406 J\ r otes on Akeld and Coupland. By M. Culley. 



Some of the name afterwards became famous on the Borders, as 

 "the fause hearted Ha's," an appellation given them in conse- 

 quence of their cruel betrayal of Percival Eeed, a Keeper of 

 Eeed- water, into the hands of a marauding band of Crosiers, who 

 attacked him, riding- alone through a remote pass of the Cheviots, 

 and slew him in cold blood. The appellation, and the event which 

 led to it, are to this day remembered in Eeedsdale. In later times 

 the Halls acquired a more honourable notoriety, for the Laird of 

 Otterburn joined the Northumbrian rising for the Stuarts in 1715, 

 and in their cause lost both his head and his lands. 



When the Halls acquired their estate within the lordship of 

 Coupland, I cannot exactly ascertain. It was never large. In 

 1594, John ' Hall of Otterburn made his will, and after disposing 

 of Otterburn, left " to his son Thomas his land in Coupland, for 

 his life, paying 12d, and reversion to his eldest son William Hall." 



The Forsters' estate at Coupland would appear to have been 

 disposed of by sale or otherwise, before the end of the 16th 

 century. In 15G3, Sir John Forster of Bambrough, the Lord 

 Warden of the Middle Marches, sold land in Coupland to Gilbert 

 Wallis of Akeld, yeoman; and in 1567, Thomas Forster of 

 Adderstone, Esq., sold to James Wallis of Coupland, yeoman, all 

 his "messuage, land, tenement, etc.," in Coupland. 



The Wallises soon afterwards became the principal propi'ietors, 

 next to the Greys, both in Coupland and Akeld. They came of 

 an ancient race in the south of Northumberland, and were of kin 

 with the Wallises, Lords of Knaresdale. It is possible some of 

 the family may have been settled in the neighbourhood of Coup- 

 land as farm tenants or otherwise,, sometime prior to their 

 purchase of land there. I find the following early notice of the 

 name in Glendale in a Bond of 1509, from "John Thomson 

 of Kyllom, Holland Walles of Newingefeld, in Glendale, James 

 Walles in Aykheld, and Eichard Paleynge of Kyllom, yeoman, 

 to Eoger Fenwick, Esq., and Eobert Musgrave, Esq., Justices of 

 the Peace for Northumberland, conditioning for the bondsmen 

 to enter the body of William Huntley of Yeaveringe, yeoman, 

 son of Gilbert Huntley, of the same place and style, within the 

 Iron yetts of the Hygh Castell of Newcastell upon Tyne, at the 

 next Session of Gale delyvere within the said Castell." 2 



I have not the date of the first purchase of land by the Wallis 

 family at Akeld, but I think it possible they may have owned land 



1 Surtees Society, Vol, of Wills. 2 Archseoiogia iEliana. 



