Shilbottle Parish, 1855

SHILBOTTLE PARISH

SHILBOTTLE parish comprises the townships of Guyzance, Hazon, Newton-on-the-Moor, Shilbottle, Whittle, and Woodhouse, and is bounded on the north by Alnwick, on the south-east by Warkworth, on the south-west by Felton parish, and on the east by Lesbury. It is about four miles in length by three and a half in breadth, and embraces an area of 7,704 acres. This parish is in a high state of cultivation, has an excellent coal mine and an abundance of limestone. The population in 1801, was 1,031 ; in 1811, 1,104 ; in 1821, 1,153; in 1831, 1,195; in 1841, 1,208; and in 1851, 1,298 souls.

GUYZANCE, or GUYSON, is a township and village in this parish, the property of the Duke of Northumberland; Robert Delisle, Esq. the heirs of the late Thomas Fenwick, Esq., and Thomas Tate, Esq. The rateable value is £1,671 10s., and the tithes, which are the property of Thomas Tate, Esq., are valued at £130 per annum, The number of inhabitants in 1801, was 172i in 1811, 186; in 1821, 173; in 1831, 197; in 1841, 205; and in 1851, 213 souls. THE VILLAGE of Gnyzance is situated seven miles south by east of Alnwick. There was formerly a priory here, which was annexed to Alnwick Abbey, by Eustace Fitz John. We find from Tanner's Monastica that it was endowed with a portion of the tithes, and two bovates of land, but as to any other portion of its history we possess no records. The remains of the old chapel are still here, with the burying ground, in which the Tate family are still interred, BANK HOUSE, the seat of Thomas Tate, Esq., is situated about a mile north of the village.

BRAINSHAUGH is a hamlet in this township, situated seven and a half miles south by east of Alnwick.

DIRECTORY, Thomas Carae, blacksmith and agricultural implement maker; James McKenzie, joiner; Joseph Hobinson, schoolmaster; Henry Throbe, miller, Guyzance Mill; Thomas Throbe, shopkeeper; and the farmers are John Bell, and shopkeeper; George Bolam, Brainshaugh; George Coxon, Blacklee ; and George Tate, and yeoman, East House.

HAZON is a township and hamlet in the above parish, the property of William Lawson, Esq. The area of the township is 1,409 acres, and its rateable value, with that of Hartlaw, is £1,647 2s. Population in 1801, 132; in 1811, 116; in 1821, 99; in 1831, 92 ; in 1841, 85; and in 1851, 118 souls. The tithes of Hazon and Hartlaw were commuted in 1839, aggregate amount, £34 5s., vicarial; £187 impropriated; and 9s, 6d. due to the parish clerk. This township comprises four farms and a corn mill. THE HAMLET of Hazon is situated on an eminence about six miles south of Alnwick, and two and a half miles west of Warkworth Station. The whole township is farmed by John Hogg. Esq., of Hazon House.

DIRECTORY, John Hogg, Esq., Hazon House; and Matthew Dixon, Esq., miner, Hazon Mill.

NEWTON-ON-THE-MOOR is a township and village in this parish, the property of Captain Samuel E. Widdrington, of Newton Hall; Mr. Strother, Mr. Davidson, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Jamieson. Coal and limestone are abundant here. The township contains 911 acres, and its rateable value is£1,468 9s. 11d. The number of its inhabitants in 1801, was 162; in 1811, 228 ; in 1821, 244; in 1831, 265; in 1841, 290; and in 1851, 290 souls. THE VILLAGE of Newton is pleasantly situated six miles south by west of Alnwick. Here is a METHODIST NEW CONNEXION CHAPEL, erected in 1842, upon a site given by Captain Widdrington. There is also a school which is endowed with £15 per annum for the education of poor people's children of Newton-on-the-Moor, and the precincts thereof. At present, two children of each poor family in the township are taught reading and writing free, with pay scholars. NEWTON HALL, the seat of Captain Widdrington is situated in a beautiful lawn, a little south of the village, and in its neighbourhood there is a very strong Chalybeate Spring.

SHILBOTTLE is a township and village giving name to the parish in which it is situated. The area of the township is 2,935 acres, and its rateable value is £2,351 8s. The population in 1801, was 472; in 1811, 465; In 1821, 548; in 1831, 557; in 1841, 549; and in 1851, 601 souls. It is the property of the Duke of Northumberland. Here is an excellent colliery, which gives employment to a considerable number of the inhabitants. THE VILLAGE of Shilbottle is pleasantly situated in a fine open country, three miles south by east of Alnwick. THE CHURCH, dedicated to St. James, is a neat edifice, and the parish register commences in 1690. The living, a discharged vicarage in the archdeaconry of Lindisfarne and deanery of Alnwick, valued in the Liber Regis at £4 14s. 8d. gross income, £222. The patronage is vested in the Crown, and the Rev. John B. Roberts, B.A., is vicar. Here is a school which possesses a small annual endowment, Archibald Mitchison, schoolmaster.

CHARITIES. Henry Strother, by his will bearing date 30th November, 1751, bequeathed the interest of £50 for the education of the poor children of this parish. Frances Strother, in 1765, left £100, the interest of which was to be divided, and one moiety was to be devoted to the poor and needy of the parish of Shilbottle, and the other moiety for the provision of a Protestant school-master of the school at Newton-on-the-Moor; but owing to some mistake, the whole of this bequest, at the time of the Charity Commissioners' Report, was paid to the master of the school in Newton. Frances Strother, by her will hearing date 4th April, 1770, bequeathed the interest of £100 for the use of the public school of Newton-on-the-Moor.

CARRIERS TO ALNWICK.-John Hindmarsh and George Slater, on Saturdays

WHITTLE township is the property of Major Clutterbuck, of Warkworth, Its rateable value is £518 19s., and it contains 545 statue acres. Population in 1801, 64; in 1811, 101; in 1821, 64; in 1831, 53; in. 1841, 56; and in 1851,40 souls. Tithes commuted in 1839, aggregate amount, £47 2s. Coal and limestone of excellent quality are found here. This township contains two farms, called High and Low Whittle.

DIRECTORY. George Lough, farmer and lime burner, Low Whittle ; and Mr. Ralph Henderson, High Whittle.

WOODHOUSE township is situated four miles S.S.E. of Alnwick, and corn· prises an area of 572 acres. It contained in 1801, 29; in 1811, 8; in 1821, 25 ; in 1831, 31 ; in 1841, 23 ; and in 1851, 36 souls. The rateable value is £422 10s., and the Duke of Northumberland is proprietor. Tithes corn· muted in 1839; aggregate amount, £75 4s. 2d. to the vicar of Shilbottle, and 3s. 3d. to the parish clerk. This township contains one farm, which is worked by William Fenwick, Esq., of South Side ; William Gibson, farm steward.