REPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1906 15 



artist himself set the greatest value, which depicts a dramatic 

 incident in the life of the late Lord Tankerville, who, while 

 a youth, was attacked in the Park by one of the herd of 

 Wild Cattle, and would have been gored to death save for 

 the timely arrival of one of the keepers, and his prompt 

 dispatch with a bullet of the infuriated beast. A considerable 

 time was pleasantly spent in examining these, and other 

 works of art in the drawing-room. 



Among early references to Cliillingham is the record that 



on the 27th January 1344, King Edward III., 

 Historical "of his special grace," granted a license to his 

 Notes. beloved and faithful Thomas de Heton to fortify 



his manor-house of " Chevelyngham " with a 

 wall of lime and stone, and form it into a castle or fortalice. 

 This work of fortification must have been executed with due 

 expedition, as it is further recorded that in 1348 the said 

 Sir Thomas assigned to the vicar of the parish a chamber 

 above the gate of his Castle at Chillingham with stable 

 accommodation for two horses in the West hall of the building. 

 William de Heton, the last of his race at Chillingham, died 

 on 20th September 1400, and his patrimonial possessions 

 passed to his three sisters, Margaret, Jane, wife of 

 Robert Rutherford, and Elizabeth, wife of William Johnson. 

 The date of the accession of the Grays of Heton does not 

 seem to have been ascertained ; but Sir Ralph, whose monu- 

 ment in the parish church has already been described, 

 would seem to have been the first of his family to occupy 

 Chillingham. His son bequeathed the property to his wife, 

 who enjoyed it till her death in 1469. In 1509 it fell to 

 the care of the Bishop of Durham as guardian of Thomas 

 Gray, a minor, and in 1541 the Castle was reported to be 

 in a fair state of repair, having been "of late newly 

 reparelled " by Sir Robert Ellerker, in whose custody it 

 remained during the minority of his step-son Ralph Gray. 

 This influential Border family retained possession of Chil- 

 lingham till 1701, when on the death of Ford Gray, Earl 

 of Tankerville, it passed to his only daughter. Lady Ossulston, 

 whose husband was subsequently created Earl of Tankerville.* 



* Bates' Border Hold.", pp. 298, 300, 



