pastures 

 and wild moorlands of the district, in which large flocks and 

 herds of cattle and sheep grazed ; and while little corn was grown 

 none could be exported. Sufficient corn indeed was not then 

 grown in the district to supply its wants ; and hence corn was 

 imported into it, even in the reign of Henry VIII. ; for it is re- 

 corded in 1533 that seven Scottish ships had sailed out of Scot- 

 land to capture ships laden with corn for Berwick ; and it is 

 added that part of it was ready to be sent to Aylemouth and 

 Holy Island. The relation of Alnmouth to Alnwick as its port 

 is shewn in a document among the Corporation muniments ; for 



t Rot. Scot. vol.Ji., pp. 248, 259, 309, 311, 324, 468. 



t Ibid. vol. i.,p. 475. 



|| Hist, of Alnwick, ii., Append, p. v. 



