LOW DINSDALE
Ditneshal, Ditleshal (xii cent.); Ditteneshale
(xiii cent.).
Dinsdale, called Low or Nether Dinsdale to distinguish it from Over Dinsdale on the Yorkshire side
of the Tees, lies on the left bank of this river, which
here flows mainly from south to north before turning
eastward again. The land is mostly from 100 ft. to
170 ft. above sea-level, but at the south and north
contact with the Tees the surface descends very steeply
to the river, and here the banks are clad with trees.
Between these overhanging banks there is an open and
more level area in the bend of the river, on which
stand the church, the old manor-house (fn. 1) and farm
adjoining it to the south, and a cottage or two, the
situation being retired and beautiful. The parish area,
a narrow strip of country 3½ miles long, measuring
1,174 acres, extends some distance north of the river,
wedged between Middleton St. George on the east and
Haughton le Skerne and Hurworth on the west. On
the south it is bounded by Sockburn, and at this end
there is a large plantation on the western side.
The road from Hurworth and Neasham leads eastward to the manor-house and church and then crosses
the Tees by a bridge; there are two fords about a
mile north and south of it respectively.
In 1537 possession of the manor-house of Dinsdale
was in dispute between the daughters and heirs of
Katherine Place and their step-brother Roland. The
heiresses put in one Richard Barwick to occupy the
house, but one October day fourteen 'ryottous and
mysruled persons' by the procurement of Roland
attacked the house, drove out Richard Barwick by
force of arms, so using him that 'he stode in feare
and jeopardie of his lyffe,' and remained in possession. (fn. 2) The present manor-house occupies the
ancient site. 'It stands within a square inclosure
surrounded on all sides by double moats of early date.
In it is a hiding-place to which access is obtained from
above.' (fn. 3) In the last decade of the 19th century excavations were made near to the building, 'when the
foundations and lower story of a large gate-house, a
little to the north-east of the house, were uncovered.
In it was a square newel stairway and chambers
which had been vaulted. The whole was shortly
after covered up again as the excavations were inconveniently near the house. No plans were made.' (fn. 4)
The northern or inland end of the parish is crossed
by the Darlington and Stockton branch of the North
Eastern railway. This end also contains part of the
village known as Fighting Cocks, (fn. 5) formed of cottages
standing on the road from Middleton St. George to
Darlington. There is a Wesleyan chapel here. Low
and High Stodhoe are farms north of the railway line.
On the bank of the Tees, near the Middleton
boundary, is a sulphurous spring or spa well, discovered
in 1789 in an attempt to find coal. It became famous
and is much visited in the summer. (fn. 6) The Spa Races
were held near it on 17 and 18 March 1842. (fn. 7) About
2 miles up the stream are other spa wells. (fn. 8)
The soil is mixed; wheat and barley, beans, turnips
and potatoes are grown. The agricultural land is thus
occupied: arable 381 acres, permanent grass 565,
woods and plantations 28. (fn. 9) About 1850 the corresponding figures were 643, 265 and 40 acres. (fn. 10) The
river runs over a bed of red sand which was sometimes
used for building purposes. (fn. 11) Below the church there
was a salmon fishery. The dam at Fishlocks, higher
up, was considered very injurious to the salmon. A
description of the boundary between Dinsdale and
Middleton St. George in 1594 gives some indication
of a change from tillage to pasture. The bounds
began at Countesworth and ran along the line of the
High Street towards Sadberge field side. On the west
or Dinsdale side of the road 'the ox-close lieth, as also
a parcel of ground lying towards Morton field betwixt
the ox-close and Sadberge field containing 40 acres,
and was about fifty-four years ago (i.e. 1540) in tillage
and about that time laid to pasture, with Middleton
Moor adjoining to it on the east side of the said
highway, the tithes whereof belong to Dinsdale.' (fn. 12)
At Fighting Cocks there are iron works and wire is
made; some reservoirs of the Tees Valley Water
Board are formed there.
The history of the parish has been uneventful.
