86 JOURNAL OF JOHN ASTON, 1639 



holy life obtained a miraculous gift to the island, that about 

 9 a'clock every Sonday the water should bee soe lowe, that 

 the inhabitants of the countrey that parish to that church 

 may come dry shod to prayers and retourne before it flowe 

 againe, and it happens soe noe day of the weeke besides : but 

 upon enquiry I was tould it was but a superstitious tradition, 

 and noe truth. This church and buildings were demollished 

 by the Earle of Sussex since the beginning of King James 

 his reigne, to whom the government of the isle was given. 

 There is a pretty fort in it, which upon this occasion was 

 repaired and put into forme. There are 2 batteries on it, 

 on the lower stood mounted 3 iron peeces and 2 of brasse, 

 with carriadges and platformes in good order. On the higher 

 was one brasse gunne and 2 iron ones with all ammunition 

 to them. There are 24 men and a captain kept in pay to 

 man it, the common souldiours have 6o?. per diem, and the 

 captain [« s2Jace is left here]. The captain at our beeing there 

 was Captain Rugg^^ knowne commonly by his great nose ; 

 hee had been captain there under the earle of Sussex divers 

 yeares, yet now hee was not solely trusted but had Captain 

 Hodge Bradshaw joyned him. Hee gave us such courteous 

 Wellcome as his poore habitation would affoord. 



[May] 28. Hence wee went to Barwick the same night 

 beeing 6 mile, and found the towne soe thronged that wee 

 had much adoe to get lodging. The king was yet in towne 

 at an ould ruined house of his owne called the Castle, but his 

 privy counsell, I believe, were jealous of his safe tie there, or 

 els of disorders in the campe if his majestic were not present 

 in it. 



^^ Robert Rugg apparently succeeded his father-in-law, Henry Jones, 

 " Deputy Captain of Norham and Island-shire " who died in 1629. 

 Cf. Raine, North Durham, p. 164. See also account of Holy Island 

 by Gibert Blakston, quoted in Proceedings of Newcastle Society of 

 Antiquaries, 3 Ser., Vol. in., p. 294. 



" In this island, in a dainty little fort, there lives Captain Rugg, 

 governor of the fort, who is as famous for his generous and free 

 entertainment of strangers, as for his great bottle nose which is the 

 largest I have seen." Bx'ereton, Journey through Durham and North- 

 umberland in the year 1635, p. 33. 



