Report of Meetings for 1889. By t>r. J. Hardy. 48l 



MlNDRUM, PASTON, HaRELAW, SlIOTTON, KlRK YeTIIOLM. 



The Third Meeting- took place on July 31st, at Mindrum 

 Station for the green hills adjoining the pleasant dale of Paston, 

 and the south-eastern side of the rich basin of the Beaumont 

 stretching to Kirk Yetholin. Most of the members having 

 breakfasted at home, the preparations for their reception under 

 a tent placed within the Station grounds, were out of all pro- 

 portion to the numbers present. After the President's arrival 

 from a drive of 20 miles, the party started for Paston Hill, which 

 is not the first, but the second of the range ; taking in their way 

 Paston Hall and its fine policies, to which they were welcomed 

 by Mr P. G. Selby, Shotton, in the absence of his brother, Mr 

 B. P. Selby, in London. The Beaumont, flowing here very 

 gently, but not to be trusted in a flood, is crossed by a wooden 

 bridge. The shrubberies are very ornamental ; Spiraea salicifolia 

 in blossom being particularly thriving and showy ; and lines or 

 plots of flowers being disposed next the walks, the effect was 

 highly pleasing. The garden was visited, and contains besides 

 its fruit and vegetable crops, a fair collection of herbaceous 

 standards and fancy blooms, among others very fine Pansies. 

 The mansion, built of freestone, is new and handsome. It 

 contains within it, the old Peel Tower (erected by Gerard Selby 

 before 1542,*) whereof the vault has been converted into a cellar. 

 The place has long been in the possession of the Selb}' family ; 

 the present owner, however, being of a different branch (Selby 

 of Beal) from the earlier holders of the name ; but what 

 commends itself more to us as naturalists, derived from the same 

 lineage as P. J. Selby, the ornithologist, one of the institutorsof 

 the Club ; Selby of Twizell being the first, and Collingwood 

 Selby, now of Paston, being the secondary offshoots of that race. 

 The history of the estate and its owners has not yet been fully 

 investigated, and there is no space for it at present, even had 

 this been accomplished. Before leaving the place, I shall make 

 extracts from a letter received from Mr Selby, intended to draw 

 the attention of members to several objects in the neighbourhood, 

 in which he thought they might feel an interest. In explanation 

 I may state that in company with the Rev. Matthew Oulley of 

 Coupland, I had visited Mr Selby on the 22nd of March pre- 

 ceding, and he had then most obligingly shown us the house ; 

 * Hodgson's Northd., Part III., Vol. II., p. 183. 