The Protestation of 1641 was signed here. (fn. 13) John of
Darlington, a Dominican theologian who became
Archbishop of Dublin, is said to have been born in
Dinsdale. He died in 1284, having been archbishop
since 1271. (fn. 14) Francis Place, an amateur engraver
and painter of some note, was a younger son of
Roland Place of Dinsdale, and was probably born
in this parish in 1647. He was articled to an attorney
in London, but being driven away by the Great Plague
of 1665, he renounced the law for art. He settled
at York, and was a friend of Ralph Thoresby and
other notable men of the time; some of his engravings
were for Thoresby's Ducatus Leodiensis and Drake's
F.boracum. There is a collection of his works in the
British Museum. He died in 1728 and was buried
in St. Olave's, York, being described as 'of Dinsdale'
on his tomb. (fn. 15)
MANORS
The manor of DINSDALE was coextensive with the parish. (fn. 16) It was held
of the lords of Barnard Castle by knight
service, forming with Coatham and Stodhoe one
knight's fee. (fn. 17) The lords of Low Dinsdale occasionally used the local surname, but more usually called
themselves Surtees (Super Teisam).
William son of Siward, who in 1166 held 'Goseford' (Gosforth, Northumberland) and Over
Middleton (q.v.) of the king by the service of one knight, (fn. 18) was
ancestor of the family. He was still living in 1171. (fn. 19)
'Randulf de Super Teise,' who
paid 100s. relief in 1175, on
succeeding to his lands in
Northumberland, (fn. 20) may be
identified with Ranulf de
Dinsdale, who with Beatrice
his wife and Richard their son
and heir before 1186 granted
Rounton Church to the Bishop
of Durham; and he again is
obviously the same as the Ranulf
son of William 'super Teisam'
of another charter about the
same church, Beatrice the wife
being mentioned. (fn. 21) The seals
of both charters bear the legend 'Sigillvm Ranvlfi Filii
Willelmi,' while Ranulf's son Richard, who succeeded
about 1196, is called the heir of William son of
Siward. (fn. 22) Richard Surtees made a further grant about
Rounton Church, (fn. 23) and held Gosforth by the service of
two-thirds of a knight's fee in 1210. (fn. 24) He lived till
1222 at least. (fn. 25)
Surtees. Ermine a quarter gules with a voided scutcheon or therein.
Ralph Surtees, brother of Richard, (fn. 26) was the
next in possession. (fn. 27) In 1232 and 1237 he was
collector of subsidies in Northumberland. (fn. 28) In 1235–6
he was plaintiff in a suit concerning common of
pasture on the moor of Dinsdale. (fn. 29) He granted or
confirmed to the monks of Durham the church of
Dinsdale, in addition to that of Rounton, for the maintenance of lights around the body of St. Cuthbert. (fn. 30)
In 1240, and again in 1253, he formally released the
claim he had made to the advowson, (fn. 31) and died in or
before 1257, when his heir was found to be his
nephew William son of Walter Surtees, aged twentyfour. (fn. 32) William paid 5 marks as relief and had livery
of his lands in Northumberland. (fn. 33) He died in or
about 1270, and the wardship of his son and heir
Walter, who was not quite of full age, was granted to
Adam de Jesmond, a justice. He, on going to the
Crusade in July 1270, granted it to his kinsman
Ralph de Cotum; Ralph also set off for the Holy
Land, and sold it to his brother Sir John. (fn. 34) In 1271
livery was granted to Walter Surtees. (fn. 35) He died on
30 November 1278, holding Dinsdale of John de
Balliol by the service of one knight; Nicholas his son
and heir was eight years old. (fn. 36) In 1317 Nicholas
was stated to hold Dinsdale, Coatham and Stodhoe of
the Earl of Warwick as one knight's fee, paying
13s. 4d. for castle guard, and doing suit at the court
of Gainford. (fn. 37) He had married Isabel daughter of
Thomas de Fishburn, who in 1313 was summoned
by Bishop Kellaw to answer a charge of incest. The
matter was in the bishop's hands for some time. (fn. 38)
Nicholas died in 1318. (fn. 39) His widow Isabel in
November of that year received dower, having sworn
that she would not marry without the king's licence. (fn. 40)
She was still living in 1344, when she held dower in
Over Middleton and Morton. (fn. 41)
Thomas Surtees, son and heir of Nicholas, had
livery of his father's lands in 1318. (fn. 42) By 1339
he had been made a knight, (fn. 43) and in 1346 he was
said to hold half a knight's fee in Gosforth, 'called
in the book of evidences the vill of Ranulf super
