Report of Meetings for 1885. By Jas. Hardy. 57 



patronage. James I. conveyed the advowson with the seignory of Wark 

 to George Home, Earl of Dunbar, and at his death to his daughter 

 Elizabeth, Countess of Suffolk, whence it passed by purchase to the Rad- 

 cliffe family, and again to the Crown on the attainder of James, Earl of 

 Derwentwater, passing ultimately to Greenwich Hospital, which, however, 

 did not exercise the right of patronage until 1814, when, with the other six 

 benefices dismembered from it, and Alston in Cumberland, the presenta- 

 tion was restricted to chaplains in the R.N., who must have served eight 

 years at sea, unless — please observe the amount of activity looked for from 

 Greenwich Hospital rectors — they have lost a limb. Some men of mark 

 in various ways have been reckoned in the roll of rectors of Simonburn ; 

 some of them seem to have been of the well-known opinion of the Vicar of 

 Bray, for Nicholas Harburn, 1535 to 1567, must have had religious views 

 of an elastic character, as the various changes of faith from the days of 

 Henry VIIT. to Elizabeth did not remove him. Of the same kind must 

 have been William Kimber, 1636 to 1666, who the Ecclesiastical Inquest 

 of 1650 describes as a ' preaching minister who receives the profits of the 

 parish to his own use,' for there is no trace of an ' intruder' here during 

 the Commonwealth. The rectors were not without their troubles. John 

 of Sandale, 1312, had his living sequestered for £68 2s 6d, but all the 

 assets found were five marks. Robert Cuthbert, 1578, when the Northum- 

 brian clergy were required at the general Chapter held in Newcastle to 

 inquire into their knowledge of the gospel of S. Matthew in English, if not 

 in Latin, is reported as one who had not completed his task. Major 

 Allgood, 1681, presents Thomas Eidley of Parkend and others for running 

 horse races publicly on the Lord's Day, and Margaret Heron of Nunwick 

 for entertaining them, and having music in her house whereby several 

 were kept from church. Two or three were men of mark in a wider 

 world than this. Robert Rydley, nominated 1510, brother to Sir N. 

 Ridley of Willimoteswick, and uncle of Bishop Ridley, was high in the 

 favour of Henry VIII., and, besides his northern benefice, had three 

 London livings and two prebends at St Paul's. Dr Turner says he was 

 famous throughout Europe, and that Nicholas, the bishop, who passed 

 some of his early years here, was maintained at his charges at Cam- 

 bridge, Paris, and Louvain. Stainforth, 15U6-1623, was the Proctor for 

 the Noi'thumbcrlancl clergy, and Prob. of Southwell. His daughter 

 was the wife of a Bishop of London. The last names I will mention 

 are those of one who is called ' the last real rector,' the last who held 

 the undivided parish, Dr. James Scott, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, 

 and twice Seatonian prizeman. He received this preferment from Lord 

 North as a reward for his clever replies to Junius, under the soubriquet of 

 Dr Slyboots ; and of John Wallis, the historian of Northumberland, who 

 was curate for many years. Time does not admit of my even referring to 

 any of the tales of the two latter, which still linger round the countryside. 

 I have now only to thank yon for your presence here to-day, and to con- 

 clude with the words of the writer of the book of the Maccabees, ' if I have 

 done as is fitting the story, it is that which I have desired ; but if slender- 

 ly and meanly, it is that which I could attain unto.'" 

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