344 Higli Buston. By J. C. Hodgson. 



served in H.M. Customs, sometime at Blyth, and for many years 

 in Newcastle. He married Jane, daughter of Lieutenant John 

 Forster, E.N., of Warkworth, by whom he had fifteen children, 

 now all dead, the last surviving son being the universally re- 

 spected Lieut. -Col. George Forster of Warkworth, of the E.I. Co. 's 

 Service, who died at Warkworth unmarried, 1889, aged 88. 



The Granary on the right bank of the mouth of the Aln, stands 

 on Forster's lands ; the date of the building is unknown, but it 

 may possibly have been built by Joseph Forster as a provision 

 and means of livelihood for his son Samuel, who resided there 

 and carried on the then lucrative trade of corn merchant in 

 Alnmouth's palmy days. It has since been let in tenements, and 

 is fast becoming ruinous. ^^ 



In 1828 there was a village ale-house, which bore the sign of 

 the 'Plough.' It was kept by Eobt. Common, an ingenious 

 millwright and cartwright. Mr Tate, in his History of Alnwick, 

 gives a circumstantial account of the miraculous longevity, 

 ability, and bodily strength of his fore elders. He was the 

 father of John Common of Denwick(born here 1778), who in 1818 

 received a silver medal and 10 guineas from the Society of Arts, 

 and 30 guineas from the Highland Society, for double drill 

 turnip sower. To him and to his associate, Henry Ogle, is 

 ascribed the invention of the reaping machine, which they in 

 1822 exhibited at Alnwick market, and tried at Broomhouse and 

 afterwards at South Side. Tate's Alnwiek, vol. ii., p. 409. 



Place Names. 



Grassy Homers. The Horsleys. The Crowdy Hole. 

 Corny Homers. Toft Hill. Linold Crooks. 



Dunstan {old grass) Knee deep. 



^^ Forster's farm was advertised to be let in the Newcastle Journal of 

 July 1797 ; it was then tenanted by Mr George and Mr Samuel Forster, 

 and is described as consisting of 256 acres, with right of common. With 

 it was an excellent granary, which would contain 2000 bolls [old bolls] of 

 oats, ' and commodiously placed for carrying on an extensive trade in any 

 branch of business.' It was re-let to Geo. Forster at the rent of £330. 



A fine landscape painting, in oils, of the old granary by Mr W. Charlton 

 of Gosforth, was exhibited at the Bewick Exhibition, Newcastle, 1890-91. 