Teisam.' (fn. 44) His son Thomas occurs from 1342, (fn. 45) and
in 1344 Sir Thomas had licence to grant to his son
Thomas and Alice his wife land called Levedyken,
and certain rents. (fn. 46) Soon afterwards the father died, (fn. 47)
and the escheator was directed to give the younger
Thomas seisin of his lands, he having done homage. (fn. 48)
Thomas, who was a knight by 1366, (fn. 49) represented
Northumberland in Parliament in 1361–2 (fn. 50) and
1372, (fn. 51) and was sheriff there in 1372 and 1378. (fn. 52)
He died in 1378, holding the manor of Dinsdale;
Alexander, his son and heir, was twenty-two years of
age. (fn. 53)
Alexander succeeded his father as Sheriff of Northumberland in 1379. (fn. 54) He was dead in 1380, leaving
as heir a son Thomas, an infant. (fn. 55) The wardship was
granted to John de Popham, the bishop's nephew. (fn. 56)
When Thomas was about ten years old the feoffees
were allowed to grant certain lands to him and Isabel
his wife. (fn. 57) In 1408 he, being then a knight, was
made one of the commissioners of array for Darlington
Ward, (fn. 58) and a few years later he was entrusted with
the like office for Sadberge Wapentake. (fn. 59) When
Sir William Claxton and Sir William Bulmer went to
the French wars in 1416, their wives became 'paying
guests' at Dinsdale. (fn. 60) In Northumberland Sir Thomas
Surtees acted as sheriff for two years, 1420–2, (fn. 61) and in
1428 was recorded as holding the fourth part of a
knight's fee in North Gosforth. (fn. 62) He died in April
1435, desiring to be buried in St. Nicholas', Walmgate, York. (fn. 63) His heir was his son Thomas, twentyfour years of age, who at once had livery of his lands; (fn. 64)
like his father, he served as commissioner of array. (fn. 65)
Sir Thomas Surtees had in 1426 conveyed to Thomas
his son and his wife Margaret certain tenements in
Gateshead. (fn. 66) Margaret the widow, Thomas Surtees
the elder, Thomas Surtees the younger and Katherine
his wife and others in 1446 had pardon for any trespass
in this matter. (fn. 67) In Northumberland Thomas Surtees
had held the manor of North Gosforth, in conjunction
with Margaret his wife, by grant of his father Sir
Thomas. (fn. 68) Thomas Surtees died on Christmas Day
1443; his heir was a son Thomas, aged ten, (fn. 69) apparently
already the husband of Katherine Ascough. He died
in or about 1480, (fn. 70) and his son Thomas succeeded
him. (fn. 71) The inquisition taken after the death of the
latter in 1506 shows that he had given an annuity to his
brother William in 1486 from the manor of Dinsdale
and another in 1492 to his sister Anne. The heir
was a son Thomas, aged thirty-nine. (fn. 72) The widow
Elizabeth (a second wife) had dower assigned to her
in 1507 out of the manor of Dinsdale and other lands,
including Ingdale Close in Dinsdale. (fn. 73) The younger
Thomas, the last of the male line to hold the manor, (fn. 74)
died in 1511, leaving as heir his sister Katherine
second wife of John Place of Halnaby, Yorks. (fn. 75) The
father had married a second time, having issue a son
Marmaduke, aged sixteen. The inquisition recites
various settlements of the estates made from the time
of the last Sir Thomas Surtees downwards. (fn. 76) Margery,
the widow, had dower assigned to her in 1514. (fn. 77)
Owing to the inability of the 'half-blood' to
inherit, Katherine succeeded to the manor. Prolonged
lawsuits followed, and ended in 1552 in an agreement between the representatives of Katherine Place
and Marmaduke Surtees. The latter renounced all
right in the manors of Dinsdale and Stodhoe, Ponteys
Mill, the fishgarth, and various other estates, but
received the manor of Over Middleton and a moiety
of the manor of Morton Palmes. (fn. 78)
Katherine Place left a son Bernard, who died without issue, and three daughters her co-heirs: Anne,
wife of Sir Robert Brandling, Elizabeth, wife of
Thomas Blakiston, and Dorothy, wife of William
Wycliffe, (fn. 79) who left a son, Francis Wycliffe, to join in
the settlement of 1552. (fn. 80) Katherine's husband had
by a previous wife a son Rowland, to whom William
and Dorothy Wycliffe conveyed their third of the
manor in 1538. (fn. 81) He died in 1538 and was
succeeded by George his son, who in the following
year obtained a conveyance of 'the manor' from
William Gaytherde, Elizabeth
his wife, George Fenny and
Marjory his wife. (fn. 82) George
