Lesbury Parish, by the late George Tate, F.G.S. 449 



foundation to Alnwick Abbey in 1147, by Eustace Fitz John, 

 who gave to the Abbey the church of Lesbury, with all its 

 appendages, and particularly with the chapels of Houghton, 

 (Longhoughton) and of St. Waleric (Alnmouth), with all their 

 tithes of corn, salt-works, and mills, and the chapel of Aln- 

 wick, with its appendages. About sixty years subsequently, 

 William de Vescy, by charter, gave to the Abbey his fishery 

 of Lesbury, which had yielded him £10 yearly.* After this 

 the history of the church is chiefly merged in that of the 

 Abbey. It remained, however, a vicarage, with the lesser 

 tithes appropriated to the support of the vicars, who were 

 chosen by the abbot from among the monks connected with 

 Alnwick Abbey. The names of a few of the vicars have 

 been preserved in the Durham Records. 



In 1329, Robert de Emeldon was vicar, and he gave by charter 

 to Alnwick Abbey, one toft and a quarter of an acre of land in 

 Aleniuth, and a toft and seventy acres of land in Yetlington and 

 Callaly, and two messuages in Newcastle.f After his death in 

 1342, John Cernare, canon of the abbey, was appointed vicar. 

 John Vigorous occurs in 1377 ; and Thomas Wollour is stated to 

 have resigned the vicarage in 1418, when John Doddington suc- 

 ceeded, after whose death in 1420, John de Alnwyk, canon, was 

 instituted vicar. On his resignation, in 1423, Brother William 

 Marshall was admitted to Lesbury, but in the same year it is 

 recorded that Robert de Middleham was appointed vicar of Les- 

 bury. In 1426, John de Alnwick, a regular, was admitted vicar 

 on the resignation of William Marshall. £ On the death of John 

 de Alnewyk, July 24th, 1433, William de Eslyngton was institu- 

 ted vicar. Sir John de Alnewick occurs as vicar in 1502 ;§ and 

 in 1531, Robert Kendall resigned the vicarage of Lesbury, on 

 being elected abbot of Cokysande. Thomas Wynfelde, chaplain 

 of the church of Alnewicke was instituted vicar of Lesbury, on 

 Oct. 4th, 1531,(1 — the last appointment prior to the Reformation.^ 



* Hist, of Alnwick, vol. i., Appendix, p. ix. 

 f Ibid, vol. ii., p. 9. 

 $ Langley's Kesister, [Canon William Marshall was instituted to Chatton 

 Church on July 8th, 1427— Ibid.] 



§ Savage Vis. 

 || Durham MSS. Ordinations [According to Mr Dickson in History of 

 Alnmouth, p. 38, Wynfelde was presented 11th Oct., 1531, upon the resigna- 

 tion of Kendal— and instituted 24th Oct., 1531.] 



[IT Other churchmen connected with Lesbury, by name at least, are :— John 

 de Lessebire, ordained monk of Alnwick Abbey, in 1315 ; and Nicholas de 

 Lessebery, ordained deacon at Auckland in 1337, upon the title of the Chantry 

 of the Chapel of St. Catherine of Tyllemuth, given him by Walter Crayk. — 

 Eaine's North Durham, p. 324,] 



