248 Report of the Meetings for 1895. 



Over seventy years ago Mr Dand remembers to have been 

 told of a tradition of Widdrington having been devastated 

 by a foreign invasion, and the Eev. John Hodgson notes 

 that the French landed on the coast circa 1693. The 

 tradition, and assertion are proved by the following extract 

 from the Parish Book of Billingham, in the county of 

 Durham. 



Jnly 31st 1692. Collected yn in ye parish chnrch of Billingham, 

 in ye Coantie pallatine of Durham, for a briefe for ye inhabitants of 

 Driiidge, Widdrington, Chibborne, for a losse by ye French landing 

 there, three shillings seanen pence.* 



The company now divided, those on foot proceeding to 

 the shore and walking northward along the beautiful white 

 sands, rich in shells, of Druridge Bay. The driving party 

 returning by the same road traversed in the earlier part of 

 the day, as far as Chevington Church, and thence deflecting 

 to the east, through Hadston, past High and Low Coldrife, 

 and Eadcliffe Colliery to Hauxley, where they were rejoined 

 by those who had walked. Mr M. H. Dand, one of our 

 oldest members, welcomed the Club at his house — Hauxley 

 Cottage — where, after refreshment, opportunity was taken to 

 examine some of the treasures of his library. 



In driving through Amble the carriages were halted to 

 inspect the interesting pre-Reformation remains of the manor 

 house, of which a plate was given in the last volume. 



The dinner was at the Sun Inn at Warkworth. Before 

 and after, opportunity was taken to inspect the Castle and 

 Church, under the guidance of the Rev. R. W. Dixon, 

 vicar of Warkworth. By special permission the private 

 rooms of the Castle were thrown open, and the curious 

 old tapestry, preserved there, examined. 



The following were present at this meeting: — Mr William 

 T. Hindmarsh, F.L.S., Alnbank, Alnwick, President; Dr Hardy, 

 Secretary ; Mr Thomas Clutterbuck, Warkworth ; Rev. Canon 

 Dixon, Warkworth ; Rev. William Sykes, vicar of Widdrington ; 

 Mr Middleton H. Dand, Hauxley Cottage; Mr J. Crawford 

 Hodgson, Warkworth ; Mr John Dunlop, Berwick ; Mr George 

 Bolam, F.Z S., Berwick; Mr John Ferguson, F.S.A. Scot., 

 Duns; Mr George Fortune, Duns; Mr Charles S. Romanes, 



* Proc. of Soc. of Antiq. of Newcantle, Vol. iv., p. 150. 



