150 Historic Notices of Haughton Castle. 



" Haughton, Northumberland. Probably built by the Swin- 

 burnes, temp. Edward I., 1272-1307." There is much reason to 

 assign the building of Haughton Castle to the rich and powerful 

 chief of Swyneburne, rather than to one of his immediate 

 successors. He might well feel disposed to secure his new 

 possessions by erecting this strong fortress in so commanding 

 a position, within the English territory of the Scottish King, in 

 whose Court, as attached to the Royal Consort of Alexander, he 

 held high official position. In the 14 and loth Edward I., 

 1285-87, William de Swynburne appears as owner of Old 

 Halgton, Halgton-Strother, and Halgton. To him as son and 

 heir succeeded Alexander, who married Agnes de Thornhill. 

 Their daughter Margaret took for her husband John Prat, to 

 whom twenty pounds as dowry was given, Alexander her father 

 being liable together with John de Yallibus, and it was duly 

 paid. For rebellion against Edward I., John Prat * forfeited 

 his patrimonial Manor of Knaresdale, with its appurtenances, 

 which was granted, 8 Edward I., to his wife's relative, Robert de 

 Swyneburne, for his good services done, and to be performed in 

 future, in Scotland. Another William de Swynburne, miles, 

 succeeded Alexander. In 10 Edward II., 1316, he granted to 

 William de Kergill and Beatrix his wife, in confirmation, the 

 agreement which Agnes de Thornhill, formerly wife of Alexander 

 de Swynburn, his father ( "quondam uxor Alexandri de Swynburn, 

 patri meo (?) " is his expression),, made with the said William and 

 Beatrix, touching her dower of the vill of Halghton. 



In 1318 and 1326, a manor of Haulfton, or Halghton, (pro- 

 bably, Mr Longstaffe supposes, the remaining two-thirds), is 

 found to have belonged to a nephew of the first William de 

 Swynburne, and to that nephew's father. They were both called 

 Adam, and they were elder in blood to William. There seems 

 to have been at this time at least two manors at Haughton. 



According to "The Calendar of the Inquisitiones Post Mortem," 

 or Escheats of 20 Edward II. (1326) Adam de Swynburn the 

 younger had added to the family estates. (Hodgson, Northd., 



* Mr Hardy, our Secretary, has given me an interesting reference (see 

 Article on Jedburgh, immediately preceding this, in the "Proceedings,") 

 to a Deed dated May 10, 1296, where the officers of the Sheriff of Nor- 

 thumberland seize this John Prat's domestic utensils, and sell for three 

 shillings two Brass Pots and a Patella (Roman ?) found at his dwelling- 

 house at Knaresdale. 



