68 REPOKT OF THE MEETINGS FOR 1896 



the south-west of the county. It has apparently always 

 been pronounced ' Uffham,' and in this Mr Woodman — whose 

 monograph upon Ulgham : its Story, has been largely 

 drawn upon for this notice — sees a probable derivation of 

 the name from "ham" the home of "uf" the owl. An 

 alternative derivation is from the "ham" of " Ulf " or "Ulph. 

 The manor and chapelry (now divided into the three townships 

 of Ulgham, Ulgham Grange, and Stobswood), were granted by 

 William the Conqueror, with the barony of Morpeth, to 

 William de Merlay or Marlay, with whose descendants through 

 the successive families of Greystoke, Dacre, and Howard 

 the greater part remained until 1889, when it was sold 

 by the Earl of Carlisle to Sir James Joicey of Longhirst. 

 The alienated portions were the estates granted to Newminster 

 Abbey and to the knights of St. John. The only relic of 

 the Norman lords is the ' Marlish Gate' — the portioa of the 

 road from Ulgham to Morpeth where the Howard and Portland 

 estates meet. Mr Woodman has printed copious extracts 

 from the presentments made at the manor courts by the litigious 

 neighbours, and also the Court Roll for 1619, in which year 

 Anthony Eumney was bailiff of the manor. His tombstone 

 remains in the churchyard, and the following inscription, in 

 raised letters, can still be deciphered. It runs: — 



HEAR. LYETH. A | NTHONY. RO | MNEY. GENTEL | 

 MAN. WHO. WAS. | BAYLIFPB. OF. | VLGHAM. DECEASED. 

 THE. I XXV. OF. MARC | H. ANNO. DOM | MINI. 1621. 



Tradition has it that his family had fled to Ulgham Park to 

 avoid the infection of the plague, which, carried by a favourite 

 dog, followed and destroyed them all. 



The old market cross, consisting of a shaft about six feet 

 and a half high standing on a base with three steps, remains 

 in the village. There is a tradition that during the raging 

 of the plague at Morpeth, the market of that town was 

 held here. 



The Parish Chukch was probably originally built by 

 Margery, " the lady of Ulgham,"* whose body reposed before 

 the high altar of Newminster ; it was, and (until recently) 

 continued to be, a parochial chapel within the rich rectory 



* Newminster Chartulary, p.p xvi. and 298. 



