Page:History and characteristics of Bishop Auckland.djvu/118

 HI8T0BY OF BISHOP AUCKLAND. 91 But the spirit was mistaken, for the domestics provided the usual means of banishment, namely, a green cloak and a hood, which they laid before the kitchen fira At the hour of midnight, the goblin spirit stood before the smouldering embers and surveyed the garments provided for him very attentively, then tried them on, and appeared delighted with his appearance, frisking about the room and cutting gambols, until at length, hearing the first crow of the cock, he twitched his green mantle about him, and disappeared, with the following appropriate valediction : — Here's a cloak, and here's a hood, The cauld lad o' Hylton will do na mair good. But, although he never returned to disarrange the pewter vessels, set the house in order, or play any more of his mischievous tricks, yet his voice was, long after this, heard at the dead hour of night, singing the above melancholy couplet ; and, even up to the present century, the belated wayfarer, in passing the Castle, would often fancy he heard the unearthly wailings of '' The Cauld Lad o' Hylton." For a full pedigree of the Hiltons, see Longstaffs " History of Dar- lington," from which, it appears, branches of the family spread themselves over various parts of the northern counties, he himself being a descendant The gallery, which stood at the west end of the nave of St Andrew's, and which was pulled down during recent repairs, was built by one of the Hiltons, and had on it a biass plate, inscribed, " Robert Hylton, Gen. 1721." In the Register for Deaths we find the following : — 1707.— March 4.— Isab. D : of Geo. Bonas, Bp. A : April 6. — Cidly Langstaffe, Bp. Audd : April 28. — Franda Johnson, parish darke. Francis Johnson, who long held the office of Parish Clerk of St. AndreVs, was a man of very eccentric habits, and lived, during the latter part of his life, in the " Parvis" above the Porch. There are many anecdotes related of him, and one in particular. Frank was troubled with an asthmatic affection, and in order to breathe the fresh air, often strolled out during the night and early morning. He generally took up his position on the low wall which then bounded the eastern part of the burial ground, separating it from the road On one of those occasions he heard the voices of several horsemen rousing the landlord of the Cross Keys Inn, situated just below, in the village, and he recognised them as those of a number of butchers returning home from Darlington market It so happened that one of their fraternity had been buried a few days previous, in close proximity to the place on which he stood Frank, therefore, placed himself upon the grave of this individual, having, as was his custom, his night-cap on, and there awaited their approacL When they came opposite, a halt was made, and one of the party drawing his horse alongside of the wall, by way of a drunken jest called out to the departed friend, and asked him how he was getting on ; to which old Frank, in a sepulchral voice, immediately replied, *' Oh, middling weel, but varra cauld'' Taking this for the voice of their departed comrade, the batch of butchers set off at full gallop, and never drew rein till they arrived in Auckland to tell their night's adventure. When it was divulged who the real ghost was, the tale, for many years, became a standing social and fireside joke, and is yet held in remembrance by a few old inhabitantei He was succeeded in the office of Pariah Clerk by his son, Francis, who was fetther of the FranciB already alluded to in former pages. Turning again to the Begister for Baptisms, we extract the following : — 1710.— ^ptember 18.— Jndith, D. of Bobt Fenninton, Oen., Bp. AuokL 1711.— May 18.— William, son of Robert Fenninton, Esqr., Bp. Aookland. 1712.— Febraaiy 14.— FranceB, D. of Mr. Francis Fewterer, Bpp. AuokL 1716.— November 24.— John, son of Hawden Raw, Oen.^ Bp. Auckland. 1721. — ^November 26. — Simon, je son of John Langstaffe, a shoemaker, De Bp. Ankland. December 12. — ^Richard, ye son of John Langstaffe, batcher, De Aokland, Epia. Digitized by Google -