214 Report of the Meetings for 1893. 



Mr Tait, in drawing attention to the mill pond, whose waters divide 

 themselves between the Aln and the Breamish, made reference to there 

 having been at Harehope or Eglingham one of the earliest thrashing 

 machines in the county, invented by a farmer called Ilderton. Mr 

 Hodgson explained that that person was Mr Ilderton of Ilderton, who 

 possessed part of the Lesbary corn tithes, and resided at Hawkhill, which 

 he farmed. He obtained his share of the Lesbury tithes through his 

 maternal descent from the Brandlings, another of whose descendants was 

 Mr Ogle of Eglingham, the owner of another portion of the Lesbury tithes. 



Tate, in relating the mechanical skill of Eobert Smart of Hobberlaw 

 says "he invented a threshing machine about the year 1778, when 

 also a Mr ' Elderton,' near Alnwick, made another."* 



And Bailey and Culley say that " Mr Ilderton erected two thrashing 

 machines — one at Ilderton and another at Hawkhillf — worked by horses ; 

 the principle of which was to rub the grain out by projecting pieces of 

 wood (on the circumference of a large cylinder), rubbing against several 

 rollers, either fluted or set with small iron staples. He used it many 

 years ; but it was frequently necessary to put the straw twice through, 

 before it was perfectly clean. "J 



This Mr Thomas Ilderton, says his tombstone at Ilderton, was "the 

 last in a direct line of the family of Ilderton of Ilderton," and died 

 28th October 1789. He died at Hawkhill. 



The dressed stones in Eglingham Hall pleasure grounds, said to have 

 been brought from Harehope, were, in the opinion of Mr J. T. Carse, who 

 is a builder of very considerable experience, of two periods and classes. 



Amble, June 3rd 1893. 



Dear Sir, — I am in receipt of your favour of yesterday, and in reply 

 have to say that the stones that we saw at the west side of the 

 burn were window jambs and sills of late thirteenth century work, 

 having the simple splay and rebate to receive small wooden frame 

 used at this period. I also noticed the sills had holes in the top 

 where the stanchions or iron bars had been placed, this also was 

 much in use at this period and a century or more later. I have little 

 doubt that these stones have belonged to some ecclesiastical building. 



Those at the east side of the burn were stones of a much later 

 date, evidently from a doorway of late fourteenth or early fifteenth 

 century work ; the mouldings were all of this date, having the waving 

 lines in use. These mouldings are never found in thirteenth century build- 

 ings. The same remark applies to the door head which we saw with the 

 spandrils. My opinion is that these stones belonged to a domestic building. 

 J. C. Hodgson, Esq. I am, yours truly— J. T. CARSE. 



* Tate's Alnwick, Vol. ii., p. 383. 



t Mr M. H. Dand says that the thrashing machine at Hawkhill was 

 put up for Mr Ilderton by a joiner named Short of Hawkhill, and 

 that his son, Thomas Short, also a clever mechanic, at the beginning 

 of this century, removed to Ued Row, Chevington. 



X General View of Agriculture in Northumberland, J. Bailey and G. 

 Oulley [1818] p. 50. 



