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



epithetes." He was twice married ; and while his first wife was 

 living he went to the continent with Miss Christiana Buck, whom, 

 however, he married after his first wife's death ; but from her too 

 he soon separated. After being settled at Lesbury, a hoax was 

 played upon him ; he was informed by letter that his wife had 

 died, and that her remains had been sent to Alnmouth, by ship, 

 for burial at Lesbury. Rejoiced at the news, he prepared for her 

 funeral, and went aboard the vessel on its arrival ; but to his 

 horror he found a living instead of a dead wife. " The Dead 

 Alive again," a farce on the subjeet, written by Thomas Colling- 

 wood, was printed and acted at Alnwick. He died at Lesbury, 

 on (September 14th, 1811, aged 78 years, and was buried at 

 Cornhill. He was a voluminous author and enjoyed some repu- 

 tation in his own day, but his works are now neglected. He 

 wrote poems, sermons, political pamphlets, memoirs, criticisms, 

 and essays. A life of Waller was held in considerable esteem ; 

 and his largest work "Lectures on the Poets," may even now be 

 read with pleasure and profit. His autobiography, in two 

 volumes, dedicated to his friend Miss Porter, is interesting to 

 north-countrymen. [For other notices of Stockdale see his Me- 

 moirs, 2 vols 8vo., London, 1809, where there is a list of his 

 writings; — Quarterly Review, vol. i., p. 371, May 1809; Memoir 

 by Miss Jane Porter, in Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, vol. viii., 

 p. 18 ; — Eaine's North Durham, p. 324, note; — Disraeli's Calam- 

 ities and Quarrels of Authors, p. 219; — Mackenzie's History of 

 Northumberland, vol. i., pp. 359-360 ; — Local Historian's Table- 

 Book, vol, iii., pp. 109-111 ; — Tate's History of Alnwick, vol. ii., 

 pp. 93-94.] 



The Rev. William Procter, A.M., who was master of the gram- 

 mar school and curate of Alnwick, was inducted vicar on August 

 6th, 1812 ; he also obtained the vicarage of Longhoughton ; he 

 died March 19th, 1839, aged 77 years. Of this amiable vicar I 

 have given a short memoir in the History of Alnwick (vol. ii., 

 pp. 94-97.) The Rev. Oswald Head was inducted vicar on June 

 4th, 1839 ; he was also rector of Howick, and died 1st February, 

 1854, aged 55 years. The Rev. Charles Dowson succeeded, but 

 resigned the vicarage in 1858. The present vicar, the Rev. 

 Edward Lawrence Marrett, M.A., was inducted on September 

 17th, 1958. 



\jt the Saxon or early Norman church, which was in existence 

 in 1145, when it was given to Alnwick Abbey, there are now no 

 remains ; for the present structure was erected in the beginning 

 of the thirteenth century, in the Lancet or Early English style of 

 architecture, and it is but a poor specimen of the period. Church- 

 wardian alterations had been made in the course of last century ; 

 but about 1854, a rate of sixpence in the pound having been 

 collected for the purpose, it was extensively repaired and restored 

 under the direction of Mr Salvin ; the south wall was rebuilt ; 