died without issue in 1551,
when his lands passed to
Christopher his brother. (fn. 83)
Christopher Place obtained a
life interest in the manor of
Dinsdale from his uncle Bernard in 1543, and purchased
Francis Wycliffe's third part. (fn. 84)
Christopher died in 1558; he
left five daughters and coheirs, (fn. 85) but two of them,
Dorothy Boynton and Elizabeth Forster, conveyed this
third part of the manor in 1592 to the heir male, their
father's nephew, another Christopher Place, son of
Robert. (fn. 86) This Christopher acquired another third from
William Blakiston, grandson of Elizabeth Blakiston, in
1597 and the remaining third from Robert Brandling
three years later. (fn. 87) He was thus lord of the whole manor,
and in 1615 made a settlement of it in tail male on the
marriage of his son Christopher to Mary Constable. (fn. 88)
He died in January 1623–4, (fn. 89) and his son died a month
later, leaving a son Rowland, who died in 1680. (fn. 90)
Of Rowland's children, Rowland, the eldest, inherited Dinsdale; another was the artist, Francis Place,
already mentioned. (fn. 91) Rowland died in 1713, and was
succeeded by a son of the same name, who died in
1717 without issue, his four surviving sisters being his
co-heirs. (fn. 92) They sold Dinsdale to Cuthbert Routh in
1718–22, (fn. 93) and Cuthbert in 1752 left four daughters,
Judith, Elizabeth, Jane and Dorothy, (fn. 94) as co-heirs, who
in 1770 sold the manor and most of the lands to
Major-General John Lambton for £15,000, having
sold parts of it previously to Robert Killinghall and
George Hoar. (fn. 95)
Place. Azure a chief argent with three wreaths gules therein.
The manor descended in 1794 from Major-General
Lambton to William Henry his son, who died in
1797. His son John George Lambton first Earl of
Durham built the house called Dinsdale Park as a
hunting residence about 1825 and died in 1840.
He was succeeded by George, second Earl of Durham,
who about 1844 sold it to Henry George Surtees,
Sheriff of Durham in 1862. He died unmarried in
1879, and Dinsdale passed to his brother, the Rev.
Scott Frederic Surtees, who in 1889 was succeeded
by another brother, Nathaniel. Nathaniel died in
1902 and his son John Ralph Surtees in 1914. The
property passed to his cousin Aubone Surtees, who
about 1914 sold Dinsdale Park, the Spa, the golf
course and Wood Head Farm to Sir Henry S. M.
Havelock-Allan, retaining, however, the manor-house,
the manor farm, Fishlocks and Ashen Farm. Aubone
Surtees died in 1923 and his widow and son Aubone
conveyed their estate to Henry Patrick Surtees,
brother of Aubone the elder, the present owner.
Robert Place of Dinsdale, who compounded for
'delinquency' in 1651, was perhaps the younger
brother of Rowland. (fn. 96) Neasham Priory is stated to
have owned Hungerle in Dinsdale; (fn. 97) possibly it was
the same as two closes called Endell in Dinsdale,
part of the priory lands granted to James Lawson
in 1540. (fn. 98) The Lawsons afterwards had land in the
parish. (fn. 99) Robert Botcherley was the owner of
Hungerle about 1820. (fn. 100)
STODHOE
STODHOE has been mentioned above in the
account of the Surtees estates; it was included in the
13th and 14th centuries in the manor held by the
Surtees family for one knight's fee of the lord of
Barnard Castle. Subsequently it was called a manor
of itself, and was described as held of the Graystocks. (fn. 101)
In 1645 a free rent of 2s. for Stodhoe was due from
Marmaduke Wilson to Sir Francis Howard, lord of
Neasham. (fn. 102) On the partition of the Surtees lands in
1552 Stodhoe fell to the descendants of Katherine
Place. In 1605 John Ward of Hurworth purchased
lands from Robert Brandling and Jane his wife, (fn. 103)
and after his death in 1631 he was said to have held
a fourth part of this manor of the king. His heirs were
two granddaughters, children of his son George. (fn. 104)
About 1820 Stodhoe was owned by Henry Chapman. (fn. 105)
The freeholders in 1684 were Rowland Place, Sir
William Blackett, and Alderman Ramsay of Newcastle. (fn. 106)
In 1699 Charles Turner acquired a piece of land in
Dinsdale from Sir William Blackett and Julia his wife. (fn. 107)
CHURCH
The church of ST. JOHN BAPTIST
consists of a chancel 28 ft. 6 in. by
13 ft. 9 in., with north vestry and organ
chamber, nave 27 ft. 6 in. by 15 ft., south chapel
28 ft. 3 in. by 13 ft., south porch, and west tower
8 ft. square, all internal measurements.
