Page:History and characteristics of Bishop Auckland.djvu/86

 THE CHURCH OF ST. ANDREW. CHAPTER L. The exact date of the foundation of the Church of St Andrew (the Parish Church of Bishop Auckland), as well as the name of its founder, is lost in the twilight of history. From the fact of its being a distance from the town, it is most probable that it was founded before Bishop Auckland became the residence of the Bishops of Durham, At that time, it, no doubt, formed the centre and most populous part of the parish, and, judging from the relative situations of the three Aucklands, had an existence jprior to North Auckland and West Auckland, If Bishop Auckland (or North Auckland, as it was called) had been the first, West Auckland must, necessarily, have been called South Auckland, as it lies exactly in that direction with respect to the former. . But, taking the starting point at St: Andrew's Auckland, we have North Auckland in a nbrthem direction, and West Auckland in the exact position indicated by its name. We may, therefore, justly infer that, of the three, St. Andrew's was the original Auckland, and the place from whence the others received their respective names. When, however, a Bishop of Durham erected a mansion upon the piece of ground lying at the confluence of the Wear and the Gaimless, for an occasional residence for himself and successors, the population would naturally gather round him, and the neighbourhood of the Parish Church would, comparatively speaking, become deserted; and this circumstance, we think, tends in a measure to explain the reason why the town of Bishop Auckland is situated about a mile from its parish church. If we examine the situation aud position of the church minutely, we will find it a peculiar one. The river Graunless from its source to St. Andrew's Auckland, runs almost in a direct line from west to east, and taking a sudden sweep round the village, continues its course in a northerly direction, at right angles to its former course; and on an elevated bank at the south- eastern comer of this angle, stands the old church; and following the course of the river, we find North Auckland and its Castle built on an elevated plateau at the other end of the leg of the angle, where the Gaunless forms a junction with the Wear. Tanner, in the " Notitia," p. 116, says " This church or chapel of St Andrew here was made collegiate, and well endowed by Anthony Beck, Bishop of Durham." Leland calls him Primus FundatoTy and he is also considered fotmder by several other authors. Hutchinson, however, says " there seems to have been some foundation here before; for, in 1239, Robertus de Courteny habuit literas de presentatione ad decanatum de Aclent ratione vacationisEpiscopatusDunelm.* Authors have supposed that the prebends of this church, and the churches of Darlington, Easing- ton,and Norton were founded by Bishop William de Karilepho, by order or assent of Pope Gregory, for the maintenance of those secular canons only whom he had displaced from the Cathedral Church of Durham. Leland's expressions on this occasion have been construed to imply- that they had no successors, and that their prebends or portions in those churches expired with them. This may reasonably be supposed in some of the churches, from the total silence of authors about any prebendaries in Easington Church in after times. Thus, we find that Ponteland Chur<3h, in Northumberland, was prebendal about the time of the Lincoln taxation, 1291, after which we. hear no more of its being collegiate; nor, indeed, do we hear of any prebendaries in Norton till about the year 1227, or at Darlington till Hugh Pudse/s time, who was consecrated Bishop of ThuL neariy four yean, ana ancu the appoinnnent ot i^icnoiaB ae Jtrarnjuun, in :Z41. A bau was also obtainea trom the oee oi nom the Kiiift commanding the Prior and Monka of Durham not to attempt anything to hia prejadice during the vacancy of the Sea Digitized by Google