Page:History and characteristics of Bishop Auckland.djvu/103

 78 HISTORY OF BISHOP AUCKLAND. till the reign of Charles I.^ whilst the younger branches of the ancient stately cedar shadowed both Dnrham and Yorkshire. All are now fallen, and not a foot of land is held by the Conyers in either county. Of the house of Conyers not one stone is now left on another. The little church, standing lonely on its level green, has survived the halls of its ancient patrons. Deep traces of .foundations of gardens and orchards, a little to the south, point out the site of the mansion ; and one old decaying Spanish chesnut, spared by the axe, and whose bulk and indurated bark have protected it from other injury, seems alone to connect the deserted spot with some recollection of its ancient owners. 1600. — February 6. — Mres. Anne Huttonn, of Hunwick, b. in the Churche. 1601. — Marche 28. — Mr. Xpoffbr. Huttonn, b. in the Churche. 1630. — March 21. — Elizabeth Hutton, daughter of My Ladie Tonge, Mris. Jane Laiton, Godmo., Richard Hutton, of Hunwick, Esque., christened. Mr. Lindlie Wren. In Bishop Langley s time the Huttons held many lands at Hmiwick ; and John Hutton, in the fifteenth year of that Prelate, died, seized of the vill of Hunwick, with its appurtenances, which, with the Manor of Binchester, he held of the Bishop in capite, by the fourth part of a Knight's fea^ In Bishop Barnes' time, we find a record of the homage rendered by Anthony Hutton, for Hunwick. Shortly after the Rebellion of 1569, Queen Elizabeth, in consequence of her expenditure having greatly increased, had recourse to the raising of money by issuing letters of Privy SeaL The letters for the County of Durham were sent to Sir George Bowes ; and those received by him, on the 10th April, 1570, were each for the loan of fifty pounds, and were addressed to many of the gentry of this neighbourhood, and, amongst the rest, Anthony Hutton, Esq., of Hunwick. It appears, however, that in the case of Ralph Tailboys, Esq., Thomas Middleton, Esq., and Anthony Hutton, Esq., "the privie sealles were staled, by appointment, frome the Lords of the Majesties Counsell, for that they were spoilled in the last rebellion, and served the Q. Majestic against the rebeUes at Bernard Castle, and after, in all the tyme of the Rebellion." 1586. — ^Aprill 15. — Allis Edine, of Winelstonne, b. 1586.-Jullie 23.— A child of Mr. John Edenes, b. 1588.— Mie 21. — Mr. John Edene, of Winelstonne, b. 1748. — February 6. — Henry, the son of Sir Robert Eden, Bart., Windlestone, christened. 1756. — October 29. — Timothy, the son of Sir Robert Eden, Bart., Windlestone, christened. The Edens, the last records of some of whom are to be found in the Registers of St. Andrew's, have been a family remarkable in the annals of local history. About the commencement of the reign of Elizabeth, they became proprietors in Windlestone, and, by successive purchases, the whole township became vested in the family ; they also acquired considerable property in West Auckland. Robert Eden, Esq., is styled of both places in 1575. During the civil wars, the Edens took part with Charles I. ; and Mr. Robert Eden, of Auckland, was charged, in 1638, with a light horse for his service. Sir Robert Eden, grandson to the above, was created a baronet on the 13th of November, 1672, and represented the county of Durham in the parliaments of 1678-9, 1689, 1698, 1702, 1705, and 1710. He married Margaret, daughter and heiress of John Lambton, Esq., of the City of Durham. He died in 1720, and was succeeded by his eldest son. Sir John Eden, Bart., who sat for the county in the parliaments of 1713, 1714, and 1722 ; and it is related of him that, on some project for equalising the land-tax being brought before Parliament, he placed a brown loaf and a pair of wooden clogs on the table, saying, " There — when the south eats and wears what we do in the north, then mak us like and like." On his death, in 1728, Sir Robert, his only son, succeeded him. He married Mary, youngest daughter of William to the nature of the soil and other causes. In some cases we find eight carucates making a Knight's fee, in others fift^-two, and almost every number between these two. It is generally believed that the system of feudal tenures was legally established m England at the f/ouncil of Salisbury, held about 1085. The great characteristic of the feudal system was that the obligation of military or knight's service was annexed to the tenure of land held of the Sovereign. The estates or fiefs of the tenants in diief consisted of one or more knights' fees ; and for eveiy fee the King might claim military service of an armed knight for forty days a-year. The holders of these estates, on taking possession, were required to do homage and to swear fealty to the King, and on particular and specified occasions other services were exacted. The holders of large estates (as in the case of the Bishops of Durham), often granted portions of their estates and lands to under- vassals, from whom they received services similar to tiiose which they themselves rendered to their Sovereign. Digitized by Google
 * The qaantity of land whicH constitated the Knight's fee was unoerfcain— like the ploaghland and oxgang, it varied according