325 



High Buston. By J. C. Hodgson. 



At the Northern extremity of Warkworth parish, and 

 bounded by Shilbottle, Lesbury, Alnraouth, the mouth of the 

 river Aln, and the Nortli Sea, is the township of Over, Upper, 

 or High Buston. It is in East Coquetdale Ward, contains 721 

 acres, and stretches from East to West about two and a quarter 

 miles. The western portion was formerly common, and is of a 

 clay wheat soil ; the remainder of the township is excellent 

 barley and turnip land, and very rich pasture ; by the sea is a 

 strip of link. 



In 1831 the annual value was £948, in 1890 (with the rail- 

 way} the rateable value was £1478. In 1831 the population was 

 92, in 1891 it is 81. 



The township is a poor-law and highway parish, and at the 

 Court-leet of Warkworth has a constable appointed for it, whose 

 duties however are purely honorary. It is bisected by the main 

 line of the N.E. Railway Company. 



The Rectorial tithe, formerly owned by the Bishop of Carlisle, 

 now paid to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, is commuted for 

 £78 8s. 8d. ; the vicarial tithe commuted for £23 16s. 6d. is paid 

 to the Yicar of Warkworth. 



The ancient hamlet, which gives its name to the township, 

 stands on a ridge about a mile from the sea, of which it com- 

 mands a magnificent view extending to Cresswell Point. The 

 houses are founded on the living rock, and near at hand is an 

 excellent freestone quarry ; limestone has also been wrought for 

 home use, and coal exists under the western portion — probably 

 of the well-known Shilbottle seam. 



Only by keeping steadily in mind that High Buston has 

 always been a member of the Barony of Warkworth, and 

 Lower Buston of Wark-upon-Tweed, can the early notices of 

 ButUston be apportioned. This, partly confirmed by other 

 evidence, would lead us to assign to the lower township all the 

 grants of land to the Abbey of Newminster, conferred by the 

 feudal tenants of the lord of Wark Barony. The earliest 

 accessible notices of High Buston are found in the Pipe Rolls, 

 where we find in 11 66 " For the Pleas of the county [of the Iter] 

 of Godfrey and Richard de Luci, Lambert de Butlesdune, owes 

 one mark for his groundless appeal [or perhaps he did not appear 

 If 



