Page:History and characteristics of Bishop Auckland.djvu/102

 mSXOBY OF BISHOP AUGKLAICD. . 77 The Begisters commence Amio Domini, 1559, and are headed ** A Begester of all Buiyalls begininge the first year of the Eeigne of onr Soveragne Ladie Quen Elizabethe, accoiding to the Statute made in the 38 year of her highnes reigne :" — Conyen' wyf, of Aackland, bd. 12 March, 1564. The Conyers were one of the most noted families in the County of Ihirham. In 1396, Sir John Conyers held the Manor of Sockbum, by a similar tenure to that of the Pollards, of Auckland, viz., the presentation of a falchion, and for a similar service, only in this case the animal was called a dragon, or fiery serpent In 1140, when the See of Durham was usurped by William Cummin, Eoger Conyers, of Bishopton, who was then hereditary governor of Durhamn Castle, alone refused to pay him homaga Thomas Conyers, of Elemore, Esq., represented the City of Durham in eight parliamenta The Thomas Conyers, of Bishopton, who married the daughter of Sir (Jeorge Bowes, took part, with his father-in-law, in suppressing the " Eising of the North." November 10th, 4 Edw. lY. — Sir John Conyers, of Homeby, Ent, agrees with Sir Bobert Clazton, Ent, " yat Richert Conyers, son to ye sayd Sir Jon, sail by grace of Qod tak till wyf e Elizebeth, dowter and on of ye aires apparand till ye sayd Sr. Bobert, afore Eerstemas next." Sir John Confers engages to settle on his son Richard Conyers an estate in fee of ten marks ; and Sir Bobert covenants, if he dies without male issue, to let all his lands descend equally to Elizabeth, as one of his co-heirs, saying, " yat the sayd Sr. Bobert sail allways stand at his awyn lebarte of the Manar and Towyr of Dilston, and landes, &c, in Corbrigg f and Sir John Conyers shall pay JC40 to Sir Bobert Clazton on the day of marriage, and shall suffer Sir Bobert to occupy, till the marriage, his Manor and Town of Thorpthewles in the Bishoprick. January 4th, 1487. — ^Indenture between Bichard Conyers, of Horden, gent., and Eleanor, late wife of Lionel Claxton, of Horden, gent. Whereas a marriage is intended betwixt Bichard Claxton, son of Lyonel, and Janet, daughter of ' Bichard Conyers. [Lionel Claxton, late of Horden, gent, otherwise esquire, had a general pardon of all felonies, kc^ 8 Dec., 3 Dudley.] In the Marriage Eegister of St Andrew's, under the date July 22, 1565, we find the following : — Thomas Conyers and EUzabethe Johnsonn, maryed. Under the date May 24th, 1665, in the account books of Bishop Cosin, we find the following : — Paid Fathie Conyers, for 5 days gathering stones at the river for the pavers, 2s. Id. In Sykes's Local Eecords (April 15th, 1810), we find the following : — Died at Chester-le^treet, aged 79, Sir Thoa. Couyers, Bart He inherited, of this illostrioas family, nothing but the title, which expired with him. Such is the mutability of human a&irs, that iMs man, whose ancestors were lords of Sockbum, and inheritors of extensive lands, actually broke stones upon the turnpike, and was in the poor-house at the above place, until, by the philanthropy of the present Bishop of Durham, and other gentlemen of the county, his latter days were rendered comfortable. In the above statement, however, there is a slight mistaka The old adage says — " Honour to whom honour is due." It is only justice to state, that this piece of characteristic benevolence was brought about — not by the Bishop of Durham — ^but by Robert Surtees, Esq., the historian of the County of Durham, In a letter, written to Sir Walter Scott, dated from Mainsforth, March 5th, 1810, he thus alludes to the subject : — If you can get hold of the "Gentleman's Magazine" for December, 1809, and for September, you will see that I have l?een endeavouring to rouse the attention of our Northern gentry in favour of the last decayed representative of the Conyers, with whose name and falchion-legend you are well acquainted. I have received some assistance, and have effected what was in my power; but there is still room for the exertions of any wealthy and generous knight who can feel a little for the depressed situation of his brother in rank. The same author, in his " History of Durham," thus speaks of the extinction of the ancient race of Conyers, a branch of whom, we may justly infer from the above extracts, has lived in Bishop Auckland. Prom John, the son of Galfrid, descended, in a lineal procession, gallant kni^ts and esquires, who hdd Sockbum Digitized by Google ^