170 Woodhouses Pele, Coquetdale. By D. D. Dixon. 



"Mackenzie's Hist, of Northumberland says, that, "as late as 

 the middle of the last century, four brothers lived at Warton of the 

 name of Potts, who usually kept the peace at all public sports 

 when there was ill-blood between the people of Coquet and 

 Eedesdale." A tombstone of the Pottses is in the church of 

 Holystone, and records the death of W. Pott of Parnham and his 

 wife Elinor, July 28, 1650. The inscription, of which we give a 

 copy, is curiously arranged : — 



HERE • LYETH • TH 

 E • BODY • OF • AVILLIA 

 M • POT • OF • FAENH 

 AM • IVLY • THE ■ 28 • 

 AN • D • 1650 • 

 AND • 

 HIS • WIFE • ELINOR • 

 I '( )T • NOVEMBER ■ 



With the exception of Parke, no other name commencing' with 

 P occurs in Coquetdale at that period. It is thus possible that 

 the initials W. P. B. P. on the pele at Woodhouses, as well-as 

 the letters C P. E P. 1675, cut in a similar style on the door head 

 of the old bastle house at Sharpcrton, may be those of some 

 member of the Pott family. This is of course conjectural, but 

 circumstances and locality seem to favour the idea. 



[The beautiful pen and ink sketch of Woodhouses Pele is 

 contributed by Mr John Turnbull Dixon, Rothbury.] 



