Historic Notices of Haughton Castle. 155 



probably printed in London.* Mr Christopher Magnay, the son 

 of the foreman of Mr Smith, became Alderman of Vintry Ward 

 in 1811, and was Sheriff of Londoii in 1814, when the allied 

 sovereigns and the Prince Regent were entertained in the guild- 

 hall. Oobbett in his " Paper on Grold " (p. 316) refers to this 

 counterfeit French paper money, and cites Espinasse's Law 

 Reports for 1795 (p. 389) in a case tried before Lord Kenyon, 

 on behalf of the engraver of the forged French assignats. M. 

 Louis Blanc, in his " Histoire de la Revolution Francaise," 

 also refers to Sheridan's assertion of the fact in the House of 

 Commons (vol. v., p. 386). But perhaps the exhibition of the 

 remaining paper-mould itself through the kindness of the widow 

 of the last descendant in the male line of the family of Smith 

 of Haughton Castle (the grandson of the coadj utor of the English 

 Premier and the London alderman and sheriff) will suffice, as 

 giving ocular demonstration of the truth of this strange incident. 

 Though sadly impaired by long neglect from being placed in a 

 lumber room, and with much that is deficient, the important 

 point of the date upon the fabricated assignats is made clear, 

 namely, 1790. It is visible both in the mould itself and on the 

 blank paper sheet recently taken from it by my late friend, 

 Mr Wm. Smith, which I also show. This mould for four notes 

 is oblong, 19 inches by 12 inches, having 15 cross bars. The 

 month is said to have been September, and the amount one 

 hundred francs or £4, for this particular impression. We may 

 well desire further and fuller information, which I fear is 

 scarcely possible now, as to this extraordinary curiosity of 

 history. 



When I came first to reside in this valley in 1860, the castle 

 was still in the possession of the family of Smith ; but in the year 

 but one following (1862) it passed by purchase into the hands 

 of the present proprietor, Mr George Crawshay, who has 

 made some additions, which made it more convenient for 

 habitation. 



It would be strange indeed, if, sharing the turmoils and 

 chances of six hundred years, no legendary stories should 

 attach to this stronghold ; especially when we remember that 

 it owned as its lords for more than three centuries a branch 

 of that famous Northumberland family of Widdrington — one 



* Notes and Queries, Second Series, vol. vi., Sejj. 25, 1858, pp. 255-G. 



