53 



Notes, respecting a Chapel at Old Bewick, in the Parish of 

 Eglingham, in Northumberland. Communicated by Philip 

 C. Hardwick, Esq., in a letter to John Charles Langlands, 

 Esq. Read by the President, at the meeting at Chatton, on 

 the 28th of May, 1857. 



Russell Square, 1th January, 1851. 

 My dear Sir, 



The little half-ruined Church of Bewick, 

 is one of the most interesting architectural remains in the 

 north of England : — its history ; the locality in which it is 

 placed ; its own intrinsic architectural beauty ; all give it 

 claims on the attention of those who are anxious to preserve 

 memorials of English history and antiquities. 



If you remember I expressed to you my opinion after an 

 examination of the building, that the nave and chancel were 

 built about the year 1110, and in this I am confirmed by Mr. 

 Raine, who, since my visit to the Church, has very kindly sent 

 me some valuable notices of its history. The ville of Bewick 

 appears to have been given to Tinmouth, a Cell of the Monas- 

 tery of St. Albans, by Matilda, daughter pf Malcolm, King 

 of Scotland, and first wife of our Henry I. She was married 

 in 1100, and died in 1118. The grant was made before the 

 year 1107, about which time the Monks became possessed of 

 the neighbouring Church of Eglingham by the gift of Winnoe 

 the hunter ; in all probability the works were begun immedi- 

 ately afterwards by the Monks of Tinmouth. I am inclined 

 to think that the apse is the work of an earlier period, partly 

 from the fact of the straight joint in the wall at the junction 

 of the chancel and the apse, from which one may fairly infer 

 that these two portions of the Church were built at diiferent 

 times, and partly from the character of the windows. The 

 circumstance that Mr. Raine has communicated to me that 

 Gay/rid de Oorham, Abbot of St. Albans (1119-1146) leased 

 the lands of Eglingham and Bewick, to Cospatrick, son of 

 Cospatrick, formerly Earl <diN or thumber land, dxA in the deed 

 no mention is made of a Church at Bewick, though there is 

 of one at Eglingham, does not shake my confidence in the 

 date that an examination of the building itself, induced me to 

 assign to it. 