The site is an ancient one, and fragments of pre-Conquest sculptured stones, including two cross-heads,
the lower part of a cross-shaft, and half of a hog-back
stone have been found. (fn. 108) No part of the present
structure, however, is older than about 1196, at which
time the church appears to have consisted of a chancel
with an aisleless nave. Early in the 14th century
the chapel of St. Mary was added on the south side of
the nave, the chancel was reconstructed and the west
tower built. In 1875, the building being very
dilapidated, a restoration was carried out which, while
revealing many ancient features, necessitated practically
an entire refacing of the church. Almost the only old
masonry now remaining anywhere outside is the pink
sandstone in the chancel; the new work is of red
sandstone. The chancel, nave and south aisle are
under separate gabled roofs of slate, and all the
windows, with one exception, are modern, though
preserving to a large extent the old designs, and the
walls are plastered internally.
The chancel has a three-light pointed east window
with geometrical tracery and two square-headed windows of two trefoiled lights on the south side. Of
these only the jambs, head, and sill of the easternmost of the south windows are old. Between the
windows is a disused priest's doorway with modern
shouldered arch; the window at the east end of the
north wall is similar to those opposite. West of this
the wall is open to the organ-chamber by a modern
arch. In the restoration of 1875–6 a 'rude stone
sedile' (now removed) and a piscina were discovered
in the chancel, and a double piscina in the chapel.
The arches of the piscinae were restored; the bowls,
however, are untouched, and in a perfect condition.
Part of a round-headed window belonging to the late
12th-century church was also exposed in the chancel
at the same time. The pointed chancel arch is of
two chamfered orders continued to the floor without
imposts, with hood-mould towards the nave terminating in carved human heads. The arch has apparently
been re-chiselled. The roof and the chancel fittings
are modern.
The arcade between the nave and the chapel is of
two pointed arches of two chamfered orders springing
from a central octagonal pier with moulded capital
and base, and at the ends from half-octagonal corbels.
There are no hood-moulds to the arches, and the
masonry is all of red sandstone. The aisle has a large
three-light window at the east end, with the mullions
crossing in the head, probably a copy of an older
one (fn. 109) ; the other windows, both in the chapel and
nave, are modern.
The tower is of four stages, with diagonal buttresses,
embattled parapet and angle pinnacles. There is a
projecting vice at the north-east corner, and the belfry
windows are of two lights, with a quatrefoil in the
head. On the north, west, and south sides are clock
faces. The tower arch is of two chamfered orders,
without hood mould, and the pointed west window
is of three trefoiled lights with tracery.
The porch was rebuilt in 1875, but that which it
replaced is described as having been 'quite modern.' (fn. 110)
The outer opening, however, consists of an old pointed
arch of two chamfered orders and moulded label
terminating in heads. In the west wall is built an
incised grave slab, with a cross and sword, bearing
the inscription, 'Goselynus Surteys,' who died in
1367, and two other fragments of mediaeval grave
covers. In the east wall are five pre-Conquest fragments with interlaced work, part of an incised slab
and the head of a two-light square-headed window.
There are two steps down from the porch to the floor
of the church.
On the wall above the pier of the arcade, facing
towards the aisle, is a brass plate to Mary Wyvill
(d. 1668), bearing a shield of eight quarters, with crest
and mantling. She is buried in Spennithorne Church. (fn. 111)
The font and pulpit are of stone, and date from
1876. The old font, a plain shallow circular bowl
roughly wrought to octagonal shape, stands on a
plain circular pyramidal stem at the east end of the
aisle. It appears to be of 12th-century date. (fn. 112) The
octagonal step is apparently of later date.
The tower contains one bell, cast by John Warner
& Sons of London in 1876.
The plate consists of a chalice and cover paten of
1571, with the maker's initials IF, probably for John
Foxe, and inscribed on the base of the cover 'Ano.
