Historic Notices of Haughton Castle. 151 



vol. i., part iii., p. 66.) He died seized of the manors of 

 Haulghton, Symondburn, Werke in Tynedale, Swynburne, 

 Hennehalgh, Thorneton, Styford, Langeley, Espelwold, Tursothe 

 (Tarset?), besides tofts, searings, messuages, bondages, and 

 other property from Newton and Nunwick to Thirlwall, with 

 a burgage in the town of Newcastle. Wallis (Northd., vol. ii., 

 p. 64, Mote,) adds the manor of Humshaugh, which is not given 

 in the escheat. Adam left three daughters, co-heiresses. 



Here comes in a new disposition of the property, and another 

 line of the lords of Haughton Castle — the Widdringtons. 



In the year 1327, the first of his long reign, the young king 

 Edward III. crossed the Tyne and arrived in this district on his 

 romantic and memorable expedition, so graphically described b} r 

 Froissart in his Chronicles, to intercept the Scottish army under 

 the redoubtable Douglas, who had made a formidable invasion 

 of Northumberland and Durham.* It was in this same year 

 that the young king Edward III. assigned the manor of Haugh- 

 ton to Gerard de Widdrington, as the portion of his mother 

 Christiana, one of the sisters of the last-named proprietor, Adam, 

 and co-heir of her father. Wallis (Ibid, ii., p. 64,) informs us 

 that Christiana had married Sir John de Woodrington of Wood- 

 rington, knight. It is to this period that we may well ascribe the 

 additions to the castle which have been made in the Decorated 

 style of architecture. 



The younger branch of the family of Swinburnes in 1349 still 

 held a manor of Halghton " within the liberty of Werke in 

 Tindall;" and keeping up their ancient connection therewith 

 we find in 7 Henry V., 1406, Sir William Swynburne of Cap- 

 heaton had the castle and demesnes of Haughton-on-the-Tyne, 

 itnder lease from the Widdringtons. Three years after this, 

 Mary, his widow, is to have the three " chambers salers "f and 

 the three cellars built underneath upon the low part of the east 

 side of the hall of the manor of Haughtoune, with reasonable 



* Vol. i., chap, xviii. 



f Compare " the Soler hall in Cantabrege " (Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, 

 The Reeve's Tale, verse 3988;) i.e. the hall with the soler. Tyrwhitt 

 observes that a "Soler" seems originally to have signified an open 

 ' gallery, 1 or ' balcony' at the top of the house ; though latterly it has been 

 used for any upper room, loft, or garret. See Dn Cauge, v. Solarium: — 

 Old French, ' Sollier' " Les femmes de la ville monterent en lenrs logis 

 et en solliers." (Froissart, ' Chroniqnes,' vol. i., chap. 234.) 



