Report of Meetings for 1881. By Jas. Hardy. 455 



traditional and probably far-descended name, only Ella instead 

 of an early settler is popularly said to be a Danish giant, and a 

 terrible robber, wbo dwelt on the Mote bills. Elsdon is also said, 

 on a traditionary basis, and from tbe church being dedicated to 

 St. Cuthbert, to have been one of the retreats to which the body 

 of the saint was conveyed, during those years of dangerous in- 

 quietude, consequent on the Danish invasion of Northumberland, 

 A.D. 875.* Elsdon was part of the gift which "William the Con- 

 querer bestowed on the first of the Umfravilles, " Eobert with the 

 Beard," on the condition of keeping the country free of wolves, 

 and defending it from the E!ing's enemies, by the same sword 

 with which WiUiam entered Northumberland. This family held 

 Eedesdale " per regalem potestatem.'' The dispossessed Anglo- 

 Saxon owner was Mildred son of Akman. In the reign of Henry 

 ni., this extensive power was wielded by two chieftains, a father 

 and a son, both named Gilbert. The vill of Elisden was then 

 held from them in fee by 1 . Richard fitz William, who had a 

 carrucate of land by the 20th part of a Knight's fee. 2, Eobert 

 de Umframvill, who held another carrucate on the same terms. 

 3. Hugo Payn, who held a third carrucate, which seems to have 

 exhausted the arable land, paid one pound of pepper. f From an 

 inquisition 29, Hen. III. 1244, we ascertain that the advowson 

 of the Church pertained to the Umfravilles, Lords of the Manor. J 

 After breakfast at 12 o'clock, which was requisitioned at two 

 different inns, the members were conducted round the church and 

 its characteristics were explained by Dr Eobertson, Mr Thomas 

 Arkle, and by Mr F. E. Wilson, architect, under whose superin- 

 tendence the church had been restored in 1877. The restoration 

 has been very judiciously performed, and the church may now be 

 termed an elegant and comfortable place of worship. 



The church is cruciform, and was erected about 1400. The 

 north transept is called Anderson's porch, and the south transept, 

 Hedley's porch, after clans of those names. There is a fine ar- 

 cade with side aisles, in the nave, and west sides of the transept. 

 In the restoration a flat roof was removed, and a vaulted substi- 

 tuted. The only remains of a still older church, are two pilasters 

 in the west gable of early Norman design — about 1100— and 

 perhaps the two small windows in the west ends of the aisles, 

 from whence perhaps in the " riding times " an arrow may have 

 * Eaine's Hist, of North Durham, p. 71, Note, f Testa deNevill, p. 385. 

 |Calend. Ing. p. m. i. p. 3. 



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