Dni 1571'; a paten of 1726, given to Dinsdale
Church in 1806, having the maker's initials WA;
a flagon of 1757, made by Benjamin Cartwright of
London; and an almsdish of 1868, by Barnard & Sons,
given by the Rev. J. W. Smith in 1876. (fn. 113)
The registers begin in 1556.
The churchyard is entered from the road at the
south-west through a lych-gate, erected in memory of
Robert Thompson (d. January 1908) by his widow.
On the north-west side of the church lies a large stone
coffin, the lid of which, with a raised cross, still remains.
ADVOWSON
Norman de Dinsdale, parson of
the church, is mentioned among
the contributors to the aids from
churches in 1194–5; he paid 4s. (fn. 114) According to
depositions made in 1228 Norman petitioned the
monks of Durham to confer the church on his son,
William le Breton, and they did so, William paying
them 40s. a year. (fn. 115) This statement agrees with
the charter of Bishop Philip, who died in 1208,
granting the church of Dinsdale and the chapel of
Ponteyse to William; the three marks were for the maintenance of the lights around the body of St. Cuthbert. (fn. 116)
This was the service mentioned in the somewhat later
charter by Ralph Surtees recorded above in the account
of the manor. There must therefore have been some
earlier grant of the church to the monastery which
has not been recorded. Before 1228 William le Breton
asked the monks to give the church to his clerk
Nicholas, who was to pay the same pension, and they
consented. (fn. 117) The later charters of Ralph Surtees show
that Nicholas le Breton ceded the church in or before
1240 and that Hugh of Barnard Castle died in
possession about 1253. (fn. 118) The later rectors were
presented by the Prior and convent of Durham
and on the Dissolution the advowson was in 1541
transferred to the dean and chapter. (fn. 119) Their
successors, the present dean and chapter, are now
patrons.
The church was never appropriated to the monastery,
but the rector paid a yearly pension to it. In 1291
this was still £2. (fn. 120) The value of the rectory was then
returned as £4 13s. 4d. a year, (fn. 121) but by 1318 it had
been reduced to £3, owing probably to the incursions
of the Scots. (fn. 122) At an inquiry made in 1466 the value
was found to be £8 4s.; this included 10s. the rent
of 2 oxgangs of land in Over Middleton (q.v.), 1s. 6d.
tithes of the same, and 3s. tithes of Studhoe field. It
was at that time stated that the church had formerly
paid £5 to Durham, but this had been reduced to 10s.,
which it was considered could well be borne. (fn. 123) Nevertheless a further reduction of rent was afterwards
made, 6s. 8d. being paid in 1535, at which time the
rectory was valued at 100s. yearly. (fn. 124)
St. Mary's Chantry in Dinsdale Church was founded
early in the 13th century. William le Breton, perhaps
the rector mentioned above, gave his vill of Burdon
to the monks of Durham, and they in the time of
Prior Ralph (1214–33) founded chantries at Darlington and Dinsdale for the souls of their benefactor and
Alice his wife. The chaplain was to receive four marks
a year from the monks. (fn. 125) In 1535 and 1547 accordingly the chantry priest received 53s. 4d. from the
Prior of Durham. (fn. 126) In 1379–80 Alexander Surtees
had the bishop's licence to give Thomas de Moulton
and Richard de Norton 10 marks rent in augmentation
of their stipends as chaplains in Dinsdale Church for
the souls of Sir Thomas Surtees and his ancestors. (fn. 127) In
1541 the advowson of the chapel of St. Mary in the
church of Dinsdale was transferred from the monastery
to the dean and chapter of Durham. (fn. 128) At the suppression of chantries in 1548 the chaplain was said to
have 57s. 4d. a year. (fn. 129)
CHARITIES
For the school and Thomas Wyvill's
Charity thereto, see article on Schools. (fn. 130)
A sum of £120 consols is held by the
official trustees for providing the sum of £3 a year for
the school.
The official trustees also hold a sum of £94 4s. 6d.
consols arising from the same charity in trust for the
poor. The annual dividend, amounting to £2 7s.,
is applied in sums of 10s. usually for poor women in
confinement, also in the distribution of beef at
Christmas.
James Watson, by will proved at Durham in 1844,
bequeathed £50, the income to be applied in the
distribution of bread among the poor. The legacy,
with accumulations, is represented by £71 19s. 7d.
consols, with the official trustees, producing £1 16s.
yearly.