120 Elsdon Parish Register. By Robert Arkle. 



the further important, though mortifying lesson, that many of 

 our neighbours would rudely spurn our proferred embraces. 

 Highlaws, Morpeth, 5 February, 1883. 



APPENDIX. 



To these pleasingly told notices about the parishioners of 

 Elsdon, I may subjoin a few little known particulars, from the 

 " Depositions from the Castle of York relating to Offences com- 

 mitted in the Northern Counties in the 17th century," [Surtees 

 Society, 1861.,] that afford us a glimpse of some of the relations 

 between pastor and people at the period, and the danger to which 

 the former was liable from Border freebooters. " June 6, 1660, 

 Jeremiah Nelson, minister of EUesden, saith that on May 7th, a 

 little before midnight, certain men broke into his house, and 

 came with swords and pistolls into the said house, and shott off 

 a pistoll, and did come into the lodging parlour, where he and his 

 wife lyes, and did threaten him often, that if he would not give 

 them his money presently they would kill him, and some of them 

 said often, 'Kill Baal's priest,' and they took away a purse and bag 

 and money in it." The old Border peel-tower afforded no secu- 

 rity to its inmates. The rector's servants gave chase to the rob- 

 bers, but could not overtake- them. Mr Nelson made another 

 deposition on May 6th, 1660. He then says, "that John Shield, 

 Quaker, did disturb him, on the 27th, in the pulpit, and on 

 Monday last he did deny the Holy Scriptures contained in the 

 Bible to be the word of God." The Editor adds, at Durham, on 

 Dec. 5, 1637, I find Percival Eeed, charged with "abuseinge Mr 

 Isaac Marrowe, clerke, parson of Elsden, calling him base priest, 

 and stinking castrell, and did push the said Mr Marrowe by the 

 beard." pp. 84-85. J. H. 



