The Manor of Beal and its Successive Owners. 



By J. C. Hodgson, M.A., F.S.A. 



It is now full sixty years since the Rev. James Raine put 

 the counties of Northumberland and Durham very deeply in 

 his debt by giving them in a noble folio his History and 

 Antiquities of North Diirhara as sub-divided into the shires of 

 Norham, Island, and Bedlington, which districts comprise the 

 oldest portion of the Patrimony of St. Cuthbert. In that 

 history, although designed on a large scale, the account of 

 Beal only occupies a couple of pages, extended by incidental 

 notices in other parts of the volume. As was to be expected, 

 since Dr, Raine's account was published, much fresh material 

 has been accumulated through the labours of members of the 

 Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, the Newcastle Society of 

 Antiquaries, the Durham and Northumberland Parish Register 

 Society and others, f 



In outline the manor of Beal is, in shape, somewhat like a 

 scimitar or like a bow drawn against the North-East. It has 

 on the North, Haggerston and Lowlinn ; on the South, Fenham 

 and Mount Hooley ; and on the East and North-East it is 

 bounded, at low-water, by the stream, or river, Low, or Lindis, 

 which meanders over the vast expanse of sands — twice a day 

 covered by the sea — which connects ' the haunted strand ' of 

 Holy Island with the mainland. 



fThe writer desires to acknowledge his indebtedness to Mr. C. F. 

 Thorp, who, by giving an inspection of an abstract of title to the Selby 

 fee, suggested this paper ; to Mr. Robert Blair for assistance to discover 

 the burial place of Henry Forster ; to Mr. Robert Bolam for an inspection 

 of the Conditions of Sale of Beal ; to Dr. Burman for the use of an 

 annoted copy of the Will of a certain Northern Vicar ; to the Rev. 

 Matthew Culley for information on the life of St. Begha ; to Mr. F. W. 

 Dendy for the use of an abstract of title effecting property in Newcastle 

 once held by the Burdons ; to Mr, Edwin Dodds and Mr. H. R. 

 Leighton for extracts from the Newcastle Courant, &c. ; to Mr. H. M. 

 Wood for extracts from Parish Registers ; and others. 



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