296 THE MANOR OF BEAL 



tenant, and paid yearly two marks. The other moiety was 

 held by Adam de Behil, in drengage, paying yearly the rent 

 of twenty shillings, and rendering works in the demense lands 

 at Fenwick, in Islandshire.^ 



By an undated charter attested by important witnesses, 

 printed in the Appendix (No. dglxxxv.) to Raine, North 

 Durham, Gilbert de Beyl granted nine acres of land in Beyl 

 to the Prior and Convent of Holy Island for the sustentation 

 of a light. This was before the year 1259. This land was 

 subsequently leased by the Prior and Convent of Durham, to 

 William, son of A. de Behill at the rent of 9s. a year.^ 



By a charter, dated 1st October, 1340, Robert de Helmesley 

 senior, gave to John Heron and Eleanor his wife, all his 

 lands in the vill of Behill. The grant was attested by Dom- 

 inus Thomas Gray, Robert de Manners, and Robert de Gray, 

 knights, Robert de Hagerston, Robert de Tughall, Alexander 

 de Chesewyke, Adam de Behil.^ On the 5th of November 

 following, Heron and his wife obtained pardon from Richard 

 Bury, the book-loving Bishop of Durham, for having acquired 

 Helmesley's lands without having previously obtained his licence 

 (as chief lord of the fee). The premises comprised six messuages, 

 two carucates of land, and ten acres of meadow. ^ Some 

 portion of the vill remained in the hands of the native family 

 until the year 1382, when Agnes, widow of Thomas de Behil, 

 died seised.'' 



Norham and Island shires, which from very early times had 

 belonged to the Bishops of Lindisfarne and their successors, 

 the Bishops of Durham, were virtually subtracted from the See 



2 Sources of Testa de Nevill. Arch. Ael. 2 Ser. Vol. xxv., p. 152 where 

 the name Behil, by a printer's error, is printed Rehil. 



* Raine, North Durham p. 204. Gilbert de Behil's seal is preserved in 

 the Treasury at Durham. It is round, l^ins., bearing a round topped 

 shield between two cresents, ♦!♦ sigill gilberti de behil. Cf. Durham 

 Seals. Arch. Ael., 3 Ser., Yol. vii., p. 289. Gilebertns de Beiel was an 

 attesting witness to an Order charter (circa 1210-1220) printed in Proceed- 

 ings of Newcastle Soc. of Antiq., 3 Ser., Vol. ii., p. 39. 



* Lansdowne MS., fol. 44b. 



^ Bishop Bury's Register printed in appendix to Kellaw's Register (Rolls 

 Series) Vol. in. p. 349. 



** Raine, North Durham, p. 203. 



