Report of Meetings for 1887. By J. Hardy. 47 



On reaching the church we were greatly pleased to meet our 

 Otterburn friend, Dr Robertson, who had to ride nine long and 

 weary miles, on tracks bad to follow before reaching Alwinton. The 

 memory of the Elsdon and Otterburn meeting will remain always 

 green. The Church and churchyard were examined, but as 

 nothing new could be either said or seen, I will quote Mr F. R. 

 Wilson's account of the Antiquities disclosed on its restoration. 



" The walls of the nave, except the two topmost courses, are ancient ; 

 the original ■window sills are in situ, nearly 2 feet below their successors; 

 and there are traces of an ancient door on the north side. The upper part 

 of the west gable and the bell-cot above it, are a later construction, for 

 (hey ore not of the same thickness." "Built into the south wall of the 

 chancel are three sepulchral crosses, more or less perfect. A missing 

 fragment of one of them has been more recently found, and built for its 

 safe keeping into the church-yard wall opposite the church door. In the 

 course of the restorations, a large stone coffin with a coped lid was un- 

 covered, and found to contain two skulls and other bones ; and two ancient 

 tombstones, with large incised crosses rudely executed, are still to be seen 

 in the church-yard."- -(Churches of Lindisfarne, p. 9'.)). 



Major Thompson has favoured me with drawings of these 

 crosses ; but since then another lias been detected. About this 

 and other relevant matters I have been instructed by a letter from 

 Mr John Nicholson, Low Farnham, dated June 18th, 1888. 



■' You may remember there was a projection on the corner outside the 

 church near the door, that there was some speculation about when the 

 B.N.C. visited Holystone. I have been making inquiries about it, and old 

 Thomas Rutherford tells me that there was once a Sun-dial upon it, and 

 he also tells me that when the church was restored, on excavating the 

 place where the chancel now stands, the workmen found an arch that had 

 fallen down apparently in one piece. There seemed also to have been 

 another arch springing from the same pillar as this one, but going in 

 another direction. Some of the crosses built into the chancel wall were 

 found inside the church, and old Tom believes one of them was lying in 

 the churchyard." 



;i One of my boys, a short time ago, discovered a cross carved on a stone 

 that had been built into the gable, inside one of the old rootless cottages 

 standing near the church. It is a very beautiful cross. There is also a 

 sword, but the stone is broken off by the lower part of the cross, leaving 

 little of the shaft remaining. There is also a carved stone lying near; it 

 has been the half of a window head, which has been also in the form of 

 a cross. It is a pity but you could get a drawing of the cross in the cottage 

 wall, as there is no doubt but it has belonged to the old ecclesiastical 

 buildings." 



In an old stable situated opposite the mill, is the segment of 

 an old arch in the west gable, which is part of an ancient edifice 

 once pertaining to the Nunnery. In the garden behind it, once 



