REPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1901 75 



Clennell, and Alwinton, that rendered service to Umfraville. 

 Again, in 1354, 1361, and 1409, part of Biddleston and the 

 Manor of Seghill were held by the Delavals. This was 

 probably due to the repeated confiscation of the Selby lands. 

 The late Dr Hardy, in his ^^ Notes concerning the Parish of 

 Oxnam,^^ in the Club's Proceedings, Vol. xi., p. 127, when 

 speaking of Sir William Wishart of Plenderleith, states: — 

 "From the Rolls of Scotland we ascertain that Sir Wm. 

 Wishart was displaced by Edward Baliol, who conferred a 

 charter of Plenderlath, dated 24th October 1332, on Sir Walter 

 Selby, the second of the Selbys of Biddleston. Walter Selby 

 the second was a daring but unprincipled man, who sold his 

 services to the highest bidder, being, as Lord Hailes describes 

 him, ' both a robber and a warrior, alternately plundering 

 and defending his country.' He and Walter de Middleton 

 were at the head of the broken men of Northumberland, 

 who were in the pay of Robert I. of Scotland, and who at 

 his direction waylaid at Rushyford, in 1317, two cardinals, 

 the Pope's nuncios, and deprived them of the Bulls and secret 

 instructions for excommunicating Scotland; and imprisoned 

 Louis de Beaumont, Bishop elect of Durham, in Morpeth 

 Castle, and his brother, Henry de Beaumont, in Middleton's 

 Castle of Mitford, till they were ransomed." During the 

 next year, 1318 — Mr Bates tells us — the Scots surprised and 

 took Mitford Castle, and entrusted it to their old ally, Walter 

 de Selby. He, however, on promise of a full pardon from 

 Edward II., delivered it up to Robert Umfraville, Earl of 

 Angus. Notwithstanding this, his Manor of Seghill, held by 

 the service of acting as steward in the hall of Tynemouth 

 on St. Oswin's Day, continued to be confiscated. After this 

 he espoused the quarrel of Edward Baliol, from whom he 

 received, as already stated, the grant of the lands and 

 tenements of Prenderlath, which he retained until 1341 or 

 1342, when Sir Alexander Ramsay captured Roxburgh Castle, 

 and relieved the sheriffdom from English thraldom. In 

 October 1342 the brave Sir Walter de Selby, refusing to 

 surrender the " Pride " of Liddell to David II., was, after 

 withstanding a six days' siege, taken in the storm of the 

 castle, and ordered to instant execution. His son, James de 

 Selby, was long detained a prisoner in Scotland, but appears 



