Amble and Havbxley. By J. C. Hodgson. 117 



Whitehouse Sands, preserving the recollection of a wood house 

 or hut painted white, and neatly kept, which housed a 

 lieutenant and a few blue jackets during Buonoparte's threat- 

 ened invasion. From it an extended view was obtained 

 of the coast from Dunstanburgh to Tynemouth. The 

 mortar which stood near it is now in front of Hauxley 

 Hall. 



Rocks on the shore. — Bondycarrs, Silver-Carrs, the Wilderts, 

 Hauxley Head, Kirtou's Rock, and Wilcars. 



Coquet Island, a detached portion of Hauxley. 



" Cocket Island lieth six leag. from Tinmouth Castle, and above a 

 Mile off shore, and is a good Road for southerly Winds. Prom the soath 

 end of the Island to the shore it is all rocks and broken ground, where, 

 at low water, at one place there is 8 or 9 foot, and dangerous ; but the 

 North Side is bold, only from the north-west part of the Island lie oif 

 some rocks, about half-a-mile : small vessels may bring the Island south, 

 and anchor in three or four fathom, but greater ships must bring the 

 Island south-east, and anchor in five fathom at Low Water. The Road 

 is clean sand."^' 



It is said that a monastery or cell for Benedictine monks 

 existed here in St. Cuthbert's time, as early as 684. It 

 belonged to Tynemouth Priory in the time of Abbot Richard de 

 Albini, 1097-1119, and the Chronicler of St. Albans records the 

 burial at Tynemouth of Henry the Hermit of Coquet Isle.''* 



Roger Thornton, the eminent and opulent merchant and 

 benefactor of Newcastle, died 3rd January 1430: amongst 

 other charitable benefactions devised by his will was ' It'm 

 to Coket-eland j f other leed.'"'^ 



In "The Old Northern Runic Monuments of Scandinavia 

 and England," Mr Geo. Stephens gives a ring found in Coquet 

 Island, bearing "in the usual Old-English runes, the common 

 olden mansname OWI." dating perhaps from the 9th century.®^ 



The Duke of Northumbarland's collection at Alnwick contains 

 an enamelled ornament of metal with a cross in the centre — the 

 colours of the enamel being dark green, light green, and yellow. 



^2 Great Britain's Coasting Pilot by Greenvill Collins, Captain R.N., 

 Hydrographer to the Admiralty. London 1693. p. 18. 



'* The Chronicles of St. Albans quoted by Gibson, Vol. i., p. 38. 



^* Welford, Newcastle and Gateshead, Vol. i., p. 282. 



^^ To which the attention of the writer has been called by Canon 

 Raine. See also Arch. .^1., Vol. vi., p. 195. 